‘To Japan With Love’ charity promotion booth and some Ultra updates

Charity Promotion Booth this weekend

”To Japan With Love” charity promotion booth will be at Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC), Jalan Maarof this weekend on Saturday and Sunday (11-12 June 2011) from 9am – 3pm. All welcome to visit our booth !! 🙂 No free gifts or balls for you to throw into any hoops. Just engaging the awareness of public to spread and share some love with our brothers and sisters in Japan. If you happen to pass Bangsar this weekend, or planning to have lunch at BSC, do look for us ! Our booth will be located in front of Cold Storage. Location map to BSC here. Special appearance by Singapore Blade Runner (SBR) at the booth !

9, 10,11….23,24…25 June 2011

As I mentally countdown towards D-day, many things are obviously playing in my mind. Looking back at 2009 where I did my first Ironman, I can’t for now, imagine what exactly was it which took me to finish the distance. Training? Will ? Determination? If you have not heard of Ironman before, it is basically a triathlon event offering a distance longer than the usual Olympic Distance (O.D.). In an Ironman the swim distance is 3.8km, followed by a 180km bike leg and a full marathon after (42.19km). How did I do it..? Many many people, younger, older (and older) than me have done it. So it is something possible. Ultra marathon ? I guess if you are a seasoned runner or an enthusiast newbie in the running scene, you may know already know that ultra running is basically anything more than a full marathon. My longest distance on foot was a 60km which I covered walking back in 2006 at the Penang 12 hour walk. I came in 6th for the women’s category. We walked at night (which was good), but I remembered I got bored and sleepy (just a  bit) during the walk. A couple months back I did the Sabah Adventure Challenge, which I finished with a pretty decent timing and placing. I came in 4th ! It was tough, with the extreme terrain and Borneo heat. Sun scorching hawttt but luckily there were streams and fountain where the runners were able to cool themselves off.

Core muscles

Singapore Sundown Ultra Marathon ? It will be legs, legs and legs on the surface, unlike triathlon where you are able to ‘rest’ certain group muscles as not all muscles are used in a particular discipline. But one of the thing that I find very true across all kind of sports, the core muscles has got to be strong. The stronger they are, the stronger your distal group muscles will be. Hence, the need of core training in no matter what sports you are involved in. For Sundown Ultra Marathon, the information provided to us runner show that it will be a big loop of 50km running out, and 50km running in back to finish line. U-turn point will be at Bedok. So imagine now running that first half (the 1st 50km).. I will be lucky to make it to the u-turn point between 7-8 hours. I trust my legs to do the pacing as I have trained them well to pace, not to get excited too early into the race.

Pacing and ‘spreading the burden’

It is all about pacing and not to over use any particular group of muscles at one time. This I learned through my experience in trail running/hiking where we tend to, at times, ‘allow’ certain group of muscles to do the work, you know, whether climbing up a steep hill or descending. Just imagine, quads, quads, quads to go up a hill..but we get ourselves into trouble going down as we still need that group of muscle to support us ! Muscle fatigue sets in and we try to shift the burden to another group of muscles.. It doesn’t work that way, at least for me. All muscle have to work in harmony to lift and move the body. Only then the burden can be ‘spread’ evenly throughout the body ,and energy consumption per muscle area is decreased, hence reserving more energy for the alter part of our journey.

Knowledge – the golden key

One observation I made towards the end of my Penang Bridge marathon last year is that my iliopsoas muscles are weak ! Because I know it is weak, than I should strengthen it ! And while I know that my core muscles support the other muscles in the body, I can’t leave it to general exercise or training to strengthen it. I still need specific core strengthening exercises to make my core stronger. Another aspect which I am looking at is sports nutrition(hydration included) :- ultimately important. I need to make sure I am ‘feeding’ my musculoskeletal system not only well but also right. I would not want to over feed or over hydrate it as well ! It is about knowing, and only through knowing you can understand the mechanics involved in a simple-to-the-eyes act of putting one feet in front of the other in a continuous manner. Only by learning you will know. So learn to learn. Listen to your body. READ UP. I can’t stress this any further. Isn’t it exciting to discover how our body actually works ? It is. Subhanallah. Same thing applies to things else, we can’t afford to be ignorant about anything, in sports and other wise. So, is an ultra possible? It is a definite YES to anybody out there who believes that knowledge (and not ignorance) is the key to any possibilities and impossibilities in this world. That’s why we say ‘I knew it!’, ‘I know you can !’ . Long lasting and beneficial possibilities are achieved with knowledge.

What is it for me?

To finish the 100km event in one piece, within cut off, no major (or even) minor injury. To prove, it is above all, a mental game challenge which I have to go through. That’s how adults play huh? With their minds.

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