'' When you give, give generously, your face lit up with joy. And give more than you were asked for. . .Make no distinction between rich and poor. Do not try to find out who is worthy and who is not. Let all people be equal in your eyes. . .The Lord ate at the table of the tax collectors and sinners. He did not keep the unworthy at a distance. He wanted thus to draw all humankind to himself. Therefore consider that all human beings. . .are equal in worth and honor, and that each one of them, in virtue of his nature, is your brother. ''

- Isaac of Nineveh

Race Essentials: Ali's Survival Kit.

Standard Chartered Marathon in 2 days!
Let's peek into my race essentials....

1. Race Singlet!
This year New Balance won the rights over Adidas. The racerback version for females looks good though. :)

2. Tights.

Definitely a must unless you wanna have abrasions at your panty/underwear and thighs area.

I don't know how painful it is, but from friends' experiences, it's quite bad. Ouchhh.

3. Petroleum Jelly / Vaselin.

Apply generously in between toes, back of feet, underwear lining area and armpits.

Great for preventing abrasions from the constant rubbing.

Initially I couldn't believe that you could get abrasions from running too, but try it for 6hours and you will know it's possible. ;)

4. Pataella Bands.

Knees-saver. Helps keep the knee in proper position while your poor knees suffer from the constant non-stop pounding.

5. MP3 Player.

Most IMPORTANT! Running can get pretty boring. And as fatigue sets in, nothing lifts your spirit more like your favorite song playing.

6. Salonpas Spray.

Spray generously especially when your legs start getting extremely sore, tight and crampy.

Deep heat cream not recommended. WHY? Because, after applying it with your hands, you cannot wipe that sweat off your face. Well, you can.. If you like feeling HOT in the face.

7. Energy Bars/Gels.

Start fuelling your body after an hour of running, because the glycogen in your muscles and liver would have all been used up. Don't fuel up and say goodbye to your hard-earned muscles. Less muscles = Slower metabolism. I personally suspect this is my secret for not cramping until the 30km mark during Sundown. I will reconfirm it this Sunday.

8. SpiBelt.

Just got this during the Sports & Fitness Fair when I collected my Racepack at the Expo yesterday.

Looks cute. The pouch's so small, but amazingly, it can fit alot of stuff into it. Stretchable, springy, and does not bounce around. No point yakking about the energy bars, mp3 player and such without a medium for storing them right? ;)

9. Last but not least, your SPIRIT!

Due to delays in NTU's school term (because of YOG2010 prep) leading to exams being pushed back, I miscalculated the time I have for training for this marathon. Haven't had time to train due to workload in school plus the previous weekends taken up by Dragonboat trainings. Still, I hope to be able to beat my Sundown timing. Many told me it's hard because there's the sun factor now, plus I've not been training. True, the sun can slow my body down, but never my spirit. I will just do my best on race day.

Never doubt, never say never, until you first try.

Hope I will come back with good news!

To those taking part in StandChart this Sunday, be it KidsDash, 10km, 21km or the full 42km, all the best, and remember, run your own race!

Rest well, sleep enough, no oily food, no drinking, no more long distance running.

See you at the end! :D

GYM.

READY FOR HARD TRAINING?

2300HRS.
The latest I've ever left the gym. Lol.
It's nice seeing Raffles Place at that time of day. Peaceful, quiet, calm. The extreme of what you'll see on a rush hour morning with all the clicking of heels and office execs in their formal wear.
I've seen Raffles Place at dawn, now I've seen it nearing midnight.
And I like it. :)

Had my first training session last night at Cali with Edward, our team's Incredible Hulk, together with Roland, Jon and Jinpei.
Started off with a 10mins cardio warm up before heading to the weights area. Though I've been training with weights for more than a year already, there's always new stuff to learn. And training with Edward was an eye opener too. When you see the amount of weights he stacks, your jaw will drop, and your eyes popped open wide.

Something interesting about Ed's training plan for me and Jinpei last night was the weights are to be increased with each set, with the reps remaining the same. That's new to me. Because usually when I increase my weights for the next set, I will drop the reps. Definitely a tiring workout, and I had the best sleep ever when I dropped dead onto my snuggly bed, but not before eating something.

For those who doesn't eat after their gym workout, please do. But of course, don't go eat icecream or chocolates or junk food, otherwise, you might as well don't train. Have some protein and good carbs like maybe a fruit with tuna, or eggs, wholemeal bread, oats. You get the idea. Fuelling your body is just as important as working it. In fact, eating after a workout gives you better gains from your workout too.

Last weekend was eventful. Ae, a Thai friend whom I got to know while working as a Liaison Officer for the Vesak Festival 3 years ago, came over to Sunny Singapura for a short holiday. The Toof Fairies had an enjoyable time hosting him and bringing him around. Amazing how friendships are forged just like that, ain't it?

Perhaps, maybe everything does happen for a reason.

Will be heading to Expo tomorrow to collect my StandChart racepack and to shop around the Sports & Fitness fair.. Hope to get some new tights for dragonboating and gym.
I believe most friends will be finishing their exams soon.... Time to celebrate!

Christmas is approaching. Please don't just think about the Log cake, stuffed fat turkey, beautiful lightings, bling bling Christmas tree, holidays and presents. Take some time to think about Jesus. That's right, He is the true reason for Christmas.

Wanna hear a joke?
A friend shared it with me...

Q. What's the difference between a Squirrel and a Man?
A. A squirrel cracks his nuts on a rock. A man rocks his nuts on a crack.

WHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! So funny!
See, MEN!




I'm alittle bit confused. Alittle bit lost.
I guess when you don't have studies to keep you occupied, other thoughts start getting into you.
I need to pray about this.
Please pray for me. 

Hope.

There should be, even in the busiest day, a few moments when we can close our eyes and let God possess us. He is always present, always giving us life, always round us and in us, like the air we breathe; there should be moments at least when we become more conscious of His presence; when we become conscious of it as the only reality, the only thing that will last forever.
- Caryll Houselander


Had a good legs training yesterday. I hate to train legs. It's super tiring and I always felt like puking after forcing out those last few reps. But that's the way it is. You don't want to be mediocre, you move out of your comfort zone. My after gym sauna sessions are like my 'Me-Time'. Sitting in warm room with the smell of wood, and silence. Yes, silence. I get to pray, I get to clear my thoughts, and yet help my aching muscles recover. How cool is that.
Have you had your quiet time? We're always so busy in our lives, but you should really spend at least just a mere 10mins to pray. :) Give thanks for what you have because you are much more fortunate and blessed than you think.

Had dinner at Porkee chinese restaurant with sisters and parents. It's been long since the Yens sat down together for dinner! Was fun. Had a good time chatting and ganging up to disturb my mom. Don't mess with my momma man. She used to be a shot-putter and Javelin thrower in her school days. And I tell you, the pole used for propping up the bamboo poles doesn't serve only one function.. Say, doesn't it resembles a javelin?? :) There are many more torture methods. Will share more in future entries. Now I know how lucky my dad is to have been a taekwondo black belt.

Didn't join my dragonboat mates at Phuture for Maurice's farewell before he leaves for his month long attachment to Beijing. However they decided to supper at the Ba Kut Teh just right at place, I decided to go too. Just for some team bonding. :)

Jon was super high from his alcohol intoxication, such that edward had to support him. It was a funny sight. But still, I feel that alcohol shouldn't be abused. It does not solve your problems, it just makes you feeling like a total crap the next day.

Be strong, stay sober. Only when you are sober, can you think of the means and ways to solve your problems. Don't lose hope. It is not easy. It will not be easy. But you are stronger than you think you are.

I know it is funny to see your friends high and acting funny. But it's really sad to know if it is because of some underlying reasons that alcohol was resorted to. That's why I don't like to club. that's why I don't club. You want to know why, that's why. I don't like to see my friends this way.

I think, I prefer to remember the better side.

Remember, there wil always be hope in life. Only you can be the change you want to see. Only you can make it happen.

Good morning and have a great day guys.

Closing chapter and a Splashhing end of season..

At. Long. Last.
I'm free! Liberation! Yays!

I hereby declare, together with the other 2 musketeers who has tolerated my nonsense in NTU for 3.5 years... We're graduates!

Haha, okay, not quite so, YET. We've finished our last examination yesterday. No more exams! But until we finish our last semester of Industrial Attachment, er... we have not really graduated. I hope I pass all of my subjects. I will die of a heart attack should things not go according to plan.

All these seems so surreal.
The weeks prior to the Singapore River Regatta as well as my final exams were so hard. I almost broke down mentally and physically. Physically, from the exhaustion of trainings on saturdays and sundays plus my own gym trainings, and of course, school and lectures.
Mentally, from my doubts and lack of faith in myself. I keep having to convince myself that it is worth going for the race despite having 3 consecutive exams right after the race.

So... all's cool and over now! Hurray!
Special thanks to a few peeps who msged me before my exams.. Ben, Alex, Jon, Caron, Justin... and also to all my facebook supporters! Lol! Staying up with the panda to give moral support (although, I seriously suspect they're just up for the facebook games.)

River Regatta held on the 21st and 22nd November was fabulous! I love Kiyah's team spirit. When the guys race, the girls will be there to support and scream and clap hands for them no matter the results. When the girls race, the guys will likewise be there to support and scream and clap hands for us no matter the results. Our competitors this year have grown much stronger and we only managed to get 2nd place for the 20-Men's Open Plate Final. It is a great achievement, but there were a few races that we could almost make it. We always seem to take the lead from the start, but lose out during the last burst of the race. But it's okay, with more discipline and hardwork, our team will go far. The girls team, oh yea! I am so proud of us. For our tremendous improvement from last year (last position for heats) to now, we've finally managed to break out of the 'no-coming-back-on-second-day-of-race' spell! We got into the Semis, but failed to make it to the finals. Our obvious disadvantage is having school teams in the same event as us.

I have a good feeling about our girls team. As of now, with the current girls that we have - motivated, determined and disciplined - in no time, other teams will start taking notice of us, in a good way of course. I think the girls should gym more often to build strength and muscle endurance, hopefully they'll do some running and stuff to build up fitness during this off-season too. I can't wait for the new dragonboat season to start. Should be in february or march. I feel so lost during the weekends now. Will definitely look forward to rowing again, soon!

Have a few dates booked with friends already. Time to go out and have fun. :)

One of my friend said I'm having tao hua yun lol. Mmm. I think so too. But some kinda for the wrong reasons.
I don't know how to react. Hais.

Warming up! -

  

Getting ready for race line up.

Kiyah-Splashh! proudly sponsored by Sportade.

Study mate during race. Ferdi!

I like this. Hahaha! Now you know how exhausting dragonbating is.

Doing a mock race-set.

The only time you get to laze around at Raffles Place like this.

The Kiyah-Splashh! Family

Seatec Paddles - Best !

20-Men's Open Plate Final 2nd. :)

Quickie before I breakie.

Thought a quick update would do me some good. I've been sitting at my desk for hours each day. My sister greeted me good morning everyday and for the past days I'd greeted her from my desk. Off she goes, head to school and when she's back, said hi to me. Again, I Hi-ed back from my desk. She packed her stuff, said she's going swimming, off she goes and back. Yet again, you got it, our conversation revolves around my study desk. This time she could not help it but exclaimed, "Have you not moved from your seat at all?!!"

My back hurts from my hours of sitting. I do take breaks of course, little sneaks into facebook just to have a visual glimpse of the outside world.

I have not step out of my house since I came home from training on Sunday. Not at all. My mom bought a huge supply of my 'rations' so I can cook my meals and survive and not die on my desk.

I'm pathetic. I have no talent so I guess I can only make up for it by working hard.

Anyway, I'm really excited about this weekend's race. I know it is not a wise decision on my part, and I may have made the wrong move. But I have no regrets. Yes, even if it costs me my results for my exams. I value my half year's worth of HARD training as much as my 3.5 years' worth of studies. And it isn't like I've neglected my studies either. I don't see why I should give up either.

Perhaps some people will never understand.

Never understand me.

You must always finish what you started.

To my teammates, rest well and make a splashh!

Caron posted a quote on her fb status sometime earlier this week. I thought it was very meaningful and we could apply it in aspects of our life:

"Good, better, best.

Never let it rest.

Until your good is better, and your better is best."

"You don't ever go into anything saying you want to finish second."
-Derek Jeter, Four Time World Series Champion and 10 Time MLB All Star

Last Lesson and lessons from Mike.

Today marks the last lecture in my undergraduate life. Dr. Yamane left a few measly pages to be taught in our last lect and I had a feeling that our 2hrs long class would be reduced to half. Bingo.
To think that I was 15mins late when I was never late for my classes. Great. After class some of my coursemates took pictures together. And as we left the lecture theatre, we bid eachother goodbye with : " See you next year for convocation!"

Lol. We were so ecstatic, we completely forgot we still have to see eachother on exam day. Still, while on the train ride home, I visualized wearing my graduation gown and collecting my scroll on stage. I guess that's my sole motivation to work harder. My parents would be so proud.
Getting a degree is no big deal. But for a girl with a PSLE score of 198, I think that little moment on stage belongs to me. :)

Till that day in July next year then.

I love MJ. Because he loves the world.
Listening to MJ's Earth Song inspired me to go green. I think we have caused enough damage to nature.
Hence, I made alittle deal with myself:
I will try as best not to take transport other than using my legs. No escalators, no elevators, try to walk home instead of taking the bus and such.

I started today. I took the stairs and I'm proud of it. :)
In case you don't know, I live on the 22nd storey. Hehe.

I am getting weirder by the day.
(Must be my books.)