Race Report: KL City Day Run

I signed up for last Sunday’s KL City Day Run despite knowing that I will suffer on the difficult course. To trace back to the last time I ran that route you’ll have to go back to 2005. Psychological reasons or otherwise, I’ve never broken 60 minutes on this challenging course, the closest I came to that barrier was a few seconds after an hour. This made the 56:50 I ran yesterday all the more surprising.

By the time I reached the car park behind the court building at 6:30am, all that was left was a single parking lot. Since I intended this as a social run, I didn’t spend any time warming up. I even had doubts whether I could run all the way and so adopted the “take-it-as-it-comes” approach. My only plan is to run lightly and stay relaxed, in breathing and in form. After I joined the other males in the ritual of discharging our bodily fluids into the Klang River, I felt that my left abdomen tightening up. The banks of the river wasn’t a nice place to be on race day morning. Lots of territorial marking by the males.

Flag off was on time. My form was fine from the start. I kept this up right to the killer climb at Jalan Duta. Then I started questioning my sanity and intelligence. Not only had I repeatedly fared badly over this course when I was younger, but now I was completely unconditioned and . At the 7^th K, my arm swing, indeed, my whole body movement, went from relaxed to uncontrollable with arms flailing like a drowning person to the tail rotor of a helicopter. I felt a burning sensation in the rapidly warming air and my lips were parched.

There were still some distance to go after the Parliament stretch but at least it was all either downhill or flat, so I increased the churning of my rotor-arms and purged everything from my mind. Just think of the finish line, I told myself. When I got into the finishing chute, I was surprised that the FTAAA officials didn’t set their bib check and result tabulation way beyond the finish gate. Thus a queue had already formed even before we crossed the line. The FTAAA ought to set themselves further back after the gate so that the runners run past the finish line. I had my second surprise when I saw that my position was 189. Even more surprising was that I was given a finisher’s medal. Yes, I’m aware the top-300 finishers in my category will get medals but then you’ll never know about local races…

Before I left Dataran Merdeka to pick my wife up at the office, I spent some time catching up with friends. The day turned out rather productive – all the chores and week’s marketing was accomplished rather quickly since C1 and C2 were out at the mall with their Uncle and Grandma.

Malakoff 12K Race Report

I would've been contented to call my NYCM the final race of the year but then I found myself in Putrajaya for the insanely masochistic 12- Hour walk and a week later at the Malakoff 12K. What gives? I just wanted to have a bit of fun I guess. Training had withered down to just weekend runs, so it definitely wasn't for want of fast times that I entered myself for both events. I'm grateful for Lawrence's help in submitting my entry, along with Geraldine's.


It was to be a very hectic race eve for me. After a reversed double hill run in the morning and a shorter slow one with the RunnersMalaysia guys, I had to rush to the Imbi Market for some meat - literally I had to bring home the bacon! There would be no rest as the next stop was the Taman Rimba at TTDI to meet Lawrence and pick up the race bib. I quite like the park and the residents in the adjacent townhouses must be very fortunate to be living right next to a green lung. Collection was promptly conducted enough and quite a few friends were there for their bibs too. The only freebies in the bag were a small sample tube of Nivea facial cleanser besides the overlarge vest. Breathright strips samples were handed out too.


When I got home, the entire household with the exception of C1 and C2, was busy repainting the grilles. Tired as I was, I couldn't just do nothing, so after getting the vacuuming and mopping out of the way, I took care of the metal works upstairs while the rest handled the ground floor. Lunch at about 2:30pm was pasta with mushroom and herbs, an omelet, and a thick slice of bread. All I managed was a 30-minute nap before waking up to get the kids ready for Cheang’s Christmas party. The heavens opened up with a heavy downpour so the short drive to USJ was cautiously slow. The spread laid out at Cheang’s abode was fantastic, all home-cooked. I commented that the host should seriously consider opening up and eatery right next to Choi’s shoe shop with creative menus like “Hit-The-Wall” Value Meal or “Carb Craze” Set. Thanks to Cheang for inviting us to his wonderful home.


We hit the sack at 11:30pm and after a 5-hour plus sleep my alarm went off. A slice of bread, half a Powerbar and cup of black coffee later I left home to pick up Geraldine. Fortunately I made plans to pick her up, which allowed for my 2nd toilet visit. I’d been holding it since I left my place. Somehow my stomach is increasingly not coping well with pre-run black coffee. There was still space at the Kiara car park where I left the car. While walking to the Rimba park, we chatted with Daniel who was doing his warm-up routine and a few others. Frank and our other friends were already near the starting line. The area was very narrow which made for a very long queue up to the start. I was in no shape to race hard and just wanted to ride out this event as the final one for the year. Having a narrow, twisty and hilly route made certain that I didn’t over-extend my capabilities. Nevertheless I still wanted to run an honest pace and not go through the 12K route too easily.


It took me about 3 minutes to cross the start line and most of us were still bunched together. As expected runners started to spread out at the first long and steep climb. I was on a steady pace and even so I passed more runners than being overtook. Many who underestimated the effects of the hills would pay for it during the second lap. I skipped the water station located near the switchback and arrived back at the park entrance in about 25 minutes. Choi in his “racing” wheels were on this occasion snapping photos along with Tey. But the second ascend up the first hill was horribly painful. I was just shuffling along just to get to the top and I was half expecting the quads and calves to snap! Luckily I was able to recover on the flatter and downhill stretches and resumed at a quicker pace. Only the green surroundings and relaxed manner with which some faster runners were taking the run alleviate the level of suffering. John and Wai Mun were for example, running in Christmas mode distributing candies and mini choc bars while Ngae ran in a sarong accompanying a friend.


With 2K to go I went into a reckless abandon mode. I was just focusing on not tripping on my churning legs. Lynn and Frank were already by the finish when I crossed the line in 59:17. The distance was a little short at 11.17K. They had run a blistering race. Just after returning the timing chip I bumped into Chui Lin, my colleague, who did the 6K. Even though she ran in her school days, it was a pleasant surprise to see her back at it, even though at a recreational level. We went to the same Sunday School back in Penang. It was great catching up with fellow runners over a bowl of nourishing Tau Foo Fah – I rank this dessert up there with milkshake as the ultimate post-race food. A little while later it was time to make our way home for our other commitments.

Storming to the finish. Photo courtesy of Choi





With Justin, Geraldine and Lawrence. Photo courtesy of Choi

Even though the race was tough, it was a thoroughly enjoyable outing for me. The race was small enough to be cozy, surroundings were green (even if we didn’t get to run on the highways and tunnel) and there couldn’t have been a better way to start the day. Not to mention a nice race to end the year with too.

1st Putrajaya International 12-Hour Walk Race Report

Participating in this year’s event wasn’t part of the plans, having done 2 in the preceding years. The clincher, however, was that the venue was moved from Penang to Putrajaya. Deciding between a 4-hour drive to my homestate and a 15-minute one is a no-brainer. I save on fuel, time and money and along with the nagging unfinished business of trying to hit 60K in 12 hours made me put my John Hancock on the form.

After a 30-minute afternoon nap, I rendezvoused with Frank and the other guys at Bandar Puteri Puchong for an early dinner of noodles and caffeine. We were running a little late as our cars pulled into the car park adjacent to the event site. There seemed to be more younger folks this year and a nice crowd of approximately 500 if the organizers were correct

Number pickup was quickly done and we each received a nicely stocked environmentally friendly goodie bag courtesy of Genting group. Putrajaya is a nice place to hold events needing ample space and the wide divider stretch between the avenues made for an ideal area for the cooking, information, control and rest locations. There were tents set up for these purposes. On one side were some camping tents erected by supporters and on the other, 6 mobile toilets.

I spotted many familiar and regular faces as I joined the gang in gearing up for the start. I made sure I lubed liberally in all the potential trouble spots, and checked that my salt packs and iPod were kept in a plastic bag inside a clip holster. On top of that I carried a Powerbar Triple Threat to munch. Weather was cool and a gentle breeze was blowing. The race director led the participants in a Birthday Song for one of the walkers before starting us off at 8pm sharp for the long long walk. I hung out with Choi and Frank right at the back as there was no hurry. First lap was covered in excess of ten and half minutes.

For the full report, please click this link.

Nike+ Human Race 10K - Singapore

Go global
Nike Sales Malaysia's invitation to participate in the Singapore leg of the Human Race was too good to turn down especially when the city state was the only South East Asia venue to host this global event. Trust it to the sports marketing giant to put on a superb show, uniting 25 cities, celebrity runners and iconic athletes, and not to forget one million runners together for the benefit of 3 charitable organizations (20% of the registration fees go to the runner's charity of choice). For this to work, Nike latched on to the power of the Internet, weaving the event promotion, registration, and training into their Nike+ portal. This allows participants to set up virtual challenges and log their training. Those who couldn't make it to the appointed venues could also run the race virtually. The choice of date was significant since it's to take place on Malaysia's Independence Day - 31.8.2008. Each registrant has their own selection of beneficiary for personal reasons and believing that children are indeed our future, my choice was ninemillion.org.

About the charities

Ninemillion.org
The ninemillion.org campaign was created in 2006 by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in partnership with Nike and Microsoft. The goal of the campaign is to give more than nine million children better access to education, sport and technology by 2010. The ninemillion.org website exists to raise funds, but also to give voice to those who often go unheard, allowing visitors to see pictures of the camps where children pass much of their lives, read refugee children's stories and understand what refugee children's lives are like.

Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation - LAF - was founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. The LAF is a nonprofit organization located in Austin, Texas focusing on providing practical information and tools people with cancer need to live life on their own terms. LAF's agenda include Prevention, Access to screening and care, Improvement of the quality of life for cancer survivors and Investment in research.

World Wildlife Fund
WWF was born into this world in 1961. Since those early days WWF has grown up to be one of the largest environmental organizations in the world. Currently there are more than 1300 WWF conservation projects underway around the world. Almost all WWF's work involves partnerships with local non-profit agencies and other global NGOs.

A scare
My participation, however, was nearly derailed by the muscle strain I picked up just 3 days before race day. Luckily I recovered enough to make the trip down, even though I was a little stoned by the muscle relaxants! Everything had been arranged by Nike from our flight and hotel stay to race pack collection, and thanks to Frank who helped pick up the flight tickets, all I needed to do was to be at the KLIA on Saturday morning. I was the first to arrive and soon enough I was joined by Frank and Pueh Tian. We killed time at McDonald's while waiting for the boarding time. Only at the waiting lounge did we linked up with Niki Cheong from The Star and Richard Augustin from the TimeOut KL magazine.

Our ride in the tiny 737 was pretty bumpy and there were so much thick clouds that I knew it would be a wet weekend. We cleared customs very quickly and before long reached the Gallery Hotel soon enough. There were many banners promoting Sunday's race from the ECP stretch all the way into the CBD area and the results show - due to the level of awareness generated, Singapore was the first country to fill up and close the registration process. I'd say it's a result of good marketing, a large population of fitness enthusiasts and a credit to the Singapore government's health and fitness programs.

For the rest of the report (plenty of photos!) hit this link.

Citi Vertical Challenge Report

August was a rather mixed month in terms of running. The excitement at the prospect of playing a big role at spreading the gospel on running at the office place was tempered by the disappointment of missed evening training sessions. Since I've always propagated the need for runners to share the benefits of running with others, the "loss" was easier to take. The organizing committee laid out a series of activities culminating with a Vertical Challenge where teams of 6 runners will tackle 35 floors in the fastest possible time. To get the cubicle dwellers into the mood, weekly walks were organized at the KLCC Park. My role was to give a couple of talks on proper shoe and gear selection, and tips on running. I ended up doing 3 sessions as there were many who couldn't make the earlier talks. I brought along some props and went through some slides and videos. The props included several pairs of running shoes and apparels. I felt that the props were important since it allowed the participants to touch and feel the examples. Not many can visualize the difference between normal foam and the denser medial posts of stability shoes. Nor feel the softer blown rubber as compared to the harder heel material. Some things just needed to be touched and felt.



Close to 45 people attended my talks and though not resoundingly successful, I'd like to think that at least the 45 will now be much more informed when shopping for a new pair of trainers.



On Aug 27th, close to 40 teams lined up at the respective transition areas for the Vertical Challenge. Besides being on a diet of 40 odd Ks per week, and a couple of stair workouts, I put in a Yasso 800 (6 x 800m) 2 days before the race, just to get the juices going. Stair running is totally different from normal running and I made this clear to both the teams I helped put up. Some were getting a little tensed from the prospect of winning the top 3 prizes which carried cash awards. The women's team is pretty strong while the men were no slouches too but as we men found out on race day, there are hidden talents in the bank. The event was managed by FTAAA under Vegi and 21st Century Sports, so we got somewhat the same "treatment". I was the first runner in the 2nd last wave start. The first runners had the toughest leg since we had to negotiate a short outdoor stretch followed by a slippery 20 meters of marbled surface before reaching the stairs. And it rained up to the start time.



As expected the start was fast and furious, with just a bit of shoving. My wave consisted of 5 runners and I was the 3rd to reach the stairway. Things passed in a blur and I certainly ran faster than in training. I didn't time myself but I think it was about 30 seconds. With another floor to go, I was already in pain but just a few steps from catching the 2nd runner. I quickly passed the ribbon (like those used in the Ekiden Relay) to my team mate and exited the stairway with my quads in a jellied state.

A short while later everyone had gathered back at the ground floor lobby exchanging stories. Our lead woman runner had actually slipped as she entered the building and grazed her knee but quickly recovered to overtake 2 on the stairs! Her team would take the 2nd place and RM450 in prize money. The men? We weren't informed of our position but we weren't in the top 3. I was disappointed. We were 2nd in our wave having battled back from 3rd position but as it turned out, the top 3 prizes went to the teams from the later wave, all of them footballers and majority of them Indians! They covered 35 floors in less than 3 minutes, since their teams were more balanced.



Post race with 1 member missing




The women's team which placed second



Nevertheless, everyone had fun (there were finisher's medals for all), which was most important, and the girls even bought us Thai lunch and dessert the next day. The amount of food we consumed led me to believe that we expended 600 calories but topped up 2,000 calories. How about that for over-replenishment? The downer was I badly strained my left quads so badly I couldn't walk properly. Even the triceps hurt from all the sudden pulling up the stairs' handrails. The quad pain was bad enough to put my participation in the Nike+ Human Race 10K the same weekend in serious doubt. Only after popping some muscle relaxants, and 2 days of heavy bandaging did the leg recover sufficiently to make the trip.



Next report: The Nike+ Human Race 10K

adidas King of The Road Race Report

Other than a 4K on Tuesday, and an insignificant 3.6K run with the beginners on Saturday, I really rested for this race. I was only 70% confident of acquitting myself well and didn't set any expectations for a PR. My stomach rebelled on Saturday and even though I'd done all the necessary toilet business prior to my leaving the house on race morning, my gut still felt very uncomfortable when I got to the parking spot just in front of Quality Hotel. With wads of toilet paper in my hand, I went into the dark hotel but all the toilets were locked. How about that for hospitality?! While wandering the area in exasperation, I bumped into Frank and Lionel.


Everyone seemed to be hunting for toilets but there wasn't a single mobile toilet in sight. However, when you gotta go, you gotta go. I knew that if I didn't relieve myself, I might as well don't race. The organizers didn't count on the resourcefulness of runners. Suffice to say that I managed to find a discreet but undisclosed location to make my deposit. Then I sat down by a kerb near the starting area and chatted with fellow runners. With 30 minutes to go, I walked back to the car to change into the race gear. I handed the Lunar Trainer their maiden race. I was confident, despite logging just 4K in them, that both of us will have no problems going the distance.

To read the rest of the report please click here.

adidas Sundown Marathon Race Report

At the agreed time of 9am a day before the race, the group of us (Choi, Frank, Shine, Cheang, Guna, Runwitme and I) were there. I believe, including Uncle Sonny's party, there were at least 14 of us in the same bus. It almost felt like we were on the Pacesetters bus heading to the Singapore Marathon. Shine and Tey were penned down to run the ridiculously insane 84K ultra marathon, while the rest of us "just" the usual 42K.

This marathon was to be my 9th marathon, the 2nd for 2008. By year end, I'd hopefully knocked off 3 marathons. The last time I completed a trio of marathons were way back in 2004, I think. Even after completing 9, I can attest that it never gets any easier. Having trained for the 2008 KLIM in November last year, Sundown was to be my winding down race before my 1 month break from any structured running. I'm just tired and despite the 5 PRs set for the races done this year - GE30K (2:56), KLIM (4:16), Orange Run (sub 49 minutes), NB15K (1:18) and RMAF (1:48) - I've not felt comfortable nor relaxed doing the last 2. It was time for a break before the periodization-base phase in July for my November marathon.

To read the rest of the report (a little too lengthy for this blog), hit this link!

RMAF Half Marathon Race Report

Efficient delivery of runners to the starting point, prompt flagoff, spectacular first section of the race, accurate distance markers, ample refreshments, Powergels, post-race breakfast, nice finishers medal. Could this race really be in Malaysia? As it turned out, yes! Just about the only thing wrong was my lack of training. So it wasn't surprising that even when I boarded the bus that would be ferrying us to the start (felt that I was heading to Fort Wadsworth for the NYC race!), I had no clue as to how I would be running the race.

All doubts were laid to rest by the excitement of starting off from the runway of the AFB (Air Force Base). Just after the gun went off, we were treated to a fireworks display and all of us took off to the runway. The area was sufficiently lit as the KL-Seremban Highway was just parallel to the 2K strip but the organizers shot plenty of flares into the early morning sky to ensure a surreal experience for all of us. I felt like an army grunt running to take up positions in the trenches to fend off enemy attacks - think WW2 and Vietnam War scenes!

Frank reported that he ran very comfortably - I was too until the 10K mark. The early splits were very fast nevertheless, for a Half Marathon. I reached the 10K mark in 51 minutes and promptly realized that I won't be able to sustain the pace until the end. The course was quite all right but with most tackling the 10K distance, the half marathoners were somewhat spread out, making the Federal Highway and Seremban link quite boring and very challenging. A few of the climbs late in the race made things extra difficult too. So it was with great relieve when I crossed the line in 1:48.28 (average pace 5:18). After the customary photo sessions and catching up, I drove off the base with nothing but admiration for the uniformed personnel who handled their duties professionally. I made sure I thank each one I passed on the way out. All of them waved back with a smile and one even replied "You're Welcome!"

Next race will be the Sundown Marathon. It will be difficult but I'm placing enjoyment over performance. With little or no training, that's the only strategy to adopt.

Photo credits: Tey, Runwitme and Ronnie.

NB PACM 15K Race Report

Another measly training week for me. I told myself that since this is "just" a 15K distance, I shouldn't just roll over and submit to running a lousy race. Most certainly I will not just run a lackadaisical pace. If I somehow crash and burn somewhere at the Double Hill stretch, so be it. But running has taught me one thing - to always try my best in whatever situation and condition.

The start of the race was quite abrupt and G and I were just heading back towards the starting line when the horn went off! We were looking for her starting ribbon (they ran out!) and hadn't quite gotten back to our original position. The start was moved to the road behind the field as opposed to the main Jalan Parlimen. As a result the runners were jam logged. Some, as we, who tried to circumvent the crowd ran on the road shoulders and one runner tripped and went down in a heap. He was perfectly OK flashing a sheepish smile.



The first K was 6:40 I think (I've yet to review my 205 data) but as soon as there were gaps, we were skipping past the runners despite the hilly stretches. On the several occasions where I checked my splits, I found that my sub 5 minute pace was quite comfortably sustained. The usual suspects were encountered along the way, with Kelvin unusually muted until I egged some noise out of him. Chen also was surprisingly very laid back and even paced with me until I pointed Choi out to him. Choi was running consistently about 200m ahead and I used him as a gauge. I think it was at the Bukit Tunku stretch that I lost G and I went alone. Chen dropped back at a water stop allowing me to overtake him. Then he caught back up with me and paced for some distance. At another stop I dropped him again as I was picking up the cups rather swiftly.



I felt that this year's route was quite challenging as we had to cover certain hilly sections twice. I dropped pace going into the second palace loop but got my second wind soon after. the Central Bank hill then sapped me again before I shuffled hurriedly toward the finish. The runner next to me suddenly shouted "Let's sprint to the finish" and the bunch of us made a mad scramble to the finish arch.



My position of 173 and timing of 1:18.48 was an improvement over the 2006 race of 1:24 (I didn't run last year). So overall I'm quite happy with the results and still consistent with my goal of getting faster with age! I shall continue with that mindset until my body tells me to start slowing down or else!

BHP Orange Run 2008

Race Details

Distance: 9.89KM

Timing: 48:56 (PR)

Distance: 4:57 per KM

Splits: 5:40 > 4:49 > 4:53 > 4:51 > 5:01 > 5:02 > 4:57 > 4:53 > 4:49 > 4:32

Full race report here!

KL International Marathon 2008 Race Report

My training for this race started way back in November '07. My training goal was to keep my training as consistent as possible with 5 to 6 days of running a week plus a little more focus on building core strength. That was it - very simple. And at the end of the 4 months, I found out that I'd just put in my best ever training. I said "best", not "perfect". There's the usual fight with illness and work but I'd say that this one had to be the best to-date considering the work-family juggling routine. My tracking had been accurate (no more guessing game of the mileage and pace!) thanks to the Garmin and in the asics Kayano 12 and 2120, I was blessed by being injury free, not even a case of ITB hit me.

To read the rest of the report (plus photos and videos), please hit this link!

GE PACM 30K Race Report

7:32 > 5:44 > 5:41 > 6:04 > 5:29 (5K - 30:30) > 5:38 > 6:07 > 5:50 > 5:27 > 5:47 (10K - 59:18) > 5:44 > 5:21 > 5:44 > 6:02 > 5:25 (15K - 1:27.34) > 5:36 > 5:57 > 5:38 > 5:40 > 5:39 (20K - 1:56.05) > 6:01 (21K -2:02.06) > 6:09 > 5:20 > 5:14 > 5:52 > 5:38 > 6:16 > 6:02 > 5:14 (2:47.50) > 6:00 > 4:36 (2:56.47)

Timing: 2:56.47
Position: 164
Average Page: 5:46

Read the full report for the 30.64K race.

Penang International 12-Hour Walk

Race Report is finally up. The more I deliberated on it, the worse it's turning out to be. So here it is, all warts and all.

PACM Kuantan TC Run 2007

Distance: 9.71K, Timing: 48:54, Average Pace: 5:02, Position: 41

KM Splits: 4:50 > 4:49 > 4:56 > 5:03 > 5:09 > 5:12 > 5:10 > 5:04 > 5:09 > 4:52


Click here to read the race report that's, well, a little different. Let me know what you think. For more photos, visit my Flickr photo album.

Mizuno Wave Run 10K 2007

My role for Sunday morning was to turn up early at the car park to snap a shot of the RunnersMalaysia runners participating in the 10K, before proceeding to the event area to market the Brooks Fun Run. The plan is pretty simple - park my car at the Bukit Aman car park, take the group photo and make my way to Padang Merbok laden with the Fun Run forms and bibs. The lull during the race will allow me to "play around" with my camera as well. Sounds like a good plan. Except that I didn't count on a phone call from Tey at 8pm on Saturday night on an available bib.

I thought for 10 minutes before making up my mind. The rationale was that I couldn't do much marketing with most of the runners flagged off and I might as well get a morning run in. But I slightly overlooked the slight complication of the arrangement.

When I got to the car park at 6:20am, the place was already nearly full. I found a spot just next to the stalls and after hooking up with Tey, proceeded to the event point about 400 metresaway to deposit my heavy backpack. That done, I walked quickly back to the car park for the photo shoot, but not before lacerating my lower left shin on a piece of wood jutting out from a sidewalk worksite. The runners from the Beginners Group looked eager and excited, and for many, the 10K would be their first race. As luck would have it, my camera ran out of juice after 3 shots and my spares were in my backpack at the luggage holding. After the shoot, with 25 minutes left to the flag off, I hurried back to the event site to leave my camera with Phyllis.

In the rushing to and from the 2 locations, I completely forgot to eat my cereal bar and drink the can of Red Bull I brought along. My mind was on getting my warm up done in whatever little time I had left. A little bit of waiting and catching up with Lawrence, Kenneth and Chen (while observing the proliferation of GPS device usage around us), we were let off. Sharp at 7:30am with no speeches - just the way we runners like it! Before we were let off, I looked around and saw that I was standing in the first 1/3 of the starting crowd - in the 45-minute corral. But when the gun went off, I found myself in the second half of the crowd! Somehow, the crowd had flanked out to the other side of the road and were in front of me by some distance! While I didn't set any personal goals for this race - okay maybe just to finish in 58 minutes - I still wanted to do my best. There are no other 10K race strategies except to start fast and furious to clear the crowd, then slow down a tad, hold the pace and if still able, put in a kick to the finish. Depending on the level of fitness a few mid-race surges can be employed to drop some competitors.

The problem was, I was stuck way back in the crowd and was reduced to a walk! The pace became a jog only near the overhead train crossing and by that time I'd wasted close to 2 minutes. Things had to change and I ran on the outer part of the road as I rounded the Central Bank bend. After a few frustrating metres of dodging other runners, and chatted a while with Cheong, I finally managed to pick up my pace after the KTM train station. I further pushed the pace uphill and cleared even more of the crowd up to the base of Kenny Hills. I saw Choi and Kelvin (who said something about running back to the starting line to change) up ahead on the hill and I realized how far back I'd started the race. I steeled myself up to overcome this disadvantage and really put in a sub 4:40 pace to kick past many runners here. Eased the pedal off a while coasting down the hill before pushing again into the double hill stretch. Picked up 2 cups of Endurance drinks and downed them as I ran off. Caught up to Yazizon the first climb up and held the lead over him but he passed me when going downhill and I couldn't get closer to him from then on.

Upon exiting the hills I found myself trading leads with a few runners. The final 2K were tough especially the climb up the Istana. But it got easier as the thought of the finish line. Just before reaching the downhill portion at the National Monument, the bunch of us were annihilated by Simon Cross. With his Ironman strength, he blew past us in his DS Trainers like we weren't there. Rounding the junction of the Lake Gardens, it was time to gut it out until the end. It was nice to run down the chute high-fiving it with familiar faces. There weren't many finishers to cause a congestion but with the new system, we were cleared very quickly by the volunteers as the medals and finisher's packs were bundled together, saving time. My timing of 54:33 could be better but considering my non-training mode I'm presently in, I'm quite happy. I should also be more aware of the starting area to get better starting position in future races.

I still had time to savour finishing another good race with friends before starting my "job" of distributing the Brooks Fun Run forms. Positioning myself at next to the Luggage Booth, all the forms were exhausted within 20 minutes.

It was a satisfactory race for me. I've not run since last Sunday's Shah Alam 10K, and it's been a long time since I raced 2 consecutive weekends.

Considering the tough route, I think I did pretty okay though the timing could've been better had I positioned myself more strategically at the start. I've not got back my endurance legs yet since I've not ran anything more than 15K in training. But that will come, hopefully, as I prepare for my final race in Kuantan in October.

Race Summary

Route elevation

NB. The leg injury turned bad the next day and I had to go to the doctor to have the infected wound cleaned up. 2 types of antibiotics were prescribed on top of a tetanus jab. So besides the usual post-race muscular aches, I also now have a numb left arm and a painful shin!

Distance: 10.69
Average Pace: 5:06
Elevation: Hilly
Timing: 54:33 (Position 192nd)

Shah Alam 10K Race Report (Summary)

Having not raced since the Penang Bridge Marathon, I wouldn't have turned up at the starting line if not for a certain someone's gentle prompting. Heh heh... It's not my usual "policy" to race in the absence of training. My weekly mileage has been hovering between 20-30K which will keep me somewhat healthy, will not make me sharp, certainly not for a hard race as a 10K. The only drawing factor was the curiosity to see how my recent string of hill running will serve me. I felt unready but not completely hopeless and I was quietly confident that all the hilly runs will see me through at least in 58 or 59 mins.






I registered online just before the Thursday cutoff time and collected my race bib on Saturday. I'd not run Shah Alam before and I heard about the challenging course. Munched a cereal bar and washed it down with Red Bull while driving there. As soon as I got there I spotted Ronnie, Draco, Steven, Naresh and a host of regular faces.






The first comment that I got from the SAAA official was to pin my bib on my chest - I had mine on the midriff section. That seems to be the standard SAAA response to all the races I'd been in the last 10 years. Somehow they have an obsession with the chest region. I just nodded and went off my way with nary a thought for these archaic rules.










The race route





With 30mins to go, I started my routine warmup along the partially closed road and positioned myself in the midpack section of the crowd. It didn't seem like a huge crowd - probably due to the clash of another nearby race and the long weekend. Regardless, medalling here would be very very tough with only 100 on offer.





The 205 started beeping the moment I started it, since my Alert threshold was 6:10 pace. It took about 200m before it stopped as I began to hit a quicker pace. With the undulating route, my pace was very erratic. Hardly easy to maintain a consistent pace, but it hovered between 5:13 to about 4:53. I spotted Abu from a distance but bided my time until I passed him just after the Concorde Hotel. I had no particular problems scaling the climbs and I passed many over the entire course during the hilly sections. It even seemed easy at some points and with that, my confidence came back gradually.





Ran into Lai during one of the climbs and paced together for a while. As we turned one of the corner, we let out a simultaneous "Shit!" when we saw another hill looming. Kept my pace and went ahead. All went quite well, and the race officials were doing a fine job from traffic to water stations, until the final part of the race where we were misled through non-action on behalf of the traffic marshall. At the final roundabout, we were supposed to take the 3 o'clock direction. I distinctly saw the small sign but since no one ran that way but instead took the 12 c'clock direction, I followed suit. The marshall didn't stop anyone not direct traffic, so everyone and everything went on assumption. If not for Ronnie, I wouldn't have hop over the divider to get back on course. There were general confusion and most made their anger known to the "blur" official. Another marshall got there in time and also lend the errant official a piece of his mind too. Many runners whom I'd overtaken earlier were suddenly in front of me. It wasn't right but in my tiredness, I gunned my engine to haul them back. I was running out of distance and the last 100m were over a steep uphill. Somehow, I scaled it in 4:30 pace.





It was amusing that Chen ended up behind me as he ran an additional 1.5K due to the screw-up. And somehow, there was still a medal for me. My timing of 51:27 over 10:15K ran was good by my standards, in view of lack of training. If ran according to the race route the distance was 9.6K, which was short, and even if I'd ran under 49 mins, I wouldn't have considered it my PR anyway. All said, it was a good run for me and the medal looks good too. The weather was perfect and if not for the bungling official, the morning would've seen far less unsatisfied runners.









Summary of the pace and splits (click to enlarge)






See how undulating the course is!






The nice medal and the rather garish shoe

Distance: 10.15K

Elevation: Undulating

Timing: 51:27

The Marathon Debutante: The PBM Race Report by Geraldine Low

It started with our regular weekend LSDs. The men, Choi, Wong sifu, Jamie, Pelle and Ben were training for the PBM and Pelle maintaining his mileage for his wanderlust marathons in Beijing and Stockholm.

These are the very guys that I would salute with two hands. Despite their varying work and family commitments, they are out there at every possible opportunity to complete the LSDs. The other person that I ought to mention is Tey, the IronHand & Legs, the Man with a camera whether he is running or just simply covering an event. A very supportive (no pun intended) and positive person.

To run a marathon has been quite remote as I had only run in half-marathons several times. Moreover, I had only attempted one or two 30k runs. In fact, the remoteness of it all came to nought when the guys were more than positive of my form. That probably pressed the right button. And so in mid-May, I courageously booked myself on the last flight to Penang. This is it. No turning back, no second thoughts unless thunderstorms prevail the very morning on race day.

After getting picked up by Ben, Choi, Wong sifu and William (felt like a pampered princess) at the airport, we returned to the lodge and Ben carbo-loaded with some durians. I did not sleep a wink. It was rather unnerving to be watchful of the time, though alarm was to set off at 2.08am (lucky digits to start off the morning).

I was mentally psyched by the time we gathered at the starting line. For once, I did not look back at the starting line to gaze the number of runners, which I usually do. It has always been a male-dominant event so I saw a number of ladies gathered at the left of the start line. I wondered why.

The gun off was on time and there we went. Jamie was supposed to pace with me. Somehow, they were behind probably hindered with the chit-chattering. I was in the lone dark world of me and myself. Take it easy as I reminded myself. This is not a 10k race. Just as we passed the starting point again, many of the half-marathoners were cheering on the side and I slapped the hand of captain Phoon in a spontaneous moment.

Somewhere after the loop and heading towards to bridge, if my recollection is right, the Eng sisters went ahead. I think they do make a formidable pair – no doubt, brisk and consistent pacers for each other.

I never knew the span of the bridge was that long (even though the figure said it all) until you start running on it – to and fro. To my pleasant surprise, the incline on both sides were gentle and I could overcome that easily. Despite that, I had to remind myself to go easy as there was still a long way to go.

I realized that the best part of running is to run in a new place with absolutely zilch idea of the landmarks to look for (other than the obvious bridge to complete). Even at some stretches of total darkness which I cannot even see my fingers at arm’s length, I was more worried about potholes than a flasher whom I would not have minded, just to bury the thoughts of miles and miles of the mundane flat coastal road which Ben never ceased to mention.

I was mentally revitalized when Eugene, Tey called my name out at the bridge. Somewhere along the bridge, Ben caught up and he offered a spare Powergel after I told him that mine was jettisoned along the loop run. We were running about the same pace with him later ahead to chase a lady runner whom I managed to drop her out of sight at the return uphill bridge span.

At the U-turn loop, I heard Tey again. This part of the long stretch enabled me to see Ben and Jamie, both of whom surprised me as I thought Ben was ahead all this while and Jamie uttered euphemistically that he was way out of target. I felt bad as they were the very people whom I run with quite regularly.

Now I can fully understand that no matter how hard one trains, when you are on the run, small encouragement such as a cheer or two do make or break one’s spirit. At the same time, training runs have no guarantee on the outcome of the actual event. It is anything goes. Only consolation is that training perks up one’s confidence to be at the starting line.

My legs were still strong with no pain or whatsoever. I did thank God for the dry weather but maybe my non-running girl pal ‘over-prayed’ for this weather that it turned humid instead. Hee! Hee! Her prayers are just too ‘powderful’.

Once I re-passed Villa Emas condo, I was happy as it means the end of the coastal road is near. I passed quite a number of runners along the way and I asked a blue-vested runner how long more before the end. “About 4k”, he said. Boy, that 4k is LONG.

After that I hit The Wall – A-ha – not the proverbial Wall but the moving Wall of walkers on the flyover leading to the USM grounds. I was probably at my strongest now but these meandering stream of people are downright frustrating to any runner especially for one who was just about to see the glory of finishing. I extended my arms to move the people out of the way. Almost wanted to shout “Air Panas” which is the magic word for ‘siam’ in Hokkien. This always worked in coffee shops and hawker centres. But of course, the probable “Air Panas” would have been to pee along the way. Oops!

A group of Mat Sallehs was sitting along the road divider after the flyover and they applauded as I approached. That was indeed a very soothing and nice feeling. After acknowledging their applause, I dashed and ‘fought’ my way into the grounds. The bottleneck was almost mockingly laughable. After all the preparation works for VMY and attracting the thousands of runners, organizers had yet to possess the vision of the sea of people coming through that small-waisted gate. It was compounded by the presence of more RELA members. Might as well add in the GOF for good measure. All right, enough philippic.

Coming back to the moment at the glorious finishing line, I was given a tag for 20^th position. Wow! The feeling of elation was just top of the world. Few steps later, a lady crowned a pewter medal over me. I think this is the best reception I ever had; It was as if I were a top runner. The officials at the finishing line actually congratulated me. First time ever!

As I ambled across the field, I met SL who took the 10^th position and followed by Grace who completed her half-marathon. We both went to collect our goodies bag. We parted ways to be back to our respective comfortable resting places.

You never knew 500m is that far away (where the lodge is) until you have completed 42k. My quads were beginning to feel the beating. I could hardly lift my legs to go on the kerb just to avoid the road traffic. Crossing the junction was like a mother duck waddling. Was I ever so delighted to see the lodge and get back to the room.

I am grateful to Eugene and his son Yixi who helped me load the goodies of my prize into the car. Thereafter, Eugene drove back to KL after a lunch stop in Ipoh.

I guess I am one happy debutante in this event. An encore performance? Try me again in 2008. Right now, just let me bask in the limelight of this run.

Penang Bridge Marathon 2007 Race Report

This marathon was a classic case where the training went much better than the race. Having started my comeback in February, and moving into more serious stuff in April, I'd at least expected meeting 2 of my 3 goals. The base goal was to finish, the second was to PR under 4:26 and the bonus was to dip below 4 hours. The more my training progressed, the stronger the indications were, pointing to a good performance. I'd never run a marathon before in my home state and I'd wanted to make this a memorable outing....(to read the full report complete with photos, click this link).

The (Not So) SMART Tunnel Run

It took me 2 months to kick-start my 2007 at the races, and 6 months since I ran more than twice a week and even longer since I really put a training program to serious work. With my weekly mileage hovering about 70% of my max planned, my approach to this run was that of training, just to lock up the week's workout before the start of a fresh one. I was deliberating up to last night on my run plan when I finally decided to adopt a conservative start and if physical conditions permit, will run at LT pace.

To read the full report, click here!

Penang International 12-Hour Walk Report

1 day = 24hrs

Work + Commute + (Family & Chores) + Sleep + x = 24hrs

Where "Work" = 12hrs
Where "Commute" = 2hrs

Where "Family & Chores" = 4hrs

Where "Sleep" = 6hrs

Where "x" = opportunity to run/train/walk/do whatever else

Read the full report here and for more "revealing" photos, click here!