Are we doing our part?

Few days ago, I stumbled upon a video on  Facebook. What that video does is to  reminds me of a struggle I face everyday which I've come to realize for a few months now. As a runner and as as a driver on the road, we are paradoxically, 2 side of the same coin.

On the Driver side of the coin, we are often seen to be in a rush, driving with excessive speed, being discourteous to other road users, double parking, queue jumping, and etc, etc, etc. The list does go on, but we all know what those lists contain. We break the rules and law when others are not watching, and even more so now a days, when it's convenient for us.

On the Runner side of the coin, We tend to feel that runners/pedestrians have the right of way.This is even more so when there's a Zebra Crossing. There are times we can be so anal about this that we put ourselves at risk of being mowed down by the drivers on the road. We become discourteous to the drivers, staring at them like they're the most hateful thing in this world. as well as by being a "PITA" pedestrians too.

There WILL be a few readers out there that may have the though "I'm free to do whatever I want" going through their mind now. That's completely Ok, and normal. Freedom is our God given right as everyone would say, argue, fight, and die for. But with the word "Freedom" comes another word that a lot of us conveniently forget. I do apologize for being philosophical and some of you guys may get upset by what I have to say, but do remember that this are my thoughts and opinion only and you may agree or disagree freely.

Responsibility

“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”

― Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

As the quote above says, With Freedom comes Responsibility. A lot of us have enjoyed our freedom of speech, freedom of choice and Freedom in general to the extend that we forget that with THAT freedom comes responsibilities that's associated with it. You are FREE to drive your car, but  you are also responsible for not just maintaining your own safety, but the safety of other road users. You are also FREE to run on the road, BUT, you are also responsible for making sure that you run on the right side of the road so that you can see incoming vehicles, as well as to take all necessary precaution to ensure that you are as safe as possible.

A lot of time, we push the responsibility to others. Classic Example: I'm a pedestrian crossing the road, the driver should be aware and wary of pedestrians. Or; Reversing out of a parking and expecting the pedestrians to keep clear just because you can't see everywhere or going slowly. What happen to the responsibility part? It is as if, like what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.” Can you imagine a bunch of kids or children running in the street and driving on the road?

Part of growing up has always been to take on more and more responsibilities. It's a part of the journey of life itself. A lot of us "grown ups" think that we're matured and responsible enough as it is, Is that really true? Being "grown up" does not always equate to being matured. How many of us have really matured to the extent that we see beyond the immediate event and the surface? How many of us have matured to the extent that we dare to conduct a self-evaluation and to say yes, I'm doing this wrongly, I need to change?

The Challenge

This post is not about putting any sort of faults on the drivers or the pedestrians. This post is all about giving you a wake up. We are ALL Road Users, be you a runner or a driver. Most of us that follow this blog are both. The challenge I'm putting up to readers here is this. Be aware of what's going on on the road, be it when you're driving, or when you're running. Make positive changes that can impact other road users on the road.

For the past 2 months or so, I've been consciously trying to change the way I drive. It's a hard habit to break. This is especially true when faced with the likes of queue jumpers and rude drivers. I have to constantly remind myself that it's not worth it to drive angrily or drive excessively fast. I try to slow down and give way to other drivers that are struggling to cross the road or merge into the traffic. I especially try to change lane when there's a pedestrian on the road. If I can't change lane, I'll slow down and move further away so as to give them that extra buffer zone of safety.

It's not always successful, I'll admit, but I believe that with perseverance and determination, I'll definitely be able to break this habit off and be a more responsible driver on the road. One chant that helps me along whenever I'm struggling  is "Just breathe" One day at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time :)" This is especially helpful if you're running late. There's no point for you to drive like an F1 driver when you're running late. No matter how fast you drive, you'll still be late. Might as well drive carefully and reach your destination in a better mental state than what the rush will do to you.

Remember, just because you use the road, doesn't mean you own it. Respect everyone who uses it, be it pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, or car drivers. All of us can do something to make the road a safer place. We may think it's ok to break the law, but you are still morally responsible for your action.

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

Running Dos and Don'ts in Malaysia

You know what? Every time we go to a race, we are always faced with the same inevitable problems of runners doing whatever they want. I don't know whether this is due to ignorance, lack of information, lack of education or lack of the grey matter, but I hope this post can help to address this issue. I plan to append to this post and compile some sort of a booklet that hopefully I can pass on to organizers to print out to pass to runners. Who knows, maybe I can get DBKL to print out some simple guideline in the park as well.

Running Etiquette:

1. Do run a maximum of 2 abreast. Share the running path with other runners. They're not made exclusively just for you.

2. If  you are running with others, please remember that you are only as fast as your slowest running partner.

3. In most park you will notice that runners tend to go in 1 direction. There are however times where people may run in the opposite direction. If that's the case, just do the logical thing and keep to the left just like how you would drive. I'm not too sure whether left-hand drive country will keep to the right or not. This will be interesting to find out, especially for runners traveling to other countries.

4. If you run on the road, do run AGAINST the flow of traffic. It is safer as you will be able to see cars approaching you and take evasive measures in case the driver is not paying attention to his/her driving. If in doubt of whether the driver sees you, always assume that he/she didn't.

5. Don't run or walk in the middle of the track. Keep to the left to facilitate overtaking runners.

6. At the same time, runners overtaking should alert walkers or slower runners that they're being passed. Don't assume they are aware of their surrounding. A simple "Coming through", "Excuse Me", or "On you right" is good enough.

7. Acknowledge other runners as well as drivers who take extra care to ensure your safety. It's always nice to be acknowledged, especially drivers. We don't just want to promote the sport of running, but also to promote running in a positive manner.

Racing Etiquette:

1. Do line up appropriately. If you plan to walk/run or go slow, line up further back in the start corral. This help to control traffic on the route and there's less jostling about for everyone. Just because you line up further in front does not mean that you will finish the race faster. It is fine to ask fellow participants their targeted finishing time to know if you're in the right spot.

2. Ever get pissed off with snobbish runners shouting at you to "Keep left"? Well guess what, that runner is trying to help you by teaching you that the right etiquette for going slow is to keep left. Just like driving, don't hog the fast lane if you're one of the below:
a. Slow runner.
b. Walker.
c. Couple/Dating on the run.
d. Cam-whoring or SelCa-ing
e. High on something.

3. Don't ever, ever pull an abrupt stop during a race. You run the risk of causing an accident to runners behind you. If you need to stop, move left and check to make sure you're out of the traffic flow before stopping. This include stopping all of a sudden to tie your shoe lace in the middle of the route. Please, please, please move to the left and out of traffic flow or refer to online resources on How to tie your shoe lace correctly.

4. Don't cut in front of runners all of a sudden. Same issue will result as above. If you need to pass or cut across, do indicate and check for other runners behind you. If someone is wearing earphone in front of you, and they are blocking, gently touch their elbow or shoulder to alert them of  your presence as you pass them.

5. Please please please, don't hog the water station. I've never ever used the Water Station in any of the run I've participated. You know why? Coz I got traumatized during my first race. It's like a herd of parched Wildebeest stampeding to a watering hole.

Luckily there's no crocodile for us runners.

Do try to go in slow, take the cup and continue moving along instead of stopping to take a drink. If you DO need to stop to take a drink, move further up and out of the traffic flow so as not to cause a congestion. Or do like me, BYOW (Bring Your Own Water). You won't be caught in situation where you need water and there's none.

6. Do throw your cups into the designated bin or mash it up and carry it along with you. Some people say that it's OK to throw the cups on the road as long as it's close to the volunteer station. I don't see why we can't carry/pocket something that doesn't weight much back to the finish line or till we find a rubbish bin to dispose of instead of endangering the lives of the volunteer who has to clean up after you.

7. Watch where you throw your waste. We're not Michael Jordan and even then, there's such a thing called Interception. Smacking a fellow runner in the face with your waste is bad form.

8. If you need to perform the Snot Rocket/Farmer's Blow, do make sure there's no one behind you. It would help if you could move aside and ensure that no one is in the "shotgun" zone when you perform this task.

9. Do not blast your earphone until you can't hear what's going on. We all love music, but you ARE in a race and safety of other runners as well as yourself IS paramount. If you want to listen to music, do keep one earbud off so you can hear runners and marshals calling out warnings as well as any approaching vehicles.

10. Listen to Traffic Controller's instruction. When asked to give way for cars, stop and let the cars through. We don't own the road, we share them, so respect other road user's right as well.

11. Always thank the volunteers. Without them, the race may not happen. Even if you're running the race of your life, or you're all spent and out of breathe, a simple nod, thumbs up, or gesture will go a long way to make the volunteer's day.

12. We rarely see supporters here in Malaysia, but I make it a point to say "Thank You" to any supporter is see. These people come out to cheer you on in their own time with their own expenses. The least they deserve is a Thank you from you.

13. Do continue moving after you've crossed the Finish line. There are other runners coming through. As always, get out of the traffic flow before slowing.

14. Don't cut course or run out of course. You're only cheating yourself.

Star Wars Running Quotes

Just for the heck of it, I thought I might as well make a post on quotes from Star Wars and mix them up with some running Lingos. Have a laugh, contribute to it, use it. It's all for the fun of running. :)

Quotes from Yoda

“Speed, PB, pace... the dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”

I can imagine Yoda using the above quote when training Luke for a marathon.

"When 42.195 kilometer you reach, look as good, you will not."

"Try Not. Do or do not; there is no try."

"Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering."

"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose."

The above 2 quote is something I myself will have to learn haha. I’m sure that will lead us to enjoy our runs and races even more.

Quotes from Princess Leia

"If personal bests are all you love, then that's what you'll receive."

"He must run his own race; no one can run it for him."

"You came here without training? You're braver than I thought."

I can imagine using that last one on someone who joins a HM or even FM without proper training. Although, he/she may be more foolish than brave.

Quotes from Obiwan-Kenobi

“Use the Force, *Insert Name here*.”

Wonder what will happen if we use the above to cheer people on. Hahaha.

Quotes from Chancellor Palpatine

"All who gain PB are afraid to lose it, even the Jedi."

"The attempt on my PB has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you… my resolve has never been stronger!"

"There is no civility, only the podium."

Quotes from Darth Vader

“The Force is strong with this one.”

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

I think Darth Vader is secretly a runner. His quote doesn’t need to be changed much.

Quote by Chewbacca

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh!"

You can use this when you cross the Finish Line

So remember always, “May the Force be with you.”

Running Injury and how our body heal.

I had a difficult time trying to put a proper title to this blog post. First thing first. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor/podiatrist/biomechanist/etc, what you see here are compilation of information from what I've read, and researched upon. I tried not to get too technical but anatomy being anatomy, there are terms which I would recommend you to read up on. Take this post as a platform for you to launch yourself into understanding your body more. This was posted because I just basically want to share some info about injuries as well as how our body deals with it to the runners out there.

A lot of us out there have the misconception that if you're injured, we should rest. I don't blame you nor am I saying it is wrong, since this is what we have been taught by our doctors, parents and friends. Well, a lot of you out there will be surprised that not all injuries get better with rest. In fact, some even get worse apparently. How is that so? Well it depends on the type of tissues in our musculoskeletal that was injured. Does anyone know how many types of tissues are involved? Don't you wish you've been paying attention during your science class now? lol

Ok ok, here's the list. They’re:

1.    Bones

2.    Tendons

3.    Ligaments

4.    Muscle

5.    Cartilage

You see, each of the above have different properties, ranging from how they get their nutrients to how they react to stress and etc. Below are as quick a summary as I can make it

Cartilage:

Cartilage are the springy white stuff at the end of your bones which prevent bone to bone meeting while also acts as shock absorbers for the bones (yes it's the one some of us tend to chew off our chicken wings). Cartilage mainly gets its nutrient from the Synovial Fluid just like the tendons and ligaments. It has to be noted that distribution of the Synovial Fluid comes from compression, decompression and movements, so who says running is not good for your joints? (Subject to wear and tear of course) Cartilages do not have pain nerve so you will not feel any hurt or pain from damaged cartilage. The bad stuff only comes when it's already down to bone to bone grinding.

Ligaments:

Ligaments are the tissues that attach bones to bones. What, we ain’t got no super glue attaching our bones together ok? Ligaments do not have much give and they attached bones together at an optimal distance, not too loose, not too tight, juuuuussttt nice. Ligaments are oriented to resist tension a long a very specific direction, so they don’t tolerate nonsense like slipping sideway (shearing), which is the major cause of ligament tears.

The cool thing about ligaments is the fact that it gets its nutrients from the fluid inside the joints (Synovial Fluid). Ligaments can't contract like muscles but they can, and do get thicker and stronger with exercise and training. They are one of the tissues that do not heal 100% after injuries, only up to 97-98%. That’s why for those that have sprained ankles before, you’ll realize your ankle will not be as strong as before and need to be strengthened by additional training and exercises.

Bones:

Guess what. There are actually 206 bones in our body, and their main duty is not just to provide our body with the structural shape, but also to provide anchoring points for us to move our body via other tissues. Contrary to what many believes, bones are not rigid, but are actually flexible and can display slight bend/flex when you exert force on it, kind of like a thick cane. There are actually 2 parts to our bones.

2 parts to bones:

Cortical: This is the hard outer layer of our bone. It is compacted and made up 80% of our skeletons.

Cancellous: This is the inner part of bones, which provide scaffolding (looks kind of like sponge) to the bones. It is also where majority of the tissues are replaced. The Cancellous area has good blood supply with blood being pumped in by dedicated arteries through the surface of the bones. Yes bones have blood flow inside too. How do you think we get our red blood cells?

Bones are constantly growing and will adapt to the optimal load placed on it. How they do so is by constantly breaking down bone for calcium (as per the requirement of the bodily function) and the laying down new minerals for increased integrity, a process called Osteoclast and Osteoblast. In other word, you’re constantly breaking bones to make them stronger. How freaky is that?

Tendons:

The tendons are the rubber band tissues of your body. This is the magic stuff which makes us so adept at running. How they do so is by storing energy upon impact/compression and returning it as free energy at the next phase of running. One of the most popular tendons in our body is the Achilles tendon, no thanks to a certain Ancient hero's weakness :P The tendons are also the tissue that sits sitting between the bones and the muscles.

Tendons have very little blood flow to them and gets nutrients mainly from a covering or sheath around them that contains Synovial Fluid. Growth and repair of the tendon is via a process called Fibroblast (the manufacturing of elastic cells), and also by improving the density and structure of the tendons via exercise and Trigger Point Treatment to break up scar tissues for realignment.

One particular thing that I would like to point out is that, apparently, tendons are not capable of inflammation. So, any doctors that want to give you anti-inflammatory shots for your inflamed Tendon or Tendinitis should be avoided. The cause of the inflammation is actually by tissues surrounding the affected area, acting as a splint and a message to the body to repair the affected area.

Muscles:

These tissues are the powerhouse for the body and are responsible for the majority of the movements or the generating of force/power that we require. The muscles are tissues that have a very active supply of blood. Muscles can be trained to generate more power via 2 methods.

1. Hypertrophy and Hyperplasia: (to put it simply, an increase in size in the Muscle cell and division of Muscle cells). Hypertrophy typically takes 6-8 weeks to develop; and 
2. Nerve control: Improved control of your musculature via increased nerve firing.

In human, there are 3 type of muscle fiber, Type I or Slow Twitch, Type IIa or Intermediate Fast Twitch, and Type IIx or Fast Twitch. There is actually a fourth type called Type IIb which is present mainly in small animals and is a Fast Twitch Fiber (this is how we get our White Meat). This can be confusing so I'm gonna put in a table with the individual features for easier reference.

Feature	Type I (Slow Twitch fiber)	Type IIa (Medium fast twitch fiber)	Type IIx (Fast Twitch fiber)
Twitch Rate	Slow	Fast	Fast
Myosin ATPase Activity (How fast power can be generated)	Slow	Fast	Fast
ATP Synthesis	Aerobic	Aerobic	Anaerobic
Myoglobin Level (How well oxygenated the muscle can get)	High	High	Low
Glycogen Store (Fuel)	Low	Medium	High
Fatigue Rate	Slow	Medium	High
Color	Red	Pink	Whitish/Pale Pink

The ratio of Muscle fiber type is fixed in each individual and no matter how much training we do, we cannot gain additional Type I/IIx Fiber. We CAN however train Type IIa to work similar to Type I with aerobic/cardio training. Note that it takes almost no training to get Type IIa to work like Type IIx. It should also be noted that Mitochondria (a component which is important for aerobic metabolism) is readily available in Type I and Type IIa in high concentration but not that much in Type IIx Fiber.

As you can see from the above, majority of our tissues actually require activities to get their nutrients. So what does protracted rest actually do to our specific type of tissues?

Cartilage - Swelling occurs and binding agent weakens.
Ligaments - Decrease it's strength and holding power.
Bones - Weakened due to breakdown of collagen structure and mineral density.

Tendons - Decreases strength and causes disorganized collagen similar to scar tissue.

Muscles - Weakens muscles, Atrophy of muscles.

So what should we do?

Exercise within means of course. That's why Physiotherapy is so important after any major injuries. The initial rest period is for your body to start the healing process. Exercise is a very important part of the healing process that a lot of people actually skip or do without, thinking that rest will fix all things. What type of exercise is beneficial to the specific type of tissues?

Bones > Slight compression and vibrations. Simulated in running, jumping and etc.

Cartilage > moderate loading within comfortable range of mobility.

ligaments > Controlled, comfortable loading of stress along the natural line of force.

Tendons > Eccentric Strengthening via loading of tension to improve organization of collagen fibers

Muscles > Aerobic exercise to induce Type IIA adaptation.

I've included Wiki links to some of the more bizarre lingo in this post to help people understand more about what some of these things are. If you have any question, do post a comment and I'll try to answer it to the best of my ability. Most importantly, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use this post as a self diagnostic to how you can heal yourself. Always consult your doctor and heed their advise. Use this post as an added knowledge so that you can get better faster. Clear any activities/exercise you would like to do with your doctor before hand.

Happy running people.

Bonk Training and Weight Loss

Here's some interesting information I found on Wikipedia.

As runners and marathoners know, you have 2 main sources of energy to utilize in your runs.

1. Glycogen. Simply put, sugar.
2. Fat. Simply put, Pork Belly.

I won't delve too much into the mechanics of Carbo Loading or healthy diet as yet as I am still myself learning bout it. What I do want to talk about is what I have stumbled upon accidentally. Through out my research, I've been informed that consuming food within 1 1/2 to 2 hours before your run is not a good thing due to the following.

1. Your food need to be digested. Depending on the type of food that you take, you may face some Gastro Intestinal Discomfort. This may range from simple gassiness or a major need to use the restroom, pronto.
2. There's also the influx of Glucose level in your bloodstream. What this does to your system is even more complicated. From what I understand, an influx of Glucose to your bloodstream before your run causes your body to utilize Glycogen as your primary fuel, giving you a higher possibility of bonking/hitting the wall. (do correct me if I'm wrong).

As a result of that, I've always done my LSDs without breakfast. I prefer to do my runs early in the morning so it doesn't make sense for me to wake up like 4am in the morning to have breakfast before I go for my run. (who knows, I may HAVE to do that and go back to bed next time). Best of all,  as my LSDs are meant to build the foundation of my Aerobic level, I generally run at a pretty slow pace (conversational pace). This puts me in the position to burn fats as my primary source of energy .

What I did not realize is what's stated by Wiki.

Bonk trainingBonk training is an exercise program designed for weight loss. It suggests the following strategy: on an empty stomach the first thing in the morning, when glycogen store levels are low, consume coffee or caffeine equivalent to 2 or 3 cups of coffee, run or cycle at a casual pace (60% of max heart rate) for 20–90 minutes, and have a normal breakfast right after exercising. Proponents claim this will force the body to "bonk" shortly into the exercise, and subsequently burn more fat to generate the energy. It is not clear how medically sound this idea is; exerting too much energy and "bonking hard," or experiencing severe hypoglycemia, can be dangerous.

Looking at the above, the only difference I have from the what's been mentioned is the lack of caffeine before my run. I do realize I experience minor bonking in my LSDs and have lost quite a bit of love handle off me within this pass 1 month plus.

This clearly shows that without proper knowledge, we can tread into dangerous territory without us even realizing it. Like I said, I may have to wake up earlier by 1 1/2 to 2 hours just to have breakfast before my LSD or come up with a more time efficient solution to this I guess.

For those interested in losing those extra waistline, I would recommend  you to read up a friend's blog on how to teach your body to burn fat. His method is more holistic compared to what I'm doing I would say. Links to his posting are as below:

TRISTUPE.COM: Training Your Body To Burn Fat Part 1
TRISTUPE.COM: Training Your Body To Burn Fat Part 2

Running into the new year.

The first quarter for year 2013 is going to be a fully booked affair by the look of things, what with my run schedules, Running Academy Workshop, as well as my responsibility in church. As such, I may not have much time to blog as often as I want to.

I'll be going back to Sandakan to finish off my project there within the next few days. Will get to see how much I have improved what with a visit back to the hilly park at Jalan Buli Sim Sim again. :D

I've signed up for Brooks Half Marathon's 10K run. Gonna have to schedule some of my runs at Bukit Jalil to get  used to the hilly topography there.

What's my plan for this year?

1. Look for a career move. Seriously, what is it with the Malaysian Employer Mentality whereby they equate Employees to Sugar Cane? (See Pic to understand)

Sugarcane Juice Vendor in Hydrabad - Courtesy of  Sarvagyana guru

2. Participate in a few Half Marathon. As much as I would like to jump into a FM, I doubt I'm physically fit enough for that.
3. Improve my fitness level. I can see my fitness improving over the pass few months but I know I still have a loooonnnnnggg way to go. My LSDs are other's Recovery run. I know I'll get better with time, just have to be patient about it.

How I feel like on my "LSD" days. :(

4. Learn to take better care of myself. I need to learn to eat healthily as well as to live healthily. This include learning to take up more household chores on a more consistent level. I will have to come up with a schedule and stick with it, but with Item 1, it can get challenging I guess.
5. Finalize things so that I won't have a hatchet  hanging over my head and so I can get on with living my life. As much as I hate it, and some of you out there may thing worse of me, but I have done all I could, given my all, sacrificed and gone down roads which I should not have, and yet am still not appreciated. There's nothing more I could have done to prevent it. I've fought against the divorce for years, at this stage, I don't see any way for things to be reconciled anymore.

Be that as it may, I see 2013 as a year where I rediscover myself, make new friends, challenge myself and take small steps to move forward.

How to start running.

As some of you may know, I've started joining a running workshop organized by Skechers, Kumoves, and Xcelerate Fitcamp. The workshop is conducted on every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month at 7.30am at Lake Garden.

This weekend, the 23rd of December, they'll be having a workshop titled "From Zero to Hero" and will be concentrating on the topic of how to start running, how often to run and how to keep yourself motivated.

I would highly recommend this workshop to those of you who would like to pick up the sports of running either for competition or for health purposes. Do come and join us on the 23rd December at 7.30am near to the Deer Park entrance.

For more info, do visit http://www.runnersmy.com You can also sign up for the newsletter and register there.

Remember, Running is the real sports. The rest just play with their balls.

Running Academy and I

Had a great time this  morning. Instead of going for my normal Easy run this morning in my Merrell Road Glove, I decided to join the Running Academy at Lake Garden, jointly organized by Skechers Malaysia and KuMoves. The workshop is conducted on every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month and registration can be done at here. They start the workshop at 7.30am and I was there by 7.15am. I was surprised to find that the parking was nearly full! Apparently there's 2 entrance and I've headed to one of the more popular one. I'll try the other one next time round.

While there, I bumped into Lorna Roderick nee Wong and Markus Kus who's part of KL Runners. It was a nice and pleasant surprise, especially after I found out they're helping out with the Workshop. There were quite a bunch of us there, approximately 15, with a healthy mix of Noobs like me, and more experienced people.

Apparently I got into their 4th session where they have a performance check/challenge going on. We started off with a 2K warm up where we had a group of runners chasing another, kind of like Police and Thief. Once caught, the one chased became the chaser. We follow that up with other games to get the heart rate up. What really got to me was the stairs repeat. 10 years of lack of exercise really catch up to you then. My quads tightened up and I had difficulties coming down the stairs. Needless to say, I'm pretty much bummed after that :P

I would say that, the workshop is very very nice, with lots of information and different type of exercises which you can pick  up and incorporate into your ordinary routine. It may however be a tad tough to newcomers. We had a bunch of early leavers and a girl that stayed for all the exercise emptied her breakfast after a very valiant effort to hold it in.

To people who sees this as a challenge to overcome, and as a new baseline  to work on and get better at, this is a good workshop to come for. Personally, I found out the weaker points of myself where I need to improve on in 1 session and will be working on it to get better.  For others however, they may get the wrong impression whereby this workshop is not too friendly/useful for new runners. Don't get me wrong, the organizers are nice and friendly and I can see that they are trying to make things fun and interesting to the runners. It's just that some newer runners than me may find it a bit tough to keep up.

Hopefully the organizer can address this issue especially since it's in their agenda to get people to run again. Looking forward to more sessions and more people joining in the workshop.

New to the Running Sport

As a new runner, I'll always have questions in my head. How should I start running? Is my form correct? What type of shoes should I get? How often should I run? Where should I start?

Out there in the InterWeb is lots of information. Unfortunately they're all scattered and some are even contradictory. Hopefully I can use this blog as a stepping stone for people who, like me, would like to pick up the sport of running. In no way

So, where do we start? We start like all manner of things, in the beginning. Nahhhhh. I'm not here to give you a history lesson (yet = P). Depending on whether you're like me, a couch potato, or already running short distances, you will want to start off on one of the following level below.

Walks: 
Walking is a good way to start. I would recommend you go to a park and pick up walking. Do your walks with a friend or relative to alleviate any boredom you may face. Yeah lots of people will say I walk enough when I go out shopping. The truth is indoor and outdoor walking differs. Some of these differences are:

• Indoor walks do not face Wind Resistance. A strong head wind can force you to use more strength to counter the push back factor.
• Walking surfaces for outdoor walks have subtle unevenness, forcing your muscles in your leg to adapt to the surface you walk on.
• Outdoor walks have slopes and elevation you have to deal with, helping to build up your leg strength in many ways.
• If you walk in the evening, the heat and humidity of the weather will force you to exert more.

The objective of the walk is to build up your leg strength as well as to build up some level of stamina for you to progress to the next step.

Walk/Run: 
Once you feel that you are ready to start running, you can transition into it by adopting a Walk/Run Program. A walk/run program such as C25K is used to help people who are not used to running to get into running in a systematic, controlled approach. The program is designed as “Intervals” to ease you into the habit of running.  These intervals can differ. For example, you can have a 1 Minute Run X 90 Second Walk interval. As you progress along, the intervals between Run and Walk will get Longer and Shorter, till you’re running a full 5KM non-stop.

When are you ready? For me, I walked up to about 6km in 1 hour after which, I couldn’t stand the itch to start running. Some things to consider when you do walk/run program:

• There is no Hard and Fast rule that you have to follow. Everyone is different. You can always slow down the program or repeat 1 plan till you’re comfortable to move on to the next step.
• Take it slow and don’t overdo it. That’s what everybody tells me. Problem is, how would you know you’re gonna overdo it till you’ve overdid it? So instead of telling you that, I’ll say, Take it slow and listen to your body. If you hurt, don’t push it.
• Be patient. Sometimes it may not be apparent that you’re improving. It is important to remember that you’re building your foundation at the moment and will reap the fruit of harvest in the near future.

The objective of the Walk/Run program is to get a person used to running for longer distance in a systematic and gradual way. If  you'd like to try one out, go on and head to Cool Runing's Couch to 5K Plan.

Run: 
Congratulation. You’ve made it to your goal of being a runner. Take your time and slowly build up on your mileage, from 5K to 10K to half marathon to full marathon and etc.

Disclaimer: All the rambling above are from a crazy old man and should be taken with a healthy dose of caution and self-censorship. ;)