Jogging at East Cost Beach

 After 4 years of lapse, I took the opportunity to jog at the East Coast Beach yesterday morning. Surprising, it was very crowded, just like those days before the COVID-19 happened.

I parked at the car-park B which is a free-parking area with bathing facilities. NPark has upgraded the toilet and bathing facility and it is now very new and clean as compared to 4 years ago, where the bathing facility is at the open spaces. Now, it is enclosed for privacy as you shower.

Across the East Coast Expressway, you could see many nice condominiums along Fort Road.

I jogged from Car-Park B to Bedok Jetty. The route was relatively flat and see to jog as compared to my regular route in Pasir Ris, Here the cyclists are separated from the joggers and much safer. It's nice to see many joggers today. There were also many walkers around. 

The weather was superb and there were many people fishing at the Bedok Jetty.

Due to my excitement of coming back to East Coast Beach, started with quite a fast pace and so could not completed my intended distance of 15km. In order to avoid injury, I decided to stop jogging at the 13km mark.

I will come back to East Coast Beach sometime again and more regular. Meanwhile, I will plan to go elsewhere around Singapore....

 

Beware of chokes in your life

 Finally, we called the plumbers to clear the choke of our kitchen sink!

The Choke

Well, the kitchen sink was choked for a whole week. It’s perhaps the most frequently used area where we cook and do all the washing of dishes and utensils.

sink is choked

It didn’t happen overnight though. It just got worse overtime. The water-flow just get slower and slower. Initially, we improvised to solve the flowing problem with the help of a pump. This helps … but only to a certain degree. After a few more weeks, the choke set in and the pump could no longer do the job of making the water to flow down into the pipe.

Pump to clear the sink

As it was the Chinese New Year holiday period, we had to use a pail to collect the waste water and clear it whenever it’s full. Still, the sink could no longer served it usefulness.

Life is also full of chokes and cluttered rubbish. We listen to unhealthy music, watch destructive videos and saturated our reading with hurtful and self-centred comments and social media. After sometime, the minds sway and wander into worldly lifestyle. The voices of God could no longer be heard. The Bible that we read just don’t excite and illuminate our hearts anymore. Slowly, the choke of our hearts and minds set in and the Spirit could not flow in our lives anymore. Left unchecked, we drifted away spiritually and into worldliness. Until the time when pain and suffering, like a serious illness, bankruptcy, or a broken relationship happen to us would then make us decide to call in “the plumber” to fix our lives and bring us back to God.

No wonder many of us just could not experience what Jesus said in John 9:37,38:

“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declares ‘Rivers of living water will flow from the heart.’ “

We, who are Christians have come and drink from Him, Jesus Christ. Yet, most often we failed to experience that Rivers of living water flowing from our heart. The Spirit does not seem to lead our lives. We are still living in our old selfish ways. Nothing has changed in us after drinking / accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Why so? Because our lives are choke with many unpleasant worldly concerns – financial needs, health issues, relationship strain, etc. Or cluttered with many sinful habits and worldly pleasures. The Spirit just could not do HIS work in us to transform us into what God want us to be – holy (1Peter 1:15,16), & be a workmanship for God (Ephesians 2:10).

The Plumber

And so the plumbers came and also with their tools – a long flexible steel rope with a piercing head attach to a motor drilling through the flow of the pipe to clear away all the hard oily mud that stuck and obstruct the flow of the water. A tedious work indeed.  After more than an hour and many pails of water to flush through the sink, finally, the water flow through the sink and into the pipe and drain smoothly. Every obstructions were removed.

How about you spiritually? Is the Spirit flowing from your heart? Has God’s voice seem so muted? Has anything choked your life that the flow of the Spirit seem so impeded? Maybe you should call in the Spiritual Plumber also?

How? Start by calling … praying. Tell Him your problems. No one is listening other than God.

Then by reading … reading the Bible. Try Matthew 11:28-30.

 

Keep reading, and thinking, reflecting, meditating …

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light”

Agape

Motivation & Discipline

After more than 4 years, I finally break the barrier and ran a distance of 13km last Saturday morning! And the timing was very good as compared to those time when I ran that kind of distance.

Looking back on the past, I have received remarks like “you are wasting your time jogging. Better to go and sleep”. “Jogging is a boring activity”. So what keeps me going and enjoying it in fact? Where does my motivation come from?

My Motivation to jog

The number one motivation is that I have seen some very old people who are still very fit and healthy. I want to be like them. I have also known a few relatives who are in their 70’s and already lose their mobility. That is a stern reminder to be able to jog and run. Also, by being healthy and mobile, I won’t be a burden to my family but instead I can serve and do house chore for them.

Jogging also enable me to go to places less accessible by most people. I use to jog inside the Mandai forest, the MacRitche Reservoir trail, the Changi Coastal track. Some of these places are not passable by bike. It’s only by walking or jogging. So, if you like adventure into the forest, jogging is the best approach. I can cover more areas and leave the place before dark. I remember many years ago, I almost could not get out of the forest in time after sunset. Once it is pitch dark, it is difficult to get out of the forest. Of course, not many Singaporeans know about danger inside the Mandai forest as they have never try to get inside it. I have always wanted to jog there again. May be one of these days …

Jogging Needs Discipline

Jogging is a very boring activity. Long distance jogging is very lonely. So what keeps me going?

Truth be told, there are 5 stages of a runner.

#1 The Beginner

#2 The Jogger

#3 The Competitor

#4 The Athlete

#5 The Runner

 

Most people who are not jogging now are the one who have never break past “the beginner”. Beginner needs the most discipline. The body will discourage you to go for a jog. Most succumb to it and never pick up the discipline to jog or run. But once you move past this stage, the discipline of going for a run just come naturally. That’s when you enter into the second stage – The Jogger. The jogger’s runs are satisfying in themselves. There is almost a “glow” at the end of the run, the reward for the effort. If you understand what I mean, you have become a jogger. If not, then keep jogging until you understand this.

Occasionally, I turn myself into the Competitor (stage 3). This is where I try to out beat myself.

Today, I ran a good run. A short 5km. I could go faster but have to be careful of injury.

My Athlete days are over. Those were the times when I ran for medals and trophies. - Earthly Treasures that rust and were throw away :(

Above all, if running is part of your lifestyle just like eating and sleeping, then you have reach the last stage – the Runner. For me, whenever I am happy, I go for a run. Whenever I am sad, I go for a run to make myself happy again. I am most happy when I am running.

But as one ages, jogging is still enjoying. The pace may slow down though.

How about you? Hope to meet you when you are jogging .... Keep going!

Agape