Road to Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 - Part 2

Part 2 - In Love with Running

This is what I have been wearing to run for the past 2 years

Power Ham Choy (From Bata)

This shoes not that comfy and easily get blisters on the forefoot, Yap can't fly with blistered toes, so it's time to get new running shoes. There is gazillion of running shoes in the market, but which one to choose leh? And with a tight budget, which running shoes I can afford leh? By the way, Yap Can Fly's budget is MYR150 or below.

So I bring along my personal financial consultant/advisor (a.k.a girlfriend) to hunt for the running shoes. We went to few Nike/Adidas retail shops, the price tag on any running shoes can easily shoot up to at least MYR200 and above, holy cow... but of course, it's Nike/Adidas...

Ironically we end up in a Bata shop, and I found this

Adidas Shamiso

I tried on it, very bouncy and comfortable, but a little heavier than my previous Power Ham Choy. So now come to the bargain session, not with the shop's sales assistant, but my personal financial consultant.

The conversation goes like:

Yap Can Fly (YCF): This shoes not bad eh, superbly comfortable and better than the Bata one.

Personal Financial Consultant (PFC): Of course lah, Adidas leh, look at the price tag yourself, how much?

YCF: Err... MYR139.90, best buy already, still OK right? All Adidas around MYR200, this one within my budget wor...

PFC: Then you mah buy lor... (reverse psychology tactic)

At that moment, I can feel the strong aura emitted from PFC who not really agree with me getting that shoe

YCF: Cannot buy ar? (showing my sad face + watery eyes)

PFC: Haiya, why get such expensive sport shoes? Bata one cannot run meh? With this price tag you can get 2 pairs of Bata shoes leh...

YCF: Must invest abit, further more this one more comfortable, that's why it cost slightly higher, but still within my budget mah, and will prevent me from getting blister leh. You see! You see! got Impact Absorption technology on this shoe, damn powerful one... can can? (finger pointing)

PFC: ... (in silent, heart was thinking "haiz, this fella ah, die die also wanna buy!")

YCF: OK, promise you with this new shoe, I will automatically go jogging without needing you to nag me. OK?

PFC: You said one ah! (Hooking our pinkies - pinky swear!)

I finally get approval in getting that shoe, kao tim!

It's weird that somehow and someway, you will get the hype to run more when you are wearing decent running shoes. The shoes itself will make you running, and in love with running. So, get a pair of good running shoes, not only to protect your foot, but to get you run further.

Road to Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 - Part 1

Marathon, a long distance foot race with the distance of 42.195 kilometers. Many have regards this kind of activity as “Ooi… You got nothing better to do ar?” or “get a life man..”

But for me, Yap, who wants to ‘fly’, will use this race to prove myself and claim myself some self-esteem.

Part 1 – Why Am I Running

Most people have neglected their exercise when they start working, and oh yes, I’m one of them. I’m not the athlete kind of person and I don’t go for exercise that often.

One fine day, I was taking my blood pressure measurement, and it shows 140/90mmHG, at the borderline which prone to hypertension, heart attack, diabetes and so on… I was stunned, shocked and can only say jia lat liao this time.

The blood measurement reading was high, where came the urgency within myself to start exercise! When come to exercise, I need to choose the cheapest sport which doesn’t require that much of money, or best it’s free of charge.

1)Badminton – looks good, watch badminton games since young, admired those national team player how they smash the shuttle cock with the sound piak, or Taufik’s amazing backhand smash (so yeah and so geng). But this activity needs to rent a court and also spend on the shuttle cock, not just 1 cock, but many cocks! For long term, it’s a no no.

2)Basketball – used to play basketball a lot during primary/secondary school, and with my height (188cm), I can easily slam dunk with Air Jordan’s style (just kidding, till today I still can’t reach and grab the basketball ring). This only requires a basketball, then you can be in action, but none of my friends/colleagues are into basketball, so no basketball for me.

3)Swimming – don’t know how to swim, only know how to get drown.

4)Gym – just look at the membership registration fee already feel like “wuah, need so much just to shake my muscles meh?”

5)Jogging/Running – you only need a pair of running shoes (MYR120 - 300), find a park then you can keep running till you get bored/tired/give up. You can choose to be running alone, running with friends (if there is any), or running with strangers. This looks like the best bargain ever, me hokay with it, being a typical kiam siap gwai.

Conclusion, I have chosen running to bring my life back to a healthy balance.

Chapter 1: The Birth

15th August 2009 marks the birth of this blog, Yap - who believes he can fly!