William Chong

In 2007, one of my goals for the year was to attain my much-delayed ATCL recital diploma for the violin. I made a conscious choice to reduce my final-year university workload in order to practice (lots). This culminated in a November public concert performance prior to a 30-minute assessed recital.

Here are two of the pieces – I’m sure you can spot the many nervous mistakes peppered throughout the performance!

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Cesar Franck – Allegretto poco mosso from Sonata in A

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Fritz Kreisler – Praeludium and Allegro

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“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” – Albert Einstein

Some people have asked me if I’ve got a target time for the 21km run. To be honest, my initial thoughts at the start of my training programme (i.e. months ago) was really just appreciating the opportunity to take part. I’d do my best, it’d be no problems, I’d raise a sizeable amount for the Heart Foundation, and catch up and train with friends through the week.

But that was before I read the back cover of Newstalk ZB radio presenter Kerre Woodham‘s marathon memoir.

Granted, she’s way more pro (having done full marathons and getting the media accolades for it) so perhaps it’s not a fair comparison. But her half-marathon results are around the 2-hour mark (2:03:41).

So let’s go for that!

Provided I can keep my pace between 5 and 6 minutes per kilometer, and not tail off horrendously in the second half of the November 2nd road adventure… I think it’s a realistic aim for my athletic ability.

So. Let’s. Beat. Kerre! (Or at least be motivated by her to some degree…)

Enjoy the return of the sun, everyone!

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I’m fundraising for the Heart Foundation of New Zealand. Check out my HeartRacer page.

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Week 7: Training Record

22.9.08 – Route – 25 min – 5:41am – 4.6 km Jog
23.9.08 – Route – 28 min – 5:40am – 5.03 km Jog
25.9.08 – Route – 40 min – 5:45am – 7.32 km “Tea” Run
27.9.08 – Route – 33 min – 3:35pm – 5.97 km Jog
28.9.08 – Route – 66 min – 6:52am – 11.78 km “Lee” Run

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It’s not long before we wind our clocks forward again and embrace Daylight Savings in New Zealand (Sunday 28th, 2am becomes 3am). Catching more sun will be excellent, and I’m glad that daylight savings will extend all the way out till April 2009. It also heralds the start of the summer orienteering season – which I’ll definitely be looking forward to taking part in again. 

I’ve been really enjoying my running these last few weeks – there’s a peace that can’t be spoken when you’re spending some quality time pacing around the neighbourhood, the spring air colouring your Pleasantville views.

To counter the immense time-wasting I find myself embroiled in all too often, I normally get onto listening through past sermons at HBC. Right now there’s a few unresolved technical issues with that… so I’ve been going through a couple of fiery Mars Hill sermons. I’ve come to realise that lightning-rod mentality aside, Mark Driscoll essentially preaches it like it is, and as lined up to his conservative Biblical exegesis as possible. But it’s good food, and I suspect my running times edge faster whenever this guy ramps up his rhetoric!

Regarding rhetoric, I have to learn to communicate better. I’m not quite there yet.

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Oh, and thanks Rewa! See you next year!

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MATAMATA, New Zealand – Team Philippi were crowned champions of the inaugural Shield Challenge during the 2008 Howick Baptist Church Family Camp. Held during 12–14th September at Totara Springs Christian Centre in Matamata, Philippi (Blue Team) edged out runners-up Galatia (Orange Team) by just 5 points after a weekend packed with powerful teaching, precious fellowship and lots of exciting activities and events.

The 2008 HBC camp saw over 100 people of all ages and backgrounds come together for a refreshing weekend building one another up in Christ. Pastor Craig Lloyd from Grace Bible Church in Brisbane, Australia crossed the ditch to share a 3-part series on God’s grace as evidenced in the life of Jacob (Gen 27-28). Members of HBC gained useful insights into this Old Testament character, learning lessons from his life still relevant today.

Outside of being invigorated by God’s Word, both kids and adults took part in the wide range of activities offered at Totara Springs. There was something for everyone, with activities including: go-carting, archery, rock-climbing, en-masse soccer and volleyball games, watching the All Blacks clinch the Bledisloe Cup, taking turns on the massive hydroslide and relaxing in the hot pools before bedtime! In addition, the team Shield Challenge gave HBC camp-goers the opportunity to show their “competitive” side, while still providing numerous opportunities to get to know one another better.

A highlight of the camp was “HBC’s Got Talent” – a variety show performance starring HBC members themselves, showcasing the wide range of talents and gifts in the church body. Notable acts included: Kelvin Lomberg’s rendition of Brooke Fraser’s “Hosanna” (with added finger percussion); a strongman challenge from youth pastoral intern Jono MacFarlane; comedy acts and parable re-enactments from the HBC kids; and our very own Psalm-singing duo, “Simon and Scarfunkel”!

Many thanks must go to the HBC camp organising committee: (Ray Scrivener, Geoffrey Downing, Simon Newbould & Calvyn Jonker), for making the event so memorable. Those that went were blessed to grow in the Lord and build each other up in Christian fellowship and unity.

(Some highlights from the most recent Howick Baptist church camp I went to – it was my first time at Totara Springs.)

Hope you’re all doing OK!

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It’s always great to run with someone else.

For a start, a training run passes by so much quicker when you’re chatting away down the footpath. The soreness and breathlessness seem muted when you’re engaging in friendly banter. You pace each other (provided the other guy’s not a professional marathon runner) and cover more ground.

And it’s also quite fun.

For all those who’ve decided to show their support by actually walking the talk and joining me in training – that’s awesome. I love you guys. Rather than pleasantries and rhetoric, you guys make it so much more rewarding by joining the fray, and doing something. No matter how little or how often I get to run with you, I’m happy because we get to spend a small portion of our lives in comradeship (so to speak).

So thanks!

This week I’ve ramped up the running a little to make up for last time. As you can see (below), each run steps up in time and length. One highlight was tracking along Eastern Beach on Tuesday, with the near-full harvest moon casting a pale limelight for each step I took under the clear night sky.

I think a realistic aim is to try to maintain my current pace which is between 5 and 6 minutes per kilometre, across the duration of the race. So far I’m tailing off a bit, especially past the hour mark into previously uncharted territory – I’ll look to working on that!

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I’m fundraising for the Heart Foundation of New Zealand. Check out my HeartRacer page.

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Week 6: Training Record

15.9.08 - Route - 23 min – 4:48pm – 4.02 km Jog
16.9.08 – Route - 35 min – 8:14pm – 5.95 km Jog
17.9.08 – Route - 43 min – 5:35am – 7.66 km “Tea” Run
19.9.08 – Route – 75 min – 8:47am – 12.39 km Run 

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Mm.

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It’s been a bit hectic this past week – unfortunately it meant one less run as a result. I had to apply some creative tactics (i.e. wake up super early) to fit in a few runs.

Nevertheless, this week’s training did include by far the most picturesque running route. I took advantage of a work trip to Sydney to savour the pavement-pressing experience, running past many a unique photo op along the way. You don’t always get many opportunities to do calf stretches in front of views of the Sydney Opera House and associated cityscape, so I’m very grateful.

Just as I’m grateful for the donations that keep trickling in! I believe that if just 5 more people helped out with $1 per km I lug my frame along come November 2, there’s a good chance of making the fundraising target!

I’ll leave this post with a picture of a group of people struggling with a fitness “boot camp” – their instructor barked out orders for pushups, rope pulling, jogging and so on! The Botanical Gardens I ran through was definitely a hive of fitness-related activity! Swiss balls, practice cones, shuttle runs, pilates sessions, stair climbing…

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Want to help but haven’t yet? Help me reach the fundraising target by clicking through to my HeartRacer page!

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Week 5: Training Record

9.9.08 – Route – 34 min – Jog
11.9.08 – Route – 34 min – 5:11am – Jog
12.9.08 – Route – 30 min – 6:13am – 5.16 km Sydney run

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Am at Sydney International furiously tapping something brief out, just before boarding call. It’s been a hectic two days and I’m on about 5 to 6 hours of sleep at the moment. The plus side is that I’ve been getting intense training to improve my writing. Discussing run-on sentences, pronoun errors, appropriate apostrophe use, writers block, the inverted pyramid, ad so on.

The minus side is that I’m tired and full-on church camp is tomorrow.

Nevertheless, I got the chance to ugly-run around the Sydney Botanical Gardens; catch the morning harbour breeze; pace fruitlessly through the tiled mezzanine layers of QVB’s toy shops; gaze slowly at the Apple store facade (mmm… candy); and eat happy Sydney food.

Happy.

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After about 2 days’ worth of tinkering, the new layout of the site is complete! As you can no doubt tell, there’s been a colour change (a few people mentioned that grey on black was a bit hard to read), and less clutter. I had to modify a few things because admittedly I wasn’t too keen on bright yellow and black, and a big sunflower to grace the top of the page! So I changed all that too.

If you’re curious, the banner picture was taken at one of the entrances to 90 Mile Beach, on New Year’s Eve in 2007. I remember admiring the utmost simplicity of the scenery at the time, so i thought it would be a good match for my (hopefully) “clutter-free” layout.

I’ve got a pretty busy week lined up – flying to Sydney for two days on a work trip, and then driving down to Matamata midway into the church camp to join in the festivities! Next week is more scheduling and balancing, with a dinner, teaching, baptism service (my sister is getting water baptised!), worship band, work and of course, marathon training.

It’s all good, everything’s under control.

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Hope you’re all doing well as the inclement spring weather introduces itself!

I put in some pretty good runs this week. The durations start gradually extending and I start building in the distances, as per the training programme.

Did my first night run on Tuesday…

… and there’s not too much that beats being in your own space running towards old Howick under a clear night sky, amber hues cast from various electrical monoliths that one takes in their running strides, those veritable progress markers.

And then there’s the dawn run (Thursday), where you bounce along the Eastern Beach esplanade as if the waves and the sand wake up to your footsteps – “and though the clouds may hide the sun”, on Thursday morning it peeked through just in time to usher in the working day.

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Oh well. Maybe next time.

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