PowerFLIGHT Photography by Sunbird Winston
When the rubber finally met the foothills, it was all for the top. Gingerly taking their maiden strides up Mt. Faber, the Sunbird trainees were holding their form and posture well, breathing steadily, very careful not to over-stride nor exert, as they did not know when the slopes would end. This bunch did real well, with 3/4 of the flight reaching the launch pad midway up the hills in good time. The rest soon joined up, and before the briefing could barely finish, the 4 groups were on their way to 'enjoy' the hill repeats.
As we awaited the trainees coming up for their 3rd and 4th loop, I was impressed with their perseverance and positive attitudes in conquering those rather challenging slopes. I recalled my first time at the same course, almost throwing up after doing all of 3 loops; and here we have new Sunbird trainees completing 3-4 loops with hardly any trouble at all, and they are just going into the 3rd week of training.
Hats off to those who came and saw the top many times. There was even time left over for photo-taking and lots of chit-chats and sharing as we trotted back merrily, and mind you, that was another 1.5km worth of undulating terrain. Congratulations to all Sunbirds for having completed their maiden Hill voyage to one of the most respected peaks in Western Singapore. Sunbirds Are High, PowerFLIGHT Delight!
There was a high sense of satisfaction displayed on the Sunbird's faces during post-run refreshments and briefing, and even the Pacers were pleased with the outcome of what would be the most challenging weekend run of Operation Sunbird. With the accomplishment of this run, all the Sunbirds have moved up one notch in terms of confidence and ability to tackle difficult terrain while maintaining a steady pace and effort. There will be a couple more sessions of strength building ahead, and we are all in good shape as we progress in the long endurance runs. Go, Sunbirds, Go!
It was great to see many familiar faces from past FatBird training programs and FatBird Runs, as well as many new faces, most of whom were training with Team FatBird for the very first time. All their worries about the 13km-24km distances required at the first session were put to rest, with the majority of the trainees taking to the ECP pathways like ducks to water, soaking in the km as if they have been training there on many occassions. There were speed demons, along with the Happy Groupers, all sharing a common passion for running and achieving their year-end marathon goal.
Although there were a few minor hiccups, the proceedings of the whole session went well, thanks to the dedicated team of Sunbird Support Crew and Running Guides/Pacers. It was great to have a bunch of enthusiastic and committed Sunbird Trainees, all ready to learn and put into practice those tips and lessons which will see them through for the marathon. A good beginning will pave the way for better things to come, and we have certainly started on the right footing.
REGISTRATIONS ARE FULL!
289 runners joined in the i-Run @ River Promenade (CBD) this evening.
To those curious onlookers and fellow runners in the vicinity: "No, it was not a mini marathon race; it is a weekly run organized by the Health Promotion Board, supported by 100Plus, led by Team FatBird".
To the i-Runners that came: "Our apologies for running out of 100Plus, and we will need your understanding to sign-in dutifully for sufficient allocation of drinks in future".
Let us cooperate and work together to make this i-Run a fun and meaningful way to stay fit and healthy.
Cheers!
100Plus i-Run (http://www.hpb.gov.sg/i-run/)
The crowd was thick, and coupled by the high humidity in the air, the initial few km was a challenge as we had to weave around quite a bit. The occasional turns and the new bridge towards MBS provided some beathing space and allowed us to move into open spaces. By the time we reached Sheares Bridge, 6km has passed. Managed to gain back some lost time by the 8km and was on pace for 1:45h, but some of our runners have lost us in the crowd by then.
The access road into ECP was rather dark and there were pot-holes at certain areas, causing the occasional trips and shouts. We are most happy with the much shorter stretch at ECP this year, taking a bit of the boredom out from that route. Along the way, there were shouts of our names, as well as meeting up friends and kakis who were moving ahead for the final 8km. I had a gel to provide the boost to the dwindling fuel, and that sort of perked me up for 2-3km. I was still maintaining pace of 4:55min/km, careful not to go into overdrive and causing any unwanted spasms to the calves.
The final 5km passed by rather smoothly as I gained some ground on those who had started a wee bit faster earlier. The crowd had thinned by then, and as we approached the 18km mark, there were sounds of people puking and some asking for assistance. The lighting at the F1 Pit-Stop was bright, affording us a clearer approach for the final 3km to the finish. The competitive women runners were making their moves on those who looked spent, and were slowing down. With 2km to go, I could see more familiar faces, mostly picking up speed for the final landing. A check of the time showed that we were well within the 1:45h target. The water stations this year appeared to be shorter, making access to the drinks support a little 
challenging....good that there were volunteers coming forward to hold out the cups. The water mists were very welcomed on such a humid and warm morning.
The final 1km was on familiar territory for major local marathon finishes, as we ran onto The Esplanade Bridge and turned into The Padang. After making sure the competitive runners finished their duels and that the path was clear, I finished in 1:43h. Thanks to the support from FatBird Runners and friends who were cheering us on, and a good finish photo from FatBird DO. Grabbed 2 cans of isotonic drinks to quence the parched lips, before proceeding back to the finish area to welcome our runners.
The group then went to Marina Square Foodcourt for brunch and kopi, to refuel the 'hungry' and tired bodies. Certificates Of Achievement for Ops Kingfisher were given to the trainees as a sign of their 'passing out' and for a job well done. The Running Guides were not forgotten too, as they were recognized for their selfless commitment to helping the Kingfishers & themselves achieve such sterling results at The Army Half Marathon. We Ran The Bay! FatBirds Have Shown The Way!
rain was still ongoing when we reached the Singapore Expo at 6.30am for the shuttle service to the race site along Loyang 
Avenue. After meeting up with FatBird Runners and Kingfishers, we were handed ‘ponchos’ for us to put on while waiting for the start. Met the JM (Jia Meis) and more familiar faces near the start point. After some warm-up and with the crowd bringing on cheers amidst the rolling in of the Yellow Ribbon ‘Cubes’ to be inserted into a structure, the VIP Shanmugam flagged off the ‘shivering’ bunch of runners at 8am.
After grabbing a quick drink and congratulating all who did well, I was back at the finish line cheering and having photos with those who were finishing…first the group of sub-50min runners, then 
the sub-60min finishers (am pleased that many FatBird Runners came in below 60min), and then the sub-70min runners. It was loads of fun welcoming the runners back as a group, and we attracted lots of attention from the official photographers who took lots of photos of the groups. The JMs and other FatBird groups did very well, and it warmed our hearts to see their happy faces and team-spirit being displayed.
The route description from The Yellow Ribbon Run website puts in aptly: The undulating and strenuous terrain of the route is representative of an inmate's reintegration journey back to society. It is an arduous task that takes a lot of determination and resolve from the individual. The community too plays an important role! Aptly summarized by the theme "Beyond The Run", this run is all about the community coming forward to show their support for inmates, ex-offenders and their families.
Based on our team's experiences and feedback from the runners, the whole event was a tremendous success in spite of the weather. From registration to race-pack collection, customer service and attention to details, to actual race route and distance (yes, it was accurately 10km from the various readings from Garmins & Polars), post-race support and transport. If there is one area of improvement, it would have to be the location of the start/end points, requiring major roads to be closed. That affected the incoming buses ferrying the runners.
The final training run of 15km for Ops Kingfisher was completed in immaculate weather with controlled pace. Ahead of the Yellow Ribbon Run the next day, with others away for work and resting, the turnout was rather small. We spent a bit more time briefing all Kingfishers about race day preparations and meet-up.
The plan was to run at target race pace to finish the 15km, with the feeling that we could go on for more. The 1:45h group finished in a comfortable 5min/km pace. The 2:00h, 2:15h and 2:30h groups all completed the final test flight in good form and condition. The feeling was one of having a good workout, with fuel and energy to go on for more.
The PowerFLIGHT Program have provided the Kingfishers with a good base, armed all with the necessary mental and physical strength to complete a half-marathon comfortably. From the new runner to the more experienced marathoner, all have benefited from the structured program incorporating strength-training from hill reps to speed-training at the track. Overall, the 6-week program has been very successful and well received by all. Importantly, good friendships have been formed with very good espirit-de-corps among the cohort.
