TGIF: Don’t Be That Awkward Runner

New Balance Minimus Zero Trail - Run Minimal, Run Zero. (click for review)

Its Friday! Friday! Kicking about on Friday!

TGIF for most of you who isn’t working shift on a Saturday or Sunday. If you’re reading this post here right now, chances are you are probably someone who’s into running or health and fitness in general. Even if you are not, it must have been  by some Divine intervention that you chanced upon this blog, reading this post right now, wherever you are. Don’t stop, keep on reading.

For some, you might be thinking of going for a short run before chilling out with friends over the weekend. Or have just simply signed up for one of the many weekend running events happening right here in our little puny island we call home…or not. For many, running is a way for you to keep yourself healthy, fit and/or looking good. But here’s the thing – though we all want to achieve that nice, healthy glow AFTER our runs, the way you run has got to be good looking too! Just like the “Ridiculously Photogenic Guy”. He sure knows how to pull it off.

Ridiculously Photogenic Guy

Anyways, like most Singaporeans, we want to look good while running. Well, just take a look at the runners in a race the next time you go for one and you’ll see that most are decked in bright coloured tees & shoes, donning fancy gears and for some (like me), bring along a camera to capture moments.

Here’s my tip: Always (TRY TO) smile when you run.

Besides the fact that it shows a cheerful disposition, it helps when it comes to some candid shots taken by the sports photographers wherever they may be. At least you wont look all messed up and errr….. not-so-fabulous.

That being said, i chanced upon this video and it gives one a better understanding of the different types of runners that you SHOULD NOT be. Don’t be that awkward runner! You’ve been warned!

Have a great weekend ahead people!

…..Or you can choose to wear a mask and run. Totally fab.

Of Sports, Fitness and Health

RUGBY:

“A ruffian’s game played by Gentlemen.” 

Honestly, having played rugby in primary school and then a season during JC days and lastly, a short stint during my NS Army days, i must say, rugby is one sport which requires team work like no other.

Every single man relies and trusts their buddies beside them to “protect them” when they get tackled. Rugby, a contact sport, requires SPEED, AGILITY, POWER, STRENGTH & BRAINS to win the game. Perfect sport for people who desire to up the fitness and physique level. I know, cause i’ve been there done that: READ HERE

But that being said, i still love playing soccer… just a little aggressive though. Like Gennaro Gattusso.

~

DISCIPLINE & REGRET: 

“Discipline is doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, when we don’t want to do it.”

Its always easy to fall to temptations and skip a day’s training or snack on an unhealthy meal just for a day thinking, ITS ONLY A DAY. But such bad habits die hard and 1 day becomes 2 days and so on. Before you know it, you’re doomed.

~

THE FAULTY FOOD PYRAMID:

“It promoted eating so many grain servings, it was promoting obesity.”

I had always suspected that something is wrong with the pyramid because it kinda lacks the essential proteins to build and pack on those muscles. Anyways, here’s to find out more: READ HERE

~

McDonalds: Still Loving it?

“McDonald’s confirms that it’s no longer using ‘pink slime’ chemical in hamburgers.” READ MORE

Its been 1 month + 5 days since i last touched a hamburger from McDonalds or any one of those fast food “restaurants” like KFC, Long John’s Silvers, Burger King etc. Well, i plan to stay on track and go fast food free for the whole of 2012.

Unless of course someone offers me $10,000 to have a bite at a new fast food burger. And that had better be a McD’s Samurai burger at least. ;P

The iFLY Accident and What We Can Learn From It

“Sports”. A noun. And as defined by Dictionary.com – it is an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature. 

In today’s society, many people are picking up some sort of sport to keep themselves healthy, fit and for some, just merely out of passion. “The love for the game” as some would say. Yes, running to rock climbing to soccer and to even bridge (a card game) is a sport.

Recently, on Monday, 15th January 2012, i chanced upon an article in The Sunday Times:

“iFly Singapore has first accident after instructor fractures shin”

And as i continued to read on, i realised it was the instructor who took me on my SECOND iFLY flight just a month ago – Scott Pereira. So apparently, what happened was that while performing a high-speed maneuver, he failed to break his decent and his leg hit the netting below.

MY 2-CENTS THOUGHT ON THIS:

1) The INSTRUCTOR got injured because he was performing a stunt for the beginner flyers.

Freak accident. It wasnt as if the the net suddenly gave way OR the fan blew him out of the wind tunnel like in Wizard Of Oz. He was performing a stunt, a MUCH MORE DANGEROUS demonstration when that happened. Although it is naturally interesting to watch and see someone performing something which we will never master in an hour’s time (because we are lazy creatures to begin with), the harder and WOW-er the moves are, the more higher risk of injuries. Duhh!

Personally, I have been to iFLY twice and flown in the wind tunnel for the 6th time  and nothing happened to me. Well, thats because i stuck to the instructions that the instructor told us. Nothing fancy, just pure indoor skydiving flight experience. And yes, i still have my limbs in tact and i didnt sprain my shins.

2) Indoor skydiving and the safety net saved Scott’s life.

Just saying. Had it been an outdoor, real life, 15,000ft up in the air, and you make one wrong move, thats it. You’re a goner. The indoor skydiving wind tunnel allows you to experience skydiving without forking out the hefty sum of money and its also relatively safer. I remembered seeing kids flying in it and they loved it.

It was kinda like a family affair thing going on and i must say, it was indeed fun. It kinda preps you up for the real one actually. I used to think jumping out of the airplane and maneuvering in the sky is easy, but apparently, it is an activity requiring skill or physical prowess up in the sky with no safety net. Just you, your parachute and prolly some birds in flying around. Tweet tweet!

I’ll be frank with you – all sports are dangerous. Be it you’re jogging or running or simply playing bowling, there will be some element of risks involved. Noticed i mentioned RISKS and not INJURIES? Thats because if you are in the right state of mind and body, chances are, you minimize your risk of getting injured, sprained whatever. There will always be risks, but not always be injuries.

The 4 factors that COULD result in injury while playing sports:

1. Not physically fit
2. Not mentally prepared
3. Performing much riskier stunts
4. Act of god

Over the years had my fair share of knocks and bruises and sprains and even scars from playing a multitude of sports. From soccer to rugby (i was stomped on my head) to mountain biking (where i fell and was knocked unconscious, sustaining a scar below my eye) and many more other vigorous activities, you name it. But I know i cant lead that kind of lifestyle. Life is too short and the world is too exciting and fun just waiting to be explored and discovered. As the great 19th-century theologian, WIlliam Shedd once said:

“A ship in a harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

But ultimately, the benefits of playing sports and being active, out weighs the detrimental effects of not having an active lifestyle and being a couch potato. That being said – now get out there and run, bike, swim or even FLY!

Get Inspired and Hit the ground running.

IN LIGHT OF SUNDAY’S STANDARD CHARTERED MARATHON SINGAPORE 2011, HERE’S A REALLY REALLY AWESOME POST I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. IT INSPIRED ME, AND I HOPE IT WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU TOO.

(taken from I <3 to run‘s FB Page)

David Goggins sleeps three hours a night. He has a resting heart rate of 32 beats per minute. He wakes up at 3.a.m. and runs 15 to 20 miles. He commutes 25 miles to work by bicycle. He is the only person to complete Navy SEALS “Hell Week” three times. He is the only person to complete Tactical Air Control, SEAL and Army Ranger training.

With no special training, David Goggins ran 100 miles in 18 hours. In finishing that race, in 2006, he suffered stress fractures in his feet and shins, urinated blood and lost control of his bowels. David Goggins completed 10 100-mile races in 2007. He finished third at the 2007 Badwater, a 135-mile trek through Death Valley known as “The World’s Toughest Footrace.” He once ran 203.5 miles in 48 hours.

“With the Special Ops Warrior Foundation’s help, we put 266 kids through college last year. And that’s what keeps me going. I’ll be honest, I don’t like running. I don’t like biking. I don’t like swimming. I do it to raise money. But, now that I’m in this sport, I want to see how far I can push myself. What makes me tick is that pain you feel when you do these ultramarathons. I love knowing that everyone’s suffering because I know I can suffer just a little bit more. I can take a lot of pain.” - David Goggins

~~

I have a lot of respect for this guy. Not only has he done so many things which is deemed impossible to many, he also has a great built, body and mental toughness. Just the things which i could only dream of. I had always pictured ultra marathoners and ironmen to be somewhat slim built and a little on the not-so-buffed side BUT David Goggins has showed me that its possible to achieve the best of both worlds – RUNNING and HAVING A GREAT BOD.

I dont know about you people out there how you feel about this, but honestly, the first time i read it I AM TRULY INSPIRED TO RUN MORE. ACHIEVE MORE BE MORE THAN WHO I AM TODAY.

I’ve never ran a marathon ever in my life. I just picked up running last year (October) and im hoping to complete my first marathon in 2012. For 2011, it’ll be half-marathon for me (this Sunday at Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore). Looking and hoping to learn more from runners all over the world! May i have wings on my shoes (like Hermes) to ferry me across 21km with ease.

TO ALL RUNNERS (10km, 21km or 42km) HAVE A GOOD REST AND ENJOY THE RUN.

**To view the SCMS 2011 Route videos and maps CLICK the icon above!**

Nike: Running for Thailand Charity

In light of the recent floods in Thailand, Nike  has launched an initiative to help our fellow not-so-distance neighbours a helping hand…or feet for that matter. Called ALL FOR THAILAND, runners simply have to clock their mileage from 18 November 2011 to 9 December 2011. Every kilometer that is clocked, Nike will donate US$1 to the CARE Raks Thai, the local Thailand Chapter of CARE International.

(click on image/poster above to find out more!)

(More on the NIKE+: CLICK HERE)

Together, we can help raise fund to help our fellow South East Asian neighbours get throught these tough times. On the birghtside, at least you’re doing something that you love and/or keeping healthy at the same time.

Alternatively, if you do not have a NIKE+  but would like to reach out and help the less fortunate, you can do so by supporting our cause – Be a Super Hero. Hoping to raise funds for Mercy Relief, an independent non-governmental humanitarian charity, established in response to the human tragedies in Asia.

You may check out the site by clicking on the GIVE.SG image below.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that we are immensely lucky, being born in a first world country, where food is plentiful and we have our needs fulfilled. Sometimes it is easy to forget that there are people out there who teeter on the brink of death, starving for food and thirsting for water.

Sometimes, it is easy to forget that many of them are children, lying helplessly in the scorching sun of the African plains, the unbearable pain of starvation overcoming them and yet they have no strength left in them to cry or even whimper in pain.

Providing water & sanitation, shelter, sustainable livelihoods, healthcare and education. to the less fortunate and needy regardless of country, culture or creed. Let’s do this for the people less fortunate than us.

You can be someone’s superhero. It is time.

Why We Run Network turns 1!

~

There is no such thing as Light weights or Heavy weights.
Only Heavy weights or Heavier weights.

 

There is no such thing as run slow or run fast.
Only run fast or run faster.

 

There is no such thing a train easy or train hard.
Only train harder or train hardest.

 

Mind over matter. Sweat now, ice-cream later.

 

~

A message from the Editor:

It’s been exactly 1 year (365 days) since this blog was set up. And I must say that it’s been a wonderful journey and experience meeting and learning from all the athletes and friends who have inspired me and the team to work harder to achieve a better fitness and health. And also to share our love for all-things sporty to our friends and readers out there.

Personally, sharing my stories, trainings and sportscevents & races made me wanna improve on my performace even more. Run faster, run longer, lift heavier, climb higher and go further in all the sports that I partake.

On behalf of the team, I would like to thank all those who have supported, guided AND inspired us along the way. We hope to inspire MORE people from wherever you are, to pick up sports and make it a part of your lifestyle. For wealth isnt all about money alone – there are things like health and fitness too to make it complete.

We look to better improve our content and delivery in the future and to have more like-minded people sharing their stories here with us. Be it you’re young or old, newbie or professional, We welcome you all with open arms.

Afterall, we can always learn something from everyone, every time. We look forward to hear your comments and views as it will help us improve in the future. (Do drop us an email at whywerunn@gmail.com ya?)

Till we meet again, God bless and have a great week ahead.

P.S, Do LIKE our FB Page by clicking on the icon on the left-sidebar OR by clicking HERE.

P.P.S, Something wicked this way comes. Stay tuned for it.

“If you RUN…

YOU are a Runner.

It Doesn’t Matter How FAST

or How FAR.

It Doesn’t Matter if Today is Your First Day,

or if You’ve Been Running for Twenty Years.

There is No Test to Pass,

No License to Earn,

No Membership Card to Get.

You Just RUN.”

-John Bingham

Just Do It.

(P.S, im not advertising for Nike. Its just that i found this running pic really nice and decided to us it.)

The TRX Workout

TRX also know as  Total Body Resistance Exercise has been around for quite some time in Singapore. However, not many people have heard of it or if they have, they would not have tried it before. Why? Because it is deemed as “something new” or even a “gimmick” to some skeptics. Oh well, for me, i recently started to use TRX in my workouts over in my school gym and seriously, i feel and see the difference it has made for me. Especially the Tricep Extensions exercise. ITS SO INTENSE! DOUBLE RAINBOW YAW!

Whats the deal with “double rainbow?” you might ask. Well, between me and my gym buddy, lets call him Mr T, Double Rainbow exercises or workouts are simply INTENSE WORKOUTS. We coined it from this video (click HERE to watch and understand). Its like when we see someone does some INTENSE workout, we’d go “Dude, that is so double rainbow man! So intense!”. And we carry on to do our “Hi-five-low-five-punch-it-boomz” handshake…. Okay so i was just idding on the last part. But you get the idea. DOUBLE RAINBOW = SO INTENSE!!

Anyways, back to the topic on TRX, simply put, i got 3 words for it – Freaking. Awesome. Andyougottatryittobelieveit. 

TRX Workout

P.S, when i get more results and updates on this whole TRX stuffs, i will definitely update y’all. And yes, i still havent forgo my love for KettleBells though. Heehee! Will get back for some DOUBLE RAINBOW workout once my exams are over. Like after the 28th of April.

And as Rocky Balboa would say, “Let’s start building some hurting bombs!”

Something to ponder about

The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!

Its time to get out there and train!

Photo from http://wulffmorgenthaler.com/

WhyWeRun’s “Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Tip #4

This might come in UBER late, but runners, please remember to PUT ON YOUR TAG/CHIP on your shoe before you run!

You wouldn’t wanna have to do an ultra (marathon, 84km) do you?

WhyWeRun’s “Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Tip #4