It's more fun in the Philippines Part 4 (12/12/14 - 28/12/14)

Day 2

We woke up really today as P had a shoe deal in Manila at 11am. We were afraid that there'll be a traffic jam in Manila so we set off at 8am, we even brought our breakfast onto the bus and had it during the bus ride. Luckily, the traffic was smooth and we reached Manila by 10.30am. We were supposed to meet his buyer at SM North Edsa, but the mall only start operating at 11am, so we were waiting around the area. I was amazed to see people crowding outside the mall waiting to enter, Manila has several of such big malls (Megamall, Mall of Asia, Greenhills etc) but going to the mall still seem to be the one and only favourite activity of filipinos there. I read about this 'phenomenon' in some other blogs too, when I ask P about it, he said they go there for the free air-conditioning. In SG, we rarely see people waiting outside any shopping mall (we normally call it shopping centre), waiting for it to be opened. Most of the eateries (especially those that serve breakfast) also operate independently from the mall opening hours and are more likely to be opened by 9am onwards.

Before we set off in the morning, tita was warning me to be careful in Manila, and to carry my bag in front of my body, so I was quite apprehensive. We traveled to Manila quite a few times during our trip in 2012 so it was not my first trip there, but I could feel that the atmosphere is quite different once we reach the capital. It is much more crowded, people are rushing around, traffic is terrible and there's also more signs of poverty there.

Yummy donuts

Finally, the mall was opened, and we waiting for the crowd to thin out before we enter the mall. I've been to the other malls at Manila but it was my first time at SM North Edsa, I was delighted to see big chains like Coldstone Creamery and J-Co Donuts in the mall, it was much too early for ice cream so we went to J-Co to get some donuts. J-Co is opening quite a few outlets in Manila and other parts of the Philippines (saw it opening soon at Marquee mall too), it's a great hit with the filipinos as long lines are formed and people walked off with boxes of dozens of donuts. P stood in line for quite sometime but we only bought two donuts to be consumed in the shop while waiting for his buyer.

After that, we had to get to SM Megamall to get some shoes repaired. P said that we had to get there by MRT and I was apprehensive again. I only took the MRT once before this day and I will say that Manila, being the only place in the whole of Philippines with a train system, can really do much better to improve its train system in the capital city. I will not compare it to SG, but traffic is bad in Manila just like some other capital cities in Asia, namely Bangkok and Jakarta. Bangkok MRT system is much more efficient and as modern as SG, so its a real saver for the city, I guess its reason why tourists still flock to Bangkok despite the bad traffic there.

Finally stopped for coffee and ensaymada 

We left the shoes to be repaired at the mall and went to Greenhills to get lunch and some stuff. Thankfully, it started raining, so we took a cab there instead of using the much dreaded MRT. After our KFC lunch, I started to feel quite drowsy after that while P went to hunt for his 3DS games. I felt terribly in need of coffee and we finally stopped at Starbucks after two hours of torment for me. I felt like I was gasping for air as the place was so crowded and I was really sleepy for no reason, walking around like a zombie.

My new rubrik cube

One thing I had accomplished this holiday, its I've learnt how to solve a rubrik cube! I developed a sudden interest in learning to solve it at the start of the holidays, found some youtube videos and managed to memorise the formulae after a few tries. I had been practicising on some rubrik cubes I found lying on my table for years (confiscated from students long ago) but those are almost broken and not easy to twist. I managed to find a good quality cube from Greenhills and it felt so much better turning and twisting it around. Yeah!

We took a cab back to SM Megamall to collect our shoes. I've sent in my ferragamo heels for repair as the heel tips had dropped out, P also sent several of his treasured possession for repair as the soles had kind of dropped off a little. I must say that the guys at the shop did a really good job as they not only replaced the heel tips, they also stick back the pieces of plastic that got detached from my shoes (which I believe most shops at SG wont take the initiative to), just at a cost of 255php. 

Our return journey from Manila involves taking a cab to five star bus terminal from the mall, and it was a nightmarish experience that day. The queue at the Megamall was so long, we tried to imagine that we're queueing for a theme park ride at USS, think it took us more than half an hour to finally get on a cab.

It's more fun in the Philippines Part 4 (12/12/14 - 28/12/14)

Day 1

This blog entry is listed as Part 4 as it is my fourth trip to the Philippines, I've attempted to blog about Part 1 in 2012 (but it ended up after Day 2) and Part 3 was just done earlier this year in a single blog entry in September. Actually none of my trips was successfully documented as my previous entries on Japan trip (stopped after Day 5) and Hong Kong trip (stopped after Day 2) were not completed as well, but I'll try my best this time.

As like my previous trip to the islands, my trip to the Philippines is mainly scheduled at the end of the year when P clear his leave and goes back home for Xmas. We also take the chance to explore scenic places each time we're back for an extended holiday. This year, we are going to Boracay! Finally! It has been on our bucket list ever since we visited Cebu and Bohol in 2012, we booked the trip last year but many things happened... So it was postponed to this year.

We were ready to go, and for once, we were early. 

We actually arrived at Manila on the night of 11th December, but it was already past midnight when we finally got home after a 2h ride in a car we'd arranged. Unlikely the previous three trips, tita had kindly prepared sisig and baked macaroni, thus we did not go out for supper.

The next day, we did not do much except for visiting a nearby hospital where P got a quick checkup, he had been coughing for more than a year and we had tried doing X-Ray, visited TCM for a few weeks and he went to the clinics many times to get cough meds but all these didnt solve the issue. After his checkup, it was almost 1pm and we stopped by at one of his favourite eateries in Tarlac (since his high school days) for lunch. He ordered his all times favourite (burger steak) and I tried a grilled pork tenders dish, it was really delicious. 

The cake that P loves so much, and I grew to love it too

We went to his favourite Cake House to get a cake (I'm no longer surprised that he can finish one on his own) and many packets of aparons for me (fell in love with those since September), its had became a ritual for us to visit the Cake House on our first day back.

Waiting at the spa reception area

By this time, we had walked off some of the bloat in our stomachs and we were looking forward to a massage for weeks (I had been craving for one for days after I finished the marathon). We saw quite a few banners advertising this nearby spa, so we headed there. There was a ongoing promotion there, so a 90min massage only cost us 450php (so much cheaper compared to SG), it was quite good as the rooms were cleaner  and bigger than those we visited in Langkawi and Penang etc. The masseur did not really massaged hard enough but I loved it as they used a hot compress after the swedish rubbing and even placed a warm beanie pillow below our necks and waist when we lied facing up. P did not seem as satisfied as the massage was less than 90min, he said we will try another place the next time. 

Lechon was part of my sinful diet in Ph

We bought lechon from Tessie's (P loved it with lots of gravy) and we headed home to rest for the evening.

Baluts we had for supper, another must-eat in Ph

Race Review: SCMS 2014

After battling ITB for weeks, I was totally in dilemma and unsure if I should go ahead with the marathon, but I eventually made up my mind after REPC, I think somehow collecting the rack pack got me hyped up and motivated, thus I decided to just make my way slowly to the end point. Another push factor for me was the fact that I read a friend's post about how she finished her marathon in over 9 hours, and another article about how a couple walked their way to the finishing line in over 7 hours. I was thinking: Hey, if they can do it, I can do it too!

Love my bib number and everything was in blue

With the experience of the previous marathon, I knew it was crucial for me to get to the race site early as bag deposit will take some time. I decided to take the first train to town and thus I planned to sleep by 9pm so that I can wake up at 2.30am to prepare myself. But alas, I had too much rest during the day (even though I did not take a nap) so I had difficulty falling asleep that night. Usually, I do not have problem with insomnia, but the night before my marathon, I was really lying in bed for hours, with eyes wide open. Even though I tried playing soothing music on my laptop, it did not help.

I drifted in and out of sleep till it was past midnight, I felt like I hardly catch a wink and it was time for me to wake up and get ready. The first train started from Jurong East around 2.45am, so I estimated it will take roughly half an hour to reach my station, thus i left the house slightly after 3am to catch the first train to Orchard. There were already several other runners waiting at the platform when I reached, and when the train came, it was filled with people in blue. The station was already crowded with runners walking in all directions when I reached Orchard, I quickly found my way to the lorries for the baggage deposit. The queues were forming up but it was not as bad as 2013, and I managed to deposit my bag by 4.15am.

Next, it was the issue of finding the toilets. Last year, I saw Wendy's on the way to the start line and quickly went in to use the washroom. This year, I was disappointed to see that Wendy's was not opened, so I had to follow the signages to get to the portable toilets at the back of the MRT station. I got there at 4.30am and the queues were super long, there must be 15-20 runners in each line. After waiting for sometime, some guys sneaked off to the bushes nearby (dark hilly area behind the portable toilets) to make it a fast one, I wish all the guys can do that and leave us ladies queueing but that did not happen. When I finally left the toilet and headed towards the start pen at almost 5am, the first wave was already flagged off. I'm glad that I was thick skinned enough to get a blue bib so I was able to move to the front of the remaining pack, since the red bib people were barricaded behind.

I was apprehensive and worried about my right knee, therefore I've decided to adopt the 1 min walk - 4 min jog method again. Unlike last year, I did not need to attach the Gymboss timer to my SPI belt as my Garmin watch have the function, one more advantage of using my GPS watch! Unfortunately, in the middle of the run, I had wanted to change the ratio of walk: jog to 1:3 or 2:2 but I wasnt able to do so. This is one downside of using the watch.

After we inched forward and moved past the start line, my pace was quite steady and I was happy as I did not feel any pain at the knee area. Nevertheless, I still tread carefully. Prior to putting on my compression long tights, I had taped my knee as a preventive measure. After awhile, I saw a group of pacers catching up with me and I thought that those must be the 5.30 pacers I had intended to follow. But as they drew closer, I realised they were the 5.15h pacers. I soon bid farewell to them as I could never do such a fast pace with the condition of my knee. I kept on running till the 5.30h pacers appeared around the 11km mark, I kept up with their pace for a km or so and I actually felt good doing that. Unfortunately, I felt a strain at my knee after awhile and I had to slow down before the onset of the pain affect me too much.

By that time, we were already approaching the ECP stretch and finished 1/3 of the race. I pushed on using the walk-jog method but I could feel that it was a sluggish effort, I stopped for toilet break when I felt that my bladder was full but actually it wasn't. Soon after the U turn point at ECP, I slowed down to a walk. In the previous edition of SCMS, I just kept on walking. But this time round, I stopped several times to get Tiger Balm from the volunteers or to tie my shoe laces. The muscleache was just the normal ache I experienced during long run but this was the first time I stopped to rub my muscles and rest, it was soothing but I also know that I had slackened a lot and only aimed to finish the race. I was eagerly waiting for the banana station and I was expecting it to be an energy booster before we leave the ECP at 26-27km. It was disappointing when it wasn't there but I kept pushing on, looking out for it as I didn't really study the route map and the organisers might have moved it further down the race. The banana station did not turn up ( turned out there was a glitch in the supplier's part and there wasn't a single banana in the whole race!) Anyway, we just walked on as 2/3 of the race was already over, I was just glad that my knee didn't work up and it was really a miracle in itself. I would admit that there were points of times I really considered giving up and just take a bus back to get my bag, but I'm glad I pushed on. 

The final 14km is the most challenging part of the race as runners were all exhausted and the sun shone mercilessly on us during that long uncovered stretch of road before we enter GBTB, everyone around me was already walking by this time. It was really bad this year as I nearly wanted to ask for water from the volunteers but I could see that they were also suffering under the hot sun. Finally the water station came up and there was many people resting in the shade. I joined them and started chatting to an Aunty, somehow it motivated me when I meet the friendly veterans who did not give up. By a strange stroke of luck, it's the first time I brought along a chocolate bar in a race, thinking of using it to motivate myself after I reached the mid way mark at ECP. It had melted as I did not take it out earlier but it served its purpose at that point as I had given up hopes of finding the bananas. I ate half of the bar and continued on my grueling journey.

When we reached the Marina Barrage, things took a turn for the worse as the volunteers there were shouting that it's the last water station! It was also supposed to be a gel station but I didn't get any gel there, my own supply had ran out after ECP as I was expecting the organizers to top up the last 2 gels. We still have 8km more to go without water so it was quite depressing, I sat down to enjoy my last two cups of isotonic drinks. However, I have same strange stroke of luck for this race, I also put in a $5 bill earlier, half thinking that I might need it to take public transport if I gave up halfway. When we passed satay by the bay, I went in to buy a bottle of mineral water, and I also bought a banana from the fruit stall. Both items were grossly overpriced by I didn't mind a bit, I was the only one who get to enjoy my banana and that made me a happy runner. 

Feeling soooooo happy with my banana

We trudged on and just before the U turn point to get on Sheares bridge from GBTB, I saw volunteers packing up at the water station that had closed and realised they had ran out of water. It was the same at the next station but there were volunteers giving out bottled water when we exited the bridge. By this time, I was already 7h into the race and looking forward to finish the last few km. There was another old uncle who chatted with me as we passed the F1 gallery, another foreigner lady who was walking towards the float to collect her stuff cheered me on. Finally, I finished the race at 7h 30min, the timing is horrendous but the feeling was really awesome. 

There was no free muesli bar or banana at the end of the race this year. I collected the medal, finisher tee and left Padang feeling really good about myself. Later that day, I saw many posts on FB commenting about the bad weather and demanding condition of the race this year, and I felt better about my lousy timing. The feeling was really good when I got home and stand under the hot shower, however i saw the shape of the racer back runner tee imprinted onto my skin, almost sun burnt!

With SCMS over, it also marked the end of my year in runs/fun runs/races for 2014. These are the races I've attended this year:

Best feeling in the world to get these 'souvenirs'

Safari Zoo Run 
Venus Run
Garfield Run
Shape Run
Hello Kitty Run
Straits Times Run at the Hub
Great Eastern Women's
Newton Challenge
SCMS 2014

Pre Marathon Blues

These saved my life after I got home from Great Eastern Women's Run

Right after Great Eastern Women's Run, I was walking with pain in my right knee, that was especially so when I tried walking down stairways or steps. I didnt know that my ITB issue could escalate to such a scale and I certainly did not foresee that this will pose a problem to my 2nd marathon quest. The previous few times I encountered the issue, it just went away after a few days.

I was seeking suggestion from the guys in the forum, and they were sharing information that was both depressing and shocking to me. ITB is the most common injury among runners and I cant do much except for allowing it to heal and rest. I was glad that the Hello Kitty race pack included two strips of Acti Tape, I didnt know if it'll work but as soon as I got home from the race, I dug out those tapes, plastered it onto my knee area and the pain was relieved immediately. I didnt know how long those strips of tape can last but I made it a point to get to Watsons so that I can get my hands on a full roll of tape since it worked wonders on me.

Even though I heard a lot of horror stories about ITB injuries, I was still hopeful. I put on long pants when I go to school the next few days, to cover up the tapes. I thought a week of rest should be more than enough, but things dragged on... After a whole week of rest, I tested things out in gym but my knee ached when I started jogging lightly on the treadmill. I was alarmed but could not do anything about it. I cant remember the last time I attended gym classes, but in order not to waste my trip to gym, I went into a yoga class which had just started. It felt good doing some stretching and I realised yoga would help me in recovery. Another week went by and the same thing happened, I ended up in yoga class after another unsuccessful attempt on the treadmill.

Yeah! I love my Garmin, its a real investment. 

On the other hand, I had not given up all hopes of going for my 2nd marathon. In order to replace the two dead iPod nano, I need my music fix and also a GPS watch to track my running progress. I had been eyeing a GPS watch for quite sometime and was waiting for SITEX so that I can get it at the best price. Even though I wasnt sure if I'll still be running a marathon this year, it was motivating after I've gotten them.

New Sony Walkman with my Garmin

One week before the marathon, the pacers were having one final training and I decided to test out my gadgets and tried to see if I could at least complete that 15km. For weeks, I already had no issues when walking and the sharp pain only resurfaced when I tried running on the treadmill. As I started running with the 5.30h pacers, I could feel the pain coming back. But after awhile, I wasnt even sure if it was still there, it almost felt like the pain was not there anymore, but I had gotten so used to it that it lingered on my mind. There was a very big group of people following the pacers that day, so I just stayed right behind trying to get used to the feeling of running again.

A huge turn-out for the training run. (Photo courtesy of Running Department)

I was also not used to the sound quality of my Sony Walkman W series, its very compact but it felt so different from my Nike sports headphones. As I was running along, I could hear the air vacuum bouncing around in my ears, some songs even sounded like a broken record, its almost like 20 years ago when I was carrying a CD player in my bag while walking. I cant really explain it in words but I took some time to get used to the extra noise in my ears.

I got worried about the slight pain in my knee and felt that I had to stop running before it became worse, so I turned back early and ran back towards Parkway Parade on my own. At that point, I was almost convinced that I should just let my knee recover and skip the marathon since its not my maiden attempt anyway. I was in a dilemma and over the week before the marathon, I kept wondering if I should go ahead or give up.

Race Review: Great Eastern Women's Run 2014

This race review is three weeks late, I was even considering if I should still do a review as the memories of the race is slowing fading away. In terms of race experience, this race beat all others hands down and its really one of the best race for any female runner to participate in annually. Just like last year, this race is my training run for SCMS'14, however, I was quite disappointed as I did not do as well in the race as I thought I should.

Maintaining a big smile for the picture moment

 The weather is not on our side as it was raining the few days before the run and I was dismayed that it was still raining when I woke up to make my way to the Float for the run. I reached early enough to deposit my baggage smoothly and visit the portable toilet (a must-do after my previous experience at ST run). I was surprised after I reached the start line at the Flyer, as I was one of the first few ladies lingering around, more than half an hour before the race flagged off. It was the first time I stationed before just behind the nylon rope held up by volunteers, and I was very excited. Alas, the rain became heavier as we waited for the race to flag off. I was glad that I always wear a cap to keep my fringe away and it helped to keep the rain away from my face as well. There was some ladies in ponchos and I thought it was a good move as they could throw away the disposable poncho later during the race. There was another category which was flagged off 3 min before us, the elites were invited to take part in it and it was an opportunity for me to take a good look at some of the fastest ladies around. I saw Mok Ying Rong, Lim Bao Ying (who also happened to be my NYNP junior), Rachel See etc. I also saw the familiar faces of the female pacers who I had been training with.

First time standing right behind the start line

After waiting in the drizzle for some time, we were finally off! Just then, a gal slipped and fell right in front of me and I hurried to help her up, but didnt get a chance to see if she was okay as the crowd was rushing off behind us. As I was right in front, I was given the chance to follow any of the pace group and that was when I made my first mistake. During Newton Challenge, my timing was about 2h35min at 21km so I actually could just follow the 2h 30min pacers to run into my PB, but I was too ambitious and thought that I should be able to make it even faster as the GE run is a shorter race than Newton Challenge. I gritted my teeth and followed the 2h 20min pacers instead, running behind them is tiring as I tried hard to keep up while their balloons kept flying into my face, blocking my view totally and even knocking my wind out. After awhile, I decided to keep a distance away and I felt much better when I relaxed and slowed into a more comfortable pace. I thought that I should still be able to make my PB as the 2h 30min pacers were still some distance behind me.

For some reason, this is my favourite picture, forgot where I got the pic from though >.<

Unfortunately, I had to pay the price for starting too fast too furious. Previously, I started having problems with ITB during my very first LSD run of 18km. After that, I got careful and try to land carefully whenever I feel the onset of it during my runs. The ground was slippery and wet during GE run and I realised that my right knee started to ache, I tried to reduce the pressure I put on my knees and feet but its hard as I was worried about slipping. Both my ankles were hurting too, so I slowed further, hoping that the pain will ease off. On top of that, my Nike iPod nano (borrowed from P) went bonkers and started to blast music into my ears, I had problem turning the volume down after sometime and gave up. Sigh, another Nike iPod nano retired...

Something new that I did for this run, waving or holding up my hands instead of making the 'peace sign' (courtesy of Running Kaki)

Along Kallang river and for most of the route, I could still see the pacers some distance behind me, but I was shocked when they suddenly appeared right behind me before we even hit the stretch leading to Marina Barrage. I even naively thought that this must be another group of pacers, maybe for the 10km race? I was really shocked and dismayed when they passed me but I could not speed up to catch up or follow them anymore.

Final stretch, about 1km-2km from finish line and I could no longer run or jog

At the long stretch of park pathways just before we crossed the bridge to Marina Barrage, I started to slow into a walk at some points. The rain had long stopped and I could hear the loud music from the event site roughly 5km away, but instead of feeling motivated, I slowed even more with that 'so near yet so far' feeling. I was still able to run up the huge spiral path to the top of the barrage and ran down to the final stretch at GBTB but my knee really gave way after that. It was really painful and I couldnt keep up with even a slow jog. Eventually, I finished at 2h 41min, strictly speaking still considered a PB but I was quite disappointed that my timing didnt improve much after all the long runs and training.

My knee really gave way after coming down from this giant slope (courtesy of eye-see eye-shoot)

I grabbed a Jewel ice cream and went back to the baggage deposit area to get my bag and meet up with my friend W. The selection of food post-run was still as good as the previous year but there were crowds of people in front of each stall unlike last year when there was hardly any queue (due to the rain). We tried queuing for Subway and hotdog but before we reached the front, the queue dispersed as they had ran out of food. We gave up eventually and went to Burger King to have breakfast with another friend of hers.

Even though the run was a disappointing experience for me, I must say that the organisers did a good job. Drinks were ample and its one of the rare times when the volunteers handed us the drinks/gels instead of just placing them on the table. Its also the only race that subscribe to Marathon photos for all runners and therefore I get a lot of good pictures for this run, which is a big plus point.

Annual Decluttering

I've already thrown away lots of stuff past few weeks and today I spent another 7-8h spring cleaning and tidying up my workstation, restoring the space to how it looked like a year ago (can compare picture with last year's post). The clean state wont last me more than a few weeks, but it gave me a great sense of satisfaction after I was done.

Shoes power

After my Dec hols trip to US in 2011, I fell in love with Ferragamo shoes. I had been wearing local brands like Charles & Keith for a long time before the trip but my favourite pair of shoes never lasted for more than three months of continuous wearing. I cant imagine spending more than $50-$60 on a pair of shoes, but my sister convinced me to invest in a pair of Ferragamo after we saw them on sale at Nordstrom rack, it was a very well designed wedgie with felt lining selling at USD $175 .

I felt the pinch then but I never looked back after that, in fact, I was hooked to Ferragamo shoes, comfortable heels with those pretty little ribbons. Its really addictive! I wore that same pair of shoes for 18 months, rain or shine, and I'm really surprised by how hardy it was. After we finally parted ways, I bought my second pair of wedgie for $300 through Reebonz last year, its a grey pair of Espadrilles that is fairly comfortable and still serving me well. But my thirst for Ferragamo is growing bigger and I bought two more pairs within this same year, a $700 black heels (again, under the persuasion of my sister) for formal events and work. 

I've been thinking of getting a nice pair of flats that I can wear for more casual outings on weekends and after work, so I bought this pair of Ninna flats for $635 after browsing Reebonz for days. I like getting branded stuff from Reebonz as I can opt for payment through instalments. One more pretty red shoes to add to my collection and I'm really loving it!

Newest addition to my Ferragamo collection

How I love thee