Sunday, October 28, 2007

NB All Terrain Realrun @ Changi Expo
Well, today I completed my first 15km run. It was very long. The monotony of the road was broken up by running on different 'terrain'. It was supposed to be 12km road, 1 km trail, 1 km sand and 1 km runway. But all of us couldn't figure out where the runway was. The best part was along Changi Coast Road and the 1km on the trail. It was shady and breezy. The worst part was the last 2km heading back to Changi Expo building. Not a tree in sight. Almost 10am by then because I was so slow.
Must say I was impressed that all the waterpoints had 100plus. The Guest of Honour was S.R. Nathan. Maybe that's why. After the 6km mark, I developed a pain in my left foot. So started walking. Anyway, really needed to rehydrate. I pleaded with God to make the foot pain go away....and couple of minutes later, it did! That was good or I wouldn't have been have been able to complete.
Anyway, it's not easy walking with a cup of 100plus and trying to drink it. I managed to get it all over my hand and when it dried up, my hand became all sticky. Spent the next few waterpoints trying to wash it off with water. But it was still slightly sticky.
I'm so grateful for the MP3 player. It was just great to be plugged into music the whole 15km. I ate one of those energy gel packs. It tasted all right but I don't know if it helped give me any more energy. I suppose so.

Sunday, October 21, 2007


Running with 8000 other women...
We were a sea of red. It took me just about 3 times longer to complete the distance than the elite runners from Kenya. It was quite inspiring watching them sprint by. We were trudging along at 3km and they had already turned around and were heading back at 6km. This is just after 20 minutes. Think the record was 32 minutes for 10k. I don't know where they get all that power from. What good 'engines' they have. Well, my 42 yr old 'engine' rebelled. For me, I have to maintain my core value of 'fun'. I do these things because most parts of me find it fun. When I find myself starting to think competitively and wanting to get a better time....then it gets less and less fun...and I get annoyed at myself, think negative thoughts about how I should have trained more, blah, blah, blah.....which is not why I joined it in the first place.
So, today was fun. We ran up Nicholl Highway up to Crawford St and back. Most of the run was shaded by buildings and the road was closed for just us. So I soaked it all in. Most of the time we're enclosed in a car whizzing by and never get a chance to look things in detail.
I have to confess though. Think it would've been nicer if I had the help of a bicycle. It's just so much more efficient with two wheels!

New Toy
This is a Dahon Speed D7 Folding Bike. Mine's second hand but in mint condition. Got it on Togoparts. It was taking up closet space so I got lucky. Now it's taking up my closet space. But...so exciting. New toy. Already I know I'll be using it tomorrow. Cycle down (instead of drive) to my appointment in the restaurant nearby, fold it up and put it behind my chair.
Anyway, I learnt today that Dahon is the #1 Folding bike company in the world. The founder is a Dr David Hon, a physicist who was a solid state laser technology expert with Hughes Aircraft. Back in the 1970s & 80s he was inspired to develop environmental transport alternatives aka. the bicycle, set up shop in Taiwan and now Dahon is the brand to get for foldable bikes.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

What Will Matter
by Michael Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,
not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity,compassion, courage, or sacrifice
that enriched, empowered or encouraged othersto emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competencebut your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.
What will matter is not your memoriesbut the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered,by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

$50 Brewerkz Gift Cert
Last Friday I went to Millenia Walk to pick up my race pack for next Sunday's Great Eastern Womens 10K. To encourage participants to visit the Sponsor booths, we were given a paper and told to go round to each booth for a stamp. Of course, in order to get the stamp, one had to endure some sort of sales pitch or write down stuff like mobile number, email etc. so they can try and sell you stuff. Well, I didn't mind.
After collecting all the stamps, I got to play Spin-the-Wheel.
Guess what I won? Yay! I won the best prize on the wheel. Hmmm....am rather lucky.

Shopping for 1 Bike....ended up with 2!
Way back in August, I promised to get my Number One Son a bicycle for his birthday. Since then, I've spent quite a bit of time looking through the Togoparts classifieds every few days for a good second hand deal. I also visited all the local bike shops within 5 km radius of home. This was all thoroughly enjoyable of course. The thing is - need to spend $500 for a brand new entry-level hardtail mountain bike. But this means the frame is kind of heavy and the components 'so-so'. So the value deals are used bikes - especially the ones where the owners are bike enthusiasts that upgraded their components and place a premium on maintenance.
Well, it's been 2 months and now that his exams are over, I had to make a decision. Yesterday I took him to
Treknology3 Bikes at Holland Grove....and we ended up getting 2 bikes instead of 1! Sigh. I couldn't resist. Impulse buying is the worst. But it was such a good deal....
We test rode a few bikes and chose the Marin Pioneer Trail for him. Got it fixed up with bottle cage, lights, stand, helmet etc. That was $535 plus plus plus for the accessories. The components are basic Shimano Altus parts but at least the maroon red looks nice.
The good deal is the bike above - a Trek 3700. The great second hand deal I couldn't resist. The previous owner had to return it to Trek just after two weeks because she had to leave suddenly. So we got $110 knocked off the new retail price.
Yay!

Thursday, October 11, 2007


Page 313. Thoughts and a Prayer.
By Laurie Beth Jones.
I learned yesterday that everyone loses twenty-one grams when they die. Whether the body is young or old, heavy or thin, something ineffable leaves it that weighs only as much as a hummingbird.
Perhaps this is what the human soul weighs,or the breath that circulates through our lungs day in, day out - from our first great gulp of air to our last soft sigh.
This is the part of you that Jesus seeks - not the weight of your accomplishments or the heft of your bank account - not even (dare I say it?) the list of your good deeds.
Jesus is looking for the essence of you - the twenty-one grams granted at birth - the twenty-one grams that may ascend into heaven when you die.
Turn you breath to him now - whisper a first "yes", and then again and again a "yes" - and your life will turn imperceptibly, boldly, hugely toward the ultimate, greatest, happiest "You." Amen and amen.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007




Two baby watermelons and another cucumber on the way!