First run post-ultra

Assessment were a little more informal than initially expected.

Ended with me concluding that I still don't know a lot about the bloody anatomy of the bloody hand.

God really had to make things so intricate and complicating when He decided to create the human hand.

Sigh.

Anyway, a little bummed about current knowledge (or lack of it) in current field.

Also pretty bummed that I'd be missing out this weekend's activities and get-togethers...(long story)

But mostly, pretty bummed that I've not been getting my usual dose of daily endorphins for the past 4 days!!!!

My blisters have more or less dried itself up although there is that bit of patch on the right sole that is still giving me ambient pain.

But since I'm walking at my usual pace again without much nuisance from the partially healed blisters, I figured I could at least try a slow jog.

Besides....the weather this evening was absolutely lovely. Would be such a waste to sit at home and watch more E! News on tv.

(like I really need to know which ridiculously overpaid actor is dating which ridiculously gorgeous supermodel)

So I went for my slow jog.

Which turned out to be more of a brisk walk after my initial 2km run provided some insight about my not-quite-ready-for-pounding legs.

My left knee started to ache when it never did before. Probably due to abnormal gait from walking with full blown blisters few days ago.

Also my right sole's partially healed blister still being a real pebble in my Vibrams that I decided to give up the slow jog and just brisk walk the remaining 2km.

Oh well...at least I did some sort of physical activity, thus saving my sanity for another day's battle.

I promise to do the ultra write up...erm.....soon.

Later!!!

I didn't die!!!!

Yup...back and alive, although not exactly kicking and jumping around sort. But the last I checked, my pulse was still present and I am definitely still breathing!

I survived the 100km.

And hobbling around due to the humongous blisters on both the balls of my feet.

But anyway....will leave the actual blog post about the race until later.

First....I have to study for my assessment this coming Thursday!!!!!

Sigh. The life of a student.

Later!!!!

All ready to go.....hopefully

Finally.....

I'm packed!!!!!!

And sorta ready for my 100km race.

Sorta.

So far.....I've packed 2 pair of shoes...3 pair of socks (1 being knee high and of compression quality)......2 compression leg wear (1 full length..the other short).....2 pairs of running skirts.....2 sports bra......2 running shirts......several disgustingly sweet and awful tasting energy gels (which I hope to never be needing).......1 fully charged iPod....2 fully charged camera batteries (with one temperamental camera that hopefully will decide to work by tomorrow morning).....1 fully charged second phone with my Singaporean line......several isntant 3-in-1 Milo sachets (in anticipating a sparsely stocked aunt's apartment in Singapore)......several salt tablets (courtesy of Terence).....an anatomy book AND an exercise physiology book!!! (I am after all a student now...which sucks big time.....but since I no longer feel depress about working, that good bit counters the studying bad bit and everything now is neutralized.....and I just realized I went off tangent again while blogging. Sigh)

Well....I'm not too sure if I'm 99.9% ready for the 100km run.

But at least unlike this time last year, I wasn't hyperventilating on the mere mention of 'ULTRA' and automatically go into panic mode.

Nope.

This year I actually trained (well...sort of) for the distance and am a little bit more 'yea-whatever-just-get-it-over-with' mode.

Which I'm not too sure if its a good thing to begin with.

I mean....it is always good to have a healthy dose of anxiety pre-race.

Instead....I'm actually pretty alrite with the race and more anxious about not being able to memorize the entire musculature system of the freakin upper body and its innervation!!!!!

(Didn't I mention being a student sucked big time?! I'm sure I did...)

Well.....whatever.

I'm looking forward to my mini-holiday in Singapore (although I should be entitled to call Singapore my second home since I travel down one time too often for races)....my break away from home (y'know...issues....confined spaces....oestrogen overload in the home atmosphere...that sorta thing).....the brilliant Singaporean museums (yea yea yea...I'm a geek at heart).....the brilliant desserts (I figured I'm also entitled to eat all the junk I want leading up to the race)......meeting up with friends.....and of course, the 90th kilometer marker!!!!!

Anyway.....if this turns out to be my last blog posting, then probably something bad did happen on race day which somehow ended up with me keeling over.

Not that I'm anticipating that.

There are other ways to counter my dislike for studying.....

And as for the other ultra runners......I'll see you all at the start line, and if the weather sucks on race day.....please take note that I already did my bit of praying for good weather.

And therefore it ain't my fault.

Later!!!!!

Last long run.....

I know I said I was gonna taper.

But it ended up with me having run 64km this week.

Feels like a normal running week (minus the crazy training for ultra).

Not anywhere near tapering.

Yea yea...I know.

I should be reducing the mileage.

Unfortunately my life and running itself have been so intertwined in their existence for so long that removing one is like obliterating the other.

Yep. It is pathetic to realize at this point that running has BECOME my freakin life.

*sigh*

I'm trying my darnest to NOT run more than once this coming week prior to stepping up to the starting corral.

It will be difficult.

There will be withdrawal symptoms.

There will be mood fluctuations.

It will not be a pretty sight.

Thus, you have been warned.

Since it seems too cruel to detach my system from the much needed endorphins that I've been receiving on a very regular basis, I will try my best to hit the pool to substitute hitting the pavement.

It will not be an easy transition.

I shall be strong.

*sigh*

Anyway.......back to something less nonsensical.....

After Friday night's 32km......took Saturday off.

In fact, slept almost the entire Saturday to "recuperate" from sleep debt.

(I haven't quite figured it out how to survive 16-18 hours without sleep next Saturday)

This morning's 20km felt alright.

It was the last long run.

Well...maybe that was because we kinda walked....a lot......not 50% a lot....but still, a lot.

I guess everyone's kinda fed up of high mileage running and just chilling it till next Saturday rolls around.

But y'know......although I've said that I was fed up with the fatigue...the exhaustion....the lack of sleep on weekends.....the high mileage.....

I know part of me is gonna miss all of this.

Part of me is gonna miss the ultra training.

Part of me will miss the extreme soreness I feel every Monday morning after a back to back long runs over the weekends.

Part of me will miss the discipline needed to wake up at 3am on Saturday AND on Sunday.

Yeah.....the masochistic part of me.

And on this coming Saturday......we'll know if it will all be worth it.

And I'm wondering if anyone will pee in their pants at the starting line of Sundown Ultra.

Photo-log (pictures courtesy of Chin Ann, and I'm very much obliged to mention his blog since I stole these pictures for mine):

* Mo-maniac turned up at Bukit Aman carpark to join the last LSD with us.

* Maybel will unfortunately not be joining us in Singapore as she will be pacing the 5:30 group for SCKLM....(mind you, they gave her a free watch for pacing. I should so consider pacing next year since I adore freebies!!!!)

* Words of wisdom from Terence and Mo-maniac.

* And off we go...one last time before our own personal battle this coming Saturday.....(or what I'd like to call my suicide attempt...since last year's 84km turned out to be just parasuicide. Yes there is a difference!)

* Vron, Sumei and Uncle Vincent turned up late!

* Alexis and Henry multitasking dating life with ultra-running life.

Ok. I should go hit my anatomy books before heading to snoozeville.

Still not hyperventilating yet. It's a damn good sign!!!!

Later!!!!!

Xtramiler, Alex!!!

I think I've mentioned before about the Xtramile run that Alex was gonna be running to benefit the Start Society before.

Click HERE for the official site!!!

In fact it was several months ago when Alex contacted me via Facebook Message regarding pacing him for his 100km for a charity....and I remember a particular thought etched in the corner of my mind. Damn, my brother from another mother and father had just lost his freakin mind!!!!

But as the whole thing started to piece itself together, not only did he lose his mind, he also convinced a lot of other people to lose theirs as well....all in the name of a good cause!

So yesterday was Alex's HUGE day!

He was to run 100km solo run to raise funds (RM100,000) starting from the Palace of Justice at Putrajaya at 6pm, and ending at the Start Society center in Petaling Jaya, hopefully in 16 hours.

Alex had recruited a bunch of runners to pace him for the entire 100km.

Well, since no one was that crazy to run the entire way with him, most of us were planned to run a certain intermittent distances with Alex until the 100km is up.

So I was scheduled to run the first leg with him.

Initially I had agreed to run the first 40km, starting from PoJ and ending at Empire Shopping Center in Subang Jaya.

It was a very warm and sunny 6pm on Friday.

(I probably didn't pray hard enough for rain)

The run started out well.

There weren't many cars until we reached Puchong area.

The runners were accompanied by an ambulance, and 3 other support cars.

Of course we were causing quite a bit of traffic congestions on the highway.

I'm sure we were the target of quite a few curses and one finger salutes.....

Yup....the lovely nature of a typical Klang Valley driver stuck in a horrible jam on a Friday night.

We got to IOI Mall @ Puchong and the crowd of pacers increased. Together we ran to Sunway Pyramid.

The group of pacers exploded exponentially there!!!!

In between, Alex had his obligatory interviews with the medias and what-nots, photo sessions, and thank-yous to the well-wishers and supporters.

And I must say, the support shown for Alex's good cause was tremendous.

The camaraderie was touching and heart felt.

I however was unable to continue running after 32km...which was at the pitstop at The Summit @ Subang. I then got onto the support car (driven by Uncle Vincent!) and we went together with the crowd until they reach Empire.

(extreme fatigue....from lack of proper sleep and refusal to taper for Sundown 100 next week. Sigh)

From there, I went back with Dannie and Carrie.

Alex reached Start Society Center at 12pm.

He had covered 100km together with his pacers in almost 18 hours.

The last I contacted Alex via Whatapps, he was well and truly ecstatic of the achievement.

And bloody tired!

He had completed what he had set out to do and it was all done in the name of a good cause. A cause that he truly believed in.

Congratulations to Alex.....the Start Society.....the organizing committee....the sponsors.....all the pledgers and the pacers!!!

And now...the photo-log:

* My brother from a another mother and father.....Alex, the Extramiler.

This was taken at the Palace of Justice just before the start.

* Karen, the super running mama slapping on tons of vaseline prior to the run. Which reminds me, I need to be reminded to pay back Karen for the cab fare we had shared to get to Putrajaya.

* Banners all up!

* Yea yea...we just HAD to cam-whore in our running skirts!

* I also figured this was a great opportunity for a last long run before my potential suicide attempt next week.

* Isaiah leading the warm up session....

* And then it was all systems GO! Pacing from the start were Karen, Barefoot Dzul, Barefoot Yimmy, Mystical Oracle, Isaiah, Leroy, Paul Lee, yours truly, Sarjit......and some dude whose name I didn't get.

* A reporter from Star newspaper dropping in mid run to catch a quick interview with the man of the hour.

* We ran through the sunset. Note the support car on the left taking good car of Alex and the rest of us.

* Us at Sunway Pyramid, cam-whoring as Alex was involved in more interviews and photo sessions for the media.

Lawrence, yours truly, Mystical Oracle, Amelia and Carrie. Thanks Dannie for the photo which I stole from your FB album.

And thanks for sending me home!

* Photo thanks to Tey

* Alex during the interview. I don't really know who the girl is, but she was quite a stunner and I absolutely LOVE that dress. Can someone tell me where to get that same outfit?!?!

Picture courtesy of Tey, da man!!!

* The ever fabulous Tey with his camera. Came out all the way to Sunway to support this event. This man is one of the most selfless and generous person you'll ever meet in the local running scene!!!

* The crowd continued running from Sunway heading to Summit in Subang. Picture stolen off Dannie!

* An article from the Star newspaper this morning about the run. I'm sure there would be more about this run, especially when Alex finished the run at Start Society center!!! So peeps, watch out for it.

Anyway....despite the good news of Alex's amazing feat, our local running scene was plagued with another horrible sudden passing of a passionate runner, Andrew Voon.

Most of us would have known Andrew...or at least met him if you've gone run the Borneo International Marathon.

He was the main person in the organizing committee and a great organizer at that too!!

He was running this morning and had suddenly collapsed. Regrettably, he was unable to be revived. Cause of death is not yet known.

But most likely cardiac in origin....from the sound of things.

Condolences to his loved ones.

We will miss your presence, Andrew. It had been my privilege to have met you in person.

R.I.P.

Later!!!!

Laguna Phuket Marathon - 12th June 2011

This was a damn well deserved holiday.....minus the fact that we were rushing and sleep deprived most of the entire trip.

Still a good holiday, nonetheless!

We (Alexis and the recently thawed Winnie Wong who had just run the almost freezing Christchurch Marathon the week before) got into Phuket very early Saturday morning and met loads of other Malaysian runners.

Rather strong Malaysian contingent we were gonna be having at Phuket Marathon.

Got to our hotel within the Laguna Resort area and obviously our rooms weren't ready coz we were there early.

Pop over to race collection site and got our race kit and what-nots, cam-whored a whole lot and then headed back to the hotel to FINALLY get ourselves into our rooms.

And the room was HUGE!!!

(I must say that I really enjoyed my hotel stay......pretty much on par with the enjoyment of the race)

The pasta party (which was complimentary but considering the price I paid for the race registration, it bloody well be FOC!) was great and the food was pretty decent.

In fact, I can vouch that the dessert spread at this pasta party was one of the best ever that I've eaten.

And mind you, I've tasted quite a fair bit of dessert spread at pre-race dinners.

(In fact, screw pasta and load up on cakes instead!!!!! No one said doctors made good nutritional judgements, especially the one managing this blog)

Got up really early for the 4.30am start.

This race is well known for being quite a scorcher and a tan-inducer!!!

(as reported from past years participants)

That morning itself it was rather warm and humid.

And no hint of any wind relief.

Race started on time.

Was running with Mo-maniac, Winnie, Dannie and Carrie....and somewhere after the first 3km, kinda lost Alexis.

I was profusely sweating before getting to the 5th kilometer.

Dammit!!!!!

I hope my prayers last night for good weather will be answered!

The first 10km was horrid.

We were drenched in sweat.....it was very warm.....and it was very uncomfortable.

Suddenly we felt rain drops.

Faint and few in between.

But still raindrops.

After about 5 minutes, the raindrops disappeared, unfortunately.

But the eventual road that we were running on were moist, freshly drizzled with the prior shower.

And the weather improved drastically.

It became less humid. It became cooler. And a slight hint of a breeze.

(ok...so maybe it was because we were running through the rubber plantation on the left and palm oil plantation on the right)

The route through the plantation were undulating....but absolutely lovely.

Hills on the horizon.....green as far as the eyes could see.

Of course there was the "lovely" identifiable fragrance of nature, if you get my drift.

We ran through all the hills going up.

I think my running through my neighbourhood mini-hills are finally paying off!

Hydration stations were nicely spaced in between and the volunteers were such darlings.

We past through the plantations and out into town.

Then we took a turn and into the route leading into one of the national parks, and the route took us right NEXT to the beach.

It was very windy and cool.....and having the beach right next to you was heaven!

I love the smell of the sea!!

* I see the SEA!!!!!!

We stopped quite a bit at this park to cam-whore (or to snapshot precious memory, if cam-whore sounds too vulgar for you) and had loads of fun!!!

Since we took forever to pose for picture taking, Alexis finally caught up.

* Big thank y0u to the volunteers!

* Everyone loved this stretch of the route!

At the very end of the park was our turn-around.

That was around 19-20km.

Headed back into town, then back through the plantations but through a slightly variation of the original route.

Weather was still lovely.

Gotta love a cloudy morning in Phuket....especially when running a marathon!

(also big THANK YOU to God Almighty for answering prayers!)

* Winnie and I...just before she started walking

I think somewhere between 23rd to 25th kilometer, I lost Winnie and Mo-maniac behind.

Somewhere between that and 28th, I lost the lovebirds and Alexis.

So mostly on my own.

Thankfully I had my camera.

* Street performers?!

* Can you spot the buffalo?!?!?

* I suddenly really crave Durians!

* The winding and undulating route.

Still felt pretty alright at 30km.

But I was throwing in more walking breaks in between.

My bladder was kinda full and there were no toilets in sight......and I didn't feel like fertilizing the plants in full public view.

At around 35km, the clouds parted and the sun came out.

And man, did the temperature did a 180 degrees or what!

It became so bloody hot and all I wanted to do was to finish this race ASAP....get back to the hotel and dunk myself into the pool!

Thankfully I was running with Choi from about 35km onwards....well, more or less.

It was good to have company.

* Still cheerful at 36km....thank you Choi for taking the picture for me.

I could no longer consciously tell my urethral sphincter to work....and luckily at 38km I found a porta-potty!

Post-porta-potty, I had butt cramps......sigh, for all sites to have a cramp, my body decided it would be a great idea to cramp at the gluteus maximus.

At 40km, we were back running through the Laguna compound.

The sun by then was a shit-arse scorcher!

I really really need the pool now!!!

I was tired and my butt hurts.....and I really want to stop running.

But Choi kept on going and urged me to follow.

So I kept on tailing him.

* Totally exhausted at 41km. And my butt hurts!!!

* I HATE the last 500m!!!! And I HATE the SUN!!!!

* Thanks Chuah for this picture!!!

The last 500m felt like forever!

I could hear the crowd ahead and I just kept telling my legs to get a move on......the hotel pool is within reach!!!

Crossed the line in 5:22!!!

Well...not too bad, considering we made a lot of stops for capturing moments in digital.

Would have loved for it to be sub 5:10.......but then I'd rather have more pictures to show for than a nice timing!!!!

(yea I know....pathetic right)

* 5:22 for 42.71km. The 500m plus were probably from running around taking pictures and other what-nots.

* Love the complimentary massage. Just wished that they would continue longer.

* Alexis and I post-race!

So it has finally reach the final 2 weeks before the Sundown 100km run.

One more long run as pacer for Alex's Xtramiler 100km fundraising run this coming Friday (thankfully only a 40km....and maybe less depending on the situation when the time comes) and then will probably try to take the last week off from running.

But then who am I kidding.

I'd probably run anyway despite the fact that I'm suppose to taper.

Anyway, am I the ONLY one who's eagerly awaiting the start of the 100km?

Sigh. I just want to run it and get it over with.

I know I'd feel totally lighter and less burdened once the race is over.

Anyone feeling the same way???

Later!!!!

Updates!!!!!

Laguna Phuket Marathon was great fun!!!!

Only regret was that the entire trip was a rush from start until the end.

Would have love to spend more time enjoying the hotel (well, I better....since it cost quite a bit), the beach, sight seeing.....oh and the shopping.

Touched down at LCCT from Phuket well after midnight and got home around 1.30am.

By the time I got myself into bed, it was nearly 2am.

Let's just say Monday at work was a total blur.

I'm not even sure how I survived my so-called work.

In fact I'm absolutely amazed I actually got up.....DROVE to work without being part of the statistic of road accidents......stayed awake....and DROVE home in one piece!

By the way, I'm still trying to sleep off my sleep debt from the past weekend!!!!

And this week, I swear I'd start tapering.

Well....I kinda have to coz it's that time of the bloody cycle (pun intended) and I'm feeling shit exhausted!!!!!

Perhaps I need to start taking my iron supplements again.

Oh....and I completed the marathon in 5:22...........

Anyway I'm heading back to sleep and I promise to post about the race....erm....once my neurons decided that the sleep debt is repaid and the brain is once again 99.9% functioning.

(the remaining 0.01% is on perpetual holiday)

Later!!!!

TGIT!!!!!!

Still figuring out why I feel like crap over the past 2 weeks and why my running has been suffering.

Warning: This blog post will involve a fair share of whining, a lot of circumstantial talk about nothing much in particular (kinda like this blog, come to think of it), and then throw in another pinch of woe-is-me whining for good measure. You HAVE been warned!

So I was mentioning that I was feeling a bit under the weather and extremely tired and stuff.

Oh...and I am quite sure I've mentioned about the abdominal colic.

Well, I've discussed my gastrointestinal symptoms via Facebook chat (oh don't you just love technology!?) to budding surgeon, Lynette (who has jumped ship to Singapore....although can't really blame her) and she suggested that most likely the diagnosis would be irritable bowel syndrome.

You can thank me later as I've Wiki-ed it for you...click HERE.

She came to the diagnosis mostly by exclusion, since I'm afebrile (therefore, my appendix is safe)....the pain is impossible to localize (and after 3 days and yet to travel to the right iliac fossa region).....no loss of weight or appetite (damn damn damn!!!!)....my altered bowel habits only started less than a week ago....and I'm young and healthy, with no family history of weird bowel carcinomas that stricken the young and healthy.

And we ended the online chat with her suggesting that I get a CT scan or an MRI of the large bowels if the symptoms does not resolve after 2 weeks.

Uh-huh.....right.

Definitely a sign that she has been in Singapore for too long......

But then again, relocating back home has been a bit more stressful than I've anticipated.

Being at home....well, it ain't as rosy as I would have hope for it to be.

Since I've not lived (like really really LIVE on a daily basis) at home for the past 5 years.....returning to live with the folks full time (no longer just on a weekend basis).....well, it was different.

And let's just leave it at that.

I'm also missing Ipoh, my friends and my nuthouse tremendously.

I can't even believe I miss that place this much, especially considering it sorta made me depress!

I miss the good traffic....no jams.....my favourite sushi place.

I miss my old running route which was FLAT!!!!!

(my current neighbourhood running route goes something like this....run a flat 500m.....downhill 200m.....uphill 200m.....downhill again 2oom, uphill again 200m.....run a flat 500m. Now repeat until you've reached 10km)

I miss eating junk food for dinner....(yea yea, I know it's not a healthy thing to do....and frankly no one said doctors made wise decisions all the time, or any at all)

I miss lying in bed from 8pm onwards until I fall asleep......without my mom asking me if I'm alright.

I miss leaving my junk anywhere I please until I need it again.

I miss eating whenever I want.....whatever I want.....not eating if I don't feel like it, without my mom making a fuss about me acquiring gastritis.

In a bloody nutshell.....I miss my freedom.

Now I feel like I'm in highschool......(except that I have license to drive, more clothes in my closet, less acne and slightly more money in the bank compared to then)

In a bigger nutshell......I'm a tad bit depress.

(Which explains why I'm eating a lot of junk lately and feeling the need to sleep a lot. Yes, I have atypical depression, unfortunately. Why can't I have the usual variant where I'd lose my appetite and thus some weight? At least I'd have something to gain from it!!!!)

Also I'm mid-cycle so I'm also a lot more emotional and depress than usual.

Damn those hormones!!!!!!

Now I really feel like a highschooler!!!!!!

Anyway.......

I managed to run 4km on Monday.

I was trying to see if I could run through my abdominal discomfort.

I couldn't. But I did get my bowels moving a bit, and that made the abdominal distention go down.

On the flip side, I'd know how my midsection will look like if I'm 4 months preggers.

(scrap that thought...)

Tuesday was still in pain.

(and despite the pain, the bloatedness and the abdominal distention.....I did not lose my appetite, thus lose some weight, like I was so hoping to. I mean, if I were to suffer....at least I'd get some beneficial stuff in the end)

Went and watch a movie instead.

Wednesday's weather was perfect.

Post heavy thunder storm.

Drizzling continuously.

Had to run.

Managed a 9km before needing to rush back and visit the ladies' room.

Thursday's weather could have been a lot better.

But then again at least the heat was tolerable.

Ran a 10km but was absolutely plastered towards the last 3km that I had to intermittently walk the uphill parts.

This whole uphill-downhill-repeat running business better pay off later!!!!

I'm hoping for great weather and perhaps another 10km tomorrow.

Will be flying off to Phuket early Saturday for the marathon on Sunday.

Already expecting to be shit tired at clinics on Monday......sigh.

I promise....promise....PROMISE to start tapering from next week onwards.

Ok....maybe not promise....but will try my darnest best to taper.

Can't wait for the weekends.

By the way....I can't believe YOU are still reading my rantings.

Later!!!!!

Damn the abdominal colic!!!!!

Was just going through my Dailymile log of my weekly mileages over the past few weeks, I've been hitting 80-90km weekly mileage (whoa!!!!! serious?!?! Dammnnnn!!!!!) with my highest thus far being 98km.

I've still not hit the triple digit weekly mileage yet.

Bloody hell.....

I know quite a few of them training for the Sundown Ultra having already breached the nirvana of triple digit-dom, save for me and perhaps Alexis.

Sigh.

Last week with the marathon and all, I still managed a 93km over the entire week.

Not too bad considering that I was kinda ill earlier on in the week.

This week however was a bit depressing.

Overall, I felt tired and exhausted.

My runs definitely suffered.

It was a mental push to get myself out of the door and hit the road.

I took Monday off, got a 5km on Tuesday, 7km on Wednesday, another day off on Thursday, 8km on Friday.

I was really looking forward for a monster mileage over the weekend.

I can't quite make out whether it was the lack of sleep, the stress of starting off at a new hospital (my program started on Wednesday....gosh I miss my nuthouse already!) or just plain sick and tired of training, but Saturday's long run lack lustre and we only managed 34km despite the initial plan of hitting 40km.

For me, I had quite a bit of abdominal discomfort during the run, which was made worse after our "eat-on-the-run" training at McD's after 21km.

I feel extremely bloated, and the colic is driving me crazy!!!!

I thought perhaps a good night sleep will settle the problem and then I'd be able to run New Balance 15km today (with some additional kilometers thrown in for good measure, of course), but upon awaking at 3.30am, my gastrointestinal system was still a no-go.

Argh!!!!!

So frustrating!!!!!!

Thus far, I only have 53km this week. Total bummer.

I seriously cannot shake the feeling of exhaustion.

I honestly don't remember training this hard last year.

Yea yea...so last year was only an 84km race.

But I remembered distinctively stepping up to the starting line being severely under-prepared for the distance.

Yeah...perhaps it is time to taper.

Ooh.....haven't done a photo-log for the longest time!!

I've screened through the photos I've taken on the iPhone and I've accumulated quite a fair bit of photos of food (mostly not in the healthy category type of food) since.....like......goodness knows when!!!

So...photo-log:

* Lunch at Sushi Zanmai @ Fahrenheit with Carrie and my cousin Amanda.

I had the Salmon Don. I don't recommend it. Too puny a salmon.

* Carrie recommended the soft shell crab roll....(or something along those lines)

* Carrie and her ramen..

* Amanda and her sushi rolls.

* My cousin Amanda insisted that we go Godiva at The Pavillion, KL since I always bug her about going to Lindt when I'm in Melbourne visiting her.

* Everything looks so divine!!!! *salivates*

* Can I have everything....please?

* I can't remember what this was. But it was good!!!! (excuse me for the poor memory. This eating session was before BIM!!!)

* Ice chocolate. To die for. Pure liquid chocolate. I swear, I almost died and went to chocolate-heaven!

* I think this was Starbucks at Kota Kinabalu...the afternoon after the marathon. Glazed pecan. Not too shabby considering it was Starbucks.

* Brownie with ice cream at Beacon's Point, Ipoh. I'll miss it as well.

* My female ward's gift to me! I really have to go on a diet!!!

* My official last day at the nuthouse. Punching out for the very last time. I will miss this place heaps!

* Last Tuesday, I finally found out where StArt was.

I was there for a pacer meeting/interview/run.

So StArt Society is an NGO that provides, well....ART (be it drawing, music, acting etc etc) for underprivileged children.

So Alex is attempting a 100km solo run from Putrajaya Palace of Justice to the StArt center in Petaling Jaya to raise funds for this organization.

Click HERE for his Facebook page....and HERE too, for the official page.

* The banner for the run.

* Kids' art!!!

* The art room....

* Since I didn't turn up for the pacer's meeting 2 weeks back (I was on my last passive call that Saturday), here's my "Guidelines and Etiqquette" pacer's list.

* Some of the pacers that turned out that evening. KA, Isaiah, Jeff.

* The DOs and DO-NOTs for the pacers. The role of a pacer is "primarily to keep Alex company". Consider it done!

* Alex being interviewed by Star. The article came out in Metro Central in Star newspaper yesterday (4th June 2011).

Click HERE for the online article.

* Cupcakes galore @ Wondermilk!

* I really wanna go London Marathon.....

* Amazingly with my Iced Mocha, I was still able to sleep through the night...

* My junk-food partner in crime for the night...Elaine!

* My absolute favourite....red velvet cupcake!!!!

* Elaine had the corn beef on baked potato.......which actually was pretty good!!!

* 3 cupcakes IN me....

* Went to Delicious with KD to catch up on gossips. I was post-run and starving, rather determined to have my carbs in the form of pasta.....and noted the above advert. Unfortunately it was only for Mondays till Thursdays.....and we were there on a Friday!!!!

Sheesh....I would have really enjoyed free dessert.

* Shared the mushroom soup...which was absolutely delicious. Blended mushrooms in cream based broth. I didn't know it was gonna be that filling. I was kinda stuffed before the pasta arrived.

* KD insisted on Caesar salad.

* I really wanted salmon, so went for Salmon Spaghettini. It was a little nauseating. I kinda missed the Salmon Pasta I had back in Hong Kong at Pasta House. That.....was good salmon!!!

I can't wait for next weekend to roll around.

And I really need to go on a diet. Sigh.

Later!!!!!