Posts Tagged with “running”

Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2013 – already looking forward to 2014

Last Sunday I ran the 10km (Speed) race at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. It was such a great experience for me and I’m already looking forward to next year.

I got a big kick weaving my way through the pack at the beginning of the race, running alongside thousands of fellow runners in downtown KL, disrupting traffic and running flat out at the finish line.

StanChart KL Marathon 2013

Me completing my 10K at SCKLM2013. This picture cost me SGD30…

The event is the most popular road race in Malaysia and this year saw a record-breaking 33,000+ runners. SCKLM had to be postponed from its original date in June due to the haze situation, but the event last week was top notch. I felt that it was really well-organized and let the runners really enjoy the race. Read More »

Barefoot Running Debate: 'Born to Run' Author vs. Podiatrist

Since I started running I have noticed great debate about barefoot running. Is it good, is it bad? Will it stop injuries, will it cause injuries? It feels a little like a fad to me, but I bought a pair of Nike Free running shoes to get a feel of running with “less shoe” anyway. In any case, I thought this video presented all sides of the argument really well. I still think it’s a little nutty to go completely barefoot, but I think in principle it’s a good idea to strengthen the muscles in the foot.

I survived my first race: 10km category at Brooks Half Marathon

Phew! I’m pooped. My feet and calves are sore and I could hardly keep my eyes open after dinner last night – the side effects of my 10km race yesterday morning at the Brooks Half Marathon 2013. This was my first race ever and overall it was a fun experience.

The day started at 3.30am. I woke up, made sure I had something to eat and answered nature’s (long) call. I then made my way to the flag-off venue in Stadium Bukit Jalil at 5.30am as advised to ensure I had plenty of time to get my bearings, make a last minute toilet stop and get into the starting block early. Unfortunately the organizer didn’t tell us that the flag-off time was delayed to 6.45am so I had to wait a little longer than planned.

6.20am arrived and I lined up in the starting block. I turned on my music and reviewed the route in my head and my race plan. I didn’t want to get all pumped up with adrenalin and run too fast too early. My plan was to only start pushing it at the midway point.

21km runners ready to go Read More »

Training for my first 10K race

Since starting on my fitness journey a few months ago, I’m really enjoying running. I’m enjoying running so much that I want to do a half marathon this year 🙂 Read More »

Running for Beginners, taught via YouTube videos!

Running is easy right? You put 1 foot in front of the other and repeat. But if you run over long distances at faster speed, you put a lot of stress on your ankles, knees and hips. So the correct running technique is important so that you can run more efficiently and avoid injuries.

I’ve turned into quite the running addict on my fitness journey. (LOL! I know right?) However after starting to run further and faster, I found that my joints hurt! I realized that my running technique was off. So I began researching proper running technique online and found surprisingly that you can learn a lot from YouTube videos.

I’m made a playlist of the best videos that I found on YouTube called Running for Beginners. It’s a compilation of videos that teaches beginners the basics of proper running technique, mistakes to avoid and choosing the right pair of shoes. I wanted to provide a little bit of context for each video so I’ve annotated the videos below.

The Elements of Good Form Running

The first thing I learnt when researching running techniques was that there are many running techniques and styles. Who would’ve thought?! Many of them seemed overly complicated to me. The one that made the most sense and seemed to be the most straightforward to me was the Good Form Running technique. Good Form Running advocates 4 elements – posture, cadence, landing on your midfoot and leaning forward while running. This video provides a quick introduction to the technique. Read More »

Brand affinity case study: Nike vs adidas

I’ve recently started to enjoy running and after increasing my distance and speed, I realized that I need a good pair of running shoes. So last week I went shoe shopping and I had an opportunity to observe myself making a buying decision for a rather expensive product.

I have 2 favorite sporting brands – adidas and Nike. Just the previous month I have purchased gear from both brands. adidas seemed to me like the more affordable brand and I probably own more adidas workout and training apparel than Nike. However the Nike Running sub-brand spoke to me more directly since I actually enjoy running. Read More »