breathtakingly beautiful!

Taken at Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(pic courtesy of Nana)

This made Nana (my fellow NYC'11 Marathoner) and I stop running this morning. Too gorgeous to not capture!

That's the Petronas Twin Towers in the background. My #1 favourite architecture in the whole wide world, they still take my breath away until this very day.

wise words

"Running has given me the courage to start, 
the determination to keep trying, 
and the childlike spirit to have fun along the way. 
Run often and run long, but 
never outrun your joy of running."
-- Julie Isphording, 

motivational speaker who ran the first-ever 

women's Olympic Marathon in 1984

top 10 marathons worth traveling for

So, Forbes has very recently released 2012's top 10 destinations for Marathons. The list boasts 7 countries spanning across 4 continents...

AFRICA

The Big Five Marathon in Limpopo Province, South Africa

ASIA

The Great Wall Marathon in Tianjin, China

EUROPE

Virgin London Marathon in London, England (World Marathon Major)

Paris Marathon in Paris, France

Mont St.-Michel Bay Marathon in Mont St.-Michel, France

Athens Classic Marathon in Athens, Greece

NORTH AMERICA

Vancouver Marathon in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Napa Valley Marathon in Calistoga, California, USA

Big Sur International Marathon in Big Sur, California, USA

Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts, USA (World Marathon Major)

I am especially excited about the inclusion of my favorite Canadian city into this list...

BMO Vancouver Marathon 

(a Boston Marathon qualifying event)

Race day: May 6, 2012

Vancouver debuts a new course this year—it’s now a point-to-point race that will take more advantage of the scenic city sites including its unique neighborhoods, world-class parks and its expansive seawall. The trek, limited to 5,000 participants, begins in Queen Elizabeth Park and goes through seven neighborhoods, passing the beaches at Spanish Banks and entering Stanley Park before finishing in Vancouver’s downtown.

Finally, runners will get to run through the glorious Stanley Park! It’s never been closed to the public for an event–until now. And on top of that, runners will also enjoy the stunning cityscape with a backdrop of majestic mountains and immensely gorgeous ocean view.

Can't wait for my 5th Full Marathon on the 6th of May. Anybody wanna join me?  ;)

This year, for the first time in Vancouver Marathon history, the course
goes through much of its famed Stanley Park and along the seawall.

Details and registrations at www.bmoVanMarathon.ca. Limited slots left for both 42K and 21K distances BTW! 

wise words

“We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, 

the goal is to create something that will.” 

-- Whitney Houston

oh, whitney...

I know that when you look at me

There's so much that you just don't see

But if you would only take the time

I know in my heart you'd find

A girl who's scared sometimes

Who isn't always strong

Can't you see the hurt in me?

I feel so all alone

I want to run to you

I want to run to you

Won't you hold me in your arms

And keep me safe from harm

I want to run to you

But if I come to you

Tell me, will you stay or will you run away

Each day, each day I play the role

Of someone always in control

But at night I come home and turn the key

There's nobody there, no one cares for me

What's the sense of trying hard to find your dreams

Without someone to share it with

Tell me what does it mean?

I need you here

I need you here to wipe away my tears

To kiss away my fears

If you only knew how much

I want to run to you...

*RIP Whitney*

bada-bing!

"For my birthday, my husband gave me a scale. 
For his birthday next year, I'm gonna give him a ruler..."

-- Kira Soltanovich at LA's Laugh Factory

Happy weekend, everyone!  :)

~*~

Catch some great international stand-up comedy in live action this week in Singapore, and next week in Kuala Lumpur. Peep www.TheComedyClub.asia to find out more

matters of the heart

So, what are the symptoms of a heart attack? Many might think that it is just like in the movies, i.e. a person having sudden severe pain in the chest, followed by the clutching of the external area where the heart is positioned, and finally this person falling over.

Truth be told, the telltale sign might be as mild as the feeling of muscle discomfort. How do I know this? Well, my father suffered from this condition sometime back. As he is an avid golfer and is familiar with the feeling of muscle fatigue, he tried stretching it out which usually does the trick. But this time the symptoms persisted and my father got himself to a doctor straight away. He was shocked to discover that he was suffering from a heart attack!

Anyway, here are the warning signs of a heart attack...


Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.


Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.


Shortness of breath. Often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort.


Other symptoms. May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.


-- Source: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/actintime/haws/haws.htm

Now, what do you do if you're all alone and suspect that you're having a heart attack? Well, a friend on Facebook shared this which I reckon is a truly priceless tip...

Let's say it's 6.15pm and you're going home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to drag out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself..! 


HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE.. 


Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. 


However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. 


A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. 


A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again. 


Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

wise words

"No one has ever drowned in sweat."

-- Lou Holtz 

(retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker)