Gold Coast Marathon Plan

My 16-week plan.  Starts in 2 weeks.  Should be easier this year with Alex's positive energy on training, I reckon. 

Race year 2012

Here's how my race year is going to look.

25 Feb - Singapore Duathlon (10km run / 36km cycle / 5km run)
25 Mar - Fear Challenge (25km run with 8 obstacle stations)
26 May - Adidas Sundown Marathon (half 21km)
1 July - Gold Coast Marathon (42km)
Sep - Army Half Marathon (21km)
Oct - North Face trail run (half 50km)
Dec - Standard Chartered Marathon (42km)

The Duathlon just over the weekend was really painful!  I didn't remember it being that tough!  Perhaps it was the weather, or the lingering effects of the flu I never fully recovered from, or the sore calves from circuit training on Wednesday...

My first race since Dec's accident and Speedier's first race ever.  Glad we both survived uneventfully and amazingly enough, improved my timing by 15mins.  And this is without pushing since  I struggled with catching my breath and my legs on verge of cramps most of the way.  Not a bad start to the race year indeed.

My results : 1:05 for 10k run, 1:15 for the bike and 35min for the last 5k run.  Plus transition for a total 3:02. Dang, didn't realize how close I was to a sub-3hr!

Leaving California tomorrow

It's been a great week.  Great on all aspects.  Work, colleagues, a fantastic boss who's also a great person (do these exist? apparently yes!), good company, I drove around safely, I got my to-buy list (3 pairs of men tracks shoes! and tons of baby clothes).  Funnily enough I didn't enjoy shopping at all my favourite shops this time around.  But oh well, save $ :)  I love driving around in the evenings though, very chill, mountains on 1 side and the coast on the other.  Sigh.

And as I left work, boss said something to the effect of me coming to Irvine once a quarter.  Sigh.

On my last evening here, I had no mood to shop.  I dropped by a bike store - drooled at the new Treks, browsed their clothes (not much selection), then picked up a pizza and came home via a short detour to top up my petrol tank.  Yeah, was back in the hotel room by 7:30pm.  Would've been earlier except I couldn't figure out how to open the fuel tank flap thingy.  I searched for 10 minutes, went to the pump operator to seek help and he walked out - poked the tank flap thingy and it sprang open.  *slap forehead* Then I couldn't get my credit card accepted (apparently US credit cards are linked to a zip code) *slap forehead more*.  The gas pump operator's son helped me refill.

The rest of the week was really smooth.  My blood pressure stayed low.  I slugged out of the gym even though I had my running shoes and gym clothes packed. 

One last slug night and then it's back to normalcy. 

Now that I had a week's space, I finally can put my finger on what's the problem with Singapore.  It's  not the warm weather that drives people nuts.  It's the sense of claustrophobia you get from everyone & everything around you, in your face, seeking/demanding/asking for attention.

Gonna be a tiring year yet

It's just mid Feb, and already I am on my third trip out of Singapore.  First trip was over new year - cycling in Penggarang, Desaru.  Second was the Taiwan trip 2 weeks ago.

And just before I flew out here, I got suckered into signing up for my first overseas marathon.  Well, I ran a couple of races in Taipei, but this will be my virgin full marathon.  Gold Coast, Australia - you better give me the perfect weather, flat & easy terrain, and assist me to my new PB.  Last year, I was just exhausted from all that running - I find myself in training all year since I ran 2 marathons : mid-year and year-end.   Yet, I quickly forget?  Aiiiiiiyah....

US trip after 2 years

I had a good trip here despite not flying SIA.  Full flight on ANA going to Narita and full flight on United to LAX - miraculously both flights I had an empty seat beside me for a little space and privacy.  You rock Jesus! Arrived none the worse for wear since I need to drive.  I'm driving a VW Jetta, in chilli red, just like Roar.  Driving a sedan again feels weird, unlike Roar, it's so low I feel I am dragging along on the road.  But I am bitching the small points - have my own car, have a nice hotel room, get to be here the whole week.  It's great.

Day 2, met up with my boss, first face to face meeting and he is as cool as I imagined him to be.  Very smart, very charismatic.  Walked out of meeting room and this guy had his little dog in the office.  Wow.  It's a little Chihuahua.  Startups really are different from the big companies.

I really like Socal, perhaps almost better than Nocal.  The weather is nicer (read, warmer).  Although I came in to a cold front and it will be low 50s for a couple of days (10-ish degrees C), but I'm either in office/mall/hotel and only in the open getting in/out of car, so no big deal.

Alas I have evening conf calls, but Wed/Thu/Fri nights are gonna be shopping nights - woo hoo!  I have already noted down addresses : Walmart, Mission Viejo mall, and a bike shop.  Most of all, get some private time alone.  Sigh

Longings...

Had a nice lunch (our first in 2012 and the Dragon year) with Karen & Kalpana.  Kalpana took us to Biopolis for Indian food - very good lunch.

Am I crazy?  Or do I really want to belong back to HP again?

回台感触

After a year away from Taiwan, it is really reassuring to know it still feels like home.  It's like I never left.  Went to the bank and the teller greeted me, talks to me like as if I never left.  Went to mass and the folks there greeted mom & I warmly, and gave us the honour of bringing up the communion bread & wine to the altar.  Rae, Jon and Maggie had a fantastic lunch with me - driving all the way from Nangang to Xinyi.  Honda and I had a nice time talking about mountains again.  Rae drove us around saving us the walk in the rain Friday night.  Luca took us to a great Italian restaurant.  Vinny was nice and gallantly carried our shopping bags til he fell sick after Jiufen.

I am glad and comforted.  I missed out the folks at the Wanghua gym.  Also Ashley & Yvonne - no time for them.  Sigh...

Next trip back, ideal case, return alone - no fuss, no pressure, no more tour-guiding!

Tis the season to be angry?

First Cal got angry & refuse to join Mom's birthday dinner/lunch.

Then mom got angry in Taipei - saying I treat her like shit. Cos I nagged her for being late the morning of departure & for taking a long time to shower first night we arrived. 20mins after she stepped into bathroom she hadn't started showering & it was close to midnight.

People are so hard to please these days. I'm starting to ask myself why I even bother to try. Not that they care in the first place.

Shifting my focus off relationships onto work this year. So if u don't get a call from me or u feel I don't give a damn, u are probably right. Theme of the year : aloofness.

Holy is His name!

Today's gospel reading is really good.

Lk 1:46-56

Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever."

Happy birthday Pa!

It's Feb 1, my dad's birthday if he were still around.  Gosh I miss the man.  Every moment... 

Happy birthday Pa!  I'll send my guardian angel over to give you a birthday kiss tonight!

Unbalanced

人就是那么贱...

Last night, I went over to Ian/Michelle's for dinner and over text exchanges with my older brother, he somehow got upset and decided he won't join us for Mummy's birthday dinner in 2 weeks.  I had sent a text reply that he misconstrued as being against him.  It wasn't la... but damage done.  Ian/Michy got a little sad cos it is Mummy's birthday afterall - they are nice people.  But then... how? 

I started thinking, oh I should now do this.. or perhaps I wait then I text him later...

Finally I decided I will just pray and surrender this to the Lord and hey while I'm at it, I need to surrender up MY WHOLE LIFE again.  I had placed my Lord as a backup plan instead of letting Him have my all. So yes, I am very 贱 but repentant.  I need to pray more... a whole lot more.  And stop lazing in bed and get to morning mass more! *kicks own ass*