Ride with Dad: 60km

Last weekend I rode with my dad.

We had a plan: ride to my cousin's house for breakfast and ride back. They live in Bandar Baru Bangi, and we will start from dad's house at Nilai Impian. I've never rode the route before but dad has - alone, I might add - and he says it's pretty cool.

The first part of the ride took us through Kg Batang Benar. It is my favorite part of the ride. It was shady, veryyy scenic and peaceful. No cars passed by, only motorcycles. No dogs. It was cool and shady, even though we started late (750 am). It was a mostly flat route, no major climbs. In fact, there were no major uphill along the whole route, only 2-3 little rollers that might make your heart beat race a little bit. Nothing major. It was really cool riding with dad. This is my 6th time I think with him and he has improved sooo much. He used to be a really bad roadie. Utter disregard for traffic and cars, not even bother to look back at me and see if I was safe - his own daughter! Even then I still had to remind him to keep to the shoulder of the road as he tended to veer towards the middle of the road.

My dad is an improved cyclist. When we first started he was slow and only fast on flats. That too, would be only for a while. Forget about hills. It was almost shameful to watch him hustle and bustle. I've been too used over him gloating that this old man can beat his own daughter that seeing him choking on my dust seemed... barbaric. But he cycles continuously, during the weekdays he would do a 'sprint repeat' or intervals, just riding at full speed until he tires. He attacks hilly routes sometimes. But those helped. He is now a better cyclist than me - who rides once in a while now. I am proud of him. He's what - 60 years old and still well, roughly fit.

The ride to Bandar Baru Bangi was hot and dusty. Traffic wasn't all bad, none of the cars paid any attention to us. We arrived at my cousin's house more or less on the time we had estimated. She has prepared a sumptuous feast of Nasi Lemak and chicken fritters and iced drinks. What awesomeness.

The way back was even better. It was really hot, and I was dying. We went the shorter way via Bukit Mahkota and there was this one long stretch of an uphill. My dad climbed smoothly while I was too drained to 'fight'. I could see my dad slowly gloating over the fact that he beat his own daughter.

We arrived at 1130 am. And then slept.

run with dad

been running with the old man these days. today was no different. my first thought was, damn this man is getting better! isn't his knees supposed to be killing him? either he's getting fitter or I'm losing fitness. I opt for both. Ever since I stopped cycling for a while,I have been doing nothing. Crickets. But been picking up sports here and there. I can still kick up dirt with my sprint repeats. Great nice 5km with dad, who ran a bit too fast for my liking. Had to con him into stopping... I am not proud of that.

Raya Run

Layan lari pagi2 dengan ayah.

The sadness is still there. Doesn't really help when a friend of mine just buried her 17 year old nephew who succumbed to cancer as well, yesterday. So many young deaths. I have no idea how a parent feels burying their own child.

But life goes on right?

The night before, I had the urge to do something. A run is the easiest answer. No fuss, no frills. I told dad I wanted to go for a run, and he said, "Why not do it Monday. Too soon." But come this morning he knocked on my door saying he's going to put on his pants and join my run.

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I headed out. Didn't know if it was going to be a long run, or a short speedy one, or a lazy, as-long-as-I'm-moving-my-body kind of run. I had no idea what my legs were up to. But straight away my dad set the pace. I'm a slow runner in a way that my dad's normal pace is MY tempo pace. He runs a 9 minute mile. For me that's fast. Fast for a running distance of 6-10k.

So we set out at that pace. Straight away I realized Dad's fitness is out of the window. Unlike me, he has not been running for nearly 2 months. He was breathing a hard ragged breath only about 5 minutes in. When we reached the only winding part of the route I hesitated about charging on and leaving him behind but I did anyway. It felt good to feel pain. I realized that I need to buck up FAST in order to keep up with my training buddies. It's hard to catch up to their cardio abilities now. I am up for the challenge though.

Eventhough I'm concentrating on another discipline, running will always be the best training tool for me. It provides a solid, strong cardio fitness base that enables me to move to a medium level of any sports I decide to pursue. The only drawback at first was I was a long distance runner, therefor my running mostly consist of steady even running. It massively help in the endurance but did nothing in terms of stamina. Now, I keep my running short, 10k at most (when I feel I want to) but pushed it on the speed and intensity. The harder it hurts the better it is for me.

I do have a half marathon coming up and I'm going to enjoy running it even without a training plan. My goal is to just make it through the 21k without having my mental strength collapsing on me! My mind does not even have the stomach for long runs these days. Sighss.Even 5k is long... god.

On the other hand, enjoyed watching the 1997 Summer Olympic Women Volleyball rerun. Gabby Reece is the most awesome athlete to grace my eyes. I love her determination. I have always wanted her to hook up with my other favorite role model, Lance Armstrong. Now that dude is relentless...

Ode to Running

 Did not run at all this week. Excuses: it was raining on Thursday and Tuesday (my running days) and also I've been feeling quite lethargic lately. The real reason: I just didn't feel like it. 

 Running has, for more than a month now, been taking the backseat in favor of all the other sports of choice. My mind was trying hard to reject the idea - I HAVE BEEN RUNNING SINCE I WAS 12! I AM A RUNNER DAMN YOU! I HAD A PB OF 43' 44" FOR A 10K - but my heart's just not in it anymore. 

 The thing with me and running is that, well, it's like a first relationship-love kind of thing. I've always been someone who is bad with endings and goodbyes, always terrible with letting go. I am still the same person who said that if my house was caught on fire, the first thing I would save is the box filled with my journals I've been keeping since I was 12. I'm a memory junk whore. I always have a hard time moving on.

 Running is the same thing. My good, dependable, stable lover. The first choice I'd go to if I needed a pick me up. So easy and accommodating, no fuss or hassles involved. Always unconditional, never pushy. Remember all the good old times we had? You've seen me without makeup, smelled me without deodorant, gone through my stinky socks, my unladylike gasping sound, and you still think I was cool. Who cares about sucky boyfriends of my failing Chemistry tests? You waved them away, with a stiff 5k lope around the park. You always think I was pretty too, and you kept me company, since I was 12, then 14, then 16, then 18, 20, 22, 24, 26. 

 Thank you.

 Best running memories:

1) Emotional Hyde Park run, London 2007: I will always remember this run. Even though it was summer it was still cold by my Malaysian standard. I was lonely and heartbroken and far away from home. On the fourth loop of the park I started to cry and sped up. I always speed up when I started to cry don't I? Thank you for never judging me eventhough everyone thinks I'm crazy. I remember the moments when I ran: people playing frisbees, someone grilling barbecue, a brown large eyed dog looking at me with pure empathy.

2) UTP Early Morning Runs 2002-2004: What possessed me to run in the dark I don't know. Felt embarrassed when I ran past Rakan Masjid guys finishing their Subuh prayers. The Pak Guards cheered on me when I did a third loop. Finished my run as the whole world began to wake up. I felt better immediately.

3) Angry Melbourne Run, 2003: A fight with my then boyfriend led to an explosive run all the way up and down past the overhead at his South Yarra's student flat. I was covered from head to toe - beanie, scarves, jumpers, socks, etc - and running so hard but I was still not sweaty. It was dark at 5 pm and made me feel even more emotional. He caught up with me after a while and we made up with ice-cream hehehe. Good times.

4) Tempo Run with Cutie, 2005: When I was 17, I ran at the lake and saw a cute guy running as well. We checked each other out but nothing happened. Four years later, I was running at the same lake and saw the same guy running in the opposite direction. Silently, the both of us started to do 'tempo' runs to see who could loop one lake faster. We finished after 4 loops, to which he joined me gasping under the tree and said, "That, was the most tiring come-on I've ever done in my life." He had such great calves definition! Damn.

5) Field Hockey Stamina Run, 1999: Me and 2 girls from the team would walk to the lake, run and walk back. It was a nice nice routine, and we did it for many many months. The highlight of the run would be the gossip to and back from the lake. No, I did not know that Niza stuffed her bra! Oh to be 15 again.

6) Lari Dengan Ayah, 2001: This was the year I was free to study on my own for SPM. We would wake up , do our prayers, and drove to the lake to run. Ayah would always be a tad faster. He would never NEVER allow me to beat him, the moment he heard me coming from behind. He likes the flat route, I love the rolling hills. After one hour, we would stretch lazily at the carpark, and then head out for Roti Canai. I love you Ayah.

 So many memories. 

 Now off for a recreational run.

Speed Play and Washboard Abs

You meet a lot of runners when you run as well. It's all part and parcel of the sport - the social part of it that is equally satisfying as the run itself.

I know these 2 runners whom I consider to be awesome. Both of them happened to be ladies, and both of them are my friends. The first one was my running buddy when we were in high school. We played field hockey for the school, and our positions were either wingers or midfielders, therefore running is a complete must. Every evening we would walk to the lake, run endlessly until we were blue in the face, then walk back again. I was a runner before, she took up running because of field hockey. Nevertheless she was one fantastic runner. I remember thinking she must have had the lungs of a racehorse.

The second one I had the liberty of knowing when I couchsurfed (a term used for travellers to sleep at people's houses - for free) her house during the final leg of my backpacking trip. We started talking, and we were elated to discover that we both run. I had my running shoes with me, and she had hers, and the next thing we knew we were headed out to run at the Hyde park. Later, I would like to think that it was the cold weather, or the fact that I have been traveling for 44 days, or I haven't been eating well, but it didn't hide the fact that she smoked me like a BBQ machine. If my high school friend was a racehorse, this lady is one of the descendant of the Kalahari Bushmen. I gave up trying to catch her and walked in the park instead ogling the Brit men.

I was thinking about both of my friends one day and realized two things they have in common: their runs are mostly speed intervals and they have bad ass abs - both of them. Me being the type of a nerdy runner - good in theory but not in practice - know about the importance of speed intervals and how having a strong core helps your running, but haven't been able to achieve either both of them continuosly. I remember both my friends doing their ab workouts - my highschool friend doing crunches and leg lifts during hockey practice, the london friend doing abs exercises on the exercise ball after we finished running. This would be the reason why they are still in good form after 80 minutes of running. When I was trailing behind the londoner after an hour plus, she was still energetic, her form steady. No kidding, she has a ripped stomach. and the speed to match.

Also, their runs are 99% speed plays or fartleks or whatever you call it. Which explains why I couldn't catch up. The londoner would run at a fast pace for a while, then she would slow down or stop to jog up the stairs, then she would speed up again. Back then, I thought she was just undiscplined, or rather, wacky. I mean, she shot out and then jogged and would repeat it for many times. But her running style proved to be effective. She was one of my friends who have no training schedules at all for races, instead joining them because she likes running, and would clock in about 2:05, 1:58, 2:03 for her half-marathons. The last one she did, she clocked in 1:58 without any single training at all. She has yet to try a marathon although I would love to see her do it. All in her trusty Reeboks.

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of my own running future, or lack of it. It seems like I have to give my knees more time to rest than I planned to, as they still hurt even after two months. I am none too pleased, but I would rather rest for a long time than not run at all. I hope to see the doctor after this to get his advice, so for now it's back to karate and other cardios for me.

Also, good luck to those of you who are running the PNM! I might be there to cheer on my cousins and also, my dad has decided to pirate the run since I was too late in registering him. Can you believe it? 58 years old and still want to be a badass? Haih.

Malakoff Run 12km Dec 20th.

 The race day and the race itself is 90% awesome and 10% hell.

 

 Awesome was because this is the first race I was surrounded with people I know AND love. My dad, who is my bestfriend and role model and good friend and mentor. He's one of my best friends, honestly. I could tell him ANYTHING (and I did - still do). When I was a teenager and started acting angsty and adolescent-y, he adapted to it amazingly. Most parents, (like my mom), would check their kids bag, or read their diaries and prevent them from doing this and that and this and that, but my dad's strategy to raising his 3 daughters is simple: treat them like a friend! My friends started smoking and doing crazy stuff at 14 or 15, which causes my mom to panic and reign me even more tighter, but my dad's response was: "You know it yourself what's good and what's bad. I have told you enough and I have told you repeatedly. I'm trusting you as a young adult to make your decisions. Remember I'm always here for you." I have never let him down. Not even once. I could tell him about my friends openly: who smokes what, who does what with who, and he'll listen with either horror on his face or a smile. He made me feel like I have a 'good' friend that I could relate to while all of our 'bad' friends were doing stuff. 

 

Anyway WHAT am I doing yammering about my dad?

 

 My oldest cousin - abg zual - is also joining. He's an avid gym goer and have only recently started to race. His only vice is eating fried oily food. Other than that, he's somewhat 'healthy'. My boyfriend is also suckered into running the race! haha. Me and him were always arguing about our own sports of choice - he played football professionally before, and I just run - and he always said that running does not have a point and he can't imagine just running without getting a prize or the top spot. But my dad cajoled him into joining and he had no choice but to say yes.

 

 We left subang jaya early in one car. My cousin gave us this Powerbar to try and to me they tasted like mushed chocolate. I didn't enjoy it. We parked at Kiwi Express Bistro to avoid the hassle of looking for a parking and also to meet my cousin and her husband who's joining the 7km run. we boarded the packed bus to the running venue. My stomach started to feel funny. My boyfriend wanted to pee badly. My dad looked like he just inhaled the laughing gas - all smiling and excited. My cousin was rubbing himself all over with this 'ubat berangin' which permeated the whole bus and had some people covering their noses. hehe

 

Leaving the apartment. My dad's vest and harris's tshirt are the only thing you could see.

when we arrived my cousin deposited the bag, while me and my boyfriend looked for the port-a-loos. They were crowded! My stomach was already rumbling and I know if I were to just 'release' them, even teran for a second, they'll, well, you know. But we have less than 10 minutes so I had no choice but to mentally will my stomach to hold on for another 12km or another 3 hours or so. My boyfriend did not manage to pee too. my dad and my cousin thought my predicament was funny and decided to call me Cik Mek Kemut. As in, "lari atas bukit kemut jgn tak kemut... terkeluar kang."

 

I had reservations running this race. My knees hurt. and my PF too. But I figured it was the last race and all... except that I hated racing when I was hobbling all the time. There's no quality in that. I vowed to myself to try to run all the way. Run, no matter how painful, since I'm going to take a 17 week rest after this.

 

 My PF acted up on the second km. My knees surprisingly were okay until the second lap. On the first lap, my PF pain were bearable, and I soldiered on. I lost valuable minutes when I went downhill because I was a tad too careful with my pace... I went realllll slow that many people passed me. the uphills were a killer - no one was kidding when they said the hills would be hell! but I enjoyed it. I passed a lot of struggling people uphill. i just concentrated on my breathing and maintaining my pace. I think i kept to my slow and easy 7min/km - my easy run pace.

 

 all this were ok until I reach the first downhill for the second lap. My knees started to hurt - intensely. my PF at this point had become more unbearable, and that, coupled with my knee pain, made me stop. i think I stopped twice; another one was towards the end, that time slightly longer walk period, about 10 mins.

 

It was then I decided that i MUST stop running in order to recover. No training or running in between races have finally caught up to me; I felt mentally tired, drained of energy and sucky. I could always handle mental running, most of the times I enjoyed it because I know I am capable of beating through it, but I knew it then that I am simply not fit. My pace were not steady, and my breathing were uneven and at times, laboured. This is not how I want to be running for the rest of my life. This is not how I SEE myself running. I was a strong runner. I was a competitive runner. I was someone who enjoyed running, not someone who was wishin for the race to be over with (I was thinking it all the time during the race). 

 

 Having said that, I actually enjoyed the route. I would never step foot at this part of the city, and I'm glad I got to run through it. There were cute dogs, nice aunties in caftans waving us good luck, a house with funky windows, colorful shophouses, and some sort of a peace to the neighbourhood. And the hills, well, have i mentioned how much I love the uphills?

 

 I think I arrived at the finishing area about 1:30. Yes, it's slow. and it's my cross to bear. ButI wasn't bothered. I am going to recover: that is my plan. I am going to bike and swim: that is my plan. When I have plans and goals, I am happy.

 

 I joined my boyfriend and cousin who have already enjoyed their meals, and also my cousin and husband who have also finished the 7km, AND finished their meals, waiting for my dad to finish collecting his food. My dad took it hard: he's been doing a steady 10km but not with hills, and he usually get caught up in race events where he would try to 'tunjuk macho' and start out real fassst. both my cousin and boyfriend passed him on the second uphill. he is finally humbled! I think his time was 1:20.

Why does my dad look sad? itu muka orang sedih naik bukit pancit. i look like minachi pocahontas.

So my running days is officially on hiatus until April. I am actually looking forward to this. i cannot wait to recover well and come back to running a much better, stronger, and faster race. Oh I can just feel me sprinting towards the finishing line already!

 

 and Project Tri will oficially commence January. Or maybe next week if I am joining kookykash biking. Next year Powerman? wooo.

 

Project Tri

Supposed to head out to Tri Kidz event this morning but woke up to my parent's text message stating that they are going to be on the way after Subuh and we're all having breakfast together (I'm living with my sister in Subang Jaya, my parents moved to Nilai after retirement).  Damn. 

 I was really looking forward to go to the event because it would be a great way to get a feel and learn about triathlons. For some unbeknownst reason, I am strangely driven and motivated, to a point where when I read the articles from beginnertriathlete, I get nervous butterflies. Like some sort of a silly anticipation to an event I have yet to register. It's the same sort of positive trepidation I felt before PBIM, all that nervous energy like coiled spring. I miss getting that.

 Anyway, to kick start my 'project triathlon' into start, I have finally enrolled myself to a swimming program. Actually it's a masters program, but I told them that I am 'attempting' to try a triathlon therefore need a lot of guidance. I would start in January, once a week, until I complete. I guess who knows along the way I might be suckered into competitive swimming since they are coaching their club swimmers as well. hhaha yeah right. 

 Finding a bicycle proved to be a bit harder. I have called my male cousins up asking them for a bicycle - ones they've left behind in favor of growing up and dating and playstation 3 - and got various responses. One cousin of mine replied, "ya rabbi, triathlon la pulak, kahwin je la!" I don't know how to explain this to them: most of my friends and family think I am insane for running so much and - to them - so hard. I am relieved when my dad started getting the race bug too; now running races don't sound too crazy anymore since 'Aki Tam' joined races as well.

 Anyway my dad is looking for a secondhand bike for me in Nilai, nothing too fancy - basic gears, etc - enough for me to get myself used to riding. I'm also on the lookout for one - one of my guy friends is an avid biker, although his interest points toward the trendy, fixed gear 3k bikes. My option currently based on my measly budget would be a secondhand road bike, and I don't really care about the brand as long as it could serve the purpose. I'm hoping I could get it soon (either my cousin's or secondhand) so I could join Kookykash riding (I wanted to write bike excursion but then it sounded too touristy).

 As I'm writing this down my cousin and his family are in my sister's tiny apartment, along with my parents. Earlier we've all threaded the timing chip to our shoes and tested the vest. My dad as usual laid out his running gear, being a nerd like always hehe. My mom, sister, my nieces, my cousin's wife are all caught up with the excitement too. Right about now we're having the customary Malay dinner of nasi lemak (carbo loading okkk). It's true really, sports really do bring people together.

 Have fun tomorrow peeople. Let's all say hello!

To Malakoff or not to Malakoff?

My dream is coming true for the second time!

Malakoff this weekend and I'm feeling both excited and nervous. Excited because I am so looking forward to run this race due to:

1) I like the course

2) It's hilly - I love hills... uphills that is.

3) It's 12km. After 2 back to back 21km, the mirror effect looks very appealing.

4) Not only would I be joined by MY DAD, but I would be joined by my boyfriend and my older cousin too! (abang sedara la senang) Plus another cousin of mine with her husband who's doing the 6km. I'm so happy to be running this race with family!

And I am nervous because:

1) it's hilly... which means I'd have a horrible time with my knees as is.

2) My knees are bad. It's majorly inflammed still... I guess I need to ice it all the time.

I wanted to skip this race after standard chartered because my knees were giving me horrible times, but I guess maybe I could squeeze in this final race before I stop completely for the next 4 months. I don't know... I figured maybe I should start resting now since it's not going to get better, but on the other hand, I'm not going to RUN at all until April... might as well run for the last time this year right?

Also, my dad has been training real hard for this race. I've said it before and I'll say it again, my dad is so cute. I bought him the Glucosamine supplement and every morning when I call him I'd ask him, "Have you eaten your supplement? Have you put ice on your knees and feet?" It's really fun playing trainer to someone. Although my dad and I have been running around the same time (we've been running together for 8 years - but I started out 2 years before), I'm the reader and he's the 'jaguh kampung' type - the one who probably will snort at the idea of LSD, speedwork or mid strike. "Ape susah susah?" I could imagine him say that. In fact, when I bought him his first proper pair of running shoes, he was tsk tsk-ing my fussiness; asking for his footprints, looking at his arches, etc. He was running in my youngest sister's old pair of Nike's before!

Anyway, I'm not looking forward to be sharing the whole 12km with my plantar fasciitis, but 12km is an ok distance and I've done it a couple of times and plus, if I could slog through 15km of pure plantar fasciitis misery who says I couldn't do 12km? Right??

Just this last time! see you guys there :)

too lazy to write

so I'm going to put in pictures...

My dad posing before we head out to UPM at 545 am. He looks like an excited  7 year old school boy on his first day of school. He ran a good race, considering that the route had double hills at the end and that his knees weren't really good as well. He thought that the Milo and 100 plus drinks that were being served out weren't free, so he just waited there dying of thirst until I arrived (I had the money in my pants). When I told him that they were gloriously free, he was ecstatic. I think he must have had 10 Milo cups.

The Great Eastern Women 10k. The elite runners were in front of the pack. This was just minutes before the race begins. It was cloudy. I don't like running in cloudy weather. 

 The race for me was quite horrible. I didn't know why but as I was just starting I started to have that discouraging thought, something like, "Oh, I'm going to get so tired," and sure enough that was what I felt throughout the whole race. 3km was a LOONG distance to cover. I was so surprised at my lack of mental strength. It was a flat route mostly, for which my legs were grateful for, but I was kinda hoping some hills were involved. I like hilly courses, especially going uphill. I think I run even faster uphill than downhill. 

 When I reached kilometre 5, I felt lightheaded. I wasn't sure what the reason was; I actually nibbled on a piece of bread earlier in the morning when I never ate anything in any of my race before. They had drinks out ever 2.5k. I drank some at 5k. 

 I was actually struggling at the 8km. My breathing was a bit labored and I felt sick. The last stretch was near to the ocean so it was nice to see the sun peeking through the clouds. The whole time I was using this matsalleh girl as my pacer - she was running steadily which was was I need, and I told myself to not lose the sight of her. 

 The best part of running in a race for me is that - pacing. I like to target someone or a couple of someone in a race and then challenge myself to try to keep up or beat them. During KOTR, I had several pacesetters - and whenever I sped by one I targeted another one. I find that doing that appeals to the inner competitive geek in me - I get to compete with my pacesetters - and its either I win or lose.

 Anyway I'm going to retrace back to Mizuno run, which was a greeeeaat run. I wasn't even tired. I was pacing this girl in a blue headscarf and at kilometer 5 she picked up the pace and left me waay behind. But since the end of the race were just hills, I caught up with her. I was so proud - hey my knees were burning and throbbing like they're Brazilian dancers on fire.

 One thing helped me a lot in the Great Eastern with my knees. I went to this shop called Motion Sport in Paragon Mall, initially wanting to look for a pair of headbands for my boyfriend's shaggy hair during football, but I went out of it with this knee contraception called Patella Stabilizer. And it was AWESOME. My knees didn't even utter a squeak. After the race before we head back, my friend and I headed back to  the shop where I bought another pair for my dad.

 I'm having a headache... guess I have to cut this supposedly long entry with many pictures short. i know what a downer!

Everybody's Sick

in the office today. Myself included. I'm having a mild sore throat which I bet was transferred from my boyfriend as he was coughing last night when we were in the cinema. We watched G.I. Joe which was great. Later that night he followed my running route just to gauge the distance... and it was a disappointing 4.6km.

This morning I went and used google map to map my route and measure the distance. My Monday route was a dismal 4.6km, but yesterday's route was surprisingly longer = 5.2km. The route felt shorter but definitely harder. I enjoyed thinking about it now, but yesterday I nearly fainted with the effort. There are some hilly parts in my neighborhood! But it was a good run because I was fighting with myself and to me suceeding to ignore and fight my inner running wimp is way better than winning anything. I always feel good after challenging myself.

My knees are hurting on a regular basis now. They hurt even when I was static... more so. I think I better start drinking Anlene or something. And wear those knee wraps my dad wears after a run. He says they work wonders.

Talking about my dad, I am dying to run with him in one race. But I am afraid that he'll overexert himself and get a heart attack or something. My dad is a typical Lelaki Melayu Gagah a.k.a Ego. Having run as just a hobby (like I was until this year), obviously he was more concerned with how fast he is than the others and not how good the running is. I was like that too. I always mentally judge or compare other runners. But when I started 'training' I told mysef that I will take my time and take it real slow, no matter what other people think.

I used to like running with my dad but not anymore since our priorities are different. Before, we would just run for the heck of it. We would race each other and stuff. But last 2 weeks when we ran together, he was running at a faster pace than I was and when it was obvious that I could go longer and he couldn't (after 5km), he wouldn't want to stop. He would push himself just so that I don't beat him. What a runner's ego! I am WORRIED that he'll just get a heart attack or collapse. I mean, he's 57 and smokes like a chimney. Plus all he cares about is beating me since there's no specific goals for him to achieve (like, increase speed slowly over one month period, etc etc).

I've managed to persuade him to join the Mizuno Wave Run but now I'm not so sure about it. The other senior runners have been running for years and know how to pace themselves. My dad is a typical male who wants to run AND win. I'm just afraid he'll push himself too far. When I told him that simply finishing a race is amazing enough he eeked me and said that there's nothing more embarassing than having others waving you on. I told you he's a typical Gold, Silver, Bronze sports person.

Today is running! I hope the traffic at the lake is clear or else I'll have to settle with my neighborhood.