@ last! Snow!

In 28 years of my life, I haven’t seen snow! Growing up in a tropical country where the season is only either wet or dry, Snow is very foreign object to me! Thus, experiencing it will be overwhleming i guess. Ive been to places that do get snow, but never was i able to be on the winter season.

Never did i think that in Australia it do snow, and so when i have been hearing from my colleagues and learning from them the ski-resorts and area where it snow, i think it is a good opportunity to go and see and feel how winter with snow feels like!

Starting month of June winter in Australia starts, it is very different from the rest of the world. Some stores even have this signs saying Christmas in july! and they do sell Christmas ornaments and of Christmas motiffs.

Anyway, I am glad that there’s this community called CouchSurfing. Where i posted a message of interest to go see the snow. After a month of correspondence, we were able to arrange the trip with the big organizing of James (our host and who drove us during the trip), and James, james’s best friend, our host in Aulbury (boundary of NSW and Victoria).

James and his 4x4 ride

I took a day off from work on a Friday, and we started the journey to Aulbury by 1430. Arriving James’ house at 2100hrs.

@600 we left Aulbury and headed to Falls Creek. We travelled on two vehicles. Travellers with me were James, Steve, Luanne (fellow 1st timer to see snow), Stephanie (fellow 1st timer to ski), James, Kaye, Nonie and Josh.

Gear hire shop @ Mount Beauty

Arrived at Mount beauty to get our gear hires (ski clothes, skis and boards - 85UASD) Left the shop at 830is and arrived the Falls creek resort by past 930. On our way to the mountains, it was a zigzaggy two lane road. As you go higher towards the alps, you can see the vegetation changing from leafy to branchy kind. I was in awe, seeing the Snow caps from afar!

Stephanie, Steve and James

We took the lifts and lessons for beginners which is 65UASd each. I did have a few runs while waiting for lunch and the lessons which i did have a few fall since i do not know how to stop. But looking at the slopes, it do looks scarey sliding down! and skiers just seem to do it so easily without any effort!

We took the shuttle and cable up towards the lessons area. And so glad to see a large group of adult doing the first time skiing!! I am not so old after all to learn to ski :). We have a Austrian female instructor. She taught us how to side-step, ski and snow-plow (stop). that was after 2 hours with 9 other beginners. I say that the lessons did help me learn to stop and do it properly. after which i never did fall again! And the lessons also gave you more confidence.

I did have a few runs on the beginners slope. It was of help being a runner that my legs are not getting tired from this activity, although my arms did get sore because most of the time carrying the skis when we were still to do the learning. (I think my free weight-training and light equipment training helped me carry my gear compared, literally the boots, and the clothes and ski and pole are of the same weight as me).

my gear, red ski, to go with my red jacket!

It was a plan to go again on a Sunday, but James our host was having a going away party in his house, having partied and sore during the day, everybody decided to just sleep and rest. It was indeed a very pleasureable experience. The road trip, the couch surfing and the ski. I would love to learn more and go skiing again in the future.

Steve, Stephanie and me at James Partey!

@ city of Aulbury: James, James, Steve, Stephanie, Luanne and me

a week on lazy spell

I have been so lazy since the last race in City to surf!

Mileage for the week:
wednesday: treadmill: 5++ kMs
Thursday: treadmill: 7++Kms
Friday: Bay run 7 ++Kms
Total: 19Kms

no long weekend runs this week as i will be going down to the snow! yippee!

City to Surf 2008 part 2

First thing I did before going to work even i am already so super late! is buy the Sun Herald newspaper, as the official results of the City to Surf will be published.

I was estatic to find out that i did better than what i have expected! I shaved off 7 minutes from the clock time at the finish chute. This makes me qualified to get a red bib (fastest group) next year!

The City To Surf as mentioned in my earlier blog entry, registered runners are 70,000 but 57,795 ran the race. RIP, bless his soul, one young Brit runner died 200 m away from the finish chute.

This even was also the largest chip race ever according to the organizers.

pictures grabbed from fairfax and marathon-photos.com

City 2 Surf Race recap

On an unexpected friends coming over bring alcoholic drinks on a Friday night, I was not able to do an early slow jog with the Woodies on Saturday morning, woke up and did “swim” instead. rehydrated LOTs to make up with the dehyrdation i did on Friday night.

Sunday morning set my alarm at 620am as race starts 9am. Waking to find out to have this nasty back and abdominal pain from dysmenorrhea (why now!).  Which was making me think should i go to the race or not contemplating at the bathroom, and decided to just go maybe it will go away, put menthol balm i told myself.  Ate my breakfast and was bout by 730 waiting for my bus ride.  Surprisingly to find out a lot were waiting for the buses to go to the city and are also doing the City 2 Surf!  No buses arrived so one by one we did share a taxi with these City 2 Surf strangers :), which i am grateful.

Arrived at the race area, dropped my bag, took off my jumper, and waited at the green forecourt area(2nd batch of runners, those who did a 75 -100 mins from last C2S, dont ask me how i got to get there and it was my first c2s ) forecourt area. Oh how enviuos I am with those wearing the red bibs ( less or equal to 74.59)!!  We were followed by the blue bibs and the yellow bibs

So the 2nd gunstart went off, that was us, it was a slow walk for few meters trying to get through all the runners, then jog then run.  It was challenging to get pass the crowd and runners ahead of you and you have to be careful not to get tripped over.  Squeezing myself with runners, and i mean squeeze, hitting elbow to elbow literally no exaggeration!  This is the only race i saw in my running “career” so well participated and the crowd would not just disperse as the length of the race progress. It is just too crowded!! Imagine 70,000 runners doing the race! Its a good thing that encourages and motivates you to keep on running thinking you have to overtake this runners and knowing you have someone running with you on the course.

It was a hilly course.  The hills just did not stop, i kept on praying for a flat and a  downhill after each hill but no.  it was only probably at the last 3 kilometers that it was downhill and you start to see the beach! and you know you are almost there.  There were no markers how long have you had run, only at the 9km and the start of the heartbreak hill which was the 6th km.

It was a very festive mood, lots of volunteers, lots of water and gatorade along the way, RSVP sponge baths!, expectators came out of their houses cheering for the runners, pubs you pass along way wit their bands, kids/people playing their guitars and bagpipe along the way just keeps you alive and moving.  Its just so challenging that there are people who do run so fast so i just kept to thinking and targetting to overtake all Asian female runners i see.

At the last 1 km of the course was also 3/4 uphill and 1/4 downhill that i  was not able to do a sprint at the end.  I am trying to convince myself that i did okey considering it was my first C2S but it is not good enough fr me! i might have shaved off the 2 mins thinking back if i would have not stopped for drinks, and slowed down on hills.  Next year, I swear, I will be targetting to get myself qualified to the red bibbed group. Yes, call me ambisiosa but i would like to get that red bib!

After the race, re-grouped with the Woodies, and went to the pub.  Crazy ozzies! You can’t imagine that they would go straight at the pub for drinks after the run, so we did a dehyrdation and carbo loading.  I had 5 pints of beer!  It was a good mood at the pub wit hthe olympics playing on the screen and the c2s runners, it was a very ozzie, sporty mood.  I had fun, even with the not so good timining

Location: Hyde Park to Bondi beach
Distance: 14Km
Time: 78.xx mins (clock time)
Pace: 5.57
(This blog will be updated on Tuesday for pics and exact timing)

Prepping for a 14KM race

Just a log of my cram training!

03/08/08: Rozelle Bay, Balmain,Bay run 800AM 21.5 KMs

04/08/08: rest day — got dragged by my PM to pig out ! :’-(

05/08/08: Treadmill 11.6033 KMs 65mins 06/08/08: Bayrun + Balmain 11++ KMs 5PM 60 Mins (yes i’ve been guilty of am hogging the machine!)

07/08/08: Balmain 8 Km 950AM 40 Mins

**08/08/08: Treadmill 11 Kms 65 mins Total: 62 ++

** 09/08/08: rest day/walk/jog/stretch

*** im still freaked out how i go on Sunday, Woodies estimated me at 76mins i feel like i would be slower!

Im psyching myself i will finish the race at a decent time, without getting scared of the hills!

Enjoyable Treadmill Running

Doing my runasusual routine on a weekend and the Woodstock day run, (although i was late! again! as usual!) we went for the regular breakfast at the Bowman’s bakery and coffee shop which is the highlight of the run.

So we were talking running stuff and whatever, races, training etc. and we got caught up with this conversation:

runner friend 1: So do you also run during the weekdays?
me: umm yea, sortof … in the treadmill unfortunately for 5 days.
runner friend 2: oh! Don’t you juts find it boring running in the treadmill? .. i just can’t stand it
runner friend 2: i just can stay there for 20 minutes and i get bored! Or just put the inlcine up or down …
runner friend 3: I did enjoy one run on the treadmill when i was in a hotel on a business trip in US and it does have TV and hundred of channels! I just went there everyday.
me: i agree with you, but i don’t have any choice as i come home late from work and winetr time is so dark, i dont think it is safe for me to be running outdoors
runner friend 3: yea i think the treadmills are convinient during the winter if you do not want to go out side because it is too cold.
me: yea and that too, i wish there is just this treadmill that simulates the outside world like the trees and the hills and road
runner friends: exactly
runner friend 1: AND can simulate a race, or a hologram of a running buddy beside you
me: maybe that is not too far behind in the future, just that we hope its already here in the market!

so well i did do a google and maybe it is already here but onw on how our ideas were thinking:
cyrun
LG VR Machine

verdict? Hmm still not as how we WANTED it to be.

Reviving the Virtual Runs

Virtual running is running with runners wherever in world in a synched time.

I started doing VRs last August of 2007 and that the VR buddies got tied up with work (and lazing in the bed longer– that’s me) and travel so it just died down.

The HF did some efforts in reviving the the VRs again! I did sign up on joining the group BUT i failed as i had to travel down, down under Melbourne so i did my VR on the same DAY (not time) @ the treadmill.

Here are the VR buddies:

Banggi
Eric
o.0
b3n
bench
TBR
Marga

28/7/08: Treadmill, 920PM, Glen Waverly, Victoria: 6 KMs 30mins
29/7/08: Treadmill, 930PM, Glen Waverly, Victoria:4 KMs 20 mins
30/7/08: Treadmill, 830PM, Rozelle, NSW, 8 KMs 40 mins
31/7/08: rest day
01/8/08: Treadmill, 830PM, Rozelle, NSW, 12 KMs 1 hour
02/08/08: Bay Run (2x), 630AM,730AM w Woodstock: 14KMs
Weeks Mileage: 56 Kms

03/08/08:Rozelle Bay, Balmain,Bay run 730AM 23 KMs

Bay Run 2008

Last Saturday, I miscalculated the dates and i was too excited and thought that the bay run was 20th of July, just remembered the Saturday i woke up, its on 28th of July, 2008! I did plan not to run with the Woodies as i dont run the day before a race. Although Steve from Woodstock says its alright if i am training for a half marathon to run a day before a race.

Anyway, so I did run with the group last Saturday at Timbrell Park. And missed the interval speed training with Steve :(. Again this Saturday which i planned to run really early on the bay and meet the group on time slowly not to compromise my performance a day before the race, i was late yet I still did the run at the bay, speeding at the end not wanting to miss the coffee.

So I did meet the group maybe 5 minutes after everybody arrived, just in time! They did run the Five docks at 7KM and I did the bay at 7Km. After the nice usual coffee and breakfast, went home and did a lot of stretching and free light weights.

I was aiming for a time of 35 mins for the 7KM. Alarm set off at 620, and slept through it until 650. Still plenty of time to prepare, as race starts at 815 for females, and the venue is 15 minutes walk from my flat, which will be a 7 mins jog warm up for me. Reckon the weather agency says its going to be 6 degrees today. Went out with my sunnies and cap, long sleeved singlet, and my skins + jumper on.

Arrived the venue 30 minutes early, checked in my bag, got my race kit. There was a fair number of runners, walkers and their dogs. So we organizers lead some warm up excercises. Then at 8 the male runners set off, we followed at 815. Whoa! they were really fast! i tried to make a good head start and pace on the course, but well i did, but i dont think I am still fully aclimitized with the Sydney weather. Chilly breeze from the bay kissing your face, i did rub petroleum jelly on legs and arms to keep me warm as I left my jumper with my bag. My feet is freezing, i missed putting jelly on it. i Think i was struggling to keep my body warm, it was not a bad start, until the hill which i need to catch my breath, then regained at the iron cove bridge. Up the hill to victoria road toward Drummoyne down back to the bay route. I can remember pacing with this little girl on her elementary days. darn! she runs faster than me! we were just like alternatingly overtaking each other and another female runner.

Did a steady pace around the bay, with feet starting to ache with the temperature. I can feel myself kicking in on some parts, i think it was the Gu (thanks to Woodie mate, Thalia. Yes i just tried what gu’s effect, on a short run as i planned to go a long run after the race) .

Well as soon as I saw La Montage, i added more speed then saw the finish shoot and just sprinted my way to it. Finished at 337 overall out of 1215 participants, at 28th place for category for 15-29 yo females and ranked 55 out of 593 females. See results.

The even was good, with some barb after and head home to leave my goodie bag and ran to Rozelle bay and another round at the bay for another 1 hour and 40 minutes approximately taking in one more gu. Drank thrice for water stops and only drank my gatorade at the end of my training run. I think I am improving although i am not yet fast enough like the ozzies, ill keep on trying :).

The Bay Run was for the benifit of Dobroyd Point Public School.

That afternoon I also decided to pass the Running Science Store to check on some long sleeved singlets, and i got one and the manager threw in some Endurance packet with it for free as i was asking how is it different with Gatorade. I also was able to have my pronation checked (aside from the attendant noticing my bunion! embarassing!) she says the pins and needles on my toes might be caused by wrong shoe and i should be wearing a shoe for stability. I asked her if she did run the race earlier this morning and she said yes, after her asking my time which i proudly told her, i regrettingly said mine, as she run through the course at 29 mins placing 2nd! and she is slight taller than me! wow! anyway …

race:
Distance: 7km
Location: Bay Run, Innerwest NSW
Pace: 4.8985
Time: 34.29

Training after the race:
Distance:15.0829 Km
Location: Rozelle bay + Bay Run
Time: 1:40 approx
past 2 weeks:
mileage: 64 Kms/pw

Us and the World Youth Day

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Been 2 months ago when you feel the World Youth Day fever going around the city. It’s a good feeling you know.

A year ago, February of last year, is when I learned that the WYD will be held in Sydney. That was the period I first came to Sydney, Australia. Which at that moment I did like the country at first sight.

Because of I, when I saw the countdown at St. Mary’s Cathedral, I told myself, I will come back to Australia no matter what to see the WYD. Same thing I told myself I am coming back to this huge country/continent to discover the place and backpack. Maybe that was a prophecy on my own which led on subliminal way on myself to come here.

Anyway going back to the WYD event. Weeks ago I was thinking of joining th volunteer program for the event. I sent an email but they only accept volunteers fulltime on all days of the event. So I thought of sponsoring a homestay. A few also requested on my Couchsurfing account and suddenly the agreement I had with a colleague to temporarily host her while she looks for a home was more reasonable/on my own opinion to be a Christian and standing on my own promise. So I appologized and at least sent emails to those who requested. Until now I am thinking what can I do to become a contributor in this world event which is happening in Sydney.

Last Sunday the Pope Benedict arrived in Sydney for the week long event. Buses were delayed and there were road closure since then. Tomorrow will be his parade. In the papers, there were a lot of news regarding this event. Some still puzzles me.

Like the priests who are sex offenders, the Pope did make a public appology. Aside from that in the paper, a man was hosting 5 pilgrims, and during the course of their stay the host did introduce his partner another Man and they turned out to be gay couples. So the guests did left the host’s home, condemn him and his partner that they will burn in hell. That I can not understand. So that was read aloud by my colleague while we were eating at the pantry reading papers and he commented on a picture of young couple making out/kissing, he said that should be the one that will burn to hell. Now I am confused! The world and society makes its own rule. I wonder what were the rules during Jesus, the prophet’s days? I wonder in Jesus’ time if kissing was bad, or it is a mere not display but a extension of affection to one person? Maybe if it is lust then that is bad.

I am not religiuos and I do not know the bible by the back of my hand. But I did complete and did get high marks on my religion subject at school. In the Bible it mentions Jesus/God being compassionate. It mentions on focus on the poor in spirit, heart, physically. Don’t this people do belong to the group mentioned in the Bible? It says all of us belong to the Kingdom of God. Those who Believe, ok ok… butthen those who believe…why do they act/condemn people who need guidance morally/spiritually? I myself I agree should be condemned therefore I have no right saying to someone that he/she will burned to hell.

It’s the same question I have in mind. Organ donation. Doing good and donating your organs when you accidentally die is a good thing (on my own opinion) as you help others, YET it is socially questionable? Or religiosly questionable of why extend a life of a person whom God/Life is already telling that is over? Or why donate your organ to a person dying and you might not know that he/she is a criminal. This is not for discussion on religion or morals. I do not know if some of you guys reading this do have specific answers to this questions and you think the answers and beliefs you have are RIGHT in the eyes of the SUPERBEING.

So I may not be able to attend any of the WYD events even if I wanted to, and its not an excuse not to either, but on my thinking its better to treat your neighbors with good deed and continue living as a Christian than being a hypocrite of attending the WYD event and yet you do have a selective heart and a judgemental mind.

 

 

 

Migrating … my blog

Its been a long time though of transferring my friendster and my myspace blog to a host where i can freely do my lay-outs on my blog.  As you see it does not tell much about my artsy craftsy side, coz it limits me in editing.

Alas, after not listening in a five-hour training session on a weekend, i would be wasting my time starting to write my blog in wordpress.  In some reason i also can not do import the contents from my old blog as i also wanted to carry out the comments.

I prolly be putting up the old ones here without the comments, i will do it slowly.

Its been a while since i have been working with the web.  It would be a bit rusty skill and embarrassment knowing ot was my first work and been with the business for  around more than 3 years.  Aside from that,i know it is wrong to blame, but because of the sms technology, my writing skills from high school disappeared, lack of art and because of laziness.

Most of my colleagues at work ask me why do i blog? why do i put my life-happenings online.  because
1. hone my writing skills
2. its a journal of special  activities I’ve done which i wanted to share
3. its a medium of my craziness… writing.