2011 Marathon Route is OUT!

Same as last year.... human barbeque along the stretch before Marina Barrage...

First run with the Newton

I try out the Newton this morning at East Coast, the shoes were a great fit, and it was very comfortable but it feels very very weird to walk in them. This is due to the 4 lugs at the forefoot area, it feels like you are walking over little humps all the time... but once I got into the running strides, the feeling is 'shiok', the 4 lugs act as cushion to the landing and I felt like I wanted to go faster which I did... I usually do a 1km every 7 minute but today it was 6 min 50 sec. I would attribute it to the shoes.

I am a natural 'forefoot striker', so I was very 'at home' with the Newton. It gave me the comfort and cushioning I never had when running with the Kayano 17.... I never knew there was so much in shoes engineering....

Happy with the investment. :)

Running Gear - update

Newton Motion
Saucony Kinvara 2
Drymax Socks
Nike+ Sports Band and Sensor
Nike Audio Waistpack
Ipod Shuffle 4th Gen
Sennheiser PMX 680 Neckband Headphones

Newton Running Shoes - Motion

My Asics Kayano 17 lasted me 9 months and 400km and gave up the ghost after the punishing New Balance Real Run which took it through sand... so after a bit of research and review, I realise I am actually a 'natural' runner... well, I land on my fore-foot instead of my heels. So I went around looking for shoes that support forefoot running, and wala, the Newton Running Shoes came up...

After a bit more research and reading up reviews, I decided to get the Motion Lightweight Trainer. They were not exactly cheap, at S$269 a pop, just S$10 cheaper than the Kayano. But I think I have the shoes for me... the fit was very good, and landing with the forefoot is a joy with the cushioning...



The new shoes is also noticeably lighter than the Kayano 17 (about 56 grams lighter), it does makes a difference towards the end of a long distance run. One of the best feature is that the mesh is very very breathable and will help to dry up moisture or sweat build-up in the feet quickly - excellent as I really perspire when I pound the road...

Now I'm ready to take on the next Marathon!

2011 - 3 quarters of the YEAR gone by....

Every time of this year, I will lament how time flies and we always can't seem to keep up...

Let's see what I've accomplished so far;

Work front
- Crossed trained staff, and rotated among the sections
- Successfully groomed a new Accountant and transferred him out
- Successfully trained the operations managers to be more business savvy
- Successfully conducted the vertical challenge in the hotel

Personal achievements / satisfaction
- Completed 1 half marathon and 1 full marathon
- Got a new 150mm lens, and the new E-P3 camera, and finally splurged on the Billinghams (Hadley Small & Hadley Pro)
- Upgraded to the new Mac Mini with Lion OS (although I still refuses to buy an iPhone :P )
- Got some photos (night shots) which I am personally proud of


The last quarter of the year will see me doing 1 more half marathon and the customary full marathon in Dec, I will also help out in the organisation of the Run for Hope event. And I will also need to train the new Accountant and get the department stabilise again, not to mention the interim audit that is happening in November....

Still have yet to visit the Bird Park and Zoo to try out my 150mm lens, and also to continue to commit to my own self-imposed restriction of 'no more buying of cameras, computing products and accessories'!! My last purchase will be the Bose Sounddock.... after that, I will refrain from spending money on electronic products and accessories until the end of 2012! No specific reasons, just wanted to discipline myself (and challenge myself) from always wanting to get the latest gadgets!

The last part of the year also marks the beginning of my 5th year being a married man, still thinking of what to buy....

Looks like I still got quite a bit to do in the final 3 months....

Chiong ah!!!