Yesterday , I went to FTAAA and registered myself in the full marathon event for the KL International Marathon.
My training "officially" started yesterday with a 10 km run with Albert and Chow from Klang Pacer Athletic club. Both are going for the full marathon distance. The 10 km run was done at a easy pace (63 minutes). I noticed that although the pace was well within my capacity, my running biomechanics was worse than normal. This is really saying something as my normal running style is not that efficient and fairly sloppy.
Today it started to rain heavily in KL at 5.00 pm. What else could I do except run in the treadmill at Sweat Club ? I completed 8 km using the "River Run" program which programs the treadmill for an undulating course. My speed was 10.5 km/hour. I became very bored after 5 km but I had to complete the 8 km distance. I really need to bring up my training to speed with the marathon only 2 months away.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Vietnam : Post #6 Back In Malaysia
I am writing this from PC in Malaysia. I am still on leave today but will be busy running around doing various chores.
My 17 days trip to Vietnam (10 Dec. to 27 Dec.) was generally enjoyable and free of problems. Unlike in 1995 and 1997, travelling in Vietnam nowadays is much easier. There are many travel agencies offering competitive products like tours , tickets etc.
Places like Hanoi and Hoi An which used to have a severe shortage of hotels now have hundreds of hotels. Room prices can be as low as USD 6.00 and for this you get a hot shower, TV, bathroom a clean bed in a individual room.
Language is sometimes a problem but much less so nowadays. Back in 1995 and 1997, I met a few young Vietnamese learning English. Nowadays there are more people learning English. The hotel staff English skills has certainly improved.
On the downside, there are more tourists more than ever in HCM City. I even spotted a few tourists from Africa although they are all young (20's) and I am not sure what they are doing in Vietnam. In Bangkok, many African tourists are buying goods to sell back in Africa. They are mostly older (30's) people but the younger ones I saw in HCM City are either genuine tourists or may be peddling drugs or scams.
I now have to start my training for the KL International Marathon just 2 months away. I am feeling the pressure already.
On a side note, the Internet is great for travellers. I could call Malaysia from HCM City using an Internet phone at the many Internet phone shops for just RM 0.40 per minute. This morning I checked what Telekom Malaysia rate for calls to Vietnam ; 10 times more at RM 3.50/minute.
I think I have to set-up an Internet phone at my house.
My 17 days trip to Vietnam (10 Dec. to 27 Dec.) was generally enjoyable and free of problems. Unlike in 1995 and 1997, travelling in Vietnam nowadays is much easier. There are many travel agencies offering competitive products like tours , tickets etc.
Places like Hanoi and Hoi An which used to have a severe shortage of hotels now have hundreds of hotels. Room prices can be as low as USD 6.00 and for this you get a hot shower, TV, bathroom a clean bed in a individual room.
Language is sometimes a problem but much less so nowadays. Back in 1995 and 1997, I met a few young Vietnamese learning English. Nowadays there are more people learning English. The hotel staff English skills has certainly improved.
On the downside, there are more tourists more than ever in HCM City. I even spotted a few tourists from Africa although they are all young (20's) and I am not sure what they are doing in Vietnam. In Bangkok, many African tourists are buying goods to sell back in Africa. They are mostly older (30's) people but the younger ones I saw in HCM City are either genuine tourists or may be peddling drugs or scams.
I now have to start my training for the KL International Marathon just 2 months away. I am feeling the pressure already.
On a side note, the Internet is great for travellers. I could call Malaysia from HCM City using an Internet phone at the many Internet phone shops for just RM 0.40 per minute. This morning I checked what Telekom Malaysia rate for calls to Vietnam ; 10 times more at RM 3.50/minute.
I think I have to set-up an Internet phone at my house.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Vietnam : Post #5 Running In Vietnam
A Malaysian runner asked me to check if there are any running events or races held in Vietnam. I've checked in the two largest cities in Vietnam; Hanoi (capital- 3 million population) and HCM City (7 million pop.). What I did was call the Hanoi and HCM City Hash House Harrier (HHH) club member and asked him if he knew of any running races or triathlon events in Vietnam. The answer given was they have not heard or knew about any running or triathlons events held in Vietnam. If I may quote the reply from the Hanoi HHH runner "They are not really into this thing(running)".
Most towns and cities in Vietnam are not suitable for running. The roads and streets start filling up with motorcyles and other vehicles as early as 6.00 am. In most towns, there are no public parks to run in. The only city which I've seen that has large parks to run in are Hanoi, Hue and HCM City. Danang (Central Vietnam) has traffic free stretches suitable to run along the beach.
For HCM City, I consciously selected my hotel as it was located only 100 m from a public park. I ran there in this morning. I had to start very early at 5.45 am and the park already was full of people walking , doing Tai Chi and playing badminton. There were only about half a dozen "runners" (joggers, really). The surface was not very good for running as it consisted of concrete slabs with embedded small peebles. A really hard surface to run on. Even worse, the concrete slabs had gaps in between which made the surface uneven. The park was quite small; I ran around the rectangular perimeter in just 3 minutes (600 m, I think). I ran for about 8 laps until I had to give up because of the impact on my legs.
I found another park about 500 m away but it was a gated park which only opens at 7.30 am (??). The reunification palace is in this park but it is a good place to run if the opening and closing times are more suitable; I plan to recheck again this evening.
Most towns and cities in Vietnam are not suitable for running. The roads and streets start filling up with motorcyles and other vehicles as early as 6.00 am. In most towns, there are no public parks to run in. The only city which I've seen that has large parks to run in are Hanoi, Hue and HCM City. Danang (Central Vietnam) has traffic free stretches suitable to run along the beach.
For HCM City, I consciously selected my hotel as it was located only 100 m from a public park. I ran there in this morning. I had to start very early at 5.45 am and the park already was full of people walking , doing Tai Chi and playing badminton. There were only about half a dozen "runners" (joggers, really). The surface was not very good for running as it consisted of concrete slabs with embedded small peebles. A really hard surface to run on. Even worse, the concrete slabs had gaps in between which made the surface uneven. The park was quite small; I ran around the rectangular perimeter in just 3 minutes (600 m, I think). I ran for about 8 laps until I had to give up because of the impact on my legs.
I found another park about 500 m away but it was a gated park which only opens at 7.30 am (??). The reunification palace is in this park but it is a good place to run if the opening and closing times are more suitable; I plan to recheck again this evening.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Vietnam :Post #4 From Ho Chi Minh City
It's 8.00 pm here in HCM City. I am sitting in a cybercafe on the Pham Ngu Lao Street, the budget area in District 1. For the first time in more than 1 week after I left Hanoi, I can access blogspot.com. I stepped into the first cybercafe and I found there was no firewall to block access to blog sites. I guess being in HCM City, the commercial capital of Vietnam, 1700 km away from the Hanoi, the political centre of Vietnam helps. Censorship be dammed here!.
Next to this cafe, a noisy karaoke in progress. Outside on the street there is a continuous buzz and honking sounds from motorcyles. This city has a noticeable human energy. Everyone is busy moving ahead, to make more $$$. Despite the recent commercial freedoms in Hanoi, HCM City is still where the action is.
A summary of my recent travels over the past 10 days (in chronological order).
Next to this cafe, a noisy karaoke in progress. Outside on the street there is a continuous buzz and honking sounds from motorcyles. This city has a noticeable human energy. Everyone is busy moving ahead, to make more $$$. Despite the recent commercial freedoms in Hanoi, HCM City is still where the action is.
A summary of my recent travels over the past 10 days (in chronological order).
- 2 days in Ninh Binh, 90 km South of Hanoi. Post #3 was about this place.
- I stayed to Hanoi for 1 night and took a flight to Hue. It was my 2nd visit to Hue. This time I visited the museums which I didn't go to in 1998.
- After Hue, I took a bus to another town, Hoi An. Visiting this town was the main purpose of my trip to Vietnam. The town was a trading centre for Chinese, Dutch etc merchants n the 15 and 16th century. There is area in the old town which has been preserved as it was in the 15th century. It reminded me of Malacca but with historically and architecturally more aunthentic. Hoi An is a Unesco Heritage site.I also visited another Unesco heritage site, 30 km from Hoi An, My Son. I spent 4 days in Hoi An.
- Today from Hoi An, I took a taxi to Danang and a 1 hour flight to HCM City.
After spending 2 weeks in Vietnam, this is what I can say:-
I found out 2 days ago that China is now the 6th largest economy in the world. In a few years , it will overtake France and the UK. There are only 2 other countries in the world which can rival the economic dyamism of China; India and Vietnam.
Everyone wants to move ahead here. Democracy and a free society ? How important are these things? Well in a survey carried out a few years ago among young people (50 % of Vietnam's population is below 30 years old), democracy was ranked 9th among 12 things considered important among young people.
As long as the communist party keeps the economy capitalist, few people care about democarcy and political freedom.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Vietnam : Post #3 Back in Hanoi (Friday)
I returned to Hanoi after spending 2 nights in a town called Ninh Binh. The town is located 90 km south of Hanoi. Like many towns in Vietnam it is an utterly charmless place filled with shops with grey concrete walls. Here most of the buildings or shops are not painted - the concrete is left bare. You can imagine what a town consisting of grey concrete buildings. At Ninh Binh, most of the shops are closed by 8.00 pm It gets dark in Northenrn Vietnam by 5.30 pm.
Last night I went for a massage to repair my aching body after a motor bike ride througg bone jarring back country roads. I sat pillion while the motor driver as we rode among the rice fields and villages. The ride was very scenic as the area is dotted with limestone formation and hills. Like Ipoh but with lots of rice fields, villages and buffaloes.
Earlier in the morning, I took a 2 hour boat ride to Khenh Ga floating village. Unfortunately the houses near the river banks which the travel guide books said were on stilts were nowehere to be seen. Instead there were brick or stone houses along the river banks. There were plenty of things to see and photograph like ; farmers planting rice, people ccathing fish but one sight stood out.
At two different places, there were several men, women and even children breaking rocks and carrying them to boats. The source of the rocks is the limestone hills. It must a dangerous work to do as I saw huge rocks and earth raining down down some slopes.
I should mention that women work very hard here in Hanoi and all over Vietnam. At the above 2 sites, women carry the rocks in baskets placed over their head. In Hanoi, there are many women selling fruits, food, slippers and many other things. They carry the products on a long bamboo stick with the goods tied to the ends. Sometimes they carry their products on bicycles. The most common product sold by the women is fruits. They start work very early and continue until 9.00 or 10.00 pm. I cannot imagine aMalaysian woman doing these things.
Today the skies in Hanoi are sunny. I will be sure to run around Hoan Kiem lake this evening.
That's all for today. I wil be flying to Hue , 1000 km south of Hanoi tomorrow afternoon.
Last night I went for a massage to repair my aching body after a motor bike ride througg bone jarring back country roads. I sat pillion while the motor driver as we rode among the rice fields and villages. The ride was very scenic as the area is dotted with limestone formation and hills. Like Ipoh but with lots of rice fields, villages and buffaloes.
Earlier in the morning, I took a 2 hour boat ride to Khenh Ga floating village. Unfortunately the houses near the river banks which the travel guide books said were on stilts were nowehere to be seen. Instead there were brick or stone houses along the river banks. There were plenty of things to see and photograph like ; farmers planting rice, people ccathing fish but one sight stood out.
At two different places, there were several men, women and even children breaking rocks and carrying them to boats. The source of the rocks is the limestone hills. It must a dangerous work to do as I saw huge rocks and earth raining down down some slopes.
I should mention that women work very hard here in Hanoi and all over Vietnam. At the above 2 sites, women carry the rocks in baskets placed over their head. In Hanoi, there are many women selling fruits, food, slippers and many other things. They carry the products on a long bamboo stick with the goods tied to the ends. Sometimes they carry their products on bicycles. The most common product sold by the women is fruits. They start work very early and continue until 9.00 or 10.00 pm. I cannot imagine aMalaysian woman doing these things.
Today the skies in Hanoi are sunny. I will be sure to run around Hoan Kiem lake this evening.
That's all for today. I wil be flying to Hue , 1000 km south of Hanoi tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Vietnam : Post #2 The Immortal Ho Chi Minh
Everyone dies but there are men and women who continue to live on forever. They have become an immortal but there are various degrees of immortality. Some are legendary figures remembered in "recorded" history or ancient tales. They may or may not historically exist. Others were once living individuals, their deeds recorded in history books. A minority exist in both books and has a physical/bodily presence.
And so this was the case, this morning when I trotted out to the Ho Chi Minh Maosoleum to see the Man himself; Ho Chi Minh. He was the founder of the Republic of Vietnam, more than 60 years ago he declared independence from French rule in Hanoi. He died I think in 1969, 36 years ago. His wish was to have his cremated ashes scattered over three places in Vietnam. That did not happen of course. Such a person is more than a person really.
A perpetual symbol was needed by the communist goverment of North Vietnam. After 1975, when North and South was reunited by force, the country went through a period where Marxist economic systems were implemented. Rice farms in the Mekong Delta (South Vietnam) was collectivised. The result was a fall in rice production and a nation wide famine.
For 10 years after 1975, the now united Vietnam went through severe hardship caused by the foolish and misguided policies dictated by the central goverment. Food shortages were common and inflation rates shot up to hundreds of percent in one year.
In 1986, the situation in the country was perilious. Drastic change was needed - a new policy was introduced "Doi Moi" or Renovation. An open market economic system was gradually introduced. Almost 20 years later, the policy has been very successful in improving the economy. Vietnam's economic growth rates has beeb around 7 percent per year over the past 10 years. Even the Asian economic crisis in 1997/1998 failed to make a dent.
One thing hasn' t changed though. The goverment is still not an elected entity by the citizens of Vietnam. Today, Vietnam is only one of five remaining communist nations on the planet. This is where the immortal Ho Chi Minh comes in handy for the goverment.
His speeches and writings are extracted for mass public campaigns. His images are shown on posters and numerous television programs. You can't miss him really his visage stares out from on every Vietnamese Dong currency note and coin. Ho Chi Minh is truly an immortal in Vietnam.
A bit of news about my running activities in Hanoi. This morning at 6.30 am I ran around Hoam Kiem lake. It was quite cold during the 5 minutes from my hotel to the lake. The place was already crowded when I got there. There were Tai Chi groups, women dancing holding red colour fans, badminton and sepak takraw players. The majority were walkers. There were only 3 or 4 runners. Most are dressed in track suits and track pants. There were no branded shoes in sight.
It was incredibly refreshing to run in the cold temperature. I think I was easily running at 5 min per 1 km pace. One loop around the lake is about 1.6 to 1.8 km. I ran for four laps (6.4 to 7.2 km). I did not see anyone else running close to my pace. I guess there are very few Vietnamese runners around; everyone is too busy making a living. Perhaps only the well off or those living in relatively more developed countries can Afford the time for exercise.
Tomorrow I will be going on a tour to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc, 3 hours South from Hanoi. I will stay for 2 nights in Ninh Binh town before returning to Hanoi on Friday.
And so this was the case, this morning when I trotted out to the Ho Chi Minh Maosoleum to see the Man himself; Ho Chi Minh. He was the founder of the Republic of Vietnam, more than 60 years ago he declared independence from French rule in Hanoi. He died I think in 1969, 36 years ago. His wish was to have his cremated ashes scattered over three places in Vietnam. That did not happen of course. Such a person is more than a person really.
A perpetual symbol was needed by the communist goverment of North Vietnam. After 1975, when North and South was reunited by force, the country went through a period where Marxist economic systems were implemented. Rice farms in the Mekong Delta (South Vietnam) was collectivised. The result was a fall in rice production and a nation wide famine.
For 10 years after 1975, the now united Vietnam went through severe hardship caused by the foolish and misguided policies dictated by the central goverment. Food shortages were common and inflation rates shot up to hundreds of percent in one year.
In 1986, the situation in the country was perilious. Drastic change was needed - a new policy was introduced "Doi Moi" or Renovation. An open market economic system was gradually introduced. Almost 20 years later, the policy has been very successful in improving the economy. Vietnam's economic growth rates has beeb around 7 percent per year over the past 10 years. Even the Asian economic crisis in 1997/1998 failed to make a dent.
One thing hasn' t changed though. The goverment is still not an elected entity by the citizens of Vietnam. Today, Vietnam is only one of five remaining communist nations on the planet. This is where the immortal Ho Chi Minh comes in handy for the goverment.
His speeches and writings are extracted for mass public campaigns. His images are shown on posters and numerous television programs. You can't miss him really his visage stares out from on every Vietnamese Dong currency note and coin. Ho Chi Minh is truly an immortal in Vietnam.
A bit of news about my running activities in Hanoi. This morning at 6.30 am I ran around Hoam Kiem lake. It was quite cold during the 5 minutes from my hotel to the lake. The place was already crowded when I got there. There were Tai Chi groups, women dancing holding red colour fans, badminton and sepak takraw players. The majority were walkers. There were only 3 or 4 runners. Most are dressed in track suits and track pants. There were no branded shoes in sight.
It was incredibly refreshing to run in the cold temperature. I think I was easily running at 5 min per 1 km pace. One loop around the lake is about 1.6 to 1.8 km. I ran for four laps (6.4 to 7.2 km). I did not see anyone else running close to my pace. I guess there are very few Vietnamese runners around; everyone is too busy making a living. Perhaps only the well off or those living in relatively more developed countries can Afford the time for exercise.
Tomorrow I will be going on a tour to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc, 3 hours South from Hanoi. I will stay for 2 nights in Ninh Binh town before returning to Hanoi on Friday.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Vietnam: Post #1, The New Hanoi
It's been 3 days since I landed in Hanoi Vietnam. My previous trips to Hanoi were in 1995 and 1999. Perhaps the spanking international aiport was a taste of what to come in Hanoi. All things changed but not always for the better in some respects.
The best place to stay in Hanoi is in the Old Quarters area. The entire area is criss-crossed with several streets each specialising in a particular trade and product. There is a street with shops selling shoes. Other streets had shops selling silks, mirrors, dried meat, tofu etc.
In the morning, after breakfast I used to take a walk from my hotel (Nam Phuong), one of the few mini hotels available at that time to Hoan Kiem Lake. Crossing the roads sparsely trafficked by vehicles, I strolled around the lake enjoying the cool refreshing winter air. (Both of my trips were in winter)
In the evening, after dinner I liked to walk around the Old Quarters. By 7.30 pm, most of the shops would be already closed. Families would sit outside their shops or houses to eat dinner. Children played on the pavement and streets. There was hardly any traffic. By 10.00 pm, things became much quieter. The area was deadly quiet with very few vehicles or people lingering on the streets.
Oh how things change in just 6 years!
My hotel now lies among assorted shops catering for the commercial and tourist trade. There are 2 mini hotels 20 meters apart. Just next door to my hotel, an establishment with bright red and green neon lights rudely advertises "Foot Massage". There are two souvenier shops, several travel companies. There is a shop selling CD, VCD and DVD all fakes of course, copies may be made upon request.
Crossing the streets entails having a wide angle view from a 180 degrees. Lest one get runs over the motorcycles or cars. Unimaginable a few years ago. Frankly I was quite shocked at the number of vehicles passing through the area at all hours of the day.
I never thought the goverment would allow such development in staid and laid back Hanoi. A city graced with elegant French buildings, tall Banyan trees and filled with legendary lakes. This is the capital city of a communist goverment for heavens sake!
The Old Quarters is now like that other city, in the South that the North Vietnamese army overran in 1975 - Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh city after their victory. I wonder what uncle Ho would think about Hanoi now?
Today I went on a tour with eight other tourists. It was the first time in Hanoi for them. I told them tabout he Hanoi I visited years ago. I guess they will never experience the Hanoi I knew then. The new Hanoi is here now for good.
The best place to stay in Hanoi is in the Old Quarters area. The entire area is criss-crossed with several streets each specialising in a particular trade and product. There is a street with shops selling shoes. Other streets had shops selling silks, mirrors, dried meat, tofu etc.
In the morning, after breakfast I used to take a walk from my hotel (Nam Phuong), one of the few mini hotels available at that time to Hoan Kiem Lake. Crossing the roads sparsely trafficked by vehicles, I strolled around the lake enjoying the cool refreshing winter air. (Both of my trips were in winter)
In the evening, after dinner I liked to walk around the Old Quarters. By 7.30 pm, most of the shops would be already closed. Families would sit outside their shops or houses to eat dinner. Children played on the pavement and streets. There was hardly any traffic. By 10.00 pm, things became much quieter. The area was deadly quiet with very few vehicles or people lingering on the streets.
Oh how things change in just 6 years!
My hotel now lies among assorted shops catering for the commercial and tourist trade. There are 2 mini hotels 20 meters apart. Just next door to my hotel, an establishment with bright red and green neon lights rudely advertises "Foot Massage". There are two souvenier shops, several travel companies. There is a shop selling CD, VCD and DVD all fakes of course, copies may be made upon request.
Crossing the streets entails having a wide angle view from a 180 degrees. Lest one get runs over the motorcycles or cars. Unimaginable a few years ago. Frankly I was quite shocked at the number of vehicles passing through the area at all hours of the day.
I never thought the goverment would allow such development in staid and laid back Hanoi. A city graced with elegant French buildings, tall Banyan trees and filled with legendary lakes. This is the capital city of a communist goverment for heavens sake!
The Old Quarters is now like that other city, in the South that the North Vietnamese army overran in 1975 - Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh city after their victory. I wonder what uncle Ho would think about Hanoi now?
Today I went on a tour with eight other tourists. It was the first time in Hanoi for them. I told them tabout he Hanoi I visited years ago. I guess they will never experience the Hanoi I knew then. The new Hanoi is here now for good.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
December 2005 Training Plans
After 3 days of rest, I started to run again. Today I had to run on a treadmill because it rained again. It was a short run of 5 km at 11.0 km/hr.
In past years, I mostly do maintenance training during December with low mileage (5 km). December gives me the channce to rest and recover from the past 11 months of training and racing. Normally I start base training in January gradually increasing mileage and the frequency of runs.
However this year I won't be doing maintenance training in December but will be doing base training a month earlier. The main reason is the KL International Marathon is only 3 months away. Only 3 months to prepare for a marathon (my first one).
You can bet I will be bringing my running attire and shoes to Vietnam. I will be there from 10 to 26 Dec, arriving in Hanoi on 10 Dec. It is now winter in Northern Vietnam. The temperatures ranges from 15 to 21 deg. C, - perfect temperatures for running.
There will less frequent updates and mabe none at all until I return to Malaysia.
Have a good and safe December everyone!
In past years, I mostly do maintenance training during December with low mileage (5 km). December gives me the channce to rest and recover from the past 11 months of training and racing. Normally I start base training in January gradually increasing mileage and the frequency of runs.
However this year I won't be doing maintenance training in December but will be doing base training a month earlier. The main reason is the KL International Marathon is only 3 months away. Only 3 months to prepare for a marathon (my first one).
You can bet I will be bringing my running attire and shoes to Vietnam. I will be there from 10 to 26 Dec, arriving in Hanoi on 10 Dec. It is now winter in Northern Vietnam. The temperatures ranges from 15 to 21 deg. C, - perfect temperatures for running.
There will less frequent updates and mabe none at all until I return to Malaysia.
Have a good and safe December everyone!
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Singapore Half Marathon 2005 Race Report
After my debacle at the same event last year, I hope to do a better time this year (last year's time=2 hrs 16 minutes).
Day 1, Friday : The trip to Singapore
The bus from Klang left on time at 10.30 am. I SMSed Kenneth to inform him I was on the way as he had planned to bunk in with me on Saturday night.
The bus stopped at two places; Seremban and Johor Bharu for a total of 20 minutes. I should not complain about the 'delay' as the bus ticket was much cheaper (RM 35) than the VIP buses like Aeroline (Rm 80). I SMSed Jamie to check the time for the bib collection. For Friday, it was up to 10.00 pm so I decided to collect the bib on the same day.
At the Malaysia-Singapore causeway, the bus slowly crawled forward to the Malaysian immigration office amidst an awful traffic jam. I went through immigration swiftly and boarded the bus for the ride across the causeway. At the Singapore immigration, after inspecting my passport, the immigration officer also asked for my identity card.
I reached a place called Golden Mile Complex. After I got down from the bus, I was in a daze and had no idea where I was. There was Thai pop music blaring, people speaking Thai and sundry shops bearing intelligible Thai script. I wanted to buy a bus ticket for the trip home on 6 Dec. 2005. Not knowing where to go, I walked into the complex and noticed many foreign currency shops, money remittance shops, Thai supermarket, restaurants, food stalls and a few seedy looking karaoke cum bar joints. The place looked nothing like a typical sterile and hygenic Singapore shopping complex. It had a Malaysian feel with all the dirt and grime strewn on the floors and walls. Eventually I found a place to buy my bus ride home for SGD 27 (RM 60).
I boarded a taxi for the short 15 minutes trip to hotel. After check-in, I still had to wait in the lobby for the rooms to be cleaned By now, it was already 6.00 pm. I contacted Kenneth and we arranged to meet him and his friend at Suntec to collect the bibs.
After unpacking and taking a shower, I left the hotel at 7.20 pm. It was a 10 minutes walk from the hotel to Suntec. There was plenty of smartly dressed Singapore girls around but I was so eager to get collect my bibs that I did not pay much attention.
This year, the marathon expo was housed in a room instead of a open space. I lined up in a long queue and spotted Kenneth ahead. He grinned and waved, so I jumped the queue. Sorry to the guy and girl standing behind me who gave me a dirty look. He introduced me to his friend Ah Meng.
After we had collected the bibs, we moved on to the Sports and Fitness Expo. Although there were more exhibitors this year, most were hawking services and products of fringe interest to runners. The exhibitors that had relevant products were Adidas, Nike and a company with Powerbar products and Polar heart rate monitors. Unfortunately for Adidas and Nike their range of products and sizes displayed were limited. Nike especially deserved a slap on the wrist, when we asked about their prioes, they said the prices were the same as the retail outlets. What is the point of being there if they do not offer any discounts to the participants?
After wandering around the expo for 30 minutes, we lost interest and left Suntec to Orchard road for dinner and other activities. Here our interest was to do some people watching which we did so contentedly. Unfortunately, our plan to continue was disrupted when rain fell as we were about to go out from the MRT station after crossing to the opposite side of Orchard road . We waited for the rain to abate but gave up when it became heavier. It was time to go back to the hotel.
Day 2, Saturday : The night before the race
In the morning. I came across CW (Penguin) and family on the street when I came out to look for a place to eat breakfast. He pointed out a place to eat breakfast and that is where I went. After breakfast, I had to go to Pasta Mania to book seats for the Carbo loading dinner. The manager was surprised when I told her to book 27 seats from 6.30 pm onwards.
I spent the afternoon at Queensway with Kenneth the Navigator with his trusty PDA and a bus guide acting as the bus route geek. The place was full of shops selling all kinds of sport and outdoor equipment. We visited several shops oogling at shoes unlike the previous oogling session at Orchard road the night before. We bought 2 pairs of ASICS GT-2100 shoes.
It was almost 5.00 pm when we reached the hotel. Kenneth would be my room mate tonight. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I walked to Funan IT mall. Jamie and family was already there. A few minutes later, the other runners including those form Singapore showed up. I met DK for the first time - he will be running the 10 km race. Others who were at the "party" were Justin and Jean, Sim, Jason, Kevin and fiancee, Kelvin, Alex and many others whom I did not know.
After the dinner, Kenneth and I went to the Cold Storage supermarket to buy some things for tomorrow's breakfast.
Day 3, Sunday : Race Day
I woke up early because I wanted to watch the marathon start, to get a feel and the spirit of a marathon race. So I left the hotel alone and walked to the Padang (Field). I was not alone as I met Jessica near the traffic light. We walked together to the Padang.
Time was running short as it was almost 6.00 am (marathon start time) . I left Jessica who spotted her father who will be running his 2nd marathon. I rushed to the Marina and I got closer, the noise was deafening. I missed the initial start but there was still plenty of runners to watch.
It was now 6.10 am and I still had to stash my bag at the luggage storage area. Where is this place? I finally found it met Ah Meng and Jessica there too. As Ah Meng had lost his luggage tag, his bag was tied to my bag while Jess stashed her stuff inside Ah Meng' s bag.
That done, we walked back to the Marina for the half marathom race start at 6.30 am.
The first 10 km
I was feeling nervous during the first 1 km because of my bad experiences with fatigue at 12 km last year. I started tentatively but during the first 5 km, it was hard to judge my running pace as I ran on the right lane whereas the distance markers were on the left side of the road.
During the first 5 km, I still felt OK and was running at maybe slightly over 6 min. per km pace (60 min for 10 km). To pass the time away, I tried spot familiar faces among the marathon runners running on the opposite direction.
At the 10 km mark, I had run for 62 minutes. Not a bad pace I thought and I felt the pace was well within my limit. A 2 hrs 10 minute finish may be possible and maybe even 2 hrs 5 minutes if I can run a negative split for the next 11 km (63 minutes).
10 to 15 km
This is where it became tougher as the route was on roads without tree cover. It was blazing hot and at times I could feel a burning sensation on my face and arms from the sun's rays. When I reached a water station, I drank about 200 cc and splash the rest (300 cc) on my head and body. I did the same thing at two more water stations; drink some and splash some. I still managed to maintain my 6 min per km up to 15 km.
15 to 21 km
I crashed out of my running pace somewhere after 15 km mark. Fatigue caught up with me and I had to walk, then run, walk and so on. I was quite blur on what was happening really.
At some point, I could recognise a specific road from last year's run; I was only 2 km from the finish line, I mustered enough energy to start running again. I kept going and managed to sprint the last 100 m to the finish line.
Strangely enough, I didn't feel tired after I finishing the race. My legs were sore as usual but I did not have the familiar post race exhaustion feeling. I think the heat must have induced some sort of heat related fatigue.
Post Race
I had a horrible time trying to collect the bags. I stood in a queue for at least 20 minutes and near to the collection counter, I had to raise my bib number in the air. Even that didn't help much. Ah Meng volunteered to take over the task. For the next 30 minutes, he had to bear extreme discomfort.
Conclusion
After I returned to the hotel, Iwondered what I did wrong during the race. My official results are:
Chip time/Gun time: 2 hrs 16 min 05 sec/2 hrs 18 min. 51 seconds
Placing in half marathon category.
1073rd place with 2948 finishers behind. About 27% of finishers ahead.
Placing (male runners) in half marathon.
888th place with 1969 finishers behind. About 31% of finishers ahead
Among male Malaysian half marathoners finishers
60th place with 138 finishers behind. About 30% of finishers ahead.
As far as position is concerned I didn't do too badly (top 30% of finishers). I guess there were many others who fared worse and probably suffered more than me.
Frankly I am not sure if I will go the Singapore again next year. The hot and humid conditions with late starting times make it almost impossible to finish the race with a good timing or a feeling of satisfaction.
Day 1, Friday : The trip to Singapore
The bus from Klang left on time at 10.30 am. I SMSed Kenneth to inform him I was on the way as he had planned to bunk in with me on Saturday night.
The bus stopped at two places; Seremban and Johor Bharu for a total of 20 minutes. I should not complain about the 'delay' as the bus ticket was much cheaper (RM 35) than the VIP buses like Aeroline (Rm 80). I SMSed Jamie to check the time for the bib collection. For Friday, it was up to 10.00 pm so I decided to collect the bib on the same day.
At the Malaysia-Singapore causeway, the bus slowly crawled forward to the Malaysian immigration office amidst an awful traffic jam. I went through immigration swiftly and boarded the bus for the ride across the causeway. At the Singapore immigration, after inspecting my passport, the immigration officer also asked for my identity card.
I reached a place called Golden Mile Complex. After I got down from the bus, I was in a daze and had no idea where I was. There was Thai pop music blaring, people speaking Thai and sundry shops bearing intelligible Thai script. I wanted to buy a bus ticket for the trip home on 6 Dec. 2005. Not knowing where to go, I walked into the complex and noticed many foreign currency shops, money remittance shops, Thai supermarket, restaurants, food stalls and a few seedy looking karaoke cum bar joints. The place looked nothing like a typical sterile and hygenic Singapore shopping complex. It had a Malaysian feel with all the dirt and grime strewn on the floors and walls. Eventually I found a place to buy my bus ride home for SGD 27 (RM 60).
I boarded a taxi for the short 15 minutes trip to hotel. After check-in, I still had to wait in the lobby for the rooms to be cleaned By now, it was already 6.00 pm. I contacted Kenneth and we arranged to meet him and his friend at Suntec to collect the bibs.
After unpacking and taking a shower, I left the hotel at 7.20 pm. It was a 10 minutes walk from the hotel to Suntec. There was plenty of smartly dressed Singapore girls around but I was so eager to get collect my bibs that I did not pay much attention.
This year, the marathon expo was housed in a room instead of a open space. I lined up in a long queue and spotted Kenneth ahead. He grinned and waved, so I jumped the queue. Sorry to the guy and girl standing behind me who gave me a dirty look. He introduced me to his friend Ah Meng.
After we had collected the bibs, we moved on to the Sports and Fitness Expo. Although there were more exhibitors this year, most were hawking services and products of fringe interest to runners. The exhibitors that had relevant products were Adidas, Nike and a company with Powerbar products and Polar heart rate monitors. Unfortunately for Adidas and Nike their range of products and sizes displayed were limited. Nike especially deserved a slap on the wrist, when we asked about their prioes, they said the prices were the same as the retail outlets. What is the point of being there if they do not offer any discounts to the participants?
After wandering around the expo for 30 minutes, we lost interest and left Suntec to Orchard road for dinner and other activities. Here our interest was to do some people watching which we did so contentedly. Unfortunately, our plan to continue was disrupted when rain fell as we were about to go out from the MRT station after crossing to the opposite side of Orchard road . We waited for the rain to abate but gave up when it became heavier. It was time to go back to the hotel.
Day 2, Saturday : The night before the race
In the morning. I came across CW (Penguin) and family on the street when I came out to look for a place to eat breakfast. He pointed out a place to eat breakfast and that is where I went. After breakfast, I had to go to Pasta Mania to book seats for the Carbo loading dinner. The manager was surprised when I told her to book 27 seats from 6.30 pm onwards.
I spent the afternoon at Queensway with Kenneth the Navigator with his trusty PDA and a bus guide acting as the bus route geek. The place was full of shops selling all kinds of sport and outdoor equipment. We visited several shops oogling at shoes unlike the previous oogling session at Orchard road the night before. We bought 2 pairs of ASICS GT-2100 shoes.
It was almost 5.00 pm when we reached the hotel. Kenneth would be my room mate tonight. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I walked to Funan IT mall. Jamie and family was already there. A few minutes later, the other runners including those form Singapore showed up. I met DK for the first time - he will be running the 10 km race. Others who were at the "party" were Justin and Jean, Sim, Jason, Kevin and fiancee, Kelvin, Alex and many others whom I did not know.
After the dinner, Kenneth and I went to the Cold Storage supermarket to buy some things for tomorrow's breakfast.
Day 3, Sunday : Race Day
I woke up early because I wanted to watch the marathon start, to get a feel and the spirit of a marathon race. So I left the hotel alone and walked to the Padang (Field). I was not alone as I met Jessica near the traffic light. We walked together to the Padang.
Time was running short as it was almost 6.00 am (marathon start time) . I left Jessica who spotted her father who will be running his 2nd marathon. I rushed to the Marina and I got closer, the noise was deafening. I missed the initial start but there was still plenty of runners to watch.
It was now 6.10 am and I still had to stash my bag at the luggage storage area. Where is this place? I finally found it met Ah Meng and Jessica there too. As Ah Meng had lost his luggage tag, his bag was tied to my bag while Jess stashed her stuff inside Ah Meng' s bag.
That done, we walked back to the Marina for the half marathom race start at 6.30 am.
The first 10 km
I was feeling nervous during the first 1 km because of my bad experiences with fatigue at 12 km last year. I started tentatively but during the first 5 km, it was hard to judge my running pace as I ran on the right lane whereas the distance markers were on the left side of the road.
During the first 5 km, I still felt OK and was running at maybe slightly over 6 min. per km pace (60 min for 10 km). To pass the time away, I tried spot familiar faces among the marathon runners running on the opposite direction.
At the 10 km mark, I had run for 62 minutes. Not a bad pace I thought and I felt the pace was well within my limit. A 2 hrs 10 minute finish may be possible and maybe even 2 hrs 5 minutes if I can run a negative split for the next 11 km (63 minutes).
10 to 15 km
This is where it became tougher as the route was on roads without tree cover. It was blazing hot and at times I could feel a burning sensation on my face and arms from the sun's rays. When I reached a water station, I drank about 200 cc and splash the rest (300 cc) on my head and body. I did the same thing at two more water stations; drink some and splash some. I still managed to maintain my 6 min per km up to 15 km.
15 to 21 km
I crashed out of my running pace somewhere after 15 km mark. Fatigue caught up with me and I had to walk, then run, walk and so on. I was quite blur on what was happening really.
At some point, I could recognise a specific road from last year's run; I was only 2 km from the finish line, I mustered enough energy to start running again. I kept going and managed to sprint the last 100 m to the finish line.
Strangely enough, I didn't feel tired after I finishing the race. My legs were sore as usual but I did not have the familiar post race exhaustion feeling. I think the heat must have induced some sort of heat related fatigue.
Post Race
I had a horrible time trying to collect the bags. I stood in a queue for at least 20 minutes and near to the collection counter, I had to raise my bib number in the air. Even that didn't help much. Ah Meng volunteered to take over the task. For the next 30 minutes, he had to bear extreme discomfort.
Conclusion
After I returned to the hotel, Iwondered what I did wrong during the race. My official results are:
Chip time/Gun time: 2 hrs 16 min 05 sec/2 hrs 18 min. 51 seconds
Placing in half marathon category.
1073rd place with 2948 finishers behind. About 27% of finishers ahead.
Placing (male runners) in half marathon.
888th place with 1969 finishers behind. About 31% of finishers ahead
Among male Malaysian half marathoners finishers
60th place with 138 finishers behind. About 30% of finishers ahead.
As far as position is concerned I didn't do too badly (top 30% of finishers). I guess there were many others who fared worse and probably suffered more than me.
Frankly I am not sure if I will go the Singapore again next year. The hot and humid conditions with late starting times make it almost impossible to finish the race with a good timing or a feeling of satisfaction.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Off to Singapore today and Amazon's Mistake
I am going to Singapore today bus bus from Klang. I only bought a one way to ticket to Singapore.The bus companies in Malaysia are so primitive that I can only get a ticket one way.
I got my books and CDs from Amazon.com yesterday. To my surprise they shipped the same things twice but they are asking for the items back. They will not charge my credit card for this error (good of them!). They asked me to ship the goods back to them using an economical air mail method, the cost which they will recompensate.
For undergoing the incovenience to ship the goods back to them, Amazon has given me an advance USD 5.00 gift certificate on good faith. I will do what they have asked me to do. Yes, I will return the books and CD back even if it's inconvenient for me to repack it and drive to the post office. I will also add in the cost of packing materials, petrol and toll charges to the air mail charges.
I wonder if they will pay for these items?
I got my books and CDs from Amazon.com yesterday. To my surprise they shipped the same things twice but they are asking for the items back. They will not charge my credit card for this error (good of them!). They asked me to ship the goods back to them using an economical air mail method, the cost which they will recompensate.
For undergoing the incovenience to ship the goods back to them, Amazon has given me an advance USD 5.00 gift certificate on good faith. I will do what they have asked me to do. Yes, I will return the books and CD back even if it's inconvenient for me to repack it and drive to the post office. I will also add in the cost of packing materials, petrol and toll charges to the air mail charges.
I wonder if they will pay for these items?
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Who was that woman?
This morning I went to Tower 1 this morning.
At the lift, a woman accosted me and asked if I was from the T** project team.
I replied "Yes, I am from the T** project". More casual verbal exchanges followed.
When she left, I realised I had no idea who she was.
At the lift, a woman accosted me and asked if I was from the T** project team.
I replied "Yes, I am from the T** project". More casual verbal exchanges followed.
When she left, I realised I had no idea who she was.
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