real runnin'

i love this picture. it's so cool! the person who thought of it was a genius!

yup, this weekend is the New Balance Real Run in Sentosa Island. It's a 10km run, which encompasses 3 different terrains. The race starts of with a 6km road run, followed by a 1.6km stretch on sand, and it ends with a 2.4km trail run. No reason why i shouldn't want to go for it rite? i've never done sand-running before. i mean, i tried to on Bondi, and my feet hurt like hell. don't know if it was caused by my running barefoot, or the intense amount of walking i did in Sydney, or the merciless cold weather. either way, sand-running ain't easy.

i only managed to do a single run session this week since Bt Gasing last sunday. but i supposed the 12 sun salutations i did in Yoga on tuesday, and the 1 hour Dance Aerobics i did in Celebrity Fitness before Yoga, counts as some form of cardio exercise. on wednesday i actually had the free time, but my bed had looked more tempting. it was the first thing i reached for when i staggered through the door, dumped my bag on my bedroom floor and dug the lenses out of my eyes. i literally plomped onto bed. 8 am - 6 pm straight, in college, lectures back-to-back, promotional activities in between - that, my friends, is en.du.rance!

tomorrow i'm leaving for the Lion City at 3-ish pm. Mummy dearest will be tagging along because there has been a change of plans. My cousin whom i was supposed to follow back on Sunday decided to take a day off to visit relatives in JB. so, me being the obedient college-goer, still reluctant to spoil my zero-absenteeism rate for tutorials for this semester (too early to start disappearing), would have to take the bus home on Sunday evening. and mummy dearest, being the protective mother she always is, cannot bear to see me take the bus home by myself. hehe...yea i know, i love her too. :)

alright. my vision is blurry from excessive yawning. i really should be sleeping. good night!

rock4hope, aching muscles, dresscodes, bodyfat

my days have become so hectic that i now blog in bulk eventhough it's only a day away from the last post.

Rock4Hope promotions have started in Metropolitan College. when Jia Yin asked for my help to promote Rock4Hope in college, i figured it shouldnt be too hard. all i need was permission (checked), manpower (checked) and a bit of scheduling (checked). but i forgot how extremely passive Metro students can be. i completely overlooked the persuading factor, the pushing factor, the thick-skinned factor. i'm a terrible sales person. if i ever get a job in the marketing field, it'll be the marketing exec or something. not the front line salesgirl. i'll organize the entire event, draw up a roster, pick dates, even transport stuff. just dont make me go "excuse me, sorry for bothering you, but would you like to buy a concert ticket? it's for charity". bah...

due to promotions, my days in college grew longer. i use up my lunch times to man the booth. which means i no longer come home for lunch. classes start at 8-8.30 and end at about 5-5.45. so that's approximately 9 freakin hours in college. i come home, absolutely pooped. yesterday i slept in Ms Connee's tutorial.

i'm happy to do it. i honestly am. i'd help Jia Yin anytime. i just need to learn to sleep earlier.

my legs seem to be in a great deal of pain. the ruthless terrains of Bt Gasing have really worn out my muscles. my calves and thighs are so sore.

when i did yoga just now i felt the tension everywhere. back, arms, abs, shoulder blades. it makes me wonder if i was so completely soaked into the race that i did not realise myself tumbling down a hill.

i had fun showing off my cuts and scratches on my legs to my mates. this is pretty narcistic but i admire my own scars. it gives me such a sense of satisfaction whenever i look at them. when i go to OB, i always wish to bring home more scars.

but i'm not all that weird. because of the hideous red lines on my ankles, dresscode for college now shall be long jeans. until they look less bad. but until then, the next time someone asks me "how did ure race go?" i'd be more than willing to fold up the material to reveal my marks of victory. *grin*

i went to Celebrity Fitness Subang Parade just now with a bunch of guys. the consultant, Liz, said i was a lucky girl. ha! perhaps if they all came home from US and were nicely buffed up, i'd agree. hehe...kidding guys, u know i love u all. :) but seriously. he-who-once-brought-the-prom-queen-to-senior-prom has become really good looking. so anyway, i went with Weng, Daniel, Kenny and Hwok Chuen. and we had this body fat analysis test. now i really really despise that test. because it never fails to tell me that i'm o.b.e.s.e. i had a whopping 23.5% fat! Daniel had something like 19% and darn Weng only had 8%! wth!! now i know breasts are lumps of fat. and i probably have a much bigger ass compared to them. but really am i seriously the fattest!??!?!!? why? why why why???

being noble, feeling greedy and going green

Circle-K made a visit to Pusat Kasih Sayang in Klang yesterday afternoon. It was a home for the mentally challenged and might i say, i've never felt more touched. i've done m fair share of community service, what with being a Leo for almost 4 years in school and college. But we usually visit orphanges or run gotong-royong in parks and stuff. You might think visiting a mentally challenged home might be just as heart-warming as visiting any other home. But in the numerous times i've visited homes, this one left the deepest impact on me. First of all, orphanages are actually quite rich. famous ones, especially, get charitable donations so often that the orphans have astro to watch and good food to eat. their rooms are packed with toys given to them. sure, they're still deprived in certain aspects, but really they're fine. think of it as a lifetime summer camp.

But the home for the mentally challenged, that's something to think about. With its residents ranging from 11 years old to 50 + years old, it was a hard activity to pull off. Very honestly, we were at a lost, wondering what we should do, do we play games? If we do, would it be "hide n seek" or something more mature? If we sing songs, should they be nursery rhymes or "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney? we were at a lost. Luck for us, they were very easy to handle, contrary to what most would think. They were so loving and accomodating. we played a bit of telematch, and a bit of Hokey Pokey. We sung songs like "My Girl", Mariah's "Hero" and Disney songs. We had tea with them and helped them clean up after. then we played the radio and started dancing with them. Simple measures which makes them squeal with laughter! My heart went out to them.


paper flowers made by them to be sold


fun n games with them

When we had to leave, we presented them with some household groceries (rice, milo etc.) and a cash donation of RM200. I felt so sad to leave. There was a 16 year old who kept asking me in mandarin "Jie jie huey chia liao ah? Ming tien mei you lai liao ah?" (Sister you're going home now? tomorrow you're not coming back?"). It was at the tip of my tongue to say i was going to come back. Just so i could erase the hurt on her face. sigh.


Thahirah handing the donations to the youngest resident



I'll try to get a hold on the contact number. it's a place worth visiting. :)

***
Yesterday was Ms Tan Lay Hong's 21st Birthday! She's better known as Grace to me. I just like to tease her with her chinese name. I suppose a grand 21st birthday party is what everyone needs. Hers was pretty major. catering, 10 tables, loads of relatives and friends, big house. I was telling everyone, it's been ages since i went for a birthday party. was kinda doubtful whether it'd be awkward to go for this one. basically we just ate and snapped pictures. i guess when u touch the 20s, games like spin the bottle falls on deaf ears. :)



yes, and for the record, i ate a lot. i had something like 3 helpings. hehe...

***
so i even had my nails painted for the occassion. this was an event i was anxiously waiting for, for 2 reasons. 1. because its been a while i've been off road running and was starting to miss the jungle. 2. because its a familiar route. :)

Bukit Gasing Green Challenge was jointly organized by Corezone and Friends of Bukit Gasing if i'm not mistaken. to me, the turn out wasn't too good. Perhaps it lacked the publicity. but anywhos there were easily 25 people per category. Flag off was at SMK La Salle PJ, which i found rather amusing. the school was buzzing with energetic chi this morning. we had the Fitness First group x Demo Team which always blows my mind. i really love watching them.




The Men's Adventure category flagged off first. My dad and Lifemou were taking part. oh and Isaiah too. haha somebody got forced by company to run. :) 2 minutes later, it was the Women's Adventure. I didnt have a hydrapak. So i made do with those draw string bagpacks where i stowed a bottle and a powergel in. The beginning of the route was a very very steep uphill road stretch. though i started with a steady jogging pace, i soon downgraded to brisk walking with big steps, less than 10 minutes into the race. ahaha...uphills kill, ok! i saw my dad further up. Ashley was still in view but was fast disappearing. i struggled up till the road mellowed to a flatter terrain. picked up my pace again and off i went! i loved down hills. even more in the jungle. i sped down the downhills on the verge of losing control of my movements. my bagpack swinging left and right. in my humble p.o.v, if you're not afraid to run down, then run. chances are you'll overtake many. people are afraid of descending.

the downhill stretch was exciting, though shortlived. very soon, the majestic lushes slope stood before me, threatening. remembering the times on Mt KK, i decided to take it slow and steady, which surprisingly also allowed me to overtake a few people. Dont you just LOVE trail running? that was how it was throughout the route. uphill downhill uphill downhill. in between there were road stretches whereby checkpoints and drinking stations were located. They said there wouldn't be any drinking stations! if i had known i didnt have to carry my bottle around! if i had not brought my Brooks bottle, i'd have left my bagpack somewhere.

the jungle floors were infested with vines that were infested with thorns! i lost count of how many times my foot got caught in those vines, scratching my ankles! i winced each time, but never bothered to look down. Did i mention how much i LOVE trail running? you just keep going and going without a care in the world! you're too psyched too even feel tired or pain!

at checkpoint 1, i was told i was the 3rd girl. i was ecstatic but tried not to keep my hopes up. Marshalls may have miscounted. i just tried my best to stay as far away as possible from any women behind me. i was running alone for some time. i only saw men in front. overtook a few men. but no women were in sight. i wondered how far ahead the 2nd placing girl was.

at checkpoint 2, they told me i was 3rd again. which this time i chose to believe. i started praying that no one catches up with me, because i was NOT up for a challenge. i was exhausted and my legs were starting to tremble! if a lady were to overtake me, i swore i had nothing left to chase after her. lucky for me, none did. :)

finally, 1 hour 20 minutes later i was on a busy road again. my energy level gradually increased as i recognized the familiar roads that led to La Salle. i picked up my running (which somehow has gotten disoriented after blazing through the woods). i ran through the finish clocking 1 hour 24 minutes, bleeding ankles and all!

3rd place, baby!



daddy dearest


ben, who decided the route they gave werent long enough


roland. he runs in ss18. ive seen him a few times.


tough girls L-R: zeus, ashley (the champion), i-dont-know-who, elaine, i-dont-know-who.


yes, i figured one big patch of raw flesh on my shin wasn't aesthetic enough. :)


feel like first place :)

things that were in the bag:
1. Polar heart rate monitor watch
2. Fitness First thermos mug
3. Fitness First 1 week membership for 2
4. Powerbar towel

oh and i have to say this. i love my dad to bits! he bought me a Camelbak! 1.5L hydrapak just for moi!



of course it took some negotiation, and a barter trade with the Polar Heart Rate Monitor and the FF Thermos Mug...

this weekend i'll be pounding the grounds of Sentosa fully hydrated! whoopee!

its leaking!

my open wound on my right shin has been giving me problems. it's usually fine throughout the day, until i take a bath. once it gets wet, it starts to expel all this pus and the surrounding area turns really red. just yesterday as i was washing it with Dettol, a piece of skin/flesh/hardened pus came off. but it didnt tear all the way, some of it was still stuck to the wound. so i patched it back.

after that it started to leak! yellow juice starts to stream down. i have to wipe it every once in a while until the wound is dried up again.

just now i applied some antibiotic cream, Fucidin. it stung a little, and then in a minute or two, the wound started to swell up with pus again, just like how it did after contact with water. and just like before, it leaked.

i do love my battle scars, but this one's scary laaa....

michelin baby

miles: eh ah moi! *signals for me to go nearer*
me: hie miles! apasal?
miles: u sudah.....*positions hands in winged position, flapping outwards*...hahaha
me: ye ke? kat mane?
miles: kat sini *points to face* dan kat sini *points to hips*
me: yeala...saya tahu la. tak payah beritau saya...
miles: kenapa u put on? u tengok itu mindy semakin kurus!
me: saya makan banyak ma!
miles: eh ah moi! u jangan makan lagi la...

omg! even my college's technician comments on my weight gain! i'd better be weaning off those darn pills before people start to not recognize me! before i turn into the Michelin mascot!

on another (contradicting) note, i have increased my daily runs from a 5.4 km distance to 5.83 km effective this week. and i managed to run under 31 minutes today. ha! that's 5.3 minutes per km! it's the first time i timed myself in ages! and i only dared to time overall today. still afraid to sttempt splits. i have this fear that i might watch the time, try to beat my previous time, and end up burning out. i suppose i have a tendency to do that. so, all said and done, i don't know how long i have been clocking such fantastic (in my vocabulary) times but it's great!! yay!

so many times

so many times i've tried to see
the freedom that i've been looking for
the pathway to happiness was too blurry for me
but to get off the broken road was a chore

it did not seem right at first
to just let all of it get away
to release everything ive held on to
to get up and move when i'd wanted to stay

but a world devoid of the feeling of love
had seemed so much more appealing
for i was too weak and drained of strength
to believe what i was believing

i found myself not thinking of him
and thought that i'd been liberated
in truth ive taken one step forward, two steps back
because misery had not been evicted

though love may seem a trivial part of life
life without love, to me, is mundane
to watch the people around me in love
is in fact, the true cause of my pain

watching the 12 am One Tree Hill was a mistake. i'm now resigned to a night of emoness and self pity. it just baffles me that Brooke, the all-time slut in Tree Hill High, in all her bossom-flashing bitchiness is able to attract a guy even in a fit of rage. it may seem rather bitchy of me to say this too, but i do question a lot of couples these days. i'll be listening to one side of the story and thinking to myself what in the world does this guy sitting across of me see in she-who-he-calls-his-girlfriend. and the worst part is i start getting cocky, thinking that i would probably be a fun-er girlfriend if he were mine. then i'd start getting all green with jealousy because he isn't mine. he, in actual fact, still belongs to she-who-he-calls-his-girlfriend. maybe it's me in self-defense mode, trying to console myself. try self-denial.

how many times have i been told that i was picky...how many times have i been told that i have an unachievable criteria list. well, i wouldn't have to make a list if sparks were to start flying when i'm with a guy. yes i do believe in that shit. but unfortunately, sparks have not been flying. and i refuse to test the waters. because i'm stubborn. i'm old fashioned. i want to meet someone the fairytale way. sue me.

i need sleep. sleep brings forth another day. another day brings forth other things to worry about.