It just started to rain just now. I am not sure to be happy or not as I was hoping to run a few km at KLCC park. Now I am stuck at the consultant's office at Jln Tun Razak. I have to take a taxi back to KLCC and it's raining- it will be tough to get a taxi from this place.
If I don't make it to the park KLCC this evening it might mean a treadmill session. How boring! I hope there will some "distractions" in the gym to stave off boredom.
Last Sunday I wanted to buy the running vests from Road Runners Sports. The ASICS vest was not only functional but attractive. I guess we have look stylish while running. But I could not buy them as they could only be shipped within the USA. It's too bad being stylish doesn't help to win medals.
There is this guy who wears a white colour T-shirt (Pagoda) and black shorts in every race. Looks like an apek and he even runs barefoot. If you look at this guy you would think he is somewhat "selekeh" (sloppy or slovenly). Does not even look like a REAL runner with our high high-tech vests from Nike and wearing expensive RM 300 shoes. But almost every time he runs, I see him carrying a hamper - finishing in the top 10 or 20. I guess it's not the shoe or the style or fancy clothes that counts when it comes to being able to run fast. The clock is the judge and it is impartial to extenal or superficial appearances.
Monday, February 28, 2005
28 Feb 2005 - Sunday's Good Run
The haze enveloping the Klang valley was lifted on Sunday due to a 6 hour rain on Sunday morning. I had planned to run at the Stadium maybe just doing 4 km. It was a beautiful evening with clear skies. As expected there was no vacant parking space near the stadium. I had to park some 100 m away.
I started walking around the 400 m track which was very crowded. I had just about to complete the 2nd lap when I saw Kong waving to me from the tiled track outside the stadium entrance. He signalled something with his hands and asked me if I wanted to run outside. "Sure , why not?" , I replied.
We then proceeded to the main road and started running at a brisk pace. We ran pass the village and housing areas. Throughout the run, we talked about the upcoming KLIM and Nilai half marathon races. Traffic was not too heavy so we did not have to dodge vehicles very often. I felt fine and energetic throughout the run. Kong kept up with the pace and there were ocassional faster pace pick-ups from either of us.
We returned to the Stadium at nearly 7.00 pm and walked for another 2 laps for cool down. It had been a good and satisfying run for me. Saturday's LSD run had been a letdown due to the hazy air.
I think my next "outside" run should hit some hills near Taman Rakyat. But that will be after KLIM.
Distance = 8 km
Time = 42 min 30 seconds
Pace = 5 min 30 sec. per km
I started walking around the 400 m track which was very crowded. I had just about to complete the 2nd lap when I saw Kong waving to me from the tiled track outside the stadium entrance. He signalled something with his hands and asked me if I wanted to run outside. "Sure , why not?" , I replied.
We then proceeded to the main road and started running at a brisk pace. We ran pass the village and housing areas. Throughout the run, we talked about the upcoming KLIM and Nilai half marathon races. Traffic was not too heavy so we did not have to dodge vehicles very often. I felt fine and energetic throughout the run. Kong kept up with the pace and there were ocassional faster pace pick-ups from either of us.
We returned to the Stadium at nearly 7.00 pm and walked for another 2 laps for cool down. It had been a good and satisfying run for me. Saturday's LSD run had been a letdown due to the hazy air.
I think my next "outside" run should hit some hills near Taman Rakyat. But that will be after KLIM.
Distance = 8 km
Time = 42 min 30 seconds
Pace = 5 min 30 sec. per km
Saturday 26 Feb. 2005 - Last LSD before KLIM
I did not run on Thursday and Friday for two reasons. First I only finished work at 6.30 pm and second the haze was very bad. Today in the Sunday Star, the authority said it was not a haze but actually smoky conditions. Not too put a fine point, but haze or smoke conditions lead to unhealthy air quality.
I was hoping on Saturday morning the haze would clear up but it was not to be. It was still thick when Kenneth and I started our LSD run at Tasik Shah Alam at about 7.00 am. We agreed to keep our run short with a plan to run 3 x 4 km, 12 km total.
At the 6 km mark, a older guy wearing wearing a blue track botton appeared from the road and greeted us. He was grinning from ear to ear and also talkec non stop. He introduced himself at Ali and will be running at KLIM marathon next week. He is 64 years old but was able to keep up with us easily while talking non-stop.
My mouth dropped when he mentioned he had been running for 40 years. Even more amazing next week's KLIM would only be the 2nd marathon for him. Last year he had run his first marathon at age 63 years old.
We continued running until the car park when we stopped for a drink, Mr Ali went off onto the road to continue. I think he was a bit dissapointed we stopped for drink and he has to continue running alone. After a good drink, we continued for the last 4 km. It was hard so we had to take 2 walking breaks. Kenneth seemed to suffer more than me. After the run, I asked someone to take a photo of Kenneth and myself.
Next week I will tapering off for KLIM and will only do easy runs of 5-7 km. Hope the haze will not be present next week.
I was hoping on Saturday morning the haze would clear up but it was not to be. It was still thick when Kenneth and I started our LSD run at Tasik Shah Alam at about 7.00 am. We agreed to keep our run short with a plan to run 3 x 4 km, 12 km total.
At the 6 km mark, a older guy wearing wearing a blue track botton appeared from the road and greeted us. He was grinning from ear to ear and also talkec non stop. He introduced himself at Ali and will be running at KLIM marathon next week. He is 64 years old but was able to keep up with us easily while talking non-stop.
My mouth dropped when he mentioned he had been running for 40 years. Even more amazing next week's KLIM would only be the 2nd marathon for him. Last year he had run his first marathon at age 63 years old.
We continued running until the car park when we stopped for a drink, Mr Ali went off onto the road to continue. I think he was a bit dissapointed we stopped for drink and he has to continue running alone. After a good drink, we continued for the last 4 km. It was hard so we had to take 2 walking breaks. Kenneth seemed to suffer more than me. After the run, I asked someone to take a photo of Kenneth and myself.
Next week I will tapering off for KLIM and will only do easy runs of 5-7 km. Hope the haze will not be present next week.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Need a New Running Vest
I badly need to get a new running vest. The one I am wearing now (Nike) is a worn out after 2 years. I won't be surprised it falls apart this year. If you see a thin guy with a bare body during races this year , it could be me.
I haeve been looking for a new vest since October last year. I looked at Asics, New Balance and Nike. Just could not find anything suitable. They are either too big, not comfortable or ugly looking. Now I am thinking about ordering some from the Web at Road Runner Sports. I've bought stuff from them before.
Here are some photos running vests. They look gorgeous. If only I could claim the cost as a legitimate company expense.
I haeve been looking for a new vest since October last year. I looked at Asics, New Balance and Nike. Just could not find anything suitable. They are either too big, not comfortable or ugly looking. Now I am thinking about ordering some from the Web at Road Runner Sports. I've bought stuff from them before.
Here are some photos running vests. They look gorgeous. If only I could claim the cost as a legitimate company expense.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Slacking Off Two weeks before KLIM
I had planned to run about at least 6.5 km to 10.8 km a day over the past 3 weeks. That was the plan but the reality is I have been running 5.2 to 6.5 km a day. My excuse ? It's too hot nowadays to run longer distances. It is partly true but the other reason is nowadays I am less motivated to push myself harder. I am hoping tthe LSD runs (2 x 16 km and 1 x 20 km) I've done will carry me through the half marathon.
This Sunday I will running my last LSD run. Thank goodness, I am not running the 42 km KLIM run. It would have been very tough. Running 21 km is still manageable even I don't expect to run a sub 2 hrs time.
This Sunday I will running my last LSD run. Thank goodness, I am not running the 42 km KLIM run. It would have been very tough. Running 21 km is still manageable even I don't expect to run a sub 2 hrs time.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Myanmar in My Mind - Stories from the Road #1 Part One
Names and identities in the following stories have been changed to protect individuals against action from the police and military.
It was December 1999 and the biggest event was about to happen in two weeks. The new Millennium was coming at 12.01:01 am , 1 January 2000. From then on, calendars will read 2xxx instead 1xxx and never will history repeat itself, at least calenderically.
Dire warnings had been issued on the impending chaos when internal clocks in computers switched over from 1999 to 2000. What would happen ? Some experts predicted electricity power supplies will fail, trains will stop moving and worse. nuclear missiles launched to end the world.
Some people bought candles, stocks of food and water to prepare for the impending doomsday. Me ? I was wondering how and where to celebrate the Millenium. And there it was I decided to spend the eve of the Millennium in Bangkok, Thailand. Before that can happen, I wanted to visit Myanmar first. Myanmar. the country which had replaced South Africa as the no. 1 Pariah nation.
I am a history buff so one of the places I wanted to visit was Bagan. Bagan has a history of over 1000 years. It has played an important role in the establishment of Buddhism in Myanmar. The main attraction for me was the temples of which there are still about 2,200 left from the original 13,000 number.
I still recalled it was a hot and sunny day when I started my journey from Bagan on a local bus from one of the main bus stations in Yangon. The bus left the station at 12.30 pm. It was going to be a long bus trip. The bus trip would take about 16 hrs with an expected arrival time at Bagan around 4.00 am, the next day. It was also the fasting month so I could not drink and eat during the day light hours.
I ppassed by countless villages and towns during the day. What I most remember was the tiny main road (in fact it was the main highway which when there were two vehicles, one had to give way and move on the road shoulder. I was on the bus so the rule "Might Rules" applied - the other vehicle had to give way except when there is a truck heading on the opposite lane. Then the rule " The Mightier Rules" applied and we had to drive on the road shoulder.
The second memorable incident happened when we stopped at 6.00 pm for dinner. Most of the passengers went to restaurant to order dinner. I too went to have a look at the restaurant. There were several dishes which were likely to be leftovers from lunch. Mindful of the risk of getting a stomach upset, I bought a can of coke and a bottle water instead. There were two more restaurants nearby so I checked them out too. Unfortunately they were quite dirty so I had to rule them out.
I dug into my bag to retrieve some buns and looked for a connfortable place to sit. A shady tree with a dusty table and wooden chairs was underneath the tree. A few passengers joined me as well under the tree. I noticed an unpleasant smell from a a dilapidated wooden shack about 50 m away. However I was too hungry and thirsty and the smell did not ruin my apetite. Suddenly I heard animal sounds. In the dim light, I could see a figure feeding some sort of animal. The sounds grew louder and more distinct as the animals became excited. "Oink, oink, oink". He was feeding his pigs in the pig pen. I reacted with disgust for having dinner 50 m from the pigs in their pen. It was dinner time for them too.
To be continue in part two..............
It was December 1999 and the biggest event was about to happen in two weeks. The new Millennium was coming at 12.01:01 am , 1 January 2000. From then on, calendars will read 2xxx instead 1xxx and never will history repeat itself, at least calenderically.
Dire warnings had been issued on the impending chaos when internal clocks in computers switched over from 1999 to 2000. What would happen ? Some experts predicted electricity power supplies will fail, trains will stop moving and worse. nuclear missiles launched to end the world.
Some people bought candles, stocks of food and water to prepare for the impending doomsday. Me ? I was wondering how and where to celebrate the Millenium. And there it was I decided to spend the eve of the Millennium in Bangkok, Thailand. Before that can happen, I wanted to visit Myanmar first. Myanmar. the country which had replaced South Africa as the no. 1 Pariah nation.
I am a history buff so one of the places I wanted to visit was Bagan. Bagan has a history of over 1000 years. It has played an important role in the establishment of Buddhism in Myanmar. The main attraction for me was the temples of which there are still about 2,200 left from the original 13,000 number.
I still recalled it was a hot and sunny day when I started my journey from Bagan on a local bus from one of the main bus stations in Yangon. The bus left the station at 12.30 pm. It was going to be a long bus trip. The bus trip would take about 16 hrs with an expected arrival time at Bagan around 4.00 am, the next day. It was also the fasting month so I could not drink and eat during the day light hours.
I ppassed by countless villages and towns during the day. What I most remember was the tiny main road (in fact it was the main highway which when there were two vehicles, one had to give way and move on the road shoulder. I was on the bus so the rule "Might Rules" applied - the other vehicle had to give way except when there is a truck heading on the opposite lane. Then the rule " The Mightier Rules" applied and we had to drive on the road shoulder.
The second memorable incident happened when we stopped at 6.00 pm for dinner. Most of the passengers went to restaurant to order dinner. I too went to have a look at the restaurant. There were several dishes which were likely to be leftovers from lunch. Mindful of the risk of getting a stomach upset, I bought a can of coke and a bottle water instead. There were two more restaurants nearby so I checked them out too. Unfortunately they were quite dirty so I had to rule them out.
I dug into my bag to retrieve some buns and looked for a connfortable place to sit. A shady tree with a dusty table and wooden chairs was underneath the tree. A few passengers joined me as well under the tree. I noticed an unpleasant smell from a a dilapidated wooden shack about 50 m away. However I was too hungry and thirsty and the smell did not ruin my apetite. Suddenly I heard animal sounds. In the dim light, I could see a figure feeding some sort of animal. The sounds grew louder and more distinct as the animals became excited. "Oink, oink, oink". He was feeding his pigs in the pig pen. I reacted with disgust for having dinner 50 m from the pigs in their pen. It was dinner time for them too.
To be continue in part two..............
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Metro Bus Torture
This morning I took the Metro bus to work. You may have seen these buses around town with green and blue stripes. Some are new buses but many are wrecks. These wrecks are re-conditioned express buses converted to city buses. The seats are filthy and the cabin reeks of mold and stale sweat.
This morning the Metro bus was new. As is common among the new Metro buses, the interior is very basic and functional. The seats are hard and tiny with back rests only reaching up half way to the shoulder. This means there is no back support for the passenger's head. In accidents, there is great risk for neck injury. Besides this, the seats are very uncomfortable. It seems the Metro to bus company aims to build the cheapest bus with minimal thought to safety or comfort.
I was expecting a quiet ride to KL. But no, now they have installed LCD TVs on the bus. There were 2 of them ; behind the driver and the 2nd above the exit near the middle of the bus. The programs shown ? Non-stop advertistments interspersed with music video. All played at maximum volume. Do we passengers have a choice not to see or listen? I wonder if did they get approval from the relevant authorities to broadcast these programs?.
Will this disease spread to the bus that I normally take (Mara). Some bright but thoughtless fellow put these things in the Metro buses. I hope the Mara bus company will not follow Metro bus company lead. The sometimes awful music played by the bus driver is bad enough tolerate. Often all we passengers want during the ride is some peace and quiet. I can rule out Metro bus on this score.
This morning the Metro bus was new. As is common among the new Metro buses, the interior is very basic and functional. The seats are hard and tiny with back rests only reaching up half way to the shoulder. This means there is no back support for the passenger's head. In accidents, there is great risk for neck injury. Besides this, the seats are very uncomfortable. It seems the Metro to bus company aims to build the cheapest bus with minimal thought to safety or comfort.
I was expecting a quiet ride to KL. But no, now they have installed LCD TVs on the bus. There were 2 of them ; behind the driver and the 2nd above the exit near the middle of the bus. The programs shown ? Non-stop advertistments interspersed with music video. All played at maximum volume. Do we passengers have a choice not to see or listen? I wonder if did they get approval from the relevant authorities to broadcast these programs?.
Will this disease spread to the bus that I normally take (Mara). Some bright but thoughtless fellow put these things in the Metro buses. I hope the Mara bus company will not follow Metro bus company lead. The sometimes awful music played by the bus driver is bad enough tolerate. Often all we passengers want during the ride is some peace and quiet. I can rule out Metro bus on this score.
Missed LSD Run
I found out from Kenneth on Friday night, the Nilai Half Marathon had been postponed to 27 March 2005. Felt kind of dissapointed as I had hoped it would be a trial race for KLIM.
I had to give the planned LSD run on the weekend a miss. My right knee had been sore for most of the week. I decided not to risk injury and instead :-
Saturday evening - ran about 6 km+ around the housing estates with three Klang Pacer runners. It was hot and we completed the run in 32 min. 45 seconds.
Sunday evening - I was planning to run in the stadium but there was a school sports meet. So I drove to Tasik Shah Alam. It was not a good time to run as the whole place was crowded. There were lots of people walking or crossing the jogging track. It was a hassle and difficult to run at constant pace. I ended up running a fartlek of sorts; 1.6 km , walk, run 800 m, walk, run 800 m etc. Completed about 8 km but it was an unsatisfying run due to the crowded conditions.
Sometime this weekday I plan to do an LSD at KLCC park, maybe 12 x 1.3 km.
I had to give the planned LSD run on the weekend a miss. My right knee had been sore for most of the week. I decided not to risk injury and instead :-
Saturday evening - ran about 6 km+ around the housing estates with three Klang Pacer runners. It was hot and we completed the run in 32 min. 45 seconds.
Sunday evening - I was planning to run in the stadium but there was a school sports meet. So I drove to Tasik Shah Alam. It was not a good time to run as the whole place was crowded. There were lots of people walking or crossing the jogging track. It was a hassle and difficult to run at constant pace. I ended up running a fartlek of sorts; 1.6 km , walk, run 800 m, walk, run 800 m etc. Completed about 8 km but it was an unsatisfying run due to the crowded conditions.
Sometime this weekday I plan to do an LSD at KLCC park, maybe 12 x 1.3 km.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Hot at KLCC Park
The weather has been brutally hot over the past 6 weeks.
I usually run at KLCC park on weekdays. I can feel the heat enveloping my entire body when I run. The new KLCC convention centre is making things worse. The convention buiding is built along the perimeter of the park. It covers about 400 m of the park perimeter- almost 30% of the jogging track. It blocks wind from entering the park.
Then there are the new apartments to be built some 200 m away from the convention centre. Looking at the development plan, up to 1 km of the KLCC park perimeter will be surrounded by tall buildings. The future does not look well for runners and exercisers. Once all the buildings are completed, aesthetics of the park will be degraded. The hot temperature can only increase due to hot island effect. The buildings will trap heat and release it towards the cold area - which is the park area.
For the building occupants and the apartment, they have a way out - air conditioning. For us runners, our air cond. comes from our sweat. Expect to sweat a lot more in the future.
If the future conditions at KLCC park become unpleasant or unbearable, I may have to consider running somewhere else.
I usually run at KLCC park on weekdays. I can feel the heat enveloping my entire body when I run. The new KLCC convention centre is making things worse. The convention buiding is built along the perimeter of the park. It covers about 400 m of the park perimeter- almost 30% of the jogging track. It blocks wind from entering the park.
Then there are the new apartments to be built some 200 m away from the convention centre. Looking at the development plan, up to 1 km of the KLCC park perimeter will be surrounded by tall buildings. The future does not look well for runners and exercisers. Once all the buildings are completed, aesthetics of the park will be degraded. The hot temperature can only increase due to hot island effect. The buildings will trap heat and release it towards the cold area - which is the park area.
For the building occupants and the apartment, they have a way out - air conditioning. For us runners, our air cond. comes from our sweat. Expect to sweat a lot more in the future.
If the future conditions at KLCC park become unpleasant or unbearable, I may have to consider running somewhere else.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Sunday - 21 km LSD Run at Bukit Aman
At 3.30 am, it started to rain in Klang. Maybe it was raining in KL too but I was no intention of cancelling this morning's 21 km LSD run. By 4.15 am, I started driving to KL. The rain came down more intensely as I continued driving along the Federal Highway. It was obvious that it was raining in KL too.
I reached Bukit Aman car park at 4.50 am. There were a few runners already at the car park. I went looking for a toilet to piss. But there were none open so I had to piss behind some bushes. The rain become heavier and umbrellas started to open. I decided to wait in the car and briefly considered to cancel my run.
Then someone started talking loudly - it was the Pacesetter's president, Mr. Wan? He described the route with an important message to be careful and take care of safety. Spotted John Tan and Ajeep as well.
A group of about 40 runners started at 5.30 am sharp. The rain started falling even heavier. This will be a wet run. As I passed by the right turn from the car park, a shadow flashed by on the far left running towards the car park. It was Justin. Was he crazy enough to have started running at 4.00 am?
I ran cautiously as the rain water had covered up my spectacles and I could not see clearly. Furthermore it was my first time on this route and I was not sure where the potholes were. After Bank Negara, I ran more comfortably as the road was well lit and familiar - same route for 7 km races from Dataran Merdeka. On this stretch, I came across Jason who was doing 30 km.
The rest of the route had intermittent uphill sections, I was afraid that I would not make it past the hilly sections and had to either stop or turn back. Turning back was not an viable option as I had no idea where I was. So if I stop, I would have to wait it out and try to walk back or get a taxi. For taxi, I had RM 12 in my wrist pocket bag.
As it turns out I had no problems with the hilly sections. It's just too bad that I could not pace with the girls. I think most of the girls ran faster than me. Anyway, on and off along the route, I ran with an Indian runner named Subra.
At the drink stations, I took my time and drank two cups of water. At the last station?, I was baffled on which way to go. The 30 km runners had turned right 500 m before this station. Other 20 km runners had double backed at the previous station. Where do I head to next ? It was still dark (7.00 am) and Subra was equally lost. We saw a few runners ahead and decided to follow them. We may end up running the 30 km route instead of 20 km. Fortunately the rain had stopped by now.
After some time, sun rise came and I could see where we were headed. We were running back to Bukit Tunku. Phew, we were on the way home. But before that, it was still a slog running uphill along the Bukit Tunku area. I saw a familiar guy running towards us in his distinctive "helicopter" style. It was Azwar and some other triathlete guy.
I ran together with Subra to the Bkt. Aman car park. Our time was 2 hrs 14 min. Distance ? Maybe 21 km.
At the car park, I had the chance to chat with Subra. Found out he came all the way from Serdang! I changed clothes while waiting for the breakfast to start. I did not eat much during breakfast - only took the fruits and drinks. Spend the time chatting with Kenny. There were only about 1 dozen runners eating breakfast. I guess most were still on the road - I was glad I am not one of them.
Good points about the run :
I reached Bukit Aman car park at 4.50 am. There were a few runners already at the car park. I went looking for a toilet to piss. But there were none open so I had to piss behind some bushes. The rain become heavier and umbrellas started to open. I decided to wait in the car and briefly considered to cancel my run.
Then someone started talking loudly - it was the Pacesetter's president, Mr. Wan? He described the route with an important message to be careful and take care of safety. Spotted John Tan and Ajeep as well.
A group of about 40 runners started at 5.30 am sharp. The rain started falling even heavier. This will be a wet run. As I passed by the right turn from the car park, a shadow flashed by on the far left running towards the car park. It was Justin. Was he crazy enough to have started running at 4.00 am?
I ran cautiously as the rain water had covered up my spectacles and I could not see clearly. Furthermore it was my first time on this route and I was not sure where the potholes were. After Bank Negara, I ran more comfortably as the road was well lit and familiar - same route for 7 km races from Dataran Merdeka. On this stretch, I came across Jason who was doing 30 km.
The rest of the route had intermittent uphill sections, I was afraid that I would not make it past the hilly sections and had to either stop or turn back. Turning back was not an viable option as I had no idea where I was. So if I stop, I would have to wait it out and try to walk back or get a taxi. For taxi, I had RM 12 in my wrist pocket bag.
As it turns out I had no problems with the hilly sections. It's just too bad that I could not pace with the girls. I think most of the girls ran faster than me. Anyway, on and off along the route, I ran with an Indian runner named Subra.
At the drink stations, I took my time and drank two cups of water. At the last station?, I was baffled on which way to go. The 30 km runners had turned right 500 m before this station. Other 20 km runners had double backed at the previous station. Where do I head to next ? It was still dark (7.00 am) and Subra was equally lost. We saw a few runners ahead and decided to follow them. We may end up running the 30 km route instead of 20 km. Fortunately the rain had stopped by now.
After some time, sun rise came and I could see where we were headed. We were running back to Bukit Tunku. Phew, we were on the way home. But before that, it was still a slog running uphill along the Bukit Tunku area. I saw a familiar guy running towards us in his distinctive "helicopter" style. It was Azwar and some other triathlete guy.
I ran together with Subra to the Bkt. Aman car park. Our time was 2 hrs 14 min. Distance ? Maybe 21 km.
At the car park, I had the chance to chat with Subra. Found out he came all the way from Serdang! I changed clothes while waiting for the breakfast to start. I did not eat much during breakfast - only took the fruits and drinks. Spend the time chatting with Kenny. There were only about 1 dozen runners eating breakfast. I guess most were still on the road - I was glad I am not one of them.
Good points about the run :
- I had no trouble running up the hilly sections.
- I have confidence to complete KLIM 21 km well within the 2.5 hrs qualifying time.
- And Nilai on 27 Feb . 2005? Hilly route- Afer today's training, I am not worried about it at all.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Friday - Hard 12 km LSD Run
This morning I ran with Kenneth at Tasik Shah Alam. It was supposed to be an easy LSD run for 12 to 16 km. Instead we struggled with very humid conditions. By the 2nd lap (8 km), we were tired. We stopped after the 3rd lap completing a hard 12 km LSD. I was pretty muck knocked out by the effort. Our times were:
1st lap = 24 min 21 sec.
2nd lap= 24 min 11 sec.
3rd lap = 26 min 03 sec
TOTAL= 74 min. 35 secoms (approx. 12 km).
Today for the first time, I tried Gatorade (lemon lime) during a run. It was incredibly refreshing, far better than 100Plus and without gas.
1st lap = 24 min 21 sec.
2nd lap= 24 min 11 sec.
3rd lap = 26 min 03 sec
TOTAL= 74 min. 35 secoms (approx. 12 km).
Today for the first time, I tried Gatorade (lemon lime) during a run. It was incredibly refreshing, far better than 100Plus and without gas.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
2nd Day of CNY - Nilai Half Marathon : The Hills
Today on the 2nd day I didn't have much to do nor did I have any plans. So I decided to go to Nilai to check out the Nilai half marathon route.
Off I went at 12.40 pm along the Federal Highway. Turned right to Shah Alam and then left heading towards KLIA aiport. I hoped there were no speed traps as I would surely get a RM 300 fine today. I was driving along at 140-150 km/hr . I thought I was the fastest driver on the road until a Toyota Harrier showed up with a Singapore reg. plate. I reckon he/she was driving at about 160 km/hr - overtook me when I was moving at 150 km/hr.
Arriving at Bandar Baru Nilai, I drove around looking for the Alison Klana hotel. The hotel was a huge rectangular complex which won't any architertural awards. Plain, square and business like. I saw a "Empress hotel " signboard so went looking for it. I found the hotel at Bandar Salak Tinggi. Went into the hotel.The hotel has an impressive lobby. Got the room prices : Superior RM 138++ with breakfast.
Next up, I went looking for the Nilai 3 wholesale centre. After a few wrong turns, I found the place located on a hill. Note from the main road to the w. centre, it is 500 m uphill to the finishing line. Leaving the w. centre, I drove partly along the 21 km route. The route was undulating with many uphill sections. I made a mental note to put in some hill training in the next 3 weeks.
I received an SMS from Kenneth. He had read about my aborted trip to Lumut. He wanted to do a LSD run tomorrow morning. That's OK with me - SMSed him and told him to meet me at 7.00 am.
After surveying the area, there wasn't anything else to see so I drove back to Klang. Reached home at 4.00 pm, had lunch and then went out to Bukit Raja Shopping Centre.
I caught the movie "Seoul Raiders" starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Shu Qi. I was expecting something similar to "Tokyo Raiders" but I was bit dissapointed. It was pretty much an average HK action movie. Definitely not as good as Tokyo raider. And Shu Qi ? She is starting to show signs of aging although she's only 28 -sometimes she looks haggard and worn out.
For those running in the Nilai 21 km - pace yourself and get ready for the hills.
Off I went at 12.40 pm along the Federal Highway. Turned right to Shah Alam and then left heading towards KLIA aiport. I hoped there were no speed traps as I would surely get a RM 300 fine today. I was driving along at 140-150 km/hr . I thought I was the fastest driver on the road until a Toyota Harrier showed up with a Singapore reg. plate. I reckon he/she was driving at about 160 km/hr - overtook me when I was moving at 150 km/hr.
Arriving at Bandar Baru Nilai, I drove around looking for the Alison Klana hotel. The hotel was a huge rectangular complex which won't any architertural awards. Plain, square and business like. I saw a "Empress hotel " signboard so went looking for it. I found the hotel at Bandar Salak Tinggi. Went into the hotel.The hotel has an impressive lobby. Got the room prices : Superior RM 138++ with breakfast.
Next up, I went looking for the Nilai 3 wholesale centre. After a few wrong turns, I found the place located on a hill. Note from the main road to the w. centre, it is 500 m uphill to the finishing line. Leaving the w. centre, I drove partly along the 21 km route. The route was undulating with many uphill sections. I made a mental note to put in some hill training in the next 3 weeks.
I received an SMS from Kenneth. He had read about my aborted trip to Lumut. He wanted to do a LSD run tomorrow morning. That's OK with me - SMSed him and told him to meet me at 7.00 am.
After surveying the area, there wasn't anything else to see so I drove back to Klang. Reached home at 4.00 pm, had lunch and then went out to Bukit Raja Shopping Centre.
I caught the movie "Seoul Raiders" starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Shu Qi. I was expecting something similar to "Tokyo Raiders" but I was bit dissapointed. It was pretty much an average HK action movie. Definitely not as good as Tokyo raider. And Shu Qi ? She is starting to show signs of aging although she's only 28 -sometimes she looks haggard and worn out.
For those running in the Nilai 21 km - pace yourself and get ready for the hills.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Chinese New Year Holiday - 200 km too Far
Traffic Jam on the North South Hway
I had booked the hotel in Lumut and packed on the morning of the first day of the Chinese New Year. I left Klang at 10.00 am. The roads were devoid of traffic and I was expecting a smooth drive to Lumut , 280 km away By 2.00 pm, I would have arrived at the hotel. For the next 4 days I would spend going to beaches , running and relaxing. I wanted to visit my friend who had returned to Ipoh on Saturday. As I turned left at the NKVE highway towards Ipoh, I drove smack into a massive traffic jam.
For the next half hour, I moved at a speed of 10-30 km/hr, stopping frequently. Behind me, there was an unending stream of vehicles as far as the eye could see. Was there a traffic accident ? At the Rawang rest stop, I found the reason. A lone policeman had set up a shelter equipped with a laser speed detector. The drivers saw this and slown down to adhere to the 110 km/hr speed limit.
Why on earth would he set up the speed trap there? The shelter in white/blue stripes was visible from 500 m away as it was at the highest point of the road. Far from getting results, he caused the massive trafffic jam. ??F**%% !
As I passed by the bottleneck, the traffic flow improved but not for long. I encountered a series of traffic jams along the road construction areas. By now, it was becoming obvious a 4 hour journey could become 6 to 8 hrs. I pondered my options : to continue or abort?
I decided to continue and observe the traffic flow. The traffic flow did not improve. There were intermittent stops and speed was limited to 80 km/hr. I decided to abort the trip and return to Klang. It was not worth the trouble to battle through the traffic jam. I was dissapointed I could not visit my friend near Ipoh as I had done for the past 2 years.
I moved to the left most lane and started to scan for an exit from the highway. Soon a signboard showing "Lembah Beringin" appeared. This was my exit and I took it!
As I drove past then Lembah Beringin road toll plaza, I decided to drive to the Lembah Beringin housing estate. This place had been heavily promoted in the late 1990's. TV ads showed contented families strolling in an housing area among the forest. One image stuck in my mind, a little girl was playing on a swing, laughing joyfully among trees and buterflies.
Today, I saw the reality. The estate was filled with vacant houses. A fully completed school painted in yellow/white stood by the main road, devoid of students. Half completed and decaying houses stood in grasses tall enough to hide tigers. The surrounding and landscape was gorgeous. The estate had many trees and plants, unlike the bare concrete of housing areas in Kuala Lumpur. The only problem? Location - it was 60 km from KL and too far from any town.
On the way back to the toll plaza, I noticed something. There is a jogging track !. It was nestled in a small valley. The small track is undulating with flat and hily sections. What a great place to run! I stopped the car and took some photos. Perhaps I will run there one day.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
How to lose and keep off excess weight for good
Every year especially in January (new year resolution syndrome) I see fat guys and women exercising at KLCC park. It is obvious they are determined to lose weight. You can see it in their grim faces. I see them walking 3-4 km several times a week.
One guy stood out. He always wore a blue knitted T-shirt and was about 30 pounds overweight. I would see him exercising for 6 months and then he would dissapear for the rest of the year. Next year he would turned up again as fat as before. This went on for 2 years. I have not seen him since then at KLCC park. I did see him last year at the shopping centre-he was still fat.
So what does it take to lose weigh and then keep it off ?
Here the facts obtained from a study from the National Weight Control Registry (USA).
Of the 5 percent of those individuals who lost and keep of weight in the LONG term:-
I used to weight 62 kg (1.68 m) or 137 lbs (5 foot 3 inches) with a BMI of 22., close to the overweight limit of 23.0 for an Asian. By making lifestyle changes, I dropped my weight to 55 kg losing 7 kg over 6 months. I have maintaned this weight for five years.
I am not alone in this sucess story. My runner friends have reduced their weight even more ranging from 7.0 to 20.0 kg. Of course they have now become hard core runners like me. But you don't have to run 50-80 km a week to lose and maintain body weight.
What you need to do is :
One guy stood out. He always wore a blue knitted T-shirt and was about 30 pounds overweight. I would see him exercising for 6 months and then he would dissapear for the rest of the year. Next year he would turned up again as fat as before. This went on for 2 years. I have not seen him since then at KLCC park. I did see him last year at the shopping centre-he was still fat.
So what does it take to lose weigh and then keep it off ?
Here the facts obtained from a study from the National Weight Control Registry (USA).
Of the 5 percent of those individuals who lost and keep of weight in the LONG term:-
- 89 percent changed both their eating habits. Only 10% dieted only, only 1% exercised only.
- 96 percent exercised regularly, burning on average 2,800 calories per week. This is equivalent to 28 miles of walking per week.
- Fewer than 5 percent followed diets such as Atkins, the Zone and Sugar Busters!.
- 50 percent ate the same type of foods they had always eaten but less.
- 50 percent counted calories , averaging 1400 calorie per day, spread among five meals.
I used to weight 62 kg (1.68 m) or 137 lbs (5 foot 3 inches) with a BMI of 22., close to the overweight limit of 23.0 for an Asian. By making lifestyle changes, I dropped my weight to 55 kg losing 7 kg over 6 months. I have maintaned this weight for five years.
I am not alone in this sucess story. My runner friends have reduced their weight even more ranging from 7.0 to 20.0 kg. Of course they have now become hard core runners like me. But you don't have to run 50-80 km a week to lose and maintain body weight.
What you need to do is :
- Eat less food
- Minimise empty calorie food like cookies, soft drinks, candy etc
- Don't follow a diet
- Exercise at least 5 times a week using up at least 2800 calorie per week. If walking at 3 miles per hour, this is equivalent to 6 hrs per week.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Saturday 05 Feb.- 20km LSD run with Kenneth
I have never run more than 16 km during training. Not even once during 5 years of running and going through 13 half marathons.
This morning I ran 20 km at Tasik Shah Alam. The initial plan was to run 4 x 4 km for 16 km. Me and Kenneth started to run in the dark at 7.00 am. Our plan was to run at a even pace. There will be no laps when we would blast away at 23 min per 4 km. Our lap times were :
1st = 25 min. 40 sec.
2nd= 26 min. 00 sec.
3rd = 26 min. 01 sec.
4th = 25 min. 01 sec
After the 4th lap, we were feeling quite comfortable and decided to continue for a bonus 5th lap.
The 5th lap was a struggle as my right knee started to ache and I became tired. On other hand, Kenneth seemed to be quite comfortable despite his sore legs. We stopped for 3 walk breaks for about 50 m distance each. The final 400 m we pour it on to finish the 5th lap in 25 minutes.
Total LSD time = 2 hrs 07 min. 42 sec.
Distance = approximately 20 km.
After the run, my legs felt woobly and sore. I bought isotonic drinks and finished off 1 can.
Also tried wearing the 4 bottle Fuel belt this morning. I had to remove the two bottles in front as it was interfering with my arm swing. I only ran with 1 bottle. Verdict?
There was no water bounce but I was not comfortable wearing it. After the 4th lap, I took it off and immediately felt the difference of not wearing the belt.
Anyway thanks to Kenneth for running with me. I could not have run 20 km without him beside me.
This morning I ran 20 km at Tasik Shah Alam. The initial plan was to run 4 x 4 km for 16 km. Me and Kenneth started to run in the dark at 7.00 am. Our plan was to run at a even pace. There will be no laps when we would blast away at 23 min per 4 km. Our lap times were :
1st = 25 min. 40 sec.
2nd= 26 min. 00 sec.
3rd = 26 min. 01 sec.
4th = 25 min. 01 sec
After the 4th lap, we were feeling quite comfortable and decided to continue for a bonus 5th lap.
The 5th lap was a struggle as my right knee started to ache and I became tired. On other hand, Kenneth seemed to be quite comfortable despite his sore legs. We stopped for 3 walk breaks for about 50 m distance each. The final 400 m we pour it on to finish the 5th lap in 25 minutes.
Total LSD time = 2 hrs 07 min. 42 sec.
Distance = approximately 20 km.
After the run, my legs felt woobly and sore. I bought isotonic drinks and finished off 1 can.
Also tried wearing the 4 bottle Fuel belt this morning. I had to remove the two bottles in front as it was interfering with my arm swing. I only ran with 1 bottle. Verdict?
There was no water bounce but I was not comfortable wearing it. After the 4th lap, I took it off and immediately felt the difference of not wearing the belt.
Anyway thanks to Kenneth for running with me. I could not have run 20 km without him beside me.
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