No MacRitchie today..

MacRitchie to me is like the holy grail of my running. I started there with DK, CG and KWY 20yrs ago. We would run the XC boys route every weekend, and once every 5 weeks or so, the 10k route deep within, crossing the iconic (to Spore NS men at least) Mosquito Circus. I've only been back in my mind over the years and have not gone there to run.

The car needs to undergo the statutory inspection. Yup, only in Singapore will a law be passed to require your car to be inspected before its annual licence can be renewed. The inspection is planned for this weekend and hence I am not traveling home to KL. On a whim, I messaged DK to asked if he wanted to run this morning and he suggested MacRitchie 10k. I was excited and kept thinking about it all night, more so because its a homecoming of sorts. MacRitchie is a part of my life that I really want to return to - the peace, the strive, the effort and the commitment.

So imagine my disappointment when we decided against MacRitchie when we met for the run this morning. Instead, we did 10k+ at blase old ECP; basically going up to Changi and back. It wasn't that bad a run because the pace was consistent, picking up at the end - yup, this is Kenyan-ism. The high point this morning? I broke my 30k weekly mileage and manage to hit 35.

Still we made plans, post run, to do MacRitchie tomorrow with DK's regular group and yes, there is hope.

All of this is trivial compared with Dr R. He became a father last night!!! I only have to look at Jamie's photos when he was born to re-live the excitement, which I am sure he is experiencing.

I thought of an Off season..

I didn't know what to do today. Couldn't choose between a hard effort and an easy cruise so I did whatever I felt like. Truth be told, the route around my current home in the East Coast are boring routes. There are no elevation changes, and no other runners on the roads. ECP also gets a little quiet and those that are out there now are seriously in shape for the upcoming SCSM, all doing LSDs, buried in their own thoughts and suffering.

Somewhere around the 5k mark, I thought of taking a period off, an off-season. Nisa and I have been running all year through, with races populated throughout the year, with no discernible lull.

But the thought went away as soon as it came. I became careful with my form, my pace became smoother and the joy of running returned quickly. The number of races we participated in was just about right, and I think this will be the same in 2010. Even the thought of having to line up within the BHPetrol station next year to collect our bibs for the Orange Run suddenly sounded enticing.

Mizuno Wave Run 2009

I have just arrived back in Spore, driving from the KL home. I am feeling tired, sore, with a stuffy nose, dehydrated, headache-y, and physically empty. The feeling was pretty much the same on Saturday when we all arrived home in KL, to the point that the Mizuno run was in serious jeopardy. I went to the bathroom as often as I had food, and drink, and was empty. The only thing that perked me up on Saturday was that I managed to buy my Powerbar drink mix at the race “expo” at UPM.

We got into the outskirts of KL in the early afternoon Saturday. This was a little quicker than planned because we had to turn into Serdang to locate UPM and check out the race route. Whilst it looked somewhat straightforward on the map, we got lost and took some time actually locating the start point. Found the race “expo” although no one there seemed to be able to tell us for sure what the route was, where it started. A bit of a shame because up to now, the organizers have been very knowledgeable and pro-active in getting everybody’s kit and bib distributed. All we were told were to follow the signs along the route, which we did.

The signs stopped somewhere after the 5k mark. There was a gate that stood locked and everyone turned back, and we turned back as well, to look for the other signs. Oh well, this wasn't the first time we could not walk the route - it had happened at KOTR 2009 and our lack of local knowledge of the hills stymied us.

Nisa, her sisters, MBZ and I arrived a shade before 7pm on race day Sunday. Many people were already there and cars were parked everywhere. We had to park a small distance away, down a lane running into the UPM golf course and I think there must have been some 50 odd cars on both sides of the road. We hurried to the start, got out starter bands. The start was crowded, and the weather was overcast - perfect.

To me, at least, the race has 2 components – a woodlands route as well as a road running route. The woodlands route took the race into the forested area of UPM where the lanes are narrow. Everyone was crowded onto the lane and the pace was dictated by the slowest runners. This is also the hilly bit of the course so no complains there from me. The woodlands route took some 2k before the race opened up onto the roads of UPM. Once on the roads, I managed to pick up some pace, establish some rhythm. Cresting the slight slope and coming down towards the 5k mark, I saw the bloody gate was now open and we would be running on the public roads. This is unknown stuff.

The road running route took us out of UPM and after 1k or so, we came back into UPM. More road running and short brutal hills and it was back into the woodlands and this is where it got tough. The hills that seem benign on the outward journey were now steep, with the last one going into the stadium daunting. I got passed by many because I had to walk. Even though I was running in the veterans category, I lost hope of medalling.

A small sprint to the finish and the race ended for me. I smiled a lot after the race and I could see so did Nisa after she arrived at the finish. The crowd was good, I could at least keep up with some of the faster ones (but only for a part of the race) and the route was tough, made so because of the hills but mitigated by the overcast weather. The Fastwitch was a dream. The thrill of running was the same as the day we started and we were both looking forward to our last race of the year in December, in Singapore.

The real let-down was when we got to our cars. Every car on the left side of the road got broken into. Some had their windows smashed, most others had their locks broken in; all had their valuables taken. These runners did not look pleased. Thank God, our car was on the right side and everything was intact. It was sheer luck that we chose to park on the right, and not the left. Nothing mars a positive experience more than something like this.

Hang on there..I did medal..for Jamie!

Please there let not be a DNF

Friday evenings are always filled with a heighten sense of homecoming, because I have been traveling back to KL for many many Fridays now. Tonight, Nisa, Jamie and I went to the Bedok Corner hawker centre to have carrot cake and oyster omelette; the last before we go home because we do not get to have this in KL. These 2 dishes are probably one of the few things KL does not manage to outshine Spore, food-wise. We all leave for the KL home tomorrow morning.

I'm not looking forward to the Mizuno Run at Serdang this Sunday. Why? I have been attacked by gas!!! The last run was a 5k on Tues night and nothing done since then. It would have been a (slight) taper week had I put in the full workout the week before but not so. I am just going to take a Mizuno nice and easy but please let there not be a DNF.

What perked me up somewhat just now is that I taught Jamie to recognise numbers with a calculator. He would picit the number and I would call it out. Then I would do the same. And this would be repeated over and over, interrupted with laughter. When we got tired of this, and maybe its because he got a little frustrated because he could not recognise certain numbers (and I could), we turned to identify colors. This is where he is a total show off because I'm color blind and he keeps pointing at different colors and making me call them out. It gives him some pride and a sense of achievement when he is able to tell me!

Nothing makes me happier than this. The Jamie and I trip will not result in a DNF because I will make damn sure I complete the distance.

Vulcan logic

My boy won a logic argument with me (with a triumphant look as well).

He has been collecting toys which come with MacDonald meals and the current edition is on Super Heros. He's got the Green Lantern, Red Tornado and tonight, Batman. On the plastic toy of Red Tornado and Batman, there is a shape of their cape.

I grew up with Super Heros and everyone knows Batman cannot fly, and that Green Lantern can. But my boy just proved me wrong. He kept insisting that Batman and Red Tornado could, and Green Lantern couldn't. When I asked why, he pointed to their capes on the toy, and that the Green Lantern did not have a cape.

Daddy : But its just a piece of cloth, not wings...

Jamie : No!! Look at the Batman picture, he's flying (and he pointed to his cape that was flapping like wings in the picture)

Indeed, the picture showed Batman floating through the air, cape all filled with air and hence serving like a glider; to a boy, they were wings!!

Inescapable logic. We will have many arguments in the future and no doubt he will win them all. Unless he wishes, Nisa and I do not hope that he will join our profession.

Snakes and ladders

What do you know??!! We all played snakes and ladders tonight. I can't even remember how long has it been since I played - I even forgot getting a six entitled you to another roll!

He's pretty good at this!

After snakes and ladders is the pre-sleep activity - reading!!

I managed to sneak in a 5k maintenance run somewhere in-between. The distances actually seem shorter and this bring a nice warm feeling to me, knowing I have made progress since the beginning of the year.

Running isn't that big when my family is around and the last few days, its been pillow fights, kicking a ball within the corridor, and tonight, snakes and ladders.

His new shoes

I brought my cousin to Queensway yesterday evening. Not that he doesn't know where it is; he lives in the condo development that is next to the shopping centre. What happened was that I brought him there specifically to buy a pair of Asics.

He needs stability shoes and have been wearing his Adidas for some 2yrs now. Sole all worn out and no doubt the cushioning as well. Like an old pair of jeans, the Adidas have shaped themselves around his feet and are now ultra comfortable. Perfect for the sunday stroll.

My cousin has signed up for the half marathon at the SCSM 2009 and has been training. I keep telling him he needs to get new shoes because 21k is not something to be taken lightly. The cushioning on his Adidas would no doubt have been worn out by now. The difficulty is that the "new" shoes that he has causes him foot pain, and my cousin has reverted back to his Adidas. With my untrained eye, I could tell his "new" shoes did not provide enough support and I suspect they are for neutral runners.

The first choice were the 2140s. No size. The next were the 1140s. He slipped them on ... and said they were perfect. I told him to jog a few steps up and down the shop and he said it wasn't necessary because they just felt right. I had a look - one thumb nail's allowance at the end, ball of feet at the widest point of the forefoot, laced up just right. The proof is however in the pudding and he needs to run in them to see how they hold up. I think the 1140s should perform just fine.

So who says the joy in running is the run? It's in finding a pair of shoes for someone who needs them!

p/s Runner's World rated the 1140s as a "Best Buy"!

Fartleks are...

..v v tough!

6km, done via 500m almost all-out 500m pace and slow jog for another 500m.

Phew! Never had to walk during a workout but did this morning. Even oldies overtook me in their slow steady jog (but I'm an oldie myself, so no matter).

LSD tomorrow; hopefully, this will be much better.

Off with Nisa and Jamie to Regina's wedding now.

Strange 24hrs

A whole gamut of emotions and experiences in the last 24hrs. It started with me being really pissed off but then I swung to the other end and experienced joy and satisfaction when I used my skills and found a solution to a work problem. With pride, I daresay the solution was simple and effective in eliminating 2 counter-views (and conflict), mitigating the risk at the same time. I think CK was pleased.

Then confusion reined because of a choice of Malay words. I now know the nuances of picit, cubit, tikam, tekan. All because a colleague asked what was the right word to describe the pressing buttons on an ATM. And MKL got into the act, producing the online Webster's no less!!

Excitement came next when I realised I was soon to embark on something new, something old.

Envy came next. I read an article that told of Ryan Hall travelling to Asics HQ in Kobe Japan and got himself a hand-made fully customized pair of Asics for the NY Marathon.

About to turn in now so I can get up early for a run to see the sunrise. Peace.

Things that I am missing..

My boy is growing up!

The first I noticed was last weekend where I suddenly remarked that he was taller, bigger. He's just as active as before but his vocabulary has expanded suddenly. I am sure everyone notices these things but it is all the more stark to me because I only see him on the weekends.

Just a while ago at the dinner table I saw him taking his fever medicine. It used to be such an ordeal when he was younger; we would use the plastic syringe device and stick it into his mouth, but to no avail. He would spit it out. We even learnt to stick the syringe device into a particular corner, away from the taste buds on the tongue but - he would spit it out. Fever medication is crucial for us because when he gets a fever, there is a likelihood for it to go high (Praise God, his fevers are not that dramatic as he gets older). Just now, he gulped down his fever medication without hesitation, even noting that it had an orangy flavour. As he grows, he is able to tolerate the medication.

As I am typing this post, Jamie is standing beside me. Whilst I would previously worry that he would hit his head on the edge of the table on which the computer is placed, he is now easily head and shoulders above the table edge and I no longer worry about this anymore.

I am missing so many of the transitions in his growing up.

But I made up one iota of what I had missed just. Jamie and I kicked a football to each other within the confines of a corridor. The distance could not be more than 2m but it was similar enough; when I was his age, my father played this exact same game with me (we used a ping pong ball and a bat) and I would remember the fun I had to this day. And my reward? That was great!, said Jamie as he reported the football session to Nisa.

My boy is growing up!

A Mother's love

Nisa and I are ill. The virus that had been making the rounds in the KL home had finally hit us and we both went to see Dr R today. Nisa is on a course of antibiotics whilst I am on something that treats my symptoms. My wife has fever and has been sleeping all day.

Nisa retired early after reading to Jamie, leaving me to take over the reading duties. She's really in deep sleep (for some 30 minutes already), wanting to recover quickly. The lights had also been switched off and Jamie and I had dozed off as well. A few minutes ago, Jamie woke to say he was hungry and both Daddy and son went out to the dining room to make a sandwich. As the sandwich was being prepared, Jamie suddenly said he had a stomach ache and started complaining of the pain and moaning.

The dining room is some distance away from the bedroom, Jamie was moaning softly and I was trying my best to comfort him; he wasn't moaning loud enough to wake Nisa and he didn't want to, its just that stomach aches are difficult to bear. Nisa suddenly appeared, to see what was the matter. She somehow felt things were not right and had come out to see. Things went well from that point on.

The miracle of a mother's love is present everyday and I saw it first-hand right before my eyes just now. Jamie keeps wanting to kiss Nisa but he's not allowed to (in case the germs transmit) and he has resorted to kissing her forehead.

Nisa and Jamie, now that all is well

Up and down

I arrived home KL Friday night (9 Oct), at my now regular time, which is late after 12 midnight. I have recently started leaving for the KL home after going home for dinner and a shower Friday night, which means I depart at about 8.15pm or so. The blinding rush to get home has since abated, because I know the family will be together very soon, and before long, there will not the need to squeeze out every minute of the weekend; we will have the entire weekend together. In fact, as I am writing this, the family is down in Spore for 2 weeks and we are living like a real family.

Running and fitness-wise, this has been a strange weekend past. I have been feeling under the weather all week before, body aches, slight fever and a general lack of alertness. This has been brought on by the lack of sleep all week, as well as a virus that has been going around the KL home, ready to hit Nisa and I any time now. This feeling of malaise lasts all through the day, goes away in the night when I run, and starts all over again just before I sleep. I am clearly coming down with something. What has made this feeling worse is the fact I have not been able to find a replacement for my Powerbar drink and hence I have not been hydrating properly. I cannot say enough of the need to get proper hydration and recovery after a run; the first time that I had fluids with a carbo/protein mix, I immediately felt recovered within 2 hours. For the last 3 weeks or so, its just been plain water after a run, and sometimes with a cup of milk thrown in. Not enough for me.

It was a strange weekend because notwithstanding the malaise, I managed to do a fast 8k, followed by a 10k 48hrs later. The 10k was not done at the usual plodding pace but was somewhat fast, on the Fastwitch. I could not explain how I could do all this running and yet feel ill at the same time.

This strange weekend continued over to Saturday/Sunday just past. It has been a while since I did my runs at Kiara and Lake Gardens/Tugu Negara, and I did not know what to expect. I definitely needed to fulfill the sleep quota over the weekend and I set my mind to do so after the Saturday run. Saturday morning, Nisa and I went to Bukit Kiara and I surprised myself by literally flying up the hills, stopping twice (which I am hoping is now a regular feature, insya-Allah). I was pretty pleased with the outcome and felt good. I went home and slept all through the day, getting up only for lunch and dinner. This feeling of malaise did not go away after the sleep.

Sunday morning - could not get up for the run. Nisa is ill and wanted to sleep in a little. We got up nonetheless and got to Lake Gardens in time to collect our racing bibs for the Mizuno Wave Run at Serdang. We arrived at 9.15am and there was already a queue - no surprises there as runners are generally early risers. We got our bibs and singlets and left for pancakes at 9.40am. Pancakes are comfort food for Nisa and I but they did not do anything for me this time. I went back home to sleep again. Got up and went to Kiara in the afternoon to tackle the hills again and this time I landed up winded, gasping - I probably walked up a third of the hill. Feeling dis-satisfied, I did hill repeats for the first time in my life; and ended up feeling worse for the effort.

At the end of the weekend and through the drive home to Spore, I realised I needed a proper running log. The log would chart the ups and downs, and provide an explanation of why I'm feeling like this. But no one need tell me why I'm feeling like this - I just need some rest and get off bloody Facebook!!!

Fire at Masjid Kampung Siglap

There was a fire at Siglap mosque early afternoon yesterday.  Seems the fire was started deliberately and it spread quickly, destroying the roof in the end.  I did not know of the fire until I arrived home last night and Mom told me as I sat having dinner.  The fire at the mosque was all over the papers today.

Siglap mosque is right across where I currently stay.  Many people regard them being close to a mosque if its 5min away by car but I am much closer because it takes me that long just to walk there.  The mosque has been around for a long time, it being the mosque for the Siglap fishing village.  It was re-built to modernity and recently renovated to create annexures, an administrative block with classrooms and office space.  I would describe the current structure as being urban one hand, and traditional on the other.  The original mosque structure has remained preserved; in fact, the new superstructure is built around the old mosque.

I know the mosque well because it has been my place of refuge in times of need and want.  I enjoy the solitude there before the prayer call, especially in the weekday afternoon when there are not many people.  I regard Siglap mosque as my neighborhood mosque and I used to visit it often, sometimes even to just poke my head around for a look-see.  I have even brought Jamie there, just so he would know where I go to.

The occasion of the fire brought me back to thoughts of the mosque, simply because I had been in neglect. It is not possible to neglect a concrete structure, and at the end of the day, a building is a building; I have been neglecting my religion.

Nothing was more true than what I felt when I cycled past the mosque last night.  There were people milling around, no doubt wanting to offer assistance in any way possible.  I felt guilty for not stopping at all, and more so when it reminded me that I had done this many times during Ramadan just past.  My runs during the fasting month had always commenced at 8-ish pm, with me running past the mosque, and the achievement of running during the fasting month (what with the lack of food and drink) is now overshadowed by the fact that I missed terawiq prayers.  These are not the only prayers that I have missed.

The same long line of cars were there last night, as they were every night during the fasting month.

He pulled through..

No.  There was no highlight to the weekend at all.

Leaving the Pink walkathon Saturday night, we travelled to a relative's home in Bukit Antarabangsar for his Raya open house.  We stayed, chatted and I even got into the swing of telling stories and all.

At 10pm or so, Nisa got a call on the phone.  From afar you would not know if anything were amiss from her facial expression whilst on the phone but I am her husband and I could tell.  MRZ had been having high fever all day; his fever refused to recede that night and Najat had sent him to SJMC. Whist there, the doctor told her MRZ is suspected of having contracted H1N1.  It was stony silence on our drive to SJMC.

I was worried sick about Jamie.  Our boy is especially close to MRZ, primarily because of the age difference and more so because they do everything together.  They would wrestle, share toys, food; and when Jamie is in Singapore, he cannot stop talking about MRZ and how they would do things together.  They even have the same Naruto and A&W wallets (ok, with a subtle difference just so you can tell each apart).

Nisa and I spoke with the doctor and all he said was that we needed to monitor Jamie for the next 7 days to see if he develops a fever.  Otherwise there was not much we could do except to monitor and wait.  Wait is the worst thing that can be said at this sort of occasion.  And how would I describe wait? - the fear of death, is death itself.

Jamie on his part continued with his naughty self, running all through the hospital, oblivious to it all.  I wanted to smack him but how could I?  MRZ pulled through in the end.  He was administered the 2hr quick test for H1N1 and it came out negative.  Nisa and I only knew the result when we woke up the next day.

I kept looking at our son as he was sleeping on Saturday night.  My boy, my love, my life.

Walk for World Pink 2009

The highlight of this weekend was the walk event Farah, Nisa, Bazil, Jamie and I attended. This is the Walk for World Pink 2009 in KL in support for breast cancer research, an event the girls in the KL household had signed up for some time back and were looking forward to. Absolutely non-competitive in nature and 100% fun, held on a pleasant KL Saturday evening. Here's what everyone looked like at the beginning, after the collection of T-shirts

OK, we were a little late getting there and the event had been flagged off as we were collecting our t-shirts. It turned semi-competitive (amongst us at least) as we walked fast to catch up with the main body. We finally did somewhere at the half way mark, in no small measure to to the fact that everyone was walking (if this were a run, we would never had caught anyone). There was even a water point somewhere after the half way mark, notwithstanding this is a shortish 3.8k non-running event. No matter, we each had 2 cups each.

Here's a pic of us after we caught up:

Because we are all runners (and I say this proudly), we did not fear the upslope going up to KL Towers right at the end. Look at our fresh faces at the end:

Finally, the event ended with the illumination of the KL Tower in pink. There were base jumpers as well! Don't know about Jamie but Nisa and I were thrilled to see parachutes floating down.

Nothing is really complete without the 2 loves of my live. Here they are at the end of the walk:

THE Rest Stop

Hakam and I travelled back home to KL this morning, with me picking him up at about 7am.  I had wanted to leave earlier but he was a little late; he's currently serving as a policeman and had to respond to a call that came in just near the end of his duties.  Much as I would like to get irritated with us commencing our journey later, I can hardly do so when he's serving the country, with me having also gone through National Service myself and knowing.

What was really irritating was the rest stop along the NS Highway that we broke for our breakfast.  I remember Dad (in-law) telling me rest stops have returned to their roots, of sorts. Back when there was no omnibus highway linking Malaysia from the south all through to the north, rest stops along the main trunk roads were stops where little bazaars were held, local produce sold.  Dad even said you could buy pottery at some of them.

When the NS Highway was built, rest stops along the way became a necessity and were clinical in function.  In recent years, I can see they have been spruced up, and even substantially renovated.  The one at Ayer Keroh also had a Ramadan bazaar recently.  We came to this one for our breakfast:

Really looks impressive from the outside, and within as well - air-conditioned food court, escalators, down-lights.  But wait...

What was not to be was the food here.  We were both hungry and were looking forward to a substantive meal.  Ignoring the Malay stalls (don't know why though), we went to a Indian Muslim stall selling roti canai (or roti prata as the Sporeans would call it).  We asked for rice and paired it with a piece of fried chicken each.  When we asked what else was available (ie what were the vegetable dishes available..) there were none.  So it was mutton in thick curry.  As we sat and ate, Hakam said his portion of mutton had not been de-furred properly.  I did not know whether to laugh but he certainly did.  I was having problems with my mutton as well because the cook had tried to mask the inability to whip up a tasty dish with a large dose of curry powder.  This wasn't the last of things because there were flies swarming all around the food court at this rest stop - something that ought never to happen in an air-conditioned environment.  Hakam and I concluded this was probably the worst rest stop experience in all our years of travel along the NS Highway.

I was so caught up with the whole experience that I left my coin pouch behind in our haste to depart.  Walking out, Hakam fished out his smokes and I had half a mind to ask for one as well, just to get rid of the taste of the awful food we just had.

We promptly called home as our car was pulling out of the rest stop, not to report about the adventure but to ask what Mom was cooking this afternoon.  Absolutely nothing beats that.

Feeling...better...

I really felt lousy and sick-ish yesterday and all through then, I had blamed it on the run the previous day.  I had gone through the run way too fast and landed up suffering the next day.

What I had only realised as I chatted with my Mom over dinner is that I was also feeling sad; and it had a more decided effect on my well-being yesterday than a tough run.  My Mom was telling me about how she had to walk down all 25-stories when the building shook because of the Padang earthquake (felt all the way over here in Singapore, the shock waves having travelled through the island of Sumatra), how her legs were aching from the ordeal and how she felt the second quake today.  Over dinner, and as I was listerning to Mom, I suddenly said I felt sad for the people in Samoa, who had just been hit by a tsunami.

Imagine.  If the shock waves of an earthquake could travel across the island (more likely a peninsular) of Sumatra, over mountain ranges, what chance would a cluster of small islands have.  9m high waves battered the islands.  It was reported that the ground shook, the sea went out 5 minutes later and the tsunami hit.  No time to run, no where to run, and no mountain to climb too.  I demonstrated the fragility of the islands to my Mom by blowing on a tiny piece of torn paper on the dining table.

The 7k run just concluded cleared my mind, and my heart.  I continue to feel sad but it no longer debilitated me to the point I felt lousy and sick-ish.  I feel whole again after the run because I some how felt my connection with God return, and knew the fact that He would make everything well again.