Cross Country racing

I took my gaggle of cross country runners to the Singapore International Champs this week. It was held at the American School of Singapore which was a bit too urban for a cross country race. Nevertheless heaps of kids from the other schools competed. The race was dominated by the kids from the American School. The school has about 3,000 students and a very modern and bling campus. Wouldn't mind having a full athletics track, Olympic size pool and artificial turf at our school. We didn't have many kids running. Our school has about 550 students, which is tiny compared to the seven big schools here with between 2000 and 3500 students.

Our Under 14 girls team with their 3rd place medals (plus random Curtis sneaking into the pic)

Back to the coalface

Holidays seem like a long forgotten memory now. We have been back in Singapore for nearly two months, and are well back into the swing of teaching and living on the equator.

Our local MRT/Subway station, about 5min walk.

The school year runs from August to June in most international schools, so August represents a fresh start with a new group of student to remember. This year it took me about four weeks until I could confidently remember all of the students names. I still have trouble remembered the names such as Jong In, Sang Hoon, Sang Mo, Hye Jin, Hoang Duy. After a while, I can put a face to a name but my brain is still in a western mindset. Give me a list of Jessica, Emma, Jane and Emily and it would take a week. I am teaching Economics, Humanities and Business Management this year. Humanities is my first junior class overseas. They are about 5th form, the remainder of my classes are 6th or 7th form NZ equilvients.

Other than school we have caught up with lots of people. An orienteering mate Darren was in town running a competition called the Hillary Challenge for Singapore schools. Was great to catch up and see a bit of outdoors stuff. The Minstry of Education in Singapore contracts the NZ Outdoor Pursuits Centre and Darren to run the competion. It is limited to local schools, otherwise the international schools would have a large presence.

I also competing in my first race in Singapore. It was a 5km race around the Formula One circuit which was closed to traffic. I managed a cheeky win, from a field of 4000 people. Pity none of them could really run, as it was a great course andfully closed to all traffic. I ran 16.45 which is slow by NZ standards but somehow fast by Singapore standards. I am always looking for a few more races to enter. I keep missing the cut offs for the big races. The Standard and Chartered Marathon/Half Marathon has closed entries at their limit of 50,000 competiors. Need to plan ahead when the races are so popular and not scheduled until Dec ! guttered

Running up a mountain

I fortunalty or unfortunalty took up an offer to run an off-road half marathon in the French Alps. The timing was ok. At least I had some holidays in which to get fit and try to develop some hill running strength. I managed ok and trained for a solid two weeks in France before arriving in Chamonix.

The race was a rugged 23km with about 1400m of total ascent, the majority of which was covered in the last 8km's of the course. The race started in the main village with 1,500 other idiots, a large bunch took off from me at under 4 mins per km so I eased off, sensing I should leave a little strength in the legs for the final uphill. I survived the first 13km fine, but began to suffer on the ascent to the ski station at 2300m. My lack of hill running (Singapore's highest is 100m) began to surface but most other runners were down to a shuffle as well. The track was undulating and contouring up along the side of this huge glacial valley. It peeked out to a ski station at 17km after climbing 500m in 2 kilometres. and I scoffed down a couple of cokes and energy drinks. This kept me chugging till the beginning of the next climb which was in the open, along to the finish line perched at another ski run. After a few anguishing moments of cramp I crept across the finish line. 2hrs 37mins was heaps slower than I thought I would manage. The winners did 2hrs but in the end of was glad too survive.

The race was very well organised and relatively cheap. Included was a post race buffer, nice running top and chairlift back down the hill. It was good do a race in another country and will start training again for a 10km race in Singapore in August.