Running Again - Wyndham Rotary Fun Run Walk 2017

I never thought I'd be running again (in races) until B turns 1. You know, until my pelvic floor and whatnots are functioning properly again. :D

But as a step towards regaining my fitness, I signed up for the 5KM run just two weeks ago as a kick in the right direction. Only then did I start 'training' for it, heh, jogging at least 3 times a week! 

It's a pain to run while pushing the stroller, you know, that's why I'm always inclined to walk around the neighbourhood instead!

Anyway, the goal was to complete the distance within 40 minutes, at most, as the hubs' 10KM starts 45 minutes after my run. Someone had to take over minding our koala.

Wyndham Rotary Fun Run/Walk 2017 was held at the Chirnside Park, Werribee on March 5th.

It was a pleasant Sunday morning for a lovely run as it was cool and cloudy. I love small events as it's less crowded on the route.

We ran along the Werribee River and made a u-turn halfway through (along the highway / Federation Trail) to head back to the field. I wasn't really paying attention to the scenery around me as I was focused on my breathing and trying to maintain a steady pace. I thought I would end up killing myself if I pushed too hard but the actual fact was, I held myself back.

I stopped to walk twice, just to catch my breath up a tiny slope and before entering the finishing chute. I know I shouldn't have!

About 500m before the finish line, I encouraged a fellow runner who was walking, to keep on going as we were nearly there. He must have somehow taken offence when I ran past him while saying that, because he suddenly shot off with a tremendous burst of speed.

(You know how sensitive some older folks can be ...)

Wanted to show off my dress here. :D
Oh, and my cute grumpy boo!

It turned out that my fitness is still OK, despite not running regularly for the past 3 months - there is hope to get back to where I used to be! 

I was pleasantly surprised that I could squeeze into my running dress. I only remembered it when I was getting reading that morning. 

I was also chuffed to finish under 30 minutes in good form! I should have pushed myself, shouldn't I? Heh. Let's not kill myself so soon ... baby steps!

Everyone did better than they expected, the hubs and Eugene. Everyone hasn't been running regularly so they had concerns about how they'd fare. Hehe. 

So, the hubs tells me that my next event (preferably end of this month) should be a 10KM. Whattt ... the thought of training again makes me feel lazy ...

But I confess, running regularly again and to be able to do a 10km effortlessly is this year's motivation. Well, maybe graduate to a half marathon distance by the end of the year. I can't afford to put in too much time into training as little B will need my time and energy as well!

Sorry for ending most of the sentences with exclamation marks! Haha

Surf Coast Hell Run 2015 - Relay Team Challenge

When: Saturday, 5th September 2015.

Where: Lorne, Victoria

Time: 7.00am

Distance: 21.1km (half marathon)

So, Bin and I kinda retired right now. That's right. 

Then Jon invited Bin and I to be part of his 21km relay team less than 3 weeks ago. 

Best team name ever!!!!!

We spent Friday night at Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park and spent the of race day at Sheoak picnic area.

Due to too many events taking place in August and September, the crowd at the inaugural Surf Coast Hell Run was a small one. It felt so much more cosier this way, which I rather enjoyed, although I'm sure any race director/organiser would prefer it the other way round.

The 21km runners were flagged off at 9am.

There were 4 categories: 7km, 21km, 42km and 63km. Except for the 7km, the rest of the runners had to run a 21km loop which consisted of a U-turn point at the 11km mark. The 63km runners needed to do 3 loops and the 42km runners would do 2.

The route was described as, 'up, up, up, and then down all the way.' Despite the undulations and 'gentle' slopes, the route was mainly made up of 4WD tracks with no trail technicality involved.

"WHERE'S MY TEAMMATE??" Jon panicked.
"Hello????" I furiously waved my arms in the air to catch his attention.

SCTR Laksa Lovers was the 1st team to sign up, with SCTR Catch Me If You Can signing up at the last moment. There was friendly ribbing between the 2 team captains Gavin and Jon a few days leading up to race day.

Clueless me went into the race thinking our team was just in it for a relaxing weekend run. Haha!

Gavin and Jon were the 1st runners for the teams, with Gavin coming in at 2:11:xx and Jon at 2:18:xx, giving the other team an 8-9 minute head start. I was pretty impressed with these 2 chaps!

"I'll just keep ... running ... until ... that tree ... over there ..." I huffed.

The weather was nice and cool that day, with occasional showers. 

The first 4km of the run was filled with teasing undulation, which made me think, "OK, this isn't too bad!" until 4km. The next 4km involved trudging up (with the help of 2 sticks) and a few seconds of flat after every 1.5km.

It probably doesn't make any sense to you, so don't bother doing the maths!

"Let there be a view!"

 7km in, the slopes were a bit kinder to the legs... kinda.

No view.

I was looking forward to the aid station!

The one and only aid station at the 8km/14km mark.

John Yoon and George Mihalakellis were there to greet me, with George telling me hurry up as Ken was 14 minutes ahead!

*yawns* 

I was like, "Whatever..." :P

Recap of Asics Half Marathon at 2015 Gold Coast Airport Marathon

I signed up for the Asics Half Marathon at the 2015 Gold Coast Airport Marathon for 2 reasons; a post-exam weekend getaway to celebrate the end of a full-time 6 month course, and to provide myself a goal to keep fit and keep myself in check lest I lose my fitness altogether. The trip itself was also to catch up with some friends. :)

Being too busy and exhausted with studying during the past 6 months certainly took a toll on my fitness. I gained weight, felt less of a runner, and my frustration ate into whatever I had left of my confidence. Every day after work and every month after an exam, my respect for working mothers increased by a notch – how did they juggle everything??

One of the long runs with Bin and Eugene at Altona Beach.

Studying and training

When I signed up for the half marathon in April, on the last day of the early bird registration, I only had 2 months of strict training (haha) to follow. This forced me manage my time properly, giving me a perspective of what I wanted to achieve in the evenings, besides cooking dinner, studying and completing assignments.

Getting involved in running again definitely made me happier, and parkruns on Saturdays reflected the progress of my training. I was gaining my speed once again, although not as speedy as I was 2 years ago.

While waiting for a table at Vapiano for dinner the night before the race.
Photo courtesy of Foo.

The gloomy winter evenings didn’t help things. It was always easier to say, “It’s too cold, let’s skip the running!” rather than change into running gear and get our butts out of the door. It was hard work.

I told myself that even if I did minimal training, I would manage to comfortably finish in 2:15 so I need not put too much pressure on myself to chase the sub-2 finish that has been eluding me for all these years.

At Vapiano, standing in line to order your food before a designated cook.

Was my training enough?

Like the last 2 (full) marathons, I adopted a training plan which I was comfortable with. I did a half marathon trial 3 weeks before the event and despite how difficult it was for me, I was surprised to finish in under 2 hours. Granted my posture was horrible and I was panting like hell, but I was happy to know where I stood - the sub-2 was within reach. 

No more doubts about it!

Managed a group photo despite being late. We got lost in the crowd!
Photo courtesy of Jamie Pang.

Race Day – Sunday, 5th July 2015

We stood at the end of Corral B and couldn’t see the start line at all. It took us several minutes to cross the timing mat but I wasn’t sure how long it took. I tried looking for the clock but I don’t think there was one at the start gantry. Or maybe it was facing the other direction.

The Tan Ultra - 100KM Race Report

I know, right?
Me, running a 100km?????

Which sane person would consider spending an entire day on their feet, running laps around The Tan, and 26 laps to be exact?

Hey, I wasn't the only one!


Date: 31st August 2014, Sunday.
Event: The Tan Ultra, by Trails+
Time: 7am to 7pm
Venue:  The Tan Track, Royal Botanical Gardens.
Distances: 100km, 50km, 42km, 21km, 12km, 8km.

The days leading up to the event was a flurry of nerves. I was shitting bricks and breaking out in cold sweat every now and then, I had to keep comforting myself that I could do it. 100KM is a big fish to fry, no doubt about it. Two Bays Trail 56KM was my longest distance ever and so it came to no surprise to have some people roll over in shock when my participation was finally disclosed.

We arrived just before 6:30am to Brett and team still setting up the area. I made a quick dash slow walk to the loo and made it back in time for the briefing. Pre-race jitters!

My plan was pretty simple, spending no more or less than 27 minutes per lap. Fueling was every 30 minutes after the 1st hour. Hammer Endurolytes and AFC went together hand in hand at every hour. A power gel at every 1:30 hour, bananas/power bars/a few sips of Tailwind every 30 minutes in between. Make the first 50KM in good time for a scheduled 5 minute break, and continue on to tackle the next 50KM.

As Lap 1 included an additional 500m, I still made sure it was completed in 27mins or so. I realised I was hungry and grabbed the remaining peanut butter sandwich I was supposed to have had for breakfast. During Lap 2 and 3, despite going a wee bit fast by 20-30 secs I was feeling a bit worried. My legs were rusty, forgetting how it felt like to run. Not sure if because they were overly rested during taper week!

I could feel blisters already forming on my big toes and last toes, despite wrapping them up with Elastoplast. ARGH! I pondered about stopping for a while to wrap them up with another layer but concluded that I'll do it at halfway point. By Lap 4, I was starting to forget how many laps I had done.

SCTR's fashion parade!
Photo credit: Bin Wong

Once I had warmed up, it was easy to fall back into the training rhythm and kept on moving. I had somehow messed up the Garmin Fenix which wasn't tracking my progress carefully and I was frustrated. Thankfully the Tan track has distance markers and digital clocks at the start area and halfway point (near KM1.75) so they were good reference points monitor my progress.

Buffalo Stampede - The Sky Marathon

Last week was about perfecting the Frankenstein shuffle, dreading going down the stairs or seating myself onto the toilet bowl to pee,  and oh gawd, tripping over my feet (in public, nonetheless). I have been stuffing myself with so much food to silence the howling hunger pangs, allowing my weary soul to catch a hundred and forty winks everyday and hoping, just hoping, that my memory of that Sunday's race would fog up.

Waiting for the flag off.

Sunday, 6th April 2014.

With daylight savings, we were greeted with light skies at 6am and there was no need for a headlamp. The crowd today was smaller than the day before, but hey, Anna Frost was taking part.

Annoyed that I had missed a photo opportunity with her on Friday, I made faces and gestured at Isaac as he chatted with her (very smooth, dude!) but unfortunately he couldn't read my expression: Invite me over!!! 

I quickly sauntered over just as their conversation was ending and ... made some rubbishy talk with Frosty.

"Oh, hi, how are you? Weren't you running yesterday? I saw the photos you posted up yesterday! Oh, wow! How long are you staying in Melbourne? Oh, Singapore! What's in Singapore? Okayyy ... SO CAN WE TAKE A PHOTO TOGETHERRRRR PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE??"

Frosty was the 1st woman to finish the race in 5 hours.

:D

We were flagged off at 6.30am and off we went. I was doing my best to keep up with the crowd as we ran through the town centre and towards the trails. But once on the single track, everyone ahead of me slowed down to a brisk walk in the park and I was rather pleased we did!

I was expecting some guys from behind to run past us since we were trudging rather slowly but no one did.

I looked back and saw the view. :)

Everyone was relieved to get off the single track and on to the 4WD track.

At this stage, I was thinking that Mystic Hill wasn't too bad at all.

We soon returned onto a single track and there was a small steep climb which required scrambling up. A few runners stopped by the side of the track to peruse the climb while some took the opportunity to charge ahead.

More climbing, yay!

It was coming close to 4KM now and I couldn't wait to reach the top to descend as quickly as possible.

At the top of Mystic Hill.

A great place for a picnic.

It was good to run downhill after that.

Or so I thought.

We soon arrived at the infamous Mick's Track that the guys were trying to describe to Alexa and I the night before.

Because it rained the night before, the track was really muddy. Some people ran down it pretty quickly with their poles, some ran along the grassy sides, some just slid down on their bums and some cautiously made their way down.

It took me almost 30 minutes to manouvre my way down, swapping between squatting down and sliding, and running down as quick but slowly as possible. Seeing some people fall down scared me, yet seeing people running or sliding past me urged me to hurry up.

I was quite annoyed for taking too much time to get down that track! Argh!!

Razorback Run 2013 - Race Recap

That's a misnomer, by the way. 
At the rate I was going, I don't think 99% of the participants would have described me as 'racing'!


Date: 30th November 2013 (Saturday)
Start/Finish Location: Harrietville Cabins and Caravan Park
Time: 6.04am
Categories: 42/64/68KM
(22KM start and finish at Diamantina Hut, Mt Hotham)

We arrived at the start area at about 5.30am as instructed. They mentioned during the briefing the night before that there would be a gear check to ensure that participants brought all items on the mandatory list.

My bag felt so heavy!

We were flagged off at 6.04am and off we went along Great Alpine Road and turn right after the General Store onto Feathertop Lane. We then found ourselves on Bungalow Spur track and that's when I thought I was going to wheeze to death.

This was a silent killer climb that caught the stragglers unawares. I walked most of it and soon lost sight of two guys who were initially 300-500m ahead of me. My breaths were short, I was panting and gasping for air so hard that at one point I told YB that it felt like I was having asthma attack.

I told him I couldn't run and it was easier for me to just walk as briskly as I could. The alpines always get the best out of me!

Every now and then, I would cough so badly that my entire body shook. I threw up a bit after an hour or so into the run.

I'm sure it was God's way of telling me that I shouldn't have started the run in the first place!

It was a lovely morning, but Bungalow Spur was not very scenic. It was pure uphill torture (for me) and I was so glad to finally reach the clearing at Federation Hut to make our way to Mt Feathertop Summit.

The view which greeted us at the clearing took our breath away. The Bogong plains that went on and on were so pretty that I wished we had more time to bask in the sun and drink in the view.

Instead, we resigned ourselves to making our way towards Mt Feathertop Summit. We met most of the runners who were making their way back to the junction (see pic above) to head out onto the Razorback Ridge.

Lake Mountain Skyrun 2013 - Race Recap

Sunday, 20th October 2013.

Just a week after the Melbourne Marathon, we found ourselves once again, at a start line among a few friends and other participants. On a warm day with clear blue skies, our trusty pairs of Salomon shoes were raring to get down and dusty again.

The race location was located at the Lake Mountain Alpine Resort, almost a 2-drive from Melbourne. The road turning off from the main road leading up towards the resort felt so loooooong and winding, and I was worried that we would be late.

Race director, Paul Ashton briefs the participants before we were ushered out to the start line.

With half hour to spare, we geared up and collected out bibs and hung around Jon, Dion and Gregor. Both YB and I had no target for the run, seeing that our legs had just recovered from the marathon. Not to pressure our poor legs at all, but 31km on challenging terrain could just be as tiring as running the marathon!

Or more.

Participants of the 21km and 31km were flagged off together.

The first 10KM

We were flagged off at 10am. It was starting to get warm and I was so glad to have slathered on some sunblock (and nagged the other half to do so as well).

Everyone was so energised and fast that we soon lost sight of the front runners 1.5km into the run. 

It was like playing catch with Jon. He sped up just as he spotted us from behind. LOL!

KM4 - We came across some boot camp obstacles along the way.

We continued along Granite Grind trail (Blue Trail No. 7) towards Snow Hill car park. Running downhill the single track was fun, despite having to slow down every now and then to avoid tripping over strips of  tree barks and branches strewn across the trail.

Crossing Lake Mountain Road with the help of 2 nice ladies with their STOP signs, we continued on the Blue Trail No 7 continued which soon brought us onto a 4WD track, the Upper Taggerty Road. 

The Upper Taggerty Road or 4WD track.

Nothing interesting happened as we ran along the trails. I was gasping for air and had difficulties in regularising my breathing that I was very frustrated with myself.

(I prayed I wouldn't have an asthma attack, too!)

It wasn't pleasant, and despite it, I felt that I was doing OK by covering 9KM+ in an hour.

Or so I thought.


The second 10KM
At KM11, my mind slipped into the clouds just for a wee moment and crack, my left foot landed on the side, spraining my ankle.

Aaaarrrrgghhhhh, I flinched.

I flexed it slowly, turning it. It felt fine, and I could still walk. After a while, I continued to jog, albeit very slowly.

2013 Melbourne Marathon - Race Report

Target Time:

Achievable With Ease - 4:15

Would Be Satisfied With - 4:10

Intended Target Which Would Make Me Very Very Very Happy - 4:05

Otherwise - Anything below 4:31 is a new personal best

Race Strategy:

1. To maintain at least a 5:45 min/km pace. Max pace at 6:00 min/km.

2. To complete each 10km in at least 57 - 58 minutes.

3. To consume a power gel at every 8KM, except that the 5th one shall be consumed at KM38.

4. To refill water bottle with electrolytes at least twice.

Sunday, 13th October 2013.

We woke up at 4am and got ready. Breakfast of peanut butter sandwiches, muesli bars and bananas were packed and to be consumed along the way. Upon arriving at the MCG parking lot at 5am, we sat in the car for an hour, trying to get a bit of shuteye but we ended up people watching while listening to the radio.

Made sure we first used the loo before dropping off our baggage.

It was funny to see a long queue outside the Men's when there was none for the Women's!

We took a peak of the MCG from the aisles and it felt so surreal, especially knowing that the skies will soon be light.

The Warm Clothing / Baggage Drop-Off area was located at the basement car park of the MCG. Bustling with marathon runners, we deposited our plastic bags* with our change of clothes before making our way to the start line.

 *It was stated in the information booklet that we had to use plastic bags. I felt like a bag lady AND a bloody noob runner when I noticed that not everyone used plastic bags. In fact, duffel bags were also used. Sheesh. 

Oh, I read it wrong. Oops, my mistake. You are allowed to use duffel bags. :D

There were mobile toilets available near the start line called Rows-A-Loo. Made me chuckle.

It wasn't as packed as I thought it would be, seeing that there were 8000 over people expected to run the marathon category. Everyone was just chilling out, chatting with friends, warming up, etc and I was praying for no rain for most of the run.

A few minutes before we were flagged off, the Australian national anthem was sung by a girl with a lovely voice. I don't remember her name, but it was good. (Malaysian event organisers, take note!) Otherwise, the atmosphere was pretty quiet with only the emcees yakking away, without enough music booming from the speakers.

We needed a party atmosphere!

I received some odd looks, not sure whether they really liked my running dress,
or they thought I was overdressed for the run. Dang, I forgot my diva pose! :)

Long sleeve top from lululemon athletica. Running dress from nuu-muu.

Oh, they didn't have warm up exercises led by fitness instructors either, in contrast to our Malaysian events. (Good!)

7am came and we were off.

Before I reached the start line, I had to watch where I was going lest I tripped over piles of sweaters and hoodies scattered on the ground. After keeping warm, runners tend to discard their warm clothing just like that.

Discarded items would be collected and given to the Salvation Army or other op shops, I don't remember which one. sorry. A good way to donate your old/unwanted clothing! :)

I must have crossed the start line at 7:03am, with YB alongside. We shuffled together for the first 50m before I weaved my way through the crowd. 

It was 10'C that morning, but without the breeze, it wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. 

Surf Coast Century 100KM Relay - Leg 4 Race Report

OMG, I HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

Seriously!!

I suppose I was taking it too easy and chatted to most of the people I met along the way, that's why!

11.30am at the Start|CP4|Finish area of Surfcoast Century.

In all honesty, I probably didn't take my run as seriously as the rest of my teammates did (so sorry, ladies!) as I was happily enjoying the view of the sea and blue skies, the cheers, and trying not to get calf cramps by the time I hit the beach section. Eerughhs!

Jon contemplates whether he's had enough rest before he tackles
the remaining 50KM to claim his beer stein thereafter.

About 1pm, Amy and I headed up to Moggs Creek (CP6 - 77KM) and we lingered around for a while.

Eager runners waiting to start their leg.

Bananas, fruit cake, biscuits, sandwiches, jelly beans, power gel, water and Hydralite were
available at this aid station.

Every checkpoint is like a picnic party! :)

That's me, all dressed for running in the chilly night. Totally did not expect to run in the
afternoon, LOL! But hey, at least I wasn't sunburnt. :)

I was torn between running off immediately and waiting for YB to come in so we could run together, as we had initially intended to. I tried calling him but was unable to get through to him.

After a few minutes of standing around like clueless cow, I kicked off at about 1.52pm. Which was a smart move as YB sent me a text later to inform me that he was 1.5 hours away from me.

First thing to do is navigate your way through the trees!

I don't think I was quite prepared to run during lunch hour with no lunch beforehand. I had to force myself to eat up my slice of banana and walnut bread just 30 minutes before my run.

A few minutes later, I caught up with this guy.

The system wasn't warmed up yet. My lungs and legs were still asleep, not knowing why I was forcing them to work out at that moment. I was struggling to regulate my breathing.

Running along the single track, I was so excited to see the emerald sea against blue skies. This must have been what they were talking about - the best lookout point at the 79KM mark.

My jacket fell off my bag and I had to stop to tie it up carefully. It was so frustrating that I couldn't fit it into my tiny bag as the water bladder, first aid kit, space blanket, headlamp, etc took up most of the space inside.

Someone came running by and asked if I was OK. I'm not sure if he believed me when I said I was fine as he turned around to ask me once more, rather dubiously.

*sniff*

He must have thought I was some loser trail runner wannabe since I was overdressed and such. Hahahaha!

Saw him later on further up ahead but that was it.

I wished I had asked for his name because I would have named him here! (He was not too bad looking, too. Ahem. :D)

Eye candy! :P