Run For Terence

Here's the e-mail I received from my buddy Jamie:-

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It's on! Pls visit Ronnie's blog for more info. Meanwhile I've asked Penguin-3 Tony to find out about Terence's account number in case there are folks who can't make it but want to contribute. Terence was allowed home for CNY following surgery to drain fluids from the brain and was present at the recent Powerbar Team Elite ceremony. I understand that together with his family, he is contemplating whether to go for the risky surgery to remove the growth.

For those who will be joining the run, appreciate if you can indicate your attendance in the Remarks section of this post. We just want to get a feel of the number of people.

Lastly you can help by spreading the word in your blogs.

Thanks

Jamie

Living an unhealthy lifestyle

Seeing the pictures of the recently concluded GE 30k posted on the various PMs websites brought back some good memories when I was running far more often, compared to these days.

Mrs Rabbit even commented that of late (in fact, in the last 2 months or so), I've appeared to be morose to the point of being maudlin. Of course- running is one of the few activities that truly, truly makes me happy.

Plans for CNY? My grandparents live in a village called Kahang, which is about 30km away from the nearest town of Kluang, Johor. I will be heading there on Saturday. As usual the crawl down south will mainly be around the infamous Seremban route, and possibly up to Melaka. Traffic to and fro that area is always bad. Even on a non-holiday occasion, (like for instance, my trip back from Singapore after the marathon), at 10pm-ish, it took the bus a loooong time to arrive back at Bukit Aman.

Kahang is made up of mainly Chinese residents, and Hokkien-speaking. I've run along the streets a few times in the past and all the residents did was gawk with their mouths half-open.

I'll be there till the 2nd day of CNY, before heading to Melaka for a day trip to visit the in-laws' family and relatives. I should be back by the end of the night. Thereafter, there'll still be a number of days yet. I will be able to run! So, any of you out there who will be in KL from the 3rd day of CNY onwards, I'm free. But please run at a slow pace. As you are aware, I've not been running much and my fitness is waaaay down.

Anyway have a Happy CNY everyone, and happy holidays. Drive safely.

Good song to drive to when balik-king kampung

"Dakota"- Stereophonics

Thinking back, thinking of you
Summertime think it was June
Yeah think it was June
Laying back, head on the grass
Chewing gum having some laughs
Yeah having some laughs.

Chorus
You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one
You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one


Drinking back, drinking for two
Drinking with you
When drinking was new
Sleeping in the back of my car
We never went far
Didn't need to go far


Chorus
You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one
You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one


I don’t know where we are going now
I don’t know where we are going now

Wake up call, coffee and juice
Remembering you
What happened to you?
I wonder if we’ll meet again
Talk about life since then
Talk about why did it end

Chorus
You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one
You made me feel like the one
Made me feel like the one
The one

I don’t know where we are going now
I don’t know where we are going now
So take a look at me now

You Only Live Once

Sigh.

Nothing but bad news in the last week, or so.

Jogger raped and murdered; and one of the Penguins, Terence is diagnosed with a brain tumour. And I’ve been running about 3 to 4 times a week, each time about 30-45 minutes on the treadmill. But my lack of running pales in comparison with a rape, murder and brain tumour.

Puts things into perspective doesn’t it? How fragile life actually is, and how things can be so uncertain.

Although I don’t know Terence well (in fact I’ve spoken to him only a few times) I feel very sad for my fellow athlete. In fact, after reading Azwar’s blog on Terence, I am reminded of the very limited time we have on earth. I started getting emotional and felt the urge to call my loved ones. All sorts of thoughts went through my mind- was I good son, have I done enough to make me proud of them? Do I treat them well? Since getting married, I have been seeing my parents less. And as a husband, have I been doing enough? What about as a son-in-law? Or as a brother?

I spent at least 2 hours of last night thinking about all this. Sitting on the balcony of my apartment, looking out to the greenery. I went to bed at about 230am, but didn’t sleep much. It has been a pretty grey morning for me.

Work-wise I’ve been busy. Like Kenneth, I think that running in the year 2006 will take a back seat. I miss running with the gang. I miss the lunches and the banter that goes along with it. I truly miss running in KLCC and Kg Pandan. Sorry, Coach. I just can’t make it to track. Shine, if only it were true that I was training with Paul Tergat. Haha.

Otherwise, apart from running, my schedule has been- wake up, go to work, leave work (around 730pm-830pm daily), head for dinner (around 9pm- which is a really late time for me to have dinner), back to the apartment, and running on the treadmill for a short while. I’m certainly not in race shape.

Friday’s here- good news for me, at least. Those running this Sunday’s 30k race, all the best and have fun. Think of Terence. What is running a 30k compared to experiencing a brain tumour and having to go under the knife and then for chemo? Live Strong.

I am so broke

It's already Thursday, and Friday can't come sooner.

Is this the way to live life- grudgingly go to work because you need to pay your bills, and wait for the weekend to come? I think not. If you're going to spend most of your living life working, you should enjoy your job, at least 70% of the time. Alas, it's only words. I'm not enjoying mine, but what to do?

I've managed to run between 30-45 minutes in the last week. Mostly at a very moderate aerobic pace. At least I'm running again.

I'm pretty sure about not running KLIM. Forget the upcoming 30k on 22 Jan as well. But I'll turn up and lend support to my buddies.

Current CDs I'm listening to:-

The Strokes- First Impressions of Earth

Who Killed The Zutons?
Kaiser Chiefs- In Employment
Kanye West- Late Registration
Gorillaz- (Can't remember the album title)
Shakira- Oral Fixation
Alicia Keys- Unplugged

Book to look out for in 2006- "Bowerman" by Kenny Moore

Juicebox

"Juicebox"- The Strokes

Everybody sees me
But its not that easy
Standing in the lightfield
Standing in the lightfield
Waiting for some actress
Waiting for some actress
Why wont you come over here

Why wont you come over here
We've got a city to love
Why wont you come over here
We've got a city to love

Oh
Time crutches
We die slow for you
I know you miss the
Way I saw you
And cold
You're so cold
You're so cold
You're so cold

Nobody can see me
Everythings too easy
Standing in the lightfield
Standing in the lightfield
Waiting for some actress
Waiting for some actress
To say
Why wont you come over here

Why wont you come over here
We've got a city to love
Why wont you come over here
We've got a city to love

Oh
Time hurts so
Oh time
So simply
You can never trust me
For a while
It was nice
But its time to say bye

Cold
You're so cold
You're so cold
You're so cold

NO NO NO
You're so cold
You're so cold
You're so cold

NO NO NO NO
You're so cold
You're so cold
You're so cold

Oh
You're so cold

Heard Em Say

Heard 'Em Say- Kanye West featuring Adam Levine

And I heard 'em say
nothin's ever promised tomorrow, today From the Chi, Like Tim, it's a Hardaway
till this is in the name of love, like robert say
Before you ask me to go get a job today, can I at least get a raise on the minimum wage?
And I know the government administer aids,
So I guess we just pray like the minister say Abu Akhbar be throwin' some hot cause things we seein' on the screen not ours but these niggas from the hood,
so these dreams not far where I'm from the dope boys is the rock stars but they can't cop cars without seein' cop cars I guess they want us all behind bars,
I know it, uh

Chorus: And I heard 'em say, nothin's ever promised tomorrow, today
And I heard 'em say, nothin's ever promised tomorrow today But we'll find a way

(Adam Levine)
And nothin' lasts forever, but be honest babe It hurts, but it may be the only way

(Kanye West)
They say people in your life for seasons
And anything that happen is for a reason
And niggas gun-clappin' and keep to squeezin'
And gran' keep prayin' and keep believin'
In Jesus, and one day that she'll see him
Till then in walk his footsteps and try to be him,
The devil is alive, I feel him breathin' Claimin' money is the key, so keep on dreamin'
And put them lottery tickets just to tease us
My Aunt Pam can't put them cigarettes down,
So now my lil' cousin smokin' them cigarettes now
His job try to claim that he too niggerish now Is it cuz his skin blacker than licorice now?
I can't figure it out, sick of it now,

Chorus: And I heard 'em say, nothin's ever promised tomorrow, today
And I heard 'em say, nothin's ever promised tomorrow today But we'll find a way

(Adam Levine)
And nothin' lasts forever, but be honest babe
It hurts, but it may be the only way

(Adam Levine)
With every worthless word we get more far away
And nothin's ever promised tomorrow, today
And nothin lasts forever, but be honest, babe It hurts, but it may be the only way

Zhang Ziyi- you are my geisha

How was the holidays?

The first week of January at the office was stressful, despite having Monday off. I was glad to see the back of Friday. I survived last week!

I'm really looking forward to this evening. Last minute work aside, I think I can go for a run. It's a holiday tomorrow!

I'm well off on the racing-shape front. With work and other commitments, it has become increasingly difficult to run. I've more or less made up my mind that I won't be running the Pacesetters 30k and KLIM. I'm not in shape to run a decent time.

Enjoy tomorrow.