Sunny Outdoors

29 May 2010 - This is my first time participating in the Sundown Marathon.  Together with some friends, we signed up for the 10K event.  Since there weren't any 10K category for men, the guys in the group had to form a team to participate in the team event (4 x 10k)  :)  The event was fairly well organized. There were prominent distance markers along the route. Drink stations were provided every 2 - 3 kms.  I think there were more drink stations here than in the 2009 Stanchart marathon (10k).  There were also ample parking spaces located near the event and I had no problem looking for a parking lot. However, you had to adhere strictly to the road closure timings or you will be stuck in traffic for many hours.  A friend of mine had to pay $40 for cab fare because the cab was stuck in traffic had to make a detour due to road closure !  Perhaps the biggest complaint about the event was the inaccessibility of the location.  There were no ...

15 May 2010 - Gunung Datuk (655m / 870m) is located in Negri Sembilan which is about 3-4hrs drive from Singapore.  We started our journey the night before at 11pm and we arrived at the park at 4am.   As it was still dark then, we had to sleep in the van to wait for the sunrise.  I am not a person who can sleep easily in coaches or buses when travelling longer distances.  Sleeping in the van was impossible. Calvin was snoring to my left, Mathias was making weird noises to my right and the driver was also snoring.  Calvin didn't have a good sleep either, when he snored too loud (which was quite often), i will elbow him and quickly look away hehe. We started the trek at 7am when it became bright enough.  We were immediately confronted with a steep and rocky ascend when we got into the trail.  There were also lots of roots and the soil was soggy and muddy in certain areas, probably due to the rain from the night before.   I must ...

Me : Hi, is the Via Ferrata (VF) suitable for beginners ? I have never done it before. Girl on the phone : It's suitable for beginners and for people of all fitness levels.  Me : Great, that sounds like me. 09 May 2010 - Having been assured that almost anyone can climb, i decide to book an appointment to try the VF in Orchard Central, which is the world's tallest indoor VF. Via Ferrata actually means "iron road" in Italian. It was used during world war I in Italy to aid in the movement of troops on the mountains. The wall starts from the 4th floor in Orchard Central and climbers have to make  their way up to the top at the 8th floor in 1.5 hrs. At level 7, there's a platform to rest.  Sounds simple enough I thought, should be a breeze :-) However, when i actually got started, I was feeling nervous. Although I wasn't afraid of heights, i wasn't really sure of the VF system. Where to hook ? How to loop the rope round the pigtail ? where to step .... ...

01 May 2010 - I have finally obtained my first pair of Adidas Kampung ! Thanks to my wonderful wife who persuaded the Malaysian supplier and convinced them to airmail the shoes over to Singapore.   This is the first time they have shipped these shoes overseas haha. You might ask, whats is this Adidas Kampung again ? Well, Adidas Kampung is the affectionate name for these Cap Gajah (elephant brand) rubber shoes - probably because of  4 stripes on the side of the shoes making them resemble Adidas shoes :-) They are usually worn by the rubber tappers and plantation workers in Malaysia and are also  popular among Malaysians for hiking in the tropical forests. These shoes are cheap (cost less than RM $10) and waterproof (100% Rubber).   It is often mentioned that porters in Mount Kota Kinabalu wear them to ascend and descend the mountain and they do so carrying heavy loads !  Studded soles  Cap Gajah (Elephant Brand) My wife bought them at RM $6....