The colours of the rainbow

I work out at least five days a week. Currently I work out twice on Tuesdays and THREE times on Wednesdays (Zumba, Zumba, Zumbaaa!) - and occasionally I even squeeze a workout in on the weekend too.
I never used to be a sporty person. I have tried in the past, but always failed to persist, or maybe never found anything that I enjoyed enough. Since moving to Brunei, I've tried many things new to me: kickboxing, swimming, tennis, yoga, netball, hashing, mountain climbing, hiking, CrossFit, Zumba... you name it. Some things were more or less a one-off or a fad, but some have really stuck with me.

One thing I've realized through all the different types of training is - it's all about the look! ;)

Here you can see my CrossFit shoes, some Zumba shoes, my Hash shoes and more Zumba shoes! Happy feet!

SCB Run for a reason

This morning I took part in a 10k event, organized here in Brunei! The first one with proper timing chips and everything for the 10k and Half-Marathon runners. It was the Standard Chartered Bank Run For A Reason race.

In hindsight I'm not quite sure why I signed up for this one. I haven't been running for ages, my last proper run was two months ago, and before that... I don't even remember... My last running training was two YEARS ago when I completed the 10k races in Hong Kong and Singapore.
I guess I got sucked into it by the enthusiasm of the other 12WBT girls! Most of the group was out running one distance or another this morning, and all with outstanding results!

My alarm went at 04.45 this morning and I picked my friend Kim up at 05.30. We were in good time for the start of the race which was scheduled to 06.30.
I must say I'm really impressed by the organization of this race, there was big signs everywhere to get yourself in the right direction and every distance started on time, just as planned.
Here are a few blurry iPhone shots that Kim took pre-race:

Head-to-toe warm up:



Kim in a squat!



It was a sea of blue and green at the start, nearly everyone wore the free race shirt. I purposely had chosen my yellow race shirt, to stand out a bit (also I had asked to get the race shirt in a size 44/XL?? I'm not that size, and have never been actually. Not sure what happened there?!) - and I sure did!







And off we went! Still smiling!



I actually did pretty well on the first half of the race. I have this secret dream to run the 10k under an hour (which wont happen until I do some proper running training, intervals, hill sprints etc and actually speed up...), but at 5k today I was only at 27min30ish, and I thought to myself - I got a small chance of making the hour!
But once we got to 8k, I got a stitch, and was out of juice completely. I nearly gave up and started walking but thought I better keep moving, even though it was very slowly... Kim passed me with a huge smile at 9k and sprinted into the finish line, me not so much.

See the pain on my face, just after having finished?



Well, although she did a fab time, Kim didn't look all that either, ha ha...



And - the after photo, not so smiley anymore! :)



Even though I didn't crack the hour (this time, and I'm not sure it'll ever be a next...) I did do a personal best though! A minute plus faster than my last, so not too shabby after all!
(Thank you Yvette for the photos!)

WalkRunCycle 2011

This morning I took part in a popular charity event here in Brunei - the HSBC WalkRunCycle 2011. Around 2000 people had signed up to do either the 45k bike route or the 8k walk/run/bike route.
My friend Maria and I decided a few weeks back to do this run, but we haven't trained for it. In fact, I have hardly been running at all since last summer while in Sweden, apart from the HIIT (=High Intensity Interval Training) I do on the treadmill at the gym at the moment. But I figured, 8k would be doable.

I must admit I had a few second thoughts at 05.20 this morning when the alarm went off and it was POURING down with rain outside... *Sigh*.
But, I got ready and off I went into town:



We were in really good time... had to wait around for quite a bit before we set off. It didn't help either that the organizers decided to "wait for the rain to subside", as it only got heavier by the minute!
It was a bit annoying, since whoever didn't want to run in the rain probably hadn't even bothered to turn up; and the rest of us who were eager, were really rearing to go! The bikers set off 45 minutes late, and us runners 20 minutes late.

I didn't bring the camera for the race itself, only for afterwards. But here is a photo from just before we took off, that I got sent to me from Maria:



And... here we are after the race, down in the parking garage just before we got changed, nicely "glowing"!



Ok, I've only done two big organized races (the Hong Kong 10k and the Singapore Sundown 10k, both last year), and after finishing those you got bananas, fruit juices and other healthy foods. Here, you got this:



Fried chicken, white bread rolls and biscuits...
Mmm, just what you feel like after a run! (Not...)

We then had to wait, again, for the 45k bikers to get back before they would get on with the big Lucky Draw. In the meantime we checked out a few of the games they offered:



Some of the runners/walkers, waiting:



Finally they came! It had taken them nearly 2h40 to go around. (Well, it wasn't a race, they call it a "fun run", so they keep the whole group together and at quite a slow pace.)





So, then it was a big Lucky Draw with some really good prizes: iPad2s, iPhone4s, treadmills, half and full year gym memberships, nice road bikes and more. Unfortunately we didn't win anything, bummer.

In hindsight we should have taken part in the costume competition, considering it was a cool morning. Not many at all were dressed up so the competition wasn't very stiff... I liked the 'Angry Bird', ha ha!



Here we are - well done to us!



Next run we will be doing is the 10k Standard Chartered Bank Charity Run, in July. Right Maria?...

Veteran bike riding

On Monday it was a clear, warm day again. I took the chance to go for a run after dinner, and Nathan wanted to come along. His shoes had fallen to pieces and needed some glue so we thought maybe he could try my old bike instead.

When I say old, I mean old... I bought it 25 years ago! Back then it was hot stuff though, and I bought it for my own money I had earned selling flower and vegetable seeds (?). I still remember that first day that I had picked it up and was biking and biking and biking around town...



I had a good run, not too sure Nathan got any kind of workout on the bike though, ha ha! He didn't dare pedaling too fast, he said it was making strange noices!

12.4 k later

After the rain finally stopped today, Nathan and I went out for a walk.
12.4 k and nearly 2 hours later we were back home again after having covered a big area of the surroundings!



It was a bit chilly (only 19 degrees) but still a lovely walk, and nice quality time to spend together just the two of us.

Only a year ago...

It's only been a year since I took up running, I wrote this post on my first day of our Sweden vacation last year.
And here I was again, again, again this morning:



I'm trying to get out and run every day this year. Trying, because it's not the motivation that fails if I miss a day, it's the lack of time.
I so enjoy running here, in the cooler weather and the lovely surroundings. I look forward to each run.
Of course it's nice to be able to keep up the fitness while on vacation, but the main reason I run really is because it's so fab here..!

A little tip

Just a little tip for you runners in the region, or you runners who are thinking about maybe being in the region in December:
If you sign up for the Standard Chartered Run in Singapore before tomorrow, it's nearly half price as an Early Bird! (Half marathon $36 and 10k $31! From Saturday it's $58/$50 and from 3rd of July it's $65/$55) This race is by many considered one of the best in the region.

I might or might not be around, but I've still signed up, just in case I am! For the 10k that is... I need revenge on my time on the weekend..!
There is also a full marathon, and Fun Run for the kids. Apparantly they have new routes too, through the new Universal Studios f.e, and down Orchard Road! It could be a great family weekend, if we are here! (Considering it's the weekend after the Taupo Bike Challenge, who knows... but anyway...)

Just thought I'd let you know!

So cool!

Check this out, this was my run on Saturday:



Not that the result itself is too much to brag about... but it's a very cool service provided by this site.
This picture above is just a screen dump, but on the site itself you can see all your results as graphics. F.e the finish line in a 'birds view', you can see where you were when the winner of your category, the overall winner or your friends crossed the finish line; you can also see you split times and other statistics.
Very cool for a number geek like me!

The medal

Here's my second running medal!



This time we didn't get them in the race pack though (...), but after the actual race, after having passed the finish line and picked up our water and our banana! These also had ribbons, so we could carry them proudly around our neck!

The Singapore Sundown 10k

Saturday night's race was Nicole's 1st and Misuzu and mine's 2nd race (she did her 1st in NZ at the end of March).
We built up our excitement during the day, and all had a good feeling when we got in the cab to get out to the starting point.
See how we were all colour coordinated! Ha ha!



Unfortunately our experience started with a very stupid taxi driver who had no idea what the Sundown Race was, and took us to the completely wrong place. Luckily we had plenty of time, so we made it to the start with just over an hour to spare anyway.
We picked up our race kit and mounted the time chip on our shoes. Something that wasn't as easy as it seemed:



We dropped off our bags at the bag place and had time to take some pictures:





Picked up our light sticks that would "keep us company through the night":







We checked out the starting area:



We agreed that at least we would be easy to spot amongst all these other participants - most of them all being short, dark haired Asians, all wearing the official race top. We kind of stood out with our colourful wear and headgear:



We didn't run the race together, already after about 1k I fell behind the other two and Nicole took off at about 3k so after that we were all on our "own" - well, together with around 5000 other women!

I must say we didn't do too shabby - at least not the girls! Nicole got in on 1h07 and Misuzu on 1h09 (ranking nr 332 and 425). Really well done girls!!

I tried a different approach to this race, as my main goal was not to beat any time but to finish the race without ripping up my injury again. I applied walking breaks this time, in intervals of 5 minutes running/1 minute walking. It worked quite well and I managed still to keep up quite a good pace for the first half of the race. Unfortunately I got a stitch at 7k and had to walk for about 1,5k until it had passed and I could run again. I think that's what sank me. I didn't manage to pick up the pace again after that.
My time was a not very impressive 1h15 (rank 862) but you know what - I DID IT!!!
My leg was ok afterward, and I felt fine too. Not too exhausted or sick or anything, like after the Hong Kong race. All in all, a lot better experience!

We won!

Ha ha, well maybe not quite!
But we got medals!



Happy girls after having completed the Singapore Sundown 10k on Saturday night - "Race the night".

Wimps! ;)

On Saturday the largest annual running competition in Sweden took place, the Göteborgsvarvet - a half marathon running competition in the city of Gothenburg. This year 58 122 runners had signed up!
(It's name is a play with words; the Swedish word "varv" has a double meaning and can mean both lap and shipyard, and Gothenburg has a history as a city of shipyards.)

This year it was a bit of a shocker since summer decided to arrive on Saturday with temperatures up to 26 degrees on the race afternoon. Over a hundred runners had to attended to by the medical staff along the route, apparently about 60 of them were actually even admitted to hospital - mostly due to dehydration or heat stroke...

In the newspapers today, there were all the excuses like "well, the winter has been so long, no one has been able to train in the right temperature" and "the humidity was so bad" etc etc.
Wimps! ;)
When I ran at 5 o'clock in the morning in Hong Kong, we started at 24 degrees (and it just got hotter with each kilometer!) and the humidity was at 88-94%!
Usually when we train here, it's 30 plus degrees, and who knows what humidity...

I gotta give them this though in Göteborg - it really looks like amazing fun! This specific running event is known for it's great atmosphere, and the few, short movie clips I've seen from the weekend's race sure look great!
I wish the timing were better so I could participate one day, but May is not the month to go back to Sweden for us unfortunately.

Back on track?

It's been over 10 weeks since the HK race, and my injury. For a very long time, as you know, I couldn't do anything. For the last couple of weeks, I've finally started to be able to enjoy walks, hashes and being able to do the 9-hill hike at Bukit Shabandar.

I've been quite reluctant to try out running again, even though I've hardly been able to wait at the same time - I've really, really missed it! But, I knew trying my leg could go two ways:
Either it would just be sore and uncomfortable, or it would increasingly go worse and worse again which each step and I might ruin my chances on continuing with the exercise I actually can do.

Today was the day though. I decided to go for it: a slow jog, conscious every step about how the leg felt.



Misuzu, Nicole and I took on our dear old track (I'd actually missed it!) this afternoon and completed a 5k run. Not in any great speed, but it went ok, I think..?
I could feel the muscle, like a dull pain - or not really pain, more just discomfort. But, it didn't get any more painful neither during the run or now afterward; which I take as a good sign!

Our Singapore Sundown race is in a mere 16 days... so of course, I'm not planning on breaking any records or achieving any great results; but it doesn't matter. They have a very generous 3-hour time limit on the race (yes, you could ask why?), so we're good. Even if I have to walk the whole thing, I'll be able to finish it! :)

Hashing hashing hashing

I'm still walking, this week as well (at least) before I'll try any sort of running.
Yesterday though, I also managed to complete the whole hash! Yay!
I was actually (pleasantly) surprised I didn't feel anything during, or after, because it was twice up Serasa Hill yesterday (big hill!). I guess, taking it easy is the secret - there was no running involved at all yesterday.

I'm just happy I'm back into some of my exercise groove.
Yay!

Walking walking walking

I'm walking.
Yay!

Gotta be happy for the little things, I might not be able to run just yet - but I'm walking. I can exercise!
Yay!

Finally!

Yesterday Nicole and I went for a walk. This might not seem like something really worth to report, but for those regular readers of this blog you know I haven't done ANY exercise since my injury in Hong Kong, six weeks ago!
This was the first real exercise I'd done since then, and boy did it feel good!

I was a bit nervous as I can still feel it in my leg. It's not sore or painful, but it's there, and it's not 100%. I was mostly curious about afterward, what the exercise would do to it, but actually - it almost feels better than before, so that's all good!

I still wont overdo things, just stick with the walking for a couple of weeks before I try some slow, careful jogging. I do have the race in Singapore next month to train for, but I guess I'll just have to resign to the fact I won't be reaching any amazing results before then. I'll just be happy if I can complete it I guess, in whatever time it'll be.

Boo-hoo

This is what we should have done right now - Premiärmilen. :(



I signed up for this race months ago, and I had really, really, really looked forward to getting a different experience to the Hong Kong race. 37000 participants vs 3000; +25 degrees (and 90% humidity) vs +3 degrees and rain...
I was so fired up for this!

Instead, I'm still suffering from my HK injury and will definitely not be racing today, nor in the near future...
It sucks.

Blessing in disguise?

I'm still not well enough to start my running again. I can still feel the stupid injury from the Hong Kong race, and I'm not going to try and return to training before I feel completely 100%.
So, I have no high hopes I will be able to run at all while I'm in Sweden. I wont be doing the race next Sunday, that's for sure. At least not running but I'm actually not sure walking 10k is a good idea either, so we'll see.

In a way, it's quite nice not being able to run though... It's not really the gorgeous spring weather here yet that I'd expected. No sun, no clear trails, no birds happily chirping about spring, no pretty flowers...
It looks more like this along the roads:





Ha ha, seems like my injury has turned into the best excuse!

Bugger!

This injury sucks.

I've never been a sports person (when I was younger I was playing music and being member of the chess club...) so I've never suffered a proper sports injury before.
Apparently this one is one of the harder ones to rehabilitate, I've been told now it can take up to eight weeks before I'm good again! Well, I've realized it's a muscle you use a lot, since I keep hurting myself over and over again, straining it again, doing completely normal things like getting into the car or helping Lucas with his shoe laces.

This is about how I look inside my leg/groin:



I was really happy because I finally felt I was on the mend the last two days, not having done it again - but then today at the supermarket, I managed to somehow give it a pull again and was nearly in tears at the rice and pasta section.
Bugger. Back to square one, this will take time - and it sucks.

Torture

On the positive side, this injury has actually brought one good thing with it: the realization that I might just be a runner after all.
Because this feels like torture!

Not being able to run, not being able to move much at all actually. I miss it, so much. It's so frustrating.
Every day I look dreamily at the track when I drive past, and it sucks seeing Nathan going off doing exercise when I cant.
I really, really want to get out there, now!