Who put that thought in my mind?

Sometimes I do wonder about weird stuff.

Not the normal stuff like:

"what to wear to work today"

"what to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner"

"how much is that doggie in the window (yes, the one with the waggley tail, I do hope he's for sale).

I wonder about a woman's pulchritude. Why is it that bespectacled female holds such potential allure. Ladies with long hair held up in a bun. The hybrid of the two - a glass wearing female with long hair held up in a bun.

The potential that will be realised with the removal of the glasses (normally turtle shell) and letting down of her hair to reveal luscious curls.

Time of the year

Although we (Singaporeans) live on a tropical island just 1 degree north of the equator, we are subjected to the same physiological (dunno if it's the right words) changes that takes place around the world.

Humans, as a species, probably spent much of their time in the northern hemisphere. Which is to say, winter is from November through to February or so. And like most other animals, we pile on fats to get through the cold winter months. Due to the lack of sunshine, we get seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Maybe that is why towards the end of the year, more deaths occur. But that could be attributed to the cold weather directly ie. the poor and the old die from the cold either because they cannot afford heating or they suffer from illnesses.

The main point is about the piling of fats. Which leads to gaining of weight. The appearance of flab. And along with it, the whining of girls.

In the blogs that I read, some of which belong the girls, they are all talking about their weight. And a number of the blogs have the owner in a contemplative mood.

Here comes the interesting bit - what about those in the southern hemisphere? I guess they won't bitch so much since they are enjoying their summers. Maybe they'll complain about not having a "winter wonderland" during Christmas. They are always dreaming of a white Christmas. So no seasonal affective disorder down there.

What about putting on weight to get through the grueling months from November to February? Well, I think they are a little screwed here. Because they grow fatter during the year end (because of the way our genes are engineered) but get cold only during the middle of the year, they grow fat all year round.

So people down under, if they are sad, it's not the climate. It's their own bodies.

Sort of.

More on Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2006

The weather was super for distance running I thought. At least in Singapore. Seldom is it so cool and breezy. The sky held up really well.

I saw a blind man who was running with his running partner. They were tied together with a string. It's like some commercial. And it was inspiring.

I saw this woman who was dragging behind her a car tire with styrofoam boxes, empty plastic bottles and cans tied to it. She was running for her cause. Runners who ran past her clapped to give render morale support. I clapped as well.

I saw a one guy on a stretcher and had to have his breathing assisted. I hope he is alright. I saw many who had cramps along the way. On my way back I saw many who were limping and their legs white from the deep heat rub. I saw the 42k runners who continued onwards down Nicoll Highway for the marathon and wanted so badly to be able to complete one next year.

In a year fraught with goals I've procratinated on, achievements that came with minimal to less than 100% committment and effort this half marathon was essential for feeling better about myself. I want to know that although I am a 27 year old young hypertension patient with a blood pressure reading of 150/100 six months ago, I can complete a half-marathon. And next year, I will complete the full marathon as a healthy 28 year old.

I saw many people with reasons tagged behind them. Some said things like:

So that I can eat cookies and cream

Others had

So that I can beat the World Record - Road Runner *Beep Beep*

So that I can eat snickers

It's an excuse to buy new shoes

For my wife - wedding on 9 Dec!!!

Because 13xxx made me do it

I want to run the extra mile for Dad!

I run for my mum who wishes that she can walk

To stay healthy for my family

Want to stay fit and happy. Enjoy the run!

Enjoy the run!

If you can read this you are too close

Challenge myself

Because my husband thinks I can

KICK ME if you see me slowing down or stopping

The "runspiration" supporters played a very large part. While I don't think I'll be able to finish the run so easily if I had friends tagging along, I would say that the supporters who lined the streets on certain parts of the route were really fantastic. As were the volunteers who helped with the ushering, pouring of drinks, distributing of fruits and trying their best to collect and return the bags left at the baggage deposit. It was a terrible 45mins wait to collect my bag after the run. It was worse than the run. Because standing in the queue as the lactic acid builds up with no fluid to consume is terrible.

All in, the marathon was superbly well-organised. Except maybe for the baggage collection. Having drinks provided as the runners queue up for their bags can seriously alleviate the frustration felt by many in the queue. Interestingly, in my queue, the guy in front and behind me were from Victoria School. One was from class of 2002 and another was from 2000. I felt my age coming from class of 1995. But damn, I finished ahead of them! Yeah.....

Create Your Reason: Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

* This is a long entry about the songs that accompanied me on my run this morning.

I completed the half today! Yay! The official timings are not out yet but I am certain I completed in under 3 hours which was the amount of time I gave myself. I came in when the official clock was showing 2:47 but my chip timing should be less than that.

I woke up at 4:30am and got onto a cab to Raffles City. Along the way there, the traffic was unusually high given that it's 5am along Bras Basah Rd. I brought with me a change of clothes, slippers, a small pack of complimentary Mentholatum heat rub all in the events day bag which is a laundry bag with the Standard Chartered Marathon logo printed on it.

The toilet queues were terrible.

The full marathon was flagged off on time at 6am. After a simple warm up and stretching exercise, I made my way to the start point.

I had my nano on shuffle so I haven't a clue which songs will I get. I gave myself a comfortable 5 hrs worth....in case I do actually take that long. There were a total of 63 songs.

These songs accompanied me.

The Reason - Hoobastank. I had short laugh to myself. This song was a firm favourite of V and i thought it was quite appropriate for it to start my run. But really, the number of runners were in the thousands and Esplanade Bridge was not wide enough for all 10,000 or more of us to start together. So it wasn't until the second song, White Houses - Vanessa Carlton that I crossed the start point....

When Ghost Ship In A Storm - Jim O'Rourke came on along the way to V's former workplace at CPF building, I thought that it was such a great feeling, running in the Central Business District, on the main road, with Jim bloody O'fucking Rourke. It was so weird that I felt nice and confident that I'd finish this bitch.

I Melt With You - Jason Mraz was up next. Haha...not Nouvelle Vague's cover. When Two Of Us - Aimee Mann & Michael Penn came on I was into Marina Bay area or so...and when Don't I Hold You - Wheat we were near the Marina Bay MRT. There was a underpass through the area and when I was about to leave the underpass, Belfast - Orbital came on. The sky was slowly turning brighter and there was this synchronicity that felt right. Surface To Air - The Chemical Brothers came on too early. Or so I felt. Shining - Kristian Leontiou, Weekends - The Perishers filled up the next 8 minutes. So the quarter of an hour with the last three songs felt a little out of place.

The next track didn't disappoint. Sweet Surrender (Tiesto Mix) - Sarah MacLachlan. Followed by Can't Explain - Longview. Next track was especially sweet. Rewind - Stereophonics. Maybe it was the tiredness that was kicking in slowly but surely that made me concentrate on the lyrics more. It was a really fantastic song to run to. Another Orbital track - Halcyon + On + On then Holding Onto Nothing - Agnelli & Nelson. The lines "Standing in the rain. Twisted and insane. We are holding onto nothing. Feeling every breath. Holding no regrets. We're still looking out for something." kept repeating in my head. It was also then I saw this 50 odd year old man with a t-shirt that read "Because I've been putting it off for long enough."

When GDMFSOB (Goddamnmuthafuckin'sonofabitch - UNKLE Remix) - DJ Shadow feat. Roots Manuva was throbbing in my ear, I was getting distracted because I kept thinking how the latest offering by Josh Davies was so disappointing. Whatever he wants to say about hip hop......more bass!

Zocalo - Armin van Buuren did absolutely nothing for me.....but good rhythm though. Love U More - Sunscream was at Lau Pa Sat I think. Yay yay! This was almost 13km into the run. The furthest I've ran in the training phase was 12km. Haha! It's all mental from here on...

Ashes - Embrace. Good Times - Jim O'Rourke. Here again I was distracted. I was thinking to myself, "Hey, just now when I entered CBD it was Jim O'Rourke as well!". When Fix You - Coldplay was on, I was thinking how near I was to where Lee Hsien Loong said used the word "fix" during the lead up to the elections at the lunch time electioneering rally. But he didn't just want to "fix you" but "them" too.

Shivers - Armin van Buuren was slightly better perhaps by the vocals. But that too was boring me after 4 minutes. I was walking by now....I crossed Esplanade Bridge again. It was the 15km mark.

Naughty Girl - Holly Valance. Damn, Dead Or Alive. If only Devon Aoki sang. I think I was near Ritz Carlton when Mad World - Gary Jules was playing. Everything just started slowing down....I decided to change my brisk walk and broke into a jog. It was tough. The lactic acid had gathered by then and to change the pace and muscle group was quite a shock. Luckily I had Bones - The Killers for company. Devon Aoki!!! Blessed. Followed by Taking Off - The Cure. Great track as well. She's So High - Kurt Nilsen. Yay yay! Wires - Athlete was where I made the turnaround. This was where the marathoners continued onto East Coast Park while us humans made the turn back to Padang. World Hold On (Children Of The Sky) - Bob Sinclair feat. Steve Edwards. Wahahahaha! I was jogging again. Is this the "runner's high"?

When I got back to Ritz Carlton, I thought my battery went dead. Or that the earphones were spoilt from the sweat entering them. It was when Deep Blue Day - Brian Eno came on that I realised why it'd gone all quiet. This track is super to run to when you're a little delirious, you're comfortable, you know you're gonna complete this run and you just think of the toilet bowl scene in Trainspotting.

Amber - 311. Another track I found because it's related to V in some way. Amber is the colour of your energy. True....it was waning at this point. Must have been a little too fast for my own good over the last two tracks.

I was back on Esplanade Bridge for the last time! Swollen - Bent. Yeah. My neck was feeling swollen. As were my thighs, ankles and calves. Holding me like an anchor. Hahaha....just like how the lyrics go. By the time the song was halfway through, I knew the next song will bring me to the finishing line. I was on Anderson Bridge and once across will lead me to City Hall and the finish line at the Padang. I was wondering which would it be.

And at Victoria Concert Hall, the familiar bassline and fuzzed up keyboards of David Bowie's Ashes To Ashes ringed in. It brought a wide grin.

And I crossed the finishing line.

You can type in your own reason as well, just click the tag below and save a copy.

Reuleaux triangle and fashion and motorcars and DIY

There was this recent entry on kottke about the reuleaux triangle. Basically it's an equilateral triangle with equal curvature and radius from each vertex. By the time you understand what that meant, you'd need to rest your head.

Well, Liz Claiborne happens to use this triangle as a logo. I can't find one online so you have to go to a Liz Claiborne store (eg. Raffles City branch) and see the logo. Not you'd be interested.

The triangle forms the basis of the legendary rotary engine. Speak to guys into cars and they'll tell you about Mazda RX series. Why? Because they are the remaining mass manufacturers of the rotary engine. Also known as the Wankel engine.

Because of it's unique property of being able to rotate within a square, they are used to drill square holes.