Own Time Own Target

sneeze... dab-dab... sniff.

Happy New Year to you too.

that wasnt very cheery, but it is about the best i can muster at this stage. caught a major chill in the night of the eve of eve, and now on New Year's eve, i'm having the worst head cold and dripping nose of all.

Was supposed to send Dad off at the airport (on his way to hainan for golf), and then meet mom for dinner and watch fireworks at marina south or meet up with Sgrunners at their holiday chalet.

what happened was i took med in the morning, and got knocked out till 2:30pm! couldnt even get out of the house, let alone make merry...

and i also clean forgotten about the chalet, and fell asleep at 11plus pm again.

ahhhhh~choooo!

oh, happy new year.

the old one wasnt working anymore.

either becos they sucked, or they found out that that i have removed the ad links in the html code by "illegal tempering of html install code, punishable by the replacement of counter with advertiser image", or becos they sucked.

found a cleaner, more polite and ad-free (save their own track back but they give you the option to remove that too if you want, but i chose leave it be since they were so nice ;) )

i didnt know what was the last number on the counter, so i hazard a guess and started with 210 ;)

E had been pestering me over the last few days asking me what i wanted for Christmas. He hasnt a clue cos i havent been dropping blatant hints like i did i previous years, where i practically held his hand shopping and helped him hand over his credit card ;)

i was too busy to think about what i want, and all the things that i knew i want and lusted over were over his current budget. sigh~

so in jest i told him that i didnt want anything and why not shop on 26-dec where everything will be on sale? his eyes lighted up and he asked hesitantly:"you say one hah? so i dont buy anything hor?" i rolled my eyes

well, just to spite him, i did my utmost to buy him "something". but what do you buy a man who doesnt "need" anything, and is already furnished from top to toes by yours truly at least twice (with the exception of his shoes and glasses)?

in the end i got him something we could both use, if you get my drift... ;)

and in the end, he really didnt get me anything, which earned him a sulky face and rant from me "..... you could at least have gotten me chocolate.... or CHERRIES?"

i didnt cook lunch, he went to tar-pao and lo and behalf, bought me cherries. kekeke.

Labels: to Shop Buy

Merry Christmas!

good party at angie's with surprising good turkey and too salty ham from Olio, Don's pie, home made chicken wings, sausages from pan pac resold at carefoure (now you know), home made potato salad, home made bee hoon. (and when i said home made, they were not made any where in or near my home hor... :D ) apple struddle, strawberry struddle (yeah, weird, i know), ice cream, cherries, apricots, prunes and wine, wine, wine.

and look at the loot that the kiddies got, and that's not even all, still a huge 1 in the car that we didnt have enough hands to bring up, and 2 more yet to be collected. i'm sure tomorrow when we start opening the presents, they will be more interested in the wrapping paper and boxes, but now the pile of presents spells contentment for the kids. sweet dreams.

Labels: to Laugh

gosh~* went and bought 9 presents in 1 exhausting session for all the kids, my own, nieces and newphews, other pp's kids. and now i just feel deflated.

this year, i cant even gather energy to think about what i want for Christmas, which i will then blatantly hint to E, and which he may still not get it. men~*

not sure whether it is the over-kill and the onslaught of BUY BUY BUY everywhere i go. the seeming obligations and the dead rush to get everything bought, wrapped and delivered on time. i still have several more to go :( heartfelt Christmas wishes cannot meh?

Labels: to Shop Buy

i dont remember, but i must have asked and was disallowed in piercing my ears when i was in primary school, my parents said i was too young.

then my attitude changed 180 deg and decided that girls with pierced ears are sooooo vain!

and then i pierced them when i was in uni. kekeke

anyways, i started with studs, then hanging silver ones and twisty copper wired ones (all the rage then) and i had easily 30 pairs of them

and then nothing... i dont remember why, but i just stopped. could be becos work was too busy and i really favored stylishly simple stuff, and it was already a hassle to wear my 2 rings and a watch everyday. so i only wore ear rings for occassions. mostly discreet crystal and diamond stuff ;)

and then this year i started wearing ear rings on a regular basis again. well i started with small hoops, slightly bigger hoops with cystals, then a pair with a strand of hanging purple cystal...

and then a pair that stole my heart from www.chainofbeads.com

it must have been the color that first caught my eye, blue in different hues and silver and clear beads, so clean and so fresh. nothing too loud but definitely noticable. reminds me of the sea and happy holidays in seaside resorts.

the girl who made them named them Cally Lily. and promised that they were very flattering to the face in the write up in the webbie.

i thought about it, will they be too big? too drastic? will i EVER wear them? agonising over 2 weeks, in a time of belt-tightening due to over-indulgence in running wear and gear earlier in the year.

and then i bought them. T/T over the money and received them in the mail in 2-3 days. simply done, no fuss.

ok, they came in a slightly tatty envelope, and were heavily double bubble-packed, a layer over the box, and a layer over the ear rings inside the box. not exactly the way you will want to hand over as gifts as it is, but the ear rings were beautiful, the photos dont do them justice (slightly washed out...) but the real thing were vibrant, like a bolt of pure electricity, clear skies, and cool waters. :)

the handiwork was great, everything was neat and tidy, like something that you bought from master craftsmen in a store. (ok... i'm not knocking small businesses on the net, but sometimes, just sometimes, you get that "yup, made at home by a small time hobbyist" feeling and thought that "well, for the price is ok lah", no?)

i wore them over that weekend with a pair of jeans and a black sleeveless top, which is normal get up that i wear all the time, but then i felt different. like i was dressy up without being dressed up. i walked tall and felt happy and beautiful, like lights were shining on me. and i smiled more too :)

incredible, all just from a pair of ear rings.

E commented that i look different too, but nice. :D

yup, it feels good to be a girl ;)

Labels: to Shop Buy

I'm having PMS. Post Marathon Blues.

I mean, after the the deed's been done, i'm here asking myself, "that's it?", "was that all?", "what now?"

I had a goal in the last 6 months, to run and finish a marathon. And now, a week after the fact, i have nothing to look forward to... so i thought i'll journey back and ponder upon why i run and why a marathon.

First of all, it must have been for my health and vanity.

I started running about 3 months after bb #2, i still remember buying a pair of new running shoes Dec last year with Leng. :) and the first run, where i barely lasted 1.5km, and absolutely everything jingled, everything. it was so ridiculous that i giggled. but it was hardly surprisingly, since the last time i had properly exercised was probably 3 years prior, from before bb#1.

i had started feeling a sense of despair of how i felt, though outwardly, i was probably then at my thinnest for over 4-5 years. nothing drastic there, but 3-4 kg on a small person like me made a lot of difference.

The second reason is for my mental health. sometimes i run to think, about work, relationship, worries, plans, cheem thoughts, whatever. sometimes i run to empty my mind, and get connected to my body.

The third reason must be to be able to eat my favorite foods without guilt.

i mean, i have never ever counted calories in my life, but some of my absolute favorite foods are absolutely sinful, little as i care about calories.

- foei gras
- gourmet bak kwa
- B&J chunky monkey
- grilled squid
- medium rare steak
- fresh oysters
- oyster ommelette
- grill chicken wings
- macadamia nuts
- chocolate with brandied whole cherry

and last but not least, i really enjoy running. it is a solidarity sport, it is just you, your running shoe and the road. it really doesnt have to be more complicated than that.


now, the more difficult question. why a marathon, the whole 42.195km?

it is a life goal of mine, something to accomplish in this life time, at least once.

i suppose a seed was sown when yvonne danson did a 2:39:19 at the Altanta Olympic games for Singapore. (tho she somehow first fainted and then ran a wrong section in the same year's SEA games to not end up with any medal, and then faded away from the local track and field AFAIK).

but i've only seriously considered it only 7-8 years ago. i had stuck a post-it note of the distance and the time on my pc for 2-3 years, but was too busy with work, being a gym rat and major partying to do anything about it. then the marriage and then the kids came.

finally it dawn on me late last year that i may be getting too old. and so i started on the journey.

ok, but still.... why?

i cant say. it may have started as a challenge to myself, a goal to work towards, to prove that i can. but now that i've done it. i'm still dont know if that says anything about me, and more importantly, if it said anything to me.

maybe it is truly a journey, and getting there is really most of the point.

another one to find out? we'll see.

Labels: to Sweat

okay... i'm speechless, the sgrunners, true to form, sent me flowers... erm... heart shaped- catcus wishing me a speedy recovery and to tell me that they are proud of my finishing the marathon.

*sniff* somebody pass me a tissue please....

Labels: to Sweat

I almost couldnt walk after the race, and hobbled to collect my precious finishers' T and medal. and hobbled to meet up with E and Leng, and tried to get a massage from the poly volunteers, but turned out that i was a couple of minutes too late, and had to make do with E's service :D

when i recovered sufficiently, i hobbled over to Raffles City where E parked the car, and had breakfast at Ah Kun. Kaya Toast Set with 2 softboiled eggs and a milo. yum* like they said, the earlier you refuel, the earlier you recover. ;)

got home and prepared an ice water bath. yup, blocks of ice that i've prepared before hand, into the half-filled bath tub, and gingerly i got in, BRRRRLLLL**** i managed to stay in there for 5-10min and felt better almost immediately as the swelling in my legs seem to have gone down a little.

Battle Scars
then the shower. and i counted my battle scars:
- sore quads
- unbending knees
- swollen left ankle
- blister of 10 cent coin, mercifully not broken
- a spot chuffed raw by the middle seam of my bra, and the bra was bloody.... ewwww
- a spot chuffed raw by a corner of plastic med bag that i used to keep my money in my shorts, which i had neglected to tuck in properly after a mid-race loo break
edit 051209 to add:
-2 big toes numbed at first, and now throbing pain from the base of the nail, which is slowly turning from pink to dark red, and i suspect to be turning black soon.
-3rd and 4th toe nails on right foot have turned back. ewwwww.

all in all, i thot it wasnt too bad.

until i woke up from my nap.

BURNING quads and swollen ankle, and i couldnt get off the bed. and then i couldnt walk, except by spreading my legs like 2 clutches and taking steps of 5cm each.

had a light dinner of fishball bee hoon. watched tv and read the papers. sms the sgrunners and friends and reported my finishing, and found out how they did.

then tried to sleep. ARGH!!!! had to stuff a soft pillow to elevate my poor legs. suffering. and i couldnt twist and turn except by waking up and physically manuevouring my legs with my whole body and hip movements. and in the process woke up like 20 times through the night.

was it worth the pain?

Yes. No ifs. No Buts.

Labels: to Sweat

the short is I completed. In 7:48:15.

it took much more from me and much longer than i expected, and here's the rambling long report:

The nite before
We packed the kids to my Mom and MIL respectively, and got home after 10pm. Strategised with E at critical points to meet, 12km, 22km, 31km and end point.

Gentle very kindly asked if i had arranged for transport, and was sorry that Mythos car (whom he's getting a lift from) is already full. But he quickly got me hooked up with Clive, who is taking a cab in the morning there with his wife.

Started laying out all my gear, and packed a medic bag, and a F&B bag.

Slept at 1230am. less than 4 hours from setting off time.

D Day

My first alarm for 4:00am didnt go off, and i was woken up by my trusty treo at 4:20am. scrambled a little to change, drink water, drink energy jelly, and slap on sunblock and anti-chaff cream, and met clive and wifey at 4:50am.

we picked up their friend and chatted in the white merce cab to esplanade. funnily, the cab driver said he used to be an avid runner doing 4hr marathons, and he played cheesy catchy music from "you fu" a band from Taiwan. i didnt have smaller change than $10 and clive and wifey waved me off from trying to pay them.

went to the porta-loo near the start point only to realised that more than half were still locked with cable-tie (*#&$), but manage to find and use 1 that was open. Note for future: porta-looo basins work on foot pedal system for washing water.

The atmosphere was eletric, DJ blasting music, the waves of people, the anticipation. we looked at the mostly clear but still dark sky at 530am, and saw flashes of lightning. will it rain? it hadnt in the past 4 marathons...

i did some light stretching and headed to pen-4 for sub-6 and above, where i met sotong, yankee and gentle, they invited me to move up closer to start line, insisting that we are of the same pace... i followed but got more apprehensive as went further up, then i told gentle i'm moving backwards, wrong territory for me. i really didnt want to get caught up with the excitement, go out too fast and die early

then i met taz, runrunrunaway and astrogirl, we chatted for awhile and they too move upwards.

The start

6:00am. the sound of air horn and a roar and claps from the crowds, we're off. but of course it took me a few minutes to even cross the start point since 6500 pp are participating in the full marathon.

i remember reading the line "it takes more courage to get to the starting line than to run a marathon" and i was glad to have passed the first hurdle.

we ran towards marina south, and i tripped over an ice mountain cap at 6+km (these pp should really throw the bottles AND the caps off the road. so *#&$%*#& in considerate). my split for first 10km was 1:25:00, a little slower than my LSD but thats ok.

The roads were fully closed for the runners, and it was a little eerie to hear the sounds of pounding feet and heavy breathing of the runners along the quiet of the CBD. you'd think fresh air since no car, right? nah, construction still going on in the CBD, and we were breathing in fumes from the heavy machinery.

Argh! twisted the same left ankle again at 11km (i think) when i was too close to the left of road, while avoiding the fast 21km pp running up and pushing pass the slower full marathoners (u can tell the distance each is running by the color of their bib, white for full, yellow for half and green for 10km), where the road slope towards the drain, ran funny after that and developed a blister.

met E at 12km near the prince edward road in CBD, he was wearing red and a huge grin on his face. man! i love this guy :) changed the insoles and pasted some blister plaster on my insteps, we kissed and i started running again, promising each other to meet at East Coast Park, near Kallang Park.

As we ran onwards and over the nicole highway, hot hot hot weather. no shades whatsoever on the roads. i was struggling a little, and had to stop and stretch my quads. took 2 salt pills + 1 panadol at 16km, and started sipping my powergel.

thankfully, i soon came to mountbatten road, but the meeting point is still 2 km away, and i limped to some St. John pp at a bus-stop, hoping they will help with tight and painful quads, especially on my left (made worst by blister and running funny). well his helpful reply was "mdm, that is normal, your quads have over-exerted and you need to sit down, rest and stretch. here, have some water" what? no miracle cure? then a couple whom i overtook earlier can in and asked for help for their blisters, the SJ pp gave them tape... boy was i glad to have my blister plaster... i stretched and rested for 3 min and off i went again.

met E and Leng finally at 10am. E gave me some heat rub, and Leng took pics.

and then to the seemingly never ending strech of ECP service road, lots of pp, runners, skaters, merry makers and supporters. I had to dodge a few cyclers too. this was the toughest stretch for me. forever looking to the next bend in the road for the turn around, and it was forever on-going, with pp coming in the opposite direction on the ECP walkway. Here, i first saw Clive and gave him a thumbsup, and was greeted with shouts of my nick from Yankee, and a bark from Philip when he saw me walking. that drew a giggle from me and i ran a few steps, but on the whole this was tough. it went on and on and on till we went pass the East Coast Lagoon, and East Coast Food Centre and FURTHER before the turn around. thankfully throughout the whole route, ice mountain in 500ml bottles (kind of wasteful IMHO since most took a few gulps and threw the rest away, 350ml bottles or cups would have been better) every 2 km, and 100plus every 6 km in paper cups.

i met E and Leng at 28km, as i needed my energy jelly to sate my hunger, and he gave me more heat rub. I took another panadol. I told them to meet me at 37km near Kallang MRT.

I struggled some more, but kept my focus (and sanity) by counting steps:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

and then i walk a little and then repeat.

to my surprise, i saw E and Leng again at 31km. They wanted to make sure i was ok, it was then 1130am. E slapped more heat rub on me and i was off again.

suddenly i had my second wind on the return stretch. i was just glad to be down to single digits in remaining kms after the 32km. and i started to over take people who are walking, and who looked like they arent gonna run anymore. i probably overtook 20 or so pp at the last 10km. the familiar buildings near the Padang, such as the Raffles City was within sight, but so so far away. things got a little hazy here, i could only focus on moving and counting steps, but couldnt do more.

i met E briefly at 39km near the end of the marina promenade and told him to park quick and meet me at the end point. having ran the stretch with cyberkinetic a week earlier, I knew the remaining distance is doable.

went passed the 42km mark and i saw the finishing point! the adrenaline rush at the last 200m got me sprinting across the line, the annoucer shouting out my name and then i cried. the clock read 7:53:24.

Postscript

it was one of the toughest things i had to do, and it was the support of E and Leng, and my sis comment of "jie, if you finish, i'll be so proud of you, i don't know anybody who has finished a marathon", and the friendly pp at sgrunners who made it possible.

it occurred to me just, that it didnt occur to me to "not finish", even tho my pace was off by almost 1 hour coming into the half point, and i had hoped to finish sub7 or early 7. could have been sheer stubbornness and stupidity, but i really really wanted the medal, and i really wanted to earn it properly, and last but not least i would have hated to report that i DNF.it turned out my times were 7:48:15/ 7:53:24, and only a total of 4808 out of the 6500 who started had finished. i was 4751st, with 57 behind me, 50 of them men. :D

Labels: to Sweat

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

i went back to the sinseh for the 3rd time in a week. he went to work again, and this time, he told me to keep the herbal compress on for 3 days. i guess he was tired of seeing me and my ankles.

oh please, let me be able to run this Sunday. let my ankles recover sufficiently (i daren't ask for full recovery) and i will be content.

more horseplay from the kids. and 1 of them sprained my wrist when i caught her from falling. ARGH. well. at least it wasnt my ankle.... right?

Labels: to Sweat