隔墙有耳!

I was tagged on a Facebook picture at the Run for Hope race some weekends back. Someone commented about a runner behind me - a stranger none of us knew, and guess what, stranger replied!  Opps!

Onsite Climbing Gym

It was yet another wet evening.  Jo and I decided to check out the new 15m lead climbing wall at Onsite Gym instead of being 2 slugs - even though she tempted me with dinner and peking duck instead of climbing!

I got there first and Ah Beng was behind the counter wearing a tshirt that reads Staff (gosh, I don't even know his real name anymore), he now works for the gym.  Oh!  I was busy trying to find Zi's rope to climb on.  Finally found it, all dusty and grimy.  Jo arrived.  We peered at the routes.  Looks do-able.  We warm up on a 5c - boring.  We progressed to a 6a - boring pumpy.  We stare at the lead climb routes and changed our minds!!!  Just don't like the feel of the routes there.  It's flat, boring and just pumpy - no features nor contours to add any real fun.  Yishun has contours, overhangs, underclings... Lots of torturous fun that is so lacking.

So we put the dusty rope back on the shelf unused and left for Geylang's 扳面.  Ah Beng was astounded - we only did 2 climbs and left!

I am thinking I need to check out Kinetics gym ahead of Jo getting pregnant.  As much as I prefer rockclimbing to bouldering, I am also anal about my belayer!  Hopefully I like Kinetics since I don't fancy the other alternatives to Yishun.

Kinetics will probably only be sussed out in January.  For now, everything is still focused around my marathon-ing.  There's Stanchart on Sunday and the MR25 ultramarathon Dec 30.  In between, there's the holidays and watching Matty celebrate his second Christmas.

This is an interesting take - first time I took a second look at something off this website

http://therealsingapore.com/content/it-myth-small-countries-cant-have-partisan-politics

Brooks Run - 9km

An nice evening race at the Marina Barrage with my usual run kakis - Peter and Alex.

Alex had hurt his knee at last week's trail run with IMD so he was going to just run slowly with us.  When Peter shot off like a jack rabbit at the start line, Alex followed me instead.  Great.  He tried to pace me to drag me up to a faster comfortable pace.  I almost fainted.  I can manage a 5:40 - 5:50 pace, but anything faster is unsustainable.  So I would strain then falter, surge then drop between 5:15 to 5:50 most of the way unless it's too dark to see anything.

We finished in 52mins.  Went straight to Big John who's managing the post-run rub downs and he got us a masseur without queuing.  I like!  Peter appeared shortly, he managed a 1:02mins (controlled his pace after the initial bit, so it was a good time).   We got our rub downs, thanked John.  Then we descended on Geylang like some hungry dogs.  First we wolved down 3 bowls of 手工面 - heavenly!  Then some 油条with 豆花 before we gave up.  If a particular friend is around, bet we'll go for third round of hokkien noodles.

And to think while standing at the starting lineup, we were complaining how we lacked a life, it's a beautiful Saturday night and we chose to spend it sweating with 4000 other sorry, sweaty and smelly people, running in the dark, at a very nice scenic place.

Alex is right.  I doubt I can run a good timing at the upcoming marathon.  My buildup this year is not enough compared to last year this time.  I will be lucky with a sub 5hr.  So that's my revised goal.  Sigh.

Gasp! I overslept!

I woke up to a very sunny room, grabbed alarm clock in panic, 11:26am! GASP!

Terrible!

First thought, can I take today off?  Second thought, afternoons got 2 meetings!

Panic!

Slinked into the office subtly... Everyone's in.  100% caught.

Ashamed!

I need to work on my self-motivational talk better.  Comeon, Fel!

The Quest for the perfect job

The little start-up I am working for is hiring another product manager.  We are not getting very many good candidates.  But I notice a lot of jobless people due to restructuring/reorganizations.  The economy is certainly not doing as good as the outward appearance.

Mid week Run and Lizards

I asked HY and Peter to join me in this week's mid week run, figured can run from home to end of Fort Road ECP for about a 12km run.

Woke up at 6am to a spectacular lightning display.  On fears it might pour as it did yesterday, I text both HY & Peter and went back to lie down.  When Peter didn't reply, I thought I better call him just in case he's en-route.  Indeed he was.  Worse - he's already at Eunos.

*Deep sigh*  Got dressed and within 5mins the man arrived.  I regret asking Peter to come!  Then he called, I snapped into the phone : yeah yeah, coming down! And he said, no no, I need bathroom.

I had insecticide-sprayed a baby lizard I found in the other bathroom.  Peter nonchalantly used the bathroom, then picked up the not-quite-dead-but-wiggling-in-death-throes lizard and flushed it down.

Then we set off.  A very grumpy me and Peter.  The lightning went away, the expected downpour didn't happen, it was a very pleasant morning and a very enjoyable run.  I kinda felt ashamed of my snappiness and my so quick failure after Sunday's sermon on humility.  So we went for a quick breakfast.

Then Peter helped me remove yet another lizard carcass.  Trapped in the border of my dustbin chute.  Must have slammed the chute closed against the lizard last week.  I first discovered the carcass Saturday and was waiting for it to dry up into powder before I attempt to remove it - might be less gross that way.  Peter scrapped that body off for me.  How gentlemenly.

I have had no vermin and overnight, 2 lizard bodies.  Thankfully removed by Peter the exterminator.  He was really sweet.

Time to work.  And a reminder of humility, Fel, humility.

Happy birthday to me!

Possibly the best birthday I've had.  Yet so busy!.  The Year of Faith talk was Fri night & the workshop for the team on Sat afternoon.  My little video for Fri night ran very smoothly - thank God.  Did not boo-boo in front of our guests, the speaker nor his Grace the Archbishop.  By the time we stacked chairs and packed our stuff, I got home at 11pm.  Decided to skip Sat climb, relaxed a little and then went to the Sat afternoon workshop.

Ian/Michelle bought me a nice expensive yuppie dinner at MBS followed by VIP tickets to the Jersey Boys.  Oh the music's still ringing in my ear, O what a night!  We had seats right up front - the best of the best of the best, chimes Michelle.  I think she was quoting some movie line!

Sunday - the day I turn 42.  OMG, I am old! Another too early morning - thankfully Peter came to pick me up for Run for Hope - a 10km non competitive run for cancer research.  No timing bibs, we stood in the first row at the start line so we can get ahead of the walkers.  I ran a nice 5km split then got jammed behind the 3.5km walkers when the run routes merged.  Met MH at the 7km mark, yelled at her, she's still heading out, yeah, that means she's at the 3km mark!  Haha... The last 3km was a mess of kids and walkers, so it's a slow finish and I still managed 1:00.  Peter met Vivi along the route - and they slow jogged back. She controlled his pace back - Peter apparently ran very fast, then slow to a walk to hyperventilate in cycles for the whole run.  We both tsk tsk him for not controlling his pace.

I declined lunch cos I had to attend morning mass as we have dinner plans, this time with Matty. Vivien wanted laksa, so we ate across the road from my place.  After mass, I took a short nap & overslept!  Thankfully Ian called me at 5pm to wake me up.  Dinner was an expensive buffet - called Plates of Pleasures at the Pan Pacific.  I had 1 order of wagku beef & 1 of the lamp chops and it was fantastic.  Wished I could stuff more down.  The desserts were fantastic too, I had 1 crepe - shared a little of it with Matty.  He loves fruit like me.  Eating with Matty is a messy affair, and he can only sit for a while and then he says "up!" and want to leave to run around.  We rode the lift up, and down and ran around the hotel swimming pool in circles.  Then tag Matty off to Ian/Michelle while I stuffed my face with more food.  Messy.

Just thinking this morning that I am finally getting it right.  Placing family on a higher priority and expecting zero from friends, is indeed the right formula.

Oh I love Matty...

Passport and nostalgia

I just received notification that my passport will expire soon and I was to renew it.

Flipping through the pages of it, I feel sad to have to renew it since it carries with it memories of very many pages of Taiwan custom stamps (reflecting my years when Taiwan was home), a China VISA for the time during the Olympics when VISA-waiver was stopped across board for fear of being swamped out by the world, my first & only trip to Japan (when Tokyo was my intended destination and not just a transit to the US), my Australian VISA for my first & only travel-to-run-marathon-trip in Brisbane (Gold Coast Airport Marathon), my Indian VISA for my first and only visit to the Golden Triangle of North India... AWWWWW

The last years have been good.  Thank you Jesus!

An old friends gathering

Met up with old friends from school last night.  I have not seen these girls since 1994!  Everyone is now a mother of at least 1 kid.  Sigh... Yet it feels like no one has aged to me cos I recognized them all at first glance.  Until we pulled out old photos and couldn't recognize each other in it.  Haha..

It all started last week when I got a call out of the blue.  Jane is an insurance agent and I bought my first policy in support of her right out of school.  When my cousin (who now manages my insurance policies) updated my new home address and phone no, Jane noticed and called me.  Everyone now lives in the east coast area and so we met in a restaurant in Siglap - lucky me!

It struck me that our lives are so different.  The dinner conversation was a little reminiscing, and a lot of topics totally irrelevant to me : PSLE and the education system today, the maids levy situation, costs of bringing up children, property prices, mother in law problems... Yes, they are all stay at home moms or they work part-time.  I know, sob! they achieved 太太-dom and I am so envious!

It was boringly pleasant.  Although, they remembered my birthday and we shared a slice of cheese cake with a loud birthday song - to my embarrassment.

The only time my blood pressure rose was when someone started complaining about teachers.  Singaporeans, for the last time : teachers teach academic subjects, parent impacts values.  If you delegate values and character building to the teacher and your child goes astray, whose fault is it?

And after a while, everyone jumped into their Lexus, Audis, or waited for their hubbies to pick them up in their poshy cars.  The evening ends and I return home feeling, what a banal night!

Hill Training Run Route in Singapore

This is the route coach Alex created.  He even pre-ran it before he took us on it.  How sweet right?

Third last weekend before the marathon, still time for a nice 4 hour long run of all the hills in this area!  I was experimenting with coffee before a run.  Drank a cup of espresso and yeah, it seemed to work reasonably well in terms of better endurance.  Until I suffered from caffeine crash after 2 hours.  I just walked a lot - felt really tired.  And everyone was so mad at me for lagging far behind everyone.  They kept yelling at me to stop being lazy.  Sigh, there is no sympathy these days.  After about 45mins, I recovered enough to resume running and gradually didn't feel so tired again.  Need to tweak this caffeine as a performance enhancer a little more.  Will try again next 2 weekends with the 10km runs (Run for Hope and Brooks).

Here's the training route.  It is fantastic.  Many peaks to keep going at, mostly shaded by trees and breath taking views of Singapore.  It is possibly the nicest route I've run in Singapore.  Also the most painful run I've endured this year.

My third half marathon this year

First 2 half marathons this year were the Adidas Sundown and the Safra army half.  I clocked 2:08 in both.

When Linny offered me her slot at the GE women's run, I was quite happy about it.  It's a chance to try for a sub-2hour half marathon and also my first time at an all women race.

At the start line, they ordered "all men to please leave the route now".  Interesting!  All women races was really nice.  No armpit smell, no jostling and lots of free space to run.

At the 11km mark, I peered at my watch and it read 1:03.  A little slower than I was hoping.  I had to run a severely negative split to succeed now.  At the 14km mark, Simon and Peter popped out unexpectedly and jumped in to run alongside me.  Well, at least Simon did.  Peter happily sprinted ahead thrilled with all the women runners (still has not figured out how to pace).  Simon would pass me his drink bottle every couple of minutes, I could see envious looks from the other women.  Haha...  At the Barrage, they peeled off with a loud "good luck!".

I made my move then.  Upped the pace but there were a few small slopes and blah blah blah... excuses..my second 11km took me 1:00.  Not good enough.

Ah well, next year's goal.

Busy til the end of the year

As it is when it gets close to Christmas and New Year, people start to organize gatherings and meet-ups.  I feel terrible, but I'm too busy to slot in anymore gatherings!

My priority is family and my committments and seeing how I somehow accepted free slots/signed up for a few more races between now and Dec 30...

I meant to do Newton end Oct, relax through Nov, race Stanchart Dec 2, chill and walk through the Dec 30 ultramarathon.  But I can't relax now cos Nov is also a month of races - every weekend is a race.  It is exactly like Oct.  I'm crazy.  Yes, I know.
http://feldreams.blogspot.sg/2012/10/busy-year.html

On a positive note, Christmas is almost here.  I love this time of year.  I sing Christmas carols out loud as I run.  The air's cool, the mood's cheerful, and my run kakis broke out into gangam dancing last night.  Just hilarious.

Bad behaviour in the elderly

So just because you're older, you think you can throw all courtesy to the wind and get away with bad behaviour?

First my mom starts behaving badly.  Now my uncle too?  It's a daily test of patience.

Mon - I arranged a nice slow ride to Gardens by the Bay for him on Monday evening.  Asked Peter to come along for the fun of it.  Planned the route and to be honest, Peter and I are a little excited about it.  Uncle doesn't even show up.  Had to call Peter in a hurry to cancel - thankfully Peter's a good friend who takes last minute cancellation without fuss.

Tue - Asked him along for dinner with Ian/Michelle/Matty.  Restaurant is near home - at East Coast Park.  Long delay, finally he replies to say he has already eaten.  It's been years since he last met Ian/Michelle and he's never met Matty, but clearly, that does not matter to him.

Wed - Asked him along for cycling with my usual cycling group.  Rode really slow along the PCN until F2 carpark.  Uncle trailed behind on his foldie.  I looked back, waited and he has done the Houdini on me, again.  I went back searching for him.  No sign of him.  I just knew he wandered off without much consideration for others.  He did.  When asked about it much later at home, he nonchalantly mentioned I didn't need to worry.  *tear hair out*

I never expected him to ride with the group at our pace.  I explained that.  Just ride easy along the park, meet the group for supper, talk to the big happy group of fellow cyclists, like-minded people, it will be fun.  Definitely healthier than staying home and trawling the web for nonsense.

Thu - Hesitantly told him I was eating with Michy and Matty while Ian works late.  Uncle asked to come along. Told him to take the MRT and meet us at NEX.  He text back to say he is at my home, insinuating I was to pick him up.  It would take me a long time to battle rush hour traffic east and then back up north.  I texted him back to say IF, you want to join us, please take the MRT and leave soon!  He did.  Thankfully.  And he was mostly good.  Until after dinner, back at Ian/Michy's place when instead of being gracious as he should as an elder, he started boasting about his 24-room home in Thailand and how it's all marble flooring.  It was 10pm, Ian hadn't had dinner and so before he further insults anyone, I announced loudly we are going home.

Fri - Skipped out of dinner with Uncle.  Reached the end of my tether.  I got home late, almost 11pm.  Saw that he used my washing machine to do laundry.  Unhappy.  When I commented that I would be happy to do his laundry for him if he asked me, he boasted that washer-cum-dryers (which is what I have) have been around for 10 years.  That was not my point!  I was not boasting about my appliance, I am expressing concern that he operated it without knowing it's features since it is a little more complicated than a normal washing machine.  To top if all off, he started to boasted that he brought 5th uncle into my house to view it - yes, very good, now strangers are in my house in my absence.

Sat - He decided that since I was busy with my sports on weekends, he will go stay with his daughter.  I should be happy except when I got home, I saw he threw the guest bath towel onto the kitchen floor, just in front of my trash bin.  What did he use it on?!  Should I throw it away now?  What a nice departure gift... not.

And he wonders why he's such a pariah with the family.  The extended family is huge and yet after 2 weeks here, he met up with just 1 cousin?  Everyone else he called was too busy to meet up with him.

I am pretty sure I shortened my lifespan by a day or two just in my last week .

Comparing disasters: Sandy vs. Katrina

http://holykaw.alltop.com/comparing-disasters-sandy-vs-katrina-infograp?tu2=1

He's family, regardless!

Embarrassing adult relatives: Scowl! "Psst! Can't you chew with your mouth closed?"

By alisonpoulsen

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Everyone has some relative who has bad table manners, belongs to a crazy cult, or drinks too much. We tend to be hardest on those closest to us, wanting to eradicate their bad habits. Yet, showing embarrassment and disapproval tends to draw out the worst in those around us, and may reveal that we care too much about the family image.

Our relatives don’t define who we are and besides, no one is perfect. Life is too short to worry about the imperfections in those around us. Generally, a sense of humor can help us overlook our family’s extreme political views or incessant bragging.

You’re better off not trying to change adult relatives or to get them to see the light. If they haven’t changed in 20 years, they are not likely to change now. The exception would be if they became deeply motivated to change within themselves.

Abusive behavior or language, however, is another matter completely. It’s important to speak up or leave when someone is aggressive or acts inappropriately, such as name calling or exercising harsh criticism. When you respond to a verbal attack, you could say, “When you call me names, it’s denigrating to both of us, and makes me want to leave. If you have something to say to me, say it respectfully.” If they can’t stop their belittling behavior, then it’s time to limit or stop spending your time with them.

Harmless personality quirks, though, can be seen as a source of amusement rather than providing you with a mission to correct them. Challenge yourself to use your wit, creativity, and humanity to overlook imperfections and to bring out the best in those eccentric family members around you.

You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.

                                                                  ~Robin Williams

by Alison Poulsen, PhD

A nice run route at the Marina Barrage

A nice 11km run route suggested by coach.  I meant to take Cara there, but the meeting overran by an hour and she has to catch a flight, so we compromised with a run 6km run from the Trader's hotel through Botanical Gardens instead. 

Here's the Marina Barrage route in detail - excellent views!

Eat healthy!

Last week :
Me to friend - you ate 23 plates of sushi?!
Friend - steady eh? (smug look)

This morning :
Me to uncle - you want some cereal (for breakfast)?
Uncle - I want nasi lemak! (indignant look)

I need to surround myself with people who eat healthy.  Seriously.