Learn about your banana

Marina Bay Transformation in 5 years

Back in Nov 2006:

Now in Nov 2011:

Christmas Tree 2011: Toa Payoh Central

Christmas Tree 2011: Inside Suntec

Christmas Tree 2011: Outside Suntec

A very real advertisement for all runners - Anti-Shoe Infomercial

黄山前山的风景

Scenery of Huangshan western side (Click to enlarge)

My Waterway@Punggol

Heavy western teabreak

Where it flooded not long after opening

TNF100 Singapore 2011: The slope that kills

Lor Asrama .265 beside SLE across Woodland. 

This is where I power-bathed, dug trenches, poo and pee and slept 15 years ago.

TheNorthFace 100 Singapore 2011 Route

Click to enlarge

Simple traditional yet expensive tea break

You know what shop is it from the wooden block

Skew Pig trotter......

Somewhere in Kovan

Symphony of Birds

@Bedok Reservoir

Project Love Sneaker 2011

This time...I thinking hard if I will to donate my last pair of "proper" running shoes:

The Final March.......

Thanks to roamingglass for capturing the final moment.....

Kway tiao Mee Goreng....

Look nice but........

Nasi goreng istimewa......O country Club

Another toes shoes coming to the market: Adidas Adipure

Big brand challenging VFF?

more details at birthdayshoes.com

white white bee hoon but plenty of taste

One hungry noon....colleague and I decided to venture out further from office and found this

You can find what I mean at:
http://foodiefc.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/sembawang-white-beehoon-sembawang-%E7%99%BD%E7%B1%B3%E7%B2%89/
and
http://lovesingaporefood.blogspot.com/2009/04/sembawang-white-bee-hoon.html
and
http://strawberrychan.blogspot.com/2010/01/you-huak-sembawang-white-bee-hoon.html
and
http://velleyeo.blogspot.com/2009/08/sembawang-white-bee-hoon.html
and
http://wensdelight.blogspot.com/2010/10/sembawang-white-bee-hoon.html
and there even have facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sembawang-%E7%99%BD%E7%B1%B3%E7%B2%89/283835041786?v=info

One hot day at a hot place.....took this for my wallpaper

free flow of red red prawn............

One day at a hotel buffet lunch......this is the only impressive stuff i found in the spread

I ate it all and found a good place to dump its head: 

Trying another new released rubber: NB Minimus

Finally, after months and years of speculation and marketing...this is finally out in our local stores called Running Labs..I was told that it just arrived that morning that I tried and I am the first to try it out there....asked for a size 12 which is my usual running shoes size...the sizing is alright..at least it felt much better than the other similar shoes I tried: Merrell trail gloves...The arch area does not felt restricted or weird...I was thinking maybe half a size smaller might be just right.....no time....maybe next time i go and try again...

So tempting....so tempting

so I decided to carry on thinking thinking thinking........

Route for Inaugural Adidas King of the Road Singapore 2011

No Sheares Bridge after 19 years of SBR/AHM......

It was called Sheares Bridge Run until some creative guy changed it to Singapore Bay Run and now after 19 years running the event, another smart guy took out Sheares Bridge from the route. It was my favourite part of the route no matter how the rest of the route are changed.

Should i continue running this?

Friday (Chad Vader)

SATURDAY ( huh?)

Friday (Katy Perry)

Friday (Hokkien)

Friday (Chinese)

Friday (English)

Rare sighting at marina barrage!!

This is not the first time I seen a kite soaring our blue sky but this is the first time I saw this with my eyes in Singapore....place your mouse over the photo to zoom in:
 

Nicole Seah Party going for a run on polling day at marina barrage???

Nicole Seah taking MRT to her Rally in her party coloured top. Put your mouse over her photo to see what happened on polling day at marina barrage.....

Handsome looking, Aggressive Claw -> Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200

Inov-8 Bare-Grip 200 Review by Barefoot Running University

What you need when running a hot weather marathon?

Water mist tunnel:

@ SSC

Upcoming minimalist shoes launch: Hattori (Japanese Knife?Samurai>)

Hattori Hanzō (服部 半蔵?, ~1542[1] – 1596), also known as Hattori Masanari (服部 正成?), was a famous samurai and shinobi of the Sengoku era.[2] He is often a subject of modern Japanese popular culture, usually with greatly exaggerated ninja skills.

Ichiro Hattori, the Stubborn Craftsman who Never Compromises to any quality issues...His "Never Compromise" attidude to seek the finest workmanship has made him called as  "World's Best Knife Craftsman". He was also honored to receive "Excellent Skilled Craftsman Award" from Seki Knife Industrial Association. When you hold his knife in hand and actually use it, you will know and admit that he really deserve it.

Creating another waves of attention is the upcoming Sauony Hattori:

From runningwarehouse blog: 

"The new Hattori is a zero drop running shoe that sports a reported midsole height of 10 mm and weighs in at a reported 4.5 oz for a men’s size 9.0."

Mentioned in runblogger, barefootdaves, barefootrunningshoes.org, birthdayshoes.......

and intro videos on it:

貢 - to pay tribute to one's emperor

貢茶 (Gong Cha) - Tea used as a tribute to one's emperor??

Alishan Mile green tea with pearl:

I don't taste anything good enough for the emperor...."Japanese Carp" is better

"Japanese carp" Cafe......can't find any fish there

 Where the fishes?

Only found  a large cup of milk powdered green tea with lots of black pearls:

Koi Cafe

Video: Boston Marathon 2011 Slow Motion near finish

Boston Marathon Men 2011 Men's Winner Slow Motion - World Fastest Time:

 Boston Marathon Men 2011 Men's 3rd and 4th Slow Motion : Gebremariam and Hall

 Boston Marathon 2011 Women's Winner Slow Motion:

 Who is heel striking?

Video: Barefoot Running Style.

A brief video developed by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella on the science and the art of barefoot running and what we are trying to teach- a Barefoot Running Style. For more information see Two Rivers Treads Center for
Natural Running and Walking Site www.trtreads.org

Blue Mountain too high!!!!

@Mad Jack

A minimalist shoes patent which got Nike Free sued

The Reebok Realflex is being marketed as "Natural movement. Perfected"

When I saw Birthdayshoes.com mentioned about the upcoming Reebok Realflex, something came out of my memory.........

4 years ago in 2007 when the term "minimalist shoes" was never heard off, Nike was sued by Reebok over its Free series which was first launched in 2004. Apparantly, Reebok got a grant of their patent for flexible shoe with segmented soles in 2007.

I did recorded this event 4 years ago HERE @"Nike Got Sued by ReeBok"

This was an innovative and interesting idea to design shoes which are "minimalist" and flexible enough to be collapsible into smaller size and to be dispensed for sale from a vending machine.

This idea was never implemented.

Interestingly, after doing a quick search, I actually found 3 similar patents filed by Reebok over the past 4 years:

1) 2007, Patent 7168190 Collapsible Shoe

2) 2009, Patent 7637035 Collapsible Shoe

3) 2010, Patent 20100095554 Collapsible Shoe

In the end, the 2 early pioneers of minimalist shoes did not continue to drive the minimalist shoes market but have to do marketing catchup now....shoes without cushioning is still not in their belief and too high a risk to their high tech cushioned shoes.

The latest launched by Nike:

Free Run+ 2

Finally, trying the new released rubber.......

One day at Vivocity RSH:

 Trying the Merrell Trail Glove On the Spot:

My shoes size is US12 so I tried a size 12 is too big...tried another 11 is still too big...shop closing so did try another one...I think size 10 will be just nice...Just walking around the shoes with a oversized shoes...the feel is the forefoot is wide enough for the toes to splay freely but the arch area felt tight when the laces are on...kind of weird for "barefoot" shoes...anyway, not going to comment further unless I can run with it.

Felt tempting to get one as it is definitely much better looking and cheaper than the 5fingers treksports (The equivalent to this).....

so still thinking thinking

15 Beautiful wallpaper to inspire your day

Thanks to one of the reader who visited this blog. She have created her own Inspiration wallpapers to share with others.
You can find the rest HERE

ASICS Launches 33 : Trying hard at something they do not believe in

at The ASICS Blog | ASICS Launches 33 By ASICS, A Minimal, Lightweight Footwear Collection

The GEL-Blur33 is a lightweight every day running shoe that provides cushioning through Rearfoot GEL® and a Solyte® Midsole

The Rush33 is a low mileage running shoe that has an EVA Midsole:

They started with this "ASICS introduces a lightweight, minimalist running shoe collection that encourages natural foot movement in its new 33 by ASICS™ collection"

Looking from left to right, up and down...nothing minimalist there.

Can see from the way these shoes are designed and the way they have described, they are still not into it and trying to convince the market that they are following the market demand for minimalist shoes.

Recommended for neutral runners who does not have the budget to own cumulus or nimbus.......

Defying the new trend: Hoka OneOne

Hoka OneOne: Interesting Brand name...Interesting concept...looking at the shoes above...minimalist runners probably will go WAWAWA!!! Oversized Midsole...thicker is better is here.....interesting look at the technology page...

Apparently....ultramarathon champion, the famous speedgoat Karl Meltzer used it for this to run the Pony Express Trail (2064 miles) in 18 days 2h and 27min last year and for his other ultra wins.

Zero Drop Footwear: Altra Running

In a heel strike, shock and ground reaction force are transferred from the heel to the knee joint, then to the hip joint, spine and finally to the neck. The knee joint absorbs most of the shock. Research has found that the heel cushion of a shoe cannot absorb accumulated shock for long time in a heel strike. Therefore, the knee joint and other joints are at higher risk of sport injury in shod running.

Another interesting brand promoting shoes for minimalism running......2 interesting models for Mens and Womens

The Adam (for men)

& The Eve (the ladies)

Learn how to run through their LTR Initiative website