I've no idea when and how I sprained my big toe. So last night I went to my usual Chinese masseur, F, and got it treated. I meant, tortured. Today I showed up in office in work clothes and my favourite orange Rockport sneakers. It was a fashion non-statement disaster.
I'm upset that I've been banned from running for a couple of days. Last night F texted me after he closed shop, to remind me again not to run. I've been entertaining a friend visiting from abroad for the past few days, and the amount of food intake is not squaring with my running ban.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
1st Brick Training
Today we tried brick training, in preparation for Powerman race in Nov. Alas it was raining in the morning, and we only got started at noon. We did a slow bike from my place to Neo Tiew area, passed the Lim Chu Kang cemetery which is my favourite cruising stretch, and returned via Boon Lay Way. We rode for about 2h plus at a rather relaxed pace.
Since it was meant to be a transition training, we jumped into running shoes and took off - or attempted to. I didn't refuel myself after the ride, big mistake. I was so low on glucose, the short run was a total lacklustre disaster. The only time I perked up was when I ran past a snake that was coiling its way up a tree. I happened to catch it around my eye level, it was an instant fright-flight situation. With my goose pimples turned on 120%, I sprinted down the pavement.
Since it was meant to be a transition training, we jumped into running shoes and took off - or attempted to. I didn't refuel myself after the ride, big mistake. I was so low on glucose, the short run was a total lacklustre disaster. The only time I perked up was when I ran past a snake that was coiling its way up a tree. I happened to catch it around my eye level, it was an instant fright-flight situation. With my goose pimples turned on 120%, I sprinted down the pavement.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Golden Hills Trail Marathon
Golden Hills Trail Marathon, 13 Oct 2007, Berkeley, CA, USA
I was in Berkeley, CA/ USA, last week for a work conference, and managed to sign up for a Golden Hills trail marathon http://www.firetrails50.net/ghtm/index.htm. I have never done a trail version before, so I went with no time targets and not knowing what to expect.
As the name suggests, it is a full 26mi/ 42km route through 6 scenic regional parks, mostly through the hills. The trail terrain was about 2/3 uphills, and 1/3 down. Where it went up, it could be relentless for 1-2mi (1.6-3.2km), with the longest uphill stretch being 4mi (6.4km) long. It was a wonder how anyone could run continuously up those slopes. Imagine seeing Singapore’s Mt Faber slope many many many times throughout the entire race. Some sections were like the very steep Kent Ridge slope off South Buona Vista Road. Similarly, the downs were the types that one could dash down, never mind the knees and ankles.
The trail marathon was part of a 50mi/ 80km race. I guess it was considered a “mini-full” compared to the 50milers. If you visualized the route to be from Pt A (start) to Pt B (end), the 50-milers started their grueling run at 600am, doing approximately B-A-B. The 26milers (aka me) started at 900am, A-B. About 4 – 5mi (6.4 – 8km) into our run, we would meet the 50-milers coming in the opposite direction. The fastest amongst them would eventually catch up and overtake us in the last stretch of our marathon.
It rained heavily the day before the marathon, and the course was wet and muddy. Luckily the weather cleared up, with bright sunshine for race day. We had to assemble at Pt B at 700am to take a shuttle to Pt A (so that we could get to our cars that were parked at the end point after the run). In the early morning, the weather was cold. Everyone wore their tracksuits and sweaters while waiting for the race to begin. Slowly, the sun shone through and warmed the area.
The first 4mi (6.4km) was a muddy uphill path, due to the previous day’s rain. Initially I wondered why my legs were getting heavier, and my shoes felt like they were falling off. Looking down, I realized that mud was accumulating on the soles. Wet mud was picking up more gooey stuff with every step! That was a good lesson for me, as I had not experienced that in Singapore before. People kept stopping every 5-10min to scrap mud off the shoes. It was very difficult to run as the wedge of mud grew heavier. I took about 1h to clear the first stretch!
Finally I reached the first aid station (aka water point). It was like a picnic. In fact, the entire race had a carnival atmosphere. People were friendly and chatted with one another. It did not feel as competitive as per some of the road marathons that I had done before. Race volunteers and officials were very helpful and encouraging.
At each aid station, they would take your timing (it was a manual recording), and someone would come forward to ask if you wanted gu-drink or water. And he/ she would take your water bottle (almost everyone carried 1-2 bottle(s) on the run) and fill it up for you! There was also coke available. On the tables, there would be bowls of food – M&Ms, cut bananas and honeydew, chunks of Clif bars, packets of Gu gels, cubes of brownies, jellybeans, Clif Shots (cube-shaped jelly), pretzels, peanut-butter-jelly sandwiches, and cookies!
I have never seen such good logistics support for a race. I stopped for about 2min at each aid station for refuel, and must have tried almost all flavours of Gu gels. It was almost sinful not to stop and check out the food spread.
Back to the run, the next couple of miles and aid stations involved rolling hills, going up and down countless times. The first section was along Skyline Trail, aptly named because we were running along the ridge of a hill range, and one could see the city view on both sides of the trail. That was an exposed trail, which meant in the direct sun. But that was good – I’m used to tropical weather afterall, a little heat and light humidity improves my run. Then we went under the canopy of redwood trees, and the weather became damp and cool. 
It took a lot of discipline to continue the run and not be rooted to a spot, taking in the surrounding sights. It might have well turned into 1-day hike if not for my return flight that very night.
There were many stretches where one ran alone in the cool quiet of the trail marked by pink ribbons, lost in thoughts and accompanied only by the rhythm of the number tag flapping in the run. There was an incredible sense of freedom and adventure, an almost innocent child-like delight in the exploration.
Many a times, I felt like I was on a fast hike/ trek, rather than a run. On the upslopes, many people (including myself) would walk up so as to conserve energy – there were just too many long slopes to push through. My strategy was to trek up briskly, which I reckoned would be about the pace if I ran, and managed to overtake some people. On the downslopes and flats, I would open up my strides and dash down. It was very different dashing down trails vs roads. On trails, one was usually running on soft sand, or fallen leaves, which cushioned every step. There were some short sections where we ran on tarmac roads, and one could immediately feel the impact on the knees.
After a tough 4h, we were only 16mi (25.6km) into the race! We cleared majority of the grueling upslopes only after 17 – 18mi (27.2 – 28.8km), thereafter the slopes (still have!) were gentler or mostly downhill. Where I have always paced my runs on km, it was difficult to track the route in miles. The only markers were at the aid stations, where they would indicate current distance and distance to the next station. After a while, I gave up trying to convert the distances. Psychologically too, it was easier to countdown to 26, rather than 42. J However, it also meant that I was unable to gauge when I might cramp, or ‘hit the wall’. Thankfully, I managed to avoid both – almost.
The last aid station was 3mi (4.8km) to the end point, so I thought I could have a strong finish. Alas, shortly into the stretch, an upslope and more! By that time, the 50-milers were beginning to overtake me. I was full of admiration for them, still going strong after such a long distance and time. Then I saw Lake Chabot open up beautifully in front of me, which indicated the end was near.
The last 1mi (1.6km) was on tarmac road, and by then, every pounding on the hard surface was amplified in the knees. I tried to sprint, but the legs would not go. I was even overtaken by a lady 10years my senior.
And finally I made it through the finishing area. One could hear the cheers and claps even before reaching it.
The end point was a party in itself. There was a huge BBQ pit churning out burgers and hotdogs (of giant sizes), pasta, salads, fruits and desserts. Drinks were free flow. Many supporters came with families and dogs to meet the runners, and people were lounging around the picnic area, chilling out on a nice warm Saturday afternoon.
My gear:
Nike dri-fit long-sleeved top
Nike ¾ dri-fit tights
Nike sports bra
Oakley M-frame, VR28 black iridium lenses
Salomon XA-Pro-3D Goretex XCR trail shoes
Time spent feeding at aid stations: 17min
Time spent posing for and taking photos: 3min
Time spent breathing in the scenery & having fun: 5:42h
Total trail marathon time: 6:02h
Overall – 72 / 115
Women’s – 25 / 57
Category (age grp) – 9 / 17
Experience: Priceless. I’m hooked on trails!
I was in Berkeley, CA/ USA, last week for a work conference, and managed to sign up for a Golden Hills trail marathon http://www.firetrails50.net/ghtm/index.htm. I have never done a trail version before, so I went with no time targets and not knowing what to expect.
As the name suggests, it is a full 26mi/ 42km route through 6 scenic regional parks, mostly through the hills. The trail terrain was about 2/3 uphills, and 1/3 down. Where it went up, it could be relentless for 1-2mi (1.6-3.2km), with the longest uphill stretch being 4mi (6.4km) long. It was a wonder how anyone could run continuously up those slopes. Imagine seeing Singapore’s Mt Faber slope many many many times throughout the entire race. Some sections were like the very steep Kent Ridge slope off South Buona Vista Road. Similarly, the downs were the types that one could dash down, never mind the knees and ankles.
The trail marathon was part of a 50mi/ 80km race. I guess it was considered a “mini-full” compared to the 50milers. If you visualized the route to be from Pt A (start) to Pt B (end), the 50-milers started their grueling run at 600am, doing approximately B-A-B. The 26milers (aka me) started at 900am, A-B. About 4 – 5mi (6.4 – 8km) into our run, we would meet the 50-milers coming in the opposite direction. The fastest amongst them would eventually catch up and overtake us in the last stretch of our marathon.
It rained heavily the day before the marathon, and the course was wet and muddy. Luckily the weather cleared up, with bright sunshine for race day. We had to assemble at Pt B at 700am to take a shuttle to Pt A (so that we could get to our cars that were parked at the end point after the run). In the early morning, the weather was cold. Everyone wore their tracksuits and sweaters while waiting for the race to begin. Slowly, the sun shone through and warmed the area.
The first 4mi (6.4km) was a muddy uphill path, due to the previous day’s rain. Initially I wondered why my legs were getting heavier, and my shoes felt like they were falling off. Looking down, I realized that mud was accumulating on the soles. Wet mud was picking up more gooey stuff with every step! That was a good lesson for me, as I had not experienced that in Singapore before. People kept stopping every 5-10min to scrap mud off the shoes. It was very difficult to run as the wedge of mud grew heavier. I took about 1h to clear the first stretch!
Finally I reached the first aid station (aka water point). It was like a picnic. In fact, the entire race had a carnival atmosphere. People were friendly and chatted with one another. It did not feel as competitive as per some of the road marathons that I had done before. Race volunteers and officials were very helpful and encouraging.
At each aid station, they would take your timing (it was a manual recording), and someone would come forward to ask if you wanted gu-drink or water. And he/ she would take your water bottle (almost everyone carried 1-2 bottle(s) on the run) and fill it up for you! There was also coke available. On the tables, there would be bowls of food – M&Ms, cut bananas and honeydew, chunks of Clif bars, packets of Gu gels, cubes of brownies, jellybeans, Clif Shots (cube-shaped jelly), pretzels, peanut-butter-jelly sandwiches, and cookies!I have never seen such good logistics support for a race. I stopped for about 2min at each aid station for refuel, and must have tried almost all flavours of Gu gels. It was almost sinful not to stop and check out the food spread.
Back to the run, the next couple of miles and aid stations involved rolling hills, going up and down countless times. The first section was along Skyline Trail, aptly named because we were running along the ridge of a hill range, and one could see the city view on both sides of the trail. That was an exposed trail, which meant in the direct sun. But that was good – I’m used to tropical weather afterall, a little heat and light humidity improves my run. Then we went under the canopy of redwood trees, and the weather became damp and cool. 
It took a lot of discipline to continue the run and not be rooted to a spot, taking in the surrounding sights. It might have well turned into 1-day hike if not for my return flight that very night.
There were many stretches where one ran alone in the cool quiet of the trail marked by pink ribbons, lost in thoughts and accompanied only by the rhythm of the number tag flapping in the run. There was an incredible sense of freedom and adventure, an almost innocent child-like delight in the exploration.Many a times, I felt like I was on a fast hike/ trek, rather than a run. On the upslopes, many people (including myself) would walk up so as to conserve energy – there were just too many long slopes to push through. My strategy was to trek up briskly, which I reckoned would be about the pace if I ran, and managed to overtake some people. On the downslopes and flats, I would open up my strides and dash down. It was very different dashing down trails vs roads. On trails, one was usually running on soft sand, or fallen leaves, which cushioned every step. There were some short sections where we ran on tarmac roads, and one could immediately feel the impact on the knees.
After a tough 4h, we were only 16mi (25.6km) into the race! We cleared majority of the grueling upslopes only after 17 – 18mi (27.2 – 28.8km), thereafter the slopes (still have!) were gentler or mostly downhill. Where I have always paced my runs on km, it was difficult to track the route in miles. The only markers were at the aid stations, where they would indicate current distance and distance to the next station. After a while, I gave up trying to convert the distances. Psychologically too, it was easier to countdown to 26, rather than 42. J However, it also meant that I was unable to gauge when I might cramp, or ‘hit the wall’. Thankfully, I managed to avoid both – almost.
The last aid station was 3mi (4.8km) to the end point, so I thought I could have a strong finish. Alas, shortly into the stretch, an upslope and more! By that time, the 50-milers were beginning to overtake me. I was full of admiration for them, still going strong after such a long distance and time. Then I saw Lake Chabot open up beautifully in front of me, which indicated the end was near.
The last 1mi (1.6km) was on tarmac road, and by then, every pounding on the hard surface was amplified in the knees. I tried to sprint, but the legs would not go. I was even overtaken by a lady 10years my senior.
And finally I made it through the finishing area. One could hear the cheers and claps even before reaching it.
The end point was a party in itself. There was a huge BBQ pit churning out burgers and hotdogs (of giant sizes), pasta, salads, fruits and desserts. Drinks were free flow. Many supporters came with families and dogs to meet the runners, and people were lounging around the picnic area, chilling out on a nice warm Saturday afternoon.My gear:
Nike dri-fit long-sleeved top
Nike ¾ dri-fit tights
Nike sports bra
Oakley M-frame, VR28 black iridium lenses
Salomon XA-Pro-3D Goretex XCR trail shoes
Time spent feeding at aid stations: 17min
Time spent posing for and taking photos: 3min
Time spent breathing in the scenery & having fun: 5:42h
Total trail marathon time: 6:02h
Overall – 72 / 115
Women’s – 25 / 57
Category (age grp) – 9 / 17
Experience: Priceless. I’m hooked on trails!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Herbal Chicken & Oxygen Galore! (Mustagh Ata 2)
A reflection on my Mustagh Ata climb in July 2007....
My face feels like an apple crumble. There's a perpetual burnt flaky layer peeling off. The result of being toasted in the relentless sun and snow in the mountains. I'm now back in sunshine Singapore. Happy to be snuggling under duvet blankets instead of goose feather bags. Happy that I can control the aircon instead of being blasted by sub-zero winds and shaking ice flakes & snow off tents. And most importantly, happy that I've achieved my aim of reaching 7,000m on this climb.
After we rested in the town of Tashkorgan, we headed back to Basecamp to prepare for our summit attempt. It was 3 days each of 9hrs upward plodding from Camps 1 to 3. Thank goodness for the bright sunshine - warmth gives strength and always helps us take a few more steps forward. We'd done Camps 1 & 2 before so we were confident of reaching them. The route from Camp 2 to Camp 3 was new though, and it was sheer mental that took me through. Not to mention a necessity, or there would be no place to sleep if I did not reach the tents! Throughout the climb, I was moving along on a 4-count pacing. Each 4-count cycle translated into 2 trekking pole 'steps' + 2 footsteps, which meant.... 2 steps forward. Last I measured, each 4-count rhythm took abt 10-15secs! That was how slow I was moving....
On summit morning, we woke abt 5am to prepare. It was a squeeze - 3 girls in one tent - to eat, get dressed and be ready. Buckles and straps that normally clicked-on were suddenly jammed by the cold. Feet refused to squeeze into plastic boots, snow shoe straps that refused to catch.... Finally we were ready to move. It started off without much winds, but we were moving on an exposed snow slope. It was not steep or treacherous etc, it was just super super cold. Around us, the other mountain ranges basked in the rays of sunrise. I watched with envy as the sunrays warmed our surroundings.... everywhere else but our slope!
Mustag is 7,546m. I wasn't aiming for the peak - it was too much misery. I reached 7,000m on that summit morning, the magic number that brought me to a new threshold, and decided it was high enough. That "little" extra vertical 546m would have translated into 6-7hr of trudging. My 3 friends summitted after a gruelling 9h upward climb in the cold. I figured I wouldn't last that long in the blistering cold. I was down to zero internal insulation. I'm not sure how to describe, but it's the sort of cold that emanates from inside. Despite wearing 4 layers of all the right clothing, I was shivering involuntarily even on the move. After I made an early descent to my tent, I was still shivering while sitting inside it. Milo to the rescue! Yes, milo 3-in-1 sachet powder (no water) tasted excellent.
A good friend's gem of wisdom - going up is optional, coming down is not. Too many people underestimate and over-push, forgetting that they need energy to descend. I'm the kiasee-kiasu type. I prefer to leave a bit of reserve for emergencies. I prefer to be able to think and walk down the mountain, instead of being on a stretcher. As I was descending to Basecamp, there were 2 rescue ops alongside me. One was a Swiss lady skier who was in bad shape at Camp 3, apparently very bad Altitude Mountain Sickness. They had to bundle her in a sleeping mat and dragged her down the snow slopes. The other was a Korean body they had to bring down the mountain. A Korean team ran into trouble at Camp 3 last week - they were climbing without guides, alpine style. Three members were rescued from the tents after 2-3 days of no food & water. The 4th member (team leader) was later found frozen dead near the summit.
I've learnt a lot from this climb, never mind if I did not summit. People at Basecamp tried to justify my "failed" attempt and asked if I was sick or something. I simply replied that I've reached my personal goal of 7,000m and that was enough. I don't think they quite understand, for they seemed surprised. Like it was blasphemous to come to a mountain so high and not aim for the peak. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be a conquest of the mountain - be humble! - but a conquest of oneself. The mountain would embrace you if it so wished to. I am totally thankful for the wonderful weather throughout the climb, that allowed us to keep to our planned itinerary. And I am happy to be tested at 7,000m with very little AMS.
Til the next adventure :))
My face feels like an apple crumble. There's a perpetual burnt flaky layer peeling off. The result of being toasted in the relentless sun and snow in the mountains. I'm now back in sunshine Singapore. Happy to be snuggling under duvet blankets instead of goose feather bags. Happy that I can control the aircon instead of being blasted by sub-zero winds and shaking ice flakes & snow off tents. And most importantly, happy that I've achieved my aim of reaching 7,000m on this climb.
After we rested in the town of Tashkorgan, we headed back to Basecamp to prepare for our summit attempt. It was 3 days each of 9hrs upward plodding from Camps 1 to 3. Thank goodness for the bright sunshine - warmth gives strength and always helps us take a few more steps forward. We'd done Camps 1 & 2 before so we were confident of reaching them. The route from Camp 2 to Camp 3 was new though, and it was sheer mental that took me through. Not to mention a necessity, or there would be no place to sleep if I did not reach the tents! Throughout the climb, I was moving along on a 4-count pacing. Each 4-count cycle translated into 2 trekking pole 'steps' + 2 footsteps, which meant.... 2 steps forward. Last I measured, each 4-count rhythm took abt 10-15secs! That was how slow I was moving....
On summit morning, we woke abt 5am to prepare. It was a squeeze - 3 girls in one tent - to eat, get dressed and be ready. Buckles and straps that normally clicked-on were suddenly jammed by the cold. Feet refused to squeeze into plastic boots, snow shoe straps that refused to catch.... Finally we were ready to move. It started off without much winds, but we were moving on an exposed snow slope. It was not steep or treacherous etc, it was just super super cold. Around us, the other mountain ranges basked in the rays of sunrise. I watched with envy as the sunrays warmed our surroundings.... everywhere else but our slope!
Mustag is 7,546m. I wasn't aiming for the peak - it was too much misery. I reached 7,000m on that summit morning, the magic number that brought me to a new threshold, and decided it was high enough. That "little" extra vertical 546m would have translated into 6-7hr of trudging. My 3 friends summitted after a gruelling 9h upward climb in the cold. I figured I wouldn't last that long in the blistering cold. I was down to zero internal insulation. I'm not sure how to describe, but it's the sort of cold that emanates from inside. Despite wearing 4 layers of all the right clothing, I was shivering involuntarily even on the move. After I made an early descent to my tent, I was still shivering while sitting inside it. Milo to the rescue! Yes, milo 3-in-1 sachet powder (no water) tasted excellent.
A good friend's gem of wisdom - going up is optional, coming down is not. Too many people underestimate and over-push, forgetting that they need energy to descend. I'm the kiasee-kiasu type. I prefer to leave a bit of reserve for emergencies. I prefer to be able to think and walk down the mountain, instead of being on a stretcher. As I was descending to Basecamp, there were 2 rescue ops alongside me. One was a Swiss lady skier who was in bad shape at Camp 3, apparently very bad Altitude Mountain Sickness. They had to bundle her in a sleeping mat and dragged her down the snow slopes. The other was a Korean body they had to bring down the mountain. A Korean team ran into trouble at Camp 3 last week - they were climbing without guides, alpine style. Three members were rescued from the tents after 2-3 days of no food & water. The 4th member (team leader) was later found frozen dead near the summit.
I've learnt a lot from this climb, never mind if I did not summit. People at Basecamp tried to justify my "failed" attempt and asked if I was sick or something. I simply replied that I've reached my personal goal of 7,000m and that was enough. I don't think they quite understand, for they seemed surprised. Like it was blasphemous to come to a mountain so high and not aim for the peak. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be a conquest of the mountain - be humble! - but a conquest of oneself. The mountain would embrace you if it so wished to. I am totally thankful for the wonderful weather throughout the climb, that allowed us to keep to our planned itinerary. And I am happy to be tested at 7,000m with very little AMS.
Til the next adventure :))
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Chicken-in-a-biscuit, Potato Chips & French Fries (Mustagh Ata 1)
Dear wonderful friends in sunny land(s),
In my last instalment, we signed off from the small town of Tashkorgan to begin our climb of mighty Mustagh Ata (7,564m). It's now 10days later, and nope, we're not done with our task yet.
The climb consists of 5 sections - Basecamp BC (4,400m), Camp1 (5,500m), Camp2 (6,200m), Camp3 (6,900m) and Summit (7,564m). What we've been doing for the past 10 days was going up and down from BC -> C1, back down, BC -> C1 stay overnight, down. BC -> C1 -> C2 stay overnight, down. Imagine the mountain as a canvas and you're painting. Every swoosh of the paintbrush paints a longer stroke than before. You get the picture. Except that each upward swoosh took an average of 7-9h, and each downward ~3-6h, depending on where we started. We were relatively lucky, with good weather & schedule on track.
That was how we spent our last 10 days. Acclimatizing. In between every swoosh, we get a 1-day break/ rest at basecamp. We've now completed our 'homework' of reaching C2 and staying a night, beforedescending to BC. We are now having a 2-day break before our summit attempt on 17th July. That's when we will go from BC -> C1(night) -> C2(night) -> C3(night) -> Summit -> and rapid descent hopefully to BC. That should take us abt 3-4 days non-break. Breathe!
All that swooshing sounds easy. But it's totally taxing. Basecamp is higher than the highest Mt. Kinabalu in SE Asia. We've now gone to C1 at 5,500m three times. That is like scaling Siguniang's Peak 3 times within 1 week. And C2 at 6,200m is like Island Peak of Nepal. When we next reach C3 at 6,900m, we would have covered Mt Aconcagua in Argentina. And we aren't even at the summit yet! Set in that context, it is all at once motivating and daunting.
Basecamp is a rather luxurious affair, the best I've witnessed. At least the logistics and tents look impressive. The guy who set it up was a recent basecamp manager at Everest, hence the semblance of orderliness. We each had a tent to ourselves at BC - the need for personal space & privacy during rest time was vital. There was just a simple problem - the food was horrible.
Food is an art to any true-blooded Sporean. In the mountains, we need it to replenish and repair. Our resting heartrates at Basecamp averaged 80-100. That was almost double our sea-level of 48-50ish. Just sitting around doing nothing, the basal metabolic rates have increased. On each swooshing of 7-9hr, we typically consumed 1pkt Gu-gel, some Oreos, vacuum-packed sausage &/ or chocs. In relative comparison, we take abt 3-4 gels per marathon. That was how much abuse our bodies were getting.
At Basecamp, food-oh-glorious was reduced to beneath functionality. There were tonnes of carbo, but nothing nutritious that allowed for recovery of loss muscles, strength etc. Vegetables were always cooked with mutton (!!), and after a week we were totally sick of the meat, despite it not reeking of mutton odour.
High altitude does funny tweaking to one's tastebuds. We started fantasizing of everything salty. Like chicken-in-a-biscuit, potato chips, french fries... We tried boiling YaKun style eggs, but alas, boiled water was not hot enough at Basecamp to cook it even after 15min of soaking. Then we tried asking our Cook to fry eggs sunny-side up - they turned up drenched in oil with cooked yolks. Sigh. Which was why we'd rather take this 4h journey each way from Basecamp out to this small town, to recuperate, wash-up before we head back tomorrow in preparation for summit.
Climbing is a lonely affair. I'm typically way behind (1-2hr) my team mates. It is fair that we do not expect our friends to wait in the cold. I think it's partly because I lack the reserves (aka fats) to keep up with all that swooshings, and also, weaker. But my years of running in silence has trained me to self-entertain without the use of iPods or devices. I am ace at self-talk, self-indulgence, conjuring up countless poems, songs and prayers just to get me through those taxing 7-9hrs of swooshings. I'm usually not a religious person, neither am I physically strong nor mental. But I've lost count of how many prayers I've mouthed in the last few days, to every almighty there could be, for good weather, for strength and resilience, to get through it.
I met a friend I knew from last year's ice-climbing. A guy I quite admire, for his raw passion in climbing, without the need for accolades. It was sheer luck/ fate that we were to meet again at Mustagh this season. He shared with me about the zen of climbing, or doing whatever we did, to enjoy the activity. I found it quite inspirational. It is like running in that 'state/zone'. I'm happy to keep his words with me, to focus on enjoying the process and not get stressed by summitting. As long as I've reached my greatest altitude to my best effort, I'm good with that result. Sunburnt face and all. Yes, zen.
Wish us luck for the next week! :)
In my last instalment, we signed off from the small town of Tashkorgan to begin our climb of mighty Mustagh Ata (7,564m). It's now 10days later, and nope, we're not done with our task yet.
The climb consists of 5 sections - Basecamp BC (4,400m), Camp1 (5,500m), Camp2 (6,200m), Camp3 (6,900m) and Summit (7,564m). What we've been doing for the past 10 days was going up and down from BC -> C1, back down, BC -> C1 stay overnight, down. BC -> C1 -> C2 stay overnight, down. Imagine the mountain as a canvas and you're painting. Every swoosh of the paintbrush paints a longer stroke than before. You get the picture. Except that each upward swoosh took an average of 7-9h, and each downward ~3-6h, depending on where we started. We were relatively lucky, with good weather & schedule on track.
That was how we spent our last 10 days. Acclimatizing. In between every swoosh, we get a 1-day break/ rest at basecamp. We've now completed our 'homework' of reaching C2 and staying a night, beforedescending to BC. We are now having a 2-day break before our summit attempt on 17th July. That's when we will go from BC -> C1(night) -> C2(night) -> C3(night) -> Summit -> and rapid descent hopefully to BC. That should take us abt 3-4 days non-break. Breathe!
All that swooshing sounds easy. But it's totally taxing. Basecamp is higher than the highest Mt. Kinabalu in SE Asia. We've now gone to C1 at 5,500m three times. That is like scaling Siguniang's Peak 3 times within 1 week. And C2 at 6,200m is like Island Peak of Nepal. When we next reach C3 at 6,900m, we would have covered Mt Aconcagua in Argentina. And we aren't even at the summit yet! Set in that context, it is all at once motivating and daunting.
Basecamp is a rather luxurious affair, the best I've witnessed. At least the logistics and tents look impressive. The guy who set it up was a recent basecamp manager at Everest, hence the semblance of orderliness. We each had a tent to ourselves at BC - the need for personal space & privacy during rest time was vital. There was just a simple problem - the food was horrible.
Food is an art to any true-blooded Sporean. In the mountains, we need it to replenish and repair. Our resting heartrates at Basecamp averaged 80-100. That was almost double our sea-level of 48-50ish. Just sitting around doing nothing, the basal metabolic rates have increased. On each swooshing of 7-9hr, we typically consumed 1pkt Gu-gel, some Oreos, vacuum-packed sausage &/ or chocs. In relative comparison, we take abt 3-4 gels per marathon. That was how much abuse our bodies were getting.
At Basecamp, food-oh-glorious was reduced to beneath functionality. There were tonnes of carbo, but nothing nutritious that allowed for recovery of loss muscles, strength etc. Vegetables were always cooked with mutton (!!), and after a week we were totally sick of the meat, despite it not reeking of mutton odour.
High altitude does funny tweaking to one's tastebuds. We started fantasizing of everything salty. Like chicken-in-a-biscuit, potato chips, french fries... We tried boiling YaKun style eggs, but alas, boiled water was not hot enough at Basecamp to cook it even after 15min of soaking. Then we tried asking our Cook to fry eggs sunny-side up - they turned up drenched in oil with cooked yolks. Sigh. Which was why we'd rather take this 4h journey each way from Basecamp out to this small town, to recuperate, wash-up before we head back tomorrow in preparation for summit.
Climbing is a lonely affair. I'm typically way behind (1-2hr) my team mates. It is fair that we do not expect our friends to wait in the cold. I think it's partly because I lack the reserves (aka fats) to keep up with all that swooshings, and also, weaker. But my years of running in silence has trained me to self-entertain without the use of iPods or devices. I am ace at self-talk, self-indulgence, conjuring up countless poems, songs and prayers just to get me through those taxing 7-9hrs of swooshings. I'm usually not a religious person, neither am I physically strong nor mental. But I've lost count of how many prayers I've mouthed in the last few days, to every almighty there could be, for good weather, for strength and resilience, to get through it.
I met a friend I knew from last year's ice-climbing. A guy I quite admire, for his raw passion in climbing, without the need for accolades. It was sheer luck/ fate that we were to meet again at Mustagh this season. He shared with me about the zen of climbing, or doing whatever we did, to enjoy the activity. I found it quite inspirational. It is like running in that 'state/zone'. I'm happy to keep his words with me, to focus on enjoying the process and not get stressed by summitting. As long as I've reached my greatest altitude to my best effort, I'm good with that result. Sunburnt face and all. Yes, zen.
Wish us luck for the next week! :)
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Safra MF Ultra Run
Inaugural Safra MF-Ultra. 7hrs for us to complete as many rounds as possible. I'm writing this as a post-blog entry, even after 2 years of the event, the memories of the run are still as fresh. A random google search brought up a friend's chatroom posting of the results. That run was the first ever ultra that I did, and it remains one of the highlights of my running career (if that was ever a career to speak of....). I was amazed that I managed to clock 5 rounds, quite consistently. Still amazed today, especially when I struggle to power up 1-2 sets up the slopes! The 5loops MF-Ultra paved the way for more ultras to come - MRUltra and Sundown84. 2007 was an amazing running year for me. A special year in my heart. :)
Ladies Category
1 Yong Lai Chee 6 loops Total Time taken:6:11:59
2 Tan Sok Hwa 5 loops 5:33:22
3 Helen Cheah Soot Fong 5loops 5:39:42
4 Jancy Yap 5loops 5:40:41
5 Sim Phei Sunn 5loops 5:46:37
Men Category
1 Teng Teck Hou 6loops Total Time taken :5:32:09
2 How Choon Kiat 6 loops 5:56:28
3 Chow Tack Sing 6 loops 6:28:02
4 Tan Bak Hooi 5 loops 4:20:59
5 Sum Yew Wah Anthony 5loops 5:06:2
Team
1 Team 1 7 loops 6:22:34
2 Team 4 7 loops 6:43:53
3 Team 6 6loops
Ladies Category
1 Yong Lai Chee 6 loops Total Time taken:6:11:59
2 Tan Sok Hwa 5 loops 5:33:22
3 Helen Cheah Soot Fong 5loops 5:39:42
4 Jancy Yap 5loops 5:40:41
5 Sim Phei Sunn 5loops 5:46:37
Men Category
1 Teng Teck Hou 6loops Total Time taken :5:32:09
2 How Choon Kiat 6 loops 5:56:28
3 Chow Tack Sing 6 loops 6:28:02
4 Tan Bak Hooi 5 loops 4:20:59
5 Sum Yew Wah Anthony 5loops 5:06:2
Team
1 Team 1 7 loops 6:22:34
2 Team 4 7 loops 6:43:53
3 Team 6 6loops
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Muffins Spill
Muffins Spill
Muffins muffins on the spill
Reek of chocolates one too many
Peeping over my waistline seams
Hide and seek they seem to play
Light and fluffy pinchables
One more kg they taunt all day
Yet resistance is naught
For my sweet tooth beckons
Muffins muffins on the spill
Reek of chocolates one too many
Peeping over my waistline seams
Hide and seek they seem to play
Light and fluffy pinchables
One more kg they taunt all day
Yet resistance is naught
For my sweet tooth beckons
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