ATwentytwo13 article about Zeti Ariff, who completed a marathon while quarantined in her bedroom, was the source of inspiration for me to get off my bum.
On Wednesday, a group of friends and I, started a 30-day, three- to five-kilometre walk-run challenge. Best of all, Zeti is part of the group!
One reason for the group is to motivate each other by posting our workout results. Zeti continues to inspire as she easily completes 5km in around 30 minutes. However, most of us are struggling to break the 50-minute barrier.
I haven’t been doing much running, jogging, or walking since late last year. Somehow, this task seems more daunting, as I have to do 5km a day, for 30 days.
Initially, the plan was to complete 5km, but some could only commit to 3km due to work commitments.
The distance wasn’t the point. The important thing was to be active.
The first day was surprisingly easy, but I’m sure it will be more challenging as it goes on.
I have added to the challenge by attempting to complete 6km and reaching 10,000-12,000 steps each day.
For now, I and some others don’t plan to do outdoor runs due to the high number of Covid-19 cases. That may change later.
The trick to completing it indoors, I suppose, is having something good to watch on television.
I was lucky there was a Liverpool game on the telly on Thursday. It was one of the pre-season games that I had missed, and it made the walk easier.
The walking regime has also given me a chance to catch up on all the television shows I had recorded but haven’t had the time to watch – so that’s another bonus, besides getting fit!
Some prefer to listen to music, and those who run outdoors, enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.
It has been fun and challenging and has become a great bonding exercise for those in the group chat.
It’s crazy to think that all this happened because of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Zeti’s quest to complete a marathon in her bedroom.
POWER STRUGGLE CONTINUES AS MORE DIE FROM COVID-19
As the prime minister struggles to hold on to power, the nation has been powerless to stop Covid-19 deaths.
Yesterday, there were 277 new fatalities, but more worryingly, 96 of them were Brought-In-Dead (BID) – the highest in a single day.
In total, we now have 11,968 deaths, with 360 on Sunday, and 318 on Thursday. In the past week, there were 1,789 fatalities.
We also reached a record number of new cases, with 139,088, in the past seven days. That included 21,688 patients on Thursday – a record for a single day. In total, we have 1,363,683 infections.
The good news is that recoveries increased, with 117,508 patients cured of the coronavirus in the past week. Wednesday was the highest, with 17,973 cured, with 17,687 on Thursday, and 17,025, yesterday.
That makes it 1,110,528, or 81.44 per cent of patients cured.
Worldwide, there are now 206.4 million cases, with 4.35 million dead.
THE REASON WE HAVEN’T WON AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL
As soon as the Olympics ended last Sunday, this made its round on social media. I have to agree.
FAKE VACCINE CERTS
It may sound too crazy to be true, but unfortunately, it is. Unscrupulous parties are selling fake vaccine certificates, and it is happening all over the world.
In Malaysia, digital certificates are being sold at RM15 each.
Over in the United States, a growing number of colleges and universities require proof of vaccination, thereby sparking the mushrooming demand for fake certificates.
Another common complaint in the US that Malaysians can identify with is that the authentic certificates are of the wrong size – they are too large to be kept in wallets. So, I guess we Malaysians would have to rely on the MySejahtera mobile application, or the white card issued after getting our shots, to prove that we have been vaccinated.
HOW THOSE IN THE KLANG VALLEY FEEL
Here is another classic from social media, following the prime minister’s announcement of the loosening of SOPs for those vaccinated.
FOOTBALL’S BACK
The English Premier League is finally back. It will be an exciting season with Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United looking good for the title. There have been big money buys, but the biggest one, Harry Kane to City, has yet to happen.
LAYERS OF GOODNESS
If you’re craving some tasty lasagne, do consider Lazatnya Foodie Services – a home-based business specialising in Malaysian, Italian, and Western cuisine.
A friend, Eliza Mohamed, ordered one for me last week, and it was delicious.
JOHN PRINE’S ALIVE AND IN MALAYSIA
I got a shock last week when scrolling the internet and came across a story about Ahmad Ibrahim, aka Mat London, president of the Film Directors Association of Malaysia. At a glance, he looked like John Prine, my favourite singer-songwriter who succumbed to Covid-19 last year.
Anyway, here’s Prine, introduced by another legendary singer, Jerry Jeff Walker, with Picture Show.
Until next week, stay safe.
