Run With Me....PLEASE!!!!!!

I'm not gonna lie....

It's about Bidor half marathon on 26th April 2009.

I don't want to run another race alone.

I almost always run races alone......

I know I'm not that introvert.....so don't make me think that I am.

I actually like to run with people....my friends.....you guys!!!

SO why do I almost always end up going to races alone?

God knows......!! (probably one of those mysteries in life that can never be solved sort)

But here I am making a plea (to my friends who read my blog regularly...I LOVE YOU GUYS!)

Well....sort of a plea....for you guys to run this race with me.

Oh c'mon...it's only a half marathon.

Wait.....don't close this window or surf off to another website....you have yet to read the rest of the blog!!! (it's part of the friendship...to read finish each of my blog postings)

At least read thru what I have to say before deciding that I'm full of bullshit....or extremely desperate for running buddies.

Ok....here goes.

Bidor half marathon.....

Firstly.....do you guys know where Bidor is?

It is actually a small town in Perak and those of you who travels centrally up to Ipoh/Penang would definitely pass the toll plaza for Bidor, along the North-South highway.

It is a.... quant town.

I mean..they weren't joking when they say it's a small town.

What is it famous for???

Er.....well, according to my "research", it is famous for Bidor Chicken Biscuits and Herbal Duck Noodles in Pun Chun Restaurant!

For those who went to Induction Course with me at Trolak Country Resort (shittest place on earth), Pun Chun was the usual hangout when the provided food was starting to get 'stale'.

It is also a former mining town....(No I don't remember mining for what....and No I don't get commission for promoting Bidor!)

Anyway let us come back to the half marathon itself.

It is on 26th April 2009....starts at 7am (pretty late if you ask me) from Dewan Muhibbah Bidor. (I've no idea where it is but will find out)

Besides the 21.1km, there's also the accompanying 10km and jovial fun-run of 3km.

Oh...did I mention it is pretty affordable?

It cost rm35! 

C'mon....thats cheap!

You have no idea how much I paid for the Singapore half marathon ok....heck, I even paid over double of this amount for the Sundown 10km!!

And Brooks is actually one of the sponsors so the t-shirts most likely would be technical vest and not those crappy cotton t-shirts!

Ok...I have to admit, I don't really know how the route is like or the terrain for that matter....but most likely it's tarred road.

And I have no idea how good the hydration would be but I'm sure it would not be as disastrous as Penang Bridge marathon.

And since there aren't that many "cool" sponsors like other international races, the goodie bag may not be that good......(I'm not even sure if there would be a goodie bag besides the race shirt)

Also, the organizing people (the Bidor Runner's Club) are providing the participants "free accommodation" at Dewan Muhibbah Bidor.....as long as you bring your own sleeping bag. I'm thinking it's like camping back in school!!!

But of course you guys (my friends!) aren't gonna be roughing it out there....

You guys bring your sleeping bags and bunk at my place in Ipoh and we'll drive down to Bidor early in the morning....and I promise not to speed on the highway!!!! (cross my heart)

And if you guys don't want to take me up on the sleeping-at-my-place offer, the Bidor Runner's Club came up with few suggestions of accomodation at Kampar or Tapah....and God forbid, Trolak Country Resort!!!!

If you still wanna check stuff out, please click here....and also here.

(the entry forms and also the routes for all 3 distances are included!)

And you guys know that I'm NOT paid to say nice things about Bidor or the half marathon rite!

I'm doing this because I want us all to share a special moment together....with our sympathetic nervous system all pumped up and adrenaline coursing through our blood vessels, our bodies pushed to the limits and to achieve something  that words cannot explain....

Look...if you're too slow and you don't get a medal I'll give you mine!!!!!! (yes I am that desperate!)

So....who's all revved up for the race????!!!!

Anyone????!!!!!!!!

Oh c'mon...there must be SOMEONE!!!!!!

Sigh....you guys always disappoint me on this running thing....

Later!

KL City Day Run 10km (22/2/2009)

After a whole week of slacking around and not running enough......I'd thought I'd do really really badly for this run. Cause y'know...I'm kinda slow and you really need to push it for a respectable 10km race time and I didn't think I had it in me for the "push".

Retrospectively, this race was kinda last minute for me. I sent in the entry form late.....(procrastinate procrastinate) and I only found out 2 days before the race that my entry was accepted. It only cost me rm10 (really cheap race) and it's in KL and it's in February! (I need to aim for at least 1 race per month so to safeguard me for achieving my minimum of 10 races this year)

I went to FTAAA at the OCM building in KL to get my bib number and my supposed crappy cotton t-shirt on Saturday....only to be informed by the nice gentleman at the counter that they no longer supplying runners with the t-shirt (nothing to cry about really...) and that they are waivering 5 bucks off my entry fee!

So I am actually running this race for rm5! How cool is that....? (or rather, how cheap is that?!)

This was really a no-frill sort of race. You only get the bib number and 8 pins. 

Nothing else......seriously.

(What do you expect...it's only 5 bucks!)

Anyway....in view that I was not getting much sleep from the whole week and the previous week as well (I really can't explain why I'm having difficulty sleeping...I'm blaming it on the extremely warm weather at the moment), I was unfortunate enough to only nod off at 12 midnight the night before the race.....

It was interrupted sleep....crappy sort of sleep, really.

And had to roll out of the bed at 6am to make it down to Dataran Merdeka at 7-ish.

Of course I arrived late. I took a wrong turn and involuntarily gotten myself into an extremely early morning driving tour of KL.

Finally parked my car at Padang Merbok....it was the only place that was not packed! (I've tried Bank Rakyat area....Merdeka Square area....even Lake Garden area!)

I made it just just slightly before the flag off.

The route was fairly flat.....(can you sense the optimism?)

There was a hill here and there but it was never as bad as the Mizuno Wave 10k last year.

Or ever will it be as hilly as the Portsea run in Melbourne.

Depressingly there was ONLY ONE hydration station.

The hilarious part of that was that it was the tiniest hydration station I've seen!!!!

(remember...this race only cost you 5 bucks...live with it!)

Oh...I wasn't gonna aim high for this race.

I knew I hadn't been running well for the past several weeks. I think I might have even gained some weight from the lack of running! (of course I didn't check....) And those extra weight may be dragging me off a good timing.

But lo and behold....I came in at 58min 52 seconds!!!

OMG.....I actually completed 10k in less than an hour!!!! With minimal training!!!!!

It must SO be my lucky day! 

(For those who easily jogs a 10k in 45min and less.....I hate you.....go eat dirt!)

Ah....before I forget, I have to comment on the civilised manner of which Malaysians go about post-race to get their drinks and what-nots.

THEY AREN'T CIVILISED!

I was actually in a queue for half a freakin hour to get water because a huge bunch of @#$holes keep cutting the queue right at the front.

And talk about punishing the law abiders, when I actually got to the water station....they told me they were out of isotonic drinks!!!!!

Curse you, you evil evil people who never queue up!!!!!

But besides that, it was fun and enjoyable race!

Now I'm on the look out for my next run.....

March seems a little packed with my other obligations and I can't seem to push in a race! (eventhough there are so many 10k races happening in March)

Hopefully April will be better.

Bidor Half Marathon on 26th April, anyone???

They were handing these out after the race.....it's near enough to Ipoh!

Anyone????!!!!

Later!!!!

Feeling God's Presence....

Before you get any ideas, this post IS about running....and a little bit of God (but then God have me back my knees and thus initiate my running, so it should and will be a whole lot about God!!!)

Well, anyway today after my usual RCIA class, I had to do my 'catch-up' classes coz I joined the group late (nod to my procrastination) and one of the catch-up topics was on experiencing/seeing/feeling God in our everyday.

Regina (my facilitator) tried to explain the experiencing of the presence of God by describing the joy of seeing a newborn, and seeing the purity and beauty of the child. Apparently it should evoke such awe and joyful amazement that it should equate to the presence of God....or something similar. I'm sorry but I'm sucky at repeating what she said but something along the lines.

I didn't quite agree with the feelings while viewing a newborn for the very first time. I had a terrible time while doing my labour room rotation and every time I see a newborn I am immediately transported back to that trying time in my life. All I feel is that I am extremely thankful I survived that experience and am determine to NEVER pursue my medical career in Obstetrics and Gynaecology!!!!

Well, anyway.....I think the feeling Regina was trying to get at is how I feel when I pass the finish line at any road race.....especially longer distances!

I know a lot of people will just call that happy contented/euphoric feeling to the runner's high and the surge of endorphins in your blood stream....

But I like to call them my brisk encounters with His presence!

It's like God gave me the ability to run......He gave me willing legs. He took away the knee pains (and provided me enough financially to buy new shoes...) and gave me the willpower to go long. In races, when I feel like I am going to falter, I dig deep within my soul for a surge.....and I feel that He was the one who guided my fatigued legs with feet filled with blisters, and literally dragged me across the finish line!!

I give thanks to Him after each race because He was the one that made it possible.

I still remember my very first halfie....which was the Penang Bridge 25km.

I have NEVER run such a distance or anywhere near that distance.

I had my doubts that I could even last near 20km....(I've only done 10km races up to the start of this halfie!!!)

I had a quick chat with God (quietly, obviously) at the starting line.....I told Him my fear of not being able to finish. I told Him that I think I might collapse halfway on the freakin bridge! I told Him that I regretted not doing any long runs prior to the race!!!

And as the gun went off, I was really amazed at how unnaturally calm I was!!!!

I was running effortlessly. I've never run like this before....ever!!!!

It was as if my legs were powered by something else other than ME......(I'd like to think they were powered by God!)

And I just kept on running......and next thing I knew, I was actually passing other people!!!!!

Seriously....this was a big deal for me....I'm a SLOW runner......and here I was passing by large groups of other runners!

If this was not an experience of the presence of God in my everyday....I don't know what is!!!!

And when I cross the finish line....I was euphoric!!!!! (yeah...praise God!!!)

EUPHORIC!!!!!!! For the whole freakin week after as well!!!!

So there you go......

I guess at times, I continue to run because I feel that each run (racing or training or just leisurely) is my time (not only with myself) with God. I've had best revelations at the ending part of my runs (I usually post the question to Him before I start my run) and at the end of each run, I have peace, joy and that particular essence that I can't explain which makes me feel......complete! I say that thing that I can't explain.......is God being made felt in my life!!!!

God bless you guys.

Later!!!!!

Bad Day?? Better Make It Bad Week!

I know......

All I've been doing lately is complain and then complain some more.

And then go into woe-is-me mode for half a day....then complain further.

Which doesn't quite help at all....seeing that all the complaining made me all the more pissed off with things!!

Firstly, my running has been suffering.....

I can't seem to drag myself out of bed in time to get my run-ins. 

And it's too hot and sunny to run in the evenings....and then I complain!

Since it's way too warm during the day....and then extending into the night, my sleep quality has been affected...severely. I stay up all night staring into the ceiling wondering when I'm ever gonna get any shut-eye....and when I finally do, my alarm starts ringing, reminding me to get my arse out of bed and go for my run.....in which case I'm way too tired to do so. I hit the snooze button and go back to sleep.

And then I complain!

And since I'm not running as much as I should, I really do feel guilty about eating (and I do eat a lot!) which stresses me out because I LOVE to eat (I mean, what is life without food?) and before I know it, I have some sort of snack in my hand, shoveling into my mouth.

And guess what..... I complain!

Seriously, since the above events started, I suddenly feel like I've gained like, a ton of weight and psychologically stressing myself out because I feel freakin fat!!! There goes complaining again!

With all the complaining....I suddenly have body aches everywhere.

My knees ache!

My head aches!

My feet aches!

My tummy aches!

My boobs ache!

My uterus aches! (I think it is aching)

So now I'm tired, in dire need of a good night's sleep, severely need to get a good run, really need a new alarm that will not allow me to snooze, lots and lots of good-old painkiller, and need more willpower to not eat so much junk!!!!

Gosh....I really hope next week will turn out a whole lot better.

Maybe it will start to rain again next week....

Maybe I'll start sleeping better......

Maybe I'll magically hop out of bed at 5.30am every morning, all geared up to run.....

Maybe I'll suddenly develop high heat tolerance and be able to run after work without feeling like my brain is melting....

Maybe I'm just PMS-ing at the moment and once I'm hormonally balanced again, I'll re-read this post and laugh at my silly self....

Well, I really really hope so.....coz I absolutely HATE feeling like this! 

I really want the yuck feeling to end.

Someone should create a pill so that shit-feeling people can pop one and instantly feel good about themselves!!!!! It will revolutionize the world!!!!!

Hang on.....I think someone already did.

Oh yea...it's called ANTI-DEPRESSANT!!!!!

Later!

Random Facts About Yours Truly

I'm trying to get to sleep!!

Really....I'm dying to sleep.....but I can't!!!

I need to nod off to the land of dreams like, RIGHT NOW because I need to wake up early to get my 10k in before work!

Unfortunately sleep is evading me.

I wish I was one of those people who can sleep anytime.....anywhere.....anyhow! (and I actually know some people who can actually do this!)

Since I'm sick of rolling around on the bed wishing and praying for sleep.....I'd blog instead.

(it's sort of time management thingy.....make the most of my waking hours!)

So here are 10 random facts about myself....(lack of sleep makes me think of silly things like this blog post!)

1. I still crave red meat

- I've been a vegetarian for 10 years (I just counted and I'm dumbfounded as well!), initially for ethical and moral reasons and now just for the heck of it! I'm mostly good with my non-flesh eating status....but once in a while, I have this really really intense craving for red meat! Not just the plain old chicken or fish. But I crave medium-rare steak and barbequed lamb!!!! I'm not anaemic or anything (I've checked) but it just comes on-off. I ALWAYS ignore it.

2. I like making people feel uncomfortable with my vegetarian status

- I dunno.....I don't quite understand why people don't get it that I'm vegetarian without a cause. I have to be either a vegetarian for religious reasons (people don't understand that Christians can be vegetarian....only Buddhist) or for health reasons (I think red meat is pretty healthy....)!!

I guess I really enjoy seeing the momentary discomfort in people's faces when they try their darnest to try and categorize my eating!!!!

3.  I think fashion mags are shallow....but I like reading them anyway!

- I am SUCH a hypocrite.....but it's my guilty pleasure.

4. I think it's kinda cool to be a spinster...or a nun!

- I don't have an explanation for it BUT I just think it is.

5. I like buying running shoes

- Sometimes I feel that I only love to run because I love to buy new shoes! Sometimes, I feel that new shoes make me run faster....but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only idiot who feels this way about it.

6. I think dessert should be a food group on its own

- It is so unfair that God made ice cream/cakes/chocolate etc, so high in calories! He should have made them as healthy as He made salad!!! Then I can eat all the "healthy" food I want, the more the better!!

7. I think my parents think that I'm weird

- I'm not being paranoid or anything. They just give out the vibes that they think that I'm weird! They probably thought Sammie (R.I.P.) was more normal than me....but then again how abnormal can a dog get?

8. I had more interesting conversations with Sammie than with many of my colleagues from my previous hospital

- Oh, Sammie was my late dog. I loved that bitch!!!! I still sometimes blame mom and dad for feeding her too much human junk food (Sammie loves cheesecake!!! And beef jerky....and vanilla ice cream.....and  cheddar cheese......and KFC!!!! She never liked McDonald's though) which lead to her untimely demise. And let's just say I had some....socially (and perhaps mentally) challenged colleagues in my previous hospital. 

9. I feel that just because I run, I'm better than a lot of people I know

- PLEASE DON'T HATE ME FOR SAYING THE ABOVE!!!!! I STILL LIKE YOU ALL!!!!!

10. I still have my very first fashion magazine that I bought when I was 13!!!

- I am a hoarder but I don't plan to quit being one. 

There you go! 10 totally random and totally pathetic facts about me.

Now you know me almost as much as mom and dad do!!!

Have a great week ahead!!!!!

(here's hoping I'll hop onto bed and doze off straight away!)

Later!!!!

Rest Days Are Important

I know they are important.....

I know they are necessary.....

I know they are an essential part of recovery and progress......

I understand that I need them.....

But I only take them when I could not wake up in the mornings!!!!

Yes folks....I woke up late today!

Too late to get my run-in for the day......

(I don't wish to get a sunburn and increase the risk of skin malignancies. Waiting at the surgical clinic and chemotherapies aren't good ways to spend your time!!!)

If I know that they are essential part of training...why on earth do I feel like something is missing when I don't run for one day?

I get all restless and my mind is racing, I can't stop pacing around in my room......(which is why blogging is good...makes you sit down infront of your computer and type)

It's like akathisia minus the anti-psychotics!

Sigh...

Life at work seems to be trudging by.

I'm rather ambivalent about my impending transfer to Forensic Psychiatry Department.....

It's good for the sake of experience......but I'm not one to be patient enough to sieve through piles and piles of court reports.

I'm really gonna miss my current team at work....(and dealing with civil cases are SO much easier and less time consuming!!!)

Frankly.....it's a whole lot easier to conjure up any form of empathy for someone who did not commit a crime (may it be murder or drug abusers who are stupid enough to get caught.....etc) under "unsound" mind.

I'm not being prejudice or anything....it's just that a lot of people are using "mental illness" to get off easy in court and frankly, it pisses me off to no end!!!!

Where the f**k is the justice??

Apparently...justice is severely lacking in this country.....

Loopholes are abundant and easily sought.

(you can so tell I have this much faith in the system)

Sigh....

Yes....I also need a rest day for my mind off work!

(And that's why I run on a daily basis!!!)

Alright alright.....not good for my own mental health harping on this.

Will go do something else productive!

Later!!!!

Runners. Yeah, We're Different.

I was roaming around the World Wide Web on my absolutely fabulous day off from work...and stumbled across this website with Adidas ads way back in 1999-2000 which were terribly funny and cool.

My favourites being:

* I wish I could adorn my workplace with my bib numbers....should really start making a habit of saving my bibs up!

* I always make sure I empty my bladder before any run. I never (hopefully) wanna end up in this situation. Always bring reliable running partners!!!!

* Hehe....I bet some of the people actually does this in a bank!

Check all of the ads out at: http://www.chayden.net/Runs/Adidas/index.htm

Have a great day everyone!

Later!!!

Public Hols are the BEST!!!!

I'm extremely glad and thankful that today is a Public Holiday....(I don't actually know why the state of Perak declared this holiday though)

Not because I can sleep in...(I didn't...woke up at 6am to get my run in....finally got the first 15km for the week!)

Not because of the absence of work...(there are TONS to do at home, mind you...)

Not because of going shopping....(the 2 respectable malls in Ipoh are PACKED on holidays and weekends which only makes me more stress out! So I avoid them)

Not because I can pig out....(am watching my diet....well sort of, since I'm trying to shed a few kilo and hopefully will help my training for the marathon)

But JUST BECAUSE it's a holiday!!!!

And the fact that this week is a 4 day working week.....

Anything that shortens my working week is worth the praise!

Glad to say that I survived my crappy Monday!

I survived my clinic......(just barely)

I survived the shit feeling of 'Reactive Depression'

And most of all.....I survived having to share my personal space at home!!! 

(got a new housemate and needing to share my bathroom......shared bathroom is a very touchy subject for me....threading on thin ice!!!)

However my run yesterday was such a let down!

Only manage a 4km run.......

It was such a hot day yesterday after work (I usually run straight after work) and whatever effort I was putting was futile!

My bad though.....coz I could not wake up to run in the morning (I snooze my way out of it) so I had to slog it in the evening.

Am considering it as my easy run just to make myself feel better about it!

Anyway finally made up for it with my 15km this morning.....(die die I had to get out of bed at 6am!)

So all's well now......

Later!!!

Reactive Depression IS a Diagnosis!!!!

Well....not too sure if it is actually in the DSM-IV criteria but what I am feeling at this very moment in time and the symptoms that I'm having points to Reactive Depression!!!!

I am reacting depressively to the end of my CNY holidays and having to go to work tomorrow on a MONDAY....and not to mention that I actually have a very packed clinic day tomorrow!!

What's not to be depress about it!?

I'm not sleeping well, my appetite is all over the place, I'm having mood swings, I feel tearful, I feel hopeless, my running is suffering and I feel mentally obtunded!!!!

See.....told you I have Reactive Depression!!!!

Anyway.....I'm very glad that the coming Tuesday is a Public Holiday in the state of Perak (which thankfully includes my hospital!) and am hoping that an extra day off in the week (which by the way also breaks up the week into three remaining days!) will help cure me of this retched "condition" that I'm having!

Also will try and get my internal alarm clock to set back to 'at-work' mode and wake myself up before 6 to get my run-ins before work....need to increase mileage!

(Been on hols for over a week and having automatically been waking up at around 8am)

Running wise, been very demotivating.....my next confirmed race is the Sundown 10km in Singapore on 30th May. I don't have anything before that!!! How more depressing is that!?

I'm really hoping to do the Port Dickson Half marathon (supposedly on 5th April)  but there's no official website or application forms out!

(note to self: must call the number given)

Besides that, the KL Standard Chartered marathon (supposedly on 28th June) is still not officially confirmed yet. I'm thinking to myself, they would really need to set this up ASAP coz the race is less than 6 months time and most Standard Chartered sponsored races are way efficient and would have websites and promos up by this time! 

Heck.....if this was the Singapore race, the registration would almost be full by now and by the end of next month, registration would be closed!

(anyone else getting the hint that we Malaysians are a wee bit inefficient compared to our Southernly neighbours?! Big sigh!)

Gosh...I really miss staring at my calender and having a race/event every other week or month!!

It's freakin blank at the moment.

Oh well....will do my best and just try and pile up on the mileage in prep for a faster half marathon and my very first full marathon!

Oh yea....I did say I would post up my training schedule rite? Yeah....about that.....I'll do it once I've settled my Reactive Depression!

(I know....this whole procrastination thing is really hard to shake!)

Later!!