Yellow Yellow Happy Fellows

Just received this letter from Yellow Ribbon Fund, well done runners!

6th September 2009 - Beautiful Sunday
6.9.2009 Happy Birthday Botak

It was also a Happy Sunday when the race begin but for a few of us the FUN begun on Saturday, 5th September. ....the shaving ritual



Yellow Ribbon Prison Run 6th September 2009
Total sum raised = $25,610.

Our Happy Fellows
Names in green denote runners at 6th September 2009, Yellow Ribbon Prison Run.
$5,000 - Ah Hoo
$1,000 - Botak, Mohan, Teck Khing, Yi Feng, Franklin Tan, Patrick Peng, Nick Soon, Vincent , Philip Kho
$500 - Peter Poh, Anthony Lim,William Tay , Ong Bee Chuan, Chan Teck Huat, Lee Teck Seng, Lim Jew Tim, Sin Wey Kian, Thomas Goh, Chew Kian Giap , Sim Sew Bee, Clifton Yong, Ng Goh Hock,
$300 - Lee Teck Khing, Ng Chow Leng, Ng Kai Wa, Chan Ming Tat,
$200 - Nicky Ting, Dave Ng, Gary Theh, Lim Kok Ann, Melvyn Ho
$100 - Alvin Wong, Billy Phua, Ang Eng Yeow, Daniel Ong, Dorothy Loh, Sam Foong, Allan Kwek, Ernest Sim, Lawrence Tan, Hazel Goh, Eugene Lim, Sam Khor, Doris Lim, Tan Kong Chee, Zeng Shiyao, Ng Kim Hoo, Bay Eng Seng, George Lee
$55 - Chia Way Seng, Ong Poh Gek, Loh Kim Chuan, Margaret Rajesinary, Bala Krisnan, Janet Chew
$50 - Mag Yong, Zhao Ming, Li Bin, Shirley Tan, Justin Ong , Calvin Chia, Andrew Yong, Roger Lim, Tan Cheng Keat, Toby Lim,
$30 - Edwin Chionh, Willie Chan , Lau Shen Lian, Shao Chong, Shao Jean
$25 - Lee Ai Lay , Lee Bon Hian
$10 - Tay Lian Kun, Andrea Yong, Freddy Yeoh, Ng Chun Chuan, Yap Shui Huat, Mavis Goh, Tan Heng Yee, Lim Choon Leng

A Dear John Letter

Botak received his first fan's letter.

Oi Botak,

I am Johnnie Lee from Kampong Coconut Hill End, back then people called me John, and called you Ah Pui. We were from the same primary school but different class. Remember the rivalry when we played huntam bola, catch spider and chasing girls:)) Those were the days mann!!

I am a huge fan of your radio botak and always enjoyed your oldies but goodies. When I read your "A Dear Knee Letter" I fall on my knees, it reminds me of my favourite song "A Dear John Letter" When my first girlfriend, Suzie sang it to me, my knees never break but my heart broke to a thousand pieces. Please botak, for old time sake, please play "A dear John Letter" again. I am a sentimental old fashion man, long time never heart broken, please break it one more time.

sign Johnnie Lee

When I saw this letter pasted on my front door this morning, At first I thought it was those O$P$ guys making a BIG mistake. It was a relieve to know it was from Johnnie Lee. Promptly I replied.

Dear John,
How rrr u mann? Heard u make it good huh? Big time contractor, staying in bungalow, driving big mercesdy! Life must have been good to u! Yes I remember those days fondly too. Never mind that Suzie lah, she surely regret BIG TIME now one.

Your wishes is my command, for the good old days, radio botak will play "A Dear John Letter". Since we get sentimental, I will play "My sentimental friend" by Herman Hermit when I find the old 45.

sign
your sentimental old friend Ah Pui

PS: Lets catch up for coffee soon, then I can introduce you to my other favorite past time - Marathon. Don't worry, unlike Suzie, marathon will not break your heart, in fact it is very good for your heart:)) the only worry is if you run in-correctly, it will break your knees:)))

A Dear John Letter - Ferlin Husky

Dear John, Oh, how I hate to write
Dear John, I must let you know tonight
That my love for you has died away like grass upon the lawn
And tonight I wed another, Dear John.

Recitation:
I was overseas in battle when the postman came to me
And he handed me a letter, I was happy as I could be
For the fighting was all over and the battle had been won
Then I opened up the letter and it started, "Dear John."

Dear John, Oh, how I hate to write
Dear John, I must let you know tonight
That my love for you has died away like grass upon the lawn
And tonight I wed another, Dear John.

Recitation:
Will you please send back my picture, my husband wants it now
When I tell you who I'm wedding, you won't care, dear, anyhow
Now the ceremony has started and I'll wed your brother Don
Will you wish us happiness forever, Dear John

A Dear Knees Letter

Dear Knees, Oh, how I hate to write
Dear Knees, I must let you know tonight....

My dearest right and left knee,

Please forgive me for the unnecessary trauma I caused to both of you due to my ignorance and wrong running method in 2009. By running so many marathons last year, it makes me the bigger fool. I don't know where the pluck I got the focking idea of running heel down first (ouch!). It was after watching Evolution Running that I realized how much agonies I bestow upon you (which happen to be me too). I never meant to hurt you, trusts me, It pains me as much as you. (of course lah stupid! those are my knees what!).

For the benefits of my follow runners, may I have your permission to replay our October 2009 Interval training (which now seems so brainless) so that they will no make the same mistakes as I do :((

My non-fatal mistakes were :
1) Arms not swinging backward
2) Heels not flicking backward

My fatal mistakes:
1) Over strike with foot way in front of knee
2) Resulting in BANG! Heel hitting the ground first!!!!

Hopefully it will save many of my friends and also many of your friends with a common name call KNEES.

thank you and sayang sayang

yours dearest-ly

botak
12 January 2010

How not to run like Botak!

BANG!! right heel hit the ground first

Over strike, right foot is way in front of the knee


Arms not swinging back

Foot ahead of knee again

Contact! BANG!!! left heel hit the ground OUCH!!!!

video clips of evolution running

http://www.5min.com/Video/An-Introduction-to-Evolution-Running-29683878

The Living Years...

It is coming to the end of another year, time for some reflections. Radio botak is pleased to share with you a great song from 1989 to herald the new year - The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics which consists of Mike Rutherford, Paul Carrack and Paul Young (died of a heart attack in 2000).

The Living Years was co-written by Rutherford and B.A. Robertson. The song combined features of each writer's relationship with their father; it dealt with Rutherford's strained relationship with his late father and the birth of Robertson's son three months after his father's death. Paul Carrack rendition was so surreal and came straight from the heart. I can relate to this song, like him my father also passed away suddenly one morning when I was 10:((

Coming from Asian culture, we were more reserve. If we can't do it with words, let do it by deeds. Call up your parent, children, sibling, friends whom you had hurt or hurt you, it is time to re-built the bridges , don't let the bitterness lasts. Don't wait until "I just wish I could have told him in the living years" Juz do it mann!

Hope the new "living" year will open your heart and touches your soul. Have a bless Christmas and Peaceful New Year.

The Living Years (LIVE )

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I’m a prisoner
To all my father held so dear
I know that I’m a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got

You say you just don’t see it
He says it’s perfect sense
You just can’t get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It’s the bitterness that lasts

So don’t yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don’t give up, and don’t give in
You may just be o.k.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye

I wasn’t there that morning
When my father passed away
I didn’t get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I’m sure I heard his echo
In my baby’s new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye

马拉松 Anthem (A Tribute to all 2009 SCSM runners)

跑马者30公里后的心声

给我一瓶正骨水(to the tune of 忘情水）

正华 唱：
啊。。。
给我一喷正骨水
还我一身不疲惫
只剩10多公里
管它脚疼风吹
也要到终点才能回















阿清唱：
给我一瓶正骨水
换我肌肉不劳累
就算我的筋抽
就算我的心碎
还是要到
终点才流泪

大家唱 ：
我们不要忘情水
给我们喷喷正骨水
就算要我排队
就算我有多累
不喷俺们就不归
唱的这莫好，就给你一车正骨水，拿去吧！！

Botak's confession at SCSM 2009

I had sin, I repent, I had let down my friends at TFB who gave me those magical bands. My sinceressssst apology especially to DO. amen...

Confession done, back to business! If you remember, at SCSM 2008 which I completed in 5:03, I lamented about "for a few minutes more". So SCSM 09 was meant to get that sub 5hr cert to hang on my wall. Due to many reasons aka excuses, on the night before SCSM 09 after another mega carbo-loading session, I tot it was a great idea to play safe and lower target time to 5.30hr. So on race day, I wore the TFM 5.30 pace band proudly on my right wrist and it turn out to be on the wrong runner. The first 35km, I was still within pace, but alas had to pay back with interests during the last 7 km and completed in SCSM 09 in 5:38:12 :((

My 5.30 pace time

05km 0:39:06/0:36:01
10km 1:18:12/1:10:07
15km 1:57:18/1:50:23
20km 2:36:24/2:23:36
25km 3:15:31/3:04:37
30km 3:54:37/3:49:37
35km 4:33:43/4:33:02
40km 5:12:49/5:22:55
42.195km 5:30:00hr/ 5:38:12 hr

With the completion of the 2009 Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon, Botak had discovered a new thoery that is greater then Newton's apple thoery. Being a selfless person, Botak gladly shared this new discovery with you. You read it here first @ run2eat blog

Who ever said Marathon is a matter of mind over body was so Wrong. This is botak's new theory; M+FT=MM2

Marathon's Finish Time is a case of Mind over Matters = If you don't Mind, It doesn't Matters!

Thinking of changing our team name from team run2eat to team run2fatbird , but that will be another story:)))))

click for pixs of team run2eat gasoline station@26.5km 6.50am - 10.15am
to be continue.....

SCSM09 Last minute 抱佛腿

Are you ready for SCSM 09? I am not (o_o)

To enable our volunteers to identify you, please get a yellow stickers from Ernest/me to stick on your bib

This will entitle you to a extra pack of ICY COLD energy jelly at our support station@26km.

It is optional to put on the yellow sticker if you are wearing our run2eat singlet.

Wanna some last minutes grab Buddha’s legs? I recommend resources from team fatbird http://teamfatbird.blogspot.com/.

TFB is also the official pacer for SCSM 09. If you need helps to achieve your target, following a pacer is a good idea.

TFB has full marathon pacer in the 3:45 – 6:00 time slot. My strategies are to tag on to the purple balloons (5hr) if possible. If not, then down to orange to white….in the worse scenario joins the yellow (6 hr). Higher then 6 will be 2012... God save botak.

Look out for these cheerful TFB pacers with their respective pace timing at the back. Follow their pace and win your race.