Meet Johnny Low. Johnny has been a prominent member of MR25 and always been ever friendly to runners around him. His spontaneity and madness to engage khakis to join in his crazy running workouts is his distinct trademark. Let’s dive deeper and understand his motivations behind running!
How did you first started running?
From time to time, I felt a tingling session and a suspected minor cardiac arrest, deep down I knew I had to go for a medical checkup. After sometime, in year 2011, I went for my long overdue checkup and the doctor concluded my cholesterol level was high and suggested that I do some exercises. The main objective of exercising was to lower my cholesterol level within 6 months else, I will have to be a long term medication to keep my cholesterol level within control. The thought of being on long term medication scared me out and I was very determined to exercise regularly to lower my cholesterol level. Hence, that was when I started out running. I vividly remembered that my first 800m run along the fajar canal was awfully tiring and I even had issues completing it. Back then, I lacked sports knowledge and only knew that running would probably aid in lowering my cholesterol level. I ran so hard that I felt a surge of pressure that went through my arteries. Initial stage was tough but I was determined to continue doing loops along Fajar canal since my health was at stake. The fear of undergoing prolong medication was overwhelming and I knew I had to do something about it. 800m soon turned into 10km loops. I managed to shed off my excess weight and felt more confident about my physical and fitness condition. True enough, the cholesterol level dropped significantly after 6 months and medication control was not required. 
Which was your most memorable race?
It would be Jurong Lake Run in the year 2013. At that point, it was my first running race and I had zero expectations on the race. All I knew was that I had to run as fast as possible towards the finishing point. I put in my 100% effort into the 10km run and completed it with an approximate timing of 43min. Many of my running friends were amazed on my efforts considering that it was my first race event. Unknowingly, I managed to gain the attention of the experienced veteran runners as well. Though I did not secure a podium position, I was immensely pleased with my maiden race performance. For the subsequent Jurong Lake run in 2014, I managed a 40min timing at an age of 46 years old.
What was your proudest running achievement?
My proudest running achievement will be Standard Chartered Marathon 2015 and achieving 7th position in Singapore male veteran category. My timing was a sub 4 timing of approximately 3hr 26min. Never would I expect myself to achieve something like that especially when I started running at such a late stage. 
What’s your biggest obstacle that you faced during your running journey?
It would be my Achilles tendon injury that I experienced when I push myself too hard. This injury flares up from time to time and my race performance has been affectly significantly. Nonetheless, this did not stop me from running and I will continue to do so. Experimenting with different stretching techniques, I continue my training regime to keep my physical fitness level at a consistent level.
What is the one advice that you will give to beginner runners out there?
Start off jogging slowly instead of pushing yourself hard, listen to your body and record your initial running timing. From there on, try to improve your timing at each attempt. Starting off too quickly at the initial stage may demoralise you.