Putrajaya Marathon (Long Overdue)

Finally, I got some downtime to write this ,waaahhhh ! Let me see the Putrajaya Night Marathon, first marathon of the year. I was going into the race with an injured right leg to say the least plus the last minute request from my dear partner whom need to me to fly the next day after the race for meetings. Things could not have been stacked much better. Had to make a run for it from KL to Penang as I needed my passport. 

Reached back in Penang, started packing and flew back to KL again somewhere midnight. Crashed straight in and did not wake up till 11ish. Got up and as always pre-race jitters started settling in again, goshhh. U think after running quite a few races this would go away but nooooo.... its always there ! :) Off I went to get my last meal @ PapaReach some lovely noodles to be exact so after headed off to Putrajaya around, me always need to be early got there quite early.... they were still setting up the tents and stuffs !

Found a bench to rest and start changing into my running outfit so after June buzzed me and we caught up at the baggage tents. June introduced me to her friend Serena and we were all off walking about and checking out all the other tents and goodies being given away. Soon it was time for the race and good herded into the holding area where everyone anxiously waited for the gun to go ! :) Here a pic of the there of us in the holding area.

Soon thereafter the gun went ! And we were off, Serena literally zoomed away and I was running side by side with June. The first 10K were great, was steadily keeping my pace and my energy level, the environment was quite humid nevertheless. The route was filled with ups and downs, its was at the 15th KM where its struck again, the pain on my right leg made its entry, by the 18th KM I was in a lot of pain....ouuuchhhh ! 

It was a series of run/walk thereafter till the finish line, quite the bummer ! :( But nevetheless I finished what I started ;) Live to race another day ! June and Serena finished ahead of me, kudos to them both, outstanding job indeed ! We caught up changed, all were barely able to walk properly its like a bunch of ducks walking ! Hehehe :)

Its a great race and good to meet up with June and Serena, looking forward to the next race ! :) 

Till then the adventure continues ! :)

Barefoot Running !

Natural Running (Extracted from NEWTON Running Site)

2010 Adventure Begins !

Alrighty, its time to get to work and set the stage for 2010 ! One of the major goals this year is get ready to run a full marathon at the Singapore SC Marathon. Had a nice run on the 1st day of the year but may have been wee bit over ... had a bit of shinsplits thereafter but all is good ! :)

Running Goals
1) Run My First Marathon
2) Improve my Half Marathon Times
3) Improve my Nutrition Strategy
4) Include more Cross-Training Activities
5) Have a blast doing 1-4 ! :)

The first race is going to be PUTRAJAYA Night Marathon on the 6th Feb.(*Winks)  The first  second race in Bidor in April, time to transform and roll out ! ;)

The adventures begins for 2010 !

Reflecting on 2009 !

2009 has been a memorable year for my running as I moved from 10K and started working on longer distances. It has definitely been a learning experience at each race as well during my training. I have definitely grown much strong over this year, feels like a fresh breath of life sipped in ! :) It's been great fun as well meeting and expanding a new circle of friends(i.e. Kim, June, Chiat, Apple, etc) from all parts of the world whom are passionate about running !

3 lessons learned in 2009

1) Persistance & Resilience

A core aspect in almost everything that you approach in life. In running it's a key factor to progress for there will be days where things go the opposite direction(i.e. your body, the weather, the "body over mind syndrome", etc) And this is where you need to summon that inner reservoir of will to push forward. Injuries, disappointments will always be part and parcel of any sports, its moving beyond that point that matters.

2) Training Plan and Logging

Having a training plan is one but making sure that you log data into in and keep monitoring mileage as well as progress is equally important. It really serves as crucial information to get back to really find out what works and what does not. Keeping refining it over time.

3) Keep the "Cup" always "Empty"

As I was recently reminded while watching AVATAR, "I cannot teach you if your cup is full - Moat", learning is a continuous process and its always advisable to keep your "Cup" empty so as to facilitate the learning and improvement.

Next the cool races that I have participated this year

2009 Hall of Fame Achievements

1) Teluk Kumbar 6K ( APRIL) - Done (00:32:00)
2) Earth Day Run 10K (APRIL) - Done (00:59:00)
3) Bidor Half Marathon (APRIL) - Done (2:38:00)
4) Labor Day Run (MAY) - Done (00:28:00)
5) Malakoff 26K (JUNE) - Done (03:30:00)
6) KL International Marathon (JUNE) - Done (02:43:41.91)
7) Penang Bridge International Marathon - Half (22nd NOV) - Done (2:58:48)

Running Statistics for 2009

It's been an amazing year for my running, a big thank you to all my friends whom have been supportive throughout 2009, I look forward to your continued support in 2010 ! Here's looking at 2010, another year of outstanding achievements ! Happy New Year 2010 wishes to all runners ! :)

The Adventure Continues ! :))

Season's Greetings !

Dear Running Buddies ! Season's Greeting to everyone :) It's been an amazing year for my running adventures, filled with lots memorable moments. I am grateful for all the support I've got from mentors(i.e. Sifu, Kim), family and friends. It's been a journey of getting stronger and learning's each passing day. Not forgetting meeting new friends both the marathon and triathlon world. Looking for another outstanding 2010 running year and here's wishes all runners best wishes for 2010 in your running endeavors, may there be more memories, more events, PRs not forgetting more fun too, have a blast running into 2010 !

PBIM 2009 : Here We Go !

My most anticipated race of the year and one that I actually diligently prepared the most for. I was in such a frenzy on Saturday in anticipation of the race that I got enough rest. I left in the wee hours of the morning to pick another few runners(i.e. Chiat & Apple) whom were running the race as well. These are seasoned two triathletes whom were participating in the race.

We reached about 1:00am and wandered around and deposited our bags. I was munching on my power bar and sipping on my GU dehydration mix. Somehow or rather I was feeling more dehydrated that I should eventhough I was sufficiently drink throughout Friday and Saturday. So it was weird to say the least.

Our Chief Minister Mr. Lim Guan Eng was gracious enough to be present to let the runners off for all categories, that was indeed a pleasant surprise. So after around 3:00 am, we were all lined up at the starting line. The Half Marathon category seemed to have quite the participation from all ages, it was large group to say the least.

At 3:30 am sharp, we were off, yippee !!! I was running with Chiat and another of his friends. Apple and her running partner were scheduled to start 15 minutes later. We started turning into the bridge when I started feeling a sharp pain on my Achilles on my left leg, this persisted all the way. At the 19mile, the pain was too overwhelming and I had to resort to walking/running for the last 3 miles :(.

My fueling strategy did not quite work up to my expectations as I did not stop at any water station and relied solely at my water bottles. Something not right somewhere, need to revisit this. When I reached the finish line, its was nice to see Chiat and Apple cheering me on to finish strong. I crossed the mat and heard the beep beep but at the same time my heart sank.

I was really disappointed with the outcome as I put a lot of time into my training. One part of part of me was sad but another part was searching to look at what went wrong and see how the next time could be a different experience altogether. Nevertheless it was a fun experience being able to run along side other friends and enjoying the true spirit of the marathon !

My Results : 2:58:48 (Champion Chip Net Time)

Half Marathon Video by http://runwitme.blogspot.com

Well its back to the drawing board to carve the next the big plan for 2010 , till then the adventure continues ! :)