Spartan Sprint Singapore 2015

I missed Kuala Lumpur's first ever Spartan Sprint in October due to my adventures in Sydney-Melbourne (which I have yet to blog about. Stay tune!). The busybody in me wanted to see what a Spartan Race in Asia was like so I registered for Singapore's first ever Spartan Sprint which took place on 15 November 2015 alongside Nicoll Highway.

Some initial impressions based on prior obstacle races I've done in Singapore: Singapore is too urban and clean for it to be a Spartan Race experience like Australia and at the same time, have a lot of rules to abide by when it comes to cleanliness. I figured these factors would affect the race setup and indeed it did.

OCR How to: Spartan Spear Throw

If there was one obstacle that sends shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned Spartan Elites and racer, it would be the spear throw. All Spartan race regardless if it is a Sprint, Super, Beast or Ultra Beast, have a spear throw obstacle (or two) somewhere in the course.

The rules of the spear throw are simple.
1. Pick up the spear
2. Throw it.
3. The aim is to make sure it sticks in the target or goes through the center of the tire as done in Australia.

Under Armour: Women of Will Campaign

I love getting fit and working towards a personal fitness goal. It gives me direction and some thing to focus on that is beneficial for myself and no one else. Most importantly it made me take care of me.

And this was the core message shared at the launch of Under Armour's Women of Will Campaign on the rooftop of Avenue K. Held in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month, the campaign celebrates the Pink Ribbon cause. And even though BCA month is over, Under Armour continues to carry this purpose strongly in its stores with donations pledges made from 10% of all proceeds from its Power in Pink range for the entire month of October to Breast Cancer Welfare Association. In addition to proceeds benefiting BCWA, Under Armour has also set up donation boxes at all Brand Houses to be used at the discretion of patrons.

Delayed Obsession: MBLAQ

I finally truly understand the madness behind the KPOP pandemic that has been wrecking Malaysia for the past decade. Why?

Because I finally caught it in the form of MBLAQ, a KPop boy band founded by the entertainment and talent company owned by Rain. 

It started with one very cool and emo song, It's War. I had it on repeat in my playlist for the longest time ever and then I started rewatching the music video (again...and again...and again). 

And then dance version of it. (Anybody wanna teach me the routine ar?)

Khaosan Tokyo Origami Hostel review

When looking for a place to stay in Tokyo, I came across the Khaosan hostel branch. With Asakusa as their center point of their hostels, I was intrigued by the thought of staying in the older downtown area of Tokyo and furthermore a friend highly recommended it. I opted for Khaosan Origami hostel, located in the quieter section of Asakusa, right behind the iconic and beautiful Senso-ji temple.

Khaosan Origami was about a 10 minutes walk from the train and subway stations of Asakusa. While lugging suitcases might be a bit troublesome, the walk to and from the hostel was rather nice as I got to really soak in the bustling crowd and colours of Asakusa's food and attractions during the day and the quietness stillness of that same area at the night.

Australia: Tough Mudder Melbourne 2015

Tough Mudder oh Tough Mudder. You hold a special place in my heart. You were the first obstacle race I ever signed my life over to, the first obstacle race I tackled abroad. The first of many to come. The start of the depletion of my retirement and investment funds....

So anyway, a week after Spartan Stadium in Sydney, I flew to Melbourne to take part in Tough Mudder which took place in Broadford State Motorcycle Complex. An hour's drive to the race site consisted of driving within the speed limit, slowing down at speed traps and praying for a sunny day out. The last time I did an obstacle course in Melbourne, I nearly froze to death.

Whiskas National Cat of the Year Winner

Kitty lovers, hear ye hear ye!

Whiskas Malaysia has crowned the winner of its recent National Cat of the Year 2015 grand finale held at AEON AU2 Setiawangsa. In a heated and intense show-and-tell performance, 15 cat owners showed off their beloved furkids to a panel of judges consisting of celebrity Syakila Nisha Jangir, better known as Kilafairy, Khalid Rashid, President of the Malaysia Cat Club and Dr Susan Wan, veterinarian from Whiskas Malaysia.

Four titles were up for grabs that day; the grand NCOTY champion as well as three categories winner; Bright Eyes, Shiny Fur Coat and Lively and Energetic - which are the three signs that epitomizes a health cat. At the end of the event, . Cha Cha, a five month old cat owned by Nurul Hanin binti Ismail, was judged to be the cat that best epitomised the 3 key signs of a healthy cat. The parent and furkid took home a cash prize of RM10,000 and a year’s supply of Whiskas cat food.

Spartan Race Kuala Lumpur Kicks Off

One of my favourite obstacle course races, the Reebok Spartan Race has officially landed on home turf and I AM NOT AROUND TO JOIN IT!

In all due fairness, I had already waaaay beforehand, booked and paid the super expensive registration fee for Spartan Race Sydney Super and Sprint in pursuit of completing the Trifecta this year. So on the very same day, I was in Australia killing myself in their crazy new innovative 300 obstacle (which you can read about in the links at the bottom of the post), Malaysia got its first taste of a Spartan Race.

Journey to Trifecta: Spartan Stadium ANZ Sydney - Super- Sprint Combo 2015

5 weeks prior to this event, I was in Melbourne for just one weekend to race in the chilly temps, all for the Spartan Beast medal, the first piece to the end game: the elusive Spartan Trifecta. You can read about it here. It was an end game that finally bore fruit in Sydney at the iconic ANZ Stadium where not one but two Spartan races were held; the Super and the Sprint.

Getting the Trifecta was the objective of this race but Spartan Sydney this time also had lured me in with the world premier of the stadium combo – the Super and Sprint in one as well as the exclusive Spartan 300 - a series of ninja-warrior like obstacles that flows into one another without giving participants rest as the main finisher. And I got to try it twice.

First Cabin Capsule Hotel, Haneda Airport

Due to an unfortunate route cancellation by AirAsia X to Narita Airport, my plans for Tokyo were in jeopardy. I was to lose a day in the city because my flight was pushed to the afternoon flight to Haneda airport. Furthermore, I was climbing Mount Fuji the day after, making getting sufficient rest crucial.

With my flight landing close to midnight, I considered just roughing it out and sleeping at the airport as it made no sense to waste a night’s stay on accommodation in the city. But a quick Google search showed me that I had other alternatives. In the form of First Cabin Capsule Hotel at Haneda Domestic Airport Terminal No 1. So I booked a room or rather a bed through their website and got confirmation instantly.

First Cabin was anything but the typical capsule hotel. The lobby gave off the impression of a classy luxury hotel with low lighting. The reception was 24 hours so when I got there after 12pm, check-in was done fast and I was ready to jump into the bed by 1am.