Dropping The HRM

Coach has put me off the HRM on my recovery run on weekdays and long run over the weekend. It is now constant pace. The short ones last Thursday was at 5:15 pace. Yesterday, I was suppose to do a 5:45 paced 24km run. The whole idea was to get my body use to doing the runs at specific speeds so that I would be able to do the same during the race in June. This was a tough thing for me to do, without the HRM. I have been following my HR for the past 2 years and it was difficult to gauge my running speed.


I did the 24km in 2:15 in the heat of the mid afternoon sun. 33-34 degrees at half past 3. I had to take a shower before heading out because I know I was going to get scorched by the uncomfortable heat. First 10km in 56ish, 2nd in 55ish and last 4km in 22ish. The last 4km was really difficult.


I had stopped using my footpod for the past few months because the battery died on me and it was difficult to find a replacement. I tried it yesterday and found that my cadence had gone up to 90-92. Last year, I was still prodding around at about 85. I have read that shorter turnover is safe because the amount of time spent on each stride is reduced and thus reducing risks of injury. In fact, Coach had encouraged me to do so as well. It was unknowing that I have amped it up. A nice surprise.


Some guys I knew took part in the SAFRA biathlon on Saturday. I had chosen not to take part and was I glad because I spent the day riding a 160km followed by a 3km run. I think I needed to spend more time on the bike in preparation for the Cairns race. I passed the race site at about 10am, and again at about 12pm when the event had stopped. Massive manpower was needed to get the event going, as I noticed the number of soldiers required to pack up and clean up the whole area.

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There had been many changes in the world - the people of Egypt successfully forced the President to resign and the fate of the country is still unknown, as there are major revamps to be done. China just took over Japan as world's 2nd biggest economy. I suppose the latter had been in discussion for a while already. It will be a matter of time before China takes over US as the world's biggest economy?


Talking about development, whilst the economy progresses, I wonder if anything else progresses? In the likes of social graces, consideration, empathy? My colleague commented that Singapore is not socially developed when I said that I just flipped up the seat of the toilet bowl laced with pee. Yup, and I totally agree. We have so much to grow. It was no wonder our public toilets do not seem to be improving in terms of cleanliness. It is not so much of the lack of cleaner because it should never be a cleaner issue. It is about the user.


The emphasis on economic progress is important, but at what cost? Being in the education industry, it is an uphill struggle against the focus on academic excellence. How are we to strike a balance in all of it?


Maybe I am just being myopic. I see things from the layman's perspective and perhaps microsopic. But if things are not seen from the ground level, how can any leader be able to identify with the people under them? I heard with intrigue that former President of Egypt, Mubarak, calling upon the citizens "my sons, my children". And when BBC interviewed the citizens, they wanted the end of the paternalistic era, and to be treated like citizens, stakeholders of the country.