If you would like to write me notes of encouragement or anything under the sun while I’m out in the desert, I can be reached via Racing The Planet website. That’s like the only Internet access that’s available. No facebook, no gmail, no shopping

Here’s what you can do.

(1) Sign up for breaking news here

These updates will keep your friends, family and colleagues abreast of the leaders, the middle of the pack and the back of the pack, as well as weather conditions and general news.  Additionally, at the end of each day, a Stage Update will be posted summarizing the day, as well as video clips and photographs.

(2) EMAIL ME

Truth be told, since coming home from holiday on 16 January, I’ve been in and out of the doctor’s clinic and hospital multiple times. It all started with a stubborn runny nose that fought hard to remain with me, followed by mucus so thick that I had trouble clearing it. Finally after 3 visits to the doctor, they told me to visit a Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist instead.

Since it was nearing end January and we were celebrating Chinese New Year here, I could only make the appointment when the holidays were over.

The ENT specialist gave me some antibiotics and other meds to clear the sinus infection. It worked well and took away the persistent throbbing dull pain that I experienced in my right eye. However, I also experienced searing pain in my head that seemed to come and go without any warning. Upon hearing that, the ENT specialist advised me to go for a scan.

Couple of the days later, I went for a follow up visit to see the results of the scan. The scan revealed that my right frontal sinusitis was completely filled with pus! And the nose had difficulty clearing them. A surgical procedure was required to drain them out. So this was what was causing the pain.

I had thought it would be a simple day surgery and I could go back to work after that, and so asked if it could be done that day. Sure, came the reply. Before I knew it, I was being admitted to the hospital, mentally un-prepared, and dressed for work. (The procedure actually required a GA and I would need to be warded for a day!) I wonder who was more amused by my lets-do-it-now attitude, me or the specialist?

Everything came and went fast from the decision onwards. I had to call my insurance agent, my boss to let him know I will be away from work for a few days and my family. Shucks! In my haste to leave the house this morning, I did not hug my dog

The procedure went well and there was minimal pain. However, I was not allowed to blow my nose as it may cause swelling and pressure to build up in my right eye region. Try telling that to someone like me whose nose is uber-sensitive and I might as well cry.

So here I am 1 week post-surgery with no training done for the past 4 weeks or so. Panic is an under-statement. I worry about my lack of training this year. I worry about how my nose will react in the thin *and* DRY air in the desert. I worry about the sand. I worry if my gaiters and my last order of freeze dried food will arrive in time. I worry…

Yes, it is very easy for me to back out now but it is also difficult at the same time. I’m sure you understand why… the past few months of training, planning, anticipation…

Instead, I shall go and try to cover as many meters, km as I can. I will need to manage my own expectations and be smart to know when to let it go. The sun will rise another day.

Till then, take care folks & CYA!!

p/s: The silver lining in this episode is that, at least I know I will not have any issue with air pressure when the air plane descends:P

This has been cross-posted from my blog space in Racing The Planet on 15-Feb-2012.

In my search, I read many good things about CW-X.

The CW-X Stabilyx tights are advertised as Stability Conditioning wear. The patented CW-X Support Web™ technology mimics kinesiology-taping techniques. This conditioning web is strategically positioned to band together the muscles and ligaments of the lower leg to stabilize the knee and reduce vibration for increased efficiency. The CW-X Support Web also harnesses the midsection, supporting the lower abdominals, hips and back to channel power through the core. There are various models of CW-X tights, each with a varying focus of physical benefits.  These tights range in price from US$65 to $110. The CW-X website has a useful chart that will help guide you to which tight is the best for you. CW-X markets the Stabilyx tight as their best all-round stability tight.

CW-X Stabilyx tights in Raspberry

As I wasn’t able to find this locally, I ordered them online If you look at the size chart, you will be able to determine your “correct” size based on your height and weight. Do note that the “correct” size tend to be really snug (and that’s really how they are supposed to be) and can give you a bit of a muffin top. I ordered my correct size as well as one size bigger, and after trying them on, decided to go with the bigger size instead (my personal preference).

These are compression tights with the added advantage of UPF 50+ for sun protection.

When I received the tights, I followed the instructions on the package and carefully pulled the tights up my calves and aligned the support bands across the knees and over the muscle zones (quads and ITBs). The support bands in the fabric crossed both below and above my knees and felt good. Compared to 2XU (I have the 3/4 tights), CW-X fabric weave is definitely tighter and denser. It does take some pulling to wear them, but once I had them on, they felt comfortable.

Stabilyx Support Web

I ran in the Stabilyx tights for both 21km and 42km races in Walt Disney and not once did my right knee complain. Usually for distances more than 10km, I will use a knee guard for my right knee as it starts getting a little cranky after pounding on the tarmac. However, for Walt Disney races, I decided to take a gamble and used the Stabilyx tights instead. I’m so pleased to report that they served me well during both runs and supported both my knees

So if you are looking for a pair of running tights with knee support, I highly recommend these! No regrets

Expedition Foods Savoury Mince with Rice

Expedition Foods is the official partner of the world’s leading endurance race series. Based in the United Kingdom, the company takes feedback from casual hikers, athletes, competitors who consume these food during camping, expeditions and races and aims to improve the taste and texture.

Since they are partnering with Racing The Planet, I bought a few packs from the “high calorie serving” just to see how they fare in taste.

Ingredients listing and cooking instructions

800 calories for 178gm ain’t too bad for me.

What it looks like devoid of water

What it looks like when you open it.

Pro : Clearly demarcated line indicating how much water to fill the bag till. From the preparation step printed on the front of the bag, it says to fill boiling water to line 5.

Ready for eating

Obediently filling it with boiling water to line 5 and approximately 10 minutes later, dinner is ready! Tadah!!

Pro: It smells great! My colleague took a sniff of it and said it smells yummeh

Taste-wise, it was much much more platable compared to Expedition Foods Sweet and Sour Chicken and Rice, which I found very sweet. I was wary that it might end up tasting just as sweet as the latter, as tomato puree is listed as one of the ingredients, but thankfully it was not sweet at all

The rice was soft and I was able to taste bits of the minced beef. However, I find freeze dried carrots to be crunchy after it has been cooked.

Verdict? It’s coming along to Atacama!

The beauty of the country, Brazil, has been marred by stories heard and read over the Internet about how dangerous the place can be. As much as I may seem to be adventurous, I very much would not like to be mugged or be caught in the middle of a shoot out. Thanks, but no thanks. My life has sufficient stories + drama as it is

After trawling around TripAdvisor, Virtual Tourist, and consulting google maps (extremely useful to pinpoint the exact location where you are staying, as well as giving you a bigger picture where in the country you are located), I narrowed it down to a nice hotel in Copacabana and Casa Cool Beans (rated #1 Rio B&B in TripAdvisor).

Images of Casa Cool Beans

The pros of staying in Casa Cool Beans – it’s rated the BEST B&B in Rio! B&B experience is usually better than hotel as it tends to be more personable. In addition, based on the reviews I’ve read, the hosts are able to advise where to go to eat/sight see, help make the necessary transport arrangements as well as offer nuggets of information of the country and its people. Something which you may not get so easily in a hotel… in a country where English is not the first language. And mousse, the resident dog, is a draw of course

However, what I was not so keen on was the location. It’s situated in a not-so-touristy area, up on a hill, and away from the beaches. In my poorly-informed mind, it suggests lesser crowd and a little inaccessible to local transport and amenities. I had visions of myself running from the B&B to the bus stop every day -.-! It didn’t help the case when I read mixed reviews regarding the safety of the area cos that freaked me out a little.

So, I consulted people who had been to Rio before. Doc advised against the hotel in Copacabana cos her colleague saw a dead body there and asked me to go to Ipanema instead. Another valid point brought up was that whatever savings that I may get from staying away from the beaches, may well end up towards paying for transportation to and from anywhere I go

After a flurry of mouse clicks and furious clicking, comparing prices / locations / reviews / pictures, we finally settled on a nice hotel in Ipanema. Within walkable distance to both Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, as well as a stone’s throw away from bus stops which will bring me to the sights that I intend to see Ahh… I often marvel at how Internet and the users have helped + changed the way we travel these days.

Looks like Rio is all set now

Perhaps the next time I visit Rio with a group of friends, we can stay at Casa Cool Beans.

Christ the Redeemer

credits : Nat Geo

Despite running (and shivering) twice in 5deg temperature, I never seem to learn my lesson Always pack a fleece along! What the organizer failed to inform prior to the race (till you receive and read the information booklet) is that you gotta be at the race site by 4am. Flag off starts at 5:30am and depending on your assigned corral, you can start as late as 6am. This means standing around in the cold for at least an hour and a half. I was assigned to corral G, with a flag off time estimated at 6am.

For both races on that weekend, complimentary bus service is provided from most of the Walt Disney resorts to the starting point. Bus services run from 3am till perhaps 3:45am, as the last bus needs to arrive by 4am. My flag off time on both days were 6am and sunrise is around 7:30am.

Walt Disney World Half Marathon

On Saturday morning, I woke up at 2am with the intention of leaving around 3:30am. Since I have ample time to digest my food prior to the flag off, I decided to pack my breakfast (one bagel, one packet of sports beans, water) along to nibble at the waiting area. Also, as I was not prepared with any warm clothing to dispose of, I wore my short sleeve tee and CW-X tights and loitered in the hotel lobby trying to catch the last bus to the race site since it was freezing cold in the morning. Temperature is probably 8deg but with wind chill, it’s even lower.

Freezing but still smiling

I reached the race site by 4am and started shivering. There isn’t any covered holding area that you can seek shelter in, so I tried to hang around groups of runners hoping that they can provide some reprieve from the wind Another possible place to hide is the bag deposit counters where I spent a fair amount of time.

Port-a-loos are plenty and surprise! surprise! toilet paper is provided.

As this is a Disney run, I saw many runners dressed up in costumes. Spotted fairies, Minnie Mouse (very popular!), goofy and even a trio of runners dressed up as Pirates of the Caribbean. It was like a carnival and the atmosphere was very relax. There were runners of all shapes and sizes, grandpas and grandmas took part as well! Some even came prepared to walk the entire distance!

The route is generally flat and depending on which corral you are assigned to, there can be quite a bit of weaving around runners involved. I was put in the second last corral (corral G) and around me, there were quite a number of walkers. Nonetheless, I reminded myself to take it easy since I still have a marathon to run the following day.

Stopping for a picture with Donald & Daisy

My initial impression of Walt Disney run is that I’ll be running around the theme parks, but this is not really the case. Instead you run to the theme parks   and you spend quite a bit of time on the road… Though the scenery on the roads can be un-inspiring, the organizer try to lighten things up by placing Disney characters on the roads (you can stop to have your picture taken with them) and providing music, either by school bands or performers. These really help. But the cutest thing I noted was that the runners themselves were really spontaneous, some of them sang to the familiar tunes or danced to the notes of Y-M-C-A

My strategy for the half marathon was to take it really easy and try to complete by 3 hours. Since I was running with a Garmin Forerunner 305 I was able to track my speed and time, using kilometers instead of miles which is the unit of measurement used in the US, easily.

But, leggs had other ideas and I managed to return by 2hr 25min 20sec.

Crossing the finishing line. Check out the crowd!

With the Donald Duck medal

Commemorative 15th Anniversary Donald Duck Finisher medal

This is the route if you are interested, 2012-HalfMarathonMap

Post-race, I felt tightness in my calves and hamstrings and so spent some time stretching them. I made a trip to the expo and other than that, spent most of the day resting and eating.

Walt Disney World Marathon

With the lesson learned on the previous day, I kept the bivvy which they gave us after the Half Marathon, and wrapped myself in it to face the cold winds on this Sunday morning. Oh my, what a difference it made! Made of extremely thin, lightweight material, this is the perfect accompaniment to bring along for any races that requires one to wait in the cold. It was big enough to cover from my shoulder down to knee and saved me from shivering and teeth-chattering for over an hour.

Bivvy as a cape!

One thing to note though, it’s also popular to bring old clothing that you do not need and layer up in them to the race start, as items disposed off at the start point are collected and donated to the needy. It appears to be a common practice in the US.

Race start times and getting there is the same as before. Runners appear to be more serious and I observed noticeably lesser runners dressing up. Now I felt conscious with my Minnie Mouse ears perched on my head >.<

During the run, I tried to keep a slow and steady pace. I reminded myself timing is not important and as long as I came in within the allocated time, Goofy is mine. I kept my focus on the Goofy medal throughout the 42km. ( *chants* I flew a long long way for this…) My re-fueling strategy was to take a gel every 8km, but along the way, I incorporated an electrolyte tablet within each 8km stretch. So every 4km, I was either eating or popping something into my mouth. This I believe, helped to keep the cramps at bay.

The first sign that I was running faster than my usual marathon pace was when I saw that I had completed 16km (10 miles) in less than 2 hours. Pardon me, but I’m really slow And the next sign, was when I caught up with the 5hr pace group. I was like, “WHOA… how can that be? Are they off-track?” In my mind, I was hoping to complete within 6 hours.

Minnie on the loose

I ran with the 5hr group for a while to relieve boredom as well as to keep my pace up to ensure that I would complete under 6 hours. Not too sure what happened later but the group probably slowed for a drink at one of the water station while I continued on, and thereafter, I kept going and told myself not to let them catch me Never knew I can get competitive -.-!

By 10am, it finally got hot and I stopped sniffing on the run. Oh yeah, I actually brought tissue paper with me and was constantly wiping my nose with it. Somehow my nose tends to run in cold weather, perhaps due to climate change?

With the final 6km to go and an allowance of a WHOLE hour to clock a 5hr marathon, I was like “this is CRAZY!!” me, 5 hour?! Dear God, THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I could finally relax and walk a little…. with the realization that GOOFY IS MINE! WOOHOOO!

Leggs did me real proud by completing the marathon in 4hr 47min 20sec. *BEAMS* (and it’s a Peanut Butter!!)

Clutching both the Mickey & Goofy medals

Mickey Mouse Marathon Finisher medal

Goofy Medal. Thank you God for seeing me through

This is the route if you are interested, 2012-WDWMarathonMap

Post-race, I could hardly walk straight and climbing down stairs was a challenge. Wait a minute, even walking down a slight slope was an issue. I was positively stumbling all over

FYI, Donald Duck and Goofy were both standing at the finishing line of the Marathon with their hands extended, ready to high-5 the runners coming through… naturally, I had to slap both their hands!

is held in Orlando, Florida yearly and consists of Walt Disney World Half Marathon (held on Saturday) and Walt Disney World Marathon (held on the following Sunday). Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge simply means that if you sign up for this, you have to do *BOTH* the half and the full races on that weekend

I admit that it isn’t the lure of running consecutively for two days that got me hooked, it was the Goofy medal that I just had to have! You see, finishers of the half marathon gets a Donal Duck medal and finishers of the full marathon gets a Mickey Mouse medal. And for those goofy enough to do both, you get awarded with a third medal – the much coveted Goofy medal!

To top it off, these medals aren’t just plain ole round or rectangular shape, they are actually shaped like the characters! All the more for me to sign up for Goofy, since I have to fly half way round the world to get them

This race is never far from my mind and was just a matter of when?

Signing up for the race was relatively straight forward and once you’re in, the organizer will send you regular updates via email on the events. What I really liked was that, as an overseas participant, they made the process of getting to the race fuss free. From choosing a place to stay in Walt Disney, arranging the coach transportation from and to Orlando Airport to your hotel and back, and integrating the domestic flight to Orlando within the US. This web service is offered to everyone, but for an overseas participant like myself, it makes the logistics so much easier.

If you are doing the Walt Disney World races, I highly recommend using this service. I chose to fly with JetBlue from JFK Airport in New York and am pleased with the service provided. Did you know, JetBlue offers complimentary drink and snacks on their flights? Cool huh?

After arriving at Orlando Airport, get directions to Disney Magical Express counter. Here is where you will be issued with a coach ticket that will take you to your hotel in Walt Disney.

Disney Magical Express counter

Transportation voucher

The race expo is held at the ESPN World of Sports and transportation is provided free for everyone. Collection of the race bib and goody bag is fast, though there is quite a crowd at the expo itself. Attractively priced sporting products and race memorabilia galore and if you do see something that you like, do buy it then. When I went back on Saturday after the half marathon, most of the items were gone! Even the socks that I wanted to buy for my friends were sold out! Socks?! Sold out?!

The long sleeve race jerseys that came in the goody bag! Donald, Mickey and Goofy

Race jerseys

Different theme parks printed on the sleeves

Donald Half Marathon started from the Expo and ran through the Magic Kingdom, hence only two theme parks were printed on its jersey. Whereas, Mickey Marathon ran through all four theme parks and so included Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Up next, I’ll talk about the race itself.

Meal preparation is easy: Rip open the aluminium foil pack, add hot or boiling water, give the contents a good stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes for the water to be absorbed. Give thanks and tuck in.

I’ve dutifully ordered a few packets from Mountain House as well as Expedition Food, which sounded most appealing, to give it a go.

Here’s my take on Mountain House – Scrambled eggs with Ham and red & green peppers.

Eggs for breakfast?

What freeze dried eggs look like

Doesn't look too shabby huh?

I followed what some of the reviewers wrote and poured in less water than what was instructed, as well as letting it stand longer. Taste-wise, the scrambled eggs were pretty decent though it’s definitely not as fluffy nor creamy as how you would expect eggs to be like. But for freeze dried food, it’s not too bad. One thing to note though, I found it to be very salty and for someone who loves salty chips, even this was too much for me to handle. It will probably be alright if toast bread was available

Verdict?

Will bring it to Atacama!

Next up, Expedition Food – Sweet and Sour Chicken with Rice

Sweet and Sour chicken with Rice sans water

Where's the chicken?

This looked very promising straight out from the bag! I could see the rice grains, lotsa green beans and a few chunks of dried chicken. However, after watering it and waiting for the water to be absorbed, the final product LOOKED and TASTED very much like SWEET tomato puree It’s not just me, my colleague tasted it and found it sweet too.

Note that this is the regular serving, which is half the size of Expedition 800kcal serving. And even so, I couldn’t finish half of this.

Verdict?

Well, if I can’t even stomach this on a regular day, I doubt I will fancy it after a long day in the desert heat Not bringing this along.

What about you? Which is your favorite freeze dried food?

Compressport R2 calf sleeve

My first experience wearing compression calf sleeve. Other than the usual offering of black and white, this series came in orange, pink and blue as well. It was hard for me to resist the pink

From the website, wearing R2 compression calf sleeve is said to offer the following advantages,

• DTOX. Significant reduction in lactic acid build up during prolonged effort.
• Anti-fatigue. Shock and vibration absorption helps guard against injury and fatigue.
• Better performance in the short and long term, as well as improved resistance to effort.
• The special woven fibre enhances massage and optimizes comfort to the calf.
• Lightweight regardless of wet or dry as it does not retain water.

Having just completed a 20km run and a 10km trail walk that day (Sunday), I decided to wear them to sleep for recovery purposes and continued to wear them to work the next day (Monday). All in all, I had them on for 24 hours straight. As this was the first time I’ve ever worn a pair of compression calf sleeve, I was acutely aware of them throughout the entire duration.

If the bloated-ness I had experienced in my calves after the SCMS half marathon can be thought of as a balloon that is about to explode, then wearing these sleeves is very much the opposite. You can feel the firmness of the fabric wrapped around your calf, and the pressure is very much consistent throughout the entire leg. When at rest/recovery, the pressure I felt is firm, not tight.

I wore them for a test run (10km) on Tuesday evening and if my initial expectation of the sleeve was to magically remove any pain or strain I might feel on my shin and calves, than that was not the case. My expectations were not correct. Nonetheless, they felt alright on the evening run.

The true test remained when I wore them out for a longer 30km run last Sunday morning (prior to the run, I had clocked 28km for the past week, with 10km being ran with the sleeves on). It was an overcast day, breezy and very humid.

Personally, I didn’t feel a mark reduction in the lactic acid build up. The legs still felt heavy at certain distances and the longer I wore them into the run, the tighter they felt. Finally at the 23km mark, I decided to remove them and continued a further 5km before it started to rain.

Red patches observed on my right calf when the sleeve was removed At this juncture, I’m not sure what might have caused this. It wasn’t a hot day at all when I ran and I had wore the same sleeve for 24 hours before without any problem. Perhaps it’s a combination of perspiration and fabric?

I might try it out during a day run again and if red patches re-appear, I will probably end up using this for recovery purposes in Atacama, rather than use them in the day since temperatures are expected to hit up to 40degrees.

Have you encountered something similar before? Do you know what might cause this?

So for each day for the past week, I would send a letter to different group of friends: friends from University, girl friends who run with me, folks from church, ex-colleagues and the friendly folks who I ride with (actually, I only see them at the start and end point. In-between, I’m often left biting dust.)

What worries me when these emails get sent out is, do the recipient actually receive it? It’s not that I think the mail server is bonk, rather I wonder if people read emails anymore? You see, the common mode of electronic communication between my friends is usually via IM, SMS, whatsapp, Facebook updates and Facebook messages. And unless the email address I have on hand is their work email, do they check their hotmail/yahoo/gmail mailbox? And if yes, how regularly?

So when I don’t hear anything from my friends, I wonder if they have silently deleted my letter before reading it, cos I admit, it is a bit lengthy… or worse, have added my email address to spam *insert sad face*

Hence, when I get a reply from you guys giving me your support, I’m really pleased *insert happy face*

To those who have replied to me personally, MANY THANKS for reading the letter & showing your support! Each note of encouragement is truly precious to me *-*

Dear God, over to you now.