The North Face 100. 100KM Duo Open Category

heys!

here’s my race report!(:

http://baldwinchoy.wordpress.com/

if you just want the results!

TNF Result (Baldwin & Lucas)

SUniG, bye for now

SUniG

for many of us, our first competition for NUS, for the first time we don a TEAM NUS jersey.

MPSH 2 for once was devoid of the usual blue & black classroom tables & chairs, replaced by a sea white, orange, red & blue. 4 UNIs, after weeks of tough races, sweat & emotional highs & lows, gathered as ONE for a night to celebrate the end of SUniG.

honestly i never knew that SUniG was such a huge event, as a freshie, as someone who never raced for his school before, needless to say been to any prize presentations, it was a indeed an impressive sight to behold.

sitting right at the front in front of the stage, the music (which patrick found really disturbing compared to his soothing classics) was blasting right into our ears. looking around, we were all surrounded by the presence of our fellow sportspeople,  be it from NUS, NTU, SMU or SIM, instead of the frowns we held during our matches, smiles stretched across each of our faces.

As each different individual, pair, team went up, one could tell the pride & joy our their faces. we too, were waiting eagerly for our medals. after Bowling was done, it was time for Road Race! reading thru the individual results, Top 3: EE GHIM, GIRRI, DARREN. ALL FROM TEAM NUS! i doubt there were any other sport that did a clean sweep like ours. the girls went up first, both MELs collected the medals, as i snapped their photos, i thought ,”it must really feel good to be up there on the stage, the medals were the results of our tough training, we deserve them” then next it was the guys who took the stage, Ee Ghim, Girri, Darren, Melvin, Patrick & Me! the feeling of winning GOLD, winning it as a TEAM, it makes the medal so much more worthwhile.

after the prize presentation, it was time for pictures!(: happily snapping away while we waited for the buffet spread. Melvin, Patrick & I were eyeing the mango pudding for the longest time!

I wasnt able to stay for the food, my dream of mango pudding was dashed sadly, but i’m sure everyone else enjoyed the spread & really had a memorable time. tonights gonna be a good night!

to everyone who went up, who was there, you are already a winner of your own.

SUniG 2010, here we come!

Stairway to Heaven: Mizuno Mt Faber Run

A killer but fun run

Was a pretty fun run. Competing were Nick Tey, Jackie, Jayanta, Benedict, Aaron, Angela and I.

The starter’s gun went off 5 min early. Started  out conservatively to prepare myself for the arduous upslope at Mt. Faber. I regulated my breathing, overtook a few guys on the steep slopes where people stopped to walk. The easy run we did earlier (from hort park to Mt. Faber) in the week helped a lot. At least, I knew where the top was. I saw desolation in the guys who started walking, their shoulders slumped in defeat.

As I reached the top, I affored myself the luxury of admiring the grand scenery below me. Mount Faber shall henceforth be renamed the stairway to heaven. A truly beautiful place.

Heavenly Scenery

Got back to business. Tried to shake off the lactate in my legs as I cantered downhill. The real killer was the hilly terrain along telok blangah and the bukit merah neighbourhood. Paced this crazy young guy who was breathing really hard and bearing down on me.
Finished in a time of 43.06. Jackie did a fabulous 41min. Ever the ladies man, Benedict took things easy and stuck to his plan of pacing a beautiful group of girls. Nick was really pleased with his sub 47min performance.
Aaron was 4th in the men’s open with a stunning time of 36min. Mr Perfectionist, Aaron mused or more accurately “whined” about his potential 3rd place. We listened as usual in utter commiseration but I guess our thoughts were more on breakfast!

The amazing morning was capped off with a wonderful breakfast at Junction 8 with Patrick and Girri who came by from Macritchie.

Yap Xiong Can Swim!

at least for 12 1/2 meters. =]

It was major achievement day for many of us yesterday afternoon.
Melvin can swim 100m front crawl!
Kelvin managed not sink! and screamd like a girl at the 4.0m deep pool.
Jackie showed off his pink kickboard!
Alan tried the breast stroke which Kelvin claimed to be very good at and Jackie demonstrated… hahahahaha… ok. inside joke.
Yap Xiong can swim!!! for 12 1/2 meters.
Tey swam 50m? not very sure, not paying attention…
Mel Lim got to watch a bunch of more than half naked boys/men in the pool.
I swam about 75m front crawl… =]

Many Thanks to Mr Quek for refining us into amphibious creatures! Much much progression was made!
Thanks to Alan and Jackie also, for guiding and swimming with us newbies! =]

See you guys later for training! =]

“X-Country is not just about running, sometimes we may be met with a body of water.” -Unknown (ok, crap, its just Me. hahahaha)

With much thanks,

Benedict.

Running, Running and… swimming?

Hey guys and gals! Its me, the recreational/pseudo-competitive runner, Benedict! =]
Hope everyone is doing well with whatever they are up to.

Its the off season for many of us and well, SERIOUS training may not have the highest priority on our list right now.
So, being the curious guy that I am, I have tried swimming, with myself, Melvin and recently Jackie, and cycling, during Pat’s Ultra.

So, about swimming. Its a little more expensive than running, $1 for entry and 20 to 40 cents for baggage.

I would like to say that swimming with Melvin and Jackie at the Tampines Swimming complex is one event I look forward to now, during the holidays. Very low tension and fun. Yes, the pair of Jackie and Melvin is a rather enjoyable one to be with. Experimenting with the front crawl, looking out for beautiful girls(unsuccessfully) and splashing water around. So, I would like to extend the invitation to all who are free to join us to relax, soak and splash water in the pool even if you know nothing about swimming. You may occasionally see me doing running drills and jumping around in the water. =]

Today, I did a pseudo reverse sprint distance aquathlon. Basically I went running for about 5/6/7km, i didn’t keep track(pun not intended), and then went into the pool to soak, swim for awhile then see the secondary school kids playing around, enjoying the June holidays. Don’t ask about the transition. Very badly planned. Now I’m feeling tired and lazy to move.

Cycling, on the other hand, is not so fun(though, yes, I can ride my bike with no handlebars). It was probably the whole atmosphere of the Sundown Marathon. Close to zero supporters. Lack of medical staff, which I felt was very very VERY irresponsible of the Sundown team. I mean, you’ve got people dying in AHM, and you don’t have sufficient medical staff for an ultramarathon. =/ ok, there I go ranting about the lack of good organization of the Sundown Marathon. Anyway, I don’t see myself cycling anytime soon. Too expensive(renting a bike is about 10 times more expensive than swimming?) and you don’t get to make jokes about Melvin’s tights or how Kelvin would sink in the pool.

A word out to Pat, YOU CRAZY IDIOT. go rest. =P
Melvin, probably you can post a facebook message or email or post on the blog when are we going to soak in the pool in Tampines then the rest can come join us.
Kelvin, all the best for your exams.
Jackie, hahahahahahahahaha….
Yap Xiong, splashing water is fun!
Alan Sim, don’t worry, I’m sure Mr Quek will notice you…….. someday.
Alan Kwek, enjoy your time with your girlfriend!
Azrul, come back soon man. =]
CHAY!!!, nothing to say.
Yati, All the best for your training!
And to all whom I have missed out, take care and have fun!!! ;] its the holidays!!!

With NOTHING better to do,
Benedict. =]

When the Sun goes Down.

It was a pretty screwed race - the officials only told us that we were at the wrong starting line with less than a minute before the race was flag off although they were there since 30 mins ago, lost my way a couple of time because there was no signs or people to show which way to go and also, not forgetting a road marshall who told us(me and darren) to cross the road during the run without stopping the car, with the car zooming pass me at full speed just 2-3 inches away from me. Yet, there were also elements of pleasant surprise – one of my jc friends was one of the officials while the other was a race volunteer, saw a couple of my MIDS batchmates and of course, some of X-ers whom I totally don’t expect to see.

And the race result:

0  – 10k: 52:22.58min          42 – 52k: 1hr 07:22.27min

10- 20k: 54:12.27min         52 – 62k: 1hr 10:05.48min

20-30k: 43:44.10min          62 – 72k: 58:21.85min

30-42k: 1hr 18:52.27hr      72 – 84k: 2hr 43:37.37min

84km: 9hr 48:38.19min

In the end, I didn’t met my target of 8hours, not even close. Perhaps, the biggest mistake that I’ve made during the entire run was the decision to take a walking break after the first 30th kilometres, with the intention of conserving more energy for the next Marathon that is coming in 10 kilometres time. The moment you stopped running, reality starts to kick in and the next thing you know is that you can’t run anymore.

The next 42km was a struggle from the start. Pacing becomes erratic and the soreness starts to kick in. My walking break increases from 1min to 1.5min to 2mins with every run decreasing from 2km to 1.5km to whenever i felt tired. But I knew I was still within medal contention. With the sighting of more runners approaching, I continue to push, at least for another 20km.

Crossing the first overhead bridge for the 2nd Marathon, I continue the run into Siglap Park Connector. From here on, the drive to continue running was solely the fear of being overtaken, especially the fact that I had come this far. Then, I bumped into a fellow tracker from my JC, who is in SMU now, and happened to be an official for the event. Since he was just riding besides me, I was able to just follow him and subsequently, pick up my pacing. He stopped after 3km, leaving me to continue the run again. I continued my erratic run/walk routine  while still looking back to check my status. By the time I reach Bedok Reservoir, I can only sustain a 5mins run with at least 2mins walking break. And looking back, the rest of the runners are within sight again.

Shortly after passing the 74km mark, I looked back. It was then that I told Benedict, who is still with me, “Hey, I think I’ll stopped here.” Within seconds, 2 runners overtook me to become the 9th and 10th position. For me, the medal contention is over. From there onwards, it would be a long 10k walk back to the finishing line. Every step was an agony; I’ve to stop at almost every bus-stop to elevate my feet to relieve the pressure on my feet, with countless people asking me whether I was fine.  It took me more than 2hrs of walking before Changi Village was still in sight, and I was still walking, with countless of full Marathon runners already overtook me. Just then, 2 fellow Ultra-Marathoners whom I talked to while walking, jogged pass me and with the little strength they had remained, they turned back and gave me a  ’let’s go’ sign. I joined them for the last 1k for the Ultra, pushing with every step. The quads were sore, my chest felt tight and painful, breathing becomes a chore even though I was still within the aerobic effort zone. Eventually, I finished the race.

Special credits to Benedict, who spent about $80  just so that he could ride around the 84km while I ran, for taking photos and supporting me on this long night and also the well wishes I’ve received, epecially Melvin and Kelvin who called to check out on my progress during the run. Not forgeting the tights, for if not for it, my legs could be in a much worse state earlier in the run. And congrats to Darren (he’s from NUS, in case some of you don’t know, used to run with us a few times before) for coming in 4th overall!

Well, until the registration for the next Ultra Marathon opens, I wouldn’t want to be reminded of the pain again. Of course, there is still this very possibility that I might run again next year. Who knows?

So, when is it going to be your turn?

 

 
Your friendly site admin,
W L Ang
Ultra-Marathon Finisher

Fable Spoken on the Verge of Many Shoe-Tongues

A short word for those who were disappointed after Passion Run (it wouldn’t be nice of me to write your names here): results are results are results. They’re like any kind of results: what you get in exam, the number of pull-ups you do in IPPT, the number of replies after sending out your resume etc etc etc. They’re just a bunch of mathematical statistics meant to be replaced by another bunch of mathematical statistics the next time you race.

If it’s the race itself, the entire morning experience that you’re disappointed in, then remember this: you are not running/ racing to achieve, you are achieved by running/ racing. This is the simple one-sided philosophy which I hold on to since my previous injury.  Running itself is an acheivement, everything else is – as we like to say – a bonus.

Naturally, I know this is quite a sissy philosophy if you compare my races & the way I push during training. But on days like today, when I also didn’t achieve that very precious sub-45 mins timing – I can race with a clear conscience, grateful that there’s no more pain in the knee.

So cheer up Why so serious? There’s still Tuesday. And 1000 more races waiting for the rest of your life.

Your Elbow is Your Greatest Weapon

Saucony 100-Plus Passion Run 2009
0700 hrs, 24 May (Sunday)
East Coast Park

There are 2 good things about East Coast Park: the very relaxing seaview (a sea breeze is a bonus) & the people. And there are 2 bad things about East Coast Park: the inaccesibility & the people.

Sunday’s Saucony 100-Plus Passion Run was filled with people. An unbroken snake of red track vests and wriggling legs from Macdonalds at one end to Bedok jetty at the other. Sometimes the crowd seemed so thick & neverending all those poor kids coming to East Coast Park to use the beach to play beach soccer on a Sunday morning must have kena stunned, at not being able to get across the crowd in the first place. 10,000 people, according to the radio DJ at the flag-off, had signed up. But from the amount of people waiting for the fun run to begin after the competitive segment was over, the crowd seemed greater than that.

With people, come certain problems. For those running the 10 KM competitive race route & who were NOT fast enough to outrun the crowd from the previous flag-off, they had to endure an entire 7.5 KM stretch of running on the sidelines, bursting in between couples going at jogging pace & worse of all, putting up with barricades of recreational runners who slowed down to refresh themselves at the drinking points. They had to, literally, fight and maintain a constant pace, battling with both stamina & elbows as weapons. When the courteous “excuse me” got nowhere, then they elbowed their way into the clear.

I think this run, despite the seaview (and sea breeze) taught me how to be polite, how to squeeze through human gaps about 30 cm x 30 cm, how to dodge people at high speed & last of all, when I had to force my way through, how to apologize. It also taught me patience: accept that other runners are not going all out, & so appreciate them for their leisurely pace on a very good Sunday morning (the weather was pretty cool!) The greatest moment, ironically, came not at the finishing line, or the last 100 metre sprint, but at the turning point where I stepped out of the 15 KM running crowd & for the first time in the race, an empty path with Alan and 1 other racer in front opened up till the finishing line.

The suggestion to PA & the race organizers should be verrry obvious: allow the 10 KM runners to go earlier. Or at least let both start-off at the same time. It makes no sense to burden 10 KM competitors by giving them extra obstacles which runners like the Gurkhas simply elbowed aside. Also, it seems a bit pointless to have race marshals which are sitting down reading. I won’t say it was a letdown, but definitely the race can be improved

All this gave some runners a bad mood. Some didn’t like getting elbowed. Some didn’t like being blocked. All this culminated in an ugly display of cars horning at the each other at the E2 carpark when I passed by post-race. 2 drivers (runners,  too)were going at each other in public, while the auxillary police stood by watching.

Why I join x ctry after recess wk, yr 3 sem 2

Hello all, i am Melissa, the not so young newcomer to NUS X and i am very proud n happy to be part of the cross fam!  Let me just intro a bit on why i joined, as mr quek asked me on tues.

My close friend Jiaqi and i were cca-less after handing over from prev cca, so we were looking ard for a cca, her x ctry enquiry should be on an earlier blog post here.  She’s the sprinter, i prefer long-dis   Howeva, she went to do taekwondo IVP and feelin that time is not on my side, only 1 yr left, i decided to train more intensively in dec, jan and feb before joining.  20 years of a sedentary lifestyle, i decided to embark on running proper upon joining NUS and i did manage to lose weight without dieting :):):)

3-4 times a wk easy runs at src after 6, i have ’spied’ no, seen, guo chen (hope din spell ur name wrongly), patrick, connie, carol, melvin etc doing warm ups and trials.  Being shy, I dare not approach them but just trained on my own first.  I joined X for the passion, not for the cca points, and i am happy if i can get to rep. Nus in mini x ctry races!

N finally during  recess wk i felt training on my own was boring enough alr so here i am!

N oh the akira swift race was an amazing experience, the last time i ran in a x ctry event was 5 years ago, AC’s X ctry event.  But it was not my best timing because the long warm ups with the fast guys before reace sapped my energy and I knew that I was not at my peak at the starting line, could feel it.  So guys, pls dont be alarmed when you see my timing, it should be more than 20 min I think ;p

see ya all every tues, thurs n fri n i think i found my calling where CCA is concerned.

Thx Melvin for teaching me how to do the drills on tues, i hope i din look like some clown with poor motor coordination

Injury & Conscience

Thought I should post something instead of lurking:

 

I’m starting to think it’s a good thing that I got injured.

 

However, it’s been very hard to stay still: there are people running everywhere around school, and someone will speed past me as I walk home through the neighbourhood park, and everyone (of course) is still hard at work doing training, doing intervals, freely, pacing each other around the track, or chasing the distance on a long run.

 

After being with the team for so long, I’ve unconsciously (automatically?) internalized the standard run-rest-recovery-run-rest-run routine. To the point that it’s difficult, especially when all an injury needs is just the time to heal, to have patience and persistence to not run.

 

Yet, this injury strangely does wonders: it teachers me not to take running for granted (from someone who never did sports for the first 16 years of his life, I treasure that), it reminds me to get better shoes, it helps me to appreciate the company of my cross-country friends now that I hardly see them. But most of all, it helps me to be humble.

 

Injury helps one realise the opposite of that overrated motto “pain makes you feel alive”. Which, really, should be rewritten as “pain makes you know you’re human, so relax” and maybe even, in my case, “pain makes you know you need better shoes.”

Not that I treasure the time limping around and hobbling down stairs though. My point is I can’t wait to get back to training with everyone again.

 

So you all better be faster when I start doing intervals again ah..