2025 Wrap Up!

I know. It is already October and I am only just writing a 2025 wrap up post. I actually just remembered that I have a blog, and I suddenly felt the urge to write something. So here I am, digging through a year that happened almost a year ago, trying to remember what I actually did.

If I had to summarise my 2025 in words, I would say it was a positive and disciplined year for me. Some of the details are a bit fuzzy now, so I am scrolling through my phone's photo gallery as I write this to see if I can piece everything back together.

First Quarter

• To kick off the year, I spent the night at my parents’ place as we welcomed the New Year together. Kevin had to work on New Year’s Eve, so he stayed home.
• Kevin and I celebrated our 12 years together in January and 4 years of being married in March.

Second Quarter

• 6th April marked one year of my journey towards a healthier lifestyle. I had lost a total of 16kg! But more than the weight loss, I was so proud of myself for doing it without taking any shortcuts. This journey also helped me build discipline. I tracked my calories, made better food choices, did strength training, and ran a lot (I was so addicted to the runner's high).
• Kevin and I registered for two half marathon races this year: the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon in October and the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in December.
• I ran my first race of the year, a 10km race at the 2XU Run, and improved my 10k PR to 1:16! It was also Kevin's birthday race.
• A few days later, Kevin and I travelled to China for his birthday trip. We visited Beijing and Shanghai. I really enjoyed this trip because I think it was the first time I could walk 25,000 steps a day without feeling tired. I was at the peak of my training during this period, and it really paid off during our trip. We were able to explore the Great Wall of China, and I honestly didn’t even break a sweat! It was such a good feeling.
• Of course, Kevin and I had to run while we were in China. We ran at Olympic Forest Park in Beijing and along The Bund in Shanghai.
• In May, my friend Caroline visited from Australia. We did a lot of hawker centre-hopping to satisfy her cravings for Asian food, and we also watched The Phantom of the Opera (my first time watching a musical!)
• Just a week after Caroline’s visit, I hijacked her business trip to Taiwan and flew there for the weekend. It was our first time travelling together, and we had so much fun. I even convinced her to run with me at Tamsui Riverside Park. I will really take every opportunity to run. Haha!
• In June, I officially started my training block for my two half-marathons. I hired a coach because I was nervous that I would not be able to finish them if I trained on my own. I needed proper guidance because 21km felt so overwhelming to me.
• I turned 33 this year. Since my and Kate's birthdays are just a few days away, we decided to celebrate by doing a BBQ party at East Coast Park.

Third Quarter

• Nothing really significant happened this quarter, I was mostly just training my ass off before and after work and on weekends, trying my best to stick to my training plan. I was running almost every day!
• I ran 18 km for the first time, which was the longest run in my training block before my first half-marathon.

Fourth Quarter

• On the first weekend of October, we flew to Kuala Lumpur for our first half-marathon. I remember feeling so nervous, and I think I barely slept the night before the race. Thankfully, I finished the race, and I think I did pretty well! I was targeting a finish time of 2:40, but my official time was 2:55. Not bad for a first-timer, right?
• My family and I travelled to Japan. We visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka, and it was my family’s first time in Japan. I planned the whole trip, so it was definitely a tiring one as I tried to maximise our days there. But I think my family really enjoyed the trip. My parents, especially, loved Japan so much that they’re travelling there again this year.
• Our lease was ending that year, so we started looking for a new place. We found a flat in a good location and went to view it. It was our first flat and our first viewing, and we signed the new lease immediately! I’m sitting in that same flat typing this now, and I absolutely love our new place.
• Kevin and I ran our second half-marathon of the year, and we were joined by our friends Jace and Tin, who flew in from Manila. I was so busy this quarter that I barely trained. I finished the race, but my time was pathetic. Hahaha!
• To prepare for our move, Kevin and I started decluttering our place. My God, we had so much stuff. Hahaha.
• On 29th December, Kevin and I move into our new flat at Holland Avenue. 

And that’s how my 2025 went. Yes, it was a lot of running! 😂 See you again next year!