.....times of refreshing.....

I had a great run yesterday evening where the haze has gone and the skies were so clear after a morning rain. I was delighted to be able to run for 16 KM in preparation for my half-marathon where of late, I always struggled in my runs. However, with a fresh body and mind after having a nap in the bus as well as a rested pair of legs, it was such an enjoyable run for 2 hours. I told myself it's ok to go slow if I needed to and most importantly, is to finish the run. And, to take it as a form of relaxation after a long day by enjoying the breeze and surroundings of nature.  It works and I had a relaxing day today due to the endorphin in my system after run and a good night sleep . I sounds like a junkie now...hahaha!

Oh... I went for my annual medical check-up today, which was sponsored by my company at Paragon Tower in Orchard Road. The check-up finished late around 10.30am and with an empty stomach, I went for a light breakfast since lunch time is approaching soon. My colleague suggested we go to Muji Cafe which was newly opened in that shopping outlet.

Exercise...exercise....workout!! This activity has been occupying my time for a long time that I can't remember how long, but only for the last three years, I did it consistently. Typically, for the last thre years, I almost workout for 5 days a week which includes all various activities like badminton, running and gym. I am not well-built and no six packs, but somehow I find exercise really helps me to feel good,  relieved stress and makes me sleep better and feel healthier. Of course I do get sick but generally, I feel healthier. And, the best thing is after a good workout, I generally feel good and can wind down the day in good mood. On stressful days, it helps to reduce my stress and if I did a long run, say, 10KM , it actually clears my mind! 

Somehow, I had a stressful evening one of the weeknights last week and I really appreciated a 30 minutes run which helps me to feel better. It was late and the gym was closing in an hour but I still check in in order to get a run and some workouts so that I can feel good.

Thus, since I always blogged on well-being, this post is to encourage everybody to exercise!! Check with your doctor first if you have a condition or never exercise at all! Start with any sports you like and I am sure you will reap the benefits!

And, btw, I had a juicy Sirloin Steak in Hot Tomato Cafe at Bedok Mall. Not a bad deal, Sirloin Steak with pasta, tomato soup and coffee for around S$15. It's wonderful!! :)

It has been a long wait and after so many years, I finally cash out for the first time my nuffnang earnings, which was the minimum sum that I can take!! hahaha.. how pathetic compared to other bloggers who week in and week out earned so much more than me!! My colleague even teased me that I am so happy to earn just an hundred. It really took me so long and I guess I will probably use it for a nice Japanese dinner with my family this coming weekend. And, well, I gotta think of how to improve my earnings! Bloggers ... please give me some tips in my comment box, ya?

And, well, due to some unhealthy eating for the past few weeks especially seafood, I found myself  gained some weight and with that, it's better I take some lighter food. I am back to saladbox for dinner and got myself a yummy mixed of fruits, corns, slices of cabbage, cherry tomatos and mushrooms. Not bad for a light meal after a workout! :)

I heard every runners will encountered bad runs from time to time, where somehow, everything just don't work for them. That usually happened during training sessions. The runner could be overtrained, not feeling well, lack of sleep or injured or cannot adapt to their new gears. I encountered one such run last week where I tried out compression socks which goes all the way up to my knees. It was very tight and hurts my calf muscles, which was already in pain after three consecutively runs for three days, though it's only 5KM per run. After running for 1 KM, I decided to take it off and it felt better and I managed to run the next 3 KM. Then, somehow I felt tired and lethargic, which attributed it to my diarhoea a day before and lack of sleep. I only slept for 5 hours plus the night before. 

So, I ended up , all in all, managed to run for 7KM before I call it quits, instead of my planned 13KM, with walks in between. Though I felt frustated, the good thing is I managed some exercise. 

I felt better the next day, though with an aching calf , I continued to run another 5KM on the treadmill in the gym. My calf still aching after a 2 days rest and I probably let it recovered before embark on longer runs. hahaha... 

Oh , btw, my kid was asking us to go back to Uncle Jang Korean restaurant as he loves the bulgogi and dakgalbi. I am ok with the food there and it's also not as expensive as other Korean restaurant, though the food selection is limited there. Anyway, besides slightly warm and clothes filled with BBQ smell, I am ok with it.

It's almost year-end and I guess this is a very busy time for most of us, until mid-November where the school holidays and holiday season arrived. Some of us also planning for their sabbatical rest for the year by travelling overseas or take long leaves to wind down.  It's always good to let go and relax after the long year but I guess taking short vacations from time to time is also beneficial. These getaways need not be expensive as well as far ones. Just have a staycation in a hotel nearby or drive 1-2 hours away from home will do. I believe instead of waiting for the long break during year-end, it's good to take a short break, maybe every quarter of the year.

I used to travel around by driving to nearby places like Melaka, KL, Desaru and some small towns locally when my kid haven't attend primary school yet. The farthest I went, besides my hometown Ipoh, is Sg. Lembing in Kuantan. I usually did it during those long weekends or just simply take a day off. If you have been following my blog, I went to Desaru two weeks ago after a long while since I have been there as well as take time off to travel. (Thanks to the new weekend in Johor).  The staycation was so nice and relaxing and I never felt so good after that. 

 I intend to start going for these short breaks next year. Oh...btw, I had a great but simple seafood dinner in Sg. Renggit near Desaru then.

Somehow I find that negative thoughts can be dangerous to our well-being and worst still, if not control, it may spiral into a monster. It's just like a small fire when spread, can be as dangerous as a forest fire which gave us haze....hahaha... What prompted me to blog about this topic is I remember there was once I keep worrying over small matters and these small matters really crippled me. OK, for example, (though this not a very good example), I am not sure if I have off the air-cond. when I was half-way to work. Thus, I begin to keep thinking whether I did or not and when I think I did, 'creative' negative thoughts will pop-out automatically, like the heavy bill I am going to pay, whether the air-cond will broke down or got on fire if it keep on working and etc. It's also the same on any situations where you are worried about , like taking a flight, driving long distance, public speaking and etc. 

I guess the best way to overcome all these is to stop the flow of the negative thoughts by doing and thinking constructive positive thoughts and actions. If you are afraid the air-cond is not off, just drive back to check, though it's a bit inconvenienced or if you have a meeting, just inform that you have an urgent matter and apologize, then reschedule the meeting. If it's driving, say a prayer before the journey and tell yourself to drive carefully at a comfortable speed.  Just ignore all those irritational negative thoughts if there's nothing much you can do , like flying on a plane,  and try to focus on other stuffs.

Another way of feeling better is to indulge in good food and I had some Japanese food after a ..erm...4 days ago... which is considered kinda long. Eating good food sure chase away all the bad thoughts. :)

While I was multitasking between reading and replying several whatapps messages as well as clearing my emails, a thought of the past came to my mind. I was also short on time as I needed to rush back to JB in order to beat the jam, which usually starts from 6pm to 9pm. It was hectic! The thought that dawn on me was back in the 90s during my late teenage years where I was working for small computer company before I got into the varsity. Life was pretty simple then! There were 4-5 of us working and I am a technician. Well, I can said that it was my first job in life! I love the job as I get to learn about PCs including assembling it. No problems if I broke a part, as the lady boss can always replaced it with her distributors. We take turns to manage the simple admin tasks of the company especially phone calls. There were no emails, no mobile phones as well as pagers, though these two type of devices already available in the market but my lady boss didn't want to use it. Mobile phones are huge and probably using the PCN network then. Whenever, there was a call, she will instructed us to take down the name of the caller, number and message onto an open worn out diary. If it's urgent, put a note there. She will read it when she was back to the office. And, we leave office sharp at 5.30pm and get to reached home smoothly without any traffic congestion in my small bike to catch the 7pm HK TVB serial. 

Fast forward to now ... need I say more...hahaha... Anyway, with more stress in life, there was also improved healthcare to cater to stress-related diseases including mental health to 'balanced' the quality of life, not to mentioned there are more health related programs, resources and activities.  However, I don't think we want to get sick, right? 

How I miss the good old days .... ! Perhaps I should pay a visit to my first company when I am back to Ipoh in year-end or early next year..hahaha... Ok, I patronised Nijumaru Japanese restaurant near Sutera Mall in JB. I let the pics do the talking.