Review: Viper Challenge Medini 2016

The first race of my life!

To be perfectly honest, I no longer know why I did this. It doesn't have the geographical convenience and the glory of the Reebook Spartan Race, nor does it have the ring and the scenery of Viper King of the Mountain Challenge. And at 20k, it is out to kill.

But then again, at 20km, it was a great introduction to running. At 20km, it dwarfs all other races and challenges in Singapore. I used to flinch at the thought of 5km but after this race, 5k is like LOL TRY HARDER.

Moving on, pre-race!





Goodbye fair skin.

Hello chocolate.

9am - 0km

I was nursing a bleeding uterus since the night before. The night before was mine, it just started and so it was just spotting. By morning, it was an all-out blood bath but it was too late for my ego to back out of the race lol, so I ran handicapped.

I tried to avoid all the water obstacles but by the 2nd obstacle at 2km, I was soaked by a mud crawl. There on, I decided to just fuck it and go. All the while lugging around a thick, heavy and oh-my-fucking-godly gross sanitary-ware.

9.30am - 2km

If I didn't think I was extraordinary before, I bloody well think so now.

The obstacles here are not tough. The first memorable one was this sideways netting thing that we were supposed to crab-climb across. I mused aloud climbing atop the rungs and crossing from above. They kept worrying I couldn't do it and kept telling me not to.

But at the last minute, someone said CLIMB UP UP UP NICOLE and obviously my ego cannot grasp what stand down means and up I went! And the group started cheering and the crowd joined in and my God, my legs were trembling the whole time.

So bloody supportive. I could get hooked on this.





Peiyao was carrying me because she was worried I couldn't reach the floor with my tiny height awww SO SWEET.

11am - 6km

She become my pacekeeper for a good 6km. I think I covered the most ground, most efficiently, with her. We run at very similiar eventual speeds. She brisk walks and can sprint for short distances. I walk slothily but can jog for a much longer distance. So we end up keeping each other in check.

I never knew the importance of a pacekeeper till her. I was thinking holy shit I'll be fucked if I lose her and I really did LOL. At the 8km mark, I invested all my strength into one of the obstacles and then fell much behind.

That obstacle was one that made both me and her damn gian to try again till we get it. It is a simple rope climb. No knots, no gimmicks. Just climb the rope. She couldn't mount it. I made it halfway to mad cheers from the crowd (girls don't make it this far) but I fell and so did their cheers :(

I tried a second time and this time, I only got up t 1/3 of the rope before the rope's abrasion gnawed at my feet and then I fell again. And decided enough was enough. Continued the run feeling all dissatisfied inside.

Got all cleaned up only for more mud to come.





Hahah top class mud bath.

12.30pm - 8km

Towards the 10km mark, we realized they closed the 10km mark area. We were instead directed to take a shortcut to the 12km mark. 2km were shaved off our route because they were closing up the run due to bad incoming weather. I was secretly relieved.

1.30pm - 12km

At the 12km mark, there was a temporary oasis. Two lawn sprinklers were on at full blast and everyone was standing around getting clean. My team started to fall behind to clean and bathe but I didn't see the logic in it, since we were gonna get dirty anyway.

I asked to finish the race alone.

And I did.

2pm - 14km

The speed is nothing commendable, but you have to understand I'm not an athlete. I hadn't been training for this. I spent the past five months working 9 - 6 with off days in between to do limited exercise. I hated running. And now I am thrown 18km.

The whole time I was alone, I kept getting cheered on. Fellow runners commended me doing it alone. They smiled encouragingly. But I was quite tuned out by now. It was 3pm, the sun was beating down hard and the asphalt was more unforgiving than ever.

And so I thought of Gabriel.

I thought about how right now, he's on his way into Johor. I thought about how tonight, I will be happily nestling in his arms while he strokes all the injured parts of me and kisses my bruises away. I thought about his love.

The finish line loomed in sight.

2.30pm - 18km

I did it.













In fact, I did it so much ahead of schedule, that I had time to shower and get dressed hahah, which explains why I'm all comfy in new clothes while they are still in their muds.

They took about an hour more than I did, but they finished it together. I was an hour early, and I did it alone. If you ask me which one I would've preferred, it would be the former. But Gabriel was on his way in and I needed my phone to tell him where I was and so I ran.

I did it. All 18km. No shortcut, no cheats.

All 18 glorious km.





I earned you baby.

You are mine now.

Goodbye full time

Biggest smile on my face right now.































More on this later.

Genes from dad

I have Space Oddity on my phone.

I came to know about David Bowie through Jennifer Connelly.

Requiem for a Dream made me obsessed with Jennifer Connelly, so I actively searched for her movies to watch. It led to me cult classic Labyrinth, with David Bowie reigning as King Jareth. And I remember thinking this was a man of incredible depth.

I watch Saturday Night Live a lot at work. My favourite cast member of all time is Kristen Wiig. When I ran out of episodes starring her, I went to search on where she is now, and found that she did a movie with former SNL member Ben Stiller.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Yes yes I keep going on about this movie. Hear me out.

Gabriel doesn't understand why I love the show so desperately. I don't too, but I know I can watch it over and over and not lose my sense of wonder at it. And so, it led me to the cinematic brillance that is the scene of Kristen Wiig playing the guitar encouraging Ben Stiller on a helicopter.



Sung first by Wiig, it then transitions brilliantly into Bowie's vocals. The transition, the scene-play, the characters, everything was so well done. I well up every single time I watch that 2:55 of sheer magic.

Ben Stiller's scared then achingly surprised face as he jumped on the helicopter. Kristen Wiig's gaze as she look upwards, hair carelessly caressing her beautifully proud smile. There were no spoken lines, but it was the most powerful conversation I've ever seen.

A conversation about venturing into the unknown. A conversation about listening to your heart. A conversation about incredible courage. A conversation about wonderment and love.

I am transfixed by that song. When I feel a worry about my solo NYC trip creeping up, I'd replay that song and remember my hunger for a life better lived. I remember my chase of a journey worth going the distance for, even if I have to do it alone.

Space Oddity is a song of wonder. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is about a man going a full circle around the world on an incidental journey to discover himself, only to realize everything he always hoped to be was within him all along (the wallet).

Ok hear me out.

Because I'm transfixed by this song, I played it all the way home yesterday.

I was daydreaming, like Walter Mitty did. I was daydreaming about being Singapore's newest rising fitness influencer, going around the world motivating people to start their own fitness journey. And I started daydreaming about handstand mastery.

In my daydreams, I was doing my handstands against a picturesque Greenland. I was in good form and strong. I was proud of myself. And I was happy.

And so, the song motivated me to go home and push for a handstand.



I did it.

I pushed, without a wall nor my sister's support, into a headstand by myself.

I held it for 2 seconds and fell.

It was beautiful.

I was screaming in elation and thanking the song for motivating me and being all kinds of happy until my dad rudely piped up from the back. I had to try a lot of times before finally nailing it right, so he's been at the sofa grunting what's the correct way to do it.

My dad doesn't speak, he grunts only haha. But anyway so he kept grunting out instructions, telling me to jump into the wall-supported handstand, and then lift off. I refused to, because I was trying to do it without the wall at all.

And he got so frustrated with me refusing to take his advice, that he actually got off his lazy bum and showed me.



I take a 5-minute warm-up and about 2 - 3 kicks before I can finally reach into a wall-assisted handstand. If I'm at Strala, I would take 45 minutes of vinyasa/ ashtanga yoga before finally entering a supported handstand, let alone a freestanding hadstand.

NOT MY DAD!

Despite not having done this move in at least 30 years, he got off the sofa, tucked his shirt in,
secured his palms against the floor, and kicked up into one smooth wall-assisted handstand. No warm up, no 2 - 3 prepping kicks. One smooth kick, and he was up.

My sister couldn't stop laughing and I couldn't stop marveling and it only pushed me to keep trying. But I continued ignoring his way and sticking to mine (wall-less) and he was in the mood already, so he told me to stop and watch him again.

And this time, he entered a freestanding handstand.



He even bounced a bit while freestanding.

I tell you, at that point, my pride was real. I've been training towards this for 6 months and I can't do it, but he did it within 15 minutes of getting frustrated with me. My mum added he used to walk on his handstands all the time.

Why do I seek role models from Instagram when I already have a fit dad like this at home? yes, right now he's not in the right shape but I can always look up to the 1980 version of him. A role model right at home all these years, and I never looked up.

But it's not too late - from now on, I shall!

Also now, I shall wait for my mum to watch my sister breakdance and drop to her down when my sister fails to perform up to her expectations hahah.





Why waste a good outfit right? Heh heh.

Little Luxembird

Work is passing ridiculously fast these days.

Today especially, I had no time to use the washroom or take gulps of my tea. I took an upper mid-morning and it charged me through the day, so much so that I'm awake now at 4.30am. Christ save my sleep-deprived soul.

But despite my best efforts, I did not manage to complete BKT on time. I'm short on just the kitchen segment and my editor's note -- everything else is gold. This might mean coming back in to complete it next week ughhh.

Also I BOUGHT MY P!ATD TICKETS! Tristal and I are going together and my excitement IS REAL. When I saw that pre-sale was live, I choked on my tea and whispered a silent thank you to any listening God and bought the shit out of it.

Okay yeah and despite truly working my ass off today, I had time to go through my upcoming bachelor studies' handbook. I am so stoked to start, I'm already trying to buy past year's notes on Carousell.

Wow 180 degree change from diploma days. GOOD ON ME!

Dinner with bel after work!



Itacho Sushi's promotional Spicy Scallop with rice and egg.

I was in such mental agony the whole time. Yesterday I restarted my diet plan with Lipo 6, as well as started a log of my spending. I clocked in approvingly today till this stupidly deliciously meal. I could've been under 500 consumed calories today!

But it was good. I drizzled the egg all over the dish and it married the melted cheese beautifully. And the rice was so soft. And the scallop was so flavourful and salty. But I am still on a diet so this is all I had:



R.i.p. wallet but good job body.

I'm not sure if its the effect of Lipo 6, but I got full after that missing portion without trouble. Towards the last few bites, I was forcefully trying to eat more but I couldn't. Hopefully my appetite (or lack of) stays.





















I am feeling a tad blue.

I was quite ditsy the whole day. I always underestimate what this pill does to me. I ended up being very deaf and needing bel to repeat whatever she said. I also couldn't walk all that well. I was glad to just get home in a piece.



Dad's newly adopted love bird.

I notoriously hate the two resident birds at home. I would verbally abuse them and scream at them to shut up. None of my family got as annoyed with them as I did. I would make meowing noises at them and bring a frying pot close to their cage for fun.

But when this one came, it was so scared and quiet. My dad left it on the living room floor to walk around after snipping a bit off its wing. It looked so terrified and in pain that I felt my heart going all soft. I got attached to it.

And it got attached to me too. I usually just sit near it and watch it without overly trying to stroke it, but one day it climbed up my arm and rested on my shoulder, cheerily chirping about before climbing off.

You adorable thing ughhh why must you trip me up like this!

My dad calls it Lucky but THAT'S SO OVERUSED so I renamed it Luxembird hahah. I have never been able to defeat an old acquaintance's punny name for his rabbit (Bun Jovi), but now with Luxembird I AM CLOSE.

Away at sea

Gabriel's sail got extended from a day to four. 

So I'll only see him on Friday.

If I could, I would write God-awful complaint letters to the Navy and in my anger, start a television series called Navy Wives where all we do all day is sit around and tear up photos of anchors and mass smash ship-in-a-bottles too.

I ranted that the Navy better not do this when we have babies if not the babies will be like 'where's Daddy?' and I'll be like 'where's my bigger baby?' and the whole family will end up distraught on the floor for until he comes back to pacify all 3 of us (me, Constantine and Artemis).

I asked him what would he do if I was crying in one room and the babies were crying in another.

G: I would carry the baby and put them on you
N: Why? But I am crying
G: Yes, then I can ask all of you what's wrong
N: How?
G: I will ask 'awww what's wrong, my babies?'

Do you see why I love this man?

A lot of times, I rush to Gabriel's bed when we reach home and just lay there and start to cry till he rushes over to comfort me. I say it's baby-training for our babies, but I actually just really like the cuddling and cooing.

Other times, I like to keep going 'aww nu nu nu nu nu shhhh' when he excitedly talks about something. He would keep trying to finish the story and I would keep interrupting, stroking his head like a child and going 'aww nu nu nu so kute shhh' and he'd purse his lips annoyed hahah.

In the end, he managed to come out for a bit and I rushed to him and very stubbornly clung onto him the whole night, refusing to let him go smoke or dota, He adoringly told me about how his new Korean show makes him miss me intensely.

I demanded he spoon me to sleep and he did, for a grand total of two minutes, afterwhich he declared, 'ok cannot already, your hair is everywhere, inside my nose' and turned away from me :(

So I held his hand to sleep.

What am I going to do without you? When you go on your 3-month sail? Today is a 3-day sail and I'm already behaving like my world is going to collapse. How am I to hold through?

Forever aerial

Had a photoshoot in the morning with Sathia of @urbanshutters.

I was honestly terrified lol. I was worried I wouldn't live up to his expectations and current portfolio, since he already had a few projects posted. Which led to me being all shades of awkward for a good hour. But after that, I loosened up and the shots improved (I hope)







































He loved this one. The minute I got into the post, he snapped and declared the shot beats all his other models' ones hands down. Oh stop it you hahaha.

Headed back to meet my patient baby, who then forced me to watch Descendants of the Sun with him. He was mega entertained at the lame jokes and adorable flirting while I was just going zzzz no idol shows pls Breaking Bad me up.

He made me promise him that I would watch DOTS up to episode 7 while he sailed, just so we can catch up on the rest together. In the past, he'd make me promise I would wait for him to come back but now it's just 'baby promise you will watch it. PROMISE ME.'

Sigh.















Me and the sister were both early for yoga and so we went photoshooting.

I cheated again lol. She helped me up into my headstand and then quickly rushed away to take the photos. This is ridiculous. As you can see, my headstand is obviously stable as shit but I still can't do the mounting myself.

To be fair, I managed to do it later that night when I visited my grandma. I love terrifying her hahaha. I'd do my handstands and headstands and she'd scream at me to stop while helping to lift me up anyway hahaha.

Today, she recounted how last time she reared little chicks to be sold. And how if there's an eagle nearby, it'd catch away the little chicks. And that was when my sister claimed 'oh that's the origin of 老鹰捉小鸡!'

I also made my grandma promise to join my parents and Gabriel's parents at a joint mother's day celebration, which I'm really hoping pans out. Gabriel's parents are chatty but mine are broody and quiet, so I told her we need to have a chatty person on our end too.

She kept insisting she's not that chatty but curiously asked where the dinner's gonna be at anyway, so +1 for me whoop!

What a productive day.