What was I thinking!

I'm worried about this:

Source : PBIM Facebook Page

Finishing the 10km / 12km was quite tough.  Was practically crawling to the finishing run at Newton.

What made me think I can do 21km..I wonder.

And I haven't been training. at all.

猪 油 Loh 饭

At last night's dinner, the waitress offered three options for rice:

• White rice
• Brown rice
• Pork lard rice (Zhu Yau Loh Fan in Cantonese)

Guess which one I chose?

Of course the 3rd one :P

Anything with pork lard would be tasty, guaranteed.

Little did I know that it will bring back ...  nostalgia.

My mom used to make this ..awww.

Such a familiar taste.

Will blog about the restaurant next.  Awesome food!

Click HERE for a bit more about 猪 油 Loh 饭..

By the way..I can't recognise the word 'loh' , hence no Chinese word :D

Truly Challenged @ Newton 12km Challenge

It's actually quite easy to sum up the race.  I'm very sleepy and tired now....shall wrap this up short and sweet.

No no..it wasn't a sweet experience at all.

The entire run was nothing but slopes...I think only about 10% of the journey was on flat land :s

The slopes are not very steep but enough to flat me and lot's of others out.

What a challenge.

The route was quite boring.  Slopes slopes slopes..and nothing else. There's an U turn almost half way through and after that we make our back to where we came from.

It was very depressing seeing so many others making their way back on the opposite side of the road while your's truly here struggled on this other side :'(

Never before in my life that I was so looking forward to a U TURN.

I finally saw it! So happy that I had to take a picture.


Can you imagine what it was like after the U turn?  Yupe - downhill before becomes uphill. Uphill before becomes downhilll as we are back tracked to the starting point.

How interesting -.-


Advice for future participants if the race happens again in future at the same venue:

• Bring your shades - it's gonna be very hot and sunny
• Apply sunblock for protection - your pretty faces especially
• Oh..it's gonna be smelly too...I think the landfill is nearby

So..I did finished the race. Yay.

Timing was about 1 hr 44 mins...according to my Baby G.  The official timing should be available in a few days time.




Now...I wanna rant about the medal!

Source : GLL's

 That's the medal I DIDN'T GET!

The lady who was just a few steps in front of me got it THOUGH.


Only the first 50% in a category will get the finisher medal.  I was actually thinking about over taking her in case it becomes a situation of 'either she or me' but I was too tired and I didn't wanna be so kiasu.

There were two guys at the finishing line. The one on the left gives out water bottle while the one on the right gives out the medal.

I reached out both hands...but I only got the water bottle : /  Only explanation is the lady is from the other Women's category - the veterans BUT I just checked the details again.  There are only two Women category :

12km Women Open (15 years and above)
12km Women Open (35 years and above)


She can't be in the 1st category ??!!


I WANT MY MEDAL!!!!

The Shuffle arrived..

Remember how hard I 'worked' to spend enough on that StanChart Card just to get that little Ipod?
Click HERE to refresh you memory.

The little thing finally arrived..at my doorstep.

The 'arrival' process is quite a story.


First, they sent a redemption letter.

But. the letter was addressed to a stranger...a name I've never heard off.  I called them up to check, received a sms after about 24 hours, it says that there was an error and that they will send the gift to me directly as soon as possible.  So..I don't have to make a trip to redeem at the outlet.

Good way to make up for the error. Satisfied.

Few days ago....my bro came home to find a parcel addressed to Michael Wong.  He thought it was his since some times he uses a name similar to Michael :D

Long story cut short....he found the Shufffle in the parcel and figured it should be mine. He is expecting his to be a netbook *roll eyes*

Michael's Shuffle :D

So...I've taken Michael's Shuffle.  Wonder where MY Shuffle is?


May be Michael got it.


May be it's PINK!  Dang...

Oh..did you know that Apple launched the new Ipod range not too long after StanChart had this giveaway?

!@#$%^&

SOURCE : http://www.apple.com/asia/ipodshuffle/

Tempting....!

The Iphone 4 is finally. HERE.

I know I know..I said I ain't gonna get it....blah blah blah.

Surprisingly the price isn't as high as expected.   Well, we still have to fork out Much More compared to our lucky neighbour in SG for example.. but.. as FY says the telco. can't do much about it when our currency is weak.

Ok...I'll just 'accept' the cruel fact.....that is..we gotta pay premium price for cool stuff.  But then....it is relatively easier for us to own a house for example *sour grape*

So..here's the comparison..with SG.  Let's not look at the phone price...

..iValue gives more talk time (e.g. 333 mins vs 100mins)
...but lesser SMS and internet data ..wth ... was that a my typo ~ 1GB vs. 12GB ~
..and the fee : iValue1's RM100 while SG equivalent is SG38

.... MENGAPA begitu berbeza??

Currency doesn't affect our network access kan? Why is our access fee 3 times more ler?? Is our infrastructure 3 times better? I don't think so...

Can someone enlighten me?


But..I'm still tempted :D

My last month mobile usage was something like this:

About RM80 (It fluctuates around RM60-RM80+)
Call usage @ approx. 65 mins
SMS usage @ approx 150 smses

And I've an annual mobile allowance of RM1k...not much but sufficient.

So..iValue sounds good to me =)

Happy Mid Autumn Festival

I really miss celebrating these Chinese festivals especially the table full of food dishes.  Whole steamed chicken.  Fried chicken just for me (cos I didn't like steam chicken as a kid). Delicious soup.  And many many other varieties of yummy dishes from my very good cook Mom.  They could be very simple dishes..but.....boy... I miss her cooking so much ....

Now..do I miss the eating during festivals..or do I miss celebrating?

Anyhow, Anyway...I miss her : /

My Guest

Had a guest while driving on a very hot Sunday afternoon.


Can you spot him?

How do I know if it's a him? Well it looks like a He to me..

Up next..

SOURCE : http://www.triathlonmalaysia.com/

We will be at it again  :-P

Happening this coming Sunday 7am at Bandar Kinrara, Puchong.

Almost had to buy another sports bra to match this..phew..too broke ..luckily found a good match amongst the current ones :D

Compression socks from 2Xu, suppose to be good..but I ain't using it..ugly :-P

I wonder why it is called 'Challenge'??
Heard recently that it's gonna be hilly : \ No wonder some of the more serious runners that I got to know recently had been training like crazy.

http://www.triathlonmalaysia.com/race-details.php?eventID=22&tab=course

Can't tell much about the elevation from the chart here.

Hmm...will I survive : /

My 1st swimming lesson

Heh heh...it was just a swimming lesson that I went to :-P

Quite a big deal to me cos I never thought I will ever take proper swimming lessons.  Had always wanted to be able to swim the proper way, took the opportunity when Gan told me she had just started recently.  I will never do it alone..

I want to be able to "survive in water" not just swim for fun.

The course is RM180 for nine one hour lessons with a group of 6-10 students.  I haven't sign up..today is just a trial class.  There were about 6 of us.  We don't get 100% attention though...well it's a group session.  Obviously, the fee will be much more for one-to-one lessons.

I'm quite happy with today's experience.  Learnt some good tips on freestyle which I thought I already knew..obviously there are plenty of room improvement for improvement.  Also learnt the correct breast stroke kicking technique.

I think I will continue with the lessons.  If I do, next week, the coach will continue to guide me on breast stroke..then move on to other strokes.  By the end of the nine lessons..I'd guess we will be comfortable will all the different techniques.  Whether or not...I will achieve my objective of being able to survive in water...it depends on how confident I am and how often I practice, right? No?

Anyway..the lessons were held at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.  It used to look like this when it was build when Msia hosted the Commonwealth Games some years back.

SOURCE : http://www.cuti.com.my

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this now.  The place is not well maintained at all. Very run down.  Disappointing... I forgot to take photos...cos we were busy checking out cute coaches from PowerSwim : D

I wonder if Beijing's Water Cube will end up like ours..

SOURCE :  http://www.architecturelist.com

Got Breast Milk? by Gina Yong

e-lifesl proudly presents...

Published by my friend Gina Yong

The book will be available at The Gift of Love Charity Bazaar happening next week at Tropicana City Mall.

SOURCE : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gift-of-Love-Charity-Bazaar/140379849305760#!/pages/Gift-of-Love-Charity-Bazaar/140379849305760?v=app_4949752878

Event Details:
24 – 26th September 2010, (Friday – Sunday)
10am to 9pm (Sunday ends at 6pm)

Tropicana City Mall – Level 2, Circle Area near Monsoon ID & StoryBook

Click HERE for more details

Body Balance

Not sure if this is of any interest to you but I just need to note this down for future reference.  Here goes..

I attended a Body Balance class for the second time last night.  Well, I attended once very long time ago so that doesn't count.

It's something like yoga but not so.

BODYBALANCE™ is the Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates workout that builds flexibility and strength and leaves you feeling centered and calm. Controlled breathing, concentration and a carefully structured series of stretches, moves and poses to music create a holistic workout that brings the body into a state of harmony and balance. 
Find out more - HERE

So..it's something very different from all the 'sports' that I normally do these days.  And I'm beginning to feel that my muscles are not benefiting from all the 'abuse'.  I'm not concluding that working out is not good. May be I'm getting too old..or I just don't warm up or cool down properly.

The muscle soreness in the thigh never really healed completely...and  some muscles here and there are always sore during before or after working out.

Since I stopped tai chi...I thought I need to balance out with something else..to help the body relax and stretch.

So ..I've been trying to fit Body Balance into my so called schedule :D

How was it?

Basically..one won't know the body so well until you go through something like Body Balance.  Other alternatives could be yoga or pilates.  Anything that requires stretching and poise.  

Think I've written before long long time agoo when I tired yoga.  A simple 'move' like breathing can be a task!
And I'm not even talking about let's say...

http://sal2009.com/index.php?key=Sun+Salutation

Some moments I felt like a complete clown..some moments I felt like a stranger to my own limbs and body...but..towards the end..I felt refreshed..and light.


Try it =)





                

4-in-1

This is Goldie, my sis' golden retriever.

Such a handsome dog.

I found out recently that he can be a great pacer to run with despite that he is four legged.  

We brought him and another older female retriever, Zoe to Desapark a few nights ago.  It was stressful in the beginning because he can be quite hyper being male and younger, but after some time when he relaxes a little he will slow down to a gentle throttle.  Well, his four legged throttle is still quite difficult to kepp up especially when I have short legs and not a fast walker.  That's how I discovered that running along side with him is so much better.

With two beautiful and friendly dogs in a beautiful and friendly environment like Desapark, we tend to attract friendly people to too.  

There were kids who wanted to play with the dogs.

There were fellow joggers whom I guessed wished that they have a four legged pacer too.

There were young dating couples who stopped to share their interest / love to animals..

Females in particular will stop to say how much they love this kind of dogs too

Fellow retriever owners will definitely stop to share some stories

And of course..fellow dog lovers who have interest to own retrievers will definitely stop to chat.

Some are not bad looking males too : P

My sis concluded that...I should bring her Goldie out for runs more often to attract more 'friends' ~ male friends in particular :D

Not a bad idea really.

• Can work out
• Can train for coming marathons.
• Can make friends!
• And as Gan said...it's free

Ahem...

     

A good picture..

Ever wondered how and what a good picture is defined?
I ain't no professional photographer...but to me..



A good picture makes my heart skip a beat, just like this one =)

Mini Chocolate Mud Cake - LML's creation
Shot with Lumix LX3

And most of the time..I'd find a perfect quote to go with good pictures....

The story behind the wine bottle opening..

Thanks to CLK for bringing the bottle of wine, apparently it's good wine.
Unfortunately you didn't stay on to enjoy it ; p

But..we almost didn't get to have it cos the cap refused to twist open no matter how hard we tried.

It will be such a shame to end the night without having a sip of wine :(

Hence..

Hiak...

Stay clear...!

Alas...we get to Cheers :D

*Hick*

How much is One Teaspoon?

I never knew a teaspoon measurement can be so complicated.

Two teaspoon, Two times a day

I took the trouble to measure using a real teaspoon..the liquid from the teaspoon clearly showed that it was at the 5ml mark. So..two teaspoon means? 10ml mark, rite?

That's exactly what how much I took on the first feed.

I measured again the next morning after doubting myself...this time it was at the mark way below 5ml.
So..I thought I overdosed myself :D  and reduced to way below the 5ml mark.

Was doing that two days only to realise that it actually says TWO TEASPOONS. Yikes..two teaspoons means..increase to 5ml ? rite?

While writing this..I was in doubt again...so I measured again.  This time one teaspoon touches the 5ml mark.

WTH!


Did a few tries....it actually depends on how full the teaspoon is :s


When it is very full..it should touch the 5ml mark. So my first feed at 10ml was correct!


DUH...


No wonder I'm still not 100% well -.-



And I just saw that the label say 'Shake Well Before Consumption" ...hmm. Didn't do that :s

Stopping Tai Chi

After some long hard considerations, I've decided to stop going to tai chi lessons. for now.  The fee is RM38 a month for minimum of 2 lessons a week but I only attend once a month these days, I used to attend very diligently every Mon, Tues and early Sun morning.  Not anymore.  Monetarily it's not worthwhile and I'd like to free myself from the emotional guilt of skipping classes so often.

It is best to stop...for now..I may return when I rediscover the passion once again....may be when I am 50 :D
 and when I am less distracted by other much more dynamic sports..hehe.  Well, I can actually continue to practice on my own..I've learn enough to do it on my own..I'd better start before I forget everything.  Patience...and a peace of mind...is all I need.  Can I have that for at least 10-20 mins in a day?

Now ..I have more free time..what shall I do with the free time :)

Ah Weng Koh Hainan Tea @ Imbi Market

I'm still missing food : /

While I sulk..here are some pics from the famous eatery at Imbi Market.

Iced Hainan Tea - must have..this pic may not look good..but trust me it's good.

Hainan Tea is actually a mixture of coffee and tea..with more tea than the normal Cham.

Best toast in town..may be whole country..it's just bun and butter and kaya..but don't why these are always better!

Yummss..

Half boiled egg..done the traditional way...eggs in hot water in a stainless steel mug..but always turned out purrfecttt.

I MISS FOOD!

Snapshopts - Putrajaya Botanical Garden & Wetland

As mentioned in earlier post, the place was kind of deserted.  It was around 5pm when we got there but we saw only 1-2 cars at the carpark and we didn't see any bodies in the park.  The place is huge so may be they wandered some where else.

Jenny said there were many people when she visited at 6pm..so may be it's the Ramadhan month.

The lake

The place is huge..so it's best to bring some bicycles or rent one..though we didn't see any bicycle renting booth.  There was a little jetty for boating..we didn't see any boats nor people manning the jetty : /


My sis stressed that she ain't doing any hiking nor running around...so it must be some place where the kiddo can run around and self entertain.

Coconut hunting

Kids being kids...they will find things to self entertain.   So..there he goes..coconut hunting :D

Stopped by the nursery to take some flower shots..me not a fan of flowers..but thought this is quite a nice shoot.

On the way back...we stopped by the Wetlands.
Came here many years ago with some friends..only to find it was deserted and abandoned.

Looks like it has been re-built.

Got flamingoes..alive ones :P

Spotted some ducks too..

Alternative shots of the ducks

We dare not stay too long..

I miss eating..

I was anticipating an enjoyable weekend.

Saturday started with some action when I attended yet another quarterly launch at the gym.  This time it was held at the new branch at Sunway Giza mall.  Relatively smaller in everything but nice place.  As usual I only attended one class ..none other than my all time favourite bodycombat :) Class was packed and energetic as always.


Later part of the day was with sis and Danial.  Sis wanted to take Danial somewhere..some sort of baby sitting to ease the parents a little.  We were deciding on a few places..from FRIM to Bukit Tinggi or back to Desapark Waterfront.

I personally favoured Dseapark cos we can also bring the dogs but the boy is getting sick of Desapark cos he goes there almost every day.  Alas, we ended up in Putrajaya's Botanical Garden.

Quite a nice place..but found it a bit deserted.  Other than us  and may be one or two others..the place is practically empty.  Not sure if it's because of the time or the ramadhan month.  Will post more pics in another post.

 
Back to my supposedly enjoyable weekend.  I ended spending the whole of today at home.  Was suppose to be at a yummy birthday dim sum lunch but I woke up feeling really crappy.  Had indigestion or gastric..don't know what exactly it is.  The night coughing was a nuisance too.

Didn't eat much whole of today.  Couldn't eat.  No games.  No run.  Nothing.

I miss eating...

Brand Power?

It has to be the brand power :P

Many had asked me to sign up for the Mizuno Wave Run in October but I declined due to reasons related to the injuries..i.e. I needed to see how I feel after Newton Run in September or I need to rest longer before the PBIM in November..blah blah blah.


This morning, all those turned out to be crap reasonings...the moment I found out about this :

http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_events-en_MY/2010/08/31/nike-city-10k-kl-vs-sg-challenge

COOL . COOL . COOL .
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are two out of the 22 cities around the world that will be hosting the newly introduced Nike City 10K this year. In addition to the physical race, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur will be challenging each other in a virtual race, where runners in each city can clock mileage for their City from now till 31st Oct. All they need is a Nike+ SportBand to sync their mileage on Nikeplus.com.sg.

The city with the most kilometres by the end of October will win a USD30,000 donation from Nike to their respective charities. Runners in Singapore will raise funds for the Singapore Children’s Society, while runners in Kuala Lumpur will run to earn a donation for Hope Worldwide Kuala Lumpur.

The physical race will take place in both cities in the month of October. The Nike City 10K flags off in Kuala Lumpur on 10th October and 24 October for Singapore. 

SOURCE : http://redsports.sg/2010/09/03/nike-city-10k-running/

Well, the Mizuno Run had been around for some time..and Mizuno may be associated more stronly to serious running but I ain't that serious about running yet.

I think..we can conclude right now that I'm running more for the fun and hype...there isn't any official page for Mizuno.com in M'sia, hence, no official site for the run as well..the closest will be HERE

Totally did not appeal to me :P

So..it's all about branding and marketing??


As if the swoosh brand power isn't great enough, all the hype about the the inter city virtual race via Nike+ i.e.  sync our mileage for the month of September to contribute to KL's standing to challenge SG ~ brilliant way of promoting the product isn't it??

Apparently, one needs a Nike+ gear to do this : a Nike + sports band that comes with a chip that you have to 'embed' in a Nike+ shoe! Apparently (too), the sports band doesn't work without a Nike+ shoe .

Hmm...so..I need to get the NIke+ sports band at 50% discount upon registration plus a Nike+ shoe to be able to participate in the Virtual Race ...$$$$$$$


Darn.



Think I'll just participate in the physical race on 10.10.10 it's still gonna be darn cool.


Nike rocks!