The greatest gift of all

To my dear other half,

I'm sorry this post is sooooo delayed. I cannot believe I didn't post one on your birthday. So here I am, wishing you a very very belated happy birthday!!!!! Because of Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and emails.... I completely forgotten about a birthday post. Was reflecting on my year and realized, I didn't blog much this year. I blogged a total of 11 post!! This being the 12th!! Omg!! The least ever!!!!

And so, here I am dedicating this post to you, on Christmas Eve. Thank you for all the unconditional support you have given me throughout the past 7 years. SEVEN!!!! Wow!! Time really flies. Well, almost 7. Haha! Those days where we rolled down the hills of Auckland Domain is still very fresh in my head. I really wouldn't know what I would do without you. I wouldn't need any Christmas wishes because I've got the greatest gift of all, your presence.

I am so happy you have turned 24, because now it means less than a year till we embark on our epic 25 year old road trip!!! More memories and crazy moments to come. I miss experiencing those Swannie moments with you. Classic as always. I can't name any this year. Proves I need you moreeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Congratulations with your new job this year. So proud of you and am always so happy to hear that you are loving the challenge. Also congrats with being able to sit for your exams next year, all the best babe! Road trip after!!! I am so happy that you hung in there and persevered. Well done babe!!!!

Have a really awesome year ahead!!! Good luck with the upcoming year ahead, in terms of everything - career, family, friends, travel plans, and love... of all sorts :p

Happy Belated Birthday once again!!!!! Missing you heaps!!!!!!!!!

Realized we didn't take much photos with each other this year... Most of them had other people in it. This is the best I can get...

We don't change much, do we?

Hehehehehe....

Love you long time,

YOH

The week that was... 42km long...

I've got to say, the weekend two weeks ago was by far the most intense weekend for year 2012. Was a bridesmaid for the very first time, stayed up till 3am the day before the wedding writing my bridesmaid speech, walked in heels for the whole day, and... ticked another item off my bucket list - running a marathon before I turn 25.

All in one weekend. 

Adidas Auckland Marathon 2012

The day before the marathon, I arrived Auckland at 4.30pm. Ivan picked me up and I made him drive me to Devonport and check out the running route. I am so afraid I wouldn't be able to run it because Auckland is so much more hilly than Sydney. Saw the slopes and got pretty nervous. But at least I've seen it so I am a little bit more mentally prepared.

Headed to Yin and Shaun's place after that for an early dinner to carbo load - Pasta party!! Swan and Ying Xuan were there too. Had Swan's famous baked pasta, love it!!! It was good hearing Shaun's experience of the marathon route, knowing that the Harbour bridge slope is not actually the last slope, got to prepare myself for another mini one right after the bridge, and another one near the rose garden. 

Got home and started counting down the hours. Had to catch the ferry by 5.10. Takes about 35-40 mins to get to city, plus have to pick Ivan's friend, Tim, up before heading to Victoria Park to get a car park and then another 15 min or so to walk to the ferry. That means I need to leave the house by 3.45 a.m, so I need to get up around 3.15! Did my pre-race prep, put my bib onto my shirt, tied the timing tag to my shoes... Looked at the clock and it was already 10pm. Great, 5 hours of sleep. Not how I would have liked it. Didn't really help that I have been sleeping 5-6 hours for the whole of last week as well, being busy with all the lead up to my cousin's wedding. 

Got to bed but somehow I couldn't fall asleep right away, was thinking about the run too much. Just thinking about how good it would feel after crossing that finishing line. And then I started worrying that I am not falling asleep. I.NEED.SLEEP. 

I set my alarm at 3am and snoozed till 3.15am. Had my oats since the pantry is pretty much empty with no milk, no eggs, no milo as mum and dad cleared the kitchen before they left for Sydney. 

Got a good car park spot near Victoria Park which is where the finishing line will be. Caught the 5.10am ferry to Devonport with Ivan and Tim, had a banana whilst on the ferry. Got there and it was rather chilly. Did a small tiny jog to test out the calves. It felt good. No sharp pain whatsoever. I have been putting my runs off for the past two weeks leading up to the marathon as I have been suffering from a calf injury ever since I ran 32km 4 weeks ago. 

6.10 am - Off we go!! I was running with Ivan for the first 100-200m or so and then he asked me not to wait for him and to go ahead. You see, this fella, played basketball two weeks ago despite knowing he is so prone to ankle sprains. And surprise surprise, he sprained his ankle. And we all know, 2 weeks isn't enough time for the ankle to recover. I am surprised he still decided to do the marathon. Brave monkey. So... I went off. Tim was quite far and not to be seen after the gun went off. So here's a little bit about Tim. He is Ivan's running buddy, they have been doing a few long runs together. From what Ivan told me, he completed the Cathay Pacific Half Marathon in 1 hour 30 mins or so. Crazy right? So, I did not bother to even keep up with him. I just decided to run at my own pace. 

But around the 2km mark, I saw him and so I decided to follow him. It didn't last for long, he went ahead after the 3km mark. Haha!! Fail.  Despite it being a little chilly at the start, with the temperature sitting at 14 degrees with lots of clouds, I thought it was perfect once I started running. Didn't stop for any drinks for the first 10km. All I had in my mind was "Shermayne, once you get pass the Harbour Bridge and you'll be fine. Just focus, you can do this. Conquer the slopes!!"  I got through the slopes one at a time, stride after stride, trying to keep my cadence constant. At the 10km mark, this girl asked me what the time was... I looked at my watch - 50 min 42 sec. She smiled. I think she was impressed with her pace. I was shocked. How am I going that fast? I felt great, not tired, I felt comfortable ... And so, I just continued with what I was doing. At some point, I saw the 3:45 pace setter. I can't remember if he had creeped up from behind or was he initially ahead of me. But anyway, I ran passed him after I saw him, being highly ambitious and hopeful that MAYBE I could do it under 3:45. That would be so awesome!! Took a gulp of water at the 11.5km mark. I knew the bridge is coming up so I'd better hydrate before I climb the bridge. 

When I got to the Harbour Bridge, I told myself. "Right, this is it. This is The Climb!!" Kinda wished I had took music with me.You see, ever since I have been waking up in the wee hours of the morning to run, I have stopped running with music. Simply because I didn't have time then to fix my mp3 before heading out for a run. I rather have that extra 5 minutes of sleep rather than fumbling with my earphones. And eventually, I sort of got used to running without music. Just enjoying the sound of my footsteps and the surroundings. But that run up the Harbour bridge... I could so imagine Miley Cyrus's The Climb playing in my head right at that time. 

I told myself not to think too much of the slopes and how far more I need to run before it goes downhill. I distracted myself by savouring that special moment... of running across Auckland's Harbour Bridge. It is something so very special that I had always wanted to do. And the view from the bridge was indeed stunning. I found myself running pass several other runners. I saw a few of them walking. I felt great and did not even think of walking.

After the bridge, I knew there was gonna be a slope coming up at Point Erin Park at Sarsfield street. It was going to be a loop and before I hit Sarsfield street, I already saw Tim coming from the opposite direction. That fella is fast. I did the slope with little difficulty. It's all in the mind, I kept telling myself that.

Took a sip at the 16km mark. Was tempted to open my first GU Gel but as I only had 2 with me, I thought I'd save it for the half way mark and another at the 30km mark. Between the 16km and 21km mark, it was rather flat, all along Westhaven Drive and along the bay and towards viaduct. I tried to tell myself  "imagine you're running along Pyrmont. Running along the wharf, beside the water. Just imagine that." But I felt hot, my feet started to ache and there was that occasional sharp stabbing pain on the soles of my feet. I kept looking out for the next drink station as I needed a reason to stop. There was a point in the run where there were two arrows.. one pointing left saying "Full Marathon", one pointing right saying "Half Marathon". It got my spirit up a little bit... it was like "Yeaa!! For once I'm heading towards the Full Marathon sign. I'm going to be a full marathon runner by the end of this!!" 

When I passed the 21 km mark, I looked at my watch and I was at 1 hr 50 min. I was so shocked. This is 8 mins faster than my PB. I could smell 3 hour 45 min. I thought it's about time for my first GU Gel. I'm sure the water station wouldn't be too far now. I kept looking out for it but no. I don't see it. Saw the 10km runners and 5km walkers as I was looking out for the drink station. I'm sure it should be somewhere here.

Soon enough, I saw the sign that says  "Powerade station, 500m ahead". Great. Not too far now. But being so desperate for water, 500m suddenly felt like a long way. I thought to myself "Ohh no... is this how it feels when they say you've hit the wall?". "No, you must keep going, Shermayne. People only hit the wall at the 30km mark. Hitting the wall means you just can't move anymore. Just keep moving those legs and you'll be fine. You are much stronger than this, you are the most prepared one for this race compared to other races". I kept telling myself not to get beaten down mentally again. It always happens to me during races. Always.. always at the half way mark.

I hung in there and kept jogging (no more running, now is jogging. Running and jogging is so different. Running is where you feel really light on your legs, you feel like you're flying. Jogging on the other hand... feels heavy.). One leg after another, I picked them up. The water station isn't too far now. But before I reached the water station. I saw a familiar back...walking.. hunching... moving slowly. Aha!! It's Tim. I caught up to Tim. "He's walking? Hmmnn.. should I run pass him? It would be awesome to finish ahead of someone who did a half in 1 hour 30!" That's my ego talking. But, the other half of me was saying "Walk, Shermayne, Walk." I gave in to that other half. And so, I tapped Tim on his back and said "Hey, come on, keep going! Keep going!". He looked exhausted. I came to find out he was about to turn back and head towards Victoria Park. I am so glad he continued. At least I have someone to jog with now. We both stopped by the water station, opened my first GU gel, thought it would give me a sudden burst of energy but not really. I was still going slow. I decided, forget that 3 hour 45 min. Just finish this!

As I head towards Tamaki Drive, just after KFC, there was another small climb. But there were drummers.  And so, I set my footsteps according to the beat of the drums. It was a struggle. I thought I could run down instead of jog... but I couldn't. After we jogged down the bridge, Tim said to go ahead. He started to walk. And so, I jogged. Looked at my watch and I was doing 6 min plus per km pace. Not long after, the 3:45 pace setter ran pass me. I thought to myself  "OK, set my target to 4 hours. I can do 4 hours."

I started walking a little as my calves were burning. The 4 hour pace setter must be 15 minutes behind. I've got 15 mins to spare. I walked, jog, walked, jog. "500m, Powerade station ahead". I jogged that 500m to the water station. 26km. Took some Powerade. Ooo!! Porta-loos! "Maybe if I empty whatever I have in me, I would be lighter and I can go faster!". I got in there and SAT down. I just sat there. I was extremely exhausted. Nothing came out. I just sat. For a few mins or so. "Tim would have ran passed me by now. Screw it, I will just walk for the next 16km, maybe Ivan will catch up with me, and then I can walk with him. Hmnn.. I wonder if the 4:00 pace setter ran pass me. Probably." 

I then got out. And started to jog again. "Arghh.. I should have stretched back there. My calves, they are still so tight. Oh look.. there's a tree. Let's stop there and stretch." At this point, I think I have really hit the wall. Actually, I think I might have hit the wall at the 21-22km mark. But I was in denial. As I was stretching, I saw someone familiar walking towards me. Is it Ivan? Ohhh... it's Tim! So he didn't catch up with me afterall during my "toilet pit stop". It was his turn to say "Come on, let's walk and run. We can do this." And I replied "Yeaa.. we will finish this. Still got hope for under 4:15. By the end of this, we would be marathoners!!" Trying to psych ourselves up.

We walked a little bit and just before Kelly Tarlton's, I decided, ok... time to jog. We'll aim for Mission Bay. Jogged towards Mission Bay, saw the water station, stopped again and hydrate. 32km. I can so see myself stopping at every single water station now. 10 km to go! I can do this... the 4:15 pace setter have not ran pass us. Walked more after Mission Bay. Just before Kohimarama, we decided to jog. Not too far now and we will reach St. Helier's Bay.

Once I did the turn, I knew, I am going to finish this!!! You see, throughout the whole jog along the bay, I really felt like just U-turning as I see other runners running from the opposite direction. Saw the 3:45 pace setter running towards me when I was at Mission Bay I think. Saw the 4:00 pace setter not long after. So de-motivating. But it was good having Tim running beside me. He kept saying things like "One foot after another, we can do this. Relax your mind, don't think too much about it. Less than 9 km to go, 8km to go...." Stopped a couple of times after the turn. Walked, stretch.

I was finding every single excuse to stop. If it's not the calves, it's the knee. It's the quads, It's the hamstrings. It's the hip. Or if it's not muscular, it's the stomach. Oh, stitch! Need to stop, need to stop. Ohhh!! I think it was just before Mission Bay where the 4:15 pace setter ran pass us. "ARghhh!!!! Ok, screw it. 4:30!!! And since I can't do 4:15, I will Gangnam my way towards the finishing line!!" I said to Tim. Got to Mission Bay and stopped again at the water station. Ahh.. powerade.. *gulp*... Ahhhh... Coke... *gulp*And then.. ohhh no! Stitch... walk. "Ohhh.. maybe I should practice my victory Gangnam style". I tried... Tim tried too. But being so un-co... I decided, ok, Gangnam is out of the picture. Ohhh well... I will think of something to do my victory run.

When we started to jog, from the distance, we saw a familiar tall figure... running rather awkardly... limping and running.... Ahhh!! It's Ivan. Omg!! He actually is running this. He did not turn back halfway afterall. He is also going to complete the full marathon. What a champ!! We both gave him hi-5s as we jogged pass. He was probably 3-4km behind us.

Got to Okahu Bay and it was 35km. 7km to go! Drank more powerade/water/coke before going again. I wanted to jog all the way back since it's only 7km more but that other half of me said "No" and kept finding the same excuses to stop.

After walking a little bit after the 37km mark... I decided.. "Ok, less than 5km to go. Reset your mind and go! 4km, it's only like a warm-up. You can do this. Easy." So we jogged. I could still feel the burn in my legs, coming back again. I thought, Ok, maybe walk up that bridge again just before KFC. But then, those drummers were still there. You know, these drummers are really awesome. I thank them for being there. It made me ran up that slope. Soon, I saw KFC :) Can't wait to have KFC after my run. And so many spectators all along Quay Street.. all the way towards the finishing line. They were awesome. I don't remember Sydney having this much spectators and being so encouraging. They cheered, not only for their family/friends... but for strangers like us. It was an awesome feeling. I even remembered one person shouting out "Go yellow shorts!" Haha!! Super LIKE!! Some were even handing out lollies. I remembered taking one from a lady along Kohimarama Bay. "Don't take lollies from strangers" Yeaa.. right! It was great.

So we pretty much jogged./ran the last 3km or so. I say RUN now because I had that sudden burst of energy out of no where. Tim was however struggling. I tried my best to encourage him. But it seemed like he couldn't go anymore. The last km, I wanted to go fast. I had so much energy. But I didn't want to leave Tim behind. He was so supportive throughout the last half of the marathon, I can't just leave him behind.

Towards the last 200-300m, I said to Tim "Come on! Let's sprint!" He shook his head and hands and told me to go ahead. He wasn't picking up his pace. I knew his reserved fuel tank is also pretty much empty. The last 100-200m stretch, I heard people screaming "Go Sher Mayne!! WOOOOooooOOOO!!" Ahah!!! It's the cheer group for me!  Shaun, Yin, Swan, Ying Xuan, Boon, Kai-Ann, Chin Ann... They had their cameras out. I ran towards them and attempted my Can Can dance. I knew it was better than my attempted Gangnam style. I was hoping they took a video but this is good enough :)

I was told there's gonna be video cameras to capture our finishing... So I ran probably the last 50m waving my arms frantically... and after crossing the finishing line, I did my victory leap! Too bad it wasn't caught on camera... but you can see it in the video here.

And so... I clocked in with a time of 4 hour 28 min 26 sec. So I did managed it under 4:30, which was my initial goal when people asked me what my target time was. I set a low target time hoping I would do way faster than that so I can sound super awesome... secretly hoping for 4:15 and would be awesome if it was 4:00. It almost came true until... the halfway mark. A little bit gutted.

On a brighter note, I did a PB for a 21km, 1 hour 50 min 20 sec, with a pace of 5:13/km. Along with those slopes at the start.. I am stoked! But too bad it isn't official. Who knows if I would have done that well if I were to just run a 21km... I probably crash again at the halfway mark. Will have to find out in my next half!! Looking forward to run another half soon!!

Tim finished just a few seconds behind me. I need to really thank him. If it weren't for him, I probably finish this in 5 hours or so. After the finishing line, he told me he was really dizzy and felt really unwell. Brought him to the St. John's tent.. turns out, he was really dehydrated.

Special mention to my monkey, who completed his first full marathon also, 50 mins behind me... but with a recently sprained ankle... so proud of him!! I really admire his determination.

And here's a huge congrats to the ex-UMSA-ians who completed their half marathon on that day!! Well done guys!! And thanks for the cheering towards the end. Definitely gave me that V-Power boost!!

Photos by Shaun and Ying Xuan

The post-marathon feeling?

Super pain, super exhausted. Could hardly walk. No more. No more marathons. My first and last one EVER!!! 

That was the feeling for the next 5 days. But now, as I'm blogging this, looking back.... I think I want to do another one. I want to finish one without walking. I want to be well rested before running it. Not running around crazy two days before and in heels. Not having so little sleep two weeks before the marathon. And definitely not anytime soon.

On top of that, I have raised $1726 for the Heart Foundation!!! Never knew I could have raised so much. Thanks to all those kind-hearted people out there who have donated. It made me train harder. It was one of the factors as to why I really have to finish this and there's no turning back!

Thanks to everyone who's given me supportive and encouraging words during the journey towards completing my marathon. Thanks to those who advised me, to rest when I really needed it. I am glad I took that week off two weeks before my marathon when I was suffering from a calf injury.

Running my first full marathon was indeed an experience. Training for it is also a whole new different experience. Banned myself from alcohol and KFC for almost a year. Suffered many injuries. Waking up at 5.30am on some winter mornings to run, wearing a hoodie and beanie. Looking back now, it sounds crazy. But definitely an experience. I surprise myself for being that disciplined.

Complete a full marathon before turning 25: Checked :)

Yes... I love this picture A LOT!! 

Suncorp Bank Sydney Harbour 10km

8th July 2012

Massive delay in this post. But I had to post this up. A day to be remembered. Where I finally achieved my goal of running a 10km with a sub 50. It was a very flat and fast course. Starting from the Rocks going through Barangaroo wharf, darling harbour, The Star Casino, Pyrmont, back through darling harbour again and back to the Rocks. Many achieved their personal best too. I am stoked with mine. Didn't plan to run this race as I refuse to pay $50 to run 10km. It was only the friday before the race I decided to run it. Because they were offering 50% off entry fees :D Hehehehe... And  I am so glad I did it. 

Completed this in 48 min 32 sec, giving me an average pace of 4 min 51 sec/km. Better than sub 50 yo! I don't think I can ever run at this speed again. Mission accomplished!!! Nothing else to say as nothing much was going through my head during the run. All I wanted was a sub 50. Every 5 min, Runkeeper talked to me, I smiled. Because I was maintaining my pace pretty well. I'm amazed actually at how fast I ran. Because now when I try running at that pace, I struggle. Runkeeper said I ran 10.23km though, giving me a pace of 4 min 46 sec/km, I'd like to take that but I am satisfied with it the official time. Hehehe... 

Looking forward to conquer another big goal of mine by the end of October!!! 

Careflight Woodford to Glenbrook 25km Trail Run

24th June 2012

My first ever trail run in Australia, and also my longest run ever. Cousin's fiance - Phil, told me about this run and said it was a good run to get into trail running. I do not know why I continue to believe him despite him telling me that The Coast Track was an easy walk which didn't turn out easy. And hence, the night before the trail run, I was panicking. Who in the right mind would partake in a trail run, let it be not having ran 25km on normal road before? I was already dying towards the end of my half marathon in May, would I even survive 25km on normal road? At least on normal road, I can just run off route and pull out of the race whenever I want to. It won't be possible to do the same if you are running right in the middle of the blue mountains. On top of that, I have been sick for the past week and hence haven't been training for my marathon. Fitness level is not even close to top form. I remembered my first and ever trail run was the Kauri Run back in November 2008. That was only 13km and I was dying. How how how? All I can do was to hope Phil's words this time is true.


Left home at 7.30am. Took slightly over an hour to get to Glenbrook. We then have to catch a train to Woodford to get to the starting line. Got to the starting line and it was 5 degrees. Not pleasant at all. Race was scheduled to start at 10am but one of the mountain bikers (they start at 9.30) crashed their bike and the ambulance had to go in and get the biker. We did not start till 10.20. So that was 20 minutes of freezing and not doing anything. 


Was running well for the first 3km. Simply because that was on road. Haha! 4-5 km in and I could feel a slight burn in the middle arches of my feet. I strapped up my left ankle to prevent it from another sprain but I could feel the tape rubbing against my foot. The right foot didn't feel too good either. I then realized... I was wearing thin socks! Why in the world did I do that? I only wear thin socks if I go for a short training run... I never ever wore thin socks for any races. And this is trail running... not only should one wear proper trail running shoes, they should wear thicker socks because of the uneven rocky surface that will cause you blisters with that ongoing pounding of your feet against these rocks. Silly me. I had to just suck it up and complete another 20km.

First 11km of the race had a good mixture of uphills and downhills. Some were quite steep and I walked most of the uphills. Ran up the tiny ones but when I saw those larger slopes where you can't even see the end of the top, I just walked. A lot of people in front of me walked too. That was how I justify myself. After the 11km mark, it was all flat or downhill. Wasn't tired in the legs or cardio wise... but the pain in both feet was just excruciating. The faster I ran, the more painful it was. Stopped a few times to contemplate whether I should open my shoes and have a look at the blisters but decided against it because once I open it, I probably will not want to run because I can feel that the blisters are massive. I kept telling myself it's mind over matter. Had temptations to stop and pull out and get the ambulance to bring me back but I reminded myself, this is a good race to train my mental strength. Don't give in.


I tried to take my mind off the pain by enjoying the surroundings. Yes, it was just trees, trees and more trees. Nothing much really but somehow I found it more interesting than road running. I think it's because you actually have to pay attention to the uneven surfaces with regards to your foot placement so you do not trip or fall so you get distracted with how long more you have to go. And because it's so quiet in the trail, you can actually hear the breath of the person running behind you and you can also hear if they slipped and fall. There were quite a number of runners who slipped, fell and skidded.... and still continued running. I am glad I am not one of them. 


Last 100m was downhill all the way and I had so much fun running to the finishing line. It was down a grassy slope so if you fall, you won't graze yourself. And so for that last 100m, I sprinted and felt like speedy gonzales for that last tiny bit. Did not hold back at all. In the end, I finished at 2 hours 23 min 45 sec. 6 minutes ahead of my target time. Pretty stoked about it. Took of my shoes and the blisters were indeed massive! I am so glad I completed the race myself and only had the voice in my head to push me. Mental strength : +1 definitely!!

Running down to the finish line... so fun!!! 

The next three days post race was a torture. Shoes and stairs were my worst enemy because of the blisters and also of the sore thighs. Wished I could just lie in bed and go for massage instead of walking around rushing to see my patients. Work productivity dropped significantly. Torture I tell you. But after my recovery run on Wednesday morning, I actually felt so much better.


Will I ever do this again? Hell yeah! Hooked on trail running after this run. But it's too early to say actually as it's my first. But anyway, I already bought myself of trail runners!! Can't wait to use it!!!!

My marathon training entries...

I apologize yet again for my lack of posting. Somehow I seems to lost the drive to blog. I wonder if any people still comes and visit this 'dead' blog... sorry to disappoint.

Anyway, those who still come visit once in awhile, let me tell you that I have signed up for the Adidas Full Marathon in Auckland happening on the 28th of October 2012. It would be my first ever (probably my one and only too) marathon, my to-do list before tunring 25. And, I have started preparing for this 3 weeks ago. I'm not gonna start begging for donations just yet. I'm gonna make sure I complete a full month of preparation before I start begging. Anyway, in the build up to that, I have been blogging in my fundraiser website (http://www.heartracer.org.nz/SherMayne/)... just short entries about my run. And today, whilst I type up my entry, I figured I might as well put my entries in this blog as well because that website might disappear one day, this won't. And I'm sure it would be nice again to read back on my training leading up to this marathon. So... here it is:

17/6/2012	Another rainy week it was last week. Almost did not complete all my scheduled runs but i did it in the end… Tues- woke up and it was drizzling so i went back to bed. came back from work and forced myself onto the treadmill. 5km run done! so much harder running on the treadmill… mentally that is… but faster as i tend to crank the speed up so i reach the 5km mark faster.. haha!! Wed- just couldn't drag myself out of bed this morning… didn't have time to run in the evening as went out for dinner with aunt and lil cousin who's going back the following day… fartlek run postponed to thursday…. Thurs- 30 min fartlek completed in the morning… did it outdoors instead of on the treadmill.. freezing cold but nice fresh air :) Friday- 5km run completed in the morning.. this time i got a mate from dragonboat (bernadette) to run with me… nice cruisy run… didn't bother about the pace… Saturday - 8.5km run done… under the rain :S stepped outside the apartment and it started to drizzle… figured i won't let the rain stop me today so i persevered… legs were feeling heavy this morning.. body feeling weak… finished the run but not at a pace i wanted it to be in… but glad i stuck to my schedule (apart from pushing wednesday's run to friday)yet again!! Sunday- recovery day - went for dragonboat in the morning after 2 weeks hiatus… good training session. not too tired.. wonder if all these runs have made me aerobically better :p and now, i'm nursing a cold… not gonna use it as an excuse for this week's running schedule! keep going!!
9/6/2012	It's been a week since my last update..have been a busy week at work, worked till late on tues and thurs and hence didn't get to run in the evening… woke up early to run instead…. Tues- short 5km run completed Wed- raining so heavily… forced myself to jump on the treadmill and did a 30min fartlek after work(4 min fast, 1 min slow)… Thurs- meant to run in the morning but had to finish up my presentation… delayed it till fri… Fri- 7 degrees outside… completed another short 5km run… freezinggggg!! Sat- 11.67 km completed this morning :D Tomorrow's recovery day and mon is rest day … woot woot!! week 2 done and dusted…. 20 weeks to go!
2/6/2012	10.4km run this morning… thank goodness i finished before the rain creep in…
31/5/2012	running on thursdays are gonna be tough… work till 7.30 hence have to get up early in the morning to run.. wasn't too cold this morning.. did a 5km short run…. :)
30/5/2012	rough day at work. left work 45 mins late. was going to cancel my run tonight but i forced myself. 30 min fartlek run today. ohh ooops, just checked my training program and it's meant to be 20 min.. oh well, doesn't hurt to do extras :) ran to the botanical gardens today and met up with some dragonboat team mates and carried on to do some upper limb strengthening too :)
29/5/2012	First donation in!! Thanks to my other half!! Thanks for the support!!!
29/5/2012	The training starts today. 5km short run… check!
29/5/2012	I am pretty bad at sticking to a training schedule but I shall attempt it. 5 months to go! I will update my every training runs here and if you think I am putting in the effort, please kindly donate. It will help with the moral support too!!

Where has it gone?

Slowly fading away, drifting apart again.. sometimes you wonder, when will you ever hit that point of no return....
Trying to keep that flame burning but at the same time, thinking of just blowing the candle out....

SMH Half Marathon - May 20, 2012

Completed in 1 hour 59 min 10 secs, pace of 5 min 38 secs. Only improved by 17 secs from my PB during the Blackmores Half Marathon in 2010. Gutted but at least there's that improvement. Was putting quite a bit of effort in April to train for it but then I suffered from a groin injury which took longer than expected to recover and didn't get to train how I wanted. This was only 37 secs faster when I ran with a sprained ankle last year. Another reason to feel gutted. Gosh! I must have been really fit back then and mentally much stronger.

Today I ran without my RunKeeper as my phone dropped into the pool few days ago and am still waiting for a new battery. I resorted back to the good ol' watch. Pace for the first 10km was once again awesome, clocking a time of 52:26, at a pace of 5 min 14 secs. But after that, it all went downhill. I was both physically and mentally weak and the mind definitely played a huge role today. Felt like stopping so many times and it was asking the legs not to go so fast. Stopped once to stretch when I actually didn't need to and did the most disappointing thing - walked up the last hill, which I have been telling myself not to do so over the past few weeks. Again, I found every opportunity at the water stations to rest.

The route had more slopes than I expected. But I am not blaming that. I am blaming myself, for being weak in the head. Yes, I am also physically not in the best condition in this run - groin injury, sore throat and a flu that I got last night... But I still feel the weak mind contributed a lot. Been telling myself to stay strong but I was defeated today. Yes, there is a tiny bit of improvement, but I actually thought I was better than this. Training for the full marathon will commence soon. It's been awhile since I did a run and felt proud of myself. I think after the full marathon in October, I am sticking to 10km runs only :p

This run have definitely made me face the fact that I am so not a long distance runner. And have also realized I need to start watching what I eat .... damn old age!

Updates!! (part 1)

I apologize for the lack of updates. Been over a month. It's going to be April tomorrow!! Somehow I realized I am getting lazier and lazier to blog. I need to try harder. The months of February and March were really happening. I think from now on, it will be pretty dull. So, let's look back on the past two months!

February
4th - Chinese New Year Dragon Boat Race at Darling Harbour

Super awesome feeling to be able to be part of Sydney's attraction. Racing at Darling Harbour was such a great feeling. We did not even make it to the semi's but for one of our heats, we did a pretty awesome time, the best time in the club's history. And I am so glad to be part of the crew that raced it :)

We had a Chinese New Year dinner after the race at Fat Buddha. Food was OK but it was quite pricey. $50 per head. But I ate till I almost ripped my new dress off. Still had so much leftovers after that. Bought a dress during the lunch break at the races. $50 dress, I figured it shall be my early birthday present to myself. For once in my life, I fitted into a size 6 dress!! Have already made good use of it. Got best dressed that night and wore it twice in two months. Hehe :p

11th - I turn 24!
Birthday didn't go too well. Did not end up going for the Warrior Dash due to weather conditions. We were on our way there and it started hailing. Actually reached there and picked up our running packs. Got to the start line at 3.30pm when we were in the 3pm wave. We thought we were late but they just started the 2pm wave when we got there. The race was delayed because of the hail stones earlier on. I decided to just go back as my cousin had tickets to the Opera that night and I didn't want her to miss it. Ended up coming home and went for a long run, followed by a quiet night by myself with pizza and pasta delivery and sitting in front of the tele.

The race that never was... could have jumped over the fire!!!!

Despite the quiet birthday, there were still phone calls from the family, my other half and my significant other. So glad to hear the voices from the ones that matter so much to me. Thanks!!! Then also not to forget the facebook messages and the SMS's :) Cousin made me blueberry pancakes for breakfast, gave me 2 gold class tickets to the movies (which I have not used up yet), $100 to spend on anything I want (spent it on food :p), and a nice blue top from Witchery.

And then the gift from My Other Half. First, was the birthday card that was super cool. It was created using an iPhone App and was sent all the way from the US of A!!! Darnnn cool! Love it!! And then the next surprise which actually reached in time but took me awhile to collect it from the post office... a Country Road bag!! Have been wanting this bag for a longggggg longgggg time. Was planning to actually get it with my cousin's $100 bucks. But... heeheee :p She really knows me :D

And what did the monkey gave me? Also something that I have been wanting. A sports watch! My Timex watch strap broke few months back and have not been wearing a watch for quite awhile. So the monkey got me an Asics watch!!! Woooooohooooooo!!! Loving all my birthday prezzies!

 25 - 26 Feb: A very happening weekend!!

Finally a sunny and hot Saturday. Went for brunch with She Yin - a friend from dragon boat, and then soaked up the sun at Bondi Beach. What a great way to start the weekend :) At night, met up with Su Yi and watched The Vow. Channing Tatum *Drools* Despite the movie not being as good as Dear John, I still enjoyed it. Love all chick flicks, especially with Channing Tatum in it, it can never go wrong. So glad to find my chick flick buddy!!

Sunday... dragonboat training as usual followed by brunch at the pub. ahhh!! Can so get used to this social lifestyle. Love my Sundays! In the afternoon, had tickets to the musical - Love Never Dies at the Capitol Theatre. The sequel to the Phantom of the Opera. Went with my cousin and her other half. Enjoyed it so much!! The set and costumes were impressive, the transitions to different scenes was just too good which left me sitting there in awe figuring out how they actually do it. It was a good story line, though I still prefer Phantom of the Opera. The singing from the casts were flawless. The songs weren't as memorable as Phantom of the Opera but loved the final song - Love Never Dies sang by Christine. The first half of the musical was a little jumpy. Second half was much better. Best scene for me was the final scene where Christine died and her son went up to the Phantom, took off the mask, not afraid of his looks, accepted him as his real father and hugged him. That part was so moving for me, definitely had some watery eyes there. Definitely well-worth the money and a must see!!!

March : To be continued... Dinner Time!!

Oh Dear Blog...

You have been so quiet for a month now. I promise to revive you this weekend! The month of February and March this year were definitely worthy to be remembered. Stay tuned!

Sorry for the lack of posting. Busy enjoying my holidaysssss!! And now busy back at work. Some bug is going around at work. So many people calling in sick which means a heavier workload. Not something you want to be doing after being away for 3 weeks. Cannot breathe!! Nevertheless, it's great being back at work. Everyone is so welcoming and still loving what I do!!

Muscles :)

Feels so good to have guy team mates that I look up to and learn from saying this to me.... "Damn! look at those guns you have, so cut!"  :D Yes... I love my muscles. For most girls, their fav part of their body is those two thingies on their chest. For me... it has always been my arms (and no... I don't do weights and hence it adds to the extra awesome-ness of me triceps!). Ohhh dragon boat, you giving me my triceps back! Thank you! Plus the added back muscles too :) :) Nyehehehehe... gotta keep up with this sport to maintain it!! If not, it's gonna be those flabby arms once those muscles turn to fat!

The Adventure of 2011

The Coast Track

Time: 2 days

Length: 27.4km

Climb: 1350m

I'd put this down as one of my biggest adventures. Others were the Pinnacles at Coromandel back in 2008, Cameron Highland Mountain Expedition in 2007, climbing Mt. Kinabalu in 2006. So as you can see, it's been awhile since I did such a thing.

So yea... 27km walk. Along the coast, should be flat right? Climb: 1350m. Didn't really know what that meant. Should be no problem. Cousin's boyfriend said it was easy. And hence that's why I decided to drag the monkey into doing it with me over Christmas. And at the same time, to camp there for the night just to make it a little more exciting. Went to this website which have the track notes. Browse through it and was still convinced it's gonna be a piece of cake. 

The night before we left, I calculated the total time to reach the campground is 7 hours. So I figured, leave my place at 9 to walk to Town Hall, catch the 9.28 am train to Cronulla station, reach cronulla at 10.27, catch the 10.30 ferry from Cronulla, reach Bundeena wharf at 11 and we would reach the campsite at 6 so that leaves us time to set up our tent and enjoy the beach. Sounds like a perfect plan. 

So on the day itself, I woke up at 6 whilst Ivan was still in bed. Did all the food prep - fried honey garlic chicken and cooked rice which was going to be our dinner for that night, boiled eggs and made egg sandwiches which was going to be our lunch, packed cucumber, 4 bananas, chocolates, lollies, muesli bar, packets of milk, and 3 litres of water each.

The journey all started the moment we stepped out the house. Left at 9 and because of the rather heavy backpacks, the walk to town hall station was longer than the usual. Halfway through, we were adjusting our backpacks, trying to even out the weight, figuring out what's the best way to carry the rent. Had to even ran a little towards getting to the train station, quickly bought our train tickets, and JUST made it into our train. We literally squeezed through the closing doors. PHEWWWW!! The train ride was almost an hour so we spent an hour just relaxing. Realized we were the only two people in our section and so we decided to do what you normally won't do in a train.....

Also read through the track notes and somehow got even more excited. Can't wait to start the walk. Ivan read through it... for the very first time (despite me showing him the link a few weeks before he came to Sydney). And then in a very surprised tone : "the climb is 1350m? do you know how high is that?" I replied :"ermmm... yea? 1.3 km only ma...." (what a silly answer..duh!!?!!). and he said : "do you know how high was pinnacles? that's 750m....this is like almost double! and we are carrying all this stuff. you sure it's an easy walk?" *starting to doubt myself but still acting tough* "Yeaa... along the coast only ma... phil (cousin's bf) said it's an easy walk... should be ok wan la.. maybe they just exagerrating it only... we are tough man!".. Heh :p

Reached Cronulla train station as scheduled but Ivan had to use the toilet. After that, got a little bit lost finding the ferry wharf. I thought it was just right across or something. So by the time we asked for directions and got to the wharf, the ferry JUST left. And so, it was an hour wait for the next ferry. Whilst we were waiting for the ferry, we decided to eat our last hot meal for the day and the cafe by the wharf.

So we boarded our ferry at 11.30 and arrived Bundeena wharf at 12 instead of 11. Hence ETA to campground is now 7 instead of 6. But not to worry, it's summer. Hehehe....

Got a little bit disorientated at the wharf getting to the entrance of the National Park. Almost made a wrong turn but thankfully I had my phone, which had GPS on it. Phew! Seriously, how to survive without a smartphone these days? We reached the entrance of the Coast Walk at 12.30 which was on schedule as it said 34 mins in the tracknotes.

First point of attraction, Bundeena Lookout - the view of the South Pacific Ocean from the clifftop was simply breath taking. Plus the clear blue skies we had, it was just perfect. Couldn't help but to take many photos. Stopped several times just to enjoy the view. I won't post much pictures up as I have already posted them up on facebook along with taglines so feel free to click HERE and have a look at them :)

we were walking along the cliff n trying to avoid puddles

overlooking the south pacific ocean

took me awhile to realize how dangerous taking this photo is :S

  

 from afar, on the right hand side, that's  West Marley Beach

We spent quite a bit of time pausing, taking photos all along the way from Bundeena Lookout to West Marley Beach. Meant to take 1 hr 18 mins to get to West Marley Beach from Bundeena Lookout. The track was mainly all along the coastline on the rocky area. Surfaces were pretty flat but there was some uneven ones. Occasionally, we had to walk through some scrubs which were rather muddy as it has been raining the past few days. And so, us not having proper hiking shoes, we were wasting time trying to avoid the damp areas and try not to get our shoes muddy (it worked alright in the beginning but towards the end...it was like.. screw this! but somehow throughout the whole trip, we did spend a lot of effort trying to avoid getting our shoes dirty despite them being all muddy already... don't ask why). And since we were starting to be behind schedule, and me being me, I decided to run a little bit when it is slightly flat just to speed things up a little.

And surprise surprise... Bad decision, I rolled my ankle :S So we had to stop awhile to wait for the pain to go away before starting again. And I didn't learn my lesson from the first incident. I started to do some fast walking instead of running and then.... it happened again. I really wonder how annoyed Ivan was at me. Hehehehe.... must be very dulan because he kept asking me to slow down and don't fool around and I just go my way and not listen to him. I rolled my ankle... not once... but 4 times. Found it quite funny but worried at the same time. Didn't know why it didn't cross my mind to bring some tape to strap it up. Was so wishing I did. At one point, I was thinking maybe we should just turn back because it took my awhile before I could stand on my feet again. But me being the stubborn me, we continued on.

where i sprained my ankle :(

Got to West Marley Beach followed by Little Marley Beach. At one point, we had to jump across this miniature "river" to avoid getting our shoes wet. I wanted to just take off my shoes and walk through the water but it wouldn't work because then my feet would be all sandy. So Ivan jumped across with his massive backpack, jumped back and got my backpack and jumped across again (I do not know why we didn't just throw the backpack across.. I think it was because we weren't confident if the backpack would make it across if we threw it, because it was THAT heavy and I got weak arms). And then I jumped across after and just barely made it. What an adventure! All kinds of obstacles man.

Got to Little Marley Beach at 2.40pm when the estimated time to reach Little Marley Beach was actually 2.17pm. So half an hour behind schedule. The time it takes from Little Marley Beach to Wattamolla Dam was 1 hour 8 mins. The initial plan was to have our lunch there as there's a picnic area there but it was already quite late and hence we stopped on a rock after the beach and had our egg sandwich for lunch, lighten the load a little.

Got to the dam at 4.09 p.m. when it was meant to be 3.48pm if calculated from the time we departed Little Marley Beach. At that point, we still had 10km more to go which according to the track notes will take approx 3 hours 40 mins. That means we would only reach the campground at 7.50pm. And that is provided if we can keep up and not keep falling behind schedule. I just don't understand how we could fall behind time when we have stopped taking photos. We weren't really talking to each other as well, just focusing on getting to our next pit stop.

Our legs were so sore by then and Ivan had a blister between his 4th and 5th toe. At this point, Ivan was saying "No more. We are not doing this again". I was rather miserable and tired too and all I want is just get to the campground. I kept telling us "It's gonna be worth it. Suffer now, later, it will be awesome. It would be such an achievement man!" ..... just to keep us going.

We got loss somewhere at Curracurrang Cove. We didn't take any photos of that place as we weren't even sure where we are. We walked up some steep slopes and realized we were walking away from the water. I was quite worried so I asked Ivan if we did miss a turn. The path seem to lead us into the bushes so he became doubtful too. So we turned back and walked all the way down but did not see any other paths. There was this rocky area bit near the waters where there was a family fishing so we asked them. And he said just keep following the path it will lead us there. It's only one path. He also told us to be quick as it's getting late. So.... all the way up we go at fast pace.

See the Eagle?

Reached Eagles Rock Lookout at 5.50pm. The ETA from the time we reached Wattamolla Dam was 5.40pm. So not bad, only 10 mins behind time and we did spend awhile getting lost. But we were still worried as we were walking really fast. Realized all the time estimates in this route is for fast pace walking, not an easy stroll. Perhaps it would have been easy if it weren't for the heavy packs. All the people that we saw (there wasn't many anyway) did not carry any backpacks, just small day packs.

Next destination: Garie Beach. We had more muddy encounters somewhere in the bushes. The walk down to Garie Beach was so hard on the knees as it was down steep descends on rocks and wooden steps. At points, I had to go down on my bum just to step down. And with the backpack, it wasn't easy. Our campground unfortunately wasn't at Garie Beach. So tempted to just set up our tent there as it was already 7pm. Had to walk across the beach to get to the car park. Hate walking on sand. Legs felt so heavy after walking down to the beach. It makes walking along the sand even more harder. There were cold showers on the other end of the beach because there's a surf life saving club. I really wanted a cold shower just to wash off. However, there was a sign saying no camping allowed. Ivan at that point was saying, let's catch a bus back. Haha!! There's a massive carpark too and there were quite a few people at the beach. He was tempted to ask them for a ride. That's how bad he wanted to go home. I think he was more concern with of how I am going to cope the next day because he can very well cope. Whereas me being me, I always tend to over-estimate my abilities and go over the limit and then suffer later on. Our very initial plan (IF we caught the right ferry, IF we didn't get lost, IF we were on time) was to actually shower at Garie Beach, have our dinner, maybe swim in the sea for a bit and then only make our way to the North Era Campground.

Left: Our very tired and sad face wishing we can just set up our tent here. Right: My face after a  refreshing cold wash. All ready to go to our campground.

Left: Ivan's all ready too!! Right: Last view of Garie Beach. Wishing we could just stay here for the night. 

But seeing that we are behind time by 2 hours of our initial plan, this is not possible. We washed our feet, our face, Ivan finished off his egg sandwich, and then.... off we go to the North Era Campground. We left Garie Beach at 7.20pm. It says 43mins to the campground. On the tracknotes, it says to walk up some grassy hill, passing some community hall, walking on wooden steps and so forth but we did nothing of that!! Haha! 

We were just walking along Garie Beach and then saw some rocks and we thought that's the path. It did say "Path closed" and "Beware of falling rocks". But we didn't know where the other path was. I think we had to actually go through the carpark but really, we couldn't be bothered to turn back. And walking up more grassy hills and then down again to the North Era Beach doesn't sound tempting at all. Enough of going up and going down for me. Sick of that. And from the distance, we saw some people walking along the rocks so we figured, it should be alright. When we walked pass them, they said it should be fine too. Haha!! 

Walking along the rocks were quite a challenge too. The tide started coming in and we had to walk quick. They were massive, uneven, slippery rocks. My balance isn't at its top condition. Small feet with big backpack doesn't go well at all. 

Reached North Era beach and the campground at 7.53pm!!! 1 hour behind the estimated time from the very start!! That's how much slower we are. 

So relieved when we saw the campgrounds. Best thing ever that happened to us for the day. Pitched our tent and then clean up by the stream. There was a toilet but it was a long drop and doesn't have any running water so we didn't use the toilet. Luckily there was a stream that flows into the sea so we brushed our teeth and washed our face there so it's not too sticky when we sleep. For dinner, we had rice and honey soy chicken (so chinese style of camping!) that I cooked that morning and drank soya milk. 

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Legs were so sore with all the walking and climbing we were quite worried how we will manage the next day. Couldn't really sleep well because there were lots of insects outside our tent making so much noises. There were other 5 tents around us too so it was quite safe.

Day 2 - Merry Christmas!!!
(this post is getting too long so I won't be as detailed as Day 1)

Next morning, we got up at 5 but it was quite cold outside and the morning dew made the outside of our tent and shoes wet. So, we just stayed in the tent and ate our breakfast - sandwich and cucumbers (so glad we got the cucumber because we running out of water so the cucumber was so refreshing).

Sunrise! Damn clouds!!

At about 8, the sun came out and our shoes were semi dry. Went to the stream again to wash up, packed and left the campgrounds just after 9.

This is the stream where we washed our face, brushed our teeth.. I even brought soap to wash my arms! Hahaha!

Eventhough it was only another 10km to the finishing line, it was quite tiring because there were lots of uphills and walking through bushes again. Got lost several times so it was more back-tracking. Major backtrack was walking down a muddy stream and walking back up again thinking we got lost. I reckon' someone should put more clear signs along the way.

We were really low on water, taking really tiny sips along the way. Whilst walking through the palm jungle, we had to climb up this really steep hill and hence consumed quite a bit of water. Thighs were burning, throat was dry. Not a good feeling at all.

Up up up! Up we go!!!

As we got closer and closer to the finishing line, we could hear engine noises of cars. Best sound ever at that point! Because it means we are not too far from the main road!! On the tracknotes, it says 2 hours 48 mins to Otford Lookout which is our finishing line.... And we reached the finishing at 12 noon!! Right on time despite getting lost again. We were just soooo happy when we saw other humans! Finally!!!! It's all over!!!! View... was pretty awesome too!!!

Otford Lookout

Our very happy faces!! It says 26km but I reckon we walked way more than 26km judging by the number of times we got lost. 

To think that it's finally all over........ Think again....

When we got to the train station, we found out we just missed the train by 5 minutes and the next train is 3 hours!!! Guess the adventure hasn't ended. Seriously, why so unlucky???

There was no reception so I couldn't even call a taxi. So Ivan suggested to go to the main road and see if we can wave one down. But when we got there which was a housing area, there was nothing. Plus, it was Christmas day. Saw a young kid on a skateboard and we asked him to give us some water. He looked a bit scared when we approached him but he still took our bottles and filled it up with water. When he was filling our bottles, this other lady from a different house came out and asked where are we looking to go. We told her that we just missed our train and wanted to catch a taxi to another train station nearby as there's more trains over there. She said there's hardly any taxis around here and later offered to drop us to the train station at Helensburgh. Her husband sent us there and we were so grateful. He said they always find lost campers around the area and it is very normal. So nice of them. Ivan called them our Santa Claus. Hehehehe....

Central-Town Hall : Homebound!!!!!!

Reached the city around 2 and then had KFC before we headed home. Best meal ever!!!! Taste sooo good!!!

Used the bathrooms in the swimming pool area to wash off our muddy shoes when we got home. hehehehe.... And the prize after walking over 30km..................

Spa time!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

And so... that's the end of the biggest adventure for 2011. It was really an adventure but definitely not doing it again. Will just go to the start of the walk next time and enjoy the view of the south pacific ocean. I think that's the best views of the trip. Ivan said, next time, it either camping itself or hiking on its own. Haha! Not both together because the bags were so heavy and that's what made the trip so tiring. And if I want to do something like this again.... I am better off finding someone else! Hahahaha!!

I dedicate this post to the monkey, who agreed to do this "walk" with me. I don't think anyone else would have done it with me. I don't think I can find anyone else to do it with me. Thank you for your patience and your care. Thank you for carrying all the heavy things and trying to make my backpack as light as possible. Thank you for making this trip possible. An adventure to be remembered. Definitely going into my books of big adventures to be remembered. And I am so happy to share the experience with you. Got through all kinds of terrains all in one walk. You're the best!!!

I think I summed it pretty well in my facebook description:

"From walking along the cliffs, down and along the sandy beaches, over rocky terrains, through muddy grounds, into and out of jungles, winding through bushes, encountering lizards in different shapes and sizes....getting lost and backtracking several times.... racing against time before the sun sets....we've conquered over 30km on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and came out alive."

THE END  :)