Reality & movies

I love stories which are real. Or at least virtually realistic. Close to reality. Very close. If we are an audience and we hear a good story, a story which is real or almost real, we can easily relate to it and say, "Gosh this can happen man. It is possible." Then we can go like, "Wow." "Yeah tt's something serious to consider man." The impact is there.

That's why I hate The Day The Earth Stood Still. Once the part when the alien landed came, I knew I'm not gonna enjoy the movie. I'm not some 8-year-old kid fascinated by aliens. Even if they wanna talk about aliens, it should be shown in a realistic way. Maybe I dun buy the alien idea anymore. The last time extra- terrestial matters really mattered to me was Sightings which was in 1995? God that's like been a decade.

Body Of Lies is good. It's realistic. Terrorism and unexpected explosions here and there. The thing that it is unexpected sounds scary. The fact that it is real really scares. Now that is a good movie.

Race experience

Jo called. There's an MR25 time- trial tomorrow. But Marcus initially wanted a long run and swim at East Coast. I too thought that the long run is appropriate. But then I gave a second thought. The time- trial will give me good experience. Good race experience.

So I said yes to the time- trial and my mind started to prepare for it. Who will be running? What mental strategy to use? Will it kill me?

This is the thing about race experience. The more you race, the more you know. Your knowledge base about racing somehow grows. A specific kind of knowledge base. I raced in the Standard Chartered 10k 2008. Will the formulae and mental strategies work again tomorrow?

It pays to push

Many times in races we will realize what could have happened, what we should've done. Or if it was a success, we would be satisfied without a doubt. So i guess it's worth suffering like hell before the result- and after the result it's heaven.

Standard Chartered 10k

The Standard Chartered 10k is arguably the most prestigious 10k race in Singapore because it boasts one of the toughest competition field and one of the widest commercial and media coverage. It is also well- planned and provides great welfare for the runners, for example, the many drink stations that lined the route. The route is historical, memorable, symbolic and scenic. The race is a favourite for many, both elite and recreational runners.

2008 took a bit of a turn from the convention in the previous years. This year there's a slope up Sheares Bridge just after the 5k mark. And there's not much of a clash with the other categories runners. And the end turn is a bit different too.

2008 is won by a Gurkha policeman, followed closely by Singapore running sensation Rui Yong.

Kill from the start. And to the end.

7 December 2008. End of season. Last race of season. And it ended nicely. Neat. Right. Well. A testimony. A self- redemption. It's more than self- redemption.

It just brought this whole desire back to life again. And I've found life in interest. I've found life in enthusiasm. I've found life in energy. Mental and physical synergy. Responsiveness. Grit. And vigour.

It's back.

The race was great. When I needed the energy, it came. Thank God. When I needed 1st gear, it helped. When I needed mental endurance, it's present. Though I'm left shattered, i think it played like Shattered by The Rolling Stones. Through and through. I didn't think back.

It brought up that i'm a real 5k runner. Kill from the start. And to the end.

Private transport vs public transport

Private transportation in Singapore would definitely chalk up more costs than public transportation. At least in the case of owning cars. But for some, the ease that private transportation provides is an investment worth paying for. In public transportation, you have to travel through different points before reaching the destination. Take the feeder bus to the train station. Wait for the train. And oh ya before that wait for the bus. At peak hours, good luck to you. In the train journey, there are a number of transfers. East- west and North- south lines of that sort. The list goes on and on. That's how big a hassle public transportation is. And ya you may have to stand throughout the journey. Hmm one plus point is you can read a book?

Private transport is, simply, convenient, convenient and convenient. No detours. No beat around the bush. No transits. No standing. No waiting. No wasting time. Just plain direct transportation. To the destination. In the fastest time possible. As soon as you fasten the seatbelt and press the accelerator, you're on the run.

It really is a difference.

The job

"My job is my life". "My life is my job". Which way makes more sense? The former seems connected with deep feelings of passion and pure energy. While the latter, as it seems, sounds like a boring life. Cause we all know life is not all about making money. But it is about money. This is how crazy the world is. Hahah.

What are the factors that determine the kind of job you choose? First of all, money. That's a total no- brainer. Then the interest. Then working hours. Private/ government. Family- friendly? Whether it can last. Health- friendly? And more. But those I can think of right now may be, could be, the most pressing and significant at press time.

I hate this intense thinking for some reason but if there is one job that can keep me well- occupied and save my life, that'll be great.

On- road combat

I guess I need to respond next time. When one overtakes you, it means you're slowing down and if you're in that race then you jolly well keep up. That's the point of racing. If you can't keep up then quit. Don't be in a race if you dun want to. So if you're overtaken, respond and overtake back. Then maintain pace. Let that change of gears play on. Play with the opponent till he's flat.

I guess running is not all about going forward. It's about on- road and on- track combat too. Yeah you and the other opponents are just running forward but it's also a game of expending energy. And to see who's the toughest, who's the mentally strongest. Of course how physically tough you are is based on the training you put in all these while.

This running is no ordinary sport. It's more complicated than how simple you think it is.

Real Run 2008

I juz let myself down.

Whatever. The heat. Inadequate training. The distance. Whatever. All those are excuses. But the point is, you lost. You lost, dear you. Dear me. Yes speaking.

I dun know why. I dun know how. Science says it should be all right. Pre- race preparation was systematic like clockwork. And though I missed Changi Coast Road, I still got there in time. So what's missing?

What's missing? It's supposed to be like this. Supposed to turn out like this. But it didn't. You can see the emotional wreckage I'm in now. It hurts. When something just slipped out of your hands. I lost the money, I lost the dignity. This year it's 15km. 5 more. But that's supposed to be to your advantage. I guess it's just not my share this time. I've tried to win but couldn't. I can try harder next year.

Back

It's been a real long time. I'm back. I've been through a lot. I've somewhat changed. Small changes. Some things just remain. The kids came over for Hari Raya today. They're great. But I still have a lot to learn. If this is gonna be a career for life. Then it better be a serious committment. Serious thoughts have to be put into it. I'm willing to learn, anytime. It will be alright, it will be fine.

I have an important race next week. Can I repeat it again this year?

Next week I will screen the movie Rogue for them to see. Hope they like it.

Peace of mind

It has got to be one of the best moments. After doing 12 reps of 400 metres averaging about 75 seconds, i felt quite satisfied and sort of refreshed. It's the endorphins maybe? Though i din even hit 72 seconds as targetted by coach, i still felt happy. Because the workout isn't easy but nevertheless it was still done. So that's a consolation.

Is there some kind of a theory behind inducing happiness through hardship? Is there some kind of a correlation between happiness and overcoming a hardship? I felt a post- workout satisfaction that day.

Reminder

This serves as both a post and reminder. Of what I need to do on Sunday, 18 May. It's about tactics. Over the years of experience, there is no one method of tactics that is un- arguably the most effective, most powerful, most popular. Some kill from the start, some kill at the last lap. Some are impressively very very consistent.

Over the years I've learnt I'm not a 1500 runner- yet. It requires careful training of course, and patience is very essential. But I've made better improvement in the 5000. I love 5000 as it is less hurting than 1500. So this Sunday I really need to coast. I've run more and more 5000s. It's about tactics and I'm learning everytime.

Fish tank

I'd like to talk about the new fish tank in my room. It's big- more than two arm's length. It's nice- the water is clear and it looks like a habitat on the river bed. And the fishes inside gives meaning to what life is all about in the rectangular tank. A week ago I bought four tetra fishes and my brother seemed fascinated. This craze about fishes started from my brother and I can never start it due to my busy schedule. I'd never care about this cold- blooded animal until only recently now. Maybe I care a bit. The underwater display is simply nice. It's beautiful- the colours, the clarity and the visual effect of zero gravity. There's a lot about the aquarium- the art of the underwater environment and buying and discovering new species.

New commodity

Everything seems precious, and everyone wants a share. I wanted to throw some stacks of waste paper. But was stopped by the auntie. She needs it. I dunno for what but she seemed to regard it like something of real value. And if you sit around the coffeeshops there's these folks who go around collecting used drink cans. They are desperate. I'm having dinner and they keep a watchful eye on me- not me but the piece of shiny can on my table. It looks crazy. If people go after money that's understandable. But now in this new era, we have a new commodity- trash, scrap and reusable and recyclable items. These new generation of junk- collecting community is helping to save the Earth. But they are amusing too.

Trash is becoming a commodity. A train about to move off is as precious as gold. The bus about to move off too. The society's become so fast- paced, so competitive. It's weird to think about the things people go after these days.

Road accident

Every time we step out of our house and head for work, school or the shopping mall, we walk through death risk zones and technical hazards. These death risk zones and technical hazards come in many ways and are inevitable. One common death risk zone is the long stretch of tarmalt we call the road. The road seems harmless when it's empty. A heavy fast- moving expressway traffic is a big death risk zone. Why can deaths occur on the road? One reason is careless pedestrians. Another reason is vehicles going too fast that they can't react and stop on time. Road accidents have to be the most common form of deadly accident in Singapore, compared to drownings and work accidents. It is ironic that the road, an invention by man to facilitate transport can also be a threat to his own life. A car at 80km/h can kill. It will just ram any human being and kill on the spot.

After Mas Selamat

This whole Mas Selamat issue is really funny. Not that I want to have a good old pure happy-go-lucky laugh. But the escape. And the buzz over it. I saw the picture of the toilet where the prisoner escaped from. It's just like one of those schools' toilets. And yesterday in the bus I saw on Mobile TV how the government is trying to arrange words to put a report on the whole matter. Do we need a report? If the wanted man is still at large then just forget him and move on. Mr Wong Kan Seng may be sacked. I don't know. Someone just said that he should resign. I think he should do that to send a message across of how serious the issue is. If he is sacked, he can still get a decent job after that.

The incident is pretty serious. It just goes to show the standard of security of the state. They probably have to think of ways to tighten up security. Should we revise the training for security officers? Should we use computers? Should we pay the security officers more?

The Sun

We use energy everyday. Electricity, petroleum and lunch. Life will be a standstill without any of these. This web of energy transfer and transmission is very very complex and systematic. Am I contradicting myself? Well complex because there are an infinite number of interconnections of the energy transfers. Systematic because the interconnections enable each need to meet it's fulfillment. Food is obtained from plants. Food is for lunch. Lunch gives energy for you to survive another day's work. And plants rely on water, air and sunlight to grow. That's the interconnection of energy transfer.

It makes me realize how important the Sun is. It's amazing what the rays of the Sun can do. It caused the weather. It caused rain. Water rushes through the dam gates. And so we have hydroelectric power to keep the lights on in homes at night.

It's pretty scary to imagine life without the Sun. The visual imagination is quite scary. Then Earth will be illuminated by lights. We'll need many many lights. Across the streets and anywhere possible. Then we'll realise the lighting power of the Sun. When the Sun lights up the Earth, it is almost everywhere. Across and throughout the sky. Lighting the Earth on our own will be nothing compared to what the Sun can do. So we'll need the power stations to give energy to light up. We need to burn fuel to generate the energy. And fuel can deplete, sooner or later.

That leaves us to plunge into total darkness, sooner or later, without the Sun. At first when there is no Sun, we could still light up from our power stations. But not for long.

The Sun is an enormous ball of fire great enough to lead some people to worshipping it. But a god in that property seems furious all the time, engulfing whatever existent. Is that God? Or is God the One who created the Sun?

Earth Day

It's Earth Day and the buzz to save our planet is big. We talk about conservation, saving energy and cutting down waste. I've always thought that despite all the desperate efforts to save our dear Earth, the globe is actually ageing and wearing off. The green patches that you see on planet Earth are slowly and subtly turning grey and dark yellow. I'm sure there's a rate for that. The rate of deforestation. The rate at which the planet's resources are used up. The rate at which we the inhabitants of planet Earth destroy the only place all living things and creatures call home. Pollution is inevitable. As long as mankind exists, Earth is going to be conquered and have its resources used up. If man didn't modernize, the Earth will be at the virgin state it was millions of years ago. Now that we're using tractors, cranes and excavators, we emit toxic gases and continue to redevelop, reurbanize and build. That is the 180km expressway spanning the green forest. This is the new harbour on what used to be a thriving giant coral ecosystem. Here is a new golf range on the plot of marshland used to house 46 species of thrushes and many many other wildlife. This is a dilemma that we all face. We love the natural habitats and the education and aesthetic appeal it offers but we also face the pressures of redevelopment.

In Singapore it is a balance of both redevelopment and conservation. Thank God there is still nature left although the redevelopment rate continues to increase albeit subtly. The aesthetic value of natural mangrove swamps, forests and nature parks is irreplaceable. I do not want to live in a future where all that surround me are big tall buildings, roads and concrete. I like the smell of trees and grass. The smell of the green forest. It reminds me of my scouting days that remain etched in my mind timelessly. We should all treasure Sungei Buloh Nature Park, MacRitchie Reservoir, Central Catchment Reserve, Pulau Ubin and the Southern Islands.

Anan called to say hello

Joe called me to give a surprising piece of update. Anan squashed the field on Sunday to win in 4 mins 13 seconds. I went like, "Wow." Honestly i felt green too. Things are just gonna get harder, I thought. Anan is a close rival. Almost like arch- rival. I've always wanted to beat him in 5000 metres. But now, very obviously, he is getting stronger. Bigger. Faster. He's totally revolutionised. He's just outran Marcus. 2.01 mins for 800m. Pretty mindblowing. And now he has just killed Feroz. I just don't know what he did, but he sure rocketted up there in the sky. All I can do is be amazed.

Well, Anan's victory means a lot also. It means shaving off 15 seconds in the 1500m within a season is possible. Or at least a difference of 15 seconds in between two consecutive 1500 metres is possible. And that gives us a reason to just go out there and fight till we can shave off 15 seconds. I have this thinking about what happens when you see your rivals performing well and intending to leave you. It is that when they are getting better, the chance for you to get better gets bigger. You will get better if you catch them.

I know sometimes the road is tough. But patience and determination can lead to greater things.

Too much of a thing is bad

I can see the logic in the saying, "Too much of something is not good". I was at coach's house doing strength training this morning. And i had to admit i felt pretty bored with the mundanity in training for 5000 metres. Like it's all been the same thing. Not so interesting. Well, maybe i should skip for 1 and a half mins non- stop next week. I didn't just now because I'm in pretty bad shape after over- racing and that 2 hour long run.

I bet apart from just running, life can be more interesting if there are other aspects as well. Like a date later in the evening. Time spent on self- study. And many others. The human mind likes variety. However multi- tasking can be a disaster for some.

Too much of a variety is also not so good.

A deduction is always only a deduction

I recently engaged in a thoughtful discussion with a highly- experienced senior educator. She talked about how she desired to die peacefully, to die on the bed with her loved ones all around her bidding a special farewell. Yeah, i thought that's pretty normal. Heard that before.

But is that really peaceful? She compared with another scenario of dying in a brutal traffic accident. I beg your pardon. What she said may not be true at all. Who says dying in a traffic accident is painful? It may not necessarily be. If the force of impact totally disconnects the nervous system that detects the pain sensation in an accident, the accident victim wouldn't feel a pinch. Yeah he's lying there in a pool of blood, his body broken into two but his broken neck ensured that he doesn't feel anything. A stark contrast to the person in coma on the bed surrounded by her loved ones. Mind you, she's in a coma. Struggling with her breath. You think there's no pain? Not really. She is literally dying. All other body dysfunctions will strike one by one until the final one, which is the halt of the heartbeat. That's terrible. You could feel tingling, numbness and pain at the same time. And you're struggling to breathe.

What I'm saying is, we could make so many deductions. But age- old beliefs may not necessarily be always true.

Happy

Something funny was in the papers today. Straits Times. They talk about a man who is claimed to be the happiest man in Singapore. Right. How do you measure happiness? Is there some kind of a scale machine that can gauge your level of happiness? Is there a special SI unit for happiness? This article is ****. I've observed this obsession has become stranger and stranger, weirder and less familiar. It has become irrecognizable. And not too far ago, on Yahoo news they rated Singapore people as one of the happpiest people on Earth, also citing the fact because it has good governance. I find that Yahoo article a bit political. I mean what it's trying to say is not about genuinely rating and researching about happiness but trying to talk about governments.

I don't deny that of course anybody is looking for happiness. But this happiness is not like some kind of an easy thing that you can measure and rate. There is a best sportsman award. A most- intelligent person award. A most- successful actor award. But most happiest? How do I prove i'm happier than you right now? By how wide my smile is?

Happiness is reliant on your expectations. Happiness depends on how positive and negative your thinking is. Happiness can be affected by your health. Your financial status. But none of these factors can give definite guarantee of pure never- ending happiness. Because there are other factors as well.

This brings me to another issue: Can you be happy forever?

Gender revolution

I stopped in front of my mailbox yesterday for a pleasant surprise. The government is giving away monetary tokens. And based on my brief calculations, the GST credits can really cushion the impact of the GST hike. I was skeptical at first. But now i'm assured. What if the government just gave away money like that without putting it across as GST credits? That they don't increase the GST rate but just give away monetay tokens. That can make the people complacent. The government is right.

Yesterday night I was supposed to sleep early but was not disciplined enough to get to bed. Then I came across this passage by Chan Wai Leong titled Gender Revolution. It was quite abstract. But interesting. Interesting to question why some things the way they are: Why are there families? Why are there two different kinds of sexes? Well, i can see the importance of the two sexes because they complement each other, need each other. They're different to complement each other. Beautiful isn't it? In the world's greatest religions, Islam and Christianity, the woman is created to be the companion for man. I couldn't agree more.

Then the essay talked about women demanding equal rights as men. Is that possible? We've seen laws that were designed to protect women. We've seen sports races categorized into Men Open and Women Open categories. We've seen National Service that is compulsory only for men. I'd not like to sound chauvinistic but these are facts. So what is men supposed to learn? It's humility. The importance of being down- to- earth. Genuine humility.

Human biological experience

I've learnt that human biological experience yesterday. My blood glucose was very low and i could feel it. Feels great to experience it. When you try to search your human limitations and you just made a significant achievement, that's how great it feels. You put a challenge for yourself right in front of you and you survived it. You can try. It can go well. It can go bad.

I've never clocked 2 hours for a very long time and when i had to set myself upon this task as instructed by my coach, i just knew it's gonna be a tough nut to crack. An uphill task. It was an experience, indeed. Just after quite some time i looked at the watch and it said 37 mins. Oh my God, i thought. Only 37 mins? Okay.

At 1 hour i was at the end of East Coast where it meets the park connector. So I u- turned and trudged back home. Thump. And thump. Thump. And thump. Foot after foot. Breath after breath. Thought after thought. People after people. Skater after skater. Cycle after cycle. Bedok Jetty came and went. I counted down my distance. I felt like stopping. But i never did. Never ever, for the record. For the record, don't shame yourself, I thought. I've always been a firm believer of completing workouts. I thought about Nate Brannen and Alan Webb and Kevin Sullivan. I wanna be a sportsman like them.

Last Saturday was the cross country nationals. It was okay. But a lot of work needs to be done, i've seen. I've been beaten by the same people, same suspects, same names. I will have to get them soon.

My second 5000m and. . .

Some days aren't just too good. You take some, lose some. You have bad days, good days. That Sunday my 5000m didn't unfold well. First 200m didn't go as planned. Instead of 42, it was 37 for the first 200m. Ignore bad starts and don't give excuses. I think as a whole I wasn't in the mental state as i should in this kind of races. No fighting spirit. That's apparent.

Another thing, Darsha lapped me. Yes. I hate to conceive that. Well, I just have quite a long way to go before I get to match him. The emphasis here is: I do have a way to go. Not that there is no way.

Before i reached 17:31 i didn't know that i could reach 17:31. So the show must go on.

I thought that 5000m would be pretty exciting. It was not nice, that Sunday. So what makes it exciting?

The fact that it's challenging and something not so easy to master. Doing a PB is elusive. And exclusive.

KL was for the upcoming 5000m

The trip to KL was a great eye- opener. How different can KL be from the other states of Malaysia? I think it's quite crowded and cosmopolitan in comparison with the other states. And I got to see how business is done there. At Petaling Street is the black market. Some peddlers are downright rude. The most polite would just keep quiet while you check out the goods and deals. And when you ask them the price of something they would ask you back "How much you want?". It's totally hilarious.

The race was quite an experience. Fought with this lanky HCI guy. He's somewhat like Jim Ryun. Rode behind him twice. Tried to cut him twice. He came back all the time. And the last time he came back, he gave a deep gash. Wide cut. It was just great. I wanna do something like that next time. Ok, time to try that the next time. This is the thing about racing overseas. Good things to learn. Experience will make you sharper the next time round. My second 5ooom will be this Sunday morning. These 5000ms are getting easier and easier and more fun. Not to forget, more interesting too. I'm looking at 5000m from a totally new perspective now.

It's a 1 kilometer today

I've never been more fascinated with distance. In emotional terms, distance keeps a longing in one's heart. In science, distance is just some space apart. In running, distance is itself. It's a joy of movement. Feeds your ego. Like you've achieved something. but very simply, running distance keeps your health in check.

I was tearing down the asphalt tracks at East Coast last Sunday. It was a usual long run at 5pm. Except that I started with some stabilisation strengthening which I always does religiously. I'm just thankful and happy with the progress I'm making. It's getting better.

Later today is the 1km time- trial. I might wanna use a different game plan. But the constant is a kill finish. A kill finish is a must.

Yesterday's dinner was great

Training was great. I chased after Joe in every lap. Felt an achievement. Could see some girls playing soccer on the field. Bend it like Beckham. Haha. Joe bought a new Nissan Sunny (Just kidding).

Well well the highlight of the day was the splendid seafood at west coast. how was the seafood? Almost literally like eating the sea. I and Karthik had mussels and stingray. Wohoh. Power ar!Haha. simply said, a taste of the sea. you know that distict taste and smell of the sea? I don't know what are the chemicals. One of them should be sodium. Hmm. Er.

And today was Good Friday. Exactly last year i went to Gunung ledang and the trip was excellent. Hopefully can go for more such trips.

Emotions

What is this phenomena called emotion? We do not know why it exists and we cannot evade from it. Can you stop being angry when someone hits you? Okay if you don't feel angry, you will feel somewhat shocked, right? That is what i'm talking about. Shock is an emotion. when you are taken aback by something not expected of. This thing called emotion that exists in all human beings makes us humbled by our limitations. I am trying to say how vulnerable we humans are. We are vulnerable. Say you get a piece of sad news. Really very sad news. For example, someone very close passed away. How does that feel? Yes, that is what I'm talking about. It's not so much of a physical pain. It could be mental pain slightly. But it's emotional pain. And it just proves how weak and vulnerable we humans are. Can you avoid emotion? It's in us.

The hills of Turf City

Running at Turf City is just breathtaking. Lush greenery surrounds you and you can feel the quietness and peace of the place. It is just fantastic for sports activities due to the ample space available. There is grass everywhere but anybody nowhere. Wide green fields contribute to the tranquility of the place as an embodiment to the idea of space bringing about peace. And as i run ard a bend across the undulating sea of grass with the gentle breeze, i could see the backdrop of tall trees in front slowly and subtly expanding into the white and blue sky. This whole thing is just enchanting. I couldn't think of a greater creation. It's a piece of art in front of my very eyes. Have you seen the blue sky and white clouds and put a thought into it? It sort of induces a unique sense of awe and amazement.

Do i sound crazy? Tell me.

We want to win the relay this Saturday

It's been great training together. We're all improving. Yesterday was another one of those Turf City days. Yesterday's meant to be quite fun and not as taxing as Thursday's. Marcus and Joe ran behind me on deliberation. I wonder why when both of them already killed me in 1500m the day before. This time wanna run behind me. Haha.

I can say i'm ready for cross- country. Looking forward to it. I'm hoping we can win it.

Yesterday after training, thought about something. Which is recalling what you've done and achieved in a day. . .

When the wind blows, and all i can hear is the trees sway and leaves rustle

I'm 23. All 23. All alone. Now is the time. But it doesn't seem like it. What is wrong? I don't know. Well i really do not wanna waste time. So i stick to my decisions. I stick to my choices. I just stick to them.

I will need a future. A bright future. I will need income. Good income. I will need education. What's education for? For work, of course. And behind all these complex worldly issues, it's faith. Because you need to have good answers for such questions: What am i on Earth for? Where will i go after i die?

I will think of more important questions.

For now as the wind blows and the leaves rustle, and 1 door closes and another opens. . . i shall end with and excerpt from Tom Hanks in Cast Away:

"I gotta keep living. Keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise again. Who knows what the tide brings. . .

Good news

Good news came in the form of 2 personal bests and it's still the start of the season!!! Omg how better can that be?? 17:31 & 3:36. I seriously feel like shedding a tear. Feels like achieving something you never dreamt possible before. Seems like. . . I'm entering a new world. A new world of new boundaries. I thank God, first and foremost.

This new coach really rocks man! Guy advocates balance in training. Not all-the-time whack-like-hell kind of training. No no. That don't work. And Guy taught me abt stabilization. Which is fantastic. It made me feel like Kevin Sullivan, the Canadian legendary miler. What's good abt this Kevin? He is hardworking and focused and i idolize him in that!

Sports school and ITE Simei. For now, they're etched in my hall-of-fame history. For they are venues of yet more personal bests. . . The last time was in floodlit in Gombak.

I wanna carry running throughout my whole life. There's no better feeling than feeling fit and healthy and the wonders it does to life. . . Let's say the mental aspect. So what motivates me now? My goal. My long-term goal. 5000m is my pet event. But darn i wanna beat Joe in 1500m. I've yet to. He's so fast.

Today and now

Today and now will mark a distinct change in my blog.

Rambo 4

The latest Rambo blockbuster is truly a hit. It is action- packed, defined in today's era. John Rambo is, well, a war veteran who just gets better though age is catching up with him. His vast experience and sheer determination and courage makes up for his lack of physical agility and endurance.

This time, it's in the remote dense jungle of Myanmar. Rambo is against the notorious rebels. It's another one- against- army battle. As ridiculous as it may sound, Rambo wins again. I know it's not real, of course. But still it's thrilling. Like all the destroy- the- helicopters and planes scenes. Is it because I'm a guy? I don't know. But these movies sure get me off my seat and excited.

John Rambo can be inspiring. His determination should be something soldiers can learn of. Is it possible for a real Rambo in this world? Definitely.