Weekend 47: The Helipad

"One stair at a time, a race of a lifetime." 73 storeys. A thousand stairs. Swissotel, The Stamford. 2010. The Vertical Marathon.

I first heard of it way February of this year when my good friend G.I. and I rode the bumboat. And I thought it was interesting. But when registration opened for this year's November race, I seemed to got disinterested. Good thing my good friend Tj wondered and asked me about it. Well, sometimes the knowledge of having a company encourages you to just... go lah.

OCCASIONALLY, I had to climb our HDB's 12 storeys for practice. I used to do at least 3 rounds and then I stopped training. Two weeks before the race, I re-started, did 3-km fast-paced brisk-walking and a less than 10-minute jogging. Heh. Surprisingly, I was able! To conquer! The highest skyscraper! Here in Sg!

The race in detail. First floor was pretty easy! The 5th floor started tearing my muscles. Until floor 37, I was telling myself "it's just halfway, just f* halfway!" And since the overconfidence of my companion made him out of shape, we had a lot of rests. And each time, I regained my strength. So when we reached the 73rd floor, the clapping usher exclaimed, "Congratulations, you made it! Waah, still so energetic!" The last 8 storeys of the marathon was the easiest! And the trophy? The best highest stationary 360-degree view of the Lion City's skyline.

And of course, as a dessert, I got to see the 26-year-old German champion, Thomas Dold, a track and field extreme athlete, tower runner, stair runner, and world-record holding champion backwards runner. I even had a picture with him, which I dare not post since it makes me look like a short, stout, dark Asian.

The evidence of the conquer below. Next year, it will be women's open. I have one year to train, in dreams to qualify for the Empire State Building race! Oh New York!

Weekend 46: Margarita

There was a bit of drizzle that afternoon. I looked great in new black tights and gray one-sided off-shoulder topped with a black fedora with every step showing off white heels. I wish I had a photo to show you, meantime, please utilize imagination. I was on my usual way to work but nope not for work but for a photoshoot. I agreed to be my friend's subject for his Million Dollar Baby theme ~ just on time for Philippine's Fighter of the Decade, Manny Pacquiao's fight with Mexico's Antonio Margarito. I've never liked boxing. It's sports yes, but I've always thought it was, yes perhaps, brotherly, but a brotherly violence. Errr.

To wrap it all up in a picture, here it is with a touch of post process to make it as real as it is in the ring.

And oh for PacMan, as usual, for the 8th time, he has made the Filipinos proud in the boxing arena.