Running log : 27/Oct/2009

Tossing and turning at 5am. Snooze waiting for 5.30am alarm to get ready for a run outside the house.

This time, after advice from my colleague, try to pick up the speed and do sprinting when possible.

Managed to shave about 4 minutes from my previous run. It was tough, very very uncomfortable and tiring. Almost throw up at the end of the run.

But this is far better compare to 1 month ago when I started running. This is definitely an improvement. I am happy about the process.

5km : 30m26s

Brilliant!!!!

Saturday morning OAH to GS ride

Saturday morning, managed to get 2 of my colleagues and Ee to wake up at 5+am and get ready to ride from Orang Asli Hospital to Genting Sempah. Distance of 32km on return trip. Nice hills to cover. First 16km are mostly uphill with the return journey mostly downhill. What a reward for the grinding going up.

Took me about 1 hour (excluding the stops waiting for the gang), will like to reduce that to 50 minutes next time.

Both of them love the ride and already planned for the next one.

Will do it once a month. Hopefully.

Sunday afternoon, forced myself to go to IOI for RPM class, Ken was the instructor, replacing Alvin. Really felt the tiredness of the legs, but it was good, flush out the acid, keep the momentum going.

Will see if I have the strength to go to today evening RPM class.

Wonder when is my rest day?

Weekend is coming close

Today is the rest day. Been doing some sort of exercise daily for the last 4-5 days. Need a rest, before the ride tomorrow.

Let's see

Saturday 60km ride

Sunday RPM class

Monday RPM class

Tuesday 5km run

Wednesday Bodypump class

Thursday 5km Run

I think I deserved a rest day :)

24/Oct/2009 : Riding from Hospital Orang asli, Jalan Gombak to Genting Sempah. Total distance will be about 32KM, that will take less than 2 hours.

Maybe will attempt to make a coffee cake tomorrow, taking the recipe from PioneedWoman. Here. 

Sunday maybe will bring the family to the mall. Haven't done this for ages. 

Have a good weekend. Picture of the saturday morning ride will be posted soon. 

T-Mobile Sidekick issue

This problems reminds me of the problem Sun Microsystems experience with eBay.

This need to be handle properly, even though one vendor may not be totally responsible for the cause of the problem. it does not mean it cannot benefit from handling the "crisis" as a partner of the customer.

Sun's top executive actually had conference call with eBay everyday, i.e Scott McNealy actually sit in the call. And Sun sent a team of expert on site to help eBay fixing their problem. I think from that experience, Sun gain the trust of eBay and also other large enterprise customer.

Well, learn from this.

Running log : 20/Oct/2009

Did RPM #44 last night at IOI, instructor was Fong. 3rd sessions after the release, was getting used to it now. Only suffered in track 7, really enjoyed track 6, the speed track and track 5, the interval training track. Not a fan of the song selection. 

Still suffer from the ache from the Saturday morning ride and the RPM last night, went out to run this morning at 6am.

5km : 35m20s.

Not a great time, actually been slacking. But need mileage on the leg. Suffered a little bit.

Next official run on 1/November for Terry Fox.

Gym log : 16/Oct/2009

Get into the gym early. Did a 1.5km run before the RPM class.

RPM release 44 is tough. Knees were shaking after the class. Track 6 and 7 was pretty nice. Getting to enjoy it a little more. Hopefully get to like all after some time.

After the class, felt like do some running, did another 1+km run. Just to get the feel of running after some cycling. 

Felt good. 

Tomorrow will do 60km around Putrajaya outer ring. If the weather hold. 

RPM and BodyPump Sizzler

Coolness. Taken from here.

RPM 45 Sizzler

RPM™ 45 is all about creating awareness of how to use resistance. Show your class how much resistance to use, how to find it, what it feels like and what the benefits are. Also coach your class to ride fast – find the working load and ride the beat! Set off on the open road to the uplifting classic Life Is A Highway. Your heart rate will pick up in Track 2 with three fast sprints and one small climb.

Use this track to find the right working load. Listen to the lyrics in Track 4! Take a leap of faith and close your eyes when you hit the fast sprints to All On Our Own by New Zealand band Midnight Youth. Power equals force times speed. The more resistance you use, the further distance you are going to travel and the more calories you're going to burn. So switch on to power up! Track 5 is all about razor-sharp attacks. Don't be fooled by the fun nature of The Prodigy's Piranha – this is intense and you will be challenged! Quadruple resistance turns and Standing Attacks will push your heart rate through the roof. Speed is the focus for Track 6. Gradually increase your leg speed to this iconic RPM™ track – Bruised Water by Chicane featuring Natasha Bedingfield. Switch from speed to strength in Track 7. Look out for the heavy Power Climbs!
Recover to The Man Who Can't Be Moved from Irish band The Script. Let the heartbeat drop before stretching and lengthening your muscles to Adele's beautiful Chasing Pavements.

BODYPUMP 72 Sizzler

BODYPUMP® 72 is all about making your class stronger,faster. How? By focusing on Bottom Halves and Partial Range movements, the rest phase is eliminated and the muscles are kept under tension for longer. Look forward to a challenging workout and an overall strength blast where active recovery is your only break! Brace your abs and prepare for more Bottom Halves than you bargained for in the Squats Track. Kelly Clarkson will motivate you to keep going with her huge hit I Do Not Hook Up. New Zealand's own Dane Rumble sings Track 3 – Always Be There. Bottom Halves and Slow Bottom Halves will put your chest muscles under tension for a little bit longer than usual. Ouch! The good news is this will give you results faster. The Triceps Track is sweet like Sugar! Again, Bottom Halves are the name of the game.

Challenge yourself and go a bit heavier than normal in the rocky and upbeat Biceps Track. The Bicep Row returns, attacking your guns from a different direction. It's back to the legs in the intense Track 7. The Lunges stick with the theme of the release – you guessed it – lots of Bottom Halves that will push up your heart and burn calories. The
Shoulders Track is a tribute to the legend that is Michael Jackson – make sure you watch the DVD for this one! The range of motion in the Singles has been shortened to ¾ Range. Grit your teeth and hang on! Ciara and Justin Timberlake will take you through the Abdominals Track with Love Sex Magic. The mix of deep, lower abdominals work and the Walking Hover will chisel your six-pack and at the same time strengthen your core.

Sunday morning ride at Putrajaya

Initial plan was to do one loop of the Putrajaya 70.3 bike route. But due to the weather, it was cut short and exist the loop at Alamanda on way to the car.

Need to start getting 40+km 3-4 times a week in preparation for Putrajaya Triathlon relay.

Running log : 4/Oct/2009

Sunday 4/oct : 5km run : 36m39s

Tuesday 6/oct : 5km run : 34m42s

Target : 6-8km until end november

Interesting traveling web site

http://www.yongo.biz/frame.htm

Anyone interested in going to Tibet next year 2/may?

Or eastern europe? Slovakia, Poland and Czek?

Running log : 2/Oct/2009

Very close now. 

Today's log : 4.8km in 34m27s.

I am very happy with the timing. Now I will focus on extend couple of hundred meters and then then increase the speed.

Well done!!! :)

Running log : 1/Oct/2009

After 1 week not running, determine to resume the training and got the alarm to wake me up at 5.45am. Muscle still a little sore from Wednesday morning 1.5km run and the BodyPump class.

Run from my house to 7-Eleven at PutraHeight. Estimated distance of about 4km.

Amazingly, I was feeling good for the entire distance, took 1-2 minutes of rest at the u-turn point. I was thinking of doing the 5km, but decided to pace myself.

Total distance : 4km
Time : 30m1s

Great. Estimated by mid of October I will be on 5km.

Well done!!!

3 Ways to Be a Loving Parent

Interesting read from Livestrong.com

1. Practice Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement encourages good behavior and discourages bad behavior while building self-esteem and confidence in children. How you communicate with your child partially shapes how he sees himself. Children who receive only criticism from their parents can develop negative self-images. On the other hand, children who consistently receive positive reinforcement become more self-assured. Reinforce good behavior consistently, even when it's expected. If your daughter did her chores without being asked, tell her how proud you are that she acted responsibly. Reward large accomplishments, such as making the honor roll. Don't, however, reward your children for ordinary achievements.

Disciplining a child can teach the difference between right from wrong, one of the most loving things you can do. Positive reinforcement can modify bad behavior by expressing your awareness of the child's feelings and desires, setting clear limits, looking for ways to compromise and allowing the child to express dissatisfaction. When condemning bad behavior, focus on the behavior, not on the child. Start a reprimand with reinforcement, and then follow by criticizing the act. For example, you could say, "You are a smart boy, but you acted irresponsibly when you didn't do your homework."

2. Listen Actively

Listening intently to your child is an act of love. Children who know that their parents care about their thoughts and feelings feel more secure and valued. However, listening actively requires more than just sitting quietly while your kids talk. Reflect what your kids say back to them, ask relevant questions and show empathy to indicate that you are really listening.

Help your child come up with their own solutions. Encouraging your kids to brainstorm different options to resolve their problems shows that you are engaged in what they care about while teaching critical problem-solving skills and independent thinking. Resisting the urge to tell a child what to do and helping him discover it on his own pays dividends in the end.

3. Learn How to Apologize

Children usually learn best by example. To teach your kid how to take responsibility for her actions, it's important to apologize to her whenever you are wrong. Kids need to learn that no one is perfect, not even their parents. Apologizing to your kids shows them that you are fallible and teaches lessons about forgiveness. A good apology should clarify what you did wrong, express remorse without making excuses and ask for forgiveness. Apologies show children that you love them and value their feelings towards you.