Coney Island (not in New York)

We went to Coney Island today.  Ms Chi is in town and she wanted to see everyone so this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

There are two ways to get to the island.  One is by the west entrance - via Punggol, and the other is by the east entrance - via East Coast Park.  We went by the Punggol route.

From Punggol bus interchange, we took bus 84 that brought us to Punggol Promenade.  It was a short ride, about 5-10 minutes.

waiting at the interchange

most of the gang waiting for X who at that time was finding her way to the place

From Punggol promenade, there are directional signs pointing to Coney island.  Getting to the Coney Island gate from the promenade takes about 15 minutes by foot which we did.  X rented a two-legged scooter for $10 per hour.  And some people hop on to their bikes.

X on her 2-leg scooter

view of the island from the waterway

X teaching M how to ride the scooter

M finally getting the hang of it and going on her own

map of the island.  it's a 2-km walk on each way. 

trees in the forest

 Compared with its NY counterpart, Coney Island in Singapore is not a theme park but a nature park.  And it's a beautiful one in my opinion.  It has a rustic feel to it.  I saw shrubs and grasses that I used to see back home. And the flora was "untouched".  It was also cool inside as the sun coudn't really penetrate through the thick shade provided by the trees.  One warning we got about the place was that it had a lot of sand flies so we sprayed insect repellant on our clothes so luckily, we didnt get any sandfly bite.

There was also a beach but I dont think it's conducive for swimming.  The water looks like it's contaminated by oil.  I learned that the nearby islands were Jurong Island, where the oil refineries are, and Pulau Ubin.

the beach

X and M by the beach

the semi-unpaved pathway

C and Ms M

Ms Chi with G and D

the group

patches of touch-me-nots

the entire crew. i didnt realize that i was standing far from the group

We didnt finish walking the entire stretch of the island.  I think we reached half of and then started walking back.

But one day, I want to go back there and run/cycle around it.  A good route would be to cycle the entire stretch of Punggol waterway all the way to Coney Island.

After the walk, we headed back to Punggol Waterway, which is right by the bus interchange, for brunch.

And we saw this cool thing.  A tray return robot.  There were 4 them plying the entire food court. It always stops by our table because one of the chairs that we're using is on its way.  When it stops, the eyes turn sad and politely says "Please excuse me".

Maybe in a few years' time, robots such as these will replace the elderlies who help tidy up foodcourts.

the robot tray return assistant at the Koufu food court in Punggol Waterway mall

Budget trip series: Climbing Gunung Lambak

This is the second time that we're doing this.  The first time was in 2015 when we tagged along Kuya N's hike group.  I remember that the hike was difficult and yes, it really is.

There were 9 of us in the group.  We rented a van and left Singapore at 630am on a Saturday.  It was still quite early so crossing the border was a breeze, except for a few hiccups with P and T's thumb marks unreadable causing them to do their thumb marks again.  After that, we had breakfast somewhere near JB.  Breakfast was chill, the group talking about random stuff that we were tempted to just ditch the hike and go for a food tour instead.  I wouldn't have minded that.

Kluang, where Gunung Lambak is, is 2 hours away from the border.  We didn't really feel that the drive was 2 hours as we talked about a lot of things on the way.  Well, mainly org-related stuff.  We were joking that it was like a Mancom meeting.

We reached our destination around 11.  After a bit of stretching, we started on our journey at 11:25am.

The last time we were in G. Lambak, we went to all 4 stations.  This time, we didn't have a set itinerary.  The plan was just to go to as many stations as we could.

The start.  Everyone looks fresh and excited and ready and all

starting the long walk. the road is paved but im already using my walking stick to support my still sore knee

after a few minutes of walking, we reached the official starting point. to the left is a trail of moderate difficulty, to the right is a difficult trail.  we took the left one

this is moderate but as you can see, it's quite challenging.  it's steep. 

taking a rest

this is already close to the false summit.  i like how these ferns branch out into pyramid like shapes

it's not very obvious but those are ropes to support hikers because of the steep trail. this is on the way to the big tree...a difficult trail.  by midway, there was even a discussion as to whether we should continue or not because 1) the trail is too steep, and 2) it looked like it was going to rain anytime soon and if we go further, there's a high chance that we'll be caught up in rain.  most of us said go, others said no and so we decided that those who said no should just wait for us at the false summit.  but eventually, all of us went ahead.

this is how it is...this is m on her way up.  i remember from last time, we were warned about the difficult trail going to the big tree. and yes, it was really difficult.  we saw hikers on their way back and they said that the trek going to the big tree is just about 15-20 minutes.  that amount of time passed and still, we couldnt see it. we saw several big trees which we thought were THE big tree.  and then finally, we saw it... 

finally, the big tree.  it really is big. we were all exhausted by the time we reached the place

the tiny stream by the foot of the big tree.  

on the way back, i saw this gigantic centipede and i remembered that centipede joke which goes like this.
question: what did the baby centipede say that caused the mother centipede to faint?
answer: mom, buy me havaianas!

going back to the false summit took us about an hour.  we went in pairs.  there was even a time when i was alone in the middle of the forest.  i sat on a log waiting for my sister.  as i looked at where we are heading, dark clouds suddenly appeared and mists enveloped the top of the trees. it felt like the setting of one of those suspense movies. it felt surreal.  one really feels so vulnerable in the midst of nature.   and after a few minutes, rain fell.  i had my umbrella but didnt have my poncho.  needless to say, it was a challenge trekking when it's raining.  it was not slippery but the gush of water coming from upstream was enough to makes one shoes soaked.  add that to the difficulty of trying to balance while climbing a steep slope, having only two hands but trying to hold an umbrella, a walking stick and ropes. it was incredible.

in hindsight, i dint mind that we were caught in rain because that made me experience how it is to trek in the rain! it's definitely a big hassle but it made me feel so close to nature.  imagine being under the rain, with no roof above your head, your feet, ok shoes, getting all wet and dirty.  and of course, it's a bragging right.  yes, ive trekked under the rain!

here was E finally making it to the false summit.  we rested for a few minutes and embarked again on our descent because we didn't want to trek in the dark. it was 5:59 when we reached the base of the mountain.

the photo couldn't capture the soaked feet in squishy socks and shoes, and the wet pants

fruits and drinks at the base of the mountain

dinner at nando's where we indulged ourselves with chicken and nice drinks.  see how fancy our drinks look like?

It was generally an amazing hike.  I was so happy that my knees did it.  Climbing up was ok because I had my stick and the ropes to help me use more arm power because I had to pull myself up at some point but going downhill was more challenging. I had to rely more on my right knee and of course, climbing down backwards.

Compared with running,  I like hiking more because I get to enjoy the sights and the sound of nature at a closer distance, slower pace and occasional stops. Plus, it is a team activity that strengthen bonds as exemplified by the buddy system and having to wait for each other and make sure that everyone is safe and well accounted for.  I also realize that Im more of an "enjoying the journey more than the destination" kind of person.  Most of the mountains/hills that I've climbed have an OK view at the summit and that is perfectly fine with me because I enjoy the climb more, the trail, seeing what's on the way, climbing, holding on to those ropes, pushing myself and others, talking to myself to just carry that leg one more time because we're almost there, not to give up otherwise i'll just stay there in the middle of the forest, to finish and go back to the start.  Yup, I like hiking.  I hope my knees would allow me to enjoy this hobby more.

===

Budget for the trip
Van hire from Sg-Kluang-Sg (1 day trip): $42 each
Breakfast: about 5RM
1.5L of water: about 5RM
lunch: pre-packed
post-trek fruits and drinks: 5RM
indulgent dinner at Nando's: about 40RM
Exchange rate: $1: 3.04RM
Total expenses $42 + 55RM ($18)= $60

2XU Half marathon

So this is my first non-academic medal.  After 4 months of training which includes waking up at 6am on a weekday to run, waking up early on Saturdays (!) to run longer distances, contemplating whether it's best to "listen to your body" or do that "mind over matter" thing when aches and pains begin to manifest, this is what I got. A huge and heavy 21k medal.

A couple of days before the run, I couldn't sleep properly.  I was a bit anxious about my knees giving up because it hasn't been in its best form.  My goal was to finish the marathon running and I was agonizing over the possibility of it not happening and months' worth of training being thrown into waste because of my body giving up on me. Yes, I could totally imagine myself being this guy.

I know. I could be totally depressive for no reason at all

But well, if my body gives up on me, that's beyond my control, right?  I mean, I could only do so much.  I knew that I've trained well, I did the required preparations and that's enough.  So I let it go and just told myself to just go with the flow.

The day before the run, I had a meeting with my org and the food in that meeting helped with my much-needed carbo loading.  And also, I had a good excuse for eating a loooot of lechon, steak and nilaga.  I mean, Im running 21k the following morning!

So I set my alarm for 230am and slept before 10pm.

But my body had other plans.  I woke up at 130.  And wasn't able to go back to sleep since then.  So instead of turning endlessly on my bed, I got up at 2, took a bath, did a bit of stretching and had breakfast.  M and I left the house at 330.

We were trying to go for the first wave which starts at 430 but traffic was horrible, so we didn't make it on time.  We went for the 3rd wave instead.

3rd wave started at 450am

When the gunshot went off, people started dashing.  M and I opted to just start easy as what's usually advised in training plans.  We didn't want to get tired easily.

M and I chatting. Goodluck finding us here

The weather was perfect.  It was a bit cool and the ground was wet.  We started from the flyer, went to Kallang, headed towards Gardens by the Bay East all the way to East Coast Park, then came back through Marina Barrage, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Makansutra and finished right by the entrance of the flyer.

21km route. Something obviously was wrong with my steps counter because it only registered 13 steps which is probably good for just 10km or so

Personally, the first 5km was difficult for me in the sense that I felt that it went on for a really long time.  No, I wasnt tired but I just felt that I was already running for a long long time and yet, the road markers tell me that such is not the case.  I was also surprised to see people walking within the first 5km.  I heard that a lot of people really walk towards the end but I wasn't expecting it at that point.

The best part for me was from 5-10km.  I was warmed up, not tired and just enjoying the experience.  There was an old man, probably in his 70s, doing the 21km and I have so much admiration for him.

The East Coast Park was another difficult part for me because well, it also felt neverending! My only motivation at that point was knowing that we're getting a banana on the way back.  I mean, eye on the prize, right? (That motivational quote doesnt even motivate me most of the time).

After the 10thkm, I could feel a bit of tiredness on my legs but they were still fine.  By the time we reached Marina Barrage (about 15km), I could already feel a bit of pain.  Doing a bit of stretching helped. M was also at this point doing a run/walk.  By the 18th km, I said enough.  I care more about my knees than my goal of finishing it running.  So I started to walk.  I would run once in a while but the pain is well, a real pain the ass (or in this case leg) so I would go back to walking.

Needless to say, I walked the last 3km of it.  Of course, I went back to running when I was at the finish line because, who wouldnt?

Give me my shirt!

Who thought of these cold towels?  This is pure genius! 

mob of runners

Getting the medal is quite unceremonial and anticlimactic.  One just needs to queue for the proper category (21, 10, 5) and gets the finisher shirt first, followed by a bottle of  isotonic drink, a banana, and yeah, that medal.

That day, I realized how good cold pocari sweat tasted like.  It's heaven (ok, if you're running)!

So will I do this again?  Probably not too soon.

One thing that I realized about running is that, it's a very individualistic endeavor.  Im glad that M and I went together because otherwise, I would have been so bored! Imagine waking up early in the morning, going to the race venue, check-in, run, get your shirt/medal/whatever, and then leave. There's no social interaction unless one is part of a team or runs with a group already.

Also, I realized that Im someone who enjoys the journey more than the destination.  I made it because I enjoyed the training (even if I would start grudgingly) and discovering new routes from running is really fun. I wouldn't have finished it if I hated the process.

So yeah, do that 21km.

Collection

With four months of training, I realized that I have slowly accumulated stuff without intending to do so.

Im a big fan of Decathlon because of their cheap items.  I realized that most of my branded stuff are actually gifts hehe

This is a Christmas gift from my sister.  I saw it on a mannequin here.

This is my first semi-compression tights.  I also got it as a Christmas gift from my sister who is always so excited about our sporty pursuits. Aside frot the shiny material, I LOVE everything about this tights.  The fit is flattering, the length is perfect for my height, and its wicking properties is amazing.  I can run under the heat but my legs would still feel dry and cold afterwards.

This is my first splurge for this run.  Given its popularity, I had high expectations but its results are underwhelming.  I had to return the first item that I got from the store because it had a hole in it. It wasnt a tear but a small area that was unsewn. The garter at the waist area is also tiny.  I read somewhere that a wide garter for the waist area is better because it can provide more support for the core.  And I dont know if it has sweat-wicking properties?  

Aaah, my ever-reliable stuff from Decathlon.  Knee support and compression  stuff for the calves.

And lastly, this tape.  I allowed myself to be salestalked.  The auntie in me feels like it is a more trendy version of Salonpas :)

Day 122: Race pack collection

This is the last Satuday that we're doing a long run. Whew. Although Im sure Im going to miss the route, and the routine. And the push from knowing that I have to train so that I can come out alive from what I expect is a gruelling race. 

So we did 10km. In 2 hours. Under the hot sun.  It was difficult! Not tiring difficult but it's-so-hot-and-the-sun-is-scorching-my-skin kind of difficult.

We had breakfast at Toast Box after.  M had fried bee hoon while I had laksa which was a product of a 10-minute deliberation on my part. To have or not to have.  In the end I gave in to my craving. Oh gosh, I miss laksa so much.  Food deprivation is really a killer.

It's also race pack collection day today!  The organizer's Facebook page said that last night, collection had a 90-minute waiting time.  We dont want to go through that so we decided to go in the morning, right in time after breakfast.  It took us about 15 mins (?) I think.

There were a lot of requests for t-shirt exchange.  Most were asking for a smaller size. Probably people have lost weight, and reduced inches, after training for the race :) (p.s. i learned from the FB comments that some people were given shirts that are one size bigger than they've requested for. M also had the same experience)

So these are the main stuff from the pack.  The bib, singlet, and the free polo tee. Im excited!

Day 116: The longest distance

Yesterday was supposed to be our longest run in the training plan we peaked early so we had ours 3 weeks ago.

Yesterday, we did 17.7km.  It was the first morning run again after 2 weeks of running at night due to 1) laziness, and 2) sore body parts that just keeps us glued to bed in the mornings.

The body really gets used to a habit.  It was just 2 weeks and I personally found it different.  I was sleepy while running.   I woke up at 4am because of random people shouting and fighting at dawn and didnt manage to go back to sleep again so essentially, I only had 4 hours of sleep the previous night.

On the way back, the right part of my right thigh started hurting so I switched to brisk walking.  I walked all the way back home.

The left knee still hurts but the upside this time is that, Ive already been introduced to the magic of ice compress so after running, I applied an ice pack on my thighs and it helped.  The knee doesnt hurt as much as it used to.

13 days to go!

Shakes

I've been trying out different shakes recently and happy at how easy they are made and how the tastes blend well.

Usually I freeze the fruits and cut them into small pieces before I throw them into the blender.  I then mix it with milk, spinach, water and a bit of honey.  If it's too thick, I add water and more ice.

This papaya, kiwi and spinach

Papaya, kiwi and spinach smoothie

Papaya, spinach and grapes smoothie

For a full meal, especially for breakfast, you can add oatmeal or yoghurt. It's advisable to soak the oatmeal in milk overnight so that it becomes soft when blending.

Day 109: Running from the East to the City Centre...and yes, another sore knee

This week, we had our trainings mostly at night.  It was because of early morning rainshowers.

Yesterday was our usual long run.  Since I had health screening in the morning, we had our run in the afternoon after plates of bihon, shanghai, baby back ribs and leche flan from D's birthday party.

We ran from D's place in the East towards East Coast Park and went all the way to Makansutra.  We didnt know the actual route, we just had estimates from Google maps.  We kind of expected that ECP is a long run and we were prepared for that. We werent in 'fully conditioned' though, probably from an incomplete and hasty pre-run stretching.  We could feel the stress in our knees in the first 5 kms.

After ECP, we followed the trail where people and cyclists go and inadvertently went through a park. When we saw a signboard that says Gardens by the Bay is just 2 kms, we couldnt believe our eyes.  We werent expecting that the Gardens was that close.  When we saw the entrance, we were ecstatic.  We were expecting that we will be in Makansutra in just a short run.  But when we were looking for our usual way, we couldnt see it.  We couldnt find the dome and the super trees.  We realized we were on the other side of the river! The other side which I thought was still part of Tanjong Rhu is apparently part of Gardens by the Bay East!  It was an amusing but painful realization because that means we still had to run a long stretch to get to the other side of the river.  So thats what we did. We ran and ran until we got to Marina Barrage and the Gardens by the Bay part that we know.

ECP to Makansutra

It was already 12 when we finished the entire route. We walked the last 4km of it because our legs and knees were giving up.  Makansutra was a welcome respite for drinks and short rest.

It's just 3 more weeks before the actual run!

Day 101 : The longest run

So today, we clocked in the longest distance that we have ran for this training.  My phone says it's 14.9km.  M's says it's 17km.  But regardless of what the phone says, today's training was the most intense.

So we ran our usual route - Home - Kallang River - F1 - Gardens by the Bay - Marina Barrange - MBS - OUE and this time, adding Boat Quay - back to Parliament House - ACM - Esplanade - Merlion and Back to the OUE side.  We did a bit of stretching before the drizzling became rainshowers.

Newater Day at the barrage. The government is on a massive campaign to educate people about the value of water and encourage water conservation

A church bell tolls in the middle of the CBD

We had breakfast at Lau Pa Sat before heading to Fitness First for the running workshop.

In the workshop, we learned where the knee pain comes from. Apparently, it's not the knee itself that has the problem but muscles below and above it causes it to ache.    And I learned that my toes tend to go outwards whenever I ran which may be a reason for my knee pains.  Misaligned nerves and muscles.  Post run stretches were also taught, which I think is helpful for reducing my post-run knee pain.

Anyway, I also have to say that even after the long run that we had, we still had to run on the threadmill.  That's additional 3km to what we did outside.  Insane.

The workshop is in FF so M and I took advantage of the services. We were there anyway.  And it was a big help since I was meeting my friends after that.  We went to the Sauna then transferred to the steam room which was heavenly.  If I am a FF member, I'd probably hang out in that room very often.

While walking from FF to the MRT station, we realized that we had been actively walking/running for 6 hours already and didnt feel exhausted at all.   It's amazing. It helps I guess that we started early and it was cloudy.  No hot and exhausting sun rays.

Friends from PAL and my stinky running singlet whose sweat wicking and fast drying properties amazed me. Imagine a soaked singlet drying after 30 minutes even after being left inside a cabinet in an airconditioned bathroom. Clothing technology people, hail!

For lunch, I wanted to eat healthy (I dont know why but after running and yoga, I usually crave for clean tasting food) but the Vietnamese place where we were supposed to go was no longer there so we went for Japanese instead. Now this is Japanese food so temptation for a bit of fat is very high.  I gave in.  I had ramen and Tonkatsu. I even wanted the fatty tonkatsu but was given a lean portion instead. Oh well.

Most number of steps.  Even I have to admit that this is pretty intense

And the longest distance that Ive conquered.  Friends from lunch were coaxing me to do a full marathon instead.  Let's see.  Doing 21 seems very difficult months ago but is pretty doable now.  Maybe it's going to be the same for a full marathon.

And this is what I had for dinner.

Palak paneer and Naan.  It would have been perfect with a cup of masala tea

Day 94: Gardens by the Bay

My macbook was sick for 2 weeks and was confined in the mac hospital for a couple of days.  It had liquid in its lungs. I was sad when the possibility of losing it hit me but it's a good thing that apparently, the motherboard was ok and it just had an episode of power trip. 

Anyway, the past two weeks have been intense.  We started with the tempo runs, from doing just a 5-min tempo in a 50-minute routine to a 15-minute alternative tempo run in a routine of 5 walk, 5 er and 5 tr.  Tempo running is exhausting. We are not even sure if we're doing it properly.  Should we do TR for the whole 5km or just parts of it?  I need to talk to someone. 

Last Saturday, we also did  a 14km run.  We ran from home all the way to Makansutra, around the Marina Bay area and back home. We were too tired though so we stopped running along Lavender and walked the rest of the way home instead. That day, I reached my record # of steps. 37,000 steps.

Early morning view of the water 

my highest number of steps

Today, we went to do the same route but fell short.  We started an hour late.  The run towards Marina Bay was ok.  We even went to Gardens by the Bay and Marina Barrage before running the entire Marina Bay area.  By the time we were done, it was too hot to run/walk back home so we just took the bus.  

Because the view was beautiful

Today, I clocked in 27,000 steps. And a slightly sore knee.

It's barely over a month before race day!