How to run a race.

1. Preparation.

Whether it’s a 5K, 10K or 21K run, it is always good to plan ahead. If you haven’t been running for a long time, don’t worry about whether you can complete the run. Instead, think about how fast you want to complete it. If anything fails on that day, you can always walk through it (Noooooo) and there will be many people to accompany you for that.

Your training regime should fit the distance of the run. For example, If you’re running a 10K on raceday, always try to clock in 10K every training, no matter how slow you do it. This allows your body to get used to the distance.. Try it 2-3 times a week. Start with a comfortable speed, and increase the intensity of the run by a little every training. Most athletes make running look so easy because they have a more efficient body. Compared to the average person, their lungs take in more oxygen with each breathe and use less effort in every step. All this is achieved by constant training.

2. Nutrition.

For your body to recover it’s muscles fully, have your final run 3 days before race day. Also, you need sufficient sleep starting from the 3 nights before. In fact, the quantity/quality of sleep during the last 2 nights have more impact on your body than the night before raceday itself. The night before, have a few more cups of water than usual to prevent cramps during or after the run. Usually, cramps are caused by dehydration or a lack of sodium in the blood. Some also use their imagination to run the race and see themselves crossing the finishing line in their minds before they sleep. This gives them a headstart on what the race is going to feel like and what to expect. You can give it a try if you’re into it. Here is what i usually do :

3 days left : Final running session. Get lots of sleep.

2 days left : Do lots of stretching. Get lots of sleep.

1 day left : Eat more rice and some fruits for carbohydrates. Extra few cups of water in the night while adding a little 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Get lots of sleep.

3. Raceday.

Wake up early so that you can reach there early for you to warm-up. Never(ever) start your run from the back of the crowd. Always try to get yourself in the middle/front part of the pack. Lesson from the human race last weekend : Most of the people at the back are joggers, by running behind them, they will be blocking your path when the road gets narrow. It’s embarrassing when you have to squeeze to run past them. Also, halfway through, you will want to stop. You can jog as slow as you want, but never stop to walk because its very discouraging and makes it really difficult to pick up the pace again. After all, its all the tough shit which pushes us forward that makes life interesting. Most importantly, just keep a cool head and enjoy the run !

“We do all these things for the same reason.”

“To feel alive.”

Top 5 things i liked during my childhood

1. Animated Series’ on TV.

During my childhood years, i guess in lower primary, i remembered switching on the TV at 4-5pm without fail everyday, and wait for my favorite shows to start. The favorite shows were always the animated cartoons (X-men, Batman, Ironman, Magic Schoolbus). And not to forget the legendary Sesame Street. I would lie down on my chair and glue my eyes to the TV. Those were one of the more vivid memories of my younger days. [Top 10 cartoons of the 90's]

2. The Boy Toys.

Boys love toys. We also get bigger, more expensive ones as we grow older. I got those $2 plastic toy bike from my mum when i graduated from Kindergarten. Until today, i still remember that moment very clearly. Oh, You boys remember that Tamiya toy car craze back then? LOL. Too bad I think i threw them away. Then as we get older, we get bigger stuff. Nowadays we love to ogle at Cars, thousand dollar bikes and playing Ps3’s.

3. Soccer session during recess time.

“It is now 9.59am. All the boys in the class stare eagerly at the clock. **Recess bell rings!** All the boys start rushing to the field to have 30mins of fun under the Sun.” Guys should remember that even on those days without a soccer ball, we can still play using a bottle. Anything that is small and movable could be used as a ball. Those were the days where the morning breakfast didn’t matter and the daily soccer was all we cared about.

4. Wonderful time spent with my pals.

I changed many friends throughout childhood. I made a few friends in P3 but then i got moved to the upfront classes in P4 so i have no contact with them since then. Before graduation, I used to play LAN games with my old friends and lots of basketball and soccer. When i graduated i moved on and rarely played them again, except soccer which is dead essential. The only friends from primary school that i still hang out and really talk to are the ones in graduating year.

5. Playing ‘catching’. LOL

Everybody has surely played this game before. Oh, its only fantastic if you play with the cute girls in class, sometimes u just bump into each other and then the girl says “Bad Allon!”. Playing with guys is just plain boring. And basically i wrote No.5 because i can’t think of anything else to write.

So what are the favorite things you loved in your childhood ? Do you have one or two common things with me, or is it radically different ?

5 locations to visit during my lifetime.

1. Old Trafford, Manchester
The Theatre of Dreams. The stadium with the best atmosphere in the world and of my favorite football club.

2. Stelvio Pass, Italian Alps
Considered by many petrol-heads to be the best driving road in the world. With 48 hairpins sitting at 2000m, its’s driving heaven.

3. The Grindelwald, Swiss Alps
The world famous Wetterhorn peak is most visible from here. Don’t know much about this place but damn, its beautiful.

4. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Now i’m wondering.. Is it still there ?

5. The North Pole, Friggin North Pole
Vast nothingness but pretty. The grand problem here is that it’s melting. Shit.

What are the top 5 places you’d visit during your lifetime ?

[Don't know what to write]

Exams over. Hmm.. what should i write about next ?

Demotivational Poster

Credit : Domk

How’re you feeling right now ? Bet this week felt like shit.

How to stop procrastination.

I have been not been doing any schoolwork for the past 3 weeks. Procrastination is a problem for all, but there are many ways to prevent it from happening. Hopefully i can save myself by writing these tips, and save you as well.

By Allon
3 Minutes vs 10 Minutes – The famous 3min vs 10min example is like this :
Person A is given an assignment which is to be done in a weeks time, while person B is given only a day to do it. So naturally, Person B immediately feels the sense of urgency and he will try to complete the assignment immediately. Meanwhile, Person A will begin procrastinating, thinking that there is one week to go before the deadline. Being dilly-dally, he will not complete the assignment on time. This is a good example of how long deadlines end up being a disaster. Having more time isn’t always a good thing. It might sound kiasu-ish, but we need to set early deadlines for ourselves. Really early.

Make a BattlePlan – Sometimes you realize that there are so many things to be done and don’t know which task to start with. Feeling lost, people end up not doing their work. Make a gigantic list, or what i call a BattlePlan. Write it out so you can visualize what you need to do. Prioritize every single task.

Tell people about it – “Hey Johnson. Guess what, i’m going to chiong my homework today. Finish all 3 assignments wor.” Go around and boast to your friends about what you are going to do for the day. Naturally the perception that you are under the scrutiny of the people around you will get you to work quickly. Perhaps your friends or family can even place a small bet on your procrastination (This will work like magic.)

Go ahead and do it – You have to stop thinking about how you are going to do it. Instead, just jump right into the whole situation and try to plan the task on the way. Even if you did it wrongly, you can always take a step back and do it all over again. At least, at the end of everything you know you have done something. If you’re stuck, move on to another task or seek help. Not everything has to be completed in one shot.

A year from now you may wish you had started today.

These tips are the best i can think of because i suffer from this disease as well. Good luck with your procrastination people !

Bird day

My big bird day...