Running and Election Fever

Reading Murakami Haruki's book on "What I talk about when I talk about running", and I am enjoying it so much. I can identify, and resonate with the talking in my mind, the whole thinking process of running, as well as him weaving in his novelist career into this running memoir.



灵感。 so important when it comes to writing, and to find ideas, flow and that writer's well. His book is a mixture of both running and writing, and I am just enjoying it this warm summer day.

This last 2 weeks have been election madness in SG. I was following and watching all the rally speeches constantly, until last Wed, when I really felt tired from all the online negativity, and varying degrees of shaming. Thurs was cooling day; and Friday, we stayed up all the way to watch the results. Unsurprisingly, PAP won, and unsurprisingly, they won narrowly in particular wards, and unsurprisingly too, the opposition party started to feature more prominently. I do have a lot of thoughts too, and I for one, think the outcome has been a good one. So many authors and writers and columnists I read today - I resonate with. Even till today, the news is awash with this election. I think National Day next month is a great timing - that we must all, whether PAP or opposition, together forge SG forward.


On Friday night, curled up, watching the election, with WA abuzz from friends discussing results together. :)) Living overseas, however, it is not that easy to vote. The voting centre here in the Middle East is in Dubai. I can leave Abu Dhabi to vote, but the borders restrictions might mean I cannot re-enter Abu Dhabi unless I am tested and cleared of covid.

Election aside, the next biggest thing this weekend was that I bought my Nike Zoom Fly 3. Finally.
I've heard good reviews about this pair of shoes from my sis (and she has 2 pairs!!) and from a few other runners. It sure costs much more, and I thought - ok, maybe I should check it out since there are some sales here. Original price was 749AED. And there was a 40% discount... for erm, the brightest pink pair only, at 475 AED. The other colours like white-washed, greyish-black, blueish... all no discount... so I thought for a while. And I bought the bright pink pair. The nike guy told me it's very beautiful. Bright pink. I laughed. Hahhaah. I said that it's more likely that the colour cannot sell so well and that's why there's a discount. He then told me he shaved off like almost 1 min off his run. I said - wow.... but don't bluff. Haha, but I bought the bright pink pair in the end, and was very eager to try it.


And va va voom.... my timing really improved. I was lamenting recently that I am becoming a more terrible runner. From 5plus, to 6 min, to 6:30, to 6:50, to 7:15... oh my gosh... as the weeks passed, the timings are getting worse. Of course, the weather is also getting more humid, and the temp higher. I never really watch out for the timing. Most importantly, it's because I really just want to run and feel so good after all the sweat. And.... va va voom... my timing really improved with this pair of powerful pinks. According to RunKeeper, my average this week is now 6:35, compared to 6:52 last week. Oh my gosh... and my wonderful husband says it is because I 心里作用。 哈哈哈。

My timing today was also better than yesterday's! Haha. Next week maybe I will wear my Adidas boost and see if it's really the magic of Nike zoom fly 3.

And so, back to this running memoir I am reading. I am at Chap 4 now, and Murakami Haruki explained how he started his running journey, what kept him at it, what goes on in his mind when he ran, how he benefitted from it, how it resonated with him as novelist, and I am surely intrigued.

For me, my main motivation to run somehow is the good feeling - the body-spent feeling, body-on-fire feeling, the unceasing sweat feeling - at the end of the run. Where finally, I can just stop, breathe, lay there, and feel my body get in tune with just nature and me. That, is my primary motivation to run. And that, is something I've kept at since I returned to Abu Dhabi in March, every weekend, save for 1 Saturday. It's such a beautiful discipline, and I really just enjoy the post-run feeling. I know that if I ponder if I should start to run, especially on days when I feel tired, I should just-do-it. That's because otherwise, I also spend and waste more time about whether I should run, or not. So if I just-do-it, just one hour later, I will reap the most wonderful and enjoyable feeling of the run.

I am at this part where Murakami talks about the ingredients of being a good novelist. Talent, Focus, Perseverance. So so good.

Run on, and keep doing my best.