Run Free!

 6 May 2026

I thought I was inspired to clock another 15-16KM after having done that for the last long run.

Alas, my physical self was still, recovering ... I didn't know from what ... but I was lethargic, both in body, and mind.

The lateness of my starting time didn't help at all.

I knew I had to just run, no matter the pace; no matter the distance.

So I gave up any goal for that day and ran however I could, and it turned out to be a blessing and a very pleasurable experience. I was once again well-connected to nature surrounding me in the park.

My focus was on the natural inhabitants of the park. No longer on the pace I was clocking, nor how far I had accumulated in the rounds.

And so I was blessed to have chanced upon all these little critties:

Oriental Magpie Robin

Red-Eared Slider --- not sure was formerly a pet released recently or already a thriving individual here.

This Monkey Grasshopper was chomping down on a leaf!
 It was my 1st time witnessing a grasshopper eating leaves.

Also stopped mid run to admire shrooms on the forest floor.

Golden Trumpets

Experiencing a Moment of Autumn Vibes

Another good run day, not cos of the run itself, but the spirit doing so! 🙏 

Run Your Journey

18 March 2026

I intended to run yesterday morning. 

This sight didn't motivate me to step out of home...

However I caved in to fatigue, laziness and loads of excuses.

I had just returned from a week long trip to Malaysia and still recovering from fatigue, which took too long to dissipate I feel. It didn't help that I couldn't get up from bed earlier to beat the furiously hot weather and strong rays these days.

So today I resolved to step out no matter what.

Step out and a your journey is formed.

I was pleasantly surprised and grateful that at past 10am, I was still blessed with breezes and patches of shades that I could run under amidst the scorching orange blast of halo from above. I was really running with lots of thank-yous in between breaths. I took it slow as it would definitely take a toll on an already exhuasted body not yet fully restored with renewed energy. But the exposed stretches are good workouts for me to push for faster legwork to run undercover from another patch of shade again! So my easy long run of 12km was infused with some segments of - albeit short - speedwork.

Sections of shades good for "Intervals" 

Interestingly, I discovered that I instinctively turned left to run a route to the next neighbourhood area of Sembawang, instead of turning right to head towards the already planned nature park within my residential vicinity. I wanted cooler area to run in, but my body must have decided otherwise, and hence I found myself already in that direction mode and not willing to turn back. So I went along with the flow.

The points of self-reflection that I gathered today:

• Saw the usual photographer uncle at the same spot near the river, with his camera hanging around his neck, on the lookout for, presumably birds. I initiated a smile and nodded at him. He in return,  responded with the usual awkwardly stiff nod 😂 Still I felt happy and not offended. I felt it a natural response of his. I mindfully became aware of the thought that I would have felt otherwise with questions of whys in the past --- how is it that he would respond to my greeting in this manner since we already are familiar faces? However, today, I was actually smiling inside, after having run my Project Smile over a period of time.

• I was greeted with the lovely scent from rows of Jasmine flower plants planted along the river. It seemed ages since I last caught this whiff of light fragrance - We used to grow Jasmine plants in pots when I was a child, and I was familiar with the scent of the little white dainty flowers whenever I played outdoors near them. This gave me pleasant nostalgia, and added relaxing elements into my running, in the sun. It's smell the Jasmine, and not roses today!

Lovely scenty Jasmine Flowers :)

• I actually felt more energized than I imagined I would be - during, and after my run! Though tired after the physical activity, I actually felt good and that my lethargy after the effort was well justified! 

• During lunch, I was soothingly serenaded by a busker playing and singing yesteryear tunes of Lionel Ritchie and many others on his guitar, and actually appreciated him with a $2 token which I normally would not do so! 😁

• Visited mom and sis and took the walks slowly to their place. I saw another runner running in the void deck presumably trying to prevent getting a heat stroke haha! 😝

• It was a very warm and humid day so I took my walks and navigation amongst the crowds in malls, stations, transportation slowly. I realised I was mostly feeling happy and peaceful though myself smelt really bad despite having changed into a clean top. 😆

My day ended well and I was glad I ran, today.  😊

Running Late!

 

21 October 2025

It was already close to 10am when I started to run.... How could it be possible when I woke up at 6.45am?

It was another tiring day - I have been feeling so tired these days.

I believe I dilly-dallied too much in the morning, and got stuck in the loo for too long to detox.

But the weather was so perfect! How could I have this opportunity passed, when tomorrow never knows?

So still, I put on my gears, sunblock applied, and outta the door...

I decided to go really easy on myself, already on an easy long run day 😝

I decided to just run more loops in the park and not venture further out of my area -- with the possibility that it might rain, and, I was really tired... I would see how far I could run. Furthermore, I had an afternoon class to teach at 2PM.

18-20 KM was my target.

It was a good run - the 1st 5-6 KM.

Met Uncle who would go for walking practice from his wheelchair, with the aid of his helper. I hadn't seen him in a while... he looked older.

I was testing a new pair of running shorts that came with a tuck-in pocket on the back, that could fit a phone. So I did not bring the usual flipbelt band and brought minimal items with me.

The park was quiet, I was the only person, after having met Uncle. As I got up the hilly part, I saw a few more uncles on bikes chatting. Ran to the waterfront park with Malaysia across the Strait. Beautiful view at the jetty and I couldn't help but take a selfie with the buildings across the Causeway as backdrop. 

RTS Bridge almost completed.

Our Neighbour's High-risers

My toes began to sting in the new Clifton 9. I wondered if the insoles were too thin, or that this model isn't really for me. I remembered I should have felt fine with the Challenger ATR after 1-2 wears.

I continued with the discomfort and ran on, back to the park and back home. No spotting of the wild today, just scenery 😁

Finally reached the neighbourhood jogging track cum fitness park some blocks across home. I looked at the watch - it was already too late for me to catch a proper lunch before rushing back for class.

My fitness tracker tracked 20 KM, however my Runkeeper only 17+ KM -- As usual, the GPS would show less mileage when I ran most distance under forest canopy.

I was glad however that I made it - despite the late start, and the not-so-ready body and circumstances.

As the saying goes:

"Better late than never".

And true indeed it was.

A Day Full of Wrongs

Another "Wrong" day when the run didn't go as expected.

Another very warm and humid day that got me a little phobic running out ... 😂

And so I decided to run where there could be covers. I planned to run to Sembawang area again, and to make a turn along the river, try my luck to visit the otters, which I did in a magnificent encounter. Then I would head down to the Lower Seletar Reservoir. My aim was 18-20km.

Thought it is really going solo...

Nope... its mates were below...

Eat, Play, ..... Sleep, repeat?

Big Catch!

However, it was a day full of wrongs...

It is advised not to break into a new pair of shoes on a long run, and I did just that.

Plus, paired it off with a new running bra top and, made a wrong turn at the traffic junction that made me breathe in dust along the construction site of a highway, when I was nearing the end of the journey.

However, it was usually the wrongs that made us learn and do more rights the next time.

While I had to run longer to reach my end destination, I passed through where I never had, or perhaps would, if I'd done all the rights. 

I experienced more patches of greens, saw the magnitude of the highway being constructed, and experienced a different angle of the Sungei Seletar. 

View from the Top which I had never seen nor taken a picture of

My new shoes gave me blisters and further shaded my problematic toenail. I'd known beforehand I shouldn't wear them over long distance running, but I didn't have time to test them othewise - the soles on my old pair were really rather flattened to hold me well for distance. But now I know the difference in toe box space between the Clifton and the Challenger ATR, and found my preference.

I didn't give much thought to my running bra top - I just wanted to feel cooler and less stuck-on from my tee. But I now realised, cooler could also mean less cover - especially when the sunlight is harsh. I could get bra tops that offer more protection on the back, rather than the criss-cross design that the new one came in.

The wrongs are still wrongs. But they don't have to remain forever so.

I gained new perspectives, angles and insights.

I could move on, or run on, with more wisdom and better choices the next time.

Letting Go(al)...

Last week I had another "Bad Run".

I had just recovered from cold and starting the 1st long run after that.

My last long run was 20km. And my target next was to reach 25km.

But I knew I couldn't possibly achieve this goal in that current body condition. More so, after having missed one long run the week before due to being sick.

So I humbly projected at least 15km but really hoping to reach 18km.

Against my favour, it was a very scorchingly hot day with the sun rays beating down relentlessly on the runner, running in the open.

I decided to run a somewhat familiar route with some twists, and plotting an exploratory spot on this route.

Met a solo otter, and a large heron with monitor lizards for company. Next I ran along the train tracks to finally reach the spot of discovery - Yishun Neighbourhood Park - on the top of a hill. I'd probably went up the slope more than a decade back but I didn't explore its top then. I had merely went up the steps and down the other side, as back then I'd run in the evenings and I was afraid of too much darkness on the run back.

Otter swimming solo

Supposedly Grey Heron, with Monitor Lizard swimming by.

So on that day, I was determined to explore more despite the harsh weather.

As I ran up the hill I was pleasantly surprised by an old school pavillion surrounded by two round tables with chinese chessboard templates on them. A nice little garden was found midway.  A few park-goers were there to Tai Chi and do some stretching exercises.

The Pavillion

A winding road led up to the little "peak" with a toilet and water cooler, and a community garden further up.  Glancing down, one could see the surrounding neighbourhood. Though it wasn't that high and the view that fantastic, it was still a nice respite from the brick and mortar below.

I was grateful for the water cooler that I much needed to drink from. I jogged round the top before slowly going down. Took some photos before eventually heading down the steps back again to pound the pavement along the road.

I reckoned it was too late to run to my targeted destination - Lower Seletar Reservoir - neither did I think I have enough power to do so... 😛

I decided to run to wherever I could for a better place to cool down and rest before having lunch.

Construction obstructed a lot of pathways and made me change directions. I turned to where I would not usually run to - an old bus interchange near the malls. As much as possible, I tried to dodge the glaring sun to get into shade wherever and whenever I could. I finally realised I was heading towards an entrance of a park --- The Yishun Pond!

Yishun Pond

I was glad. Though I ever came here once, I did not fully explore it. I ran about 2 more rounds totalling about 15km on my watch tracker, and 14km on the GPS on Runkeeper.

Cooled down and headed to the adjacent hospital's foodcourt for an earlier lunch to refuel. I needed to get back home to teach an online class that day.

Though the original target of 18km wass missed, I was happy I found another target --- another spot I that could run to and explore more in-depth, amongst the other check-in points on my next running journey.

Tired / Lazy Days

What do you do when you have planned for a run and just before it, feel tired and / or lazy? And especially when the days are extremely hot and humid, or that the skies have turned all dark and gloomy?

Just lace up and run!

The past year or so, I have decided to not let the above factors deter me from running as planned. If it really were an exhausting state, I would project an easier run, shorter route and the aim to just complete the workout. Never mind it is not going to be a long run nor tempo nor fartlek speed workout. As long as I could complete the session, I am happy and grateful. And usually, I would outdo the previous condition during the run. So if I'd just think to myself: "Ok it's a weary day, let's just do a 5-6k today", I'd usually get more than 5-6k mileage completed, and sometimes with sections of speedwork included. The aim is to condition the body to just go through the routine and move, and I believe this contributes a lot to the overall body fitness, consistency, as well as tuning the mind to accomplish tasks beyond the state of torpor.

And I am also grateful that in the country where I live, we have good infrastructure in the forms of sheltered walkways, park connectors, not to mention void decks of HDB* blocks of flats. So even in inclement weather - hot or cold; dry or wet - I have no excuses. I always joked to a friend whenever I run in the brutally hot and humid weather of late mornings that we've got to make good use of these facilities we taxpayers contributed to! So these public features are really useful. Though I must say that I would appreciate a lot more if there could be more public water fountains available.

Running under such covers also allows me to uncover and discover some new routes, places, nooks and crannies of green spaces, eateries and not to mention the different types of flat units in various HDB estates. This has made my runs more varied and interesting especially on unmotivated days. From these new discoveries, I would go on to plan and chart future runs and think about where I could give myself a treat after working hard, which then becomes another source of motivation.

So the next time the feeling of inertia kicks in, tell the mind to "Just Do it!" and you'll be glad you did. 😊

HDB* - Stands for Housing Development Board. It is the authority in charge of public housing in Singapore. HDB flats or apartments are the type of residential units that majority of Singaporeans live in.