Pocari Sweat Run - 23rd July 2016

One of the key running event that shaped the experience of their running experience is the Pocari Sweat run. If the readers have noticed, we have participated almost on an annual basis since the launch of Pocari Sweat run and it all started as using the run as a mile stone goal to train up for 5km during the starting phrase of our group. Another reason for picking the Pocari Sweat run is due to Alcoholic and Big Boned Guy's obsession of the free flow of Pocari Sweat after the run. Usually, Alcoholic does not join us for runs but he makes exceptions for his love of Pocari Sweat...

This year, Pocari Sweat Run decided to change their format from the typically unearthly early morning run to a night run and they decided to theme it "Let's Run to the Moon".

Here's their official press release:

The POCARI SWEAT Run returns for the fifth consecutive year; this time with a special mission to complete. On 23 July 2016 at 5pm, runners will combine their efforts to complete the final leg of POCARI SWEAT’s journey to the Moon at The Float @ Marina Bay.

Similar to the concept of ascending to the Moon, POCARI SWEAT is calling out to runners to join the brand in completing the journey and running together in this year’s edition of the Run. In the four years that the POCARI SWEAT Run has been held in Singapore, runners have covered a total of 300,000 KM, which is more than 75% of the distance between the Earth and the Moon. In 2016, with a remaining distance of 80,000 KM, participants can make history by taking part in either the 5KM or 10KM category, with each step contributing to the journey to the Moon.

The marketing effort is a marked departure from their usual "Hey, come run and drink Pocari Sweat for a reasonable running fee!" and some efforts have been put in putting together a theme and backstory to the run. Well, it's not fantastic, but than again, you can't compete with other runs with already a strong back story like One Piece Run or Hello Kitty Run. Sign-up fee is $50 and $60 for the 5km and 10km run which is a $2 increase from last year's fee.

Interested runners who have somewhat a similar unholy love for Pocari Sweat drinks, you can sign up for the run here. 

Read More

Green Corridor 2016 Run - Mud, Rocks and a Bad Sorethroat

6th March 2016

Ahh... The legendary Green Corridor Run. The run that destroys running shoes, turning it from pristine white into muddy brown. For some reason, it rained almost every year during the the run and Big Boned Guy who participated during one of the wettest Green Corridor Run in history, had to discard his SAF shoes. This year, he volunteered all of us to participate in this run, so that we had a chance to enjoy the muddy mess and an excuse to throw out our old running shoes.

Read More

11 Art Pieces and 1 Movie to Look Out For While Running Along Singapore River

Singapore is well known as an efficient, clean and green city state with her citizen operating like robots, working in an sterile environment which is culturally dead. A short run along the Singapore River will prove any critics wrong. Although Singapore has not produced any Leonard Da Vinci or Picasso (yet), you can still find art pieces littered (sanctioned by the government of course!) all around Singapore. Take a short walk or run along Singapore River and see how many of the 11 art pieces can you spot!

1. The Underpass Murals

There are 2 connecting underpasses between Boat Quay and Clark Quay on both banks of the river and on the walls of these dim tunnels are 4 sets of murals on the walls of these underpasses. One of them has a big scary face painted on it and anybody who is too engrossed with their phones while walking along the tunnels in the middle of the night may have a shock of their life finding a huge monstrous face staring back at them... that if the person can even tear their eyes away from their Clash of Clans game in the first place...  

Valentine day is around the corner...

Half naked man moving heavy stuff... That's so 19th century

Singapore is a sea port! I get that!

Erm. Neighborhood playground turned evil?

2. The Fat Bird

Known affectionately as the fat bird, the bronze statue designed by famed Colombia artist Botero has been featured in Indian Movies and is the gathering point for Singapore's famous running club: Team FatBird

3. The Sweaty Men

Who says that Singapore is a conservative society? We have our own share of half naked bronze statue right smack in the middle of the country. Designed by Mr Aw Tee Hong, it explores the historical roots of Singapore River and the racial diversity and immigration when Singapore was born. Still waiting for a statue which is R-18 rated to be displayed in the public.
  

4. Kids Learning To Swim the Old Fashion Way

This is one of my favorite artwork along the way. The artwork "First Generation" by Mr Chong Fah Cheong represents how kids learn about the world through exploring and not getting themselves run over by bum boats and sampans during the early days of Singapore River when it is a bustling commercial port.

5. The Selfie Metal Sphere

Need to check if your waterproof make-up or hair is in place while running along Singapore River? Have no fear, the metallic sphere is is here! Located just outside the Asian Civilization Museum, they make the perfect preening spot, if you don't mind looking fatter and rounder than your usual self.

6. The Pirate Treasure Rocks

300 years ago, Captain Jack Sparrow visited Singapore and left his treasure on the pirate infested island. Before leaving, he carved the secret location of his treasure on a series of rocks along Singapore River. Look close enough and you may discover the location of the hidden treasure!

7. The English Man

Who is this english man who seems to be so important, staring down at the passerby with an arrogant look? He is no other than the founder of colonial Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles (A reminder for those who have forgotten their history lessons!)

8. The Statues Which Look Like Aliens When You are Drunk

One of the favorite puking spot along Clark Quay, these poor alien looking statues are popular puke spots after a night of revelry at the famous watering hole at Clark Quay. I always spot pools of puke around these statues during my early Sunday morning runs along Clark Quay. Maybe they are just too scary looking and scares the living daylights out of drunk patrons.

Lastly, in order to convince my readers that Singapore River is indeed an arty farty place to run, I present to you the pinnacle of movie making from Bollywood which Singapore River is prominently featured in the show.

Read More

Running Events in China (feat Nonsense Reviews by Unfit Runners)

SG Unfit Runners was approached by 42race.sg a couple of weeks ago to help them spread awareness of the various running events around the world. 42race is a tour agency that specializes in organizing tour packages for runners to participate in runs for Singaporeans who are looking for an overseas running experience. We have agreed to help them spread the word on a Pro Bono basis as we see the value of them taking the hassle out of helping lazy people like us who always wanted to fly overseas for a run but couldn't find any scapegoat to volunteer to do all the dirty work. We have been talking about participating in Penang Marathon for the longest time but no one stepped up to do the organizing, so we can see the value of what 42race is doing.

This article is contributed by 42race.sg on popular running events in China.  

There are many reasons that China is the world’s popular destination for tourism – rich culture, natural wonders, amazing architecture, and many more. China is so culturally different from countries outside of East Asia and has many of the most amazing sceneries in the world. If you are looking for an exotic adventure, packed full of new sights and experiences, China is the place to go. Here are 3 races in China that you may join this year to experience all of it:

Chengdu Marathon

Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Race date: 27 March 2016

Read More

Tokyo - Japan: Gates and Guards everywhere at Shinjuku

Takashimaya Times Square building looming over Shinjuku

Run date: 21/09/2015

I have a confession to make. This blog has been neglected, thanks to the extreme volatility of the financial markets that I have been writing and updating my other blog that I did not spend much time for my running blog. Bad bear has also gotten me back into DOTA 2 which I have been spending an hour or two every evening sending my heroes in an attempt to trash the enemy's fortress. The blog posts have been piling up and I have vowed to clear them in more rapid succession. Better time management and less DOTA 2 is needed!

Now, back to Japan....

Our last stop in our Japan trip, the metropolis of Tokyo which we spend most of our time scouring the shelves of Akihabara, visiting all the new tourist attractions like the Asakusa Skytree which was previously not opened during my last trip here and wondering around the huge exhibition halls of Tokyo Game Show. Although we spent 5 days at Tokyo, we probably spend most of our time walking and standing and by the time we reached our scheduled running morning for our Tokyo run at the last day of our entire Japan trip, the guys were totally exhausted. I tried to rouse Big Boned Guy and Alcoholic to get up and explore Shinjuku on running shoes but they answered me with snores and grunts.

Cursing at their lack of willpower, I decided to explore Shinjuku on my own.

I had high hopes that the running experience around Shinjuku will be fantastic given that the area between Shinjuku and Shibuya has some of the most extensive parks and greenery in central Tokyo and I had visited both places before as a tourist before.

My plan was pretty simple, run south towards Yoyogi Park and check out the Meiji Jingu Shrine  .   

A short 1KM run from my apartment and I have reached the northern entrance of Meiji Shrine. As I ran past the guard post, I was surprised by a loud yell behind me.

"STOPPU!"

"Huh? Me?"

"No run here!"

"You mean I cannot run in the compound?"

"No run! Leave!"

That is certainly new! I did not know that running is prohibited at one of Tokyo's most important shrine. The last time I came as a tourist, I was certainly not warned that running is prohibited. Not willing to be wrestled to the ground by the security officials in the shrine should I decide to persist, I decided to head to another nearby famous park, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

The Street between Shinjuku and Yoyogi

The guard who did his duty too well at Meji Shrine

Heading in an eastward direction, I made my way to the park, only to find the gates of the park blocking my way. It seems like the park has been turned into a tourist attraction which opens from 9am-4pm and requiring 200 yen for admission and it is closed on Monday.

I am starting to appreciate all the parks and gardens in Singapore which requires no admission fee and long opening hours. Even Botanical Garden has no such restrictions and is opened from 5am to 12 midnight.

Blocked by guards and high fences, I decided to entertain myself by running around the circumference of the park, which is surrounded by blend residential apartments and office buildings. Of all the runs we had in Japan for this trip, this is probably my worst experience.

What was interesting was that I observed many signs around the park. I wondered what they meant.....

Closed! and admission fee of 200 Yen!

No dropping of books?

No illegal dumping?

Lots of traffic junctions around Shinjuku

Once I reached the north side of the park where the heart of Shinjuku is, the amount of traffic junctions multiplied quickly and my jog slowed to a walk. The easiest way to navigate this area is probably though the maze of underground tunnel below Shinjuku but I figured that the well dressed pedestrians will not look kindly on a strange sweating guy squeezing past them in the air-conditioned tunnels.

I gave up running and slowly walked back to my apartment after stopping at the 3rd traffic junction.

Readers of Unfit Runners, do you know of a better place to run in Tokyo other than the route which I tried? I will love to hear feedback from you in prep for my next Tokyo trip.

Read More

Osaka - Japan: There is a Surprise at Every Corner!

The Shinsekai District

Date: 15 Sept 2015

Osaka, the food paradise of Japan and the second largest city in Japan. Many tourists spend only few days in Osaka often visiting the usual sites like Osaka Castle, Osaka Aquarium and Universal Studios, before rushing off to visit the nearby cultural cities of Kyoto and Nara. For the Unfit Runners, we are spending a grand total of 5 days at Osaka, intending to visit the sights and sounds that other tourists will usually bypass. Of course, the other objective is to try out all the best gourmet food which Osaka has to offer but that is another story best left to another day and another site, as SG Unfit Runner is after all a running site dedicated to all stuff related to running.

Our Air BnB apartment was conveniently located at the Namba district just beside Den-Den Town.
Den-Den Town is the equivalent of Akihabara of Tokyo and in my opinion, is much less touristy and has much more bargains to be found for those who are into all things geeky. 

A Poster at Den Den Town

Another poster at Den-Den Town

Further south of Den-Den Town, lies another less visited gem of Osaka, Shinsekai with whole streets of famous eateries including Japan's famous fugu (pufferfish) restaurants. As compared to the extremely famous, touristy and expensive Dontonbori, we can find much better deals here.

In close proximity to Shinsekai are another two interesting sights, the Spa World and Tennoji Zoo. Spa World is pretty interesting as it operates like a Spa amusement park right at the heart of the city. They even have an giant Attack of the Titan Colossal Titan at the top of the building to highlight the steamy aspect of the spa. For those who are unfamiliar with the hit Titan series, the Colossal Titan always makes an appearance accompanied by lots and lots of steam. Over at the horizon, the tallest building in Japan, the Abenobashi Terminal Building looms over the horizon.

The Colossal Titan head peeping out from Spa World

Tennoji Zoo

Abenobashi Terminal Building. Tallest building in Japan

The run at Osaka around the Nipponbashi area has been extremely rewarding and interesting. The vehicular traffic during the early morning has been light and there is little trouble running across the traffic junctions around Osaka. There are always something new and interesting to see and I will strongly recommend any visitors to head out on an exploratory run early in the morning, to check out potential eating places and interesting attractions often left out in the tourist guide. There are also many potential running routes around Osaka which I will be keen to explore the next time around. As compared to Tokyo's Shinjuku, which I will touch on in a later post, I prefers the exploratory run around Osaka. 
  

Read More

Geylang - Love Hotels and Narrow Walkways

Sorry for a lack of updates in the past few weeks. I have been busy with launching my Kickstarter project for Wongamania: Banana Economy that I barely have time to eat or sleep! My backlog is so huge that my runs from Japan has not been documented on the blog yet! I will get around it as soon as my life becomes less hectic!

Geylang River. Northern route

This Sunday, we headed to City Hall MRT, thinking to gate crash on the Jubilee Walk. Upon reaching Swiss Hotel, we realized that the Vertical Marathon is in full swing at the hotel. Figuring that our usual breakfast spots will be swamped with participants from both events, we decided to shift our running destination to the New Airport Road Food Center where the food is good and the crowd is thinner. We had tried the route south of Geylang River leading to Stadium and decided to try explore the northern side of the river.

Read More

Mulheim - Germany: Beautiful Parks and Breathtaking River Trails

Running date: 07/10/2015

It has been a crazy month for the month of October. I barely had any rest coming back from Japan and off I flew off again, for another 2 weeks intensive work trip to Germany at Spiel Essen, the world's largest toys and board game convention to show case Wongamania. Although we escaped from the choking haze, we were met with freezing 0 degrees mornings and a flu virus that attacked everybody during the trip. However, I managed to clock in one run during the earlier part of my trip before it has gotten too cold and us too sick to do any morning runs.

I will like to introduce to you Mulheim, a small city at the north-west of Germany, just north of the fashion capital Dusseldorf.

Read More

Japan - Kobe: Lost on Mount Rokko National Park

Once upon a time, there were 3 Unfit Runners who wanted to perform some fat cleansing after feasting on a copious amount of booze, oysters and Kobe beef. Wondering if the holy water of Arima Onsen can cleanse them of their sins, they decided to embark on a journey to the North, via the treacherous slopes of Mt Rokko  via a series of train, bus, ropeway and a cable car with the plan of not walking more than 500 meters during the entire journey.

In preparation of the journey, the heroes decided to gorge themselves silly with Kobe beef, leading to extreme food coma, resulting in them deciding to have a 1 hour Siesta (Afternoon Nap) before venturing into the Holy Lands.

Read More

Japan - Hiroshima : Garden City without the Stress of Tokyo

SG Unfit Runners have been planning to go back to Japan ever since our last trip made in 2009, when we did an ambitious whirlwind tour covering 7 cities within 2 weeks. This time round, we were determined to explore more of the underbelly of Japan, covering Hiroshima, Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo, over a period of 17 days. Our first stop: Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is a place which I am sure everybody will be familiar with. It is the city where the first atomic weapon was unleashed on a populated area. A thriving metropolis and port on the western side of Japan, Hiroshima has almost everything that Tokyo has to offer, but with a lot less crowd. There is little jostling or squeezing even during peak hours in the city, well connected local rail and tram network and it has its fair share of local cuisine that made many of my facebook friends drool with envy when I posted pictures of its famous oyster dishes.

Read More