My first 5K

“We are such rock stars!” exclaimed Ross teasingly as we got ready for bed at 8:30pm last Saturday. It was the eve of my first race ever, at least one that I’ve actually trained and prepared for. It took me three months to complete my C25K training and I’d just “graduated” the day before, just in time for the 5K at the NatGeo Run 2016 in Manila on Sunday morning. I hadn’t felt any nerves until that evening, probably only because I tried not to think about it so much leading up to the day. All of a sudden the feeling of butterflies in my stomach – the same ones I used to have before a big swimming competition – creeped up on me. Whenever Ross asked if I was excited for my race, I’d just stare at him blankly not knowing whether I was going to cry or laugh. Weird, but the nervousness was somewhat comforting at the same time.

    

We spent most of Saturday at the R.O.X.Outdoor Festival scorching under the El Niño sun. It was a good distraction from what lay ahead the following day, and a good introduction to the ridiculous heat. Since we had to be up early on Sunday, we had a nice and light Japanese dinner in the early evening and lights were off by 9:00pm. We both tossed and turned for a good 1.5 hours until we finally got to sleep… if you could even call it sleep! Ha! The nerves kept me up most of the night and by 2:00am I was pretty much wide awake. I tried to visualise myself on the run anyway, since that used to help me with swimming. Not sure if I fell back asleep but the alarm finally went off at 4:00am and up we got, put on our running gear, had a little snack, and headed out at 4:30am.

As we stepped out of our apartment building, we could see the marathoners and half-marathoners already on their run. It was nice seeing them knowing I’d be on that route very soon, though on a shorter course. The 20-minute walk to the starting line was a nice warm-up, and by “warm” I mean it was already 28C (real feel of 32C) that early in the morning! There was already a good number of people there – some were sitting on the curb half asleep, others doing a light jog or high-knees up and down the road. We had an hour to kill and Ross talked me through it, keeping me surprisingly calm. We walked around and stretched and he made sure I was okay.

The minutes ticked by and finally we were only 10 minutes until gun start. The nerves started coming back and at one point I even asked what I was doing there. Had to be reminded by the boyfriend that I’d set out to do this and had worked hard for it! Everyone around me was stretching, bouncing up and down, just basically revving themselves up for the run. I could barely move and kept my eyes on the clock counting down. I just wanted to start already! Then BOOM, the buzzer went off and the next thing I knew, I was on the road running past a bunch of people. I managed the first kilometre comfortably and I thought I would’ve been able to actually run the entire way but it was just so hot and at some points I felt like all my breath had been sucked out of me. But Ross was there the entire way, pacing me (who has a pacer for a 5K?? I do!!), and I didn’t have to bother about hydrating because he was there handing me the bottle whenever I needed a drink! I did have to slow down and walk at some parts, but if I remember correctly, I was able to run most of the route with Ross promising little short breaks if I just pushed just a little harder to get to the next junction or traffic light.

The last kilometre was a route I know very well since it’s the way we walk towards the public swimming pool in the mornings. I did my best to give it my all, especially since most of it was downhill, and I almost made it all the way. I was tired and overheating and by that point, all I wanted was to get to the finish line. Ross kept telling me to push it, the faster I go the sooner I’d be done. Have to admit, I slowed down a little, but then I took one last swig of Powerade and finally gave it my all and sprinted around the corner towards the finish line. And if you go by the numbers on my Garmin, my average moving speed was 5.1mph and max speed at 25.1mph… so I guess you could say I amped it up on that last leg!

My official chip time is 37:19. My goal was to get under 45 minutes, so I was really happy with the result! Ross tried to get me to do a sub-30 but unfortunately that didn’t happen this time, but there will definitely be a next time! I placed 316th out of 3,124 finishers that day - that's in the top 10%! Not too bad for a first timer, I'd say.

My legs were sore the following day but it sure felt good and I'm very happy with how things went. I used to be someone who could barely RUN down the block and now here I am legit running a 5K and actually enjoying it! I think I’ve found a new hobby… I’m seeing what other 5Ks are out there in the coming months and then I’ll start training for a 10K!

I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me since I started this new walk of life, especially to my boyfriend Ross who has done nothing but encourage and support me every step of the way. Thank you as well to my friends and even to those I don’t personally know (yet!) who “liked” and shared their kind words on social media pre- and post-race. You are what keeps me going!

Signing up for my first 5K

A few days ago I signed up for the NatGeo Earth Day Run 2016 happening in Manila on April 17th. I've only ever signed up for two other races in my life: the first one was for my mom's Rotary Club about a decade ago and the other was The 5K Foam Run in Sentosa (a non-timed fun run obstacle course) that I did with my friends in 2014. Both times I only signed up for fun and never took it really seriously -- meaning there was absolutely no training involved.

Nikki and me at the 5K Foam Run in Sentosa (May 2014) / Not sure why we don't look too happy

This year I said I wanted to do something I've never done before so I started training for a 5K. I didn't have a race/run in mind when I started because, to be honest, I didn't think I'd last as long as I have. But it's almost been 3 months and I'm still going strong! I'm not very fast nor have I been able to run a full 5K yet just (I still take brisk walk breaks in between), but I'm in a place I never thought I'd ever be. I'm on Week 7 of my training and even though there's still much improvement to be made, I knew I had to sign up for a run so I can continue to physically and mentally push and challenge myself.

March 7, 2016

March 17, 2016

March 22, 2016

There's less than four weeks to go! I'm excited and nervous at the same time. My goal is to finish the 5K in less than 45 minutes. No Speedy Gonzales but getting to that finish line will already be a great accomplishment. This is only the beginning. Who knows? I could one day be doing triathlons! Never say never! ;-)

A new journey

It’s been 3 months since my last blog post and between that and the post before it there was a one-month break. I started this blog without any real direction and even mentioned it in my very first entry but I had topics and ideas that I wanted to write about, which I did and published. Then I started writing things that were quite personal and had second thoughts about clicking the “Publish” button and it got to the point where I was unsatisfied because of the pointless direction I was taking. Then the New Year came and I realised where I want to go with this blog. As 2016 ushered in and I turned 31, I wanted to make a lifestyle change and decided that I want to take you along this journey with me. This tiny space on the World Wide Web will be a place for me to record this major change to become a healthier and happier person, physically and mentally.

Photo from Takbo.ph's Instagram @takboph

Growing up I was never really great at sports, but the one thing I was relatively good at and good enough to be confident in was swimming. I was on my school’s swim team from 6^th grade and joined the varsity team my freshman year of high school. We competed against local schools as well as traveled around the Asia Pacific region to race against other international schools. I have always loved the water and the smell of chlorine brings me comfort. Yes, it’s true! Haha :-) Training and racing was fun all throughout school, but unfortunately I didn’t go on to swim during my years in university. It had been years since I’d stepped into an actual racing pool to do serious laps and I’m proud to say that I finally jumped back in the water a few days before my 31^st birthday. It was not easy but I swam my little heart out and finished 1KM. (Note: I was a long distance swimmer back in the day so a 1KM back then was nothing!) That day I realised how much I missed the water and the solace it gave me. I finally found my “thing”. Ross always talks about the peace he gets when he’s outdoors and running and I often wondered “how can your mind just go blank?” and it did just that as I was doing those laps. Some people do yoga and meditate, others run… but I swim! I love the comfort and peace-of-mind it brings me.

I’m sure many can attest that after leaving school it takes a little more effort to lead an active lifestyle… Unless, of course, you’re a naturally active person. I’ve gone through “health” phases but never managed to keep consistent. I had a lot of fun going out and partying for many years but as time has passed, it’s taking me longer to recover from a hangover and I hate the time I waste moaning in bed about never drinking again when I could have been up and about doing something productive. Plus, in the past year/year-and-a-half I stopped going out as much basically because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I also tend to experience phases of depression, which the alcohol didn’t help at all. I like that fresh feeling when you wake up sober and starting the day early so you can tick off a lot of things from your agenda. There’s a feeling of satisfaction waking up and accomplishing so much before the clock strikes 12 (noon!). There’s also the fact that I’m not getting any younger and although I’m not “ashamed” of my age, I want to prolong the ageing process and keep this body as healthy as I possibly can!

Photo from Instagram @thegoodquote

My number 1 cheerleader on this journey!

Three weeks ago I started swimming again and I also started training for a 5K run. Running is something I’ve never been good at but I wanted to add on another challenge for myself. So 2016 is the year I make a change for a happy, healthy me… the year I will RUN a 5K (3.1miles) race… the year I will lose 14kg (31lbs) to get my “bikini body” back ;-) A “31” theme for my 31^st year!

Circa 2006

Thank you and I hope you enjoy this journey to a better life with me! :-)

What brings you to life? *Part 1* The Adventurist

The first of my passion-focused Q&A series from my blog post titled What brings you to life?

ROSS MORELAND

Offshore Piling Technician by day / 

Long Distance Trail Runner, Mountain Biker & Adventurist at heart

The love of my life. They say it’s all about timing, and this man came into my life at the perfect time. His kindness, appreciation, understanding, love, and encouragement have brought back the confidence in myself that I thought I’d lost. I admire his determination, great work ethic, consistence, and persistence in anything he sets his mind to and heart on. His passion has become an obsession but you need to see that sparkle in his eye when he talks about his love affair with Mother Nature – it gives me goosebumps! Watch out for the launch of his blog to read more about his adventures and misadventures.

What brings you to life?
The thought of adventure and the outdoors - whether it's something I've done before or something completely new.

What do you love most about the outdoors?
It can be anything you want it to be and as challenging as you want. I'm lucky enough to be from Scotland where the possibilities are endless as you can go anywhere and do anything outdoors. The provisions for outdoor activities are tremendous and you can add whatever you want to make it more exhilarating. 

On the way up the Lomond Hills overlooking the town below

How long have you been into adventuring and the outdoors?
Probably since I was in the Boy Scouts. It's stuck with me from a young age and has evolved from there. I'm grateful for my parents for encouraging me to join, although it didn't take much for me to fall in love with it.

What advice would you give someone who is starting out or thinking about getting into outdoor activities?
Get to know your capabilities, set goals, and let your imagination run wild. When I started trail running and mountain biking, it was originally in the local woodland area near my home in Scotland. The first race I ever ran was a local 10K then I joined a running club where I was introduced to bigger events. I eventually found myself running one of the hardest 100-mile races in the world a few years later and after a bit of training. Now, cycling has pretty much gone the same way with my eyes set on a route that's eventually going to come together and take me a distance of well over 1,000km.

View from White Craigs overlooking Loch Leven
with Benarty Hill in the background and Scotlandwell village below
Photo by Ross Moreland

How do you keep your passion for the outdoors alive? Do you have any dull moments? If so, how do you get back on track and find it again?
I guess I've been lucky enough to find something that I love doing. Of course there are dull moments when I find myself halfway through a race asking myself why I'm doing it because I'm exhausted and don't feel like continuing. However, for every low the high is 10 times more, so that's what keeps me going.

At this specific point in time, where in the world would you want to be and with whom?
At the Lomond Hills Park back in Fife on top of White Craigs looking over Loch Leven. Of course, with Jordyn Hill after telling her all the huffing and complaining has all been worth it once we've reached the top.