Back in the blog once again after being inactive for so long.
Craze Ultra 2012, was a marathon I registered this year in May. It was a mad decision as no training was done due to injury and laziness. However, I was still crazy enough to run the race without much preparation as I have pacers to help me out along the way. At first, I planned to run with bro Fu Ad but he didn't came to due to his ankle injury. Luckily, Ariffin went with me in the end.
Me and Ariffin at the left side
We didnt start off running much as I was afraid of wasting energy so we went off the first 3km walking. Until the 3km point (estimate), we decided to start running as we spent like 45 minutes just walking! We ran slowly and stopped sometimes, till the 12km mark. I was literally struggling already and my timing was real bad. (10km: 1h 45m due to frequent walks) I became serious after CP-1 and started jogging slowly towards CP-2 (Woodlands Waterfront). It was a hard process, as my further distance was 15km (2XU Compression Run) and not much preparation was done as I've mentioned.
Ariffin started with a technique to get me to run faster. The technique was '5 min rest, 10 min run'. He wanted me to run at his pace when we started running, and rest when he told me to do so. We tried this and it works surprisingly, but it came off when we hit 21km mark. (CP-2) The moment I reached CP-2, I drank 5 cups of isotonic (Hammer Heed). I regretted doing it as I experienced bloated stomach soon after. I couldn't run/jog properly for the next 30 minutes, so the best thing I could do is to rest. I lied down flat on the ground and relaxed before heading for the next 21km. It was tough mentally and physically.
After resting, I headed for the next 21km by slowly walking and jogging. At 25km mark, I met Hazel Goh as she was running and decided to accompany us along the way. I loved the way she talked to us and we also chatted with her along the way while jogging or walking. She was a generous lady, treated me figs (type of fruit that actually gives you energy) and even ice-cream and drink! I was surprised by her generosity and thanked her along the way. If the running community is full of people like her, it would be perfect. She gave me and Ariffin advices and share with us her journey such as running marathons or climbatons.
With Ariffin and Hazel help, I managed to complete 43km in 9hours and 27 minutes. It was a great run, although the timing was below average, I enjoyed with the atmosphere of the race and my buddies.
I will definitely be training up for future marathons or if possible, ultra-marathons.
It's the time of the year again, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all Muslims, may this season bring you excellent health, happiness and success in whatever you do.
No I'm not talking about Peanut Butter Jelly time, this PB here refers to Personal Best.
Last afternoon, at about 3.15pm, Lenney Fuad, My Dad and I set off to do one clockwise loop around MacRitchie. As it has been some time since I last did the clockwise route, I kinda forgot about some uphills, espcially the one after the Ranger Station. I was running at a very easy fat burning pace of about 7 to 8 minutes/km, I was also trying out my new hydration bag that Abang Sam bought for me. It is pretty good and snug fitting, it does make a little noise when running, but that is perfectly fine with me. I ran bare-bodied as I wanted to try how it would feel like with a hydration bag on too, it was fine and I didn't get any abrasions. The run was very enjoyable as Fuad shared many interesting stories with me. Fuad used to weigh 140kg, and he has lost almost 70 kg through regular exercise and monitoring of his diet. I will be running alongside Fuad for the TNF 25km run.
As he likes to put it, ''It is as tough some one stepped out of me!'"
Well that sure is true. He lives to his motto of enjoying what you do. He didn't take any pills or supplements during his weight loss period, he preferred the natural way. Well, although it did take about 2-3 years for him to shed off the 70kg, it was a fun journey that he enjoyed. He is a person who mantains a very low-key, but he is very knowledgeable, friendly and wise. It was a great pleasure to have join us again after almost 3 months, we last ran with him in the 2XU Compression Run. Fuad was contstantly monitoring Lenney's Pace and at the 9km mark, Fuad asked Lenney to push for his PB.
"Think of something that makes you angry, GO FOR IT LENNEY!"
That's a great way to fire yourself up for the final stretch of runs, and yes, Lenney did achieve his 10km PB with 1:10, a great achievement for him. And I'm sure he will achieve an even better timing at flat road races. It is an added bonus in addition to the 13kg he has lost since he has started running last year. It is really inspiring to see people around me defying the odds, and making jaws drop to the floor.
After the run..
I'm proud to call these brothers my fellow Maverickz. Maverickz is a new community that Lenney, Fuad and I are honored to be part of. We'll fill you guys in about Maverickz in the posts to come, in the meantime, like their Facebook Page to keep updated.
Well, it's Monday again, hang in there till you can say TGIF.
For most of us, it might seem like it was just another ordinary Saturday to kick back and let loose, but for the 60 people who had gathered at Pasir Ris Beach Park, it was truly an extraordinary day. They witnessed the happiest day of a young princess' life.
Princess' Party
Putri Nittra Tazqiah who is more affectionately known as Putri is a liver cancer patient who is currently receiving treatment at KKH Women's and Children's Hospital. The progress of her cancer is in Stage IV, which means that her cancer has meta-sized, and has spread to other parts of her body. In other words, her cancer is very aggressive, and she has little or almost no chance of survival.
Everyone in this world is born different, each with a specific purpose that they will figure out as time unfolds. As for Putri, she has been diagnosed with cancer since she was 1 year and 3 months old. So whatever purpose the higher world has entrusted Putri with, was certainly a special one.
For most parents, hearing doctors setting a cruel 'deadline' would be enough to make them lose hope and start counting down the days. But as for Yati Mohd, Putri's Mother, this only futher strengthened her resilient spirit. She remained strong, and wasn't willing to ever give up the fight. In fact, she set out on a mission. To use the power of love to grant Putri happiness, and to spread the lesson that she believes all parents can learn from Putri.
Well, one of Putri's dreams is to be a princess. So yesterday, sponsors and volunteers from all walks of life came together to join Yati Mohd's mission to turn Putri's dreams into a reality. There was a Princess-Themed Tea Party organized by the HeartGivers held yesterday, and we at The Great Escape were honored to attend and cover the event.
'Look here Putri!'
Ariffin and I arrived there about an hour before the start of the event and helped out with the setting up of the place. The event space was transformed into a mini princess palace, with a beautiful pink and white theme. There was a candy corner, a buffet spread, a long table for the princesses to dine at and even an entertainment corner with Magicians, Balloon Twisters and Face painters. This event is a fully-sponsored event, it is not a fund-raising event but an event to make Putri's dreams come true.
About 45 minutes before the start of the event, I believe Hasria Hashim and Nadia Baharuddin was in-charge of the volunteers yesterday, gave a very inspiring speech as she delegated the roles to the volunteers. She reminded the volunteers to set differences aside to make Putri's dreams a reality. And the volunteers did just that, ensuring a very smooth flow of the proceedings and making everyone smile from ear to ear.
Putri made her grand princess-like entrance with a beautiful champagne gold dress, skipping happily to the event site. The shutter sound and flashes of many cameras filled the air as the beautiful Putri got crowned by her mother. She was also given a wand and a ring too. She innocently put the ring near her ear thinking it was a earring, which immediately brought tears of joy to all of us around. How cute of her!
(note: please view from youtube as the background song is playing)
Putri soon joined the many other Beautiful Princesses at the long dining table, there was even a Ballerina and a Prince in attendance too. After the scrumptious feast, Putri's sister, Nasha, celebrated her 10th Birthday! Putri also cut a cake to celebrate! Then it was free and easy after that as the children were kept in awe by the enterainment and the parents and other invited guests mingled around with each other and of course all eyes were on the princess, as she took great pleasure in simple things like blowing bubbles and playing with her wand. Ariffin and I managed to snap a picture with the princess as she was blowing bubbles!
As for us at The Great Escape, we had a fruitful chat with Rima McDonald. She was the one that initiated the charity drive for Little Nur and now Hasria Hashim and her is leading the HeartGivers. She says that her main aim is to promote the spirit of volunteering among youths, for youths. She says that our previous post 'God Loved Her More' actually was one of the key driving forces in the formation of the HeartGivers, it was really an honour for us to hear that, and we were very happy to see HeartGivers formed up and now readily offering their services to put a smile on children's faces. They do conduct weekly visits to hospitals and are working with other organizations for collaborations in future events too.
Putri blowing bubbles!!
It was nice to see things shaping up in the HeartGivers, it is heartening to see that despite the busy Singaporean lifestyle that most of us are programmed to lead, there are still people out there who are willing to sacrifice their time for a selfless purpose. These people spend their time to make sure others have a good time. And HeartGivers unites these people and provides them with an ideal independent platform to reach out to those in need.
Singaporeans are too concerned about their selfish wants. One of the main excuses is the lack of time, but if you really want something, you won't have to find the time to do it.. You will MAKE the time to do it. A small action does a long way, even turning up at events like this is enough for a start.
To be able to put others satisfaction and happiness above yours is not something easy. No one ever said it was easy, but we got to remember that we are very fortunate, and we should reach out our hands to the less fortunate, and the intention to do this must be pure and must come from within.
The joy of being volunteer for me.. is to be able to see the smile on her face. Putri had never celebrated any party in her life before, and I felt honoured to be able to attend and help.
Although I only made a small contribution to the event, I know I did my best. I tell myself every time no matter in studies or sports how bad I score, the only thing that mattered was giving my absolute best.
I volunteered because I want to contribute to a cause I care about. It all started with Little Nur, To be able to help her by asking others to join the cause and promoting it through running is also something great for me. Let us start contributing to the society.
If you are interested to become a volunteer, you can fill up this form here.
I hope that HeartGiver's mission will spread the message of volunteering and many will come on-board to join them.
Thanks for using your precious time to read my post.
As I am posting this, I am still wide awake at 1am in the morning as I had a late nap from 6pm to 11pm just now. Hope I don't screw up my body clock.
Lately, after school has reopened, I find myself procrastinating a lot, I have been exercising a lot lesser too. The tummy is reappearing. My laziness always gets the better of me, and I am losing the very essence of running. I don't know what's the reason for my lack of motivation. I keep saying that I want to change my lifestyle, but it never happens. And that doesn't mean I'm fairing well for my academics or any other aspect of my life either, it's still bad. I really wanna change this so badly. It makes me very sad what I have become now. I know action speaks louder than words, but I just had to write this out somewhere.. I have let down many important people who are close to me recently too, and I do not want to disappoint them any further.
Running and Life aren't two different things, they are the same. If I have discipline to train, I'll have discipline to work hard for my studies too. I want to succeed as bad as I want to breathe..
I need discipline, I need to be compassionate, I need to prioritize, I need to separate my needs from my wants. I need to focus on what I have, keep working at it, and produce some results. A lot of stuff is happening around me, but instead of pointing fingers, I understand that the reason of these stuff happening lies within me.
These is what Arafat told me after I briefly shared with him my problems.. "
"Believe in yourself, do your best in anything that you do and submit yourself to the higher world, miracles will happen."
I am very grateful for his advice, and I'll heed it.
I really hope this isn't a one off thing, and that I will slowly make changes and turn my life around, and to make the people around me happy.
Tomorrow, I'll be attending a Tea Party organized by the HeartGivers and I'll be doing a blog post of the event too. You can find out more about the event from their press release.
Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I have posted.
Just woke up and had dinner after my long sleep.. about 3 hours?
Started my Sunday with an awesome run with my fellow brothers.
Ariffin Arafat Me
Me and Ariffin ran a total of 10km while Arafat, Ezan and Ariffin's father went for 8.2km. We are all winners, and I am really glad that Arafat completed his first long run in trails!
And here's a video of us in middle of Macritchie.. the Ranger's station resting..
My 3 days stay at KL, was a short but memorable one. A good race, with great company! :-)
Many who went there achieved their PBs, despite the many steep climbs in the race.
"Don't try anything new on race day that you haven't tried in training before." I defied that saying on race day. As I had just lost by Bikilas the week before, Ezan lent me his Nike Air Shoes before the race. It was quite flexible too, I just feared that I will not experience cramping again, like what happened when I wore my Asics during the 15km Progressive Series Run. His shoe was quite flexible and had minimal cushioning too.
The full marathon was flagged off at 4.30am, my 21km started at 6.00am sharp. I figured that if I stuck to a 5.30 pace, I will be able to get a timing of 1:50 or lower.
At the start line, I met a couple of familiar faces like Qi Hui and Ivan, along with many other F1 Runners. Even at the start line, my tummy was already making lots of noise which only I could here despite the loud head-banging dub-step music being played. The stomach pains, was most probably due to the 100PLUS I drank earlier, they both don't exactly get along well.
At the start line in Dataran Merdeka
I ran the first 5km of the race in about 23:40, way too fast, guess the pre-race excitement got the better of me once again, I slowed down to avoid a poor finish, and to go back on pace. Reached the 10k mark at about 51 minutes. The pace seemed relatively comfortable, and a sub 1:50 finish looked achievable. That was when the belly of the beast awakened.
For the next 10km, I slowed down my pace a lot, but I did not stop. I didn't consume any gels or bananas as I was afraid it will worsen my stomachache. I even thought of sitting on the portable thrones, but I told myself that I could hold it off till the end.I didn't drink any isotonic drinks along the route either. Where are non-carbonated drinks when you needed them? It was a truly tough mental battle, but nothing was going to stop me.
Arafat was tracking me using a mobile app, and according to the app, I passed the 15.5km mark at 1:20:18 with a pace of 05:11min/km.
I did experience some signs of cramping, so at around the 16km, I alllowed the volunteers to spray some Salonpas at my legs. I didn't experience any cramps for the run, and my post-race recovery was much quicker compared to the Sundown Marathon.
So, after a hard fought battle with the belly of the beast, I manage to cross the finishing line with a PB of 01:52:25, knowing that my next target would be a sub 1:50. Despite the hills and the boring views, it was a good run and a great learning experience for me. Many fellow Singaporeans were present at the race too, most of them nailing their PBs due to the good weather conditions.There were many familiar faces from IMD and of course the Freaks too.
My Dad ran the 10.6km run in 01:14, despite a injury.
At the end of the race, while we were waiting for Shariff to finish, one of the runners slipped near the finish line and suffered a injury above his right eye, it swelled up immediately and most of us runners rushed to his aid. He was an elderly Japanese Man, thankfully there was a lady who could speak Japanese nearby. We elevated his legs, and formed a human wall to shade him. Once again, we see the unity that sports brings about. Although there was an ambulance nearby, it took more than 10 minutes for it to arrive. The Policeman there was very unprofessional and asked runners to carry the man to the side of the road, when clearly the man was shaking violently, carrying him would only further aggravate his possible injuries. We took instructions from a lady who had some medical knowledge. She advised us to elevate his legs and another man was constantly keeping track of his pulse. While the Japanese Lady constantly encouraged him and was speaking to him. A couple of runners started to fan him too. The ambulance arrived soon after, I hope he had a speedy recovery.
Shariff arrived at about 06:08, his fastest in 2012 thus far. We all finished together.
Well, my next overseas run will be the PBIM in November where I will be running the 10km Junior Category. This time, all of Team Maverickz will be participating, so we will surely have great fun.
I'm blogging from Changi Airport Terminal 1 right now using the Blogger App. I can't exactly say that I am ready for this run, I'm quite exhausted after returning from the 5 days @ OBS just yesterday.
The 5 days at OBS wasn't exactly fun, but I had a very satisfying time helping my team mates through mental and physical challenges and putting a smile on their faces.
I learnt that 'It's the small actions in life that matter,' and also I learnt what is truly necessary for us. Bathing in Quarries and playing classic card games like Old Maid, or simply watching the stars in the night in sticky sweaty tents, it was all an eye-opening experience on how we were losing our connection with nature.
Even simple things like listening to Payphone in the middle of a 11 Hour Sea Expedition was a luxury. It was simple, priceless fun with the peeps, despite the rain, mud, and their allies. At the end of the 5 days, new bonds were made, and unforgettable memories have been created. It has made me a better outdoor leader too, with new skills of prioritising and providing feedback. I can apply these skills in my everyday life too. I would love to return to OBS in the future.
This is my watch, Tenzing from Camp 2 Alpha. We are a bunch of vibrant colours, and when we come together, our strength is amplified and our weaknesses are minimised.
Tenzing is like any cloud in the sky, with 4 stages.
1. Forming Stage
- Where we as single clouds start to merge to form a larger cloud, we are all very polite and formal.
2. Norming Stage
- We get used to one another, getting to know personalities, strengths and weaknesses, the cloud is large and heavy now.
3. Storming Stage
- We let it loose, we are out of our comfort zone, we are all tensed, sticky and sweaty, pushed both physically and mentally, it brings out both the best and the worst among us. Rain pours out from the cloud. Flashes of brilliance, lightning, also appear.
4. Rainbow
- The different colors come together to form a spectacular sight for all to see. We are united and share a common vision, the end is in sight, we truly understand one another and have seen the products of our unity.
This was shared to us by our instructor, Kerrie. I admire the high level of professionalism and discipline displayed by all the instructors at OBS.
The stars wouldn't shine if it wasn't for the dark, guess what, all they needed was a spark.
Tenzing, our paths in life may not lead to crossroads, but we will always have the spirit of Tenzing in us.
Showing the people around me that if they wanted to do it, they could do it was very satisfying. Out shared hunger and desire for success made us unstoppable.
Right now, I'm going to board the plane. Haven't been in one for almost two years now, I will give my absolute best and enjoy myself in KL. Soon after, I have to focus more on my studies, to bring up my grades.
Today after a fun-filled Banana Relay, I was heading back home with Lenney, and when I got home, an unpleasant surprise awaited me. Usually I will velcro my Bikilas to the strings on my haversack, but today when I reached home, I noticed that my Bikilas were not there anymore.
I boarded bus service 856 from Admiralty Road (BEF R.M.N. Barracks) at abt 1130am to Yishun Bus Interchange. Then we took 853 for just one stop as we took the wrong bus, headed back to Yishun MRT and took the train to Toa Payoh MRT.
I think the shoes would most probably dropped inside bus 856. This is a picture of my shoes.
Please contact me at 90908905 if you have seen it, thanks.
Yes, we did get a face lift! Thanks to Lenney Leong for adding in the soothing music by Yiruma to our blog. Also our banner is shot by Adi Sufian, the awesome photographer/teacher we met at the Metta Charity Run. Oh, and did I mention he is a marathon runner and used to be a PTI, together with super agent Moon too before?
Yes, the complete package.
This is my personal favourite photo.
Team SBR (Crazy Poses)
I just received the certificate for the Metta Charity Run this afternoon as I was on my way back home.
After an awesome 4 day retreat in KL with my mates, I came back today. Had lots of fun, and my waistline might have gained a couple of inches too I guess. But its ok, there's nothing a good dose of pavement pounding can't solve.
The hotel we stayed in had a state-of-the-art gymnasium, on the first day I ran for about 15 minutes at a 12km/h pace and 5 minutes at a 13km/h pace. The second morning, I ran for 10 minutes at a 13.5km/h pace, followed by some static core strengthening exercises, and finished off with 5 minutes at 14km/h. It was a killer pace, the music played over the stereos kept me going, and the stunning views too. You could look at the same landscape for a 100 times and still be amused. We spent a lot of time in the pool, doing what we like to call 'play water.'(I don't know how to swim) Unless, you accept an unsynchronised series of motions, with the occasional dramatic gasp for air which I like to call the doggy-style. ;-)
The best children's movie I ever watched, great morals!
I had a great time during the trip and I can't wait to visit KL again on the 23rd for the SCKLM Half Marathon, but before that Lenney and I will be Going Bananas this Sunday, we will be volunteering for Ben's ultra fun filled no frills relay run. And then next week we'll have a 5 Day Outward Bound Singapore Course in Pulau Ubin too.
So after a fun-filled trip, it's now back to reality!
I couldn't find a song more apt for this.. Also, check out the background story to this song, pretty inspiring stuff from Sean!
The weekend is just one day away, hang in there world!
Finally back to the blog, have not been posting lately.. Yesterday went for a 10km trail run and had enjoyed running.
I was actually planning to run with SBR at the following morning but was not feeling well. I then felt guilty for not running as I planned to do so the day before. Thus, I decided to go for a run in the evening around 4pm.
Most runners always have a problem - Laziness
And I'm one of them. At 3pm, I was thinking whether I should head for a short run instead because it was getting late and was afraid Macritchie will be dark. I always have this problem and I need to overcome it.
I then told myself, no matter how dark is it as long as I have that determination and endurance, I believe God will always be around helping me.
Thus, I went to take bus 157 and head towards Macritchie trails.
I started running the moment I reached there, and begin really slow. (Pace: 8min/km)
I did not speed up and maintained a really slow pace as I know that my pace will get slower and slower later. So I began slow and steady.
Although the journey was painful (leg cramps/pain) and tiring, I did not give up and made it to the ending point. I also met few people such as Yao Ming and several other runners from Raffles Secondary (fast runners) and trekkers.
I will be running another 10km today, as I aim to run at least 50-60km in a week.
The Punggol Active Passion Run, or Punggol Waterway as it is more commonly known, was held successfully this morning. With a affordable registration fee of $25 for the 10km competitive run and $20 for the 5km run, runners turned up in big numbers to pound the pavement while enjoying the breeze of Punggol Waterway.
There was a late change to the route for the 10km run, with the organizers heeding advice from the Land Transport Authority and Traffic Police. Some members of the forum on sgrunners.com welcomed this new change as they found the new map easier to understand in comparison to the older one.
Personally it didn't matter much to me as I have not ran at punggol before, so I was looking forward to running in a new location.
For this run, there were about 8 freaks attending it, a small but strong force of demons!
The early birds
The run flagged off at 7.30am sharp, near the start line, I saw many familiar faces like Ganesh from Sundown and Vasant from IMD, just to name a few. Halim advised me to start off slightly faster than targeted pace as the running route would get quite narrow after the first 1km or so. And so we both started off at a fast pace, then once we were in Punggol Waterway, we settled in at our target pace. My goal was to get a Sub 50, my first Sub 50, and I wanted to do this run for Nur.
Halim and Me at the start of the race
The first 3km or so, I was maintaining a steady 5.00 pace, only off by a few seconds. Around the 3km mark, I got a shock. They were giving out bottled unchilled NeWater at the Hydration Points. I didn't take it as I knew it would be time consuming to actually open up the bottles and stop running to drink from it. Halim running fast and soon he was out of my sight, I was sure he could get a Sub 50 if he maintained that pace.
At the U Turn Point, Hamrit overtook me. Although he was still nursing his injuries, he was flying. He picked up his pace at about the 4.8km mark for a strong finish. He even overtook Halim with 2km to go! Way to go bro Hamrit!
As for myself it was a mental struggle, as each distance marker passed by, my pace was decreasing. I didn't stop running for the first 8km, but I could feel some muscle fatigue in my legs, I didn't bring my legs up towards my butt to get a proper stride, was landing heavily too. Have to work on that, it always happens when I feel tired. But of course, all I needed was a look at my right wrist.. seeing the three letter word there kept me going.
The last hydration served HTWO. HTWO in bottles which were not chilled. What was the point of serving HTWO at almost the end of the race? You won't be able to replenish the sodium and carbohydrates in time, at there was less than 2km to go. I ended up only drinking 1/3 of the bottle. I remember I threw away the bottle just in time when I saw the lens of this photographer, Mr. Low Khia Khing.
The familiar expression
At the 8km mark, checking against my watch, I lost hopes of doing a Sub 50. I passed the 8km marker at around 42 minutes, I just picked up the pace for a strong finish. When we exited from Punggol Waterway, a short but winding uphill stretch awaited us. After emerging, I saw the finish line up ahead. It seemed too near. I checked against my watch and it showed 49 minutes, I thought to myself that there was still a chance, so I sprinted towards the end, clocking an unofficial time of about 49:46. I looked up to the sky and smiled.
Halim's Garmin showed that the distance was about 9.8km, not a full 10km, didn't exactly feel like one either but it's alright. I know where I must work on to improve for the next run! Hamrit and Halim both got Sub 50 timings. All the freaks who attended the event broke their Personal Best timings. My Dad also got a personal best of 1:09:36! Kudos to all!
We just PB-ed!
The event in general was decent, they handled the narrow running route and late change of route well. They could have improved on the hydration points, which I hope they will change next year. Well done Punggol Runners for organizing the first ever Punggol Waterway Run!
Tomorrow, I will be leaving to Kuala Lumpur for a retreat with my mates, will try to hit the gym and at least go for a short run when I'm there.
My next run will be the Half Marathon at Standard Chartered KL Marathon on 24th June.
Towards the end of my previous post, I said that I had a very great piece of news to share with you. Man.. This is so self-contradictory.
Well, this was the good news I was referring too,
Joint statement by Ms Rima McDonald and Ms Mariani Ismail on Little Nur’s Heart Fund:
We did not know Little Nur’s family previously, but we were moved by this little girl’s plight to start a private online donation drive. When we started the drive on 25th May 2012, our goal was to raise US$200,000 (about S$240,000) for her heart transplant operation. Within a week, many Singaporeans came forward to help. The collection exceeded S$300,000 by 2nd June 2012 (5pm).
We thank everyone, including the media and all the volunteers, for their support. Little Nur’s plight has now caught the attention of some charitable organisations which would like to assist Little Nur’s family. We are confident they can do a better job to help Little Nur.
All private donations have been and are still with Little Nur’s parents, Norleen Osman and Mohd Ghazali. They are looking after the fund. Please feel free to address all concerns and issues to them directly at 91825754 or via their email at littlenurheartfund@gmail.com or kyla_08@live.com.sg. Norleen can also be reached through her facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/wynn.kyla
Our private fundraising campaign’s objective has been met and therefore has ended today, 3rd June 2012. It is time for us to focus back on our families and our work.
And a comment by her on the same post..
She has all the help she needs now because we've all spread news about her plight all over the web and her need for funding... AND NO ONE is claiming victory! it is an announcement to end the donation drive that we all have been working on... More importantly, WE, STRANGERS, did all we could for her in the best way we know how... my question now to you is... have you? if you did, good for you, welcome to the club! - Rima McDonald Alhamdullilah.. it's all in god's hands now :-)
Indeed it is in God's Hands, and this morning at 3:50am we found out God had a different plan in mind for Little Nur. Nur passed away this morning, the sister/daughter we all never had returned to god. I am not sure about the cause of her passing, will update on that if more information will be released soon. God loved the little fighter more.
I just didn't get it, the 'WHYs?!' were popping up all over my mind. It was unfair, just plain unfair. But everything had a reason, right? I tried to find a reason for this, it was so close to being one of humanity's greatest victories, uniting for a new heart, and then there was this abrupt ending.
I couldn't make sense of it, after a couple of hours, trying to digest what happened, I thought maybe it was just an example by that God wanted to show us. He wanted to remind us of the power of humanity, and that all of us had so much in common. Nur wasn't related to us in anyway, but still we all came together to help her. And word of Nur, spread around quickly, and made its way to many ears, all due to the effort everyone put it.
You see, God has his reasoning for everything, some reasons will be too complex for us to even understand, we may not have the capacity to look at the bigger picture. But now, I hope to make some sense of this, and interpret this in my point of view..
God wanted to show us, that behind our branded clothing, and beneath our elephant-thick skin, we all had the same crimson red blood flowing inside. And we should help one another when in need, despite any differences that might seem to exist.
Why create a wall when there isn't one?
Before money existed, our economy was based on the exchange of good deeds. An example would be the Tarahumaras, they don't have any form of currency, and they are the happiest beings on this planet. All these things are getting us nowhere.
We have no excuse not to help one another.
“Save yourself from the (Hell) Fire even with half a date (to be given in charity). And if you do not find, then with a good pleasant word.” – Collected by Al-Bukhari
Maybe, Nur was the single greatest example of our time. There is still hope for Humanity. Do not feel sad for Nur, her suffering has ended, and she is in a much happier place now. I do hope that everyone realizes this, I know it's easier said than done. Instead of mourning her death, we must celebrate her life.
When she suffered, even though we think we aren't related in any way, we still felt her pain. This effort for Nur, made us not see the 'insignificant' things, like skin colour, socio-economic background, we came together despite the many factors that might serve as a barrier. Nur taught us many things if we just think about it, we all made use of the networks we had, the specific skillset that god has granted us, to help Nur. There are a million things we can take away from this. Thank you God for sending Nur to this earth for a short period of 4 years, but even after 400 years, she will never be forgotten.
Look around you, when you see the people in Africa, or even the homeless at the bus stops near your house, remember what you did for Nur. You can do something, to help him or her. And you will.
I was reading through the comments on Nur's page. And I am disgusted to see a few souls asking about what will happen to the money. You gave the money to charity and out of sincerity, don't expect it back. You will get something in return, what is it, will be based on God's plans for you. Maybe, we can all unite to raise money for heart transplant research in Singapore, so no one will go through what Little Nur did. Please, come to your senses guys. And see what is really important. It's not worth it to get angry over this.
We have to stop being so materialistic. The world is in a mess right now, we can try to deny that by living in our own small 'happy' lives, but it's time to wake up, unite, and harness the true power of humanity. What a small group of people did for Nur, is just 5 seconds of the trailer. The main movie is yet to happen. 6 billion people, is a big number. We all have to believe that it is possible, and start working on it.
Greece, Global Warming, Inflation, the list goes on and on. We need to wake up, and focus on the significant things. Life is short, we must live it long. Maximize your impact on others; put their happiness and satisfaction before yours.
Thank you, Nur. Your taught us a very valuable lesson, a harsh lesson. But it was needed.
Sorry for my limited vocabulary, but I do hope you understand what I am trying to say.. If I had offended anyone in this post, my sincere apologies.
Yes, on the morning of 3rd June, we ran for Nur's New Heart in the most densely populated area of pavement pounders in Singapore. At about 8am, a small group of us, equipped with 'Golden Tickets' began our run from Carpark E2 at East Coast Park.
The small group with a big heart
Just before we started our run, Steven and Ramlan Ishak joined us. Steven is a very speedy runner I have met from IMD, usually kill myself trying to pace him. But he slowed down his pace by a lot to run and walk with us on that day, all for Nur. Thanks Steven!
We started off at a slow and easy pace towards Bedok Jetty, along the way took many stops to talk to families and other people to share about what we were running for. Many people recognized Nur, probably due to the increased media exposure she got recently, and they were very interested in helping her. We gave away the golden tickets along the run too, we ran into Bedok Jetty also, as there were many people there. Along the way, we met a familiar friend, Ultrawomen Charlotte Teoh who was doing her LSDs there too. Charlotte has a very fun no frills running event coming up soon, it's called the Bunny Run. SBR, Ford Lim and many other running celebrities will be joining in the fun too. You can find out more about it here.
The Golden Ticket
Then, we turned back towards Area C, we only covered the areas of East Coast Park where the most people were as to maximize the outreach. As I was running, someone took a sharp U-Turn and ran along side me. Looking to my right, I saw See Too! Was very happy to be running alongside him once again, he did every good job and had fun at Sundown recently. He is a very good friend to run with. He thought we were starting at Carpark B2, but when he found out we were starting at E2, he started running towards the Food Center, in the hopes that we were running towards Fort Road, and we were. :-)
So we went ahead, and spoke to families, walkers, and people who were curious about the golden tickets.
After reaching Area C, we went into reverse gear and made our way back to the hut in front of Carpark E2 as we were running out of the slips too.
While we were running, the fantastic four of Ezan, Arafat, Min Paing and Valerie were also giving out flyers near the Food Center, alongside with the banner, informing the public that as they were speaking, a group of runners were running for her. Thanks for your great help volunteers!
We ended of the run with smiles all around, and a great satisfaction in our hearts that we helped Nur and had great fun in the process too.
Lenney with the banner. We have to constantly remind Lenney that his teeth won't fall out if he smiles!
After the run, the adults were having great laughs and banter, See Too was introduced to new friends too. See Too also shared with Arafat about his Atkin's Diet. The four students including myself, plunged into the sea straight away.
We ended off a good run, with a good meal, at SBR's lobang makan house: Changi Airport Terminal 1 Canteen. All of us ate to our heart's content.
On that day, there were many other ongoing projects for Nur too, including a full concert in Bishan Park! Things seemed to be going in the right direction in the fundraising effort for Nur, and piece of very special news awaited us the following day which concerned Nur. I will share this great piece of News for you in my next post!
MR25 just probably set the record for the longest time taken for race results to be posted online, almost one month. Just saying.
But personally, I'm fine with it, although I was a little impatient, but most of us knew our timings already, and the official results won't turn out much different. Maybe for those who want to check on their ranking, it had been a long wait, but nontheless, relying on it's kampung human 'timing chip' system which I have to admit is highly reliable, here are the results!
Allow me to list out the freaks in our Hall of Fame!
That's all for results, give yourselves a big pat on the back! Many Freaks were not present that day, but they will make their comeback soon at the remaining two races.
The Freaks are giving all other runners a very good run for their money, both in the individual and team category.
The official pictures will be released on either the MR25 Website or Facebook Group soon. For now, we'll use a picture by Mr Ultraboy 315!
This is a very urgent and important post, please pay close attention. It will only take a few minutes of your valuable time.
Yestrday morning, at 10.30am, Shariff Abdullah (Singapore Blade Runner) accompanied by his team, visited a very special girl by the name of Adlea Ry'Kyla Muhammad Ghazali at KK Women's and Children's Hospital. Nur, as she is affectionately known as, is a four year old girl who has myocarditis - a rare heart condition. As a result, her kidneys have deteriorated and she has a bloated abdomen, which presses against other organs, causing breathlessness, severe pain and fever. News about Nur has been spreading through the internet like wildfire, but the donations don't seem to reflect the number of likes or shares. When Shariff Abduallah first came to know about this, he felt a deep connection to Nur's condition as his daughter suffers from a similar condition. He wants to do something more, as he understands the amount of pain that Nur and her mother, Norleen, are going through. He contacted his team, in hope to translate all of the support for Nur into action.
Shariff and his team approached Norleen, Nur's mother, to seek permission to hold a fund and awareness rasing run for Nur. We were only allowed to look at the beautiful young girl from behind a glass window as visitors might cause her to panic. As her mother walked towards the door to speak to us, she started screaming and reaching out her hand, crying out for her mother as she sensed that she was leaving her side. The mother, spoke to us, altough she managed to still muster up a smile on her face, the pain she was going through was clearly evdient.
Arafat Aziz, Shariff's Manager, explained to Norleen the purpose of the run and the fact that within the running community in Singapore, they have a big heart for Norleen, so it would be a good idea to do something more for little Nur, as a stong and united Singapore Running Community. Norleen was very grateful, she wished us all the best and thanked us profusely. In fact, she's the real hero, as a mother to stay by Nur's side and going through the painful journey with her. So, the team thanked Norleen, the team walked out of KKH with a purpose.
Is there still light at the end of the tunnel, yes there is. But this light, it is in our hands. The only hope for Nur, is a new heart. But there is no heart transplant programme for children as young as Nur in Singapore. So she has to go overseas for a heart transplant, and that comes with a hefty pricetag. According to Mdm Norleen, the doctors at KKH said that there is almost "no-hope" for Little Nur to survive. They said she has less than a month to live. Time is running out fast, it's time to act right now. Her life, is in our hands.
What Team SBR Plans to do:
We want to unite runners from all over the little red dot, we may be different in pace, style, appareal, but one thing that unites all runners alike is their heart of gold. Let us all run for a cause.
This Sunday (03/06/2012) at Angsana Green, East Coast Park, we will run for a reason, we will run for a new heart. We will be covering a distance of 10km, as a group. We want to show Norleen and Nur, that they are not alone, they will never be alone. Everyone of us are with them, through this journey. We just have to believe, and take action, and god willing Nur will get back up again.
At East Coast Park as the group is running, we need a team of youths, to give out flyers to spread the word about Nur. Please do step forward and contribute a few hours of your time, you might be the reason that Nur lives to see another day. Interested Volunteers please contact Ariffin Sha at 90908905
This is the link to the Facebook Event Page of the run: http://www.facebook.com/events/127731540697208/
TO MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION:
If you would like to use online payment system (debit/credit cards -- visa/mastercard/amex/discover) please go here >http://littlenurheartfund.chipin.com/
If you prefer to use bank to bank transfer (ibanking) or cash deposits, please deposit your donation to >
POSB SAVINGS: 247-587-853(This is a joint account of Nur's parents for the purpose of collecting public's monies for Little Nur's Heart Fund. The same account is being used to collect monies from other charity bodies/organizations/individual donors).
For cheque can be mailed to :NORLEEN BINTE OSMAN. Blk 406, Ang Mo kio Ave 10. #10-727 Spore (560406).
For donation by hand : KKH WOMENS AND CHILDRENS HOSPITAL. WARD 65 BED 2.
Here is the latest update on the status of the online donation drive..
Allow me to explain some of the reasons behind this run.
1) Why this Sunday? Isn't it too much of a rush? Time is not on our side, it is running out very fast. It's now or never. Altough the run is this Sunday, the online donations will be open till 8 June. The other methods of donations will still be open after that date. The $200,000 stated in the online donation website is just a small fraction of the total amount needed for the Heart Transplant.
2) Why 10km? Originally we planned to do a special 4-hour endurance challenge, but then we decided not to. The reason was simple, this is not about one man's struggle, altough we might not be able to ever understand what Nur was going through, we have got to let Nur and Norleen know that they are not alone, they will never be alone in this fight. It's about all of us coming together to let Nur have a new heart.
Let me paint a picture for you, the more people run (donate), the shorter the distance become. One lonely person's stuggle will be changed into millions doing a small part to help this beautiful young lady.
Come on guys, we both know clicking the like button and then ignoring this post isn't going to change anything. Please, let's put our negligance aside and act now. What if it happens to one of our own family members? We might never know. Whether Nur survives or not, we will do our absolute best, the rest is in God's hands. I do not know if we will succeed or not, but we will do our best. It's the least we can do as a runner and a fellow member of the muslim community.
Share this to every single soul you know, tag everyone, spread the word fast, the clock is ticking.
You can donate, or run with us this Sunday too, if you are a non-runner help out in giving out the flyers.
Thank you so much for reading this, miracles are just a translation of hardwork. Let's all make a miracle happen.
It's isn't over just yet. Ezan, Shariff's swimming coach fetched me after I had collected the Medal and then I went to change into my slippers. My journey was done, but many of the people out there were still going through their journeys. Arafat, Ezan, Leeza and I went to Nicoll Highway, sat on top of the railings and started cheering all the runners on! The cheering was very memorable and certainly every time I run past that place again, it will bring back great memories.
Ezan, Leeza, Arafat, Me, My Dad (Ali), Khadeeja and Shariff! :-)
Leeza, was banging on the railings loudly, bringing up the mood. Arafat, Ezan and I were screaming out hearts out, motivating every single runner that runs past, offered high-fives too! :-)
We shouted phrases like "You can do it, and you will do it!" "You're a CHAMPION!" "100m more to go" and some 'personalized' messages too. It was all great fun, losing our voices was certainly a good trade for all the smiling faces and the new-found energy the runners felt.
I was joking with Arafat telling him that she should give out name cards instead of high-fives,
Haha, after about 20 minutes of trio screamo. The skies opened up it's mouth too, but I guess it was drooling a little too much. Sundown marathon officially became the Raindown Marathon, I feared the safety of the runners as there was lighting present, but I was very sure it was going to take much more than lighting to stop these zombified pavement pounders! At about 3.50, my father arrived, he suffered from some cramps and was forced to walk most of the way. I know he can do much better, but I guess everyone of us has a bad day once in a while, something that can't be helped at times. But I'm sure he'll bounce back! I'm proud of him!
We saw the top 3 men and women finishing the marathon too, there was one Sub 3 from the Masters Division too, highly impressive! Then as we reached the saturation point, it was time for us to zoom back into the tent age too as it was filling up quickly with many runners seeking shelter after their race. Shariff was tired and already sleeping soundly, he did an excellent job. :-)
There was plenty of laughter, fun and joy despite the downpour, we met many new friends too. When the skies were tamed, we quickly made our move home. It was an amazing night in all aspects, and I believe all of us had great fun lighting up the city, so much fun that it got light up, literally. (CAT 1)
The Freaks and IMD had many PBs broken during the race, but in terms of running for a reason and experience, they had a great run too. Special shout out to our one and only KING, who ran in a road-erupting time of 3:40!
14km
Up till now, I haven't been paying much attention to the route as there was nothing new, same old roads I've seen for U RUN, 2XU Compression Run and recently, RUN 350. Then as we emerged out an underpass, the most retarded thing happened. Two road marshals, who were about 500m ahead of us, suddenly stretched a rope made of reflective vests tied up together to block the road, to let some vehicles past. It was all so sudden and we had to stop for one minute.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Singapore's the only country who does this shit in races." An angry Caucasian exclaimed, many agreed with him, but after that one minute, we took off again. 14km - for my fellow team members of the EXCO. And just as I realized who this 2km was for, we entered Marina Barrage, it wasn't well lit, but the perimeters were clearly marked out. It was a first time for me, as I usually run on the opposite side, the new route was a plus! I whispered each EXCO's name once and dedicated about 2 minutes to keep them in my mind and relive some memories, just then I heard a some human voices over a speaker.
Shanmugan, the head coach of Team RunFanatics
21km runners go straight ahead, 42km runners turn right! This message was repeatedly played over three speakers, and it was time. I think there was 6km more to go at this point, I don't know how or why, I started to pull away from the 2:00 HM Pacers and went ahead, I was telling myself to go all the way till the end and not regret this decision later on. So slightly ahead was the gel station, I took it and drank it on the go, as Maxifuel Gels are highly water based.
16km
Yes, I was feeling tired. Then I did something I always did when I was tired, motivate others, when you motivate others you just get the extra push to keep going. I can swear that every single volunteer I saw in the last 6km, I shouted and motivated them, and thanked them. It's just like a boomerang, these volunteers have great spirit, if you shout at them, you get a shout back instantly, it's very encouraging, and even if you wanted to, you won't be able to stop. I drafted this Caucasian couple for a couple of KM then overtook them, was gunning for a strong finish! I kept the concourse in sight, the 20km distance marker flashed past, this was it!
I gave it all I got, and powered up the last incline up Nicoll Highway and sprinted downhill for a last burst. While running down, I high-fived every single supporter I saw, it felt ust like the Boston Marathon in SBR's video. Simply overwhelming. As I crossed the finish line, I jumped and punched the air in delight. :-)
I crossed the finishing line at 1:53:34
The HM 2:00 Pacers arrived at about 1:56, I owe a big thanks to all of them for helping me achieve my target. I was elated, and now it was time for me and the rest of Team SBR to cheer the rest of the runners on!
