Category Archives: Running

It took a long time …

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I just returned from a week-long family holiday in Bali, Indonesia. The number of highlights from

Lost track of time running on Bali sand

Lost track of time running on Bali sand

the trip easily matched the number of mosquito bites that I sustained (that is to say, abundant). One of the highlights that you won’t read in any Lonely Planet guides is the beach run that I did on the very first morning on the island, from north (Seminyak) to south (Kuta) and back.

It started out unremarkably, perhaps even stressfully, as I had to negotiate the busy main street leading up to the beach, side-stepping pot-holes and dodging motor-bikes while trying to get used to the stifling heat (even at 6.30am).

Then I hit the beach and everything changed. Continue reading →

Always Be Closing

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“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious“. Vince Lombardi.

Vince, I now know what you were talking about!

Vince, I now know what you were talking about!

I have participated in many fun runs, ranging from 8km all the way up to 42.2. For me, the emphasis has always been on the “fun” part of the endeavour, as opposed to the time taken to complete the “run” part. The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the scenery, the opportunity to pace behind a foxy female runner with exquisitely toned legs and mesmerising pony-tail sway… how can one not but have fun in such a setting!

However, there is one thing that completely ruins the fun and makes me sulk like a sissy after a race. It is when, having passed the finish line, I know deep inside that I could have pushed myself harder, that I did not give my all. Continue reading →

For the long run

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Mention the words “a long run”, people either conjure up an image of messy struggles in the restroom after an exotic meal, or one of tortuous struggles out in the open, endlessly pounding the pavement. In either case, the reaction usually involves a moan followed by a groan. Even for an enthusiast like myself, heading out for a 90-120 minute jog requires a certain fortitude – the lack of which I compensate through my sheer love of the activity … and some artificial assistance.

Nothing like a Fat Boy Slim beat to make my Torpid Heart Pump!

MUSIC. This is the reason why I would never be welcomed into any hardcore running cliques. I enjoy listening to music while I’m on a long run. Not only does it drip feed the occasional boost to my pace with inspiring beats, but it also acts as a comforting companion while I mentally negotiate the long stretches of solitude.

I am, of course, aware of those purists extolling the benefits of running and learning to listen to your breathing at the same time. But I would rather not listen to my heavy breathing, especially when I’m on my own and engaged in something which does not lead to the kind of climax that usually follows such heavy breathing! Continue reading →

Those tranquil moments after a run

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Last Sunday, I ran in a 10km fun run around Sydney Olympic Park, the home of the 2000 Sydney Olympics (yes, we Sydneysiders still cling onto that fainting good memory). The thing that I enjoyed as much as the actual race itself was the quiet moment after it, sitting there by myself with icy cold drinks nursing my sticky hot sweats.

This … what do YOU do to get this in your mind?

To me, very few moments in life rival those just after a run (casual or race) in terms of the zen-like serenity that washes over me. In those moments, I find I am completely at one with myself, as well as with the present – a rather unique feeling for a mind that normally wonders off in thousand different directions. As anyone who is taking up meditation for the first time would appreciate, sitting still and focusing solely on one’s breathing is a surprisingly difficult exercise. The sudden silence is deafening and all sorts of random jibbering thoughts begin doing their best to pierce that uncomfortable silence. In addition, after only few minutes, the mind (and the body) starts to exhibit withdrawal symptoms from not having checked email, voicemail, text or Facebook, increasingly anxious about what earth-shattering news it is missing out on. Continue reading →

Perils of breaking routines

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I have a  favourite running route, one that meanders along a river, through several public parks and stretches out almost 30km to a bay. At the 5km mark of this trail, there is a water dispenser to quench the thirst of anyone in need of hydration, be they joggers, riders, dog-walkers or just those enjoying the art of La Passeggiata.

Over the past 6 years running this route, I have religiously stopped at this water dispenser to have a drink, both on the way out (5km mark) and on the way back (5km from home). It has become such a  habit that my whole hydration regime on this course hinges around this little water dispenser. Not only that, it is a refreshing pit-stop on-route to a long run, and a reinvigorating one that I look forward to on the way back.

No water for you!!!

Recently, the unthinkable happened. The water dispenser broke! It was taped off limits like a murder scene – a fitting picture given the shocking and disorienting effect it had on me! I just didn’t feel quite right the rest of the run that day, nor in any of the subsequent runs since (it is still not fixed, despite many agitated calls to the council). It is embarrasing for a grown man to feel such a way over a little water dispenser but, you must understand, I depend on that thing for more than just a drink. Continue reading →