Barring any injuries, a sub-4hrs finish will definitely be my target next year. I will have to work even harder to achieve this target.

Congrats to all runners who had finished the race, see you next year! Let’s get the party started!

This year’s full marathon race route was very similar to last year, except for some minor changes along the route. The initial 5km was not a pleasant run at all, what with the throngs of runners squeezing into some narrow roads and literally running into tight corners inside the CDB area. Another sore point besides that was at the half and full-marathon merging point, which got lots of complains last year for the “human-wall”, which impeded running, was the same as last year. It was disappointing that there was no improvement made there.

This being my third full marathon run, I was much better prepared than the first two, and I went with a target in mind – to better my marathon personal best. Now let me share with you some pictures of the carnival at the end-point.

That was me posing with my hard-earned finisher tee at the “Run For A Reason” wall.

Combining Balinese cultural ambience with African Savannah, Bali Safari and Marine Park is home to hundreds of amazing animals representing more than 50 species, including some rare and endangered species. The park, which features the Sumatran elephants, Sumatran tigers, white tigers, leopards, komodo dragons and cheetahs, is officially designated as a wildlife conservation park, dedicated towards preserving endangered species through education and research programs coordinating with other zoological institutions around the world.

Hopped onto the safari bus and went for a 30-minute safari tour where some animals came right up to us, even the lions and tigers!

After the close encounter with the wild, we wrapped up the hot day by cooling off the heat in the waterpark.

As a result, we catered for, and spent an entire day at a water park called WaterBom Bali. With 22 exciting water slides that slice through 3.8 hectares of landscaped tropical parks providing hours of fun and entertainment for the young and the young at heart! It is the perfect water themed park for the whole family!

A rather non-descript entrance opens up to a world of exciting and fun-filled water activities set amid a lush tropical garden.

There are 22 exciting rides that cater to different thrill-level. Very popular rides that have long queue are “Climax”, “Boomerang”, and “Superbowl”.

If thrilling rides and slides are not your cup of tea, you can choose to while your afternoon away in the lazy river, constructed and decorated to make visitors feel like we are meandering through an amazonian river!

For wholesome family fun, WaterBom Bali is a very good attraction to spend a fun-filled day.

Totally unaware that Bangkok would eventually be inundated by the great flood, booking of air tickets to Bangkok, Thailand, was done in early September. As the situation got worse in late October-early November, a “window” was opened to change our travel destination. Bali was a no-brainer and our eventual choice. We have never been to Bali, so we were looking forward to this trip.

The island of Bali consists of too many exciting spots for us to explore with just 4 days in Bali (23 – 26 Nov). For this trip, we stayed in Kuta region, an area famous for its long sandy beach and great surf. The tropical weather made sure we had a scorching time during our stay.

4 weeks to go till the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011 comes around, it will be my 3rd marathon race. I’ve been training progressively but having done my last race in early September, one concern is the ability to keep my race sharpness intact.

The reason I run is to better my marathon PB, I am not sure if I can achieve it but I’m aiming for a sub-4 hr race this year. We each have a reason to run, so what’s yours?

In the month of October, I’ve been caught pointing my iPhone towards the sky one time too many, and here’s sharing some of them with you:

TIME in association with HBO presents the story of the 9/11 decade in the words of those who led us, moved us, and inspire us. See the faces and hear the stories of survivors, first responders, and others as they reflect on the events of 9/11 a decade later.

I’m very happy to score a PB in this race, and my next challenge will be to do a sub 1h 40m over the same distance.