Archive for September, 2008

Running in Singapore

September 26, 2008 · Filed under For the love of running · Tagged

I just returned from a lovely business trip in Singapore.  What a beautiful place.

East Coast of Singapore. I didnt get to run here, but I did get to eat Chili Crab here.

East Coast of Singapore. I didn't get to run here, but I did get to enjoy some fine Chili Crab on these shores.

I stayed at the fabulous Mandarin Oriental hotel on the harbor.   With one exception, I ran five miles early each morning.

Seeing that Singapore is on the equator, it is extremely hot and humid, even before dawn.  Having said that, I enjoyed each run very much.  The main route I took introduced me to the sites and sounds and smells of the Singapore River, with all the brilliant architecture — representing old and new — that surrounds it.

The other route I took immersed me in the unique, charming and plentiful artwork that is sprinkled between the modern high rises and lush parks of the business district.

One gift of running is that you explore the world differently than other people.  It is a true gift to slowly unwrap a city, wandering down alleyways and around hidden curves that others don’t see.

I ran so early that I passed a half dozen sleeping rickshaw drivers a day. Today, Rickshaws are to Singapore what Carriage Rides are to Central Park.

I ran so early that I passed a half dozen sleeping rickshaw drivers a day. Today, rickshaws are to Singapore what carriage rides are to Central Park.

Singapore, my friend said, is “Asia-lite”.  I think she is right.  In fact, I felt very much at home while experiencing the Asian color, life, culture and people.

I ran the Esplanade Bridge, everyday. The Esplanade theatres are behind it.

I ran the Esplanade Bridge everyday, one of numerous bridges that cross the river. The Esplanade theatres are behind it.

Over my short 5-mile runs, I saw many Singapore landmarks including the lion’s head fountain that protects the Singapore River, the famous old-style Raffles hotel, numerous Chili Crab local joints, water taxis, colorful artwork, and dramatic sculptures.  It seems when you are in one of the smallest countries in the world, everywhere you go is meaningful.

I think I could live in Singapore.  Although, considering the five mile runs were a struggle in the heat, I am not sure I could be a marathon runner there.

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Running moves from centre stage

September 14, 2008 · Filed under For the love of running

As you can see, my entries have drastically declined of late.  It’s not because I am not running.  I am averaging 40 miles a week.  It’s not because I am not training.  I have my next 26.2 on October 26th (I just realized the irony of the date).

However, running must take a back seat to life on occasion.  It becomes something you do and enjoy, but not necessarily think about all the time.  And because my mind is elsewhere, my blog has suffered.

My kids are back at school and back to extra activities.  My husband is very busy with work and I am shouldering the bulk of everything else.  My own work has picked up.  There is a lot going on in my immediate family as well, from new children to new homes, from hurricanes to illness.

But it’s all OK.  It’s just life.  It ebbs and flows.  In the Summer, we had a fabulous ebb.  Now it is almost Fall and we are back to flow.  It will ebb again, I am sure.  Life is about balance and life is about other people. I have been told I am great at balancing, and as evidence,  am squeezing in runs as much as I can.  Yet, I have had to sacrifice a bit … my track workouts in particular. But that’s OK.  As long as I achieve a PR in my next marathon, I will be happy.  Even if I don’t, that’s actually OK too.

I’ll do my best, but my focus is really elsewhere at the moment.  For now, I am getting in as much as I can, when I can, with as much quality as I can.  For now, it is more important to get my kids settled, homework done, work finished, and to call my mom in Houston when she is riding out a hurricane.

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Run with meaning

September 2, 2008 · Filed under For the love of running, Marathons, Training · Tagged , ,

In the Spring of 2007, running the London marathon, I raised $6000 for a charity that supports emerging Afrian nations.  I did it because my neighbor asked and I worked in the emerging markets.  The charity meant something to me.  In fact, raising this money meant so much to me that I ran the marathon on a painful injury.  It took almost five hours, but I ran it anyway.

A lot of marathons are put to use for fund raising.  In fact, I now get so many requests to donate to this friend’s event or that friend’s event, I can hardly keep it straight.

According to the Nike website, since Team In Training’s inception in 1988, more than 360,000 participants have raised over $850 million. Last year TNT raised $18.5 million dollars through The Nike Women’s Marathon alone.  That’s a lot of dough for a good cause.

I just joined the Lance Armstrong Foundation, LIVESTRONG, and plan to run their San Jose Challenge next summer.  There is a two-time cancer survivor near and dear to me, and a close family member who was diagnosed with breast cancer just last Thursday.  Cancer runs, and fundraising, and yellow wrist bands, and pink ribbons suddenly mean something to me.

Susan G Komen for the Cure leverages multiple runs to raise money.  If you are running one anyway, why not do a little bit more, that will ultimately do a lot more.  Talk about ROI.

I believe fund raising works when your heart is in it.  Often, that means you’ve been touched by something unpleasant.  Use that experience.  Use your feet.  Ping your friends. Beg your family.  Hit up your boss.

All this fundraising really works.  It’s part of the reason why 1 in 8 women (think of your neighborhood street…count every 8th house and you’ll get the picture) are diagnosed with breast cancer, but 34 out of 35 survive.

We run all the time for ourselves.  At least once a year,  run for someone else.

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