Rebecca Ilham's Blog, page 11
October 5, 2013
Anatomi Sekeping Hati IV MM 06102013
Alhamdulillah, sekembali dari larian pada pagi Ahad yang masih bersisa hujan, saya menerima khabar tentang siaran cerpen ini daripada dua sahabat. Terima kasih atas makluman dan ucapan tahniah :)
Anatomi yang keempat ini adalah siri Anatomi yang setakat ini paling dekat dengan apa yang saya bayangkan. Inshaallah, doakan agar ada siri seterusnya selepas ini.
Selamat membaca!
October 4, 2013
A Review of A Pair of Running Shoes
Took my new 'babes' (you need to say this a la Ashlee & Sophia from the latest season of My Kitchen Rules) for a run-ride this late afternoon.
I got them for cushioning; before this I ran in a pair of minimalist running shoes. While they are well-ventilated, lightweight and allowed me to run "naturally", they are not able to absorb the high impact (3 to 4 times my body weight) whenever my feet met the ground, from traveling to my knees and thighs.
The feel after a 5k:
1. The cushioning is good. My knees didn't hurt like they usually do during and after a run.
2. I got blisters (because I tied the shoes a little too tightly). I stopped at KM4 and loosened them, was able to run comfortably after that.
3. I am not quite getting the mid-strike technology yet (the shoes are designed to "encourage" mid-foot landing to reduce over-striding); my right feet kept landing out of sync - a sprained disaster waiting to happen. I also felt like my body was "faster" than my feet.
4. The shoes are heavier than a pair of minimalist that I've ran ~150km in, I do hope to properly break them in during longer runs later.
September 30, 2013
My 1st 10k
Yesterday, I ran my first 10k ever in the Standard-Chartered KL Marathon 2013.
When I registered way back in January, I was an irregular runner who was nostalgic of her old shape, form and personal records. Thus I opted for the Leisure category, which is non-competition with a finishing cut-off time of 2 hours.
I wanted to run regularly as I used to back in the States, and believed that signing up for a major event will get me motivated. I wasn't wrong. The first few months were a struggle as I was not used to protecting my training time. However, as my stamina improved and the release of endorphin became an addiction, I started to be very very very protective of my running routine.
Sometimes, it felt like the world would end if I did not go running, especially during the last couple of months leading to the run. I've ran when I was sick (the sickness was from the neck up, thus according to experienced runners, it was okay), I've ran in the rain (drizzles, light and heavy) and I've also ran under influence (paracetamol, but it sure felt like I was not quite on the ground).
I also started to have favorite routes. I also learned that I hate going loops. I also learned I need music while running, it sure distracts me from my own steps and labored breathing. Speaking of breathing, I learned by experience on how to control it. Also by experience, I learned how to control my steps while going uphill, downhill, on flat terrain and during the second half of each run with articles from Women's Running, Running World and Run Addicts helping with their advices and tips.
I learned to accept that I need recovery time after each run. Thus I run on every other day instead of everyday. I tried running daily for a week (5-3-5-3-rest-5-3), but it didn't last. My body could not take it, yet. My family and social lives were also demanding some part of the time I spent running.
I also learned to eat and drink better. I used to be dehydrated everyday, but now I can easily guzzle down 3 liters of water in my 8 hours at work. I hated vegetables, but now I can tolerate them. My digestion system improved, so did my mood. I found the much needed solitude, or void in the few hours I spent running and cooling down afterwards. Most of the time I didn't even notice the scenery (once I got used to a particular route) as I was lost in the mental void I craved.
I didn't lose that much weight. Yeah, it would be nice to be kilos lighter, like when I was a college senior.But losing weight, while it is an added motivation, has never been my main goal. I just want to be healthy. And hopefully, happy.
Therefore I am satisfied enough that my first big run (I did charity runs before, nothing major just 3k and 5k) went well. I stuck to the game plan:
1. Treat it like a slightly (not really, it's doubled) longer run than my usual ones
2. Maintain a consistent speed
3. Run, never walk, no matter how slow you go
4. Slow down when going uphill
5. Control the stride when going downhill, do not overexert self
6. Run the 2nd half faster than the 1st
7. No drinks - as I hadn't incorporate that into my training
The results:
And a medal that I will always treasure:
My next run will be BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon, in which I will run 15 km. I can't hardly wait to hit the road and train again! :)
When I registered way back in January, I was an irregular runner who was nostalgic of her old shape, form and personal records. Thus I opted for the Leisure category, which is non-competition with a finishing cut-off time of 2 hours.
I wanted to run regularly as I used to back in the States, and believed that signing up for a major event will get me motivated. I wasn't wrong. The first few months were a struggle as I was not used to protecting my training time. However, as my stamina improved and the release of endorphin became an addiction, I started to be very very very protective of my running routine.
Sometimes, it felt like the world would end if I did not go running, especially during the last couple of months leading to the run. I've ran when I was sick (the sickness was from the neck up, thus according to experienced runners, it was okay), I've ran in the rain (drizzles, light and heavy) and I've also ran under influence (paracetamol, but it sure felt like I was not quite on the ground).
I also started to have favorite routes. I also learned that I hate going loops. I also learned I need music while running, it sure distracts me from my own steps and labored breathing. Speaking of breathing, I learned by experience on how to control it. Also by experience, I learned how to control my steps while going uphill, downhill, on flat terrain and during the second half of each run with articles from Women's Running, Running World and Run Addicts helping with their advices and tips.
I learned to accept that I need recovery time after each run. Thus I run on every other day instead of everyday. I tried running daily for a week (5-3-5-3-rest-5-3), but it didn't last. My body could not take it, yet. My family and social lives were also demanding some part of the time I spent running.
I also learned to eat and drink better. I used to be dehydrated everyday, but now I can easily guzzle down 3 liters of water in my 8 hours at work. I hated vegetables, but now I can tolerate them. My digestion system improved, so did my mood. I found the much needed solitude, or void in the few hours I spent running and cooling down afterwards. Most of the time I didn't even notice the scenery (once I got used to a particular route) as I was lost in the mental void I craved.
I didn't lose that much weight. Yeah, it would be nice to be kilos lighter, like when I was a college senior.But losing weight, while it is an added motivation, has never been my main goal. I just want to be healthy. And hopefully, happy.
Therefore I am satisfied enough that my first big run (I did charity runs before, nothing major just 3k and 5k) went well. I stuck to the game plan:
1. Treat it like a slightly (not really, it's doubled) longer run than my usual ones
2. Maintain a consistent speed
3. Run, never walk, no matter how slow you go
4. Slow down when going uphill
5. Control the stride when going downhill, do not overexert self
6. Run the 2nd half faster than the 1st
7. No drinks - as I hadn't incorporate that into my training
The results:
And a medal that I will always treasure:
My next run will be BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon, in which I will run 15 km. I can't hardly wait to hit the road and train again! :)
September 8, 2013
The "Hati" in Psiko Pencuri Hati
I only wanted to write about one thing with regards to the movie "Psiko Pencuri Hati."
It's the definition of "hati."
Si Pencuri Hari killed his female victims by carving their livers out, instead of their hearts. Literally, liver in Bahasa Melayu is "hati." But figuratively, I beg to differ. I think it means the heart (jantung), instead.
After all, Khai pointed to Sidi's left breast during their confrontation, with the warning that "hati kena bersih!", not to near the abdomen, where the liver is.
But...there's an argument to this.
Scientifically, when talking about "hati kena bersih", the liver is actually a more accurate organ. It is the liver that gathered the toxins that entered out bodies, breaks them into parts and cleanses them. Thus, figuratively, the liver does play in part in "cleansing" our souls. After all, the spiritual cleanliness starts with the more physical one.
Besides that, when he was a boy, The Prophet Muhammad SAW was operated on by the Angels, during which an organ of his was taken out and cleaned before being sewed back on. That organ of interest is the liver.
It's the definition of "hati."
Si Pencuri Hari killed his female victims by carving their livers out, instead of their hearts. Literally, liver in Bahasa Melayu is "hati." But figuratively, I beg to differ. I think it means the heart (jantung), instead.
After all, Khai pointed to Sidi's left breast during their confrontation, with the warning that "hati kena bersih!", not to near the abdomen, where the liver is.
But...there's an argument to this.
Scientifically, when talking about "hati kena bersih", the liver is actually a more accurate organ. It is the liver that gathered the toxins that entered out bodies, breaks them into parts and cleanses them. Thus, figuratively, the liver does play in part in "cleansing" our souls. After all, the spiritual cleanliness starts with the more physical one.
Besides that, when he was a boy, The Prophet Muhammad SAW was operated on by the Angels, during which an organ of his was taken out and cleaned before being sewed back on. That organ of interest is the liver.
September 5, 2013
Kembara ke Denver dalam Wadah Siswa Bil. 11
Alhamdulillah, secebis kenangan tentang kenangan yang sempat dirakam sebagai tulisan. Semoga menjadi ingatan apabila setiap semuanya tidak lagi mudah diingati :)
August 29, 2013
Bukowski and Suicide
The Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, VIC Australia. February 2013"Find what you love and let it kill you." - Charles Bukowski
Literature might be the death of me.
August 18, 2013
"Anatomi Sekeping Hati III" dalam BH 18082013
Alhamdulillah.
Saya tidak pernah cuba menulis cerpen bertema secara serius (pernah cuba lama dulu, tapi tak pernah siap) namun kali ini memaksa diri menyudahkan cerpen hari raya ini.
Adrian dan Najwa masih belum mahu 'diam,' mereka masih berbicara dengan saya setiap hari. Maka, mereka adalah watak-watak yang tepat untuk berkongsi pengalaman hari raya mereka yang peribadi.
Semoga cerpen kecil ini bermanfaat.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
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Sebahagian daripada Anatomi III dan tas besar dari Amerika yang mencetuskannya :)August 17, 2013
Esei "Memakai Baju Sastera" dalam TC Ogos 2013
Alhamdulillah, esei ini terbit dalam majalah Tunas Cipta Ogos 2013 yang memfokuskan perbincangan tentang karya terbitan mandiri (indie).
Esei "Memakai Baju Sastera" ini bertitik-tolak daripada premis bahawa sastera Melayu itu mempunyai sejarah dan falsafah sekaligus telah membentuk tradisi penulisan yang matang (sintesis). Ia merupakan sehelai baju yang lengkap. Apakah yang melengkapinya, dan siapakah pula pemakainya?
Selamat membaca!
August 11, 2013
A Timely Advice Only An Author Can Give
In his Graduation Speech to Syracuse University Class of 2013, George Saunders, author, dispatched a simple yet a very timely advice.
No matter how successful and ambitious you are, he said, in the end what matter the most is kindness. So, he urged, be kind. Start now.
Saunders graduated as a Geophysical Engineering major from my alma mater, Colorado School of Mines and had worked in the oil and gas industry in the island of Sumatra before an illness forced him out of it. During a reading session at Mines that I have had a pleasure to attend, he claimed that he had never liked the job anyway.
He changed course; he opted for writing, obtained an MA in Creative Writing from Syracuse, got published then onwards to teaching creative writing at his new alma mater (not necessarily in that order). His latest collection of short stories, Tenth of December was recently dubbed by New York Times as "the best book you'll read this year (2013)".
Indeed, he is an inspiration.
The full speech ("Congratulations, by the way" and all) can be read here.
Saunders' short story Tenth of December was published in the New Yorker and can be read here.
The article on "the best book you'll read this year" is here.
And oh, the entry I wrote about attending his reading at Mines a lifetime ago is here.
August 3, 2013
Of Falling In Love
John Steinbeck (The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, etc.) put it down very aptly in a letter to his lovestruck son, back in 1958:
But,
The full letter from the understanding Fa can be read here.
"Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it."
But,
"And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens - the main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away."
The full letter from the understanding Fa can be read here.
