Sweet Talks

RPM E and 105% Max HR

2008-08-19T14:51:00.005+08:00

Attended last week's RPM Endurance in what seems to be in ages! It's basically a 90-min class with 16 tracks (think 2 normal RPM, conducted back-to-back). All I could remember from it are lots and lots of hills. I think I got quite sick from "climbing". And lots of heat (it sure was hot and stuffy in the gym). I was loaned a POLAR HRM to try out during the class. I haven't worn an HRM during my usual workouts for a long time now. But what I saw on that little watch gave me a little fright. My body was a little "warmed" before the start of the class for I attended BodyPump prior to RPM. But I was still slightly surprised to see that my HR easily went to 80% by the end of Track 1. If you are a regular RPMer, you should know that Track 1 is basically "kacang puteh", requiring just a little effort. More surprises awaited me however. By end of track 2 (pace track). HR went to 90+%. Track 3 (hill track), 100+%. By Track 5 (interval track), it went beyond 100% to reach 105%! OMG! That gave me a little fright. And throughout the many "hills", HR bobbed up and down between 90-100+%. People asked me later whether did I feel discomfort at this stage and I had to say I didn't feel any different from my usual RPM class. I mean, you cannot expect to attend RPM "without feeling anything" but aside from the standard, there was nothing extraordinary. In fact, I was worried that I might go into "cardiac arrest" or something so I decreased my intensity level a little than my usual effort. Yet, it still hovered mostly between 90-100%.

At the end of the class, my HRM showed that the max HR reached was 105% of my perceived maximum HR with an average HR of 92%. In other words, throughout the class, I have been exercising at an "anaerobic" level. True enough, % fat burned was surprisingly lesser than expected at 20% only.

The thing is to me, that day was like just any other ordinary workout day. Does that mean that I have been exercising like this (anaerobic) every day? Is it even possible to do this? Surely, it sounds dangerous to do so, no? I probably need to re-look into changing my workouts. Need to look into how to reduce the intensity. *Sigh* Like I told a friend earlier, it's like telling a seasoned runner not to "run" but "slow walk" instead. *more sighs*

Also, time to get my own HRM.

ps: Or perhaps, my maximum perceived HR is much higher than indicated by my age. *hehe*

Guess Who Turned 1?

2008-07-24T13:17:00.000+08:00

Guess Who Turned 1 on 10th July?

None other than this little rascal,

Who had single-handedly (or 'pawedly') given the word "tham jiak" a whole new meaning...!

Group photo with his loyal fans..... (hehe)

Happy 1st Birthday to my darling Julius!

More about Julius....

2008-05-09T13:10:00.001+08:00

To all who missed seeing his pictures, just to let you know that Julius says "Hi!"

"Yes, I know I am gorgeous!" (heehee)
I can't really believe I am saying this but for once I can identify with parents who complained that their child grew up too fast, too soon... This is exactly how I am feeling with Julius. It seems like just yesterday when he was like this....

and this....

Check out his cute "cotton ball" tail.

This photo was captured by my nephew, Amos when I was practicing with Julius with his "wave good bye" trick. I was rather tickled with what Amos wrote in the dialogue box.

Julius, taking "oath"
Here's what it says if you have difficulty in reading the dialogue box:
"I, Julius doggie dog, hereby promise I will do the following:
1. Obey my master's commands.
2. Don't bite at everything including humans and slippers.
3. Be a good dog by not being greedy and eating everything in sight."

What Julius did for food...

2008-03-10T16:04:00.002+08:00

See what my nephew put Julius up to recently (video shot by him).
Then again, there's nothing Julius wouldn't do for food, I guess...

Julius, the Performer

2008-01-09T09:32:00.000+08:00

Julius is good at performing. He is quite a fast learner when it comes to learning tricks and likes to "show-off" (but he has his moods sometimes). But more than ever, he LOVES to perform when he knows there are treats waiting for him. Just look at the video. Amos, my nephew, holds a dog treat and asks Julius to "CIRCLE"; which he does on-and-on, without losing sight of the treat.

What's up, Dog?

2007-11-29T13:23:00.000+08:00

"What's up, dog?"
Julius is now 4.5 months old. Oooh, time flies. He has grown much in these last 2 months. But one time remains unchanged - his "tham-jiak-ness". In fact, my family always commented that never had they seen a dog that behaves so "thamjiak" after which my mom would proclaimed that I should feed him more. But trust me, even if I tripled up his food intake, I strongly doubt that he would change this part of his character which is also somewhat endearing.

Ok, here are some more recent photos of little Julius.

Acting cute....

Julius with brother Caesar.
Julius visited brother Caesar at his home a few weeks back. From the pictures, one would think that it was a "sweet reunion" for the 2 brothers. But the truth was otherwise. Julius, being in Caesar's territory, "kena belasah" from Caesar! Ok la, it was not as bad as I put it, but Julius was basically at Caesar's mercy that day...hiaks....

This video is for my niece, Alison who wishes to see Julius "playing dead" at the sound of bang. Sorry dear, video was not so nicely shot but should suffice for the time being. ;-)

And this is Julius at meal time. Much better-behaved now after being trained as compared to his early days when he just about gobbles up his food in seconds!

Correction: He still finishes his food in record seconds, but at least he consumes in a more "acceptable" behaviour...*hiaks*

The Looks of a Guilty Puppy

2007-10-29T10:36:00.000+08:00

Julius playing in the garden prior to his first grooming.
Julius loves his play time in the garden. This is also the venue where he could turn into his cheekiest and naughtiest self.

But he sure knows when he is in deep trouble. Master at deciphering the mood I am in by the tone of my voice, he would stand and freeze when my voice turns deep and angry (usually over something naughty that he did). Sometimes to the point of his back legs buckling under....

His attempt to look innocent with his big round eyes while being scolded....

However, Julius has a sensitive soul. If I ignore him be after a harsh scolding period, he will creeps into his bed and wallows in his own self-pity, until I call him and reassure him that all's well and forgiven.

Is he really a dog or a big rat in disguise?

Julius' 1st Grooming

2007-10-09T11:36:00.000+08:00

Read about it here.

Turning 3 months old....

2007-10-02T16:58:00.000+08:00

Julius had barely just turned 3 months old, and yet I can't help but to feel that he is growing up too fast...
Some recent pictures of him.

This must be his least favourite activity - bath time!

At each bath time, he turned into a real pathetic case. Appearance wise, he instantly looks like he had dropped 2/3 of his normal weight (with the wet fur). Not only that, he whimpers and whines and refused to stand and all fours. Instead he will insist on standing up right (so he could cling on tightly to my hand as if that is his life-saving line).

Look how pitiful he looks during his bath time!

Remember when I mentioned that he turns into a monster at each meal time? Well, I am proud to say that I have successfully taught him some good table manners. He now sits patiently (although he must be really impatient to get to his food) starring at his food bowl until I give him the cue to have his food. *applause* *applause*

But he loves food so much (what can I say, he takes after his mistress...) that he often dreams about it even in his sleep! See what I mean by watching the video below (turn up the volume for some "special effect").

Ultimately, nothing is better than a good nap on his favourite pillow.

Julius' 1st Outing and A Reunion

2007-09-18T12:04:00.000+08:00

Julius had his first outing recently. To a dinner gathering at a friend's place. Being at an unfamiliar surrounding, Julius was rather hesistant and shy....

Checking out the unfamiliar territory from the safety of his carrier bag.
Especially when he was introduced to a new friend who was so much bigger in size than him. Meet his new friend and potential future girlfriend - Pebbles....

Aiyo, stop checking me out like that. I am shy la....

Later, his brother, Caesar came too. What a sweet reunion for the 2 brothers, except er..., they took no time in reverting back to their playful fighting mode. Pebbles didn't want to miss out the action as well so she self-appointed herself as the referee.

Fu-yoh....! The FIGHT CLUB!

1st week at home....

2007-09-05T16:20:00.000+08:00

More pics of Julius during his first week in his new home. Getting bigger (and fatter) day-by-day, not to mention that he's also getting bolder and naughtier. Like his pedigree, Julius starts showing his stubborn (dominant) streak. Also widely inquisitive as seen here in his inquisitive stare.

Aiyo, so cute hor....
Unfortunately, Julius tends to wake his mummy up in the middle of the night with his call to pee-pee, a habit I am trying to do something about, else my dark under-eye circles might just become permanent! That means no food and drink after 9pm. A tip I picked up from my sister-in-law to prevent the bed-wetting habit of one of my nephews.

Last picture with little bro, Caesar before leaving for his new home.

Look at his rump, I swear that it gets rounder every day....*lol* He just might need to go on a puppy diet soon...haha.

One of his all-time favourite past-time:

Snooze pic #1: "Rock-a-bye baby, on a tree top...."

Snooze pic #2: "Superman (superdog) pose"

Snooze pic #3: Hmm..., he might just really be a lamb in disguise....

Snooze pic #4: Dead to the world when he's sleeping...

Ok, till next time...

Meet Julius Caesar

2007-08-27T16:49:00.000+08:00

Meet my sweetie, Julius. A 7-week mini schnauzer (salt & pepper) . Totally adorable!

He has a brother too, Caesar whose coloring is black & silver.

Loves to sleep and cuddle with his little brother (who although smaller in size, is by no means meeker in character).

And gorges on food during meal time like there's no tomorrow.
Note to self: Must, must teach him better table manners...!

This Explains All!

2007-08-03T13:35:00.000+08:00

Sick of getting questions asking about my "still" singlehood status all the time, I think I would just make this chart into mini leaflets and distribute to every who asked!

Having said that, there's till a 0.0009% chance of meeting my Mr. Right! ;-p

Les Mills Classes New Releases

2007-06-22T15:59:00.000+08:00

Finally...! I think this time, my gym was the slowest in launching the new releases among the other gyms in the Klang Valley.

Here are my 2 cents about the new releases:

BODYPUMP 62
Music: Ok, not great but not too bad either. I like the songs for the warm-up (I Believe in Dreams) and chest (Rock This Party). As for the tracks, the "highlights" in this release must be the Triceps and the Lunges. I have been forewarned about these 2 and was expecting the worst. The first time doing it was always the hardest but it gets easier from then on. I went back to carrying 6kg per side for triceps since I started not feeling "so sore" from carrying the downloaded 5kg per side after a few tries. It is still one of the harder tracks but not the most difficult ones. Still, I like that it has interesting combinations of the usual extensions to pullovers and then the standing overhead extensions before finishing with 8 push-ups. Hmm..., I just hope that my arms won't turned too bulky from carrying the additional weight since 6kg is slowly turning into the norm for me now
Lunges: Again, started with lunges on the board (hmm...., seems to be a favourite in the recent BP releases) but it has something new. Backward power lunges with one foot on the step board. Although harder this way, I am not too concerned with power lunges. For some reason, I can take any form of power lunges rather well. *wink*
Others: I feel that the squats, chest, back and shoulders are on the easier side. Increased squats to 17.5kg per side and it was ok for this track Increased weights for back too to 9.5kg per side after a few classes and that was when it became more challenging. Biceps, although short (song was less than 4 mins) it wasn't as easy as I thought. For chest track, it gets challenging after the short break (but then I increased the weights to 8.5kg after the break). Shoulders not really difficult since we do not need to use the bar.

RPM
Overall impression: Feels that it is tougher than the previous release especially if the instructor goes by the book and plays the track without any breaks in between. The "star" is obviously the 5th track (interval track) with what feels like the longest ever 2-min time trail at the end. I got fooled by the instructor during the first class where the instructor lied (for her sake, she said it was "recommended" in the book) that it was only 1 minute instead of 2. So members were already pushing hard in that "1" minute which obviously stretched to 2. So at the end of it, I was barely able to breathe. From then on, I learned that the key to surviving this track is to pace yourself. Not too much too soon but yet at the same time, don't hold back too much. Track7 is also quite challenging with 5 mountain peaks.

BodyStep
OK music, I feel. Quite fun. Not overly challenging but still provides quite a good cardio workout. However, my mind always plays the late Anita Mui's "Cheong Ping San Pek Hoi" during the party track when the English version of this song plays. Believe it or not, this was the first time I heard the English version of this song.

BodyAttack
I really like Track 6, the "samba" track. Very gaya leh.... The first 4 tracks are pretty alright too. Track 5 (body-conditioning) was rather tiring with what seems like endless push-ups throughout the entire track. Ouch...! But the climax (Track 9) was a bit of a let-down though. Not challenging enough.....

TAGGED! What is on my dressing table?

2007-06-10T16:55:00.000+08:00

I got tagged by chloe on this beauty-related tag. It was fun filling out the answers! ;)

What Five beauty products could you not live without?
Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser. Totally worth every single rave among the millions out there for this winner product.
Olay Moisturiser (with SPF for day) either White Radiance or Total Effects range. Been using this brand since secondary school. I would like to think the compliments that I got for my face complexion is also attributed to this...
Blush. I love Benefit Benetint (liquid), Stila Convertible Color (cream), Nars or Stila (powder).
Lip Smackers Lip Balm. Totally dig those yummy flavours! And so good on dry lips.
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. A must for my ultra dry hands.

What’s the worst beauty mistake you’ve made?
Can't really think of any (heh!heh! Fingers crossed!). Maybe over-plucked my eyebrow? Oh, maybe that time when I decided to go back to my "roots" and coloured my hair ebony black with horrifying results (imo).

What’s your skincare regime consist of?
Thank God that my skin is basically problem-free and rather low maintenance. My staples are my Cetaphil and Neutrogena cleansers and Olay moisturiser. :)
Daytime
Cleanse with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Tone with Institute Arnaud's Gentle Toner
Moisturize with Olay White Radiance or Total Effects moisturiser (with SPF)
Nightime
Cleanse with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser (2in1 cleanser. Effective in removing light make-up)
Tone with Institute Arnaud's Gentle Toner
Dab on Institute Arnaud's Eye Contour care (for the eyes)
Serum: Thalgo Absolute Rehydrating Serum (or Olay's Total Effects Daily Serum is good too). Also like Biotherm Aquasource serum.
Moisturize with Institute Arnaud Optimum Hydration Daily Moisurizer or Decleor Delicate Soothing Emulsion
Favourite Beauty treat?
Spa! Body, face and hair. Total indulgence! But I don't really go for facials.

What’s your favourite beauty store?
None in particular. Usually go to Guardian for pharmacy brands and the usual departmental stores (e.g., Parkson, Isetan) for more exclusive brands. Occasionally hopped online.
Real favourites would be those in overseas (*sigh*) such as Sephora, Marionaud, Printemps, GLF (in Paris) and Bonjour & Sasa (in HK, not Sasa KL).

Favourite Budget brand(s)?
Olay, Neutrogena, Cetaphil and Palmer's Cocoa Butter (body lotion)

Favourite Premium brand(s)?
Biotherm, Sisley, Thalgo, Decleor (love the scents! Very soothing and calming!)

And what about Skin Care: Favourite Premium and Budget brands?
Premium - Biotherm, Thalgo, Sisley, Institute Arnaud (although considered budget in France(
Budget - Olay day moisturiser & Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (staples for >10 years)

And Hair Care?
Kerastase. Especially Kerastase Reflection Chroma Protect range for coloured hair.

What’s your ’every girl must own one’ item?
Sun protection. Either sun block or moisturiser with sun protection. Totally believe and agree that the sun is our skin worst enemy.

And finally, best beauty tip?
Water! The rule "drink like a fish" should apply here. lol.

Rather than tagging people, do feel free to participate in this tag if you like.

I just had my DNA test taken

2007-06-03T08:06:00.000+08:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

a "visual" one, that is.....

One of Those Days.....

2007-06-01T23:20:00.000+08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where despite there is one million better things to do but all you wanna do is go home and sulk in your own bedroom?

One of those self-pity days where nothing seems to be going in a way that is good enough for you. Bummer....

Food Shopping from HK

2007-04-20T10:35:00.000+08:00

HK, a haven for shopping, particularly for a shopaholic female. I was there recently for a short weekend business trip. Because it was a business trip, understandably I didn't have much time to shop which worked out fine for me because I am trying not to spend too much before my trip to Paris next week...

So instead of fashion items (although I scored a few irresitable buys), my shopping loot this time is made up of mainly "special" food items that are uncommon in KL.

First of all, baking stuff. I was delighted with the baking supplies section in C!tySuper supermarket. So many interesting baking stuff although it is not even a proper baking supplies shop.

Among the stuff that I got was Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder, a combination of natural and dutch-processed (for some reason, Hershey's Cocoa Powder is no longer available in KL), Reese's Peanut Butter chips, Vanilla and Cafe extracts from Vahine (these were on mark-downs), "Ready-to-Decorate" Pink Icing with interchangeable nozzles from Wilton's, cupcake holders in 4 different pastel colours from Wilton (the colours are so sweet!), a bottle of 4 different sprinkles and a box of party candles. I was tempted to buy the pure vanilla paste but it's expensive at about RM80-99 for a rather small bottle. Wanted to splurge on Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder too but then I convinced myself that I would be happy with Hershey's Special Dark instead.

Next, special edition confectioneries such as Red Bean KitKat (this is real good!), Honeycomb TimeOut, Dark Chocolate M&Ms and Hazelnut Truffle KitKat bar (not pictured, are these available in KL?) and a bar chocolate studded with miniature M&Ms (not pictured). Also pictured is a slice of Japanese Green Tea Castella cake (a type of sponge cake popular in Japan), and a packet of sugar-free mandarin orange tea.

Japanese Green Tea Castella cake

I also like this particular snacks. Wasabi-flavoured honey cuttlefish twists, they were pretty addictive.

I am a fan of Diet Coke (to the horror of some of my friends) and there were a couple of Diet Coke in HK which I have never seen before.

I also like this beer that a friend introduced me too. Very light and smooth.

Special mention has to go to MUJI (sorry, no pics). Their food (snacks) section is real good. I particularly love their mini custard puffs (these seems to be very popular), chocolate covered cereals, white chocolate covered strawberries, cheese cake bars and yuzu-flavoured hard candies. All are surprisingly tasty for a re-packed food. They have tons of other stuffs as well.

Down on Energy...

2007-04-09T01:29:00.000+08:00

I ached.
I mean, my body ached. Or to be more precise, it feels like it's having a hard time staying in one piece.
I wasn't my usual self during Body Step and Body Pump. I was half-hearted and I had to "coerce" my body to jump higher and lift higher. It was as if there was a vacumn in my body and all the energy had been sucked out. I was even contemplating to cut short my gym session. But then, why am I still on the stepper?
Just tired.... Darn tired....Felt like I was coming down with something....
Or was I? Or just an excuse to skip gym?
Or was it the after effects from 2 nights before? A late night at Vintry followed by what was only 5 hours sleep which in turn made me cancelled my morning gym session and that was how I ended up going to the gym in the afternoon and joined Body Attack, Body Step plus a good 50 minutes worth of cardio-machine hours with nary a break in between? Gosh..., that's like at least 130 minutes of pure cardio work! And the fact that I have not had a break from gym for the past week or so (no, this is not the norm).

Maybe that's why...My body's way of telling me, enough is enough. Otherwise, I might just end up like the picture below

*Touch wood!

"Riding the Waves"

2007-04-04T00:09:00.000+08:00

What does the phrase "Riding the Waves" means? I am sure it has its own fair share of philosophical interpretations but for me, one good illustration of this phrase is....,

driving along the Federal Highway during/after a heavy downpour. *splish, splash!*(haha)

How to Make the Gym Less Boring

2007-04-03T10:38:00.000+08:00

Nick-naming - not a good habit, I know but it's fun and harmless as long as the person you secretly nick-named (and other gym-goers) are not aware of it.

What am I talking about? People at my gym. They are regulars at the gym that you see almost every week but do not know personally. Sometimes, an occassional nod or smile to acknowledge each other's presence (if he/she is not pretending that you are transparent). Then again, there are also some colourful characters among the regulars that kinda spice up the ambience at the gym. And I give these people nick-names (secretly).

Let me introduce you to two of them. There's this "Mr. Sexy Butt" a middle-age (upper age range) man that is always on the cross-trainer on my way to the ladies changing room and makes me mumble "oh my dear God, what could he be thinking" to myself each time I passed him. He loves to wear tight-fitting black top but what he loves even more is to wear tight-fighting black shorts so short that they barely covered his rather erm, "well-endowed buns". Sometimes they are so short that they ride up his "cheeks" and makes me gag whenever I see him (at which point the song "I am Too Sexy" will start playing in my head). One can be forgiven for thinking that this uncle is exercising in his underwear. That's "Mr. Sexy Butt" with his rather un-sexy habit.

Then there is a "Ms. Gym Freak" (aka Ms. Superhuman). Not kind I know, but that's what comes to mind whenever I see her. She's this superhuman machine that always seems as if she's going to work the stepper machine to death; think being in a sprinting race on the stepper (if she doesn't flood the gym with her sweat first). I always feel awed by the intensity of her workout whenever I see her. Petite with a rather "Lam Ah Chan" hairdo, very thin and bony (literally) body - she's quite a sight to behold. Nary to say, I don't think there's an ounce of fat on her so she's all"muscly" flesh covering bones or bones covering muscles or whatever... In short, she just comes across being truly scary to me. Maybe I should change her nick-name to Scary Girl instead.

Another one is "Ms. Showgirl", one very hot (but I suspect, not-so-young) babe. Each time I see her in the gym, she'll be in her super tight mid-riff baring tank top and tights (granted, she has quite a good bod), her long hair (rebonded of course) freely flowing and amazingly, with full make-up on. And not just any basic make-up, I am talking the "full monty" that reminds me of what one wears when one is preparing to go on-stage for a show (e.g., glittery eye make-up, black kohl, heavy mascara with what looks like sequins on false lashes). That's why I nick-named her "Ms. Showgirl".

Ok, I think I better stop now before you start thinking I am somekind of heartless 'b%&^*' (which I can assure you, I am not). But this nick-naming game sometimes help to create some fun at the gym and makes it less boring whenever one feels bored.

Hmmm...., now I wonder what others nick-named me at the gym....Maybe "Ms. @&*, The Terrible"? (hehe)

Why You Should Stop Drinking Green Tea and Start Drinking Coffee Instead

2007-03-28T10:45:00.000+08:00

My colleague gave me some Nescafe coffee to try this morning. She told me her hubby got it from Philippines. Aptly named as Nescafe Protect , it supposedly contains thrice (yes, you read this correctly!) the amount of anti-oxidant than green tea. Wow, sounds too good to be true, you think?

Sniffing at the coffee granules, I was rather disappointed. No nice and strong whiff of coffee beans (try sniffing at Nescafe Gold to see what I mean, or just walk into any coffee joint).
I made myself a cuppa and was pleasantly surprised that it tasted better than I expected. I was expecting a puny cup of black liquid disguised as coffee but surprisingly, it wasn't bad at all (although it was no jaw-dropping, awesome coffee, ok). Add the fact that 1 cup gives you 3X the amount of antioxidant compared to green tea, one better start downing this coffee - hehe.

Nescafe Protect protects you. Wow, a revolutionary revelation indeed..... ;-)

What On Earth Did They Do To Nescafe 3in1 RICH?

2007-03-28T10:31:00.000+08:00

Nescafe 3in1 undergone a revamp not too long ago. Packaging was changed and taste wise, was changed too (supposedly for a new and "improved" taste).

The new Nescafe 3in1

I do not know what they did to it but I couldn't taste any "improvement" in my favourite coffee premix, Nescafe 3in1 RICH. The new one has "this" scent to it which reminds me of the "Tongkat Ali Coffee Premix". Blech...! Not as good nor as rich as the old version although there's one "improvement" with the new version -it has fewer calories than the old one. *grin*

Give me back my old Nescafe3in1 RICH..............! boo..hoo...

Nescafe 3in1 (previous version)

PS: I tasted the new Nescafe 3in1 ORIGINAL and I really think that the "old" one was better too.

Shiok Saturday's Marathon

2007-03-26T00:04:00.000+08:00

Had another mini GX-class marathon on Saturday, last weekend. This time, I brought 2 friends as guests to The Curve. I used to "drop-by" The Curve on weekends occassionally. After all, it's nice to lounge around the mall after gym for some food and shopping. But then, traffic and parking over the festive holidays became unbearable and I just scrapped the habit altogether.

Anyway, we were there for RPM, BP and then BA. They looked like they enjoyed themselves although for awhile, they were slightly disoriented when the overly-enthusiastic members rushed into the studio for the popular BP class (but hey, isn't that part of this gym culture? *wink*) Kudos to them for finishing the classes though (2 classes for Ann and 2.75 for Danny - hehe).

But darn, why is the air-cond at the main studio so darn cold? Don't remember it being this cold before. And don't get me started on the water pressure in the showers. I was lucky I came out from the shower without blistering my skin from the cold/hot/bloody hot combination in the shower due to inconsistent water pressure.

Proceeded to Rojak Rojak for a cuppa after gym before heading home for family dinner. My SIL makes a mean popiah and boils a superbly good bird nest tonic. ;-)

Be Careful of What You Wished For, It Might Just Come True...

2007-03-25T23:51:00.000+08:00

I have been lamenting of the cardio machines at WC forever, particularly the stepper (which is also the only machine that I use since I just do not like the rest). They have been around since the club first opened its doors. Over the years and heavy usage (and probably mis-use too) by members (DISCLAIMER: I am totally innocent with the latter) and the fact that there are only 6 miserable steppers in WC, they became "creaky" and "cranky". Sometimes, they can be embarassingly noisy. Not only that, they are also "literally" real steppers. Step on one and you will feel yourself being "lowered step-by-step" as opposed to one smooth motion, all the way down. Other times, the machine just had a mind of its own when it refused to co-operate with the control panel. *sigh* I lost count of the number of times I complained this to the management and was promised that there will be replacements soon in return (yeah, right..., dream on...)

So imagine my surprise when I literally smelled new machines when I entered the gym at WC last week and further delight when I discovered that there are spanking new cardio machines (i.e., treadmills and steppers) in the gym. The treadmills are similar to the ones at newer branches such as Summit, MA and etc (yes, WC was that "backward") but the steppers are something else. They are of a newer breed never seen before in other branches. With an impressive control panel and build, it looked very "canggih" indeed!

Since I am a fan of steppers, I wasted no time in trying them out. That's when I regretted what I wished for.
Complaint #1: The control panel is just too complicated. I prefer the older version where you could either choose your exercise by the quickstart, manual or pre-set tracks option. This newer ones have just too many mind-baffling buttons and options. And no, I am not a technical idiot.
Complaint #2: The build of the machine. The newer machines are of bigger and more solid build. For the "vertically-challenged" me (yes, it pains me to admit this), I find it uncomfortable to exercise properly on the stepper. The upper hand rest is slightly too high for me to hold on comfortably whereas the lower hand rest is also slightly too wide for me. Purists would say that the best way to utilize the machines is not to use the hand-rest at all, but come on, is one really expected to do that throughout a 40-60 minute workout session on the stepper? Probably yeah, if you turn down the intensity to "tortoise-pace". I am a competitive person when I am on the stepper, the higher the intensity, the better....

So, gone are my old qualms but in its place, is my new rant. Sigh, I am not an easy person to please, I know, but only when it comes to this matter (seriously!). I guess I just have to adapt to the new machines (hopefully, my limbs would somehow magically grow longer - haha). In the meantime, I can't help but to prefer going to other clubs since they have "nicer" and "older" steppers. I wonder what the management would say if I approach them to complain about the new machines and demand for the older ones back??? *duck and hide*

Oh, the irony of life sometimes....