Personal Best for Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013

This is the Personal Best (PB) for my marathon. I attribute this to the good organisation and good weather on that day.

Photos taken on the actual day

Running Gears for my wife and me

Selfie at Home

At 42km Start Line (Orchard Road) 

At 42km start line

Around 34km 

Around 34km

Around 34km

FM Completed

FM Completed

FM Completed

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Things to Do 2 Days before Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS)

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) will be held in less than 2 days' time. By now, it is high time for runners to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the race.  Allow me to share here - things that i will do before the marathon big day!

Carbo-loading.  It is important to load enough carbo into our bodies in the next 2 days. I will try to take in more carbo and less fats/proteins as carbo is the main source of energy for the body.  See link for more info - http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/fill-er?page=single

Hydrate!  Stop consuming alcohol/soft drinks and start drinking sufficient water (H2O) - the simplest and most effective way to hydrate our bodies for the race. Always remember to drink moderately. A friend of mine once told me that we should drink 10% of our body weight.

Grooming.

I will go usually for a haircut. There are a lot of photographers taking photos of runners in the race. We do want to look good in these photographs!

I will also trim my nails (especially toe nails). This is to prevent injuries caused by long nails during a 42km run.  This is especially so if one is wearing tight fitting shoes. I will avoid trimming my nails the day before the race. Trimming them 2 days beforehand would give me ample time to recover if I accidentally cut into my flesh while trimming.

It is important to ensure sufficient sleep these 2 nights.  For me, it is nearly impossible to sleep well on the night prior the race. Bear in mind that we have to wake up as early as 2.30 a.m. on race day to prepare ourselves. Hence, it is essential to sleep more and sleep well few nights before the race so that we do not feel so tired during the race.

Until then, all the best to runners and we'll meet on the big day! 

Understanding the 8 stages of Marathon Running

It takes sound preparation - both psychologically and physically to prepare for a marathon run. The physical ability and threshold level for different runners vary. Whilst some are born runners, there are many who finish the full 42.195 km through sheer determination and hard works. Therefore, at different stage of our pursuance to finish the full marathon, many of us do encounter difficulties along the way.

It is, therefore, important for us to understand the 8 stages of marathon running.

By knowing the different stages, we will be able to understand that we are not alone when we hit the wall at certain stage of our runs. Understanding the psychological changes might help us overcome difficult moments faster.

Do enjoy the video :)

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Self Massage Tool - The FIT BAR

My wonderful sister bought me a Fit Bar in 2010 and I cannot thank her more. 

This Fit Bar has really been a well used self-massaging tool to help me relieve muscle aches all this while. 

In my opinion, I feel that this is more cost effective (@ $30-40++) than going for expensive massages. It is also more economical than purchasing high-end massage gadgets and machines. 

Visit www.thefitbar.com for further information.

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Dr. Jack Daniels, PhD, Olympian Coach & Author - Speaks at "Saucony Step Into Minimalism"

Even though Dr. Jack Daniels is talking about competitive runners here, i still find the things he mentioned to be useful for LAHM (Low Ability High Motivation) runners like myself. 

I have a decision to make now.... hmmm....

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The Jack Daniels' VDOT Calculator

What is a VDOT calculator? This calculator supposedly gives you a list of paces for various workout types and distances. I find this an interesting calculator for running (by the famous Jack Daniels).

Check it out here - http://www.runbayou.com/jackd.htm

Alternatively, you may refer to this website for more vdot matters -  http://www.coacheseducation.com/endur/jack-daniels-nov-00.htm

Welcome! Get Motivated....And Run!

Welcome to our Running Blog! To begin, let's share some meaningful quotes on running. Hopefully, they can motivate you just as they have motivated us! "Remember the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running." - Sarah Condor, Blogger, Runstilletos - "In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." - Fred Lebow, Founder, New York Marathon - "What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the days gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate." - John Bingham, Marathon Runner and Author - "We may train or peak for a certain race, but running is a lifetime sport." - Alberto Salazar, Retired Long Distance Runner - "Sometimes, you have to run away from the people you love, not for the sake of letting them realize your worth, but for you to realize your own worth." - Unknown -  "If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it." - Priscilla Welch, Retired Marathon Runner - "F-E-A-R has two meanings: Forget everything and run or Face everything and rise. The choice is yours...." - Unknown - "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham, Marathon Runner and Author -