Thank God that I have just completed the long march, about 15mins ago! (10.20pm local time; we started at 10am today.)

Wow! I really can’t believe the terrain, the weather and everything. It started with the blazing heat, followed by the extremely strong wind, coupled with rain, and back to bright and sunny day again. It was an unforgettable day!

I had a compatriot walking with me for the first 8km, and thereafter, I had to walk on my own. The only thing I could do was walk, and to put one foot in front of the other. The blisters that didn’t developed in the first 4 days finally surfaced. I am not sure how bad it is as I have yet to take out my shoes and socks. I rushed straight to cybertent so that I can send this blog asap.

At 10.30pm in the night, I should be sleepy, tired and hungry, yes that’s how I am feeling. I will not write too much. I just want to let everyone know that I am alright and thank you for your prayers.

I want to dedicate this long and difficult march (76km or so) to my family (including my sis & bro), cousins, colleagues, friends and army buddies, and everyone that supported me and the cause (fundraising for SDSC). Thank you so much.

One more day and I can dream of laksa, fried kway teow, prata etc.

And to my family, once again, I LOVE YOU! J

“We are one, marching on,

We are the young defenders of the country.

Moving on we believe, that we can achieve

So let us serve our home Singapore.”

I would like to dedicate today’s stage to Howard, member of 8/92 OCC Bravo 4.

Stage 4, Bravo 4! We will remember you Howard!

Today’s run was really tough! And if I may use the phrase that I like to use, it was super mega ultra difficult!

I really appreciate all the outdoor activities that I did through the years, the army training that I’ve been through. Preparation for a race like Gobi Desert does not start 6 months prior to the race. I realized this as I was walking up every hill (some 50-60m in length) and also tried to come down safely. The previous experience that I’ve gained, esp Mt Kinabalu Expedition (6 times with KRSS) really helped me. Of course those days in Bravo Coy also played a big part.

The other 3 buddies of mine did not feel too good yesterday after their run yesterday. Please uphold them in your prayers. I hope they are coming back soon as I type this email. I sprained my ankle at the 30km mark. It is holding up as of now. Do pray for speedy recovery.

Thank you to all who have left a note for me. I will prepare myself for the penultimate stage (5&6, 2 in 1) tomorrow, the longest and perhaps the hardest, a 80km march. I would probably finish at around 10pm, but I will still blog about the run.

Dear, Lendal, Kayla & Jenna, I will be back soon! I love all of you! J

Now it’s time to go and take my lunch, instant noodles, yummy! (fyi: 8:18 today)

Praise the Lord once again for being able to be at the startline! It is His mercies that I was able to start Stage 3, 36km run with very punishing hills. Sleep was moderate and nutrition was ok. Sis, I have been eating the nutrifacts. Don't worry.

We were told of the today's terrain and that it was going to be tougher than the previous 2 stages. Today, I was killed, buried and ...

I am not sure if there can be other words that can be used to descirbe the difficult course that we have been through.

How I wish I could turn back the clock where in younger times, I could just leapfrog and gallop from one place to another, even in the trails and the woods. I would really recommend those who are trying Gobi to run at MacRitchie, walk more trails, and do more off-road trying. Even if it is pure walking, it is going to do you a lot of good.

5:42 and top 30 for the day. That was really a morale booster for me!

Koon Way, Mike, Chin, Jolie, Anthony, Jeff, Kin Yew, Lynne, Kath, Raja, thank you for your encouraging words and your prayers. I will press on, knowing that I am preparing for the all important and very challenging long march Stage 5 (76km).

Dear, continue your workout with Audrey. Keep up the good work! And I may just bring Lendal here in 10 years' time. Will explain to you more on 18 June, which is not too far away.

LENDAL, KAYLA & JENNA, Papa here! Continue to be good ok! Dad loves all of you! :)

Take care and I'll write again!

Hi guys & gals,

Thank God once again for being able to be at the startline and also being able to complete day 2, 39km.

Why do I say that? My stomach was more or less cleared. And though I walked most of the course from CP3 to CP4, I made it up for the lost time by running the last 11km. It was like the happy time since I arrived in China. I know you have been praying for me and I really appreciate that.

I have shared with some of you about Ironman Triathlon in Japan also in the month of June in 2008. Not sure if you can recall that. I must tell you that if I have mentioned that the hills were killing, today's stage really have you buried. There were numerous ups and downs and it was Mount Kinabalu revisit. Every step had to be with extra care & caution, failing which an ankle may be twisted and a knee injured. Thank God for your prayers for safety.

I have more or less recovered and pray that the next few days will be better in terms of enjoying the run and companionship.

To Aaron, Soon Liang, Shaw Terk, Lee San, Stacey, Chin, glad to hear from you. I will enjoy my run and think of your encouraging words.

To my dear, I love you and also Lendal, Kayla and little Jenna! Take care ok! I will take care of myself, I promise.

Btw, I did 5:53 today and made up a little bit of lost time. Thank God once again!

I am indeed thankful to God for seeing me through day 1 of the race. Though the timing was fantastic and nowhere near what I expected, I am very thankful that I have completed and have day 1 under my belt.

“Expected the unexpected”. That’s what I used to tell others.

It definitely applies to me for this race. It must have been the anxiety and/or the food that I ate. I was feeling discomfort in my stomach on Sat at around 4pm when we were transported to the base camp for the start of stage.

I consulted the race doctor and took some medicine. The rest of the night was not good. I vomited once and woke up several times. I didn’t have a good sleep.

At the start point on Sun 10 June, I was trying not to think of the discomfort. I managed to run for most part of the 1st 22km. Thereafter, I walk / run the rest of the race.

Well, it was an experience and I did think of conserving my energy for the other 6 days.

Ok, it’s time to take a nap and get some rest so that I can do better tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers and support back home. Do leave me some comments. I believe it will uplift my spirit when I read.

31.88km, 3:16:42, 6:11 avg. Who cares about statistics! It was my penultimate training session this morning for my Gobi Desert Run 10-16 June. The final session being tomorrow’s Sundown Marathon. This back-to-back training is quite common for endurance training.

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing this.

My platoon-mate, Howard Woon Tai Hou, from OCS recently went into coma. He had a cardiac arrest when he was at Thailand. He has been in ICU for the past 2 weeks (now back in S’pore).

·         We must believe in the impossible! When the doctors in Thailand said that he had passed on, the family refused to give up. After many attempts to resuscitate him, he finally started to breathe. He has since been on life support system. Nothing is sealed and confirmed till it is over. He has been fighting for the past 14 days and we brothers from 8/92 Bravo 4 will continue to stand by his side and continue to support and encourage his family. We will not give up!

·         As comrades, friends or colleagues, we must stand together in times like this. We can support one another, and give hope to each other.

·         Press on Howie! Please pray for Howard!

It was an impromptu 3-day run. Distance for all the 3 days was a little shorter than the normal that I have been doing. Nonetheless, I felt that it was good. It helped me gained confidence, know that I am able to pick up speed if necessary.

13km, 13km & followed by 18km were I did from Thur to Sat. Average pace – 5:50!

It was really a morale booster as I know that I have not lost any speed while training for greater stamina and endurance. I should be able to attain gold for IPPT if I have a go at it now.

22 days to go and I am having butterflies in my stomach! Soon it will be sending off at the airport, followed by long journey to Kashgar, and then race brief and finally race proper.

How will it turn out? Am I able to endure the heat, and the sand? Can my legs take it? Can I recuperate well? etc. All these questions are no stranger to us, the competitors but it definitely. 

Well, I must trust in the Lord to help me and lead me in every step of the way.

Keep the spirit high as we prepare for the challenge!

**And to my bro who is fighting for his life at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Howard you must continue to fight on in true Bravo 4 spirit, never give up brother! We are fighting on with you!

I finally get to run under the hot sun for 2 consecutive days. It was a great feeling, except for the unforseen situation where one of the straps on my backpack broke and gave way. Fortunately it happened during practice run. I am not sure how things will turn out if it happened during the actual Gobi March. One lesson will be to train and prepare for the race, but expect the unexpected.

63 days & counting! Getting very excited about the whole thing and having mixed feelings. It is going to be an experience of a lifetime!

I am looking forward to the next 5-day training programme. It will be from 27 Apr to 1 May. It will probably be the final preparation before the big race. I am bracing myself for it! It will also be a gauge of where I stand at that point in time.

Keep on going my fellow participants at the Gobi March 2012!

I will attempt my first marathon carrying my bagpack. I will carry a 6kg bagpack for a start. 

I will also be running with my regular training partner, Lay Peng. She will also be going for Gobi March in June 2012. She has always been an inspiration to me. And I believe we will be able to make progress from now till June 2012.

Hopefully, I can post my comments again with much experience gained!