It's 2017!

Soooo ... looking back on 2016 achievements, I don't recall having any!

I'm just glad that I had a good pregnancy at the beginning of the year, and blessed with a healthy and happy baby boy in May. 

The first 7 months of motherhood have been interesting. 

Taxing. 

Happy.

Lethargic.

Trying.

Laughter.

Love, love and lots of love. :)

Dec 2016: Sleeping side by side in our living room.

We spent a few days of the Christmas holidays in Gippsland, checking out a few local sites. During that time, Melbourne was hit by high temp and we managed to escape it for a while and have the luxury of sleeping in a hotel for 2 nights. Bliss!

When we returned home, well, the heat came back and we camped out in our living room for 2 nights as that was the only room in our house with an air conditioning unit. 

I couldn't bear it anymore after that and decided I'd rather sleep in my own bed, with the fan blasting my direcgion. 

We're flying to Malaysia next weekend so we're left with just this weekend to complete our spring cleaning. There's TONS to do, and it's going to be harder to complete them with a sticky koala needing cuddles and attention every now and then.

Bub is suffering from teething pain and sometimes prefer to stick close to us once he's done exploring. The past 2 nights he has been waking up a few times for feed/comfort. *roll eyes* 

He's crawling about these days and can sit up now. Some mornings, I'll find myself being hollered an "Ehhhhhh!" to wake up - he'll push himself up and go to the corner of his crib nearest to me to do so! 

Sometimes, he'll thump the railing a couple of times for impact.

Often, I'd wish I could continue sleeping and ignore him ...

No such thing as extravagant dinner these days.

I did attempt cauliflower rice a few days ago, to accompany the creamy tomato chicken dish. It was a messy affair to grate the cauliflower!

Then I started reminiscing my childhood days of eating prawn fritters cooked by my mum or grandmother. I did such a poor version of it, just because I was too scrooge to add an egg to the batter. Hehe. Instead, I experimented with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts in the batter. Taste wise, you don't really taste them but they add texture.

Today is Friday, and the hubs initially suggested we go out for dinner instead of cooking. Since he suggested pizza, I thought I'd make them at home instead. (Try this No Yeast Pizza Dough.)

Experimented with pork meatballs as toppings!

Hmmm, had to make the meatballs beforehand, though. So this really was quite time consuming.

We finally opened bubba's Christmas presents yesterday. When I say we, I actually mean me.

Among the stash, he really liked a finger puppet book and a toy xylophone. Most of all, he was eyeing any plastic wrappers he could get his hand on so he could chew on them ...

Oh my gawd, I'm falling asleep here and this is not even a long post!

Sorry peeps, I'll have to cut it short. 

I know if I don't keep this short and sweet, I'll have nothing to say but gush on and on about how happy it makes me feel to see my sticky koala happy and laughing every time. 

And that would be quite a pain to read. :)

And no, I don't have any new year resolutions.

Fears Of Being Pregnant and Being a Mother

For years since we got married in 2011, we've had people asking us to have a baby pronto while we were still "young". Only a few people (and friends) advised us to do what we wanted to do first before jumping into parenthood. You know, like travel the world, win the lottery, etc ... haha!

In all honesty, I was always terrified of going through pregnancy and motherhood. No, it wasn't about 'being pregnant' but going 'through pregnancy', if there's a difference. Which I think there is.

Or maybe not ... :D

My main fear was being an overweight pregnant woman and an overweight mother soon after the 9 months were over. I was terrified of putting on too much weight and never be able to shed it off. 

I thought I'd be able to lose some weight first before being pregnant but I don't think I tried hard enough! 

I didn't enjoy the weight gain during my first two trimesters because I was always hungry (1st trimester) and I didn't exercise enough during the second trimester. I was annoyed with myself, especially when my weight kept increasing and my appetite was not fading.

It was hard to stop worrying about the unnecessary or excess weight gain and focus on being healthy and fit. Somehow through time, I did adjust my focus. It made me feel better when friends commented that I looked OK for a pregnant woman.

Nevertheless, I would remind myself every now and then about how lucky and blessed I was:

1. My pregnancy was normal and there were no complications;

2. My weight gain was 14kg, which some might say was still too much and some will say that's not too bad. I made sure I walked more during my final trimester and did my best to eat well.

3. I don't have too much stretch marks, just a little bit below my abdomen.

4. I was able to sleep well through the night - you hear stories about babies in tummies kicking up a storm when mummies are sleeping at night.

5. My baby was (and still is) a healthy one.

Made these bibs in April. Haven't used them yet as they are quite big for him at the moment.

Moving on, now that the bub is out and 6-7 weeks old, let me tell you about what I feared about being a mother. One of the main reasons I felt that I wouldn't be ready for motherhood was being selfless. I could never imagine myself devoting 99% of my time and energy to a helpless child nor the patience it required. ('It' as in motherhood, not baby!)

I still can't imagine myself being unselfish but no doubt motherhood will slyly change me all for the sake of the bub. Hmmm ...

The first few weeks of postpartum were hard. I was irritated by the constant crying and my inability to decipher his cries. The lack of sleep didn't help either. Nor did it help that there were restrictions in my movements during confinement, e.g. I had to walk slowly and carefully so that I didn't tear my stitches. And he was just so fussy - he hated being changed out of his clothes and diapers, didn't enjoy his baths, took more than an hour to settle after feed to go back to sleep, and wanted to be carried often.

What I thought I'd get, was the ideal baby who could sleep through the night with less fuss after feeds, the independent one who could be put down to sleep without having to be rocked and held to sleep first.

Well, it's a hard knocked life and I had to be more realistic, Bin said.

7-Day Project Gratitude

20th September 2014.

I was hoping I wouldn't get tagged but haha, trust an ol' buddy to tag me on Facebook!

Instead of boring everyone with a daily status update, I thought I'd chuck it here, somewhere private, where only those who accidentally stumble across this blog have the misfortune to read my mundane ramblings. :)

I'm not sure how it works - do I come up with something new to be grateful for on a daily basis or can they be the same thing over and over? Do I need to elaborate or shall I just leave them in point form?

Hmmm.

Day 1 - 21st September 2014.

1. To be alive and well!

2. For a loving family, both immediate and extended. 

No wars or rifts at the moment! Well, not that I know of ... but anyway, I miss being a kid all over again so that I can be at home with the family. That's just my indirect way of saying that I really miss my family. And to be able to watch my munchkin of a niece grow up! :)

3. To still be able to walk and run. 

Why not? I'm always thankful that my legs are still holding up pretty well. Having said that, the DOMS I suffered from Saturday's hill reps are torture! I thought by running our usual undulating 11k route on Monday would eliminate the DOMS but hahaha, they returned as a result of Monday's run. How ironic!

Day 2 - 22nd September 2014.

1. To be able to devour my chick lit novels. 

I love that the library is just within walking distance! I really enjoy spending time with novels. Seriously. It's a childhood pastime, just reading and reading and not having a care about the rest of the world. A shame that I have terrible memory and a week later I won't remember what I actually read!

2. To be able to hug my husband on a daily basis.

3. For good friends whom I know I will be able to count on when I need them. 

There are friends who would hesitate and mull over whether to assist you or not, before giving you an answer. There are others who'd agree to help without any hesitation at all. :)

Knew of the movie before I spotted the book at the library. A good read.

Day 3 - 23rd September 2014.

1. I still have hair! 

Despite the grey roots, I still have hair.

2. I still have teeth! 

I had a nightmare back in high school once about my teeth going all flappy like flap doors for pets to enter the house. It was horrible. I couldn't speak properly in my dream and my teeth would just flap!

3. Bargain $1 bags. 

Bought a bag of loose longan and another bag of french beans - what a steal! I love a great bargain!

Day 4 - 24th September 2014.

1. A smartphone. 

Although the screen has cracked and I've taped it, it still works. Whatsapp chats with friends are awesome.

2. For Skype! 

Otherwise I won't be able to watch my niece's antics and my parents won't see how fat I am. Haha! It's the only way to have decent chat with everyone, although the niece is always demanding for attention. Argh, she's growing up too fast for me!

3. For ol' friends. 

So happy that Marie will be helping me buy and bring some stuff for me - she'll be here next month to visit her adorable chubby niece who is turning 1! (Whoever plans to do their shopping in Australia when they're here, think again. Nothing here is cheap, NOTHING. Except for McDonald's soft cone ice-cream...)

Biting Off More Than I Can Chew

Ten days to go ...
Yikes.

Grilled salmon with salad - the skin was not crispy enough.

Nothing much has been happening on the culinary side of things. No new recipes nor food experiments, merely eating for the sake of eating. Cookie baking has become a habit, twice a month, just because ... uhm, I am probably too reliant on cookies to go with my coffee or tea.

The only recipe I have managed to tweaked so far is the steamed glutinous rice with chicken, realising that in no circumstances should one scrimp on dried shrimps (heh bee). No, no, no. It is the key ingredient. (A non-meat version would only have Chinese mushrooms, shallots and dried shrimps. Cooking wine is probably not necessary. Best to garnish with chopped chilli or spring onions then, for added fragrance in terms of taste.)

Last weekend was spent helping a friend (or should I say 'mate'?) move out of his rented place to his new home. He rented a 3-tonne truck with no movers (to save cost :D) and it took 2 trips that day. I was helping his wife with her stuff and unpacking them in their new home. 

I made a bet with the guys that we would finish unpacking the kitchen before they'd even assemble the beds. We won, of course. Muahaha!

Everyone was quite exhausted by the end of the day, except for the two little munchkins who were so excited to be in their new home and having guests over. We haven't seen them since ... we had brunch together early last month. The kids are growing up quickly but their cheeky grins never fail to make me smile.

I was hoping to keep my next event as hush-hush as possible, but who would have expected the race director (who is a friend on Facebook) to happily declare to the world of my registration.

The thing is, 100km is a different kettle of fish altogether. (Erm, is that the saying? I can't for the life of me remember the exact phrase!)

I had toyed with the idea of running jogging crawling 100km sometime this year. We had plans to run the Surf Coast Century 100km in September but after Buffalo Stampede, we decided to rethink it. With bigger plans in the pipeline (new house, new job, holidays, etc) we decided that we would forgo SCC. 

A couple who runs can be a pricey thing, and to spend AUD$1,000 on a weekend alone can be really painful. (It's just a rough estimate: registration fee of $298 per pax, accommodation and food, petrol, etc. A big ouch.)

Deep in my heart of hearts, I know that I can do it. But no matter how strong my faith or belief is, the training has to be double the faith or belief. What's the point of believing something so strongly but not working on it?

A few friends had disbelief etched on their faces when I shared with them my possibility of signing up for the event. That pissed me off but I don't blame them.

But it made me more determined to prove them wrong, that by hook or by crook, I will complete the damn distance!

The problem is, the cut off time is 12 hours, and I think I need 13 to be comfortable. Hmmm.

So the hubs tells me to prepare for the worst case scenario. He reminds me how terribly upset I'll be if I fail, and this time round, would it be any different? I hmm-ed for a while and replied that I will be OK as long as I get past 80km.

Are you sure? he asked.

Long pause.

I will have to, won't I? I said reluctantly.

Monday And The Last Blueberry Muffin.

The last blueberry muffin.

It's a gloomy Monday morning and where did the weekend go?

Dunno.

I had a brief chat with my parents on the phone yesterday. With my mum, it was the usual nagging, and I did my best not to be a sullen teenager and grumble my replies. With my dad, it was about latest antics of my little niece. 

And its the latter stories that never fails to make me smile.

It seems like she is picking up the Hokkien dialect quite well, and sometimes to annoy her Hakka-speaking dad, she'll speak to him in Hokkien. Once, she asked him, "Do you understand?"

The cheek!

We were running at the Tan last Saturday evening and bumped into Shaun, who was training for her upcoming event. Later on, we bumped into Jon, her hubby, as they had to take turns to run while someone takes care of their daughter. We haven't seen much of our running friends lately so it was great to catch up and chat, even if it was just for a few minutes.

I am currently testing out my new pair of HokaOneOne Clifton's and right now, all I can say is that my calves are being made to work out more than I expected. They are soooooo tired!

Training on my own is tough but easier than I expected. I don't have to wait for anyone, I don't slow anyone down, and I don't have to talk to anyone. It's a good mental workout, and it's really easy to pretend to be robot and keep moving my legs. I think I'm getting the hang of it.

The hubs is feeling rather strained when the weekend comes, as he is forced to run with me on both days. Not a great way to spend the weekend, I know, but unless I move the back to back runs to the middle of the week, I would still need a long run during the weekend, anyway! He can't escape, regardless. Muahaha!

Oh hey!

The sun is out. Yay!

Oh, about that blueberry muffin? I've found a recipe which really works, especially with frozen blueberries. I've made them twice already, and I reduced the sugar and added some choc chip the second time round. They may not be as gigantic as Starbucks' but they taste equally good, if not better. 

*does a Snoopy jump*

Hooray!

The Easter Weekend

Easter weekend was a 4-day weekend over here in Australia. Like what we usually do back in Malaysia, long weekends are either spent back home in our hometown with our parents, or locating a new waterfall/hiking place to explore or just running around with our friends and having meals together.

You could also sleep in and laze about at home, if you'd like.

Ever since I swapped the wallpaper on my phone to a picture of my niece, I have been missing her loads and loads. The hubs rolled his eyes when I shared this with him and said he couldn't imagine what I'd be like if it were my own child.

Anyway, I baked some cookies, using a cookie cutter for the first time in my life. 

Ever.

The results, I suppose, were alright.

It was hard work using a toothpick to draw their whiskers, nose and eyes, though. I dusted the first batch with some icing sugar to hide their distorted features but instead, it sweetened the cookies too much. Decide to forget the icing sugar.

Wearing the hair clip I made for her.

What exactly is the relation between bunny cookies and my niece? She was born in the Year of the Rabbit, so that makes her 3 this year.

The only way I could share these cookies with her was showing them to her on Skype, which, if you asked me, was probably rather cruel. I was polite enough not to eat them in front of her!

I can't believe I'm going to miss seeing her grow up and all. *sniff*

My sister tells me that this little girl now chats to her dolls on a daily basis, besides monkeying about and driving my parents up the wall. :)

Last Friday, we went to Plenty Gorge for a short evening run, just to shake the cobwebs off our legs. I think we have pretty much gained a few kilos after the Buffalo Stampede, just lazing about and eating non-stop.

The Salomon Trail Series Race 2 is held at Plenty Gorge.

I felt ridiculously unfit!

On Sunday, we checked out the Brimbank Park and detoured just a bit to scour the unknown sections, which was quite fun.

In the park itself, you have a track to follow and prior to this, I never knew the park existed! There were a few river crossings which will lead you to the other side of the river. If you're adventurous enough to run wild on your own, you'll find yourself on a dirt track just like in the picture above.

Since I made too much goodies over the weekend, they definitely had to be shared. I brought some cookies and coconut candy for the runners and well, thankfully they were well received.

The coconut candy turned out too dry, in my opinion, and most likely because I reduced the amount of sugar. I did my best to salvage them with some chocolate!!

This Friday is Anzac Day, so it's another short week but a long weekend. Where are you off to?

Us? 

Running on Friday, resting and cheering Jon on Saturday, and helping out at the Brimbank Urban Trail Run this Sunday! The medals look like souvenir fridge magnets, you know. How cool is that!

Ooh, I'm thinking about what I should bake this weekend!

The Trip Home

It's funny how emotions can be a bit of a roller coaster ride. One moment in January, I was disappointed that we couldn't return home to celebrate Chinese New Year with our families. Come February, I wasn't prepared for the trip home and before I left Kuala Lumpur a week ago, I felt miserable about leaving everyone behind.

We were worried that our plants wouldn't survive without us but gawd! We returned to see them flooded, probably due to a dripping tap. They are strangely, still alive and breathing. Phew!

Enjoying her strawberry
ice-cream.

I spent a week in Kota Kinabalu doing absolutely nothing besides spending time with my parents and cheeky niece (and her parents). I never knew it could be SO tiring just spending an afternoon taking care (and playing) with her, let alone doing it 5 times a week! It's no wonder my parents are always exhausted by evening, and can't get their chores done properly.

Besides playing with her teapot, xylophone, bubbles, blocks and plastic cups, my niece loves her books. She never tires of them and makes everyone read them to her. I bought her new one, The Very Itchy Bear, which she doesn't seem keen, though. *hmmfh*

As the only grandchild for both sides of the family, she gets endless attention. Everyone wants a piece of her! :)

The second and third week was spent in KL. The first part required a LOT of work in preparing my youngest sister's wedding. From tidying the apartment, to decorating, to buying things, to driving my mum here and there, to squeezing a lunch meeting and a short trail run with friends, I was exhausted.

A fab trail run in FRIM with some crazy buddies from the GCAM group.
They are so freaking fast now - they never cease to amaze me!!

The most important thing, of course, was that the special occasion brought the whole family together. The tea ceremony in the morning of the wedding was a tearful one, goodness gracious, with yours truly bawling and sniffling like I was the mother hen who couldn't part with her baby. *embarrassed*

Detoxification - Rebooting The Body System

The title sounds so righteous that it makes me laugh.

Rest assured that I am not going to preach to you about the need to detox every now and then, because I am not an expert on the subject!

Lunch 1: Kale, apple, cucumber, celery and ginger.

I was bummed out about with my weight gain and bad complexion that I thought I'd give it a try. Two days of drinking (blended) juice shouldn't be too bad, I thought.

No, it was the first day that was really bad.

Dinner 1: Carrot, celery, apple.

I was hungry all the time and by nightfall, I thought I was going to pass out with gastric. They did say that we had to prepare our body a few days before the detox programme, but I thought I was strong enough to skip that. Hah!

Breakfast 1: Celery, orange, beetroot, cucumber, apple.

Brushing Off The Cobwebs

I should be going for my run now, or preparing dinner. But my butt is glued to the couch, hoping that Nadal will beat Dimitrov in the Australian Open semi-finals. (Well, he did!)

I have baked some peanut cookies this morning, so I'm pleased that at least I've got something done. Though it seems like I may need to bake another batch. Ahh, how the aroma reminds me that Chinese New Year is around the corner.

A shame that I won't be home and have my families wow over my cookies...

Lunch: Couscous with smoky paprika prawns.

I am trying to eat plain and uninteresting food until I knock 2kg off my tubby trunk, sticking to the motto that we eat to live, and not vice versa.

Less carbs and small portions are the key, and sometimes I get a sense of satisfaction with going to bed with a growling tummy. 

Because then I wake up the next morning looking forward to a grand breakfast of toast or cereal with 1 soft-boiled egg...

And then starve until lunch time arrives.

And boy, am I ever eager for the clock to strike 12!

Dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day: Cottage pie with sweet potato.

A few weeks ago, I made cottage pie for the first time and it was great. The aroma of the beef stewing in the pot wafting through the air was so mouth-watering. Recipe was taken from Coles' website. I am drooling as I recall the taste ... so I'm hoping to make it again tomorrow! :D

Looking Back At 2013

Ugh, I've always hated the year ends. It depresses me how time flies so quickly, in a blink of an eye. What have I achieved or failed to achieve? Hmmmm.

I've summarised the races in my previous post but if we are to look at the entire year, I don't suppose I can exclude them in this post, or even not mention some of them at all. :)

January kicked off with a podium finish for the 5KM MPIB Run. The race made me realise that I was still not fast enough nor strong enough to sustain a consistent sub-5 min pace. Nevertheless, I was pleased to note an improvement from last year's pace. :)

I also had my first bake date with a colleague, and we had fun trying the recipes which interest her. She's very meticulous with her measurements while I am more towards guesstimates and 'more or less'. :)

February meant spending Chinese New Year with our families. It was second year being officially married and giving angpows to our relatives/friends younger than us (or single ones). It also meant another opportunity to spend time with my niece, who is the first grandchild to my parents and brother-in-law's parents.

Not looking comfy in her cheongsam! :)

March was where I had my first road trip with Andrew, Kenny and my cousin-in-law as we made our way to Lake Kenyir for the Kenyir International Triathlon event. It was horrible (for me) as it was warm by the time I did the running leg and there were too many crazy hills. 

Photo credit: Andrew.

March also meant bonus time! Thankfully, it was not too bad and I was satisfied with my package. Some of my colleagues weren't pleased, but I think it was different across the other departments. 

I was rather nervous as the month came to an end.

In April, I tendered my resignation and explained to my bosses that I had to make a move. I felt bad for them (but why should I?) and I knew that they would understand (and had to!) my reason for doing so. 

I also hit a new personal best of 4:31 during my 3rd marathon at the Malaysia Women Marathon. It was an epic moment for me and I was pleased as punch (though a bit lonesome) for myself!

Photo credit: Bunny and Mr Bunny.

I made some new friends, too. :)

I joined my first ever company-related trip to Chiang Mai. It was a reward for the athletes who topped the charts in any inter-bank (sports) events. As I was part of the winning KL Rat Race team last year, I secured a spot for this trip. Yay!

During the last week of April, I spent it in Melbourne with the hubby, going places. We did the Run The Rock event (a personal best for a 19KM) and visited Wilson's Promontory. Oops, I still haven't uploaded my pictures yet.

Spotted some wombats at dusk!

It's a lovely place to go camping, if you're into that sort of thing. But we were tucked into a cosy cottage, so that was much better. :)

The End of The Racing Year

It has been an interesting year, to say the least. 5 road races, 3 mixed terrain and 4 trail runs.

It has been equally challenging for me to improve in every aspect such as speed, strength, endurance and nutrition, and despite recapping my races to identify which part requires further improvement, I tend repeat the same mistakes every now and then.

Frustrating.

The first half of the year was spent mucking about with friends and running more. We spent more time on the road as well as the trails, and always having a bit of a laugh. It was the friends that made attending events feel like a great party, even if it was a lousy event.

Moving over to Melbourne, the second half of the year was a tough adjustment for me. It took me back to 2009 when YB and I just started running and we only had each other. Attending events on our own, shy and feeling a bit out of place with these super strong Aussie runners, I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury myself deep.

And then you meet a few nice ones who go out of their way to make you feel at ease. Without them, I think I would have remained hidden in the background like a sullen pock-marked face teenager at events.

Sure, finishing last is no fun at all, because I don't want them (strong runners) to think I'm a loser or a complete idiot for participating in an event out of my league. I would like them to understand that my capability differ from theirs, and it doesn't mean that I cannot complete the race at all. Just that I'll take a longer time to do so.

Anyway, putting that aside, it was a fun and crazy year of racing. Meeting new friends, learning new things, lovely scenery, and ran a personal best - what else can I ask for?

To summarise the year in a nutshell:

Uhm.. am I too early for the prize giving ceremony?

Podium finishes (because I was lucky!)

MPIB Run

Deuter Trail Fun Run

Melbourne Marathon finish.

Personal best/record

Melbourne Marathon - 42.195KM

Let's go skiing instead!

Best scenery

Razorback Run - 42KM

Surfcoast Century - Leg 4 23KM

More Sunny Days To Come

Waking up with the sun glaring through the blinds to a glorious morning is just simply ... er, glorious.

Maybe for someone who still remains a bum and has no work stress to worry about. :D

Then you peek at the time to decide whether it's time to jump out of bed and seize the day, or to continue lounging in bed til you're good and ready to jump out of bed and seize the day.

The clock tells you that it's 6am.

6am.

...

Ah, summer.

I pull the duvet over my head and go back to dreamland.

It's My Party And I'll Do What I Want To

Trying on clothes at
lululemon athletica.
They put my name on
the door of my fitting
cubicle.

*humming to Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop"*

It's a week after the Melbourne Marathon and life seems so empty without a goal to aim for.

Or so we think.

After 2 days of wincing at every step, the legs are back in action and I am hopping with excitement, hoping to have a splendid time up in the Victorian Alps. We are taking part in the 31KM run of Lake Mountain Skyrun which is on tomorrow, i.e. 20th October 2013. I'm soooo relieved to know that the weather is going to by bright and sunny, so I don't need to be wrapped up like a marshmallow to run!

It was initially expected to be cold (and a wee bit of snow?) as the winds went crazy around Melbourne on Thursday. But looks like it's all clear now. Yessss!

I do hope, however, that there will be a few snow capped peaks dotting the horizon for a picturesque run, as I am looking forward to be trigger happy with the camera! :)

First attempt of Cantonese Fried Kuey Teow ... I would give myself a fail, with so many things
wrong with it, but erm, it was regardless, still edible!

Besides posting of pictures of food and talking about running, I honestly have nothing else to talk about. Nothing exciting is happening in my life as the Housewife Bum, that I am starting to sink into my shell, completely embarrassed that I am hopelessly unproductive and unambitious.

Marathon Training is Almost Over

We just had the daylight savings thingy over the weekend so Melbourne is now officially ahead of Malaysia/Singapore/Perth times by 3 hours. The world is quiet when we wake up. :)

I had a wonderful run last Saturday over at Albert Park and once again, we were amongst the regular runners attending their weekly Saturday runs. Oops.

You should see how fast they run and without sounding out of breath at all!

Skechers meets Brooks.

Two weeks ago, I had a bit of discomfort in my right foot which developed during the long run. It got me worried as to which shoes I was going to wear for the Melbourne Marathon. I had to be sure whether it was the GR2 or just me, and with thicker socks this time (and I suspect running on the sandy track as well) the discomfort was not present.

Hmmm.

That being my last long run (19KM) for the week, I was am confident that a PB for the marathon would be doable, provided that all things are smooth sailing. *cross fingers*

I have decided on which cap, sports bra, shoes, waist pouch, water bottle, power gels (and how many), running dress, shades and pair of tights to wear, but I am still deciding on which pair of socks and running dress to wear.

Talk about diva issues! :D

We're at Week 16, finally!

When I first started on this training plan, I knew it wouldn't be easy to follow. With trail runs peppered in and taking up our weekends, road runs were hard to muster up enough excitement for. Bleurgh.

On weeknights, I would just run for the mileage but with this fussy running buddy who'd lament about how boring the route was, we have designed various routes for the varied distances. *roll eyes*

All out for the last interval!

Last Tuesday, we couldn't find a gentle slope which should take us 2 minutes to jog up for our hill reps, but we found one which was only half that time and it was along a main road. *giggles* Like fools with nothing better to do, we doubled the (intended) reps to be done as the distance was shorter and kept on going. Oh man, we were so glad when we completed every single rep and it was time to jog hobble walk home!

400m intervals are fun as we can just do it on our street, including the 100m jog/rest time. The sidewalk is generally flat with no holes or uneven ground to catch you unawares.

A lot of people were taking advantage of the brightness at 630pm yesterday! Had to swerve around some of them, too!

12 Days and Counting

With the mad surge of Facebook updates about the 2013 Standard Chartered KL Marathon over the weekend, I am getting edgy. Some friends have achieved their personal best times, and some had bad runs. Nevertheless, I wished I had been there to welcome them across the finish line!

Without me running, of course. :D

Melbourne Marathon is taking place on 13th October 2013 and I wish I could say that I am as well prepared as I was for the Malaysia Women Marathon in April 2013. The extra kilos (tsk tsk), lack of mileage and lack of discipline to stick to the training plan are sure factors of a very worrying run come that faithful day.

I need more spice jars.

YB and I sat down after dinner on Sunday, going through our individual strategies for Race Day. He and I have different views and ideas, which means that we will probably be racing each other. Not running side by side, I suppose! :P

I don't mind, really, as I'd rather not have someone breathing down my neck every time I stop to walk for 5 seconds!

Although it makes sense to run together when we have the same target time ... but nah, like I said, we have different strategies to approach our run so best we run on our own and bump into each other along the way.

(I hope I'll beat him, though!!)
(But highly unlikely ... )
(Ooh, but who knows? Since he is a bit injured ... )
(I am so mean! What a wife! LOL)

Leftover from our tapas dinner was made into my lunch the next day - patatas bravas,
chickpea balls and couscous covered with some mozzarella cheese.

If there had been no distractions whatsoever, I believe I would have stuck to my training plan as strictly as possible, like what I did the last time. This time, I didn't do any time trials (as per the training plan) to gauge my strength and the chances of attaining my target time, and this makes me very unsure of myself.

I do believe that it will be a good run, no doubt, and a possible PB (*touch wood*), but things can happen and one can never be too sure.

Sushi balls were slightly flattened and grilled for a while.

I asked YB who would he dedicate his Melbourne Marathon to. He asked me in return, and I already knew my answer.

Argh, I really hope it's a good PB seeing that this is the last marathon I want to train for and run!

I'd rather toddle along the trails, sorry. :D

Steamed banana cake is yummy!

Anyway, it is supposedly Spring but this morning I was woken up by the winds howling crazily and the tree branches crashing at our bedroom window. We had something like that last week and the week before, so sometimes, it's really hard to gauge how you should dress up before you leave the house.

Granted, it is not that cold anymore. Yay!

Two Weekends Of Fun

As I write this, all I want to do is honestly crawl back into bed and wake up only when I'm good and ready.

*bleary-eyed*

At the Melbourne Airport.
Not great at all.

We flew into Perth for the weekend and hung out with my good friends. It was great to catch up again, despite the constant food binge and reminiscence of the past, and lack of running mileage.

We even managed to squeeze in a run on Sunday morning!

Beef balls vermicelli soup for dinner.

The weather was wet and at times sunny, but still a tad bit warmer than Melbourne's crazy weather.

So happened that it was YB's birthday (thereabouts) and we had a wild berry cheesecake from The Cheesecake Shop. Interestingly, we tasted some dessicated coconut in the biscuit base and found the cream cheese and topping a bit too sweet. Too generous with the sugar/syrup, I suppose?

Miya having a giggle with Uncle YB. In the morning, she
asked Uncle YB (with a big manja smile) to share his pancakes
with her.

The bubbly and playful children of our host couldn't leave Uncle YB alone that birthday morning, sandwiching him whilst he had his pancakes for breakfast. If you're in need of a manny, you can count on him. I think. :D

Aunty Yvonne didn't do too bad either, though I think I'm clueless about playing with boys. :)

Spent the weekdays wandering around Perth's CBD and snagged myself a few clothes on sale (AUD$21.00 for 3 items is not too shabby). Except that they're more appropriate for summer. :D

I was tired most of the time. I needed proper rest and food, and some runs. I've never felt so ill-prepared for a run/race before, so forgive me for the lack of excitement.

The 250ml can is just so cute!!!

 

We're driving up to Anglesea (Great Ocean Road) this evening for our Surfcoast Century briefing for tomorrow's run. Packing is such a pain in the butt, and there's no way you can travel light, especially when you're bringing your own bedsheets and pillows and towels and food ... and not forgetting your running gear, including the mandatory items.

First aid kit, thermal top and windproof jacket are compulsory and goodness knows how I'm going to squeeze everything into my small bag. 

Being part of my first 100KM event should be fun and exciting. It's a shame that they don't have a 50KM duo category which YB and I would have signed up for. Only team relays or solo running for the 100KM are available. I will be running Leg 4 for my team, and who knows, I could be running in the evening. We are hoping that we will be able to run together during this leg (as YB is running Leg 3 and 4 for his team) but at this point, we are rather doubtful of our chances. Let's just see how it goes.

Weather forecast says it's rainy tomorrow.

Oh crap.

Who The Hell Plans Their Weekly Menu?

A few months ago, I noticed a friend's Facebook status saying that she had completed her grocery shopping list for the week and was ready to head to the supermarket (or market, I'm not sure).

I nodded to myself, thinking that it was indeed a clever idea to shop for the entire week. I should be like that, too!

(But then I would be left with bumming at home and with no reason to take my daily walk to the shops...)

Example of my shopping list.

How detailed must one's shopping list be?

'Vege' is left as general as possible, depending on what was on offer ("Oh hey, cauliflowers are cheap, today! Oh, choy sum is 4 for AUD$2.50!") so that's the "3x" I have to tell myself to buy 3 types of vegetables for the week.

It also depends what I planned on making. As I was thinking of veggie burger patties (really!), I was therefpre specific with the celery and mushrooms. But I forgot to buy the celery and changed my mind about the breadcrumbs. :))

But I don't necessarily get everything on my shopping list, though. I like to spread it out so I can go and buy them the next or following day. Even walking out to buy a new loaf of bread is my exercise. (Hey, bored housewife here needs a reason to get out of the house, remember? There are no soap operas worth watching in the afternoon. :D)

I suppose what my friend meant was that she had planned her week's menu and then  her shopping list, before going to the supermarket.

So I tried, too.
The last time I planned the week's menu was just a general idea:

Monday - fish, soup, vege, rice
Tuesday - fish, vege, couscous
Wednesday - chicken, vege, rice/couscous
Thursday - fish, vege, couscous
Friday - pork, soup, vege

Which I think is good enough. 

Come on, do you want me to be so specific like naming the type of dishes; sweet and sour fish, curry grilled fish, steamed chicken, etc. I can't!

The worst thing is having ideas or cravings to derail the entire week's menu.

Honestly, I have been thinking of nasi lemak for the past few days and it is SUCH a torture. I've never cooked it before and I would love to take the opportunity to do so BUT MY BELLY AND ROUND FACE are telling me that NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!

And then I suddenly feel like cooking tau yew bak.

I feel like eating bibimbap, too.

So, which one of the above cravings will go onto this week's menu? The healthiest dish, of course! It shall be Friday's carbo-loading session for Saturday's 28KM long run. *pretends to be excited*

Sigh.
I fear that I will remain a fat blob if I don't up my vege ante to 3 times the regular portion. Muffin top! *sobs*

p.s. I dropped AUD$20 the other day after paying for an item and I only realised it when I got home. I didn't stuff them into my pocket properly so now I'm left with a smaller budget for the week. :((

p.p.s. We had squid last night but I must have overcooked it. It was still lovely, though as it was a pleasant change to our usual fare. How long am I supposed to stir fry them for, 5 minutes?