Monday, August 9, 2010

45th National Day Celebrations Run

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Team FatBird celebrated Singapore's 45th birthday with The Northern Runners with a 14km scenic run in the north side of Yishun-Sembawang-Admiralty. 60 odd high-spirited runners, mostly decked out in red tops, were full of enthusiasm as we gathered at the SAFRA Yishun ClubHouse.


With the sounding of the vuvuzela, the group was called to attention for a briefing by the Northern Runners Group, who had spent lots of time to recce the scenic route, made arrangements for route marshaling, and a nice banner to invite runners to celebrate this important day. As we gathered for a group photo, the skies looked gloomy, with a few droplets coming down from the sky.

We were not detered by the elements as we headed North. It was all fun and chatter along the way, runners waving the Singapore flag, and some giving hi-fives to chase away the 'clouds'. As we ran along the Park Connector, the weather got better, and soon the skies cleared when we reached The Sembawang BottleTree Village. A quick RV later, we proceeded on for the run up to scenic Sembawang Park for a photo stop and gathering of the runners.

A few families and groups were out at the Park having their own mini celebrations, and the quiet and serenity of the Park were awaken by our group of joyous runners in celebratory mood. It was a great time getting to know new friends, while catching up with some we haven't met in a while. The group photo session was a fun one, with many poses, and shouts of 'Happy Birthday Singapore!'.

The 5km run back to the Yishun ClubHouse, although not as scenic, was still full of excitement and chatter.....the km passed by quickly, and before long, we were back at the start point. Some of the runners, who had just had a rigorous 15km hilly run the previous day, found the distance rather short because of all the fun we were having. There were sharing by runners on running form, injury-free running, and even barefoot marathon running experiences.

All had a good sweat broken, and with the day still young, still had time to continue getting to know one another, whilst some went on home to continue their National Day celebrations with the family and friends. It was a simple, yet meaningful run event to mark an important milestone; Singapore's 45th Birthday. Here's to many more good, prosperous and peaceful years for Singapore. Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag!

Fly, Singapore, Fly!


Facebook Albums from Angela, Joe, AC
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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Ops Kingfisher Tempo #2: The Hills Were Moved

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The weather forecast read 'Pre-Dawn Showers...'. Kingfishers were given a weather alert the previous evening in The Nest. In the end, our prayers were answered, and the 'reddish' skies turned clear and cool by the time we embarked on our 15km hills journey to the west :)

The first 10.5km loop was taken in serious fashion, with the front pack running at an average 5:30min/km pace. The mid-pack were not too far behind, while the Happy Group was real minimalist this morning. From the bottom of the hill to the top without stopping; all achieved the feat after a good warm-up run of 3km, with nary a walker in sight. The tempo was sweet and the pace was well moderated at each category...the Kingfishers are beginning to look like real serious runners with a focused objective in sight...fantastic.

The Gatorade water-stop at the 10.5km was a welcomed relief for many as the sun came out of the clouds to smile. The Kingfishers refused to be beaten, and all showed strong form as they came into the Club-House for a quick breather. A few who were feeling under the weather called it a day; preparing themselves to recover for bigger challenges in the weeks ahead. The momentum was kept up with one more loop of rolling hills against the face of the rising sun. I did not spot any Kingfishers walking along the way...great stuff.

Within 2 hours of of the start, almost all had returned, some to rousing cheers for their determination and focused attention given to conquering the hills and slopes. Lots of exchanges, sharing of tips and experiences, chatter about running form and even mini demonstrations of running styles later, the Kingfishers 'booked out for home' feeling very satisfied with the challenging but good workout. There were some soreness in the large muscle groups, evidence of doing the right workout in a terrain suitable for strength conditioning for runners. As the various sorties departed for their next destination, many were already thinking of areas of improvement and how we will get prepared for the coming training flights in the area.

Running The Bay? FatBirds Are Flying That Way!
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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Kingfisher PowerFLIGHT @ TRACK

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It was the first official PowerFLIGHTTM track session for the Kingfishers. Many of them have been mentally preparing for a challenging, but interesting workout, for the past 2 weeks. Those who went for the earlier PowerFLIGHTTM track preview came well armed for the battle :)

Tucked away in a rather Central Serangoon area, the Serangoon Stadium will play host to the Kingfisher track sessions and likely become a new playground for the FatBird Runners. When we arrived at 6.45pm, there were already a crowd running around the track, with the field being set up for yet another soccer match. The early Kingfishers were asked to do a light warm-up before the main menu was served.

Girl Power!

The appetizer went steadily well, working up an appetite for the nearly 50 runners. Perspiration flowed readily when the set was done, and all were ready for the main course. Probably due to the adrenalin pumping, the initial sets of the main course were devoured in double-quick time, which was not advisable, as that could lead to indigestion and even 'puking' symptoms. The trainees did eventually find their paces, and steadily ingested the laps with confidence and control.

As with most FatBird Training sessions, there were always an element of surprise and challenge which could be thrown into the set meal for good measure :). This time we experimented with the 'float' at the tail end of the main course. Some runners were a little unsure of how to manage the 'float', but eventually all completed with good fun and smiles radiating from their faces.

After the main course, a few went to on consume dessert at a leisurely, recovery pace. Some, who were doing this for the first time, decided to take a lighter version. A walk-through of the whole set meal was conducted at the end by the Chef & The Team, to explain a little more of how to do the sets, as well as better prepare for them at the next session. Overall, it was an enjoyable and fruitful 'meal' for all who attended.

Running The Bay? FatBirds Will Show The Way!

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Monday, August 2, 2010

Operation Sunbird Registrations: Limited Slots Remain!

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ONLY 15 SLOTS REMAIN!



Final opportunity to secure a year-end marathon slot, and tap on a proven training program to achieve your marathon target, has come!

All Registrations (with marathon slots) must be done by Aug 10.


Team FatBird & New Balance offer The Operation Sunbird 2010 Marathon Training package comprising:
- A Structured 12-week Marathon Training Program (FlightZONES) ++
- A Standard Chartered Marathon Slot ++
- New Balance training and race day gear included ++
- 50% equipping discount for New Balance products ++
- Our very own Hospitality Tent for Sunbird trainees on Race Day ++
- Certificates Of Completion & Awards For Performance

REGISTER NOW for one of these limited training packages HERE

Visit and 'LIKE' The Ops Sunbird Facebook Page for more information & updates:

Follow Our Pace, Win Your Pace!
OPERATION SUNBIRD Powered By New Balance
Team FatBird Training
http://www.teamfatbird.com/


Friday, July 30, 2010

FatBird Weekender: Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag!

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The Northern Runners and and Team FatBird have come together again, this time to bring you the ‘Northern 2010 National Day Fun Run’.

This fun-filled holiday run will bring us to many interesting locations up in the North. Come celebrate Singapore's Birthday with us.

Register your interest via the facebook event page .

Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag!

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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Operation Kingfisher 2010 KICKOFF




Operation Kingfisher 2010 got off to a roaring and hilly start with 50+ participants gathered at the hilly region of Mt. Faber. Most came prepared, with a few scurrying in from work and their busy schedules to make it in time for this 'siong but satisfying' training workout.

There were tempo runs, hill repeats and loops incorporated, and at the end of the evening, many tired trainees were happy to have cleared their first official Kingfisher training with flying colours. As we ran back along a 3km cool-down route, some were inquiring about the other hilly slopes and challenging terrain in the area....to which, we can only say 'Be Patient, We Shall Be Back For More!'.

Operation Kingfisher 2010
Running The Bay? FatBirds Will Show The Way!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

FatBird Weekender: The Western Canterbury Plains


FatBird Weekender @ Mt. Faber

More than 50 turned up for the Kingfisher Pre-Ops & Weekender run at the Mt. Faber Region. The weather was cloudy and cool, just nice for a Sunday morning scenic tour of the hilly region of the Western Corridor. Most of the runners were new to the area, and all were so excited at the prospects of exploring new running and ‘pak-tor’ grounds…they were not disappointed.

A tour of the ‘Canterbury Plains’ was the first highlight of the morning, with many soaking in the sights of the rustic colonial estate, with huge dogs, large cars, deep swimming pools, sandy tennis courts, and large pieces of lawn. While we ran at a leisurely, sight-seeing pace, we took time to stop at special ‘FatBird Photo Points’ for group shots. Out from the Canterbury Estates and we gathered at the HortPark area for the next scenic landmark, The Labrador Park Reserve.

It was a scenic loop around the Labrador Park to the ‘Dragon Tooth’ for some prayers for the upcoming Kingfisher Training Program, before proceeding to the entrance of the WWII ‘Tunnels’ for a short briefing and Q&A of Ops Sunbird. A trip from there up the tunnels brought grunts and puffs from all…it was a nice change from the earlier Canterbury Plains. By then, lots had been burnt, and people were feeling a little hungry liao :D

The next spot was around Mt. faber itself. As the runners pass the foot of the mountain, they looked serious and quiet. They were hoping that nobody would ask them to climb Morse Road….Phew, a sigh of relief broke, as we were told that would only be done during Ops Kingfisher itself, not today…LOL. With 3km of hilly terrain to go (nothing much is flat in the Mt. Faber area other than the Canterbury Plains), the weekenders were bracing themselves for a hard finish. The faces turned quite pale as we passed the foot of Mt. Faber at Kampong Bahru. A few heard that that was the steepest ascent to the top of Mt. Faber, part of the famous SAFRA MF 10km time trial route. Being a weekender, we were spared the details of the climb, but still had to take the smaller slope up along Telok Blangah Way. A very slight drizzle started, making it more bearable as we completed the final 1km to the SAFRA ClubHouse.

It was a challenging, but yet enjoyable FatBird Weekender of 16km. The runners liked it so much that they vowed to be back to the area for more of the Western Slopes. Some have asked for visits to the Kent Ridge area and the local ‘mini Lombardi Slopes’…hmm, we will be planning for more scenic FatBird Weekenders in other parts of Singapore, but we shall be back to this wonderful Western 5-Hills training grounds.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Announcement: New Balance powers OPERATION SUNBIRD

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Signed up for the upcoming marathon 2010?
Wondering how to prepare for and complete the year end marathon in fine fashion?


Look no further than Team FatBird’s Operation Sunbird, a 12-week Marathon Training Program to help runners compete and complete the upcoming half-marathon and full-marathon categories. Supported by New Balance, and riding on the success of the team’s Marathon Pacing (http://www.teamfatbird.com/pacer09) efforts at previous Marathons in 2008 and 2009, Team FatBird is thrilled to bring the " Follow Our Pace, Win Your Race" philosophy to the 2010 marathon.

The OPERATION SUNBIRD Program encompasses Team FatBird’s 12-week FlightZONESTM Marathon Training, complemented with PowerFLIGHTTM Strength & Speed Training System, conducted by a team of experienced Marathoners and Pacers leading and guiding the training run sessions.

“We are very pleased to be supporting Team FatBird once again for this year’s marathon. We have had a good collaboration experience with the team from last year’s Marathon Pacers Program (http://www.teamfatbird.com/pacer09). I believe the experiences and proven marathon training program from Team FatBird can assist all, whether you are first-timer and/or a seasoned marathoner, in having a better race this year.” Patrick Wong, Country Manager of New Balance ASEAN.

A comprehensive Training & Pacing Program, packaged with a marathon registration slot, New Balance training and race day apparel, special kit-up offers and race day hospitability service, await those who successfully register for one of the limited training places.

Wish to know more? Visit Team FatBird’s website at www.teamfatbird.com, New Balance’s Fan Page (www.facebook.com/newbalance.sg) and Team FatBird’s Fan Page (Team FatBird).

If you wish to get details and indicate your interest for Operation Sunbird 2010, send an email to training@teamfatbird.com with your Name, I/C No., Email, Facebook contact.


About Team FatBird:
Team FatBird is a congregation of highly passionate runners who are experienced in distance running from 10km to full marathons. Empowered with the necessary experience and expertise, the team excels in the areas of organising and leading group runs, providing marathon training and pacing services. For more information about Team FatBird, its running and training activities, please visit www.teamfatbird.com and Team FatBird facebook.
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Team FatBird Runners Celebrations

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It was an evening of revelry and celebrations, of proud and satisfying moments depicted in the video montage, presentations of Certificates Of Achievements and awards to the NightHawk trainees, filled with fun and laughter from the games, topped with great food and company.


A message from Team FatBird (Ops NightHawk Training):

Congratulations to all NightHawks for a job well done at the Sundown Marathon.
Many of us have achieved the goals we set out for ourselves at the beginning of 2010.

Operation NightHawk was a follow-on from the inaugural NightHawk Program we did last year.
This NightHawk program had a few firsts, chiefly a very structured 12-week FlightZONES system; comprising of heart-rate training, running form and posture mechanics, conditioning LSDs in the night and wee hours of the morning, along with nutrition and hydration tips,
dispensed and delivered by a dedicated training team of coach, trainers and running guides.

We were heartened to see many new runners progress from 10km through to completing their first night marathon with very respectable performances at the Sundown, many of you scoring PBs for all the distances, and even go up for a Podium finish. We would like to congratulate the NightHawks on your perseverance, determination and the willingness to put what you have learned into practice, culminating in those outstanding performances at the Sundown. Some of you have even gone on to score PBs and break new records at International marathons like Phuket, KL, Gold Coast. Give yourselves a pat on the backs, and a big round of applause.

We would also like to congratulate and celebrate the successes of the Running Guides & Training Crew, who have gone through this 12-week intensive training program, pace training alongside the NightHawk trainees. The Training Crew, comprising of FatBird Pacers and Sunbird trainees, did a stellar job of bringing the NightHawks to their goal finishes.

We also took the opportunity to thank:
- our training partner Mileage – The Long Run Solution, Coach Lim Kien Mau,
- Key Power International for their generous support for compression wear,
- The Playground @ Big Splash for providing the training venue at The FatBird’s Nest,
for proving support and encouragement to make Operation NightHawk 2010 a tremendous success.

It is heartening to see that through the course of the 12-week training, many of the trainees have become friends, running kakis and have established close bonds of cooperation and friendships that have taken a few groups to participate in races, even overseas ones, together.
The training crew and trainees have come together to organize the evening’s celebrations event, and we would like to acknowledge their efforts in making this happen.

Sundown Has Cometh, The NightHawks Have Emerged!

Facebook Photos From JJ

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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Operation Kingfisher Opens For Registration

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REGISTRATIONS ARE CLOSED!


Registrations are full! Thank You for your interest in Operation Kingfisher 2010.
Kindly send an mail to training@teamfatbird.com for any further enquiries or requests.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Crimson Sunbird

The Crimson Sunbird, courtesy Yathin S K

What a majestic bird...so colorful and green :)

The Crimson Sunbird is the national bird of the Republic of Singapore.

Crimson Sunbirds are tiny, only 11cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.

More information about this interesting bird HERE

Now...what has the Crimson Sunbird to do with Marathon Running? Watch this BLOG!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Weekender: East Coast To Gold Coast

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It was a busy weekend at The PlayGround @ Big Splash where the FatBird Weekender was organized for a group of 50+ runners. There were groups of i-Runners, Gold Coast Runners as well as Fit Bar enthusiasts. The early birds were treated to a rolling good time by Erik from Fit Bar, showing them how to use the foam rollers to knead and massage away all those tight muscles and ‘knots’. There were a number of new runners who joined us this morning…some of whom were down to run along with Team FatBird as well as meet the good people of Queensland Tourism, while others were coming for previews of what Operation Kingfisher will have in store for them.

A number of FatBird Runners were away for the KL Marathon, while others came earlier to begin their slightly longer run first. Many of the FatBird Runners were just restarting their running regime, having taken a restful 2-3 weeks after Sundown Marathon. After a good warm-up routine with the Fit Bars, followed by a quick briefing on the routes, we started off towards the Cable Ski area, immediately chatting and sharing about recent runs and activities.


The i-Runners were having fun, running in their mini group, and snapping pics along the way. The Gold Coast runners have already gone ahead, all enthusiastic about running at The East Coast….in a week’s time, they will be running at The Gold Coast……from East Coast To Gold Coast :). Since this was a ‘Blue Top’ Weekender, many of the runners don either the royal-blue Gold Coast top or the baby-blue NightHawk Finisher top. It was a sea of blue moving along East Coast, quite a sight to behold. Everyone was having so much fun we didn’t realize the skies getting cloudy. By the time we reached cable Ski or for those running the 15km, at The Sailing Centre, there were droplets of rain coming down.

As the rains got heavier, we got cooler and fresher. It was a nice experience running in the rain, especially with good company and conversations. Many of the Park visitors were taking shelter in the Pavilions, while most of the FatBird Runners continued running merrily in the rain. Seeing how much we were enjoying ourselves, the rest soon followed suit when the rain got lighter. Without realizing it, we soon reached back to The FatBird Nest. The rain had by then lightened. The Nest was by then full of FatBirds, joined also by the ladies who had just completed their Nike Shape Training. We shared shelter and refreshments, while taking time out to try out the Fit Bars under the supervision of Erik.

Azhar and Khim were on hand to dispense advice and share experiences with those who will be taking part in next weekend’s Gold Coast Marathon, as well as give out specially prepared goody bags for the Singapore contingent….a real nice gesture of support and encouragement for the Singapore participants. There were more queries and discussions about FatBird Runs as well as the training programs for the Army Half Marathon (Ops KingFisher) and the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (Ops sunbird).

From The FatBird Nest, we proceeded to recce the location and plan for The FatBird Runners Celebrations in July. It was an interesting social weekender for the FatBird Runners and friends, meeting up with many running kakis as well as new friends. We wish all our friends doing The Gold Coast Marathon on July 4 a most enjoyable and fruitful race, smashing Personal Bests (PBs) and establishing Marathon firsts.

FatBird Photo Gallery
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Sunday, June 6, 2010

Weekender: FatBirds On The Run

We love to go a-Running,
Along the forest trails,
And as we go, we love to sing,
FatBirds On The Run.

Chorus:
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra-
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra.
We Are FatBirds On The Run.

We love to run-un by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to us,
"Come! Join our happy run!"

Chorus:
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra-
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra.
We Are FatBirds On The Run.


We wave our wings to all we meet,
And they wave back to us,
And fatbirds call so loud and strong
From every green-wood tree.

Chorus:
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra-
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra.
We Are FatBirds On The Run.


Oh, may we go a-Running
Until the day we can’t,
Oh may we always laugh and sing
Within the forest trails!

Chorus:
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra-
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bird-de-ri--Bird-de-ra.
We Are FatBirds On The Run.

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