This weekend, I did what I had never done before and I have done many things in my life. I have spoken in public on many occasions, at events, giving lectures and corporate training sessions, in front of a sizeable audience. I have also conducted fitness coaching, in private. But I have never led a fitness class or led a warm up session for an event with close to 600 participants. My friend, Jeremy Khoo, had invited me to lead the warm up session for the Urgent Run 2016.
The World Toilet Organization organised the Urgent Run to raise awareness of the global sanitation challenge. It is a call for urgent action to end the sanitation crisis.
On another cool drizzly morning, which, at this time of the year, we are accustomed to, 600 or so, supporters of the cause gathered at East Coast Park to help call for this urgently needed action.
I lead the gathered through my dynamic warm up routine, which my trainees are familiar with. 5 simple exercises that mimic the motions a runner would perform during a run. Enrico accompanied me, lending a lunge and a twist to help demonstrate the movements.
the crowd performing the side hinge
We had fun. Enrico in his mizuno.
Although having spoken in public and conducted private personal training on countless occasions, combining the two was a new one for me. I had fears that I would mess up. To speak in public, your mind and your mouth has to be in sync but to lead a fitness class, your mind, your mouth, your hands, your legs in fact every part of your body has to be in sync. It is not just hand, eye coordination and proprioception that I had to keep in sync. It was balancing all those and keeping mind and mouth in sync. So the fear of a public malfunction was real. I salute those aerobic, Zumba and dance Instructors.
So, realising the pitfalls, I fell back on what I know. I knew that training and rehearsals would take out the unknowns and having taken out the unknowns we can then be more comfortable and confident with what we are about to do. I am sure that the elite aerobic, Zumba and dance Instructors trained and rehearsed.
Thankfully all went well, though my attempt at a corny ‘motion’ joke did not squat too well with some in the audience. There I go again.
The highlight was to see a Champion among the crowd, a Singapore Olympian Pioneer, C Kunalan, performing my workout. Awestruck I sought him out together with Enrico for a chat and wefie after the event. I would certainly like to pick his brains for insights on training and life. For what he has achieved and the way he speaks and carries himself now, Kunalan is such an inspiration to me.
The man! Champion
To help Jeremy promote the event, I organised two teams to take part in the event. One team, LT27 Kakis was made up of friends from NUS, members of the Science Club and another team was made up of my army mates. For many in these 2 teams, this run event was their first. And they tell me they enjoyed the run. Many more to come I hope. Kudos to;
Sharon, who completed her 5km, come running with me
Clara, do consider the half marathon,
Grace, Gabe, Raymond and Clarence, well done
Azhar, for completing the 5km in 40 minutes, he now needs to review his running goal
Daud and Norshad, good job, next time we try to go 40 minutes.
Daud & Norshad at the finish
Raymond
3 things I learnt this weekend were;
1. We should always be interested and inspired to do new things, to step out of our comfort zone. For stepping out of our ordinary we become extraordinary.
2. In times of doubt, rehearse.
3. We all need to be inspired whether by an extraordinary person, deed or event. I met an inspiration this weekend. His name is Kunalan.