Run To See The World

Recently Aaron and I have been traveling to countries for races and this is addictive. We are inspired by some of our friends who often fly to overseas for races. We are neither rich nor elite, holiday trips are an indulgence and our race timings aren’t good enough to be sponsored. This doesn’t stop us from seeing the world and the passion to run. So, don’t know since when we started having this laborious and expensive hobby of taking every overseas race as a holiday. Tiring but this how we like it! We run to see the world. Much from the unspoken truth is the Love from our God that allows us to be able to see His marvelous creations with every breath we take.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. – Matthew 6:33

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord – Psalm 150:6

Cingjing Nantou, Taiwan - 2013

Taipei, Taiwan - 2013

Often I will throw nasty comment at Aaron for not having normal couple relationship of having dinner date or just spending time talking sweet things. No anniversary, no Valentine day!  Ironically, I repeatedly have to shut myself up with all my nonsense because as an athlete, I understand it all. Most of the time, we get to see our partner ugly worn-out face that is rather unappealing. We see each other very frequent, like 4-5 times a week, many it maybe seems but none is romantic. Trainings and ministry works are the time that bonded us together.  Now that we have this expensive hobby (I hope this will last for as long as it can *praying hard*), it helps spice our relationship a little and motivate us to train harder. I treasure every trainings, ministering and overseas trips and am really thankful for that. Thank God for His provision to our endurance dating relationship.

Our first trip together was 5 years back. First destination - Bangkok; a trip that we truly understand what “Venus vs Mars” is.  Aaron’s intolerant to wait was immediately surfaced during that trip while I shopped. Back in those honeymoon dating days, he was always the enthusiastic party wanting to shop with me but I guess 1 year was his threshold. This trip unveils our differences and similarities; running shoe is always the item on the packing list. Since then, running shoe is a “Must bring” item for every trip.  Till date, we have run in Melbourne, Japan, Cambodia, London, Paris, Busselton and Taiwan.

Western Australia Ironman, Busselton - 2012

Western Australia Ironman, Busselton - 2012



Tokyo Marathon, Japan - 2012



 

Tokyo Marathon, Japan - 2012



Tokyo Marathon, Japan - 2012





Stonehenge, London - 2011





The Louvre, Paris - 2011

Dandenong Melbourne, Australia - 2009

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? - 1 Corinthians 12:17

I thank God for providing me a partner and a best friend. Though we may be different in many ways but we learn to grow together in Christ.



Dating - Garden by the bay and J's swim outing

I have been always complaining about my boyfriend training hard for his first Ironman race that will be held in December 2012, and has not has much time for us (me & the dog). Though I complain alot (one of the privilege that girls get to do to their boyfriend), I am completely understanding and supportive because I myself loves sport too.

One a side note: We spent most of our time together (dating time) while we are training or doing sport ministry... and once in awhile we will catch a mid night movie.

I totally understand that once we tied the knot and have all the family commitments rolling in, we will have lesser time to do the things we like; so his goal is to do a few ironman races before he commit himself to be a family men. Nonetheless, we still hope to be sportive; using sport as a tool to impact the young lives among us as well as our kids... *blush*.

Let's not digress further... So this wonderful man of my life was so sweet that he managed his training schedule in order to accommodate our dating...

He woke up earlier (4am) on one of the Saturday as well as on the Deepavali holiday to cycle so that he could make time for me. Feel so loved.

Garden by the bay

My friend bought a ticket for us, which allows access to the Cooled Conservatories and the OCBC Skyway.He initially forgot about this outing but he still make time for this. I was quite touched when he accommodated to me. Thank you for loving me.

 Here are the photos [To be uploaded soon].

J's swim outing
I think he will make a great dad next time. =) Though he has hectic amount of work and squeezes his time to train, he still make the effort to spend time with his family.
J is his dog; totally pampered by his dad and treats it like a daughter. It favourite hobby is swimming, so his dad suggested to bring the dog out for a swim since we have not done it for months.

Impatient look

Thank you for bring me for a swim.. Love U look

Can we go into the water now?



Denched J (Left) with her fluffy friend Tommy (Right)

 

BJ having Monday Blues

Having Monday's blues? BJ having that too, because everyone is heading to work and she will be home alone again.

BJ is a very active female sheltie. Having an athlete owner, she is also inspired to be a tri-dog. Her favourite hobbies are swimming, running and sleeping. Among the 3, she loves swimming the most (she becomes very impatient when she knows she is going for a swim), she will do her 3km run as and when the owner has no training. Days that she doesn't do her workouts (when everyone is busy), she spend most her time having her beauty sleep.

Oh~ It's Monday again!

1 More Minute Please....

 Have a great weekdays ahead, with loves from the sheltie that doesn't like Monday too.

[Event] Run for the Nation 2012

Run for the Nation, RunNat, is a event organized by a group of christian runners who are inspired by God with this vision of praying for the Nation. It was initiated in Malaysia in 2007 and the Lord spread the vision to Australia, Singapore and Cambodia... and so we have this event birth in Singapore 2011.

Similar to prayer walk; each group of runners will be covering 5km route, praying for their neighbourhood while they run. The relay started from various direction of Singapore (North, East, Northeast and West), covering 40km each directions and finally meets at St. Andrew Cathedral.

As we run, we pray for the needs of our fellow Singaporeans and believing that all prayers are being heard and trusting God that He will truly bless Singapore.

I could run, many could pray but how often runners pray as they run? I confess I don't do that often too. It is so tiring! It is tough Pray-running as every grasp of breath you take, you say a prayer for the surrounding. But with our simple faith and effort, we believe God see all our sacrifices blessing those that are around us. This brings a different purpose to running (I personally feels).



First Northeast Group started the run at 5am, 6th Oct 2012

Passing the "baton' prayer card to the 2nd team

Some are not physically fit for 5km but they did it!

Some has smaller group,
but God say, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” - Matt 18:20

We continue to pray as we run

We pray for the heartlands

We pray for the city

Praying for every parts of Singapore, running with faith

 

Believing that we will eventually see Lord's Glory in Singapore.



And by the grace of God, the event came as a success! Not by the number of participants, but by having God's presence dwelling among each runners throughout the run and seeing Christians from different churches in Singapore coming together to run and pray for Singapore.

Read more about other testimonies, to know more about the event and/or thinking of participating RunNat 2013, look out for this space:
http://runforthenation.com/singapore/



Singapore Aquathlon 19th May 2012

Had my morning run at ECP that day & I did the dumbest thing of all in my entire running endeavours. A runner doesn't has his/her running shoe, is like a writer without his/her pen and/or shitting without toilet paper. How does that happened to me? I have been running for 15 years & I can forget to bring my running shoe! Oh gosh! Can't believe I did that but Aaron will always say "that's not common". "No!" I defended. "I may forget to take my house key, my wallet or my hand phone but no way...." But I feel like boxing myself. I have to explain myself: I took my shoe bag not check what is inside assume that it is my running shoe. How hilarious it is! Aaron was really patient with me that morning (he usually don't. How sweet of him to do that knowing that I'm so stress at work recently) & drove me home to collect it & head back to ecp again. I set a new limit to my forgetfulness & blur-ness. (keep rolling my eye on myself).

Anyway that not what the main thing I want to share about.

I stayed a little longer after my run to watch the race. The first 2 waves are the juniors girls & boys from 7-10 years old. They are so cute. I'm so encouraged by their boldness to swim in the open water. The race encompass of 200m swim + 1km run. The fastest boy & girl completed the race in 11min15sec & 11min32sec respectively. Why are they so brave?! Or am I so weak? Haha.

Something that caught my attention is their parents are so enthusiastic! They run with them after their swim to the transition pit. Woah, such an encouraging parents they got. Hope that my mum & dad were there to see me complete when i'm young too. One dad in particular, grab out the water bottle & passed it to his exhausted boy. So heart-warming. Parent always expect their children to performance mainly in their studies but these group of parent definitely understand the importance of having a balance life.

"Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

I want to be like them when i'm a parent myself.