Jog For Hope 17 July 2011

Only found out about this event on the Monday of the week itself... Sounds like a nice cosy event, so decided to join since I would be heading to KL over the weekend.  Downloaded the form, filled it up, paid via internet, then submitted via email.  A confirmation email arrived on Friday, so we were good to go! Then Jason Loh told me he'll be taking part too!  haha, will be good to 'see him' zooming ahead!

Got up at 5am on Sunday, looking forward to the fun run. Left home at about 6am and drove to Sri Hartamas, taking us only about 15mins.  Parked at Hartamas Shopping Centre at a cost of only RM1 and walked 1min to Taylor's College Sri Hartamas, which would be the event site.

There were lots of participants/volunteers present, but i guess the main bulk weren't here yet.  We received our bibs & t-shirts very quickly by just quoting our receipt numbers.  After keeping some of the non-essential stuff in the car, we returned to the college again to deposit our bag.  Fortunate to bump into a few familiar faces, e.g. Jason Loh, Khoo Yit Kiat, William Chin, Jessica Tang, Barry Lee.  But most were young students :)  We were amongst the older generation.

Since we had lots of time before the flag off at 8am, Yeehua & i went for a short jog as warm up along the hilly Sri Hartamas road.

About 15mins before flag off, we went to the start line to wait.  There weren't any cones nor was the road blocked, so vehicles could still drive past. Fortunately that road wasn't that busy with traffic, so it was acceptable, but participants had to be careful.

The race was flagged off at about 8.03am.  I was standing a few rows behind, and a  lot of students were in front of me.  So it took some time to overtake them, taking care not to be 'pushy'.  Only after about 400m then was it less crowded and i could run 'free'.

Had ran this route before, so was quite familiar.  And being familiar means knowing how challenging it is.  Peppered with slopes, it was quite a tough one, yet fun.  Quite a number of water stations, but didn't stop at any.  Saw Jason Loh's friend ahead of me about 100m.  And spotted Barry Lee ahead too... wow, i've never been able to see Barry just ahead of me.  On the upslopes, i observed i would close the gap with Barry, but on the downslopes, he would increase the gap.. then just outside Taylor's College, my gap was closing on him and we were heading for our final 4km. He would keep turning back to look & see who is behind him :)  Soon after the final U-Turn, i was gaining ground.. and occassionally, i called out to Barry to ask him to keep going.  As we headed up the final upslope (quite a long one), i finally caught up with him.  Ran with him a short while before i decided to switch on my Power mode and surged ahead towards the Finish Line.  Fortunate to cross the Finish Line just before Barry.  I enquired about my position at the finish line counter, and the young lady told me i was 2nd!  Wow!  I can't believe it!  Jason Loh must have finished 1st!  And he did it in 34mins plus..and me?  38min 3 secs!  My Garmin showed 9.2km, not 10km, so not a 10km PB for me.  But well, the most important is i enjoyed it & it was great to see Barry in action.  The experience is much more important.

Went to collect my goodie bag, which was filled with quite a number of useful stuff, such as Shampoo, Bodywash, Chewing Gum, drinks, etc.  Rarely seen such useful goodies, though i don't really bother what's in goodie bags.

Yeehua came in about 50mins & she won 5th placing!  Congrats to her!  Now both of us have to wait for prize presentation.  Meanwhile, we took photos & chatted with our friends.  Then observed the speeches, lucky draw, prize presentation to 6km, speech again, and finally presentation to the 10km open category, Females first, then Males.  Congrats to Jessica Tang for coming in Champion for Ladies (45min plus) & Jason Loh for Males (34min plus), Barry Lee 3rd, Khoo Yit Kiat 5th.  Each of us had a chance to go on stage to receive our Medal & special Certificate (only for top 5).  So now we have the limited edition medal & certificate, inscribed with our position/category.  Additionally, the top 3 would receive a RM100 voucher for use at Bodytone, a 45min PowerPlate session with a Personal Trainer, a Quantum Bracelet, a Bodytone measuring tape & a Bodytone carrier bag.

From Left: Jason Loh, me, Barry Lee

Finally it was over at about 11am.  We then happily left Taylor's College and we look forward to next year's.

For more pictures at the event, CLICK HERE
Jog For Hope Website

Ignite Your Running Workshop 10 Sep 2011

Unleash Your Running Prowess with  Running Guild's Ignite Your Running Workshop. 

Join us as we bring sports-science based knowledge to you & the community. 

Early bird rates till 14 Aug 2011 

Date: 10 Sep 2011, Saturday

Time: 9am till 6pm (3 Talks & 1 Practical - you may select which talk(s)/practical you wish to attend)

Venue:

Passion Room, Chinese Success Media

Blk 231 Bain Street #04-41 Bras Basah Complex Singapore 180231

Singapore, Singapore

Website:

Event on Running Guild Website

Event on Facebook

Programme:

9am: Registration
9.30am - 11.30am: Session 1 (Talk)
11.30am - 12.30pm: Lunch (at own expense)
12.45pm - 2.45pm: Session 2 (Talk)
3pm - 5pm: Session 3 (Talk)
5.15pm - 6pm: Session 4 (Practical)


Session Outline:

Session 1

(a) Shoe Selection 101

(b) Foundation - Training Fundamentals of Running

Session 2
(a) Mix & Match - Varying Intensity To Enhance Performance

(b) Optimal Race Nutrition For A Strong Finish

Session 3
(a) The 3 Phases To A Successful Marathon Preparation

(b) Peaking For The Final Surge

Session 4
The Right Foot Out With Ben
Get physical as running coach Ben brings you through various drills/exercises which will help improve your balance, coordination, strength & power, crucial for igniting your running prowess.


Registration Period:
Early Bird Rate (save 10% from now till 14 Aug 2011 2359hrs)
Normal Rate (15 Aug 2011 0000hrs till 4 Sep 2011 2359hrs)

Registration Cost (Early Bird Rate till 14 Aug 2011 / Normal Rate):
Any Single Talk Session: $18 / $20
Any Two Talk Sessions (save 5%): $34 / $38
All Three Talk Sessions (save 10%): $49 / $54
Only the Practical: $14 / $15
All 3 Talks + 1 Practical (save 20%): $54 / $60

Registration will close upon reaching maximum capacity

More details & registration via this link:http://www.runningguild.co​m/index.php/workshop-semin​ar/

Hope to see you there!

Jurong Lake Run 2011, 10 July 2011

Pic Taken by Ronald Heng at the Finish Line


Teamed up with the SAFRA Jurong Running Club to take part in this 10km event, taking place for the 1st time in Jurong Lake vicinity.

Didn't know the earliest MRT would be quite late, so we took a cab to the baggage area in Taman Jurong area, near the Start Point.  Bumped into Jason Loh from KL, who came here specially to do this event (and he did 1hr 25min for his half marathon at the recent StanChart KL Marathon on 26 June 2011).





Here's Jason Loh, up & coming star in the running scene! He completed this event in 5th placing in the Junior category, with a timing of 38:43








Overlooked the need to show my bib before i can deposit my bag.. haha.. so had to walk back towards the entrance to Chinese Garden to get my bib from Trevor Lee 1st... by then we didn't feel like going back to the Baggage Deposit area, so we just left it with Eng Hwa at the SAFRA Jurong Running Club booth (membership does has its privileges!).  Had  a quick trip to the toilet before jogging to the start line.

It was 15 mins to the start and yet it was already packed at the Start Line. Oh well, glad we were in the opposite direction, so we just slotted ourselves in at the 4th or 5th row, but at the side. and hanged in there for about 10mins or so.  Whilst the Emcee entertained us, we waited for the VIPs to flag us off.  Lo & behold, i saw Yam Ah Mee hopping up to the stage to flag us off..always so bubbly :) nice to see him after so many years but i don't think he remembers me back in PSD :)

Once the air horns were blasted, the front pack immediately surged ahead.. i had no choice but to follow, or risk being pushed.. and indeed not far ahead, i saw a young boy on the floor, who must have fallen.. he seemed alright..a strong young boy.

Just kept at a comfortable, not too hard pace as i knew i wouldn't sustain for long.. managed to keep to about 4:00 to 4:15min/km pace.  As this was a new route i was running, just wanted to take in the sights but yet not running at too easy a pace.  Starting at the front sure was a good idea as it reduces congestion.  Ran behind Sumiko Tan & another lady (very familiar at local races) for a distance before she stepped down her gear.. and i gradually moved ahead... and Sallehan zoomed ahead!! hahaha amazing, like a cheetah leaving me biting dust.  Kept him in sight even as he moved ahead, picking up the pace.. but i slowly gained on him.. and as i caught up, i shouted at him to keep going!  Which he did.  And even after he paused for a drink stop and i didn't, he still managed to overtake me yet again, attesting to his never give up attitude!  And i kept up with him all the way and he crossed the Finish Line just a few seconds ahead of me.  Well done Bro!  Keep Strong!  My finish time was about 42:07 and the distance showed 10.3km on my watch.

Km Laps
1km - 3:55
2km - 4:01
3km - 4:01
4km - 4:01
5km - 4:08
6km - 4:10
7km - 4:09
8km - 4:16
9km - 4:17
10km - 4:10

Here's Sallehan.  Well done bro!












After the finish, i requested for 2 cans of 100Plus and walked around, in the search for my friends.  Met Michele Tan who came in not long after, then others such as Freddy Yeoh, Melvin How, Jieshi, Stella,.. Walked towards the Finish Line, saw Sumiko and walked with her a bit.  Well done to her despite an ultra just 2 weeks back & being unwell the past days.  Then i saw my wife chatting with Chantelle & Siok Leng.

Glad to have met many friends here, and even those who took part in the Banana Relay, such as Andrew Parker, Samuel Ang, etc.  Spotted a lot of photographers along the course too!  Many thanks for being out in the hot weather to support us!

Went to the SAFRA Jurong Running Club booth, where we had food for us, mee/beehoon, fruits and drinks and we had a ball of a time chatting with friends, and making new ones.  The Club then had a birthday celebration for those born in Jun & Jul.  And i was appointed by Hui Ping to cut one of the cakes for distribution to the rest of the members. Hanged around a while, and a fellow friend from Facebook spotted me (we've never met before), Franz C.  Had a nice chat with him and he mentioned about going for Tokyo Marathon next year..hmm, tempting :)

Finally, our booth wrapped up at about 10.30am.  We then went for lunch at Clementi before heading home for 2nd half.. housework!!!  hahaa

See you next year at Jurong Lake Run!

Glad to have come here for this amazing experience.

Banana Relay 18 June 2011 (4th Edition)

Organised the 4th Edition of the Banana Relay on 18 June 2011, a fun relay aimed at promoting the spirit of friendship, teamwork & bonding, regardless of speed, height & gender.

At total of 25 teams, comprised of 3 team members each, formed via a lucky draw format, took to the paths of Kallang Riverside Park & Marina Promenade, raising their banana-wielding hands as they passed a banana (or two) over to their newly-met team mates to tackle the next lap.  6 laps x 3km per lap for each team, a total of 18km.

Supporting these 75 participants is a contingent of 37 volunteers (half the strength of participants), all sought from far & beyond, even from Woodlands vicinity.. hahaha.  without these volunteers, it wouldn't have been possible.

As always, our 'professional' emcee, Mah Win Hong (fondly known as Sotong) was on hand to give the participants a 'hard time' before the run started, due to some unforseen/unexpected presence of army vehicles.

Promising a time of fun for our participants, they took time to mingle & chat with their newly met team mates and get in some healthy lifestyle at the same time.  The organisers had a fantastic time, as we were in it to help promote fun in running & build friendship among the participants.

Many friends turned up to support, Tigger, Francis, Aili, Tan Kim Lai, Franxis Yong.. and i even had Lee Wei Siang, who is from Malaysia attending a 3 day training programme in Singapore, signing up just the day before!  Amazing!

The weather was quite nasty earlier in the morning but we were so glad it stopped at about 7.30am and thankfully the weather kept cool & overcast.  Once the route was clear, we flagged off the 1st member of the teams.

Did 1 lap to check out on the participants whilst they ran.. and i also took the opportunity to stand at the U-Turn point to chat with our volunteers there.

Watermelons, 100Plus, Water and a Food Reception were provided to all participants... And not surprisingly, the food was finished rather quickly... next time i will grab some before it's all gone!

We had an Awards Ceremony, where every participant were invited to receive their Finisher Towel, take a team photo with the Banana Relay Banner and at the same time announcing their names to everyone else.

See you in the 5th Edition for more Fun!!!

Check out:
Banana Relay Website
Banana Relay on Facebook

Many Thanks to Photos by our Official Photographer, Lum Guang Ye, :
http://www.mediafire.com/?0xk2l9d484j86

Links to other Photos:

Tan Kim Lai Part 1

Tan Kim Lai Part 2

Lim Ai Li Part 1

Lim Ai Li Part 2

Many thanks to Franxis Yong for taking this nice pic at the Banana Relay 2011
More pics taken by Franxis Yong can be found HERE

No Frills Series 10km & 15km, 13 Aug 2011 - by Running Guild

The Motivation Behind The No Frills Series by Running Guild
Dear friends, often we hear of comments mentioning that races are increasing their registration fees every year and there are few events that retain the same price over the years..  I always wished we could return to the good old days where races were just a few bucks and they were kept simple, pure and people ran for the sake of the experience, the joy, and the exhilaration of racing with fellow friends/competitors and/or just want to have fun outdoors and meeting new friends, some even become lifelong partners.   If you share the same sentiments as some of us do, we would like to invite you to join us at our inaugural No Frills Series at a very minimal cost of only $13, which covers all the essential aspects of an event, including your safety, which is of paramount importance to us. 

We hope to see you there and

Let us bring back the Good Old Days  of Running!!

Gear Up for a Fun Racing Experience

Join as a Team or as an Individual

Have FUN!! in the midst of Racing

Foster Friendship & Bonding with your team

Categories:
A) One Shot, One Kill 10km (Individual or Team)
B) One Shot, One Kill 15km (Individual or Team)
C) Yes, I am Crazy - Do both 10km & 15km (Individual Only)

Start Time:
- 10km at 4.00pm
- 15km at 5.30pm

Registration Cost:

$13 for either 10km or 15km

$24 if you sign up for both distances

Closing Date of Registration: 24 July 2011

Click HERE to Register

What's In Store:
- Limited Edition Dri-Fit Event T-Shirt (optional at only $13 each)
- Lucky draw for all participants
- Distance Markers at every kilometre
- Drinks (Isotonic & Mineral Water)
- Medical/Ambulance
- Timing
- E-Certificate with your timing
- Prizes (for the top 10 Individuals & top 3 Teams - combined fastest 3 timings of each team)
- Post-race food/refreshment
- Complimentary Baggage Deposit/Retrieval

Teams:
- Teams must have a minimum number of 3 members.
- There is no limit on the number of members.
- Teams are not allowed to compete in the Individual categories.

Check it out HERE