Dutamas Runners : Kenny Goh

Kenny is Mr. Positive, Mr. Determination, Mr. Serial-Gym-Crawler... and what he sets out to do, he does.

When he's not busy running around working, or running and cycling, you may find him either spending time with his lovely family or just preoccupied with bicycles!

His introduction to Dutamas Runners was a lonely one. His first run was just him and Captain KYK alone while the rest of us were somehow, not available. :D

1. What inspired you to start running? 

 Running was my life changing experience. It was at a time in my life that I decided I needed to do something to improve my lifestyle. Life had become monotonous between family and work responsibilities I was always tired physically and mentally. I was putting on weight and a healthy social life was non-existent. When my wife and I was expecting our second child, I decided I needed to make a big change. I wanted to do something healthy and yet challenged me as accomplishing these would be a great boost in morale. 

I decided running was the easiest thing to do without any big preparation required. I have never ran in my life. Even while in school, the only sports similar to this was perhaps the school jogathon event. The novelty of running quickly caught on as I got to know new friends in the running circle. After running, this also spurred me on to be active in cycling as well. Life was about to change in a BIG way for me! ;) 

2. Besides running, you also cycle regularly and join events. How do you divide your time on the road for both activities? 

 As fun as both was, it wasn’t easy. Hehe… the humour in this was that my running friends were constantly asking me to keep to a proper running programme and my cycling friends said I wasn’t doing enough cycling to build my legs. But I went with the idea of cross-training and mixed it up. Well, I try to do at least 4-5 days of workout a week and I use to swing back and forth between cycling and running daily. But nowadays I find it better if I rotate between the two weekly. I don’t think it’s set in stone, so I think I’ll probably still mix it up as I enjoy it. :D 

3. What's so good about waking up early to go running or cycling? 

 I absolutely vouch for this!!! There is so many good things about working out in the morning. To start, it’s a great way to wake my body up. You really can beat the surge of endorphin that continue to surge through your body the rest of the morning. My head is also clearer and I don’t have to worry about being busy or getting calls regarding work that early in the morning. I love the coolness of the morning and everything does seem a lot fresher. With cycling, it’s also a real touring experience at the start of the day to see people starting the day and shops opening! 

4. On a lazy day, how do you motivate yourself? 

Sometimes there’s just no motivation to get up and moving… hehe. If I felt I needed a little more rest, I’d just do that! But, that’s where having a circle of running and cycling friends comes in handy. They are really the best people to keep reminding me of what I needed to do. “Did you RUN today, Kenny?”… ;) 

[Yvonne: Hmm... I'm sure you're referring to all your running friends. :D]

5. With 2 Full Marathons, some Half Marathons and plenty of other running events under your belt, what is your dream race? 

 The running events have been wonderful. Well, actually, to be more specific, crossing the finishing line is really the best bit! Lol… So, I have never really felt that I should be sadistic and run 100km in ultra marathons. Hats off to those who do. But I’d love to run a fast enough full marathon to be able to attend prestigious running events like Boston or the famous NYC Marathon, either one of these would be a dream come true!. Yes, it’s about running and traveling. 

6. What does Dutamas Runners' motto 'Dont Think Just Run' mean to you? 

 I believe a lot of people who have not done it before do fear that they can’t do it. They probably think too much about the pain, the problems and not being good enough. Well, I’d say to them, “Don’t Think, Just Run”… surprise yourself, let your body, your physical-self tell your mind what you can or cannot do. ;) 

7. Do you believe in carbo loading before an event? If yes, what's your favourite food? 

 Hahaha… I’d like to believe that my body stores enough glycogen not to require carbo-loading. :P I know that’s not right, so what’s important for me is to eat properly. Well, sometimes I control my diet when I’m on a weight loss period in my training, but when there is an upcoming run, I put this on hold and eat enough to store up for the run. You’ll see me enjoying all sorts of delicious pastries, breads, potatoes, pasta as I treat myself to full Western courses before any events! 

8. What's your running goal for 2013?

I try to change it up every year to keep things interesting. 2013 will about running faster, so I’ll be signing up for 10k’s and HMs. I also plan to do my very first triathlon event in this coming year. Daunting but very doable (that’s what my friends say…) ;) But one thing that I will always strive to achieve is to hit my fitness and weight goal. Losing weight will directly affect how fast I run, so that’ll be a key focus of mine to do well in 2013.

 

Head down to Kenny's blog to keep up with him and his ongoings. :)
Don't forget to say hi to him at the Great Eastern Live Great Run 2012 this Sunday!