The month of December

It's nearly year end.  What have I been up to?

Well for starters, 1st week of December wait, more like 2nd week of December on the 10th and 11th to be exact was HobbyCon 2011 5th year anniversary.  And since I have a costume, which I had planned and wore during halloween, might as well right?  I joined the All Star March as Evil McDonald (McMassy).  The difference in face paint.

Photo credits to Radzie

And for HobbyCon.

Different cause I use face paint for the recent one.  Thanks to Sakuya for helping me with my face paint and AJay for helping me patch.  I'm not sure why the paint cracks, seems like I'm not the only one with this problem, maybe next time will try to put moisturizer?  I don't know.  If there is a next time hur hur.

Funny facts, adults scared of my Evil McMassy cos kids love it.  Okay.  Weird but okay.  It's not easy eating when you have face paint cracking and falling on your dress *facepalm.

Cutting all the stories short, the best part was this.  Drawn by Aks Kwan.

Too bad both of us weren't in our costumes.

Another exciting thing is sketches by Rungitom.

There's another sketch by Aks Kwan but I think I didn't take any photo of it, it's save with the comic :) safely wrap in plastic hehe.


Now that's done.  Lets go check what's going on with my running.

I've been having this nagging pain on my right shin for months.  I know I should have get it looked at earlier but sometimes I can endure so much pain that I totally forgot I have it.  And only got it check if it gets annoying.  So, early December, it finally got to me.  I was frustrated cause I had to stop my daily HIIT routine, reason being my 4 mins HIIT consist of a lot of jumping and leg work, I couldn't jump at all.  It got on my nerves.  Was gonna get it fix the traditional way but couldn't so went to the doctor instead.  Doc said to go for a scan + blood check cause I might have sclerosis?  Okay, so doc gave me pain killers and "salonpas" cream.  It was annoying, pain still there.

Went to meet with Tabib Huang at Likas and he pulled my back twice, pain was gone.  10 year old back injury from a fall I had at college.  I even tested run around the compound just to make sure.  Decided to do a test run on the Sunday, 16km, pain came back, I'm guessing the swollen veins aren't fully healed yet so went to another doctor to get it check.  Doc said I have muscle spasm and gave me some meds and suggested I soak my legs in warm water with ginger for 5 mins every now and then.

Did that few times already, pain still there but not as bad.  What I notice lately, during my last Sunday run, friends said I look pale and my lips started to turn blue.  Okay.  Experiencing a number of numbness around the leg, more often than usual.  The hell!  *frustrated.  I'm not a big fan of resting.  Resolve to cycling.  30 mins anytime I can.  Funny how my right shin only pain when I run.  Manage to maintain a 6:30 mins pace last Tuesday test run for 5km but couldn't go any faster.  No pain when running, after run the poking came back.

Sure a lot of rest day.  Sienz.

Here's what happen yesterday.  Saturday.  In the morning, had a 4 mins HIIT (consist of 1 mins high knee, 1 mins push ups, 1 mins jumping jacks and 1 mins mountain climber with 10 seconds rest intervals), then proceed with 30 mins cycling on the stationary bike with 49km/h speed, was trying to maintain a 50km/h but headache cause my sleeping hours been screwed up quite often lately.  Then continued workout at Alpha Wolf bootcamp (facebook here) around 4:30pm.  My first time there, been wanting to go for a long time but couldn't since I was focusing on training for marathon.  I thought it starts at 4pm lol.  I went off around 3pm, well I sort of estimated my time of arrival since from where I'm staying it probably will take roughly half an hour drive to get there.  But guess what?  I reach there early, like before 4pm and wasn't sure if that's the place since nobody was there yet.  Waited till other friends arrive. 

A lot of doods.  Only 4 girls that day.  That day's workout is warm up session then a group of 5 drag and flip 220kg tire for 40 metres.  I'm in the last group.  Dragging a big tire with 4 doods is quite overwhelming, at one point I thought I was on air cause had to keep up with the guys.  Then flip it, I think I wasn't on full effort cause the guys did most of the lifting.  It was fun nevertheless. 

Some photos leeched from Ian.

I don't think I can pull a 220kg tire on my own, heck, when I was pulling this without the guys I couldn't even move it.  The fark!

And then here we go the flipping.

Can you see me?

Is my height = tire? Curious.

How 'bout now?

Final tire pull, friends said my face went all pale and lips turn blue.  Okay that's the 2nd time.  The fark!  I am not feeling lightheaded or dizzy.  I think my blood flow is a bit screwed up, somewhere. 

If you wanna join in the fun, visit em here.  Em peeps are funny, less awkward for me.  And no fees, just a donation of RM5 (if you're willing) for future equipments.  Would definitely join again!

But...yes, there is a but...

My Sunday long run is in the morning.  Usually 4am or 5am depending on the mileage.  This morning woke up with minor thigh sore.  Went for a 10km fun run for people who started running.  Initially there was gonna be around 3 girls and 6 doods joining us for the run but it didn't happen.  Maybe next time.  This morning, 6 doods and me hehe.  Not only I couldn't get to a 6:30 mins pace, I struggled to even maintain a 7 mins pace.  I couldn't wait to reach the end point and I'm only halfway there.  It was tough, heck I prepared myself with having breakfast but somehow it felt heavy and forced.  Today's progress is depressing.  When I reach the 10km mark, okay add another 100 meter.  I totally stop before I could add another 300 meter which I usually do.  Completed 10.1km in 1 hour 14 mins 51 seconds.  *slowclapping at self.  And the sore after that fuuuh~ I have never experienced.  Okay maybe I have but I totally forgot how it felt till today.  My thighs were in so much pain, weird that shin has minor pain.  And it felt like I had a butt workout.  My arms were sore too.  At that point I was praying to god that I still can drive myself back lol. 

Had McD breakfast and drove home after that.  I dreaded stairs cause my room is upstairs and I was going up and down for god knows how many times.  I soaked my legs in ginger warm water for 5 mins but the soreness around the thighs were so great that it took me awhile to even stand lol.  Should have sleep but I was doing chores and finally done that, started with this long blog post.

Don't worry, it won't get any longer, I'm finishing up cause I need to shower.  So, moral of the story, don't beat your body to the extent of soreness (even though I can handle pain) and still go for a run the next day.  Now, how to make body not sore and still goes for run?  How the hell am I gonna go for both?!  le sigh.  But I guess for the time being, I'll focus on running cause I'm gonna run my first marathon next year.  Wish me luck!