A "Fool" Print

After wearing Asics Nimbus for the past 2 years, i decided to switch back to stability running. Reason was that i suspected my knee pain might be due to the over pronation of my feet. Among the 2 better stability shoes that Asics offered, i guess i had not much choice but to choose Kayano 17 (maximum structured support) since i did not have a good experience with the other (GT series).

The colour i selected is a blue 2E model. Nothing really flashy about it but the combination of the blue and white made this pairs look like a tough running machine. First impression of the shoes is the weight which is comparable to my GT2150 and the better fit feeling as compared to my Nimbus. Other noticeable feature is the guidance line at the bottom sole. The path is slightly curved through the bottom of the tread path which unlike any other shoes i had. Asics claimed that this helps to provide a smooth gait while running.

The first time I slide the shoes in, i could feel plenty of support at the mid and fore foot. In addition, I liked the sturdy and solid heel construction which gave me pretty of cushioning at the heel.

While running with the shoes, i could immediately feel the stiffness all the way and the strong support at the mid foot. This gave me a very stable landing throughout the 10km run without sacrificing the flexibility. The grip and traction was also great for the pavement and road. However, the only complain I had for this shoes was its poor ventilation. At about 10km distance, I felt my feet was starting to heat up. Nevertheless, i want to give a benefit of doubt as perhaps the poor ventilation might be attributed to the hot weather over the past few days.

It has been an exciting moment for Singaporeans for the past 2 weeks on the General Election 2011. Although my constituency was walked over, I still eagerly following the news.

This year, the election had undergone changes that differ from the previous elections - (1) the rising star of young politicians (Nicole Seah etc) ;(2) Usage of new media to connect the public ;(3) all constituencies are facing competition from opposition except mine. Putting the political view aside, I do appreciate the government's relax in the media control where the opposition's and controlling party's voice can appeal to the greater audience. More importantly, I'm glad that the younger generation has taken more interest in the political discussion and coming out to join the election. The issues that focusing in this election were: (1) rising healthcare cost; (2) rising housing prices and (3) surging foreign workers/talents which i unfortunately are falling into a victim in these issues. In addition, i am amused by the fact that the sensation created by Nicole Seah and Tin Pei Ling in this election. Not that i have anything against TPL, but i found the answers given by her was too surface and not attacking the heart of the problems concerned as compared to Nicole Seah. True enough, Singapore's strategy is focusing on economy growth which i deem is important. But, what is the point of continue focusing on economy growth and job creation where the general public is feeling a strain to support their basic necessities such as paying for their healthcare and wages not able to meet the rising cost? As always, the outcome of the election was no surprised which the PAP still controlling the majority of the seats. However, during the announcement of the results, one had to be astounded by the power of the new media where the results were sprayed across within the "netcitizens" before it was officially announced in the TV.

As of now before i end my thoughts, there is a campaign happening in Facebook on the petition of removing TPL as MP. It would be interesting to see what will be happening next.

The final stage begins with descent into Santa Cruz then the route follows the river bank via poplar groves to Valenzuela but soon the climbing begins. A hard climb to Torre Gallina is followed by a very long descent which takes you into a spectacular valley. The valley track takes you to Salar. From here undulating tracks through olive groves lead to a short tunnel under the autovia and the final 2km surfaced road to Hotel Manzanil finish.

Stage Four was the ”long day “, with more plenty of hard climbs and long ascents. Tracks lead to Cacin, poplar groves and then another big climb to Pocapaja. From there it was just 4km to the finish but climbing all the way. At 61 km, stage four is likely to be the crux of the event for many.

Stage Three begins at the campsite and takes the scenic, tarmac road out to Lake Bermejales and then a steep dirt road climb to a forest airstrip and then its mountain tracks all the way through some incredibly beautiful scenery and following it towards Jayena. About 4km before the village you enter another section of single track which takes you to the Bacal campsite finish.

Stage Two begins by descending into Alhama’s spectacular gorge. There were 4 checkpoints again. From here you travel through the full length of the gorge before heading into the Sierra Almijara. This tough mountain stage includes a new, very beautiful, single track section. From here you begin to descend via the forest tracks before some tough final climbs into Jatar.

The race started at 10am. There was a paint marking on the road or trail to indicate the direction of where the runners should run. In addition, there were 2 road marshals riding on their bikes to check on runners’ condition and route. This year, we also had a research team from Conventry University to study runners’ performance in Ultras and under extreme heat. The research mainly focused on taking our urine sample, weight and readings before the start of the race and conducting interviews after the each stage of the race.