“I was near 90kg then and had to slim down …” – An interview with endurance runner Terence Chiew

By Les Tan/Red Sports

the north face 100

Terence Chiew, 34, will be running in the upcoming North Face 100. (Photo courtesy of Shawn Balakrishnan)

A desire to lose weight for health reasons nine years ago set Terence Chiew, 34, on the path of endurance running. Since then, he’s done many races, including a 333km race in Morocco in December 2009. Terence is one of 35 athletes slated to run 100km in the North Face 100 on October 9th. We catch up with Terence on what motivates him about endurance running.

Red Sports: When did you start running endurance events?
Terence Chiew: The journey into endurance races started as a weight management program in 2001. I was near 90kg then and had to slim down for health reasons. My first race was the 10km Singapore Bay Run organised by the Army. It went on to half-marathons, marathons, biathlons, triathlons, Ironman races and trail/desert racing.

What is it about endurance events that you enjoy?
Endurance races challenges the mind. It is not only about going fast, it is about the ability to tame the weak mind and overcome our own mental limits. The feeling of reinventing the understanding of ourselves after everyone of these ultra races has always been an uplifting experience.

What made you take up trail running?
The multiple challenges it present to the participants. For the usual running races, the main focus is on physical abilities but trail running requires agility and sometimes even orientation skills in certain races. An example is the Trans 333 desert race which I went for last year. It was a single stage race requiring participants to choose and plot their own routes between checkpoints. The inclusion of sleep time and eat time makes the race even more demanding and strategic.

What is your training regime for the upcoming race?
I have two main training modes for the long distance trail races – long runs and climbs.

I embarked on long overnight runs occasionally reaching 50-60km. The overnight runs trained my focus and ability to combat fatigue. The other aspect is climbing. As trail races requires substantial amount of climbing, I train in this aspect by climbing 40 storey blocks about 8-10 times per session. I usually perform this workout once every week.

What events did you take part in before this race?
As mentioned earlier, I went for the Trans 333, a 333km desert race in Morocco last December. Prior to that, I participated in the North Face 100km duo with my wife.

What races are you planning for after this one?
I will be participating in the Trans 555, a 600km race in Egypt this November. This is a single stage race as well and requires the utmost mental and physical readiness. I will be the first Singaporean to complete this race, if successful.

Runners (The North Face 100 – Solo 100km Category)
1. Guy Baber (United Kingdom)
2. Andre Blumberg (Germany)
3. Reuben Cheang (Singapore)
4. Terence Chiew (Singapore)
5. Jeri Collett (Singapore)
6. Katja Fink (Switzerland)
7. Tobias Frenz (Germany)
8. Stu Gibson (Australia)
9. Alexander Harkess (South Africa)
10. Ho Ping Kun (Hong Kong)
11. Leow Kah Shin (Singapore)
12. Lew Buang Keng (Singapore)
13. Lim Thong (Singapore)
14. Low Poh Boon (Singapore)
15. Lua Choon Huat (Singapore)
16. Virgilio Madrid (United States)
17. Chris Mak (Hong Kong)
18. Brendan Mason (Australia)
19. Hisao Nishiwaki (Japan)
20. Andy North (United Kingdom)
21. Quek Wee Tong (Singapore)
22. Sam Renouf (United Kingdom)
23. Seah Hong Soon (Singapore)
24. Christian Stauffer (Switzerland)
25. Rahmat Sulaiman (Singapore)
26. Sean Tan Say Huat (Singapore)
27. Paulina Nadia Tanoto (Singapore)
28. Kosaku Terada (Japan)
29. Wee Teck Hian (Singapore)
30. Hisao Yamanaka (Japan)
31. Yeo Joon Kiat (Singapore)
32. Steven Yip (Malaysia)
33. Yong Yuen Cheng (Singapore)
34. Muhammad Sallehan Zainuddin (Singapore)
35. Huiji Zhang (China)