CBD Run on 28 Nov`06 (Tue)

Littletigger had kindly arranged for the SCSM Trifam pacers to come down to CBD run -- a chance for us to get to know the respective target-finishing-time pacers. We were encouraged to talk to the pacers and find out their strategy during the marathon. fennel gave me weather update @ CBD ard 5pm+ -- sunny! Wah, such rare chance to have a non-raining day for running! So I relayed the good news to tktan and head on to Tanjong Pagar. Arrived ard 6.45pm and a big group of 40+ runners already gathered there. There were abt 20 pacers -- forming group of 5 for the 4, 4.5, 5 & 5.5 hour finishing time. DR & DO were very nice to look for the 4hr pacers and introduced David to me -- David's strategy is to start off with 5:30min/km pace and then maintain 5:45min/km pace. Sounded good to me :) OP came in his matching white running top, red shorts and new red-white adizero shoes! The pacers led the runners towards Marina South -- part of the route for SCSM. Hmm, felt strange running behind the pacers and had to control my pace -- guess I was used to have ample space during my runs. As we turned off from Maxwell Rd to Marina South, babumouse and me decided to run on the road instead of the uneven pavement. With no hindrance, juz let go and ran @ my comfortable pace -- oops, the gap grew between us and the pacers! As we were unsure of the route, we slowed down for the pacers to catch up. Re-joined the group but ran ahead of the pacers (wanna have more space) -- David teasingly said that I was the pacer for the pacers :P tktan caught up with me to check that my legs were ok -- hmm, I was feeling good (later, he told me that I seemed to be limping from backview and he was worried that my calves were acting up like last Wed). At the steamboat area, some of the pacers via off to the toilet. CW led the group from here -- was running alongside tktan, gentle, babumouse, fennel, DO, Terence in the front pack. As we turned off to the jetty, it was familiar ground to me and I started to open up my stride and overtake the pacers. The rest followed suit -- think we disrupted the pace of the pacers! After the u-turn @ jetty, some of the pacers started to speed up and we all chiong back to Tanjong Pagar MRT. Wow, that was a shiok run! Later found out that we were running at avg 5:10min/km pace for 9.5km! *faint* tktan didn't get drafted by the group and ran @ his comfortable pace *clap clap*.

After everyone came back, we took a group pic with the pacers and adjoined to dinner @ Maxwell market. tktan and I became "lost sheep" -- found no one after changing to dry clothes and too hungry to walk to Maxwell market. So we settled for dinner @ Golden Cafe (opp Tanjong Pagar MRT) -- had seafood ee mee and fried rice. Gonna rest for a day and do more run before complete rest till D-day! And it's carbo-loading time -- give me lotsa rice, pasta & potato!

P.S. David cautioned me about my pace and to drink @ every water station -- if not, I will feel the effect @ 35km onwards. My initial plan is to skip the water station till 10km mark -- wanna save time and run faster before the sun comes up. Well, since many seasoned runners have strongly recommend to drink @ every water station, guess I will heed their advise :)

Special NUS Hill Run on 27 Nov`06 (Mon)

This run was specially organised for OP(SgRunner residing in Germany) who would like to experience the rolling hills of NUS on his annual home trip. Invited shortlegs, SgRunner residing in Australia, who's back for SCSM, too. Started to pour @ 3pm and the thunderstorm reduced to drizzle @ 5pm. Decided to meet @ KRGH and if rain still persist @ 6.30pm, would call off the run and go carbo-loading instead :) shutehelup was the first to arrive @ KRGH followed by LM. tktan met up with OP @ Clementi and helped to direct MV (shortlegs' fren Mun's van) to KRGH. Wah, largest turnout of NUS Hill Run -- 7 runners in total *cheers* By the time everyone changed into their running attire, the drizzle almost stopped. Oh, OP was decked in all RED -- running top, shorts n socks, minus his running shoes! After warm up, I briefly described the route and warned everyone of the traffic @ Pasir Panjang & be careful of wet ground. We started the run @ a relax pace in the cool evening. OP was running with his camera and taking pictures along the route. It was 7.20pm when we reached Haw Par Villa which closed @ 7pm. We ran up our first hill into Haw Par Villa -- could hear the "yiak yiak" sound of the shoe's traction on the wet ground. Midway, shutehelup and the rest were stopped by the security who informed them that the gate at the top was closed and we were not supposed to run inside. No choice, we had to backtrack to Pasir Panjang Rd and continued on to South Bouna Vista Rd (99-bend road). At the junction with Vigilante Dr, we all took a deep breath before taggling this killer slope. OP was going strong and overtook me @ the 2nd bend -- tktan juz whisked by us! Clap clap to shutehelup, shortlegs & Mun for their first attempt! You gotta come and run this slope for an "unforgettable" experience -- like shutehelup said, "something worth telling your grandchildren abt"!

With the "worst" was over, everyone welcomed the downslope @ Kent Ridge Park. It was too dark to see the pond as we ran round it -- reflection of the building on the water made it looked taller. We climbed up the stairs to Science Hub where we had a toilet and water break. Chit chat with OP as we ran alongside in Sci Park I and pointed out the grand building of Reuters and Sotong's office @ CINTECH. OP said his muscles oledi warmed up and could run faster :) Soon, we reached NUH and NUS Science Faculty -- shutehelup was running beside me and I was telling him how I enjoyed the gentle slopes @ NUS. Hmm, he saw the slope up to University Hall and pointed to me that it was not gentle! Haa haa, I meant gentle compare to the killer slope *cool_grin* We chiong up the slope and wait for the rest at the bus-stop overlooking the track @ SRC. Another downslope and upslope @ the roundabout @ YIH and we were almost done. shutehelup suggested taking a short cut via Central Library -- no no, we gotta do the original route via Clementi Rd. It felt great to dash up the final slope to KRGH! OP's watch registered a total distance of 8.86km (with a little de-tour @ Haw Par Villa). Well done to everyone for a good run! As we cooled down and stretch, ice cold 100plus was passed around -- thanks to LM for the 100plus and tktan for the ice! shutehelup was super hungry after the run, so we chop chop took a quick shower and head over to The Cheese Prata Shop for dinner. OP had roti john with chicken n cheese, shortlegs & shutehelup had prata and tktan & me shared roti john chicken and mushroom prata. Had good laughs over dinner with conversation about shoes, overseas marathons (OP mentioned abt one which serves wine & cheese @ water station!) etc. On our way to the bus-stop, we stopped by the crepe shop and the boss told me the waterchestnut dessert was sold out but he had special cheese cake. No no, I dun eat cheese and turned away disappointed. OP's eyes lit up @ the mentioned of "cheese cake" and bought one @ $2 immediately! His face was all bliss with the first mouthful of cheese cake -- he made the night (instead of day) for the owner (all chef feels happy when their food is being appreciated). The westsiders, OP & shortlegs, followed tktan while the eastsiders, shutehelup n me, took the bus and NEL home.

P.S. It was a relax and fun run -- always enjoy showing the hilly route to new runners :) Beside the great company, it was such a joy to juz run timelessly (didn't start my stopwatch)! Thanks OP for the Erdinger Light -- all the way from Germany! Oh, now we know Germany's oktoberfest is held in September and not October!

ECP Run on 25 Nov`06 (Sat)

DR organised a Pre-SCSM International Friendship Run for SgRunners residing overseas -- OP in Germany & shortlegs in Australia. The plan was to run 10-20km, followed by brunch @ Marina Square and SCSM race pack collection @ Suntec. Abt 20+ SgRunners gathered @ F2 carpark on a sunny Saturday morning -- thanks to Kayano who gave shutehelup, fennel, George & me a lift from Kovan MRT station to the start point.

After a quick intro and group photo, we started the run @ 7.40am. Hmm, everyone was in a relax mood and chatting along the way. I pulled infront and settled in my cruising pace. George overtook me @ PA adventure centre -- checked that he knew the route to NSRCC. The last time we did the Demoralising Run, I access ECP from Changi Coast Rd via ECP Service Rd -- quite dangerous with the big trucks on the single lane. From NSC, we ran on a nice shady tarmac rd all the way to NSRCC and made a U-turn @ the gate. Renoh was right behind me and I could hear his breathing and foot steps. Soon he overtook me and I kept a distance from him. Near F2 carpark, BR & Sotong was taking pics of us running past. Time check @ F2 carpark was 39min for 7.2km -- nice 5:25min/km pace. Was feeling good and up the pace -- overtook Renoh, he looked tired! First time running without my camelbak for heat run, I could feel my lips drying up and was contemplating whether to take water break. Hmm, knew there is a water cooler @ B1 toilet near Fort Rd -- well, I should persist till I reach there. The heat was building up by then (ard 8.30am). Guess the thought of water cooler spurred me on -- was glad to gulp down mouthful of water! As it was another 6km to finish, I decided to skip re-fuel with Gu Gel. Time check @ end of Fort Rd was 1h 15min for 14.1km - avg pace of 5:19min/km (from F2 - Fort Rd was 5:13min/km pace). George seemed to slow down as I caught up and maintained a short distance away from him. Waved & smiled @ fellow runners and encouraged them with a thumb up :) OP came along and asked how far to U-turn -- the heat must be unbearable to him, coming from a cold to hot climate! DR, who was shuttling between the front and back pack, encouraged me with "keep up the good pace". As George was running on the cycling path, it was quite hazardous -- so I switched to the jogging path. He came up shortly behind me and commented on the hot weather & sipped on his energy drink -- aiyah, he didn't offer me a sip(my lips was dried and covered with salt)! He went on ahead as I melt under the sun. After the lagoon, I welcomed the shade with open arms! With less than 1km to F2 carpark and a long straight path, I opened up my stride, overtook George and dashed all the way to the finish -- BR was waiting there to take pic. Oh, we were supposed to practise our pose when we crossed the finishing line @ SCSM. Mine was raised up my hand with a Victory sign :) Time check was 1h 55min for 21km -- nice avg pace of 5:29min/km (from Fort Rd to F2 was slower 5:39min/km pace). Thanks to Superboy82 who passed me a cup of Gatorade -- was dying of thirst! Went to the toilet and gulped down more tap water.

While waiting for the rest to come back, had a nice chat with OP & George. Sotong was going round taking pics -- my red nike top seemed to attract his attention, along with my red pack n water bottle :) Brought isotonic jello to share -- Pocari Sweat with konnyuku and apple, water chestnut and orange bits. Nice of DO to bring the tub of jello to all the runners! While the rest went to take shower before brunch @ Marina Square, I head off for a swim @ my friend's place at The Makena (close to Fort Rd). Thought it would be a quick cool-down walk from F2 to Fort Rd -- it took me close to 1 hr (including a stop to get ice cold drink @ the Lagoon FC) for that 6km stretch! Nevertheless, it was a refreshing swim at the 40m pool -- did 10 laps. Indeed, a swim after a long run aids recovery -- loosen up the tight muscles.

P.S. Very happy with this final heat run -- was able to maintain a good pace under the hot sun. Hopefully I will be able to keep to this pace on D-day! Felt good & relax during and after the run -- hope to have the same feeling on D-day, too! George n fennel looked good to finish well in their maiden marathon! Many thanks to DR for organising this run and BR & Sotong , who did not run, but spent the whole morning taking pics for us! Yipee, next week will be short runs and carbo-loading time!

Route : Start @ F2 carpark -> NSRCC -> F2 carpark -> U-turn @ Fort Rd -> End @ F2 carpark

Distance : 21km
Time : 1h55min
Avg pace : 5:29min/km

RL Run on 23 Nov`06 (Thu)

My left knee didn't feel right when I woke up in the morning. There was this pain behind my left knee -- oh no, not another ligament/tendon strain!!?? It was pouring @ NUS area when I left office for Running Lab @ Funan at 6pm -- hope the weather would be ok @ CBD. Yup, received weather report from tktan that rain had stopped @ CBD. Always nice to see familiar faces @ RL run -- Terence, George, fennel, stalza, Mrs Tekko n VRP gals. Eddie lead us on a quick warm up before starting the run @ 7.20pm. George took the lead and soon lost sight of him. tktan overtook me @ Esplanade and reminded me to stop if my knee pain persist. Terence came up from behind @ Marina Promenade -- he said I was his pacer and then overtook me! fennel was following closely behind me - could hear her breathing and foot steps. Weather was nice and cool after the rain -- didn't feel much of the knee pain and juz contented chasing the runners in front (not pushing hard at the same time). Waved at Terence n tktan near to the U-turn point -- hmm, where was George? Saw him @ the staircase -- he was coughing but asked me to go ahead as he would be fine. Maybe he was not used to the air after juz returning from his trip to UAE. On the return route, saw more runners heading for the U-turn - everyone in good shape for D-day :) I was running alone and kinda enjoy the peace n quiet. Up the pace after Esplanade and completed the run in 51min -- huh, definitely a more relax run and juz 1 min slower than my previous RL dash run!

While waiting for the rest, chatted with Peter, a guy from Sydney who was here on biz trip. He commented on the hot weather but I told him it was actually one of the coolest nite(after the rain)! He asked me how often I run and the distance -- was surprised to hear abt my high mileage. Explained that we were training for SCSM. He said he only take part in half marathons and there are some good races in Sydney n Melbourne. He asked abt my target timing and I said sub4.5 -- he gave me a confidence boost that I can hit sub4 (earlier he asked how long I took to complete the RL run). Haa haa, thanks but I dun wanna have unnecessary pressure -- will be happy with sub4.5 :) Coincidently, he used to have problems with his knees and had the same "stairs phobia". He shared with me some exercises from his physio therapist that helped him to get rid of the pain. Will try that out when I figured out how to do them :) Runners are such nice people -- always willing to share tips!

After the cool down stretch lead by Eddie and quick change of clothes, we head off to the food court @ Funan -- wanna try the beef noodle. Hmm, beef slices were tender but the noodle a tad hard. George n fennel had chicken rice with tomyam soup -- they sure like spicy food! Parted way with tktan as he took the EW train. Had a good chat with George n fennel on the NE train.

P.S. Spoke to Eddie briefly after the run -- he asked me to rest well and dun run too much. Huh, how did he know I have been running alot??!! Ok ok, will do a relax run for Sat's heat run (final one before D-day). Then it will be carbo-loading time!

Route : Start @ Hill Street -> Esplanade -> Marina Promonade -> Kallang Water Sports Club -> Cross Sir Arthur Bridge -> Kallang Riverside Park -> U-turn @ Furniture Warehouse

Distance : 10km
Time : 51min
Avg pace : 5:10min/km

NUS Hill Run on 22 Nov`06 (Wed)

Erratic weather for the past few days! Baking HOT in AM and followed by rain pouring buckets in PM! My running plan was disrupted -- was gonna do a mid distance run on Monday. Was washed out by the rain and went for spinning on the bike @ the gym instead :( When it was still raining @ 5pm on Wednesday, checked with fennel on the weather @ CBD -- may switch camp to join AdiRun @ Suntec if weather was favourable. Then the sky cleared up @ 6pm -- yeah, finally get to run @ NUS n Ulu Pandan Canal! Reached KRGH early as my colleague gave me a lift from office. Oops, tktan was held up by traffic and arrived at 6.40pm. LM and Andy gave the run a miss -- hopefully not intimidated by the distance of 18km *cool_grin* We started the run closed to 7pm -- weather was nice and cool but the ground was wet. Gotta be extra careful with foot landing. Hmm, after 3 days rest, thot I should be feeling fresh -- but felt my left calves tightened even on flat road. Somehow felt better after climbing the killer slope. Time check @ end of Vigilante Dr was 18min -- cool 5:30min/km pace. But the tightness came back when we hit Sci Park I -- was running with a limp as I try to shift my weight to the right leg. After the underpass to Alexandra Ind Estate, I slowed down considerably as we continued on to Bouna Vista MRT. Did a light stretch on the calves @ a traffic light stop -- that helped to relieve the pain somewhat. Time check @ Bouna Vista MRT was 41min for 7km -- oops, slower 5:50min/km pace. tktan was happy to follow my slow pace as he was nursing hip pain and weak left knee. When we hit Ulu Pandan Canal, I felt better running on the flat surface and up the pace. We made a dash to the end of Sunset Way Canal -- like the feeling of the wind on the face! Haiz, on the return leg, due to the slight slanting surface, the pain was back and I signalled to tktan to go ahead as I slowed down. Felt that I was putting additional stress on my left leg if I continue running and decided to stop at Clementi Rd. Time check was 1h 22min -- still a good 5:30min/km pace (Ulu Pandan & Sunset Way Canal was 5min/km pace!). Thanks to tktan for the mobile water station!

After the cool down walk of 3km back to KRGH, we took a quick shower and had dinner @ Taiwanese makan place next to Fong Seng Nasi Lemak. We ordered beef stew noodle and steamed seafood dumplings -- the noodle was a tad hard and the dumplings were so-so. On the way to the bus-stop, we passed by a new crepe place and the boss beckoned us to take a look at what he has to offer. Interesting concepts of healthy food. The water-chestnut dessert caught my attention and we bought one to try -- yum yum, was a happy gal with a nice dessert to complete a meal :)

P.S. The onset of pain @ my calves triggered FEAR in me! Was it because I rested too many days? Or didn't warm up enough? Over-stretched? Over-trained? So frustrating at the thought that I would not be able to run on D-day -- all my training gone to waste! Ok ok, keep calm. The pain will go away before D-day and I would run and complete the race in style :)

Route : Start @ KRGH -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> South Bouna Vista Rd -> Kent Ridge Park -> Sci Park I -> Underpass to Alexandra Ind Estate -> North Bouna Vista Rd -> Bouna Vista MRT -> Ulu Pandan & Sunset Way Canal -> End @ Clementi Rd

Distance : 15km
Time : 1h22min
Avg pace : 5:30min/km

Marina South-Esplanade-ECP Run on 18 Nov`06 (Sat)

Yeah, this would be the final 30km+ LD before tapering! tktan, fennel and gentle joined me for the heat run -- indeed it was a HOT run! George was unable to join us as he was on duty the night before -- sharks, he was craving for oysters @ SCGH. As this was a OTOT(Own Time Own Target) run, I emailed the route map to fennel and gentle -- hope they dun get lost like George. Arranged to meet gentle @ the last cabin of the first train from Punggol and tktan & fennel @ City Hall MRT. The ground was wet from last night or early morning rain -- oh oh, may feel hotter when the sun came out and the water evaporated. We put our barang @ Suntec Planet Fitness and proceed to Marina Promenade for warm up. tktan applied muscle rub on his shin/calves and me on my right ankle -- hopefully, that would prevent onset of pain during the run. gentle's previous LSD @ Punggol was avg 6min/km pace and he may follow my pace -- asked me to run faster else I would slow him down! fennel would be running at her own comfortable pace. We all agreed to meet at the B1 carpark(near to Fort Rd) after the run. I lead the first part of the run to Marina South via Shenton Way -- tktan & gentle were running close behind. tktan overtook me at the upslope to Sheares Bridge but stopped at Marina MRT station to stretch his calves -- same spot as last Sun heat run. He asked me to go ahead and he would catch up. So I ran ahead to the steamboat loop -- hmm, no runner in sight for me to "target". Saw fennel running in the opposite direction, close to Marina City Park -- gave each other thumb up :) Hmm, no sight of tktan n gentle. Continued on to Shenton Way -- crossed path with Bug at Maxwell Rd and waved to him (he was escorting his MHA). The shade along Shenton Way was a cool welcome from the hot sun. Increased pace across Esplanade Bridge (no shade!!) and took re-fuel break @ 1st toilet at Marina Promenade. Time check was 1h 5min @ 12.4km -- wah, same as last Sat, 5:15min/km pace.

Still no sight of tktan or gentle, I reluctantly continued the run along Marina Promenade -- the heat was getting unbearably hot. Found a target(a cascasian guy) infront and slowly close up the distance -- overtook him and soon couldn't hear his foot steps. Juz before reaching Republic Ave, heard fast foot steps and saw the cascasion guy ran passed me. As I closed up the distance again, he stopped and U-turn back -- aiyah, lost my target! Crossed over Air Arthur Bridge to Kallang Riverside Park, then cross over the bridge @ Geylang Rd to the other bank of the river. Finally spotted tktan on the opposite side -- good, he would catch up soon. Continued to Indoor Stadium and took a quick walk break -- hoping tktan would join me from here. When I reached the suspension bridge, still no sight of tktan -- then the sun was covered by clouds and I started to run to take advantage of the short cool break. The sun came out shortly and I looked for shady area along Tanjong Rhu Rd. Reached Fort Rd in 1 hr 48min @19.8km -- oops, slower 5:28min/km pace. Next milestone was tennis centre -- not much shade along this stretch. I was so happy to finally reach my re-fiuel and re-fill break! My camelbak juz ran out of water! Re-fill with Pocari Sweat -- too bad dun have ice. Continued towards Lagoon FC -- crossed path with TLR near to the ski cable. Exchanged greetings and gave each other thumb up. Still felt good to go on @ Lagoon FC and continued on to F2 Carpark. Felt my body heating up and decided to U-turn @ F2 carpark instead of my plan to U-turn @ PA Adventure Centre. Time check was 2h 32min @ 27km -- 5:43min/km pace. By then, I was MELTING! Saw gentle as I ran passed the ski cable -- he looked tired. Felt like I was running at a snail pace -- took another refuel break @ toilet before tennis centre (30km). Then pushed on to Fort Rd -- stopped to point to fennel the direction to her U-turn point. Poor fennel, got lost and backtracked quite a distance. Yeah, I completed 33.5km @ 3h 12min -- so glad to gulp down cold 100plus.

Was stretching on the bench when I spotted tktan @ a bench across the running path. His hip pain didn't ease during the run and he finally call it a day @ Indoor Stadium -- walked from there to Fort Rd. Wise of him to stop running! Next to come back was gentle -- clap clap for completing 31km + some backtrack @ Indoor Stadium. And fennel walked back with a bottle of 100plus -- oh dear, she had stomach upset twice during the run and didn't re-fuel as she dropped her energy gels along the way! We "stoned" there for a while before moving off to catch a cab back to Suntec. Felt pain @ my right knee and could hardly walk -- I need ICE!! After some stretching, was able to walk with a limp. Going down/up the stairs at the underpass was challenging! Hopped into a cab and reached Suntec in a wink. gentle was too hungry and ate a pizza before we head off for shower. Lunch was sumptuous spread @ SCGH -- baby spinach, cabbage chicken, crispy Soon Hock, shark fin's soup and rice. Had nobemberfest, too -- gentle got to try Erdinger Light, I had Stella Artois and tkan had English tea. gentle's MHA joined us briefly before we parted way -- gentle went shopping, fennel went for foot massage and tktan & me went for pilates class. Boy, the pilates instructor was in the mood for abs work -- thot it was juz a relax stretching session but I was perspiring! Stopped by Running Lab to get a pair of Ironman thick socks -- tktan bought 2 pairs (1 thick and 1 thin triathlon type).

P.S. It was a good run for me -- the heat did get to me but I kept running. Though felt knee and hip pain, I continued to run and the pain disappeared. Not sure whether it was a wise decision -- anyway, it would be tapering from now on with more rest and shorter distance. Hope all the pains and aches would go away before D-day -- especially tktan's hip & knee pain. Oh, many thanks to tktan for getting a pack of ice for my knees!

Route : Start from 1st toilet @ Marina Promenade -> Marina South -> U-turn to Marina Promenade -> Kallang Water Sports Club -> Kallang Riverside Park -> Cross Sir Arthur Bridge -> Stadium Rd -> Indoor Stadium -> Cross bridge to Tanjong Rhu -> Fort Rd -> East Coast Park -> Lagoon Food Centre -> F2 Carpark -> U-turn and end @ Fort Road

Distance : 33.5km
Time : 3h 12min
Avg pace : 5:44min/km

West Coast Run on 17 Nov`06 (Fri)

What do runners do during rest day? Carbo-load (aka feasting) time :) To cheer up tktan who needed a rest day for his sore knee & hip, we went for a carbo-load session @ Chinatown. Erm, excuses lah -- I also need a rest day after 2 days of hill run (skipped RL run as it was Fort Canning route :P). First stop was Jiang Xiang Sarawak Kuching Kolo Mee @ North Bridge Rd (junction with Mosque St). Heard from my fren who stays in the vicinity that there are 3 outlets along North Bridge Rd and the noodles are imported daily from Sarawak. We shared a bowl of traditional kolo mee and dumpling soup. Compared to the Bedok's stall, this version has stronger taste -- maybe less noodle or more sauce. Noodle is springy and dun turn soggy. But the dumpling soup was a disappointment -- barely can taste the tiny meat fillings.


Next stop was Togi @ No.11 Mosque St -- small authentic Korean restaurant that I discovered recently. On a weekday, it was fully booked inside and we were contented with siting @ a table outside. We ordered glass noodle, kimichi jige and potato pancake, rice & Hite(Korean beer) -- plus 6 complimentary side dishes. A Korean couple came along and sat at the table next to us -- they juz ordered a plate of octopus, kimichi jige and Korean Shochu. Oops, think we ordered too much food. The kimichi soup tasted great -- liked the rice cake inside. Glass noodle was ok -- the miniced garlic would taste better if fried golden brown. Hmm, cannot taste the potato in the pancake -- maybe they use potato flour? I was eyeing at the octopus at the next table -- must go back again to try that dish :)


Decided to do a quick run on Friday -- warm up before Sat's LD. Weather was sunny and bright @ 5pm and I was looking forward to run in daylight. Haiz, last minute was tied down by work and only reached KRGH @ 7pm. The run addict, tktan, was also stucked at work but managed to rush down in time for the run(via taxi from his workplace). We started the run @ 7.15pm -- skipped the hills and did a flat run @ West Coast Park. From Pasir Panjang Rd, we turned right @ Haw Par Villa to West Coast Highway before entering the park -- it was not brightly lit, so had to be careful of foot landing. tktan unintentionally "breathed" in an insect -- unable to spit it out and swallow it instead! YUCKS! As we ran passed MacDonalds, tempted by the good-smelling food. Adjusted my pace according to tktan's foot steps -- was afraid he would push too hard and aggravate his hip pain. After exit from the park @ Clementi Rd, we turned right at Pasir Panjang Rd -- wanna try the short steep hill @ Heng Mui Keng Ter to KRGH. tktan asked me to go as fast as I could -- huh, it was still a long way from the hill. Soon, tktan overtook me and sprinted all the way. Wah, this hill was tougher -- end @ KRGH with upslope unlike the other way which end with downslope! Time check was 42min for 7.5km -- relax 5:36min/km pace. After cool down, stretch and quick shower, we grabbed dinner @ KRGH's KingFisher Cafe -- Punggol Mee Goreng, Ta Ao Bee Hoon and CoCo Delights(coconut ice cream served in coconut). Hmm, only took pic of the dessert as we were too hungry when the main courses were served :) On our way home, we could see twinkle stars up above the clear sky -- tomorrow will be a good day for running!

Route : Start @ KRGH -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> West Coast Highway -> West Coast Park -> Clementi Rd -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> End @ KRGH

Distance : 7.5km
Time : 42min
Avg pace : 5:36min/km

NUS Hill Run on 15 Nov`06 (Wed)

Gotta solve a bug @ work last minute and could not make it for NUS Hill Run. So tktan lead the run with LM and Andy(another ex-colleague). They did the route to Ulu Pandan Canal via South Bouna Vista Rd, underpass to Alexandra Ind Est and Bouna Vista MRT -- 13km @ 1h 15min (good 5:35min/km pace). Yeah, LM finally crossed the 10km mark -- though he got lost but found his way back to KRGH. Since I brought my running gear, decided to do a quick run to clear the head after "squashing" the bug @ work. Reached KRGH at 8pm and sms-ed to tktan that I would be going for a run and asked them to go ahead with dinner if they could not wait. When I came out from the changing room, saw tktan, LM and Andy cooling down @ the car park opposite KRGH. Walked over for a quick chat -- looked like they had a good run. Oh oh, tktan's left knee was not feeling good (after the "stunt" on Tuesday) -- seemed like he gotta take a rest from running on Thursday. The run addict looked despondent as we had planned to do another mid distance run :(

As it was getting late, I bade them goodbye and started my solo run. Did the reverse of the usual NUS run -- wah, more shiong with more upslopes! It was a quiet nite -- only met a few runners in the opposite direction. Weather was great -- cool and breezy. At the junction of South Bouna Vista Rd & Sci Park I, I was feeling good and decided to do a loop in Sci Park I. U-turn at Science Hub -- time check was 23min for 4.35km (cool 5:17min/km pace). As the 99-bend South Bouna Vista Rd was very dark, I backtracked the same way back -- nice nice with more downslopes this time. Dashed up the final slope to KRGH -- time check for 8.7km was 46min -- even split of 23min! Went for a cool down walk and stretching before shower -- received sms from tktan that they were finishing dinner at Fong Seng Nasi Lemak and going off.

P.S. It has been a long while since I run solo -- somehow, I always feel that my pace is slower and will tend to push harder. For this run, I didn't push hard and juz enjoyed the run in a cool evening :) Shiok run! Hope tktan's knee would recover in time for Sat's LD -- last one before tapering off...

Route : Start @ KRGH -> Kent Ridge Cres -> Clementi Rd -> Lower Kent Ridge Rd, passing UCC, SRC, NUH -> South Bouna Vista Rd -> Sci Park I and U-turn

Distance : 8.7km
Time : 46min
Avg pace : 5:17min/km

IBP Run on 14 Nov`06 (Tue)

Heard from fennel abt the foot bridge at end of Sunset Way Canal that connects up to International Business Park(IBP). So tktan and me set out to explore this new route -- our eyes must be pasted with stamps as we didn't notice the foot bridge for our previous runs there :) Thanks to fennel for the map that illustrate the location of foot bridge. In case, we cannot find the foot bridge, tktan has a backup plan to backtrack 200m to reach IBP via another way. Lucky I managed to "squash" a bug @ work and made it for the run. tktan was early and we set off for the run at 6.40pm. Was trying out my red nike top for this mid distance run -- if comfortable, will wear it for D-day. Felt good and started off with a faster pace -- reached the end of Vigilante Dr in 17min (that's a cool 5:10min/km pace). Oh, I was still huffing and puffing up that killer slope when tktan was oledi taking a breather at the top :( We cruised down Kent Ridge Park -- tktan said his calve muscles were aching from Sun's LD. As we ran passed Science Hub, I was smacked by a huge black thing on my right shoulder that scared the wits out of me --tktan said it must be a blind bird! We continued on to DSTA and connect to Alexandra Industrial Estate via the underpass. When we reached Bouna Vista MRT, time check was 39min for 7km -- nice 5:30min/km pace. Skipped the toilet break and continued on to Ulu Pandan Canal and Sunset Way Canal. Feeling good and up the pace along this stretch -- time check at end of Sunset Way Canal was 1h 5min for 12.3km (another 5:10min/km pace for this stretch).

tktan put on his specs and located a muddy path to the foot bridge -- there is a railway track next to it. We crossed over it with caution. After tktan re-fuel with Gu Gel, we continued our run along the canal. Reached Boon Lay Way and turn left to IBP. Did a loop in IBP and connected to Jurong Town Hall Rd. This was tktan's home ground, so he was leading the way. Hmm, y was he running to the right of the bus-stop when the path was on the left. Before I could call out to him, to my horror, saw him stumbled over a drain and ramped into the fence with another drain beside him! Oh mine, rushed up to check whether he was injured! Phew, he was not hurt -- reacted fast enough to avoid falling into the drains! Asked him to stretch his legs to make sure no pain before we continued. This time, I WILL lead! We turned left to West Coast Rd -- paiseh, I lead to a route with many traffic lights, kinda disruptive to the run (should have stick to tktan's plan to run to West Coast Park). We passed Ayer Rajah FC, Ginza Plaza, Clementi Woods Park and finally reached Clementi Rd. Had this nagging pain at the top of my right ankle during the run and started to feel a strain on my shin. Decided to stop the run as we stopped at the traffic light -- time check was 1h 48min for 20km (avg pace of 5:26min/km). Took a warm-down walk back to KRGH. Had ice cold 100plus and Ribena, courtesy of tktan. After a quick shower, we had dinner @ Clementi -- I had traditional Hokkien Prawn Noodle in Or Peh leaf and tktan had horfun with sliced beef in black bean sauce.

P.S. Haiz, it was not tktan's day! Glad that he was not injured and able to complete the run! Hope the coming runs will be inhury free -- so close to D-day! We'll stick to familiar routes for now. Oh, the nike top sticked to my body after a while -- gotta find another top for D-day.

Route : Start @ KRGH -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> South Bouna Vista Rd -> Kent Ridge Park -> Sci Park I -> Alexandra Ind Est -> North Bouna Vista Rd -> Bouna Vista MRT -> Ulu Pandan Canal -> Sunset Way Canal -> IBP -> Jurong Town Hall Rd -> West Coast Rd -> End @ Clementi Rd.

Distance : 20km
Time : 1hr 48min
Avg pace : 5:26min/km

Marina South-Esplanade-ECP Run on 12 Nov`06 (Sun)

Heed the advice of my osteopath to rest on Sat, went carbo-loading with tktan instead -- our food motivation would be closed on Sun and hence we brought forward the carbo-load session :) It was a rainy day and perfect for hotpot – we had cod fish hotpot, chawan mushi(egg custard) and amaebi(sweet prawn) & tako(octopus) sashimi @ Wasabi Tei, a Japanese restaurant @ Far East Plaza (the boss is “famous” for his bad temper). tktan had been pre-warned about the “rules” of eating at this restaurant and was rather curious & nervous. We had to take pics of the food secretly – risked being “scolded” by the boss! The amaebi was fresh and succulent – tktan disregarded the high cholesterol and sucked the roe from the prawn’s heads. Tako was huge and chewy. Chawan mushi is the hot favorite here -- with fresh prawn, shimeji mushroom, chicken, crab meat etc. The cod fish hotpot came with chucks of cod fish with assorted veggie, shitake mushroom, konnyuku, tofu in a tasty broth – and a special sauce for dipping. Rounded off the meal with green tea ice cream. tktan was drooling @ the thick slices of salmon sashimi that was being cut and served to other diners – had to drag him out of the restaurant!

Part 2 of carb-load session was authentic Japanese ramen @ Ken Ramen @ Orchard Plaza (next to Orchard OG). I had miso ramen with additional corn while tktan had char siew ramen in tonkotsu(pork bones) broth. And we shared gyoza and Sapporo beer. Wow, after the Japanese food carbo-load session, we should run better on Sun!

Late on Sat nite, George sms-ed to check about my LD plan and keen to join me & tktan for the heat run. As Planet Fitness opens at 8am on Sundays, we could only start after 8am – after depositing our barangs @ the locker. After warm up and stretching, we started the run @ 8.40am with George leading the way to Marina South, passing Esplanade & Shenton Way. First time we started our LD in sunny weather and could feel the heat early in the run. We overtook George @ Marina MRT as he stopped to adjust his fuel belt. tktan felt his calves tightened and stopped to stretch while I carried on. Wow, there were many runners doing heat run – as usual, Safra runners were everywhere and crossed path with Mrs. Tekko and VRP gals. tktan caught up with me as we turned out from steamboat loop – his calves were better after warm up. Happy to be on the “return” route, we increased pace. Tekko, the supportive hubby, waved as we ran passed Esplanade – he and VRP gals were waiting for Mrs. Tekko who went for another round @ Marina Promenade. We took a re-fuel break @ the 1^st toilet under Sheares Bridge. Time check was 1h 5min for 12.4km -- wah, start off with faster 5:15min/km pace.

Next milestone was Indoor Stadium. On familiar grounds, tktan sped ahead – this time, he was leading abt 200m! Felt slight pain @ my right ankle and slowed down – was contemplating whether to stop but tktan was too far infront for me to chase & inform him. So I continued and reached Indoor Stadium where he was waiting. By then, the pain felt bearable and we set the next milestone to Fort Road. In any case, if I do stopped, we agreed to wait at Lagoon FC or Fort Road. Crossed the suspension bridge over to Tanjong Rhu and continued on to Fort Rd. Still felt good to go on @ Fort Rd and proceed to Lagoon FC -- keeping tktan in sight in front. Tried to increase pace but felt pain @ my left arch -- well, had to be contented with running slow. The weather was ouching HOT by then (ard 10.30am). We stopped @ toilet after tennis center to refill our camelbak and re-fuel. Time check was 2h 5min for 23.5km -- avg 5:20min.km pace (slower 5:25min/km pace for segment from Marina Promenade to toilet after tennis center).

tktan was heated up and suggested u-turn earlier @ Lagoon FC instead of NSC. I lead the way from here as he tried to cool down with slower pace. Surprised to see SassyRunner doing her heat run at such late hours! My stitches came on as we rounded the cable ski lagoon -- slowed down and control my breathing. As we "melted" under the hot sun, tktan asked me to go on as he stopped for walk break after the tennis centre. Then saw George at Marina Cove and signalled to him that tktan was walking behind. Continued my solo run towards Fort Road -- hmm, no runners for me to overtake. Saw Bug resting near B1 toilet -- the Safra runners had finished their LSD. Finally, saw the end of the path and completed the run @ 2h 55min for 31.5km -- cool avg 5:33min/km pace (slowest pace was 6:11min/km for the last stretch). Soon after, tktan also completed the run and we waited for George under the shelter while doing our warm down stretch. Apparently, George was experiencing pain on his feet and unable to run -- he had not been running for 10 days due to work. Also, he got lost on the way to ECP and backtracked for 3km+! When George finally reached Fort Rd, he was happy to sit down for a rest finally!

We took a cab back to Suntec, shower and had lunch @ NUS Guild House -- fennel joined us for lunch after her own heat run @ Ulu Pandan Canal. We ordered the 3-course set lunch for Savour Britain food promo. I had appetiser(Mosaic of Shrimp and Avocado In Scotch Whisky Dressing), soup(Carrot, Sweet Potatoes and Coriander Soup with a hint of Indian spice) and main course(Grilled Half Baby Chicken topped with Sherry and Stilton Cheese Sauce). The rest had appetiser(Cobb Salad with Grilled English Sausage) and soup. tktan's main course was Roast Beef accompanied by Yorkshire Pudding, Gravy, Roast Potatoes and served with English Mustard, George's Slow Roasted Traditional Oxtail Stew with Creamy Leek Mashed Potato and fennel's Pan Fried Smoked White Fish Fillet on a bed of Mashed Peas and served with Grain Mustard Sauce. English tea was served after the meal. Parted way with George n fennel as we returned to Planet Fitness for Body Balance class -- combination of tai chi, yoga and pilates. Good stretch to loosen the muscles after the LD :)

P.S. Was worried that my sprained ankle may cut short the distance drastically. Glad that I pushed on at Indoor Stadium and went on to complete 30km+ run. Yeah, dutifully ice my ankles and hopefully the pain would go away before my next run. Happy to get accustom with my cruising(5:30) and slowest(6:11) pace. Oh, had a black big toe :( Loosened my shoe lace so as relieve the pain @ my right ankle -- haiz, felt my feet sliding forward during the run. tktan was not in tip-top condition as he rested for 2 days -- guess he could only afford 1 day rest inbetween his runs to keep his "engine" warm. He experienced cessation of sweat and hip pain during the run, too. Hope he would be in better form for the next heat run!

P.S.S. Had craving for Korean zha jiang mian and cooked it for dinner -- here's pic of the before and after mixing the sauce. Yum yum

Route : Start from 1st toilet @ Marina Promenade -> Marina South -> U-turn to Marina Promenade -> Kallang Water Sports Club -> Kallang Riverside Park -> Cross Sir Arthur Bridge -> Stadium Rd -> Indoor Stadium -> Cross bridge to Tanjong Rhu -> Fort Rd -> East Coast Park -> Lagoon Food Centre -> U-turn and end @ Fort Road

Distance : 31.5km
Time : 2hr 55min
Avg pace : 5:33min/km

"Lomantic" Run on 9 Nov`06 (Thu)

Gave RL a miss as wanna do a mid-distance 20km run before this weekend 35km LD. After the storm in the afternoon, it was still raining lightly @ NUS ard 5pm. Fennel tried to tempt me to go to RL run instead, coz the weather was ok @ CBD. Decided to stick to my orginal plan and hope the rain would stopped in time. The run addict, tktan, rushed down from his workplace to join me for the run - 10min late due to slow traffic @ wet weather.Yeah, the rain indeed stopped when we started the run @ 6.55pm -- nice n cool weather. Ground was wet and we were careful while running on the slippery pavement. Heard that DR, DO & Bug would be doing a "lomantic" run @ Labrador Park -- so we head towards there, too. After the gentle slopes @ South Bouna Vista Rd and Jln, we turned left to Pasir Panjang Rd. Careless me tripped on a step, left foot hit the side of the curb and nearly fell flat on my face! Managed to recover in time when tktan caught hold of me -- PHEW! No pain -- so we continued running. Labrador Park was quiet after the rain. We did a loop by the coast and ran up the slope to Olive Restaurant. As we recovered our breath on the downslope towards Pasir Panjang Rd, I felt slight pain @ my upper part of left feet. Hmm, hope it was not the after-effect of the little mishap earlier. Then we saw DR, DO & Bug running up -- they juz did a 8km run @ Canterbury (will check out this new route at my next run). Decided to join them for an extra loop before heading back. They were in high spirit - Bug still nursing a cold, DR almost fully recovered and all running at a fast pace. tktan gave chase and maintained 2 stride-length away from DR. I did the same and stayed behind tktan. As we entered Labrador Park, Bug disappeared in the dark trails, DR increased his pace and DO went for toilet break. Wah, chuan chasing after DR! When DR turned to make another loop, we decided to stop the chase -- DO came up from behind and we informed him that we were heading back.

Instead of continue on to Ulu Pandan Canal, we took the same way back via Pasir Panjang Rd. Ran through puddles of water on the wet floor and the good-smelling-food @ Pasir Panjang FC. Tried to push all the way back to KRGH but I started to experience pain @ my left arch -- finally raised my white flag to tktan @ junction of Pasir Panjang Rd and South Bouna Vista Rd. Haiz, we cooled down for the 2km+ walk back to KRGH -- along the way, I nearly sprained my right ankle while stepping off the pavement! ARGHH, this was not my day! Felt silly n frustrated for being so careless! Sorry to tktan for cutting short the distance -- weather was great for a mid distance run! Thanks to his mobile water station -- ice cold Pocari Sweat tasted great! After shower, we went to Clementi for dinner -- I had spinach noodle with dumplings while tktan ordered pork rib curry noodles and otah. On my way home, the train got stucked a few time -- finally reached home at midnite! Juz not my lucky day :(


P.S. Woke up this morning and still felt pain @ my left feet. A bit worried that it may be due to some ligament/muscle strain and fixed an appointment with my osteopath during lunch. Turned out that I had sprained my left ankle slightly which resulted in the sore tissue @ the top of the feet. Paul did an ultrasound around my left ankle as he cannot do deep tissue massge when the "damage" was still raw (Ultrasound treatment to the ankle was used to warm the ankle to improve the healing process. It would be like putting a hot pack on the ankle). He also massage my ITB to reduce the clicking sound of my right knee and my hip to relieve the nagging pain from the rotated pelvis. He said no-no to LD on Sat -- rest and ice the ankle 2-3 times. Do my LD on Sun and run with care - ice the ankle(even without pain) after the run. Due to my high weekly mileage, he recommended me to go for massage to loosen my tight calves n thigh muscles. And of course do more stretching before n after running. He advised me to reduce my mileage after SCSM and do more cross training like swim/cycle. OK, gonna take a break from running after SCSM anyway -- my favorite ski season is here :)

Route : Start @ KRGH -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> South Bouna Vista Rd -> South Bouna Vista Jln -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> Labrador Park -> U-turn same way back to KRGH

Distance : 13km
Time : 1h 12min (including traffic light stops)
Avg Pace : 5:30min/km

NUS Hill Run on 8 Nov`06 (Wed)

This week, 2 new SgRunners, nyquist2000 & charlene73, joined in the weekly NUS Hill Run -- welcome welcome and nice meeting you in person after communicating in the forum. It had been a long while since we ran the ORIGINAL route -- always enjoyed showing new runners the "rolling" slopes of NUS :) The usual suspects, tktan & LM, were already @ KRGH when I reached there @ 6.20pm -- tktan actually took a cab from his office in Woodlands! nyquist2000 & charlene73 were early, too, and waiting @ the reception of KRGH. After handshaking and introduction, nyquist2000 & charlene73 saw tktan's new shoe(Mizuno Elixir2) & yanz lace and they launched into discussion about them. We started the run @ 6.50pm after a brief description of the route with option to extend to Sci Park II or West Coast Park. As I "rolled" down the first slope from KRGH, heard charlene73 commented "y so fast?!!" -- oops, sorry guys, prefer to take advantage of the momentum rather than resist. On the flat stretch along Pasir Panjang Rd, the group closed up and I chatted briefly with charlene73. As we approached Haw Par Villa, I pointed out the route that runs through and nyquist2000 & charlene73 gamely took on the challenge (hmm, they were blissfully unaware of the upslope ahead!). nyquist2000 was transported back to his childhood day when he saw the God of Mercy @ the entrance(same as the one that he took picture with when he was a kid) as we ran up the slope. tktan was encourgaing LM and charlene73 while nyquist2000 tailgated me up the slope -- well done for the first slope of the run. Recovered our breath as we ran down Zehnder Rd -- charlene73 noted that downslope always seemed shorter than upslope! Next to come was the killer upslope @ Vigilante Dr. nyquist2000 was going strong and matched my pace up the slope. charlene73 was taken aback by the steepness and walked up. Clap clap to LM for finally conquering the slope for the very first time with slow jog! Everyone welcomed the downslope @ Kent Ridge Park and picked up pace @ Sci Park I. At the traffic junction, we had the option to turn left to Sci Park II(12km) and turn right to NUS(8.5km) -- wise choice for nyquist2000 & charlene73 for choosing the right turn (that'll avoid another steep uphill to NUS). We "flowed" through the gentle slopes as we passed by NUH, Science faculty, SRC and UCC. Knowing the end was near, we up the pace along Clementi Rd. At the traffic junction, again we had to option to turn left to KRGH or go straight for another 3 km @ West Coast Park. nyquist2000 raised his white flag as he oledi used up 100% while charlene73 still have 10% reserve :) Consenus was to head back and we used our last ounce of energy up the final slope to KRGH! Time check was 47min for 8.5km -- that's a nice 5:47min/km pace :)

Well done to nyquist2000, charlene73 and LM for completing the "famous" NUS Hill Run! Oh, they were disappointed that the distance was ONLY 8.5km -- felt like 10km!! Thanks to LM for the 100plus and tktan for bringing ice -- the ice cold drink was great! As we cool down, the conversation changed from running, marathons to triathlons etc. We finally parted way as nyquist2000 & charlene73 headed back while tktan, LM and me went for shower followed by gourmet feast at KRGH. The guys had appetizer(Dill Cured Salmon with Sweet Mustard Sauce), soup(Homemade Traditional Cream of Carrot) and main course(Layers of Chicken Breast & Chicken Liver served with Potatoes and Veal Sausage braised with Swedish Beer) while I had appetizer(Sauteed Scallops, Mussels and Morel Mushrooms with Asparagus and Broccolli in Noilly Prat Sauce), main course(Steamed Lake Superior White Fish with fresh Avocado Sauce, Fricassee of Crayfish, Pimentos and served with Parsley Rice) and dessert from buffet spread. Yum yum :)



P.S. Haiz, guess I have no chance to slack during my runs! nyquist2000 asked me to bear with his "slow" pace -- like that called "slow", then I wonder what is his "fast" pace *faint*?!! charlene73 is another good runner -- can pick up speed fairly quickly on flats.

Route : Start @ KRGH -> Pasir Panjang -> Haw Par Villa -> Zehnder Rd -> South Bouna Vista Rd -> Kent Ridge Park -> Sci Park I -> Lower Kent Ridge Rd -> Kent Ridge Crescent -> Clementi Rd -> Kent Ridge Dr -> End @ KRGH

Distance : 8.5km
Time : 47min (including traffic light stops)
Avg Pace : 5:47min/km