BFG rave runs: Mannheim 2011

There's no better therapy than a good long run. This being a run-focussed week, I had long runs in Mannheim and two more back home.

Starting with the Mannheim runs first. Being on the north side of the railway station (hauptbahnhof), I decided to head north towards the Neckar river instead of the Rhein, which I covered last year. Found the Luisenpark easily enough, but it was closed. But I noticed a running track right by the river bank, and headed over. Beautiful quiet path with only runners, cyclists and the occasional dog (with owner in tow). Headed east and turned back to complete a 10km. Temp a cool 12 to 15 deg C (I was underdressed with only a tanktop, so had to run fast to keep warm). ave 6:05 pace

The next day, I headed off earlier, and negotiated the same route. It would have led to Heideburg, 20km away. Generally flat all the way. Passed a small village (Ilvesheim) and u-turned at Neckarsheim for a 20km run. Fast finish. Ave: 6:11 pace

Then a short recovery 5km run on the southside along Rhein river the next morning. Too cold for my liking, 2 deg when I left the hotel and 5 deg when I came back. Said hi to lady Stephanie and the trails that I so enjoyed last year.

Oh yes. An afternoon of sightseeing -- Heideburg castle (schloss). Plenty of tourists, unlike Mannheim.

BFG rave runs: Meuse westside

Memorable in terms of the terrain encountered - 15th century cobble stones, bricks, asphalt, concrete, gravel, mud track and grass. Yes, Maastricht is so small that 15 minutes out, it was the country side. 

Usually my runs were on the eastside of the river, headed south. This time, I went north, crossed over the river and continued on the westside due south. The medieval landscape quickly made way for small cottages, isolated industrial buildings, parks, and finally the path ended at a river dock and I had to turn around. Weather was nice in the 20s.

5km of warmup, then starting at MP for 1 km with 500m of recovery, increasing the pace by 10 sec every subsequent km to 5-km pace. Total 18km.

The second day was a modest 14km along familiar territory. Did some further exploration north-side and south-side in order to get the mileage. Missed a nice dinner at a chateau, but settled for chinese takeout instead.

BFG rave run: Barossa Valley

There is currently a wine glut, and wine makers in Australia are struggling over the past few years. Many has ceased operations, but not my favorites.

Visited Torbreck winery during a lull in the symposium program as well as East End Cellars in Adelaide. Torbreck has a new top end wine - The Laird. Too bad we couldn't get a tasting. Would have to wait  at least 15 years before I do (not sure if I can last that long).

I digress. Did a short 6km run around Novotel, truncated by the faster-than-expected darkness. Them slopes around Novotel are trying, to say the least. Fancy cycling up? That's a thought.

BFG rave run: Adelaide

How little has Adelaide changed in 18 months. The scenic Torrens river, my training routes in Dec 2009, remains as beautiful and inspiring as ever; other than the fact that July is winter and daylight hours are shorter.

Managed two runs towards the north east direction, all the way to the bus-rail tracks - a nice 11 km run, and the second 5 km effort around the convention center.

The runs evoked nice memories of past runs. Yes, it was good to be back in Adelaide.

BFG rave run: Eindhoven

Eindhoven, a small city of over 200,000 inhabitants in south Netherlands, venue for the ERES 2011 conference.  PE, my dutch friend wanted to confer upon me an honorary dutch citizenship for all the trips to Netherlands in recent years.

Did two 10km runs around the city in June. The first was an exploratory run incorporating various recommended walking tours and some attractions around the city center. Because the city center is so small, I had to run up and down river to chalk up 10km. The second was several loops around a park I discovered on the first run. Very scenic with ducks, children and a few cyclists. Quite good pace, given the nice weather.

Rave Runs: John MacArthur beach state park

In what would have been a boring out and back along the pavements of Singer Island, FL turned out to be a serendipitous discovery of sorts. After about 4km in 20C temperature (with windchill it was about 15C) out, I met HO on the way back. Didn't recognize him at first with his shades and running gear. It was about an hour ago that we listened to his research presentation - an interesting one, I might add.

HO told me about the great run through John MacArthur park, just up ahead. $2 entrance fee (which he didn't pay cuz he didn't carry any with him), but I gamely forked out the money. And it was certainly worth every cent.

First through the paved road passing by some carparks. Then the broadwalk over the waters. Not very long, possibly 500m long. Ospreys gliding and hovering overhead just 10 m up, hundreds of them. Didn't know they were ospreys or sea hawks, but for an informative signboard along this very same broadwalk. Must have an abundant fish about here to support so many of them.

On the other side, there was a sandy trail off to the right, which I promptly ran into. Not very long, much to my disappointment and I u-turned and went up a flight of steps to view a gorgeous beach. Facing me was the Atlantic Ocean. Very nice indeed.

Back out of the park, headed south again for 1.5km before backtracking to the Hilton. Managed a negative split for the 15km, which was nice given that I had not gone for a long run for more than a month (since APIM70.3).

Rounded off the run with a satisfying plate of 2-entree fried rice from Garden Malls. :)

BFG Rave Runs: Rotterdam, Netherlands

It's World Cup time, and there's no better place to be than in Europe. Rotterdam has another distinction this summer - it is the starting point for the 2010 Tour de France.

The Netherlands is a great place for cycling. One of the curious facts of the Netherlands: nearly 85 percent of the population own at least one bicycle.  It is estimated that there are about 16 million bicycles in Holland, slightly more than one for every inhabitant. About 1.3 million new bicycles are sold every year.

I was amazed when I saw a parking lot for bicycles near the train station. Rows and rows of bikes on a land area not unlike that for car parks. That's a grand sight.

It is not difficult to see the contrast in cycling environment between Netherlands and Singapore. Here, there are dedicated bike lanes (shared with motorbikes/scooters), and there are road markings, traffic lights, road etiquette for cyclists. The pix taken from the 15th floor of Novotel Brainpark shows clearly the dedicated bike lanes (in reddish brown).

Commuters as well as recreational cyclists can be seen well utilizing these lanes, making me wish that I could go out for a spin as well. After all, it's a nice summer day here, with 20 deg C temperature. I was looking at a ride to Delft, about 20km away. But work comes first.

What I did have time was a short 5 km jog around the hotel. Good to get those legs moving after the travel.

And I came across a small grass patch near the river with sheep grazing on it. Right here in Rotterdam. Amazing.

Now to catch up on World Cup news so as to make politically correct conversation with the conference delegates.

BFG rave Runs: Naples, FL

Where would you see flashy cars such as the BMW X6, Acura, hummers, vintage cars and hear a lady driver wound down her window and shouted "Whoo-hoo, way to go!"when running? Where would you get stopped by Americans asking for directions, and go green with envy with the dedicated bike lanes? Where would you run past nicely manicured and stately million dollar real estate?

Many places, I'd bet. But I happen to be in Naples, Florida. For a conference. Two years ago, I was in the vicinity, about 30 miles to the north at Captiva Island. Four months ago, I was freezing my butt off in Orlando, four hours away. Florida, the sunshine state, home of wealthy retirees and millionaires. And for me, merely flat roads to build up my mileage.

So the first two of a series of runs here - 10 km and 15 km easy runs, both at HR target of 150. Been a while since I ran in such nice weather, with a good wind but not strong enough to become an issue.

BFG Rave Runs: Fartlek in Stockholm

Fartlek, as readers know, is speedplay in Swedish. What better place to do a fartlek run than in Stockholm Sweden!

Headed due east this morning, toward Ladugårdsgärdet, a part of the 27sq km Ekoparken, the world’s first national park within a city. Just 2 to 3 km from Gamla Stan (old town), it was quite startling to run into vast open spaces and woods (pine trees?) under a clear blue sky. There were many stately houses at Nobelparken (Nobel prize winners get to live here?) and ran past the PRC embassy.

An old poster from the Stockholm marathon was left on a lamp-post, a reminder that this is part of the marathon route. Some day, perhaps?

Over to the north was the Kaknastornet, the tallest building in the city. This is the automatic operations centre for radio and TV broadcasting in Sweden, that opened in 1967 and provides what is termed the best view of Stockholm. Since I didn't have my camera phone with me, this pix (aerial view from the east) will have to do:


Crossed the short bridge into Djurgården, this time I ran due west along the unpaved footpath besides the waterway. The crunch of gravel beneath the shoes was the only sound along this stretch, and I was glad for the occasional runner out there with me.

Today's training called for 3 sets of 10 min fast-paced run with HR above 150, followed by 3 min recovery. Basically a mile-repeat training.

Completed the third set just at the bridge heading back toward the whart, and took a slow 2 km warm down back to the hotel.

At a traffic junction, a lady cyclist pulled up beside me. She's riding a Cervelo P2 - exact color scheme as mine. Nice! (I mean the bike, not the biker.)

Noticed a few walkers and skaters out there, with Nordic inline skates and ski poles. Stockholm has a good network of cycling lanes, even in the town center. From my limited observation, I see good discipline amongst cyclists. Something to emulate, Singapore!

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Today, there's a marathon over at Kustmaran, a remote town in Sweden. Last Sat, there was the Midnight Sun marathon at Tromso Finland. Yes, I'd checked these out for some future reference! ;)

Enjoyed the tremendous weather, fresh air, cool evenings and long days.

BFG Rave Runs: Stockholm

Jun 25, 8 am Stockholm (Sweden).

Established back in the 13th century, Stockholm means the town in between the bridges. This is because Stockholm is built on waterways. So it is of little surprise that I explored the old town waterfront starting from the Gustav Adolfs Torg near to the Royal Palace.

Ran past the National Museum into the islands of Skepps Holmen, which was formerly a naval yard and base. Now the islands are host for a number of museum. Nice view of the Royal Palace from the western shores.





Continued east along the pier and turned into the larger island of Djurgården. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, old stately houses and yatches. It is Stockholmers' favorite recreation areas and tourist destination.

This is a pretty and scenic island. Manicured lawns, cool shades under the majestic trees, undulating terrain (good training for NF100), and the cool 21 deg C weather, clear blue sky just made the run seem easy. A marked contrast from barely a week ago, from the third world to the first, from newly carved dirt tracks to medieval cobbled stones.

At the 7 km mark, I turned back and headed back to the Scandic Sergel Plaza hotel for a 11 km aerobic run. A very pleasant run.

HR ave 146. Pace ave: 7 min/k. Mizuno Rider 12


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BFG Rave Runs: San Francisco CA

Jan 2, 2009

First run of 2009, and I was fortunate to do this in San Francisco, CA. Believe it or not, I last ran here in April 2007 (twice), and I took basically the same route, except that I started off in near Union Square instead of North Beach. So this is a run from Bay Bridge to Golden Gate Bridge.

Sunny afternoon, temp about 48F (8C). Not too breezy, but it was warm enough to remove my gloves after a few km. Down Market Street towards the Ferry Building, then east along the Embarcadero, past Fishermans Wharf and Fort Mason. Then along the Marina area past Crissy Fields. Nothing much changed since April 2007, At the end of Crissy Field, I noticed new pavements and remarkably, new tracks / stairs up toward the Golden Gate Bridge. The winding path made it easier to ascend the slope. The Golden Gate Bridge was packed with tourists and sightseers.

The out leg was fine, as it was bright and sunny, and I ran faster than I anticipated (<7 min pace). I also thought of Dean Karnaze (SF is his home city), and that he must have ran this route numerous times. Probably he ran the slopes and hills, but not me. BTW, this route is part of the SF marathon. There were many runners out as well, although they weren't wearing jackets and gloves as I did!





The return leg was slower, as my legs didn't take well to downhill running. Felt hungry as the sun set, and the aroma from the restaurants along Beach Street was really tempting. I thought of stopping by Bouldin for a bowl of clam chowder, but didn't have enough money.

The weather turned cooler as it got dark (starting from the turnaround point). It was a bit of a struggle for the last 2 km along the Embarcadero. Fortunately, I remembered that there was a Peet's outlet at the Ferry Building, and I thought of Peet's chocolate covered expresso beans that Dean Karnazes likes.

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Lucky for me, there was one bag left (and I got a discount). Took four or five beans, and immediately I perked up. My favorite - chocolate and expresso! (note to myself: must buy a few more packets!).

It was dark by the time I returned to the hotel at 6 pm. Total distance: 22 km.

Next time I will try the next half of the SF marathon route and take it all the way to the Golden State Park! Then it would have been more like taking part in the SF marathon, which I can't do for now (no clearance and no resources!).

A few lessons I learnt from running in cooler weather:
- must have jacket, gloves and hat
- tend to need more water breaks (I had to take two even though I didn't hydrate along the way - lucky for me I remembered that there were restrooms at Pier 39)
- legs tend to get stiffer due to cold
- nose tends to run (need to bring along a small tower - thanks for this tip, PG!)
- although I didn't feel much perspiration, must remember to keep money/notes in ziplock (I apologized to the casher at Peet's)

Food for thought: SF has a progressive marathon category. Wonder if I have enough miles to qualify for a progressive SF marathon? I believe I do. :)

Honor Roll: PGT5

BFG Rave Runs: Maastricht

Maastricht, The Netherlands

Located south-eastern part of the Netherlands, near the Belgian and German borders. Maastricht has nearly 120,000 inhabitants. Its name is derived from Latin Trajectum ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum, meaning "Mosa-crossing", and refers to the bridge over the Meuse river built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

The last time I was here was Aug 28, 2006, almost 28 months ago. But nothing much had changed. The railway station, tourist information and Beaumont hotel looked exactly the same.

The morning was downcast and rainy, but the skies cleared after breakfast, and I headed out. I took almost the exact route as I did in 2006 - down toward the Meuse River, turning left at the St Servaasbrug (Saint Servatius) bridge (c. 1280). Past the government building Provinciehuis Limburg along the river, southbound. When the trail stopped, I u-turned and headed back. Went over the river on the de Hoge Brug before heading back to the hotel. Distance: 6.5 km.

Cobblestones and medieval buildings. Quaint. Many similarities with Regensberg, Germany.


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Glorious winter morning! A timely treat to compensate for the drudgery of traveling. Temp: 6 deg C









Only the third run this month, all three in different countries - Thailand, Singapore and Netherlands. Way too much traveling this year. 13 trips in total, translating to about 60 days away from home. Will have to cut down in 2009.

BFG Rave Runs: Phuket

Dec 1, 2008

It was somewhat of a relief after two long days of riding in a van for 7 hours each day. We took it slow and allowed for breaks for lunch and coffee on the long trek from BKK to Phuket. It was also a relief to be able to don my trusty pair of PGT5 and took a slow MP run along a familiar route. This was the start of the Phuket marathon route. Just managed 5 km to the village before turning back.

It was comforting to inhale familiar smells along the village streets - from vendors selling breakfast to the arid urine dog urine! Also familiar was a spot where a number of urgent runners took to, about 4 km into the race.

Managed about 6:30 to 7:15 pace. System checked out fine, except a little tightness in the right leg. The inner right knee felt a little sore, a carryover from the tempo run 2.5 weeks ago. It was a good thing this problem didn't act up during the SCBM.

This is the week leading up to the Phuket Triathlon, scheduled for Dec 7. Interesting distances. 1.8k swim, 55k bike and 12k run. The swim leg is out into the sea and back, before continuing across the lagoon. The bike route appear to overlap substantially with the marathon route. The run leg is over two laps in the Laguna grounds. Last year's event saw many winners from Australia and Europe. During this morning's run, I saw a few triathletes on their bikes. Coming a good six days before the race just to familiarize!



Rounded off by going down Canal Village into the wedding chapel. This is the night view:


Along the route, I noticed a new kindergarten, set back from the road for parking and children playground. Really nice. Testament to the claim that Phuket has good international schools. Also many signboards advertising villas and land for sale. Bet it would be harder to attract buyers for the next few months given the problems with BKK. But then again, someone at the Bahrain conference two weeks earlier claimed that prices in Phuket do not come down.


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Dec 2, 2008
Second morning in Phuket saw MBH and I out for a short jog/walk. It turned out to be longer than we'd planned - about 5 km - due to my curiosity to explore. Ouch!

Easy pace to Canal Village, Wedding Chapel and then to Laguna Residences and Homes, where luxury villas await occupants. Most have been sold, but we didn't see many people. Maintenance is immaculate, though.

Nice views of the Phuket Laguna gold course.

BFG Rave Runs: Bahrain

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Nov 17, 2008
Second time in Bahrain in as many years. The last time I visited, Craig Daniel was the new James Bond in Casino Royale. Earlier this month, the new JB movie Quantum of Solace was also released. What a correlation! Entirely spurious of course. But what is somewhat fascinating is that I have visited the Middle East at least 6 times since 2000, and witnessed the development over time.

Two years ago, there were lots of construction along Al Fatih Highway. Now these buildings are offices and hotels, spanking new. The Bahrain Financial Center is now completed and stands proudly over this island of golden smiles. At 706 sq km, Bahrain is slightly smaller than Singapore.

Today is all about systems check. Started out at 5 pm (equivalent to 7 pm Sin) and managed just a short 5 km at slow pace. HR<135. The cool weather contributed to the good steady pace at 7:30 (would be wonderful HR pace for BKK!). Started at Pars International hotel at Juffair - a commercial area built on reclaimed land. Passed the Al Fateh Grand Mosque (prayers in session) - opposite Gudalbiya Palace, up to Dolphin park and u-turn at Funland Centre.

That was the vicinity where I stayed in 2006. The last time, I ran south, past the Gudalbiya Palace to Mahooz Ave junction, as well as another run up to the Financial Center. Not sure if I have time this trip. But would make for a nice run that way.

All systems checked out. No pain. That's good. :)

BFG Rave Runs: Chicago Grim Reaper

There was a halloween party at the Union League Club last night, and I bumped into the grim reaper in the elevator (hence the title). There were also a Joker (ala Batman), ghouls, witches, etc. Well, America is big into halloween.

Second run in the windy city with a temp of 51 deg F. As I started out, it was overcast, windy and cold! Had to resist the temptation to head back up to the gym and treadmill. Good thing I persevered, for the weather cleared up within 15 minutes, the sun came out and it turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon. More runners about this afternoon. Wind was more moderate.

This time, I headed south to the planetarium - to reminisce the good ole days - before heading back up to Lincoln Park. Kept HR to under 140 bpm. Not surprisingly, my pace was much faster - averaging 6:15 to 6:45. This is about 2 minutes faster than the norm. Did a tempo run at 10th and 11th km, pushing up HR to 170. No speed target, but managed 5:19 and 5:08.

On the way back, I still kept HR to under 140. But pace was about 7:08 to 7:40. Not surprisingly, given the wind factor (14 mph). It was getting dark as I approached 20 km, so decided to head back to the hotel.

Gave directions for the Lakeshore Drive underpass to a couple (hope I was right) and the time to a fellow lady runner, and $2 to an African American elderly lady for train fare (God bless you too!). I guess I looked like the friendly sort of guy.

View from Shedd aquarium : fall colors evident View of Adler planaterium
Chicago skyline from planaterium: congratulations to the couple!
Lincoln Park



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BFG Rave Runs: Chicago

No, not the Chicago marathon (I wished!). Visiting CME and DePaul U, and took the chance to do a 15-km tempo run along the famous Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan.


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Started a little late, at 8 am, to avoid the cold. But cold it was. Officially 42 degree F (5 deg C), but with the wind chill, it was colder. Had my windbreaker and cap on. Fortunately, it was sunny, with some cloud cover.

Headed towards Lakeshore Drive bike track. Known as Lakeshore trail. Went north through the bridge and by the Navy pier. Further north on Oak St beach to the southern tip of Lincoln Park. About 7 km. HB was excellent (other than the erratic jump for the first 2 km), less than 140 for the last 2 to 3 km. And yet pace was good, about 6:15.

View of Navy Pier on the right

View of Oak St beach

Chicago skyline (John Hancock Center with twin antenna masts)


Turnaround point

Only when I turned around did I realize why. All the time, I had the wind on my back. After the U-turn, I ran into the wind. And what a difference. It was hard going. Had to push it just to maintain the 6:20 pace. HR above 145 - 150. No wonder the cyclists appear to be struggling against the wind. This was the first time I experienced head wind while running! Found out later that the wind speed as 14 mph (22 kmph)! Now I understand why some runners "complain" about running against the wind.

More Chicago skyline from Jackson Blvd

Legs felt stiff, initially the right thigh and later both thighs. I should have a longer warmup and stretch. Hands were really cold, and nose started running after 6 km. Not a fun run. But this is getting out of the comfort zone!