We Ran the Terry Fox Run 2010!

The Terry Fox Run 2010 was an excellent success, although I have to admit Titiwangsa Lake's scenic route was a tad bit easier than the usual Lake Garden's route. The funny thing was people were literally stopping to snap photos, have breakfast at the stalls, look at the horses than actually running. With the amount of DSLRs snapping away, you'd think we were at a red carpet event!

None the less, we had an awesome time. Now, all we have to do is to work out and train for next year's run! :P

Run, Walk, Wheel, Ride @ Terry Fox Run 2010

Yes, it's time to take your running shoes out of the box (or from under the bed!) and dust them off for this year's Terry Fox Run which will be held at Titiwangsa Lake KL on Sunday, 7th November. This year is marks the 30th anniversary of the 5km charity run and the fun part about this is, that you don't have to run. You can walk, cycle, roller-blade, wheel prams or heck, even salsa your way through the course!

The run itself is free. There are no registration fees. However, proceeds from the t-shirt sales go to the Cancer Research Iniatives Foundation (CARIF). So if you'd like (but you're not obliged to), you could buy a t-shirt (RM25 each) and/or make additional donations to the cause. Of if you have a Terry Fox Run t-shirt from previous years, you could wear that too :)

Check out this year's design!



Image: http://runwitme.blogspot.com

A brief insight:

The Terry Fox Run is an annual non-competitive charity event held in numerous regions around the world in commemoration of Canadian cancer activist Terry Fox, and his Marathon of Hope, and to raise money for cancer research and awareness.

So to recap...

Date: 7th November 2010 (Sunday)
Venue: Lake Titiwangsa, KL
Time: 9am (participants are required to be there by 8.45am)
T-Shirts: RM25 each (can be obtained on the day of the race)
Route Distance: 5km

No Registration Fee!

I participated in the 2008 run but could not make it for last year's run due to unforceen circumstances. So I'm very determined to make it this year especially since it's for a good cause. Every year the response seems to get better and better though. Malaysian celebrity, Yasmin Yusoff would probably be the MC (as she has been for the last few years). And according to some websites I read, there would be entertainment and light refreshments served (Milo truck!).

So block 7th November on your HTC, iPhone (or paper calendar!) and make your way down to Titiwangsa Lake, KL to help raise awareness for cancer research!

For further information, you can contact:

Katrina Low/ Herda Abdullah/ Yoon Sook Yee
CARIF,
2nd floor OPC, Sime Darby Medical Centre,
Tel: 03-56391874
or email to: organizer@terryfoxrunkl.org
or RSVP on Facebook.

The Road to Good Health

I stumbled upon this fascinating article on Yahoo! Health today. It mentioned 10 basic bad health habits that most of us used to do or are still doing (despite our mums telling us NOT to do) . Personally, I'm still doing half of them and after reading the entire article, I realized that I should start making some changes to my somewhat frivolous lifestyle if I'm gonna live to be a healthy hundred.

I found this one bad habit particularly interesting:

Bad Habit #9: Negative Self-Talk and Poor Body Image

After years of negative self-talk (“Look at how fat I am,” or “No one likes me at work because I’m not talented”), a funny thing happens, says Dr. Rankin: People tend to withdraw from social situations and intimacy. A poor or destructive self-image is also linked with depression and anxiety.

So how do you break the cycle of negativity toward yourself? “The variables that drive behavior are brain biochemistry, innate drives, habits and addictions, and relationships,” says Dr. Rankin. “Note that logic isn't in there. So you need to do things that will optimize brain function—exercise, good-quality sleep, stress management and proper diet all are critical for proper brain function.” And, because our self-image is so often affected by the people in our lives, he suggests you “hang around positive friends and ditch the people who are not on the same page as you.”

I agree with Dr. Rankin - negative self-talk can really do permanent damage. I know when we're among our tight circle of friends and family, friendly banter can ensue and sometimes this leads to negative talk towards you. Unless you're really thick-skinned and can handle criticism, then you'd be okay. Otherwise, this would eventually lead to you condemning the way you look or how you manage relationships and situations at work. It would be an endless cycle of self-devaluation until you figure out how to break it.

Bottomline is that we are all masters of our own fate but no one is saying staying healthy has to boring. You can always throw in a dance class or kickboxing in your weekly schedule. Also, checking out basic bad habits that we can change, can go a loooong way.

Sauna FIR

On the way back from lunch on Friday, I passed by this place that was promoting Zazen Health Solutions for Sauna FIR and a Meal Supplement Smoothie, all for RM15 (the sauna itself is normally RM30 per session). Since the promotion was only till the next day, I decided to give it a try right after work on Friday.

For those who don’t know, FIR is an infrared ray that penetrates the skin layers to transform light energy into heat energy. Basically, this causes your blood vessels to dilate – which promotes better blood circulation as the heat rids the body of toxins through sweating. Think of it as, detoxing the easy way.

Before I began sweating (phew!), I was given a body analysis – measurement of your weight, height, Body Mass Index, etc. My metabolism age was calculated to be 17 years which also translates as = I do not need Sauna FIR. Apparently, Sauna FIR is more beneficial for people on the heavy side.

But I guess for 15 bucks, it was worth a try.

Image source: Zazen Health Solutions

So, I was placed in this one-seater cabin (that’s what they’re called). It was quite cool actually. Each room is equipped with one cabin (it costs nearly RM10000 to purchase one) so you have all the privacy you need to do the whole strip-sweat-wipe-change routine.

Each session lasts 30 minutes and you’re allowed to bring in magazines to pass time. Plus, background music will be played throughout the entire session. You’re also given a towel to wipe yourself with and a jug of water (to drink before, during and after the session). So before you know it, you’re done!

It was quite rejuvenating actually! After all that sweating, a cold smoothie (a.k.a. protein shake) was just what I needed to cool off. On the whole, the price is pretty reasonable and they've got different packages, based on how many sessions you'd like to go for.

The outlet I went to:

Magenta Rose Sdn Bhd
46A, Jalan Tun Mohd. Fuad 1,
TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-77105552