More body image obsession stories

Got to the gym at 6.05am today.Had quite a good night’s sleep, so I felt recharged for today’s workout. Here’s what I did:

Cardio:

30 min walk on treadmill

30 min on stairclimber

20 min on elliptical machine

Weights: back

Low row

MTS Row

Lat pulldown

Upright row

Fitball crunches with medicine ball

I had a really good workout on the stairclimber, so much so that when I increased intensity, the whole machine started whirring and vibrating, sounding like it was very exhausted! Oh well, somebody needs to test the equipment to the maximum right? Brought my heart rate up to about 165, which is beyond the 80% heart training zone of a 20 year old… Someone had spilled water on the floor at the free weights section, and when my friend saw the puddle he asked me,”That’s not your sweat right?” Very funny…

Anyway yesterday’s NST Life & Times featured an article on Body Image Obsession, something which I can very much relate to. Evon Lim, a fitness instructor was interviewed and here’s what she said:

“You can’t deny that some really fit and energetic people in the gym or the park are disciplined as they feel like they have to measure up to something good. But when they go home and nobody’s around, they binge because they lose the control they feel when being watched by everyone else and seek comfort in food.

Some of them don’t eat much during the day because the feel elated form the exercise or the attention of others and it’s a nasty cycle when they binge and workout hard to get rid of the calories and guilt the next day. This is not only binge eating but excessive exercising to make up for it and it affects both sexes”

Well, that is SO true for me. Even though I’ve been a fitness instructor in the past, and I know all the do’s and don’ts, and that fitness is really more important than body shape, I myself have become a slave to this body image obsession. And it’s true what she said, the more you exercise or considered an athlete, the greater your obsession becomes. This is because of the idea that people think, how come you work out so much but you’re not thin? I get that question a lot from others. I try and explain that different bodies have different shapes and muscle composition, some are just more muscular, some are more predisposed to fat and so on. But some people just don’t understand that. I have this particular friend who asks me really rude questions like, “How come you’re still so fat” or if I am wearing something which makes me look a bit rounded she bluntly asks me “you haven’t been running is it?”

Although I know that I am fit and healthy, I can’t help but get sucked in to what she says. I still believe I am fat. This may sound insensitive to some of you, but really, it’s not funny and it’s hard to just erase 17 years of insecurities about your body shape. All these also stemmed from the fact that I used to be told I am fat even when I was just merely chubby and not excessively fat.

Believe it or not, I am also a victim of binge eating disorder, As what Evon says, most times I am seen not eating a lot, but there are times I go really extreme and binge, like I would be able to finish a whole can of Pringles at one go, or a whole bar of chocolate. Then after that I go to the extreme of cutting back a lot.

I can though, say that even though I have these insecurities, I am SLOWLY beginning to let it go..this has something to do with allowing God into your life and transforming you. I wish I could just shake off my insecurities just like that but hey, like I said, you can’t just erase these thoughts overnight. Although, I do wish I could overcome it quicker so I don’t’ have to punish muyself physically and mentally. But I guess it will have to be in His perfect timing.

Goodbye, Penang Bridge Marathon

I think I’ll have to say goodbye to my dreams of doing Penang Bridge this year. First of all, the massage I did last week did me more harm than good. The area above my left ankle became very tender, that when I put on a new pair of socks, I could feel the gutter pressing on the tender injured area. That’s BAD, when you hurt from just wearing socks. Had to give the 20km another rmiss last Saturday.. Strangely, I did not feel the pain when I had the massage done. My theory is that I had it done right after a run, therefore my endorphins were still pumping and therefore I could not feel the pain. Moral of the story is, never have a massage right after a run. Sigh, my injury seems to be shifting from one area to another area..

Also, I woke up feeling totally exhausted today. Had an incredibly long day yesterday, I seem to be having church meetings every weekend, save for last weekend, but I worked last weekend anyway so in a nutshell, I haven’t had enough rest. I can still muster the energy to wake up for an exercise (I am one of those that feels MORE tired if I don’t exercise – strange but true) but it really bothers me that I don’t get Sundays completely off to myself. And the horrible part is, I can’t say no to these meetings because of my commitment and involvement. I have yet YET another meeting this weekend, and the following weekend I have a bridal shower for good friend ( which in this case I am looking forward to). Well anyway enough of my grouses. Just feeling a bit demotivated and discouraged at this point because I had my sights set upon doing the full marathon in Penang which I have to give up now. I guess I’ll just need to take a break and perhaps try Singapore again.

Anyway, as I’ve said, as tired as I am, I’d still get a bit of exercise done, just a light one; if not I’d be even more lethargic and get more depressed. Got to the gym at 6am (OK, I know you’re all thinking, this girl is nuts…getting to the gym at 6am – you call that taking it easy?) Felt quite lousy, and only felt like doing 1 hour’s worth of cardio instead of the usual 80 minutes.

Cardio:

30m min walk on treadmill

30 min on elliptical machine

Weights:

Leg extension

Seated leg curl

Calf extension

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Was planning to go upstairs to do some squats, then Jenny popped over and said that RPM class was on. Had not planned to do it actually, but since Jenny was going and I had company, plus it’s the only early RPM class they’ll ever have, I decided to join….with the intention of not pushing myself. The instructor was this really athletic guy, he looked every bit a cyclist or runner. He was very muscular, had really nice deltoids, but I found the rest of him too skinny…you know, that sinewy kind of look. I much prefer a bit of flesh like Lee Hom : ) Anyway, there were a few other who were new to RPM so he taught a very basic class..which was good for me since I had no intention of pushing myself. What made it particularly enjoying was the tracks he played, there was an R n B version of “Sweet Home Alabama” and a Donna Summer hit (it’s an Italian title – cant’ remember it but it’s actually an opera song made upbeat) He has my approval, because I’m particular about instructors – they have to do it correctly. He gave some safety tips plus he was quite observant with the participants’ posture. I still remember there was a Brazilian instructor who could not teach RPM for nuts, he gave no instructions whatever besides increasing and decreasing intensity, without any safety tips. However his classes were always flooded with people JUST BECAUSE he had the looks. Nope. It has to be a properly trained instructor for me.

As exhausted as I was, I felt somewhat perked up after RPM, it really got my heart rate up. On other normal days I would have pushed myself even harder.Right after the exercise it was extremely difficult for me to walk up the stair, any my thighs felt like an anvil…then I remembered..i had done weights on legs before that! No wonder! Looks like I have to change legs day to Wednesday.

Cardio & fitball

Arrived at the gym at 6.15am today. The attendant at the counter said, “you’re early today” and I told her, “No, actually I am late..”

It’s purely cardio day today since I did weights yesterday. For some reason, Astro wasn’t in working order today..I wonder if Celebrity hasn’t paid the bill? Well it definitely wasn’t raining this morning.So far I’ve been choosing cardio machines according to which program I fancy watching. My usual picks are MTV (for brainless days – love it when they play 80s videos), ESPN (English Premier League) , Animal Planet and National Geographic. I’ve had enough of Discovery Travel & Living, that was the resident channel at Lifestyle before. CNN – only when I want to get news updates. IN any case, the music is always blasting so it’s always easier to watch something which doesn’t require thinking.

Did:

30 min walk on treadmill

30 min on stairclimber (ok, I am going to suffer trememdously running uphill tomorrow..)

20 min on elliptical machine

Did some fitball exercises as well….gosh how I miss teaching fitball. Fitball used to be my favourite class to teach because it was low impact and I didn’t need to jump around like a monkey, unlike Hi-Lo and Step in those days. I miss my fitball. I need to get a pump and use my new fitball..hope the rubber hasn’t disintegrated. I punctured my favourite fitball about 3 Christmases ago..I was wrapping presents and left the tape dispenser on the floor…Then one fine day when I was using the fitball (usually use it when I am at the computer – it’s great for the back) I accidently pushed the ball back then I heard a piercing sound..didn’t know what it was then but only realized it when I felt the ball getting flatter!

Gosh I think my legs are still sore from the massage!

A nice massage

Today feels like a lovely breezy summer day. It's blazing out there but there's a nice warmth to it. I could do with a nice chilled orange juice! Since I started work later today, I did the tai tai thing this morning. Went for a 5km outdoor run this morning (ok perhaps this isn't so tai tai la..). Didn't want to push it so I went really slow. My muscles were still tight, so I had made an appointment for a full body massage at 11am. After the run I had a nice cuppa at Starbucks. Finished Starbucks about 9.15am, so since I had a bit of time left I decided to go to gym to workout (some more). Went on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes, burned about 21o calories I think....Then I saw the RPM instructor. Oh good! Finally. THe instructor never showed up on Mon and Wed mornings this week. But alas! The class was only at 10am, which meant that I could not go for it since my massage was at 11am.

So I'd decided to do weights instead, so that I can rest and stretch tomorrow to prepare for the run on Saturday.

It's upper body (chest) day today:
Push ups
Dumbell bench press
Barbell clean n press
Assisted tricep dips
Tricep kickback machine
Reverse crunches

After my shower I popped over for my massage. Boy, my calves were extremely stiff! The lady did a good job with my calves and feet. My left plantar fascia was hurting, and she gave it a good knuckle.It was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep despite the fact that I could feel the pressure of her hands, But for some strange reason my upper body felt really ticklish, as if I had a funny bone all over.

My muscles feel all relaxed and all ready for Saturday!

30 min walk on treadmill (incline)
30 min on elliptical machine
20 min on stairclimber

Front pulldown
Lat pulldown
Bent over fly
UPright row
Assisted chin up

Fitball double crunch

My Visual DNA

Finally got to it...

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

On Target!

Look what Adrian and Chor Hon did to my Halong picture! Quite well done I must say!

Heart of the Matter

Last night I went to visit my friend in the hospital – he was hospitalized for a clogged artery. In his peak he used to run half marathons, infact he was one of the pioneers in my gym group to do half marathons. He was also the one to spur the rest of us to complete a full marathon, but he has not achieved one himself. He had always been active but for the last 3 years, with heavier responsibilities at work, we began to see less of him at the gym, and he had also developed a huge paunch.

He was alright when I saw him, he had just had an angiogram done. What they did was to put a stent in his artery, to open up the passage. He should be discharged by today.

Today I ran 5km outdoor, it’s my first run in 10 days. I think it was psychological, but since last night after I visited my friend, I felt like I had a tight chest. While running I also felt like I had a clogged artery..i felt as though I had the same symptoms as my friend did before he was hospitalized. He said after walking a few hundred metres he just felt like he had done a 10km run…not out of breath but a heavy kind of feeling. He said it was hard to describe but he knew something was wrong. That was what I felt this morning…I wasn’t particularly out of breath but I felt somewhat heavy…anyway I think it’s psychological. I did feel good after the run though, gosh I missed running so much. I didn’t get any aches or pain in my knee, I reckon my muscles are very tight and require a lot more stretching.

Also, I feel a bit spiritually high as well. And now that I am physically improving I feel a bit more motivated. I always am at my peak when I am spiritually AND physically healthy!

Heart rate and some other disgusting stuff

Broke another record. Was at the gym at 6am, I was the first one there. It’s been 10 days since I layed off from running. My right lateral kneecap doesn’t hurt anymore but the area around the right inner knee feels a bit tight.

Here’s what I did:

30 min slow jog on treadmill (185 calories)

25 min on elliptical machine (285 calories)

Jenny came and told me that they were starting RPM classes at 7.30am so I decided to do weights after my cardio so that I’d have time to do RPM.

Did:

Glutes machine

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Calf extension

Dumbell squats

Crunches

While waiting for RPM to start I decided to use the elliptical machine for a while. After waiting for a bit the instructor never showed up, and the gym attendants also could not locate him. SO I continued on the machine. I noticed that this particular model of elliptical machine never picks up my heart rate no matter how hard I work. My 2 friends beside me were happily working out with their heart rates displayed on the panel but mine still didn’t pick up anything. I later asked one of the Rapid Results Coach (Brian) why, and he said either I wasn’t holding the sensor properly or I’m sweating too much. I’ve tried holding it in different angles and it still didn’t work..so I guess it was the latter.

Did another:

30 min on elliptical machine (210 calories) so a total of 610 calories

Today there was a Caucasian man, and he was wearing a singlet with 3 quarter tights. It was a bit disgusting because his breasts were spilling from the side of the singlet and he had bigger ones than most women. Disgusting. Ew. One should also dress appropriately for gym. Speaking of dressing, last Saturday there was this girl who wore a white tube with a flimsy white blouse with flared sleeves. And what was she wearing on her feet? Sandals with butterfly designs. Please girl, you’ve come to the wrong place. I think since I’m rattling on about things which disgust me, I might as well tell you about my friend who is so tiny and she tells me she is fat and wants to look like Jessica Alba. All I can do is roll my eyes and say, get real, get a life.

Running Out of Time

It’s a lazy day today. Got to the gym at 7.30am, only did a minimal workout:

35 min walk on treadmill

10 min on elliptical machine

After that did my usual singleton thing, sat at my favourite haunt, Starbucks in BV1 and had a nice cuppa and read Runners World.

Although I’ve been kind of demotivated with my injury, I was somewhat inspired after reading an article about getting back in shape after a long layoff. So I’ll have to change tactic. In the past month, I’ve been doing the following regime weekly:

• 3 short runs a week
• 1 interval training
• 3 x weight training
• 1 long distance run

Now I’ll have to change to the following:

• 2 short runs a week
• 3 x weight training
• 1 long distance run

(Another thing which inspired me was watching Lee Hom’s “Ai Cuo: video where he was seen training for kickboxing, and he was doing his crunches hanging upside down – check out those abs man…DROOL..)

Anyway,….I guess more importantly, I’ll have to go for my next race with lowered expectations. This has been a bad running year for me and I really really want to get back in the swing of it. I am running out of time for my Penang Bridge training so it’s best to take is slow.

According to Robert Fitts, PhD, an exercise physiologist and chairman of biological sciences department at the Marquette University in Milwaukee,

1. Once you’re in shape, you can work out less and still maintain your fitness level and performance (hurrah!)
2. If you “detrain” but have been training for years, you”detrain” slower and come back faster (yayyy!)
3. Ignore weekly mileage total and ease up on your pace (yes, that’s what I need to do!)
4. Resist temptation to go out hard on race day (another thing which I need to do)

Lastly, Tony Ruiz, a coach in a New York track club said, “Consider the race as a stepping stone to future personal bests, not a climactic event in itself”

Sounds hopeful.

Butch

Gosh, just realised I am more butch than the male instructors in my gym!

S T R E T C H E D!

Decided not to do outdoor today since I wasn't going to run. Arrived at the gym at 6.20am. I realised I've been having withdrawal symptoms from not running. I have been grouchy and highly irritable the last few days. Anyway, am still resting for the rest of this week. Active rest, that is. I can't imagine not exercising at all..

Today's workout:
40 min on elliptical machine
10 min on bicycle
10 min walk on treadmill

And then
S T R E T C H E S

Ah the body felt good after doing all those stretches. Guess my muscles were really stiff from all that running. Still remember the good ol' days where I used to be able to do a pancake and do a split on my back...

Better today!

Got to the gym at 6.20am. Felt a little bit more motivated today, as some of the soreness had subsided. Yesterday my lower half of the body was awfully sore, one of those where your bones also ache (“fong sap”). By yesterday night however, I felt slightly better..at first I thought it was the painkillers which I took in the morning for my headache, but it could not have lasted the whole day.

It could have also been the alkaline water which I have been consuming, thanks to Jenny, but then again probably not. I think it’s only a placebo. It’s really ironic, on one hand I’m gulping something like 2 litres of alkaline water daily, but on the other hand I’m still drinking coffee, which probably offsets any alkalinity in my body.

All in all, I think it’s really the rest from running. Feeling a bit stronger now…I’ll just have to rest few more days and then hopefully I’ll be back on my feet again.

Today’s exercise:

35 min walk on treadmill (150 calories)

40 min on elliptical machine (285 calories) TOTAL: 435 calories

Back day!

Assisted chin ups

Pulley row

Upright row

Bent over fly

Front row

Double crunch with medicine ball

A Wannabe's Denial

Yes I am a wannabe runner. I have been in denial and still am in denial. My denial is 2 fold, the first is that, I was not made to be a runner, and the second, is that I’m ageing but I just refuse to accept it.

I’m suffering from chrondomalacia and iliotibial inflammation right now. It’s an old and recurring injury which I suffered from previously due to my flat feet and wide Q angle. I was relieved from these injuries ever since I got my orthotics but they came back to haunt me due to overuse. In a nutshell, I just wasn’t made to be a runner. I was made to bear children, obvious from my child bearing hips. But since bearing children is not a viable option right now (ie some element is missing from the whole procreation process, ahem..) I have no choice but to stick to running. Oh but not for now I guess.

The other problem is also that my whole body is ageing and deteriorating while my mind doesn’t think so. I still remember the time when I used to workout 2x a day, 7x a week without any problems. Well that was a good 10 years ago. Obviously, my body takes a longer time to recover now, and while I have a strong will to push myself harder, my body usually gives up on me first. This is a strong reminder again that this life is temporal..and I’m just waiting for the day that my body will be renewed without all these aches and pains. Speaking of which, I wonder if I’ll do any running in heaven? Will it be necessary? Or will I be like Bionic Woman, where I can run all day without feeling tired?

My friend asked me a question this morning, “Why do you want to run when you keep getting all these problems?” And she’s an ex-marathoner too, now retired from running due to injuries. She’s into yoga these days. I looked at her and said, “well, you know the high you get from running right? And you know the feeling after a marathon right?” I thought about it. Why DO I want to run? Well, firstly that’s that feeling of euphoria after a run, and secondly, I think it’s a weight issue that drives me to run. As I mentioned earlier, I suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, and for as long as I live, I think I’ll always feel like there’s a need to lose weight. And running is such a great way to lose weight. But I am “out of order” now.

Although it feels a little miserable, I have to say that in the past I would get tremendously depressed about it.Now? I guess I just have to be thankful and grateful to the Lord that I’m even fit enough to walk.

I often wonder, what if I had to amputate my leg? Although I still love running,I guess there is more to life than just running.

Today’s exercise:

4.4km outdoor walk

Broken Wings

Got to the gym at 6.15am. Not so chirpy this morning as knees still a bit sore.

40 min walk on treadmill
30 min on elliptical machine
Glutes machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Leg extension
Seated leg curl
Alternate lunges
Lower back exercises
FItball crunches

S T R E T C H E S S T R E T C H E S S T R E T C H E S

I need to S T R E T C H a lot..I feel like a bird with broken wings.

Miserable..

How miserable it is. Missed my LSD last weekend as my knees were still sore. I haven't started my Penang Bridge Marathon training and I am already out of action. I think I pushed myself too hard last Tuesday, I was already tired and still continued to run.

Sigh..looks like I have to rest from running for a while.

It's a miserable feeling.

Disappointment

Could not do much today. It's outdoor day. Was going to do the usual 3 loops of Terasek, but after 1 loop (2.2km) my right outer knee began to have a dull pain...it's in the side of the kneecap so I had to walk the 2nd loop. Stopped by Starbucks for some ice and i had ice my knee.

Hopefully it can recover by Saturday if not I'll have to give my 20km another miss. SIGHH

Sweat Factory

Got to the gym by 6am!Hah! Beat Aunty Audi to it. Infact she was late, she only got to the gym at 6.20am. And then she went and chose the treadmill next to mine...I say she smelled of jasmine. I don't know which is worse, working out next to a person who has body odour or who reeks jasmine. Eugh. Today only burned 610 calories. Here’s what I did:

36 min walk/run on treadmill (225 calories)

30 min on elliptical machine (255 calories)

20 min on stairclimber (130 calories).

I don’t have obsessive compulsive disorder, but I did notice that the treadmill I was on was not aligned to the other 2 beside it. I perspired buckets again, which was TRULY embarrassing because I was totally drenched, really as though I came out of a pool. IT was so embarrassing that I was beginning to leave puddles. Infact, I had to even SLOW down my workout so that I didn’t perspire so much. It’s so unheard of. Most people I know work so so hard in order to break out a sweat and here I am, a walking radiator. It’s really sad that I had to slow down my workout in order to prevent further embarrassment. And it’s definitely not attractive for a girl to perspire like that..sigh, and yet a few people around me wished they could perspire like me!

So far none of the personal trainers have approached me to sign up for a program. So far all my other girlfriends who joined have been approached, even my friend who’s in her 50s. I’ve deduced the possible reasons why they haven’t approached me:

• I look androgynous
• I look very garang
• I look like I know what I am doing
• I look like I have “Get out of my way, I just want to exercise” written on my forehead
• I sweat too much

Anyway, it’s upper back today:

Lat pulldowns

Low row

Assisted chin ups

Dumbell row

Bent over fly

Double crunch

Pant!

Nearly died today. Only ran 6.6km but my legs could not move. My thighs felt really sore..I don't think it's from 20km but more from the Smithy. Ok I should not be doing weights on legs on the days before a run, but then I run every other day, and I still need to strengthen my legs, so I guess it's better to do it earlier in the week than later, when I do my LSD.

Signed up for New Balance 15km run.

Record breaking!

Arrived at the gym at 6.03am, record breaking time. Can you believe it, the Audi was already there. I suspect this aunty lives in the gym and probably doesn’t go home. She probably sleeps on those benches near the free weights section. Even the air conditioner was just turned on and it was rather warm. Burned a record breaking 650 calories today! Ok I am allowed to have a roti canai today.

Cardio: (80 mins)

35 min run on treadmill (285 calories)

45 min on elliptical machine (365 calories)

Weights:

Adductor machine

Abductor machine

Seated leg curl

Leg extension

Smith machine squats

Fitball crunches

By the time I finished my exercise, I was drenched with sweat, as though I jumped in the pool. A bit embarrassing, as I had to wipe the sweat of the machines…euughh

I'm beginning to feel my thighs reducing in mm...but imagine how hard I've had to work just to slash off a few mm..sigh..life is unfair.

Getting Back in Shape

Got to Bukit Aman by 6am. Having enough sleep the night before really is fantastic, it makes one ready to run. Was in bed by 10:20pm last night. Woke up fresh and nice at 5am and rolled around in bed for a bit before I got ready for my run. Had a bottle of Brand’s Essence of chicken..I’ve always believed in it as I’ve noticed I get an extra boost of energy every time I take it before a run. Managed to convince my brother and Hsiung to run as well.

As usual, I was the last of the pack….well I’ve already qualified that I’m a wannabe athlete right..Being heavier set, I’ve a lot more weight to carry as I run. Eric Liddell once said that God made him to be fast, and when he runs fast, He can feel God’s joy. Someone asked me if I’ve felt the same way as Eric Liddell. Though I wish I could say that, the truth is, I am not fast at all no matter how hard I try – I think God infact, made me to be slow so I’ve nothing to boast about.But I do feel God’s joy when I run, that’s about it.

I did the usual Hartamas 20km route. Surprisingly I felt like I had a lot of energy, even though I only had 2 sandwiches for dinner last night. For lunch I only had a few pieces of Yong Tau Fu, so that wasn’t much carbs to sustain me really. I felt strong even as I ran the hills, especially that slight slope near Plaza Damas. When I arrived at the Petronas station , I still felt good. Nevertheless I decided to be safe and take a power gel just incase I died halfway going up the hill towards the mosque. My legs did feel a bit sore, I think it’s from the stair climber yesterday, but I persevered and ran all the way. On the way back, I even felt good going up the hill, and even at Tijana I was still going strong. In the end I finished my run in 2 hours 20 minutes which is ok by my standards..considering I haven’t run 20km in 1 month, and I didn’t feel I had the need to walk.

It was a great run today…I feel as though my tummy as deflated a bit and I feel less Serna Williams-ish now.

Cardio & Abs

Got to the gym at 6.15am. There’s always an Audi car parked there. Must be one of the aunties, she’s usually there before me. Today’s workout is light, only did cardio and abs today:

Cardio:

30 min walk on treadmill (125 calories only..)

30 min on stairclimber (200 calories(

15 min on bicycle (100 calories) TOTAL: 425 calories

Apparently the stairclimber, the model that they have is rare – there’s only 2 machines of this sort in the whole of Malaysia and it’s sitting in Celebrity in BVII. So far it only looks like my friends and I are the only people using them – I’ve not seen anyone else in the morning using it. Probably it’s because it’s pretty tough. It’s a combination of a stepper and a glider, therefore there’s a lot of resistance everytime you step. I love it though, it makes me feel like I have buns of steel.

Today they played rather retro music, stuff by Real McCoy, M People, Bronski Beat, The Cure and several others. But the part I enjoyed most was Rockwell’s “Somebody’s watching me”. Wow that song is soooo old! Speaking of songs, I heard an interesting song in the changing room...don;t know what it's called but the chorus goes like this:

People are all the same
We only get judged by what we do,
Personality breeds its name (??)
If I'm ugly then so are you.

Ended the workout with abs:

Crunches

Reverse crunch

Double crunch

Plank

I employed Pilates technique while doing it, so I got a really good workout on the abs today.

How to have a good workout for your heart

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I was in good form today while running. I pushed myself beyond usual, and I think my heart rate probably went beyond my training zone. (According to calculation, my heart training zone should be between 120-150bpm for my age group, but I think I usually hit about 160's. I guess I still THINK i am in my 20s and behaving as though I am in my 20s). Nevertheless I didn't feel exhausted.

I'll tell you what will increase your heart rate even further. Earlier this afternoon I was being not very wise and went and installed some Google toolbar. I even made sure I chose the "Enhanced protection mode". Right after I installed it, I could not access any browsers! I usually use Firefox but even my Internet Explorer did not work. Strange thing was, I was stil connected to Yahoo and MSN messengers. First thought that struck my mind was virus!So I did a virus scan and SURE enough, there WAS a virus even though I had all my anti virus programs activated. I deleted it...but even after deleting it, I could not use my browsers! So ok, I rebooted it, and after rebooting my laptop I realised that I could not access Messengers at all even though I was connected online!!!

PENGSAN.

I was all ready to cry. My window to the world had been snatched right before my eyes. All because of my idiocy of downloading something silly. I tried countless time but alas, nothing worked. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling programs. Tried to go on browers again. Didn't work. Was almost giving up, I had damaged my new laptop. Then suddenly, I tried going on to MSN again...and to my DELIGHT I could access it! Started messaging my friends to test. And then I tried my browsers...IT WORKED!!!!Yabbadabbadooooooo! It looks like all this while, I could not perform any online actions (after deleting the virus) was because there was a connection problem.......Cheh......

But what a horrible horrible scare. I've learnt my lesson.

BUt my heart was definitely pumping a lot harder during this time than when I was running.

Oh, did I mentioned that while I was incredibly stressed, I did some "retail therapy" and spent some $ for my company?

It's outdoor day!

Hurrah! No rain this morning! Did my usual 6.6km 3 loops around Jalan Terasek. One of my best runs. Felt fit and fast this morning, especially going uphill. I think it's from the pistachio nuts yesterday.

Also hurrah that all my Almond Rocas have finished and won't have any more goodies to binge on.

450 only today

Was at the gym at 6.20am. It’s a rainy morning again. Ok I think I’m beginning to hate the rainy mornings, because if this continues tomorrow then I won’t be able to do my outdoor run.

Only burnt 450 calories today after a 70 minute cardio workout:

30 min interval training walk/run on treadmill(only 185 calories)

20 min on elliptical machine (only 165 calories )

20 min on stair climber (only 100 calories)

Push ups

Pectoral fly

Chest press

Shoulder press

Lower back exercise

Crunches

An aunty came up to me as she was fascinated with the lower back exercises that I was doing as she’s had back problems before. She said she noticed how hard I workout in the gym. Sigh…it looks like only aunties will take notice of me..so sad..Anyway not being sour grapes but on the
flip side, I haven’t met any cute guys in the gym yet!

PS> A normal cheeseburger is about 563 calories, according to The Calorie Counter. What can I eat for 450 calories? 2 slices of Gardenia bread with a slice of cheese?

Yoga today

I love rainy mornings, and I also hate rainy mornings. I love rainy mornings because it always reminds me of winter and I hate rainy mornings because it disrupts my outdoor runs. Today was one of the days my outdoor run was foiled, nevertheless I was only too pleased to go to the gym. Woke up at 5.30am and realized it had been raining all night since I knocked off at 12.15am last night. Was pretty sure the rain wasn’t going to stop, plus the roads would be extremely wet. Sms’ed 4 of my running buddies and told them I’d be at the gym instead. The scary part was that they were all awake and replied (no I don’t think I woke them up, they are early risers).Arrived at the gym at 6.15am and decided I had to run extra hard to clock in my usual distance, as I had wanted to attend yoga class at 7am. (Ok I know I should not be doing yoga for spiritual reasons, at the same time I wanted to check out the class, but in the words of someone I know, never mind about that..)

Ran 6km on the treadmill. I feel that the button panel is too high, as there have been several occasions where my elbow came into contact with the emergency stop button. Or maybe I am too short! As a result, the machine came to a halt just as I had completed 4.65km so I had to restart. Therefore I could not measure my calories burnt today, but I estimate it’s about 500 calories.After my run and sweating buckets, I joined the yoga class. Good thing they switched off the air cond in the yoga studio or I would have been frozen to death.

The class was conducted by a Dr Dilip, and his approach to yoga was more scientific than spiritual. (But I do wonder at which point the spiritual element starts creeping in, as they say that you can’t progress in yoga without adding the spiritual element). We started by doing a series of progressive movements, which included poses like “mountain”, “cobra” and what seemed to be parts of “sun salutation”. First we had to do it really slow, repeating the whole sequence about 8 times, balancing between beginning on right and left feet. Then we had to do it fast, also repeating the sequence 8 times. The fast/slow movements are to improve the systolic/diastolic pressure of the heart.

Next we had to rub our palms together to create heat, and place them on our eyes. I wonder if that will do anything to reduce my dark rings? Next we had to lie on our backs, bend one knee while the other leg was straightened, and pull our chin towards our bent knee. This is supposed to improve the digestion in the stomach. Dr Dilip said it’s supposed to expel wind from our body, so we should not be shy to release some air, whether from the mouth or from the other end. Halfway performing it, I did feel like their was a great deal of air expelled. But I thought I’d spare the class from any distracting sounds or smells.And then after that, to massage the internal organs, we were to bend both knees (still on our backs) and pull our chin towards our knees, and then roll side to side. It’s a good thing I am well padded, because after a while I began to feel my hip bones pressing on the floor (even with the mats) and it was rather uncomfortable. So, this is the time I snigger at those anorexic looking women who don’t need to exercise. Haha! Too bad for you. Skinny people should also share in some sufferings.

Next, we got into one of the asana positions, which looks like this:

We had to hold for 1 minute each side, and ultimately we should hit 3 minutes each side. I felt like a got a really good stretch, especially on my hamstrings. Plus I usually tend to be more supple after a good run because the body is still warm. The only problem I had with doing this move was that I was already sweating buckets earlier, so everything became slippery and it was hard to hold the position and resist sliding.

There were other relaxation moves in between, plus breathing. Overall I felt very relaxed. Dr Dilip said he usually ends the class with some motivational message, and today’s message was “to give thanks in everything”.Sounds a bit New Age to me. I felt the stretches were really great for my body but again, I am not sure how often I’d do this,or whether I’d do it again, because I am only purely interested in the physical aspect of it..and who knows when it will dabble into the spiritual realm?

PS. Dr Dilip said 1 roti canai is equivalent to 600 calories, so there, I can only eat 5/6 of a roti canai today.

PACM

Mention PACM to me and one thing comes to mind: Pacesetters Atheletic Club Malaysia. And that's the only PACM that I am familiar with. However, try googling PACM and here are the diverse combinations you'll get:

Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics
Pennsylvania Association of Court Management
Paedophiles Against Child Molestation
Presumed Asbestos Containing Material
Pulse Amplitude Code Modulation
Phoenix Alive Christian Ministries
Phillipines Association of Catholic Missiologists
Peruvian American Club of Michigan

What a mouthful!

483 calories only!

Got to the gym by 6.20am. Still payback time for not doing marathon yesterday. Bumped into some people whom I used to see at Lake Club gym. Rather crowded in the gym today. At last they did something to counter the effect of the midday heat – they’ve laminated the glass with a tinted coat.

My workout today:

35 min run on treadmill

25 min on elliptical machine (Hurrah! Did 1 hour cardio)

Assited chin ups

Seated row

Lat pulldown

Dumbell upright row

Double crunches

Only burned 483 calories for cardio..after all the hard work. That’s only half a meal or probably equivalent to 3 Almond Rocas, which I had countless number last week.

When I run tomorrow, I shall use the mantra “once on the lips, forever on the hips”. That should encourage me to run faster.

Morning person

Since I missed the marathon today (due to poor training), I felt somewhat guilty and decided to go to the gym. Usually Sunday's my rest day, but I also feel the Almond Roca piling on my hips. Sunday's a different crowd alltogether. Saw a number of exhibitionists, who are just in the gym to be seen. And then there are those women you just hate. Why do they even bother exercising?? First of all, their torsos are so flat, they don't even need to exercise. Secondly, they just flash their torsos at you almost reminding you that no matter how hard you workout, it will never be as flat as theirs. Don't you just hate them? Most of these exhibitionists are seen on the second floor, where the aerobics studio and weight machines are. Most of the aunties just gravitate to the first floor as that's where all the cardio machines are. I guess these aunties also need to seriously do more cardio to lose weight.

I'm just a morning person. I found it tremendously difficult to workout in the afternoon - too hot. As it is, under normal conditions my body radiates a lot of heat, hence it makes me perspire more..what more working out in the hot noonday, Plus, it also gets very hot on the rooftop. Even though the air cond is blasting, one can still feel the heat from outside. Decided to do legs today:

25 min walk/run on treadmill
20 mins on bicycle
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Seated leg curl
Leg extension
Alternate lunges
Reverse lunges
Dumbell squats
Fitball crunches

I'm still more comfortable with the morning crowd. At least they are normal people who just want to exercise for fitness.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Got to the gym by 6.15am today. Needed to do a bit more cardio. My thighs still feel a bit Serena William-ish..if you haven’t guessed by now, I’ve actually got body dysmorphic disorder. That’s when you have a distorted perception of your body. Yup, I think I’m fat. (Actually I don’t just think I’m fat, I’m really fat, but then again if I’m really fat then I DON’T suffer from body dysmorphic disorder) It’s something I’ve battled with since my teenage days… I was chubby in college (not to the point of obesity though) and guys used to take the mickey out of me. A friend of mine asked another guy friend, whom I liked very much to take me to the prom, and that guy said , “NO way, I don’t want a flat tire”. Then other guys would say things like I might get stuck between desks.

SO, please be kind to those who are chubby, especially when they are in their impressionable years…it STICKS with you for a long time. That’s why I still think I am fat until this very day. Anyway, here’s what I did today:

25 min on elliptical machine

30 min interval walk/run on treadmill

10 min on stair climber

Assisted chin ups

Lat pulldowns

Low row

Bent over flys

Shoulder press

Double crunch with weight ball

On the rooftop

Ok, so I didn't get to the gym by 6am yesterday...nevertheless I got there by 6.25am. Just had to shed off that roti canai. Did:

40 min run on treadmill
15 min on elliptical machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Dumbell squats
Dumbell alternative lunges
Leg extension
Leg curl
Abs

What's really nice about Celebrity Fitness BV2 is that it's on th rooftop and you get to see a lovely sunrise from there. Makes you feel on top of the world!

Today's exercise:
6.6km outdoor run

My Affair with the Roti Canai

I did it. I did a sinful thing. My lips came into contact with a roti canai. Not only that but I devoured the whole thing. Before today, I had not touched roti canai for a year now. I think in the last 5 years I've probably only consumed 3 , or something like that. For that short moment of satisfaction, I'll have to wake up at 5.30am tomorrow to get to the gym by 6am. As they say, once on the lips, forever on the hips.

To my amazement, some of my friends had never even been to mamak stalls all their lives until they were in their 20s/30s. On the other hand, I grew up on roti canai..it was the most affordable meal as a student. I still remember paying 40 sen for a roti those days. Where can you get a meal for 40 sen now? You'd be lucky if you can buy 5 Hacks sweets.

Friday's workout:

Cardio:
45 min walk/run on treadmill

Weights:
Push ups
Chest press
Machine flyes
Machine assisted tricep dips
French press

My back is still sore from last Wednesday. was guilt ridden today because i had several slices of smoked ham (yoke korn) yesterday. No wonder I have Serena WIlliams butt. I should start a food diary again. Today they had taichi classes and they actually had an auntie leading the class, which was a bit strange because I thought image was important to Celebrity.

6.6km outdoor run

New Program

Checked out myself in the gym mirrors today ( ya ya i know, vanity...) I swear, the circumference of my limbs seemed to have increased, espeically my thighs. I seem to look more rotund, and my butt feels like Serena Williams'. What I mean is, i think they stick out like hers but definitely not as firm as hers. Sigh, I have this perennial weight problem. And it seems to be even more difficult to shed the pounds between end of last year to this year..and it's not like I have been bingeing so much....I've been quite careful over Chinese New year.

I've decided to switch my exercise regime for a bit. Since I quit Lifestyle last year I haven't really worked out properly in the gym. Was going to the gym only 2x a week, and the Lake Club gym hasn't got so many equipments...and whatever they do have is probably half my age. SO I thought, perhaps my body is used to the current exercise regime, so i'd have to switch it round to trick my body. Have decided to do the following for this month:

Mon : Legs
Tues : Outdoor run
Wed : Back
Thurs : Outdoor run/ RPM
Fri : Chest
Sat : Long distance

ok, i can't switch too much because of my running..still need to maintain it. But i thought i'd concentrate on these body parts so that I can get acquainted to all the machines. After which I have decided to do a total body circuit on Mon, Wed and Fri to give the body a good blast. Hopefully my body will respond. Have also got to start at the gym earlier, so that I can maximise my time and get some stretches done too. i need that...been pretty still lately. I still remember the time I used to be able to do a "pancake" on the floor. Gone are those days.

I don't think I am that old, yet my metabolic rate has slowed down tremendously the last 4 months...I dread to think what it would be like in 10 years..SIGH.

Work it out

There used to be a time when my tummy used to be concave. Now it's convex. Yup, as much as I hate to admit it I think it is middle age spread. Last week I had a stomach bug, which prevented me from eating much, but I didn't lose much weight either. Now with the new gym, I need to work harder. Must attend some of the classes too to change my regime.

Ran 6.6km today. Didn't feel as strong because of lack of reserves due to the stomach bug.

Yesterday I did:
30 min run on treadmill
12 min on elliptical machine
Adductor machine
Abductor machine
Seated leg curl
Leg extension
Dumbell squat
Abs

After not utilising my adductor and abductor muscles for a long time, my inner thighs were sore today! Probably why i found it hard to run today. Could not take big strides.

Day 1 at Celebrity

Finally made my first visit to Celebrity. Not too bad la, everybody seems to complain that there's too much neon lights and it's too Zouk like but I don't have a problem with it (Not that I frequent Zouk anyway - only been there once for a launch). They've got some pretty decent looking "Rapid Results Coach", at least they are fit looking, regardless of whether they actually are. I've a good mind to challenge them - if they can make me lose 5kg rapidly, then they've proved their worth!

Mostly old codgers in the morning, aunties and uncles. Which is fine by me, I hate people who come to the gym to check people out.

No Celebrity Treatment!

Popped over to Celebrity this morning. While waiting for my brother and friends, a burly man came over and asked if I was a member of Celebrity. He then informed me he was there since 6am and the gym was not ready to be used! The gym was opened however, but members were not allowed to use the equipment due to technical problems.

According to one of the membership consultants, “something happened” last night during the trial run. Hello?? Trial run just the night before opening? That’s kind of irresponsible. Trial runs should have been done a week before.

I guess I didn’t get any celebrity treatment. Or am I supposed to behave like a diva?

Finally, Celebrity!

It's been a long time! Finally, Celebrity Fitness will be opening tomorrow at Bangsar Village II. It's time to revive my workout regime! I've been continuing my workout, but only going to the gym twice a week and running every other day.

I hope this will be a new motivation to lose weight! Looking forward to it!

Tum, James Tum

A conversation I overheard between 2 men at the gym this morning:

A: Wah, you're looking fit ah
B: Nolah, I've got a tummy. By the way, have you seen Casino Royale, the latest James Bond movie?
A:Ya I've seen it, why?
B: Wah the new James Bond got tummy you know, so we got hope!

And to think all these women were swooning over Daniel Craig, saying what a great body he has, and here is this uncle criticising his tummy..

Aunty knows best...?

I've just remembered why I don't particularly like to go to the club gym. Some of the aunties there think they are qualified personal trainers. They actually tell you what to do and what not to do! How annoying!This morning there was a rotund man on the treadmill, and the aunty next to him was telling him how to lose weight. She advised him to do some running, and he said that he needed to lose weight before doing any running. And she kept harping about how effective it was! It was downright irritating, I'm sure the man knows what his own body can take. After all he was earlier lamenting about his shin splints.She went around advising a few people.. tsk.

Sick Chick

I've been one sick chick. I've still been exercising but I missed out on long distance last weekend. I'm slowly recovering, as I refused to see the Dr. (for fear of having to take antibiotics). Been on Chinese medication but it takes longer time to heal. How am I supposed to run a 30km in 2 weeks' time? I hope I'll be able to run 20km this week.

Stil felt a wee bit weak this morning but I pressed on to run 6km outdoor. Had a bit of a headache this morning due to too much coughing yesterday.

I hope to resume proper exercise next week.

Honeymoon's over!

Well it isn't my new year's resolution, but yes it's back to exercise. Since the Singapore Marathon I've been taking it easy...although I continued to workout, I did not do any serious running...the most was about 4km on the treadmill.

Well, it's goodbye to Lifestyle, and I am currrently without a proper gym. ..for a month at least (that is, if Bangsar Village II opens end of January as scheduled).Started the year yesterday by going to the Lake Club gym. It's been quite a while since I've worked out there. I did not realise that they are now equipped with tv's! I still remember those days where I was trying hard to be motivated to exercise but they were playing songs like "Summer of '42" and "My Way". Yawn!

I dare not hop on the weighing scale! Anyway, I've got to say goodbye to chocolates for a while too. Been indulging in chocolates in the month of December. Unbelievable but very true, yes I have been eating chocolates. I've already signed up for the Great Eastern 30km run, which is something i will live to regret but oh well..there's something to work towards. Not much time though.

Yesterday's workout:
3.2km run on treadmill
20 mins on elliptical machine
Leg press
Squats
Leg curl
Leg extension
Reverse abs curls

For the first time in a long time my abs feel very worked out!

Today's workout:
5.5km outdoor run

Handsome One

Hansel and Gretel Utopia

Ok my exercise blog is practically dying after the Singapore Marathon, as I've been taking a backseat with exercise. Still been gymming, but just the usual stuff, nothing exciting on the exercise front. Went to speak with the Celebrity Fitness 'consultants' ( It's in inverted commas because I don't think they are serious exercise people, yet they insulted my brother and said he didn't look like he knew much about exercise, when he's a CERTIFIED FISAF trainer. HAH!). Most likely we'll join this gym, because at least they could give us an indication of prices unlike Fitness First who said they could not disclose prices without their membership consultants. Aiya, they are all a bunch of cons anyway.

Well since there's nothing much more exciting in my so called athletic career at the moment, I've decided to post some pictures of Christmassy Mid Valley. Oh I do wish the gingerbread houses were real and that I could eat them!

Singapore Marathon 2006

I’ve managed to achieve 1 more marathon before I hit the veteran age! Completed my second marathon last Sunday (3^rd December) in Singapore. The weather was fantastic, I shaved off my time by 9 minutes, I felt stronger (mentally especially)..it was a great run.

I felt quite a bit like a lamb to the slaughter just before the race: no fear, no anxiety, just a bit dumb (duh) as though not aware of the torturous run. I travelled by First Coach on Saturday 2^nd December. Took the 7.30am bus. Some bozo girl forgot her passport and she made the bus driver wait after the Sungai Besi toll, as her friend was traveling from Nilai to meet her at the toll and pass her the passport. I thought it was quite idiotic – she must have traveled from Nilai down to KL without her passport, and then made everybody else wait for her. We were delayed about 30 minutes. Because of her we had to cut short our pee break. Several people on the bus were very annoyed, and the lady behind me was fuming mad.

Anyway, arrived in Singapore at about 12.30pm. Checked into City Bayview Hotel and headed straight to Marina Mandarin to collect my race pack. They had no “S:” sizes left so I had to resort to “M”. Decided to chill out the rest of the day so just hung out at Coffee Club at Raffles City.

Decided to pin the bib and tie the chip to my shoelace before I got too tired at night.

Of course, the night before the marathon we usually have our customary carbo loading. A friend recommended this restaurant called “Pasta Mania”….it definitely made me maniac because it’s the worst pasta I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. I can make better pasta also. The pasta was soggy, the meatball was like doughball and the environment was loud and noisy. It certainly wasn’t a satisfying meal, what more the last meal before a marathon!

On race day, I woke up at 4.15am, slowly chewed my power Bar, slathered Vaseline all over, and tried to sit on the throne for a bit (no not al at one go).It took me 45 minutes before I finished my bar, as I didn’t want to have it too early (in case it might take effect before the race), yet I needed to eat it before I left the hotel (as I need to drink lots of water with it). Met Jenny and Adnan at 5.15 downstairs. We were the only 3 in our group to run the full.

Arrived at the starting point at 5.30am. We tried to look for the counter to deposit the bag, but we weren’t sure where it was. After hunting high and low, Jenny and I decided to make a last toilet stop. It was already 5.45am that time. By the time we got to the mobile toilets, there was such a long queue!! Decided to queue anyway as we did not want to run with a busting bladder. I tried to be smart and chose a queue with more men, as I thought men usually are very quick. Alas! The guy before me took many moons, and we found ourselves rushing to the starting point with 5 minutes left. The crowd was huge, and we could not even see the starting point! We pushed ourselves through the crowd only to find that there was a barrier and we couldn’t get into the pen!After a few tries we managed to find an opening into the pen…and whaddya know, we ended up in Pen 1, which was for elite runners. …..BY that time our adrenaline was pumping, we had worked up a sweat already….oh well I guess that was our warm up.

The air was a bit still in the morning. The race started at 6am, and I found myself starting a little faster than I had intended to (well, no choice, since I was in pen 1…had to run fast if not I would have been stampeded) . This time I did not stop at so many water stations as the last time. That’s also because the weather was much more pleasant, it was cloudy throughout the race and began to drizzle towards the end. The first 10km up to Marina was quite good..I finished 10km in about 1 hour 12 minutes.Took my first Power gel at 10km. Along the way I saw this runner of an old man dressed up in a short kimono, wearing a fisherman’s hat! There was also this other girl who ran with a tyre attached to a string which she tied around her waist, and she was dragging it while running. It somewhat reminded me of the German football team training. Round about that time I overtook Jenny, only to find Tony overtaking me.

Between 10km and 20km I was still doing fine. At about 15km the half marathoners turn off while the full marathoners proceed to East Coast park. After 20km I felt a bit tired, but I was able to push on. I think the Coast park stretch is the worst, as we have to run quite a long distance before we u turn back. We turn back at 28km, and I was looking out for my banana at km 28, but alas! No banana! Only had to contend with my power gel at 30km. Anyway I began to feel very tired at the 27^th km, but not hitting the wall yet. I think the last time I hit the wall at about 28km and thereafter had to walk a lot. This time, I decided to employ the Jeff Galloway walk-run method at 27^th km. Everytime I approach a water station, I would allow myself to walk , until I hydrated myself, then I would walk a little further before I ran again. Decided to use this method so I could sustain to the end without feeling awful.

I think I was also much stronger mentally this time. I did not allow myself to walk for very long period of time.I made sure I ran at every kilometer, where as in 2004, I practically walked from km34-41. However, by the 37^th km, my muscles were very sore and began to fatigue. I had to stop for a while to stretch my muscles.Nevertheless, I pressed on and still ran, although I began to walk more than run.

I was delighted when I saw the 41km marker, which meant that the end was near! My muscles were very very tied, and I could not sprint to the end, but I managed to finish in 5 hours 20 minutes, which is 9 minutes better than the last time.

I never thought this day would come, but can you imagine, a wannabe athlete like me has achieved 2 marathons already. And to think, I was sedentary in school and would find every excuse to miss phys ed!Overall it was a good run..though my timing didn’t improve that much. I guess I’ll never be a fast runner, but I would like to add a few more marathons to my running career.

For now, I;m just taking a break this week and will resume running next week.

Final Countdown!

3 MORE DAYS! Did my last run today, 4km. Haven't really been eating that much this week, just as normal. Didn't want to gain any extra weight just before the race ....it would be more difficult to run with all that added weight! Will start carbo loading proper tomorrow..although I had some rice today, I wouldn't really say I am loading up yet. But will eat more tomorrow and the day after.

How do I feel? At this moment, I am not having any jitters yet. Don't want to think about it until the day arrives. Infact, I'd like to enjoy myself, even during the race...until the point where I start to question myself "Why on earth am I doing this?"

Just heard a song called "You can Get it if y ou Really Want" by Desmond Dekker - it's an oldie but somewhat inspiring for the race!

Singapore, here I come!

Chicken rules!

There's nothing like a bottle of Brand's Essence of Chicken to perk you up! I have been feeling tired since my HK trip, as I've not had enough rest..started hitting the books the day after I came back and I've been studying every night. My weekly long distance run (which I'm cutting back anyway) has suffered also but I'll not worry about my run until the day itself! No point worrying now..I can't do much about my physical strength anymore at this stage.

Thanks to TA who wanted some Brand's essence of chicken bottles, I was reminded that I have quite a few bottles left. Decided to take a bottle last night and it made such a REMARKABLE difference this morning. Felt more energetic than usual this morning, and I was able to run at a decent speed without feeling tired.

Must remember to pack a bottle of Brand's in my bag for the Singapore run.

Mental over physical

It's tapering period. Since I got back fom Hong Kong, I don't think I've rested enough. Can't seem to run as well as I did before I left. Now mental strength will have to take over physical strength.

and prayers....i'll need a lot of that.

Starbucks girl

My most frequented Starbucks stores (in order from most to least)

1. Jln Telawi 3
2. Bangsar Village
3. Section 14 (Jaya)
4. Amcorp

I've been told that Starbucks in Hong Kong sucks.

No Men Allowed

While I was away in Hong Kong, my gym had made an announcement that they were going to convert to an all ladies' gym effective 1 December 2006. Lifestyle had been one of the pioneers in the fitness industry in KL, but unfortunately lost out to many mega gyms over the years. I continued to gym there for the last 8 years, as I was comfortable with the fact that it wasn't a flashy gym and they don't push personal training, which most gyms do (and on top of that most so called personal trainers in those gyms are inexperienced and know nuts about fitness)

Celebrity Fitness will be opening in Bangsar Village 2 in February 2007, and Lifestyle made this change of direction so as not to compete head on with Celebrity. Instead they are trying to look for a more niche market,but unfortunately this message was not communicated well to the members. Members were left disgruntled and unhappy, as there are several male members, and even the female members are happy to have the men around. I myself am affected, as I have a joint membership with my brother, and we had paid our fees upfront until March next year. So my brother's membership will be terminated, and I do not want to be left in the gym by myself. If we were to join another gym, it will obviously be a joint membership as it usually works out to be cheaper. So at the moment I do not know what the gym's decision is, whether the ladies with joint membership with men will be compensated at all.

In my opinion, this was really a bad move, as they did not consult existing members, and existing members are the ones paying them and keeping them going. It would be much easier to build the business from within, than to start recruiting new members. In any case, I would have to start looking for a new gym. The options I have are:

1. Fitness First ( parking isn't exactly great here and I'd have to bring own towel)
2. True Fitness (I don't mind this gym but it's not that accessible)
3. Celebrity Fitness ( I don't like their marketing oriented style, but it seems to be the most convenient)

Although I am not into flashy gyms, in a way I am kind of looking forward to joining a new gym...hopefully I'll be more motivated and challenged.

Foretaste of Hong Kong Marathon

I'm back from Hong Kong!It's good to be back to clear blue skies! It was extremely hazy in Hong Kong, it was quite difficult to snap nice photos. All you see is a blanket of grey in the background.

Only 3 weeks more to Singapore Marathon. I only got back from Hong Kong yesterday and I had to miss the run this morning as I was too tired. Anyway, I've done my long run last week and I'm beginning to taper off. I did a lot of walking in Hong Kong, but I did not bring my orthotics along (in case I did something silly like leave it behind, which I absolutely can't afford because I desperately need them for Sing marathon). Walking around without the orthotics caused my feet to be sore most of the time, and what made it worse was not wearing proper footwear (I only wore sandals and not running shoes as it was hot).

Did a lot of walking daily, and in the sweltering heat it was really tiring. I did manage to go out for a run one of those days, on Tuesday morning. I stayed with my friend in a suburb called Shau Kei Wan, which is pretty good for running, as the streets are less busy, and there's a courtyard just down the road where you can see senior citizens doing taichi every morning. The only thing I didn't like was, i had to run on the pavement because it was quite dangerous to run on the narrow streets, and the pavement was hard on the feet!

So, if I ever decide to run the Hong Kong marathon, there are a few things I have to take note of:
1. Hong Kong is pretty hilly (oh ya, my butt feels worked out after all those uphill walks)
2. It's quite polluted (someone DIED from the run last year)
3. It will be quite cold to run sometime in February


HK Marathon will be on 4 March next year..should I?

34km!

I ran 34km today. Now I feel at peace to go to Hong Kong! That will be my last long distance run before the race. After this I will be tapering. It took me 4 hours to complete 34km, as I went very slowly. I didn't feel exactly in tip top condition, considering I was feeling anaemic the last 3 days. I had to take a break from gym yesterday, so that I could compelte 34km today.

An unfortunate event occurred today. One of the men in our group met with an accident. While crossing the Jalan Duta highway, he got knocked down by a bike and suffered fractures in his leg. After completing 20km at the Petronas Station in Jln Hartamas 1, most of us decided not to do the extra loop but this uncle decided to do the extra loop. As such, he was behind us, and I was quite far ahead. I did not know about the accident until I got back. It was a good thing that there were other runners with him at the time it happened, and helped to call for ambulance.

The last time I heard, his condition is stable and he's resting in hospital.

The dangers of running..

Me, quit? Never.

This is a line I got from Bethany Hamilton's website. Bethany's a teen surfer who had her arm bitten off by a shark back in 2003. Yet today, she's still riding the waves, and living her life for the Lord. It's an inspiring story for athletes, with the message or never giving up. She's even go ther own devotional book, called "Soul Surfer", in which she said she was very calm even after that incident happened, as she knew God was watching over her.

Quotes of Bethany:
"I might not be here if I hadn't asked for God's help"

"I look at everything that's happened as part of God's plan for my life"

She attends North Shore Christian Church, an evangelical church in Kaua'i, Hawaii.

I've got to do my long run this weekend despite feeling weak and anaemic in the last 2 days. Oh well. I guess I have to remember: "Me, quit? Never."

Sun's in my eyes

HURRAAHHH!!! What fantastic weather today. For the first time in weeks I am so glad to see the sun bursting right out of the sky. Haze has cleared in the last 2 days..I hope it will remain this way. Pity today I'm not running outdoor, as I'd decided to do it yesterday - my usual 6.6km. Thought I'd rest and go to the gym instead to recover for a long run over the weekend.

Legs day today.

Hurricane Preferred

I had a good 7km run this morning. Tested out my Saucony Triumph. Very sturdy shoe, but C-Cube is quite right in saying that it's quite tight. Although I bought half a size bigger than my usual size, I still found it pretty tight initially. It's definitely better than New Balance 1060 in my opinion, but Hurricane fitted me more like a glove. I just love how sturdy Saucony shoes are. It even feels like it stabilizes your knees. And I believe that even when you're tired, a good pair of running shoes will help you run fast. Today my calf muscles were still pretty sore from Sunday, but yet I ran the fastest 7km I have ever run (Aiya wasted, I didn't time myself..but I knew for sure Jin and Hsiung were far behind and it's VERY RARE they dont catch up with me after 7km)

So I've decided. It's Hurricane for the race.

28km

Ran 28km last Sunday. Due to my indiscipline of late night on Friday, I woke up on Saturday morning feeling sick, and to make things worse, I had thosai and curry for breakfast (made by my neighbour for Deepavali). Lunch time i popped over to a friend's and had overdose of curry as well. I ended up feeling quite sick on Saturday and could not work much. Not to forget I missed my usual run.

But as a result of overeating, I had to force myself to run on Sunday. Woke up feeling not-quite-recovered but nevertheless went for a run..and I achieved 28km without dying! 2 points - point no 1 i think i was well rested from Saturday
-point no 2: it was much easier to achieve this 28km compared to the first time i did it in 2004.
Thanks to KC, who ran with me until about 15km before I decided I was going to U turn and do a longer run.

Hopefully the HK trip won't foil my training much.

Bombed

Had a nice foot massage this morning. Despite all the stretching I do, it's still good to go for a massage once in a while to loosen up all the tight muscles. Ran 6km on treadmill indoors today..haze is worsening, there's no improvement despite heavy downpour. Overdid it at dinner yesterday. Had dinner at Lake Club, in the Orchid Room.

I had grilled salmon with baked potatoes and vege, and then had the killer: Bombe Alaska...a sponge cake topped with diced fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream, encapsulated by merangue drowned with rum and set aflame.

I'm so disappointed in myself, it's already so difficult to lose weight and now I'm even packing on the pounds. Sigh. Need to discipline myself in my diet.

Here Comes the Rain Again

RAIN!!!!!! Hurrah!!! (no, not the Korean popster)

Ran 9km Pantai Hills + Terasek. This is crazy, with the haze and all. When will it come to an end??

4km run on treadmill
Push ups
Upright row
Cable row
Cable pullover
Crunches

Hmmph. Haze not cleared yet. >:(

25km

Failed miserably today. Had planned to do 28km but all I could manage was 25km. Well, I suppose that's 1km more than last week. But I was in poor form today. I think it's because I haven't had any rest since last Sunday.

Wasn't sure if I wanted to run today as there was still some haze, but I figured out it's not going to get that much better by tomorrow. Anyway better to do it today so that I have a full Sunday to do my studies. The first 10km was tiring, the 2nd 10km was even more tiring, and the last 5 km I just died.,..had to go very very slow. Even the Power bar didn't help. Rest is really important, because it helps your muscles to recover so that they can perform better. Struggled a bit with my running belt, as the water was getting very heavy and at the same it kept slipping down.I think I took nearly 3 hours for the whole run. Baaadd.

Getting Clearer

The haze has cleared up quite a bit! There's still traces of it, but I would consider it quite "normal"...it's one of those days that look a bit hazy but I wouln't hesitate to go out for a run. I think runners' tolerance to haze is quite high. Or maybe we are just justifying ourselves because we can't go without running.

Ran 6.6km today. I think my speed has improved a little. My mental strength has also improved a little. I'm doing pretty well in my running now, I dread to think what the 1 week in Hong Kong is going to do to me. I think the trick is to just take it easy and not put too much pressure on myself. When I return from Hong Kong, I will take it slow, and just treat any LSD as my usual exercise.

Of Hurricanes and Haze

Tested my Saucony Hurricane today on an 8km run in Pantai Hills. If I had to use one word to describe Hurricane, it is STABLE. Very firm and sturdy. This is my 3rd pair of Hurricane, and I get maximum satisfaction out of every pair I have owned. The sole is a lot thicker, which is good because I am more heavy set, and it helps a lot with shock absorption. I love it! I love it! 99% satisfaction guaranteed.(I don't believe anything is 100%.. i think.)

Since the haze was still quite bad this morning, I decided to run indoor(treadmill). I consulted Jenny and even she, who would usually run in ALL conditions, suggested we do indoor. Hsiung on the other hand, has been slacking and for the life of me I can't understand why he is so keen to run outdoors today. I think he was guilty because he missed his run on Saturday. So somehow, after running on the treadmill about 5 mins, Hsiung came along and persuaded us to do outdoor. Against my better judgment, I agreed to go.

I nearly died. At the peak of Pantai Hills, I could not even see KL Tower nor Twin Towers. That's how bad it was. I'm getting sick of the haze. Year in, year out.

It's raining now. I hope the haze clears.

Over the Weekend

Here's what happened last weekend:

Saturday
Decided not to run on Saturday as the haze was still quite bad. As I opened the door I was welcomed with a whiff of smoke and thick acrid haze. (Actually I was still quite down so had no mood to run, coupled with the depressing haze). Anyway, my friend's mom invited me to go for ALAN TAM concert in Bukit Jalil. What a joke! A banana in a Chinese concert.

I ended up enjoying the concert, although I didn't understand a single word he sang except for "pang yau". I understood him when he spoke but somehow I couldn't understand him when he sang - I guess the language is more poetic in the songs. Mandarin songs - worse still - don't understand anything. We got the RM340 VIP seats , which was quite near the stage. I thought Alan was a little tubby, and as a result couldn't hop around as much. The stage and special effects were wonderful, with fireworks and streamers bursting. Even the dancers were really good. Costume - Alan's costume - so so only. Despite the banana I am, I recognised some of his really old songs like Fantasy and Lorelei (if those are the actual titles). Also recognised the English songs which were translated, like "THe Look", "Hand in hand" and "All out of love".

The concert was value for money - 3 full hours of excitement and entertainment. Good thing I wasn't busting to go to toilet. One thing I don't understand about the organisers is that, they don't permit us to bring bottled water in but they permit people to bring in cigarette lighters. Some bozo's were smoking during the show - that was SO annoying. I had a great time and so did aunty. My first Chinese concert ever and I enjoyed it thoroughly! Jesscet - can burn some Alan Tam songs for me ah?

Sunday
OK - felt guilty about not running yesterday, so decided to join Jenny for a run today. Clocked in 24km...it was a great run. I was in top form considering I didn't eat well on Saturday. All I had were 2 sandwiches, 1 glass of red bean soup and 2 slices of banana cake the whole day. But I had Power Bar that morning and it really gave me lots of energy. Finished 20km in good time, i took about 2 hours 8 mins when i usually take 2 hours 15 mins. But I DIED the rest of the 4km. Was supposed to do 25km but I cheated a bit and did 24km.

All sore today, could only cycle in the gym. Did a bit of upper body as well.

Mel Boy

6.6km run today. My mood is so low that I didn't even feel better after running. Running has always been a great stress reliever for me but today I am saddened by a friend's departure to Hong Kong.

Finally!

Yay! My usual running buddies have decided to sign up for Singapore Marathon!Hsiung and Jin signed up for half though. And Jenny is downgrading from full to half. Nevertheless I am still glad they are going. It was extremely difficult to convince them to go, but Jenny reckons they were inspired by my training and determination.

I won't be doing LSD with them, in any case they won't be doing such long distances and I am ahead of them in training. I am glad I got to know some new Pacesetters, people like C-Cube, DK, Geraldine and a few others, I am very motivated to run. Infact I am even toying with the idea of doing an ultra marathon one fine day! Crazy or what.....

Increased distance slightly on my Pantai route. Ran 8.5km today. Adrenaline pumping. Also not in good mood, my heart rate has increased as though I've been running hills all day.

Fantasitic Sat morn run

Did a 20km on Saturday. Woke up in a bit of denial, didn’t feel like running but anyhow just dragged myself along. Had half a Power Bar before the run, it was still chilled and hard, I felt like a cow chewing on it. We started at about 6.10am. Weather was perfect – it drizzled a bit and it was breezy. I suffered during the 1^st 10km, my thighs felt like lead and I was struggling, especially at the slight slope where the government office is located. I rehydrated myself with a zesty 100+ at the Petronas station, and it helped to ease the soreness in my thighs. I guess my body must have been low in minerals.

Picked up speed during the 2^nd half, and completed the run in about 2 hours 15 mins. Showered after that and went immediately to work, was knackered!