Almost there!

This is my 3rd 12-hour walk competition but my first experience walking in Putrajaya. The previous two races were held in Penang where I completed 76km in 2002 and 80km in 2007. This time, my goal was to better those records. Therefore I decided to go for an ultra-marathon distance which is 84km.

A 12-hour walk works exactly just like the tortoise-and-hare race. It rewards the patient and penalizes the overeager. It takes a lot of perseverance and patience and certainly not a sport for sprinters. Each race (be it a 12-hour or a 24-hour walk) has taught me some valuable lessons over the years. I’ve learned discipline, modesty and self-control amongst other things through such an endurance game.
Putrajaya : December 13th. 2009
On arrival at Putrajaya, I could feel much excitement in the air when I saw the many tents being set up. Some non-competitors were there simply to have fun and decided to camp at the site while giving moral support to their families or friends. I was greeted with so many familiar faces including my friendly competitors from Hong Kong and France. It was also like a mini reunion when I met old friends like Shew Keng, Nan Yang and I was surprised to see Wai Keen (one of Julie’s student from the Supported Living Programme) present there. When I asked if he remembers me, he was quick to respond, “Yes. Yap Wai Mun!” He was there to support Julie and to prove that people with learning disability do have the abilities beyond their reckonings, given the chance. He succeeded by completing 28km which is indeed quite a feat.
Like Wai Keen, I believe there were many who came with their own personal objectives. Some were determined to better their previous record – some were just curious to find how walking for 12 hours feel like, and where it would take them – some came to walk with their family or spouse, merely to bond. Of course, some were there to win the prize money! Whatever it is, the fact that they have the courage to take on this challenge made them all winners with their own rights.

At about 7.45pm, more than 700 walkers gathered at the starting line. After a short briefing which no one paid much attention to, the race began….everyone was rushing and moving very fast especially the Kenyans. This is nothing unusual particularly in the early hours when everyone is still fresh and lively. I reminded myself to control my pace, preventing myself from walking too quickly or ‘over-performing’.
4th hour: 8pm – 12am
Although I found the right rhythm and started walking at a decent pace, I felt uncomfortable. I was battling with my inner self as I wasn’t sure if I had it right. But then, why should I feel this way? After all, this game is a personal one, ultimately there’s only one walker who really counts – ME. Then, I remembered I had John. My heart was filled with deep gratitude for John who sacrificed sleep to be there for me, as my manager and supporter. Well, let’s face it: how many husbands would do that for their wives? I look around and count myself so blessed and fortunate. While many spouses consider their ‘other half’ extremely insane to indulge themselves into such a crazy activity, John was at the race course throughout, monitoring my progress, checking results, attending to my every need and was never short of words of encouragement to cheer me up. The results revealed at 12am showed that I was ranked 6th position and had covered 27km after walking for 4 hours.
8th hour: 12am – 4am
After twelve, the atmosphere became somewhat quiet; the number of walkers was reduced as some had decided to retire or catch their 40 winks at their respective tents. Some walkers went to reunite with friends and refresh themselves while others were just resting their poor tired feet. With a goal in mind, I was relunctant to take any breaks. I was still concentrating to be as consistent as possible and entertained myself with a little old chorus in my heart: “Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day!” But it was still too far away from day break…
Due to an early dinner, the pangs of hunger hit me at around 1am and I made a request to John for some light snacks. I am normally not fussy with food but this time, I’ve got to admit that the food was lousy. However, I managed to grab half a hard-boiled egg and half a banana to last me until the end of the race. I was disappointed there wasn't any coffee when it was just about the only thing we needed most to help us stay awake! I took a sip of barley drink which tasted nothing but sugar water - yuks! Kilometers after kilometers I walked, almost imperceptibly at first and then finally passing Kenyan IrineJeptoo and my Malaysian compatriot Norazilah, both of whom I guessed were beginning to concede to the indiscretion of their earlier pace. I was thankful to friends eg. Adnan, Pheik Hoon, Teresa, Terence, Alex and Christina who kept my spirit alive by cheering and encouraging me each time I passed them. Later, Billie Kwok from Hong Kong (last year’s women champion) walked pass me and told me that she’ll be stopping at 50km and not continue anymore as she was tired. She was already at 2nd placing then. However, she encouraged me to keep moving. This is truly the spirit of sportsmanship and I embraced it!
By then, I was aware that the shock of each step radiating from my knees up to my hips and the strain slowing creeping from my spine, penetrating into my every nerve and sinew. Every kilometer took a little away not only from my legs and muscles but everywhere else. In spite of that, I was glad to be able to maintain an air of sangfroid. I motivated myself by drawing inspiration from whatever positive quotes that I could recall. “Every step you walk will get you closer to the finishing line.” “If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. Do what you have to do. Just keep moving forward and never, never give up.” – Dean Karnazes.

It is certainly not easy, trying to overcome pain and exhaustion with clarity, alertness and stoicism when your brain kept telling you it’s time to sleep. Perhaps, this is what this game is all about. It aims to highlight to us the value of trying, enduring, persisting and fighting life’s hardship and that we can be victorious when physical and spiritual resources are mobilized. Sad but true that agony is part of this game. Yet it always humbled me to think that during a race like this, all of us are in this together regardless of age, gender, race, religion or nationality. We all struggled and suffered the same pain. But as an individual accustomed to pushing my physical limits, I had learnt not to be overwhelmed by pain, but to overcome it. Therefore I made up my mind to push myself to the edge of my pain threshold until I felt it no more.
12th hour: 4am – 8am
No results were being produced for the past 6 hours. I didn’t know why. There were some technical confusion or so it seemed. I had no idea where I stand and lost count the distance I had walked. Anyway, John advised me to just keep moving and I adhered to it.
By now, the pace I had been going at for the last couple of hours was entrenched in my legs until they now felt the need to maintain at that pace. After all, it still hurts just as bad no matter what speed I chose to go, so I might as well walk fast if I could.
Francis Hobert, Sports Physiotherapist for Kora Bouffilert from France instilled some confidence in me when he gave me a thumbs-up and a smile. I returned that smile to discover how powerful it has turned out to be. Suddenly all the tension seemed to ebb out of my aching body; every cell in my entire being were awaken!! Now with another 3 hours to go, I decided to increase my pace slightly.
When the results were finally released at 6am, John had already gone for his morning run around the vicinity of Putrajaya. I continued walking and was pleased that my legs were co-operative. When I saw some participants limping and afflicted with blisters, I thanked my own two feet for carrying me this far. Then Wendy Soo signaled to me with the latest results that I was at second placing. But it was Mohd Hanizam (the 4th 24-hour walk champion) who fed me with the details, he said, “At 10th hour, you are ranked 2nd having walked 70km with Isaac So from Hong Kong behind you covering 68km.” He advised me to maintain at that pace.
Final countdown : 7am – 8am
Finally, the daybreak and I felt lifted and refreshed...it was so good to be the first to watch the sunrise while the rest of the world slept. Having walked for 11 hours and realizing that I still have enough energy stored in my body to finish strong has to be one of the greatest feelings at that time. The ultra-marathon distance seemed achievable and I tried to do my own calculation to walk another 14km within the two hours that was left. Alas, I had forgotten what a failure I was when it comes to mathematics!! At 8am after walking diligently for 12 hours, I finally arrived at 83km; 1km short of my target of 84km. The ultra-marathon distance seemed so near yet so far.
Final results
1. KORA BOUFFILERT (FRANCE) : 94KM
2. YAP WAI MUN (MALAYSIA) : 83KM
3. ISSAC SO (HONG KONG) : 81KM
4. NORAZILAH (MALAYSIA) : 79KM
5. IRINE JEPTOO (KENYA) : 76KM

I believe that in every race there is a defining moment for everyone. Some tend to think of that moment as being the first to cross the finishing line, for some it is to achieve a personal best, while many others find it absolutely satisfying just to complete the entire journey. My defining moment at the end of the 12 hours still remains a very personal experience for me. With age catching up, I found renewed strength both mentally and physically. And I also found comfort in knowing that I had fought well.

“The important thing in the race is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” – Pierre de Coubertin

What price great run?

This is a delayed report on the Ocean to Ocean Relay Run which I participated on November 1st. 2009. This was the 5th Ocean to Ocean Run in Thailand, and my second year joining 3 other teams of 24 runners from Pacesetters Malaysia. Previously, we ran from Songkla to Satun but this year, the race course has changed from Lang Suan to Ra Nong. This relay run covered an approximate distance of 120km of which the 8 runners from each team took turn to run 3 times, each time about 5-6km.
This year - apart from Malaysia, the Run drew participation from other countries eg. UK, Singapore and Korea. Perhaps this is something the Thais should be proud of.

Prelude to the Ocean to Ocean Run
The bus journey from KL to Hatyai took about 8 hours with pit stop in Ipoh for supper. We had breakfast in Hatyai while waiting for the respective vans to come and pick us to Lang Suan. We boarded the vans based on the teams we belong and travelled together to the starting line at Lang Suan for registration. The journey from Hatyai to Lang Suan took us another 5 hours. It was indeed a long and tiring trip.
Upon arrival at Lang Suan, our team leaders : Gary, Peter Lim and Phua registered the teams namely : Impossible Team 1, 2 amd 3. We were warmly welcomed and treated with dinner. Organizer Dr. Ou Chai then briefed participants on the race's rules and regulations and what to expect. Although many of us are familiar to this event, I soon learned that it still pays to just listen.
Soon after dinner, we checked into PN Resort nearby and discovered that there was another party happening. Some of our team members joined in, helping themselves with a second round of dinner and beer by the beach while enjoying the breeze from the Pacific Ocean. We had some light-hearted moments together until about ten before calling it a day.

Let the relay began...
We checked out from PN Resort at 5am to the starting line for breakfast, provided by the Organizers. In Thailand, we were usually served with porridge, 'yau char kwai' or crispy bun, soya bean and coffee for breakfast. Each team was then given an ice box loaded with ice and water bottles.
The race started at 6am sharp with the first runner of each team dipping their baton into the Pacific Ocean. My team members were : Francis, Felix, Tai, Kim, Richard, Peter Teo, Gary and Nancy who came as a supporter.
As expected, the weather was as sunny as can be. Throughout the entire race, we shared jokes and had lots of fun teasing and supporting one another while competing friendly at the same time. We made friends with other teams from Thailand as well. Besides food and snacks, we were blessed with friendly faces, lots of smiles and laughter along the way which certainly made running under the hot sun bearable.

A scene which touched me was when we arrived at a little shop (hut) during one of our pit-stops and Kim decided to have her lunch there. Lunch was packed and provided by the Organizer. Since she was eating the packed lunch at this little shop, she was obliged to order a cup of coffee. To our surprise, the shop owner offered her coffee for free. He even offered chairs for all of us to rest there. And a huge bucket of ice water was placed in front of the shop for runners passing by to wash our faces or simply to cool down. I had been to Thailand many times yet never cease to be amazed by their hospitality especially where running is concern. While running along the way, runners can stop by at any of their shops or houses and we were welcomed to use their 'hong nam' (toilet). Some even treated us their homemade delicacies.

All of us ran through different routes, each one taking his own course covering about 5-6km each time. The running route could be rather challenging and more often than not, we need to tackle an uphill, sometimes more. As the fourth runner, I was fortunate to take one with the least hills and covered the shortest distance amongst my team mates.

Last 1km...
At sunset, we soon reached the last check point where the baton was being passed to Gary our last runner. The rest of us were to meet him at the last 1km and together, all of us ran towards the finishing line - the Indian Ocean where the baton was dipped into the ocean signifying the end of the relay. We were the 8th team to arrive at 12hr 44mins in the Mixed Team Category. Our other teams : Impossible Team 1 was placed 6th with the time of 11hr 54mins, while Impossible Team 3 came in at 13hr 28mins taking the 9th position.
I guess everyone enjoyed the race as much as I did. Like me, I'm sure running is another outlet for them to get through life's challenges and celebrate life's victories. In this particular Ocean to Ocean Relay Run, it is also a celebration of friendship.
There were no prize money. However, all runners were awarded with a beautiful medal, a nice jacket, running vest, dinner, interesting stories to share and lovely memories to take home .

Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Gary Goh for organizing and arranging everything from transport, accomodation, meals to race registration, van rental and massage. He did a superb job! We also enjoyed our stay in B.C.Badin Resort and the hot spring at Ranong. Many thanks!
My appreciation also goes to Krishnan for sponsoring a set of quality Adidas vest and shorts to each runner.
To my travel/team mates : I have no idea if we can still do this together again in another lifetime...THANK YOU ALL for the care, camaraderie, teamwork and another good memory for me to treasure in this lifetime.

What price great run?
A friend once asked me why do I have to pay to travel all the way to Thailand and to 'suffer' under the hot sun and then travel all the way back knowing there's no prize money? The same question was being posed to Dr Tan & Ngae who travelled all the way to run The Sahara Desert...they paid to suffer, didn't they? It's quite difficult to explain the 'feelings' to a non-runner. What price great run? Only an athlete will understand.

Penang Bridge revisited

It's been 6 years since I last ran the Penang Bridge Run. Running the bridge had always hold bittersweet memories for me; for it was here I recorded my worst personal time of 2hr 13mins and it was here, I achieved my personal best time of 1hr 49mins for a 22.3km run. And it was also here that I DID NOT START (DNS) my first marathon race ever after training hard for it. I soon learnt that I had 'overtrained' myself and succumbed to fatique and fever just the day before the race. To Penang I went - but to the clinic instead of the starting line! How awful!!
Later, I went back to run and race year after year the Penang Bridge Run with impressive timings and often with prizes, until they ceased organizing it some years back. However, PBIM was back again and this year, they made tremendous improvements over previous years!

The Penang Bridge International Marathon is by far the largest marathon in Malaysia and probably the most famous one too, not just because it is a run over one of the world longest bridges, but also for its captivating view of the sea on both side of the bridge with the sunrise on the distant horizon. This is the second year the marathon is organized by the Penang State Government under the revamped format.
As the Bridge needs to start its operation by 9am, the organizers brought the full marathon start time to 2.30am, while the half marathon at 3.30am. Honestly, I had never ran a half marathon at such an ungodly hour and I am game to try.

Pre Race Day
Unlike previous years where we drove to Penang ourselves, this year John and I decided to car-pool with Francis, Gary and Vijay (since we were all sharing a suite as well). On arrival to Penang, we headed straight to Queensbay Mall outdoor carpark to collect our race kits. Collection was a breeze and very efficient. After that, we checked into Krystal Suite which is located 500m from Queensbay Mall where the marathon would start.
Krystal Suite is huge; covering 950 square feet complete with a king size bed, a spacious lounge with sofa, tv and a study. The kitchenette is equipped with a microwave oven, mini fridge, coffee making facilities and dining table. However, there is only one toilet. Still, the rate of RM100 is dirt cheap! I would like to thank Agnes for helping me with the bookings.

In the afternoon, Kelvin Loh (a local runner/friend) gave us a surprise when he invited a group of us to his new house for tea. It was a Big Tea! We had such a great time filling our stomachs with his homemade dumplings, yam cakes, curry with special buns. Later, we even got to view a DVD on our recent Ocean to Ocean Relay Run brought by Amelia.
Then it was FOOD again for dinner and we spoiled ourselves with a variety of hawker fare. In Penang, it's all about food and hawkers food are too good to resist! At about 10pm, we decided to call it a day while John and Francis pampered themselves with a much needed massage.

Race Day
We gathered at the lobby at 2.45am and took a stroll together to the marathon site. By then the full marathon had already started. At exactly 3.30am, the half marathon male runners were flagged off by the Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng. The Women categories started 15mins later.
I ran without any goal or expectation as I was still recovering from a very sore body and am under nutritional medicine. I took this trip as a 'Makan Angin Run' and as usual, started very conservatively. The weather was extremely good with cold early morning breeze and it certainly made running comfortable. The further I ran, I realized that I was going faster and overtaking many runners who had surged ahead of me earlier. The feeling was pleasant!
After taking the U-Turn at the bridge, I stumbled upon an excited and kind uncle who cheered me on so madly. He even alerted me on my placing. According to his observation I was the 17th female runner then. He encouraged me to run faster and chase the two female runners ahead of me. Suddenly, I realized that I was running a real race and not just a 'makan angin' run. Fortunately my feet could carry me fast enough to be able to catch up with the two ladies in front, only to realize that one of them is my friend, Agnes Tee. I paced with Agnes for about 2kms and towards the last water station, I signalled to Agnes to move ahead in order to pass another 2 runners in front of us. She did and so did I.
Just minutes later, the sight of Queensbay Mall appeared down the avenue and the finish gantry waited just around the corner. As I was running towards it, I was cheered by my husband John, Lok and son. Agnes finished 11th, with me slightly behind her taking the 12th position. This time, to be able to maintain my time of 1hr 54mins was not disappointed because I came without even a thought of making it to top 15. With a poor physical condition, I am therefore convinced that the mind is greater than the body most of the time. I was awarded RM200 plus a phiten Rakumaki tape.
At that moment no dish from the local cuisine is too rich for any proud finisher. On the way back to KL, we stopped at Sauk (off Kuala Kangsar) for a sumptous lunch.

Credits and Feedback
Overall, the event was well-organized. Firstly, the Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng has our respect for being there as early as 2.30am to flag the marathon. Normally, runners had to wait for these 'big shots' who called themselves ministers but they are often late or don't show up at all. Sometimes they'll send their 'assistant' to do the job while preaching to public about living a healthy lifestyle through exercise!! But this Chief Minister arrived early and stayed until as late as 9 or 10am for the prize giving ceremony. He has certainly earned respect from the 20,000 runners who were present there on that Sunday morning.

I was very impressed with the mobile toilets. Not only were there many, they were clean. This is really something rarely expected in races. A cleaner was stationed there to ensure that the toilets were cleaned and sanitized from time to time. There were no queues and for the very first time, runners had the luxury of having clean mobile toilets. A Big thank you.

There were adequate refreshment stations. In fact, I found it a lot of wastage to be handed with a whole bottle of water during the race. Runners don't drink the whole bottle of water. Feedback were given to the organizers to use paper cups instead.

After the race, runners were treated with a hearty breakfast. Generous servings of spaghetti were replenished to ensure enough helpings for even the late runners.

Collection of race kits were swift and smooth. Some participants who paid a fee of RM10 had their race kits delivered to their house a week before the event.

The upgraded timimg chip system made it very convenient for runners. Runners do not need to return the chip after the race like we used to. Imagine..after having run 42km the weary runner has to bend down to remove the chip and then line up to return it and get our money refunded?? With this new ChampionChip, the hassle of returning the chip or getting the refunds had all been eliminated.

To the Organizers of The Penang Bridge International Marathon - Thank You and Well Done!

No distance (markers)

I was still in sleeping mode when the Adidas King Of The Road started at 6.30am. So I decided to just run comfortably as I was pretty much on my own that morning. I had a ball of my time the night before at Ms. Moey's "Soli Deo Gloria" birthday celebration and slept late. I've always love spending time with Ms. Moey and John and I were so privileged to be amongst her chosen guests. It's amazing how once I was just one of her students and not even a good one and now I became her friend.

With some inspiring episodes from the celebration still lingering in my mind, I trotted along with the multitude to run 22.7km. I had no intention of running fast; so got myself into an easy pace and kept at it until I met YS Lee. It was a relief to meet him in a race cos' his pace and mine are rather close; usually with only a difference in few seconds to a minute. As I ran along side by him, he reminded me that the distance for this race is 22.7km and not the usual 21km. His GPS showed that we were only at 6.5km that time and therefore, he advised not to use up my energy too soon. I heeded to it and ran with him for quite sometime until I sighted a few lady runners in front. My legs were longing to overtake them (after all this is a competition). I left YS Lee to pass 4 or 5 ladies and also Patrick Lee.

Then Peter from Klang Pacer appeared out of the blue and he ran some 2 - 3kms with me. As the traffic were rather crazy (despite having traffic police on duty, they weren't very controlling), Peter very kindly guided me each time we reached a roundabout or cross-road. Thank you very much, Peter!

There was not a single distance marker found in this race, so I had not the slightest idea of how far I had actually run. As we were approaching the last roundabout or so, I met KK Onn who told me to chase a Thai lady runner in front. I left Peter to pass that Thai lady and ran all the way until I saw Tesco and a sea of runners from other catagories (11km & 8km). It was also here that I stumbled upon a worn-out Lee Woon Khau and I asked him if he has any idea how far we've run. When he mentioned about 1 to 2km, I tried to surge ahead but alas, the slope towards the finishing was not a short one and I couldn't push any faster than I hoped to.

Passing the tunnel into the stadium always gives me an incredible feeling. I passed by Cheah Mei Mei on the way but she overtook me again 20 metres to the finishing line! I was just seconds behind her and finished at 1hr 59mins. In the name of good sportsmanship, we congratulated each other and headed towards the water station that was overflowing with thirsty runners. I was lucky I managed to hijack 2 cups of 100 Plus.

Well, I guess I didn't fare too badly for a 22.7km and the fact that I didn't put much effort in pushing myself made it felt good. I came in 21st overall and 6th position in the Malaysian Women Open category. But I had the most chaotic time with the prize collection where my patience really stood the test of time. The time took to wait for our prizes were longer than running the half marathon...so, I leave it to your imagination!!! In all honesty, it was THAT terrible! The past 2 years had been bad...but why must it gone from bad to worse?
Elsewhere, there were a few casualties that morning. Our friend Lian Bee Hoon suddenly fainted at about 300 metres to the finishing but she managed to regain her equilibrium later although it was not her first time. Then we got news that a 22 year old runner by the name of Gary collapsed at the finishing line. He was carried away by the paramedics to the medical tent. Then he went missing. This morning it was reported that his body was found at the basement carpark. I'm confused (???).

I am absolutely horrified by the news. My physician John Lew used to advise me not to run if I can help it (due to my high BP and so on), I know he meant well but how I detested him for saying that. Later, I came to realize that what he meant was actually run if you must, but always listen to your body, your mind and your soul. Don't go beyond what your body can perform...

After spending a few days at the Summer Retreat in Lucky Valley last June, I've learned to run with reverence or for a higher purpose and I'm embracing it. Yes, after 2 months of endless marathons and competitions, our bodies are telling us that they need to rest - so John and I will be taking a break. To our fellow runners and friends, life is fragile - run safely.

Shape / Men's Health Night Run

After a very successful event last year, Shape and Men's Health Run is back again. This year the event was held at night at Putrajaya. This is my second run at night in Putrajaya, the first time was just a couple of months back when Pacesetters had a fellowship run there.

The response for this run was overwhelming judging from the tremendous increase in participation from 2,000 runners last year to 4,000 this year.
I registered for 11.5km instead of 7.7km which is supposed to be for the veterans. I am lousy with speed, thus running short distance is not for me.

It was hot and the air that night was extremely humid. The condition worsened when runners were instructed to gather inside the crowded gantry half an hour before the race start. So we were all couped up and trapped there. I could see sweat trickling down John's neck. He was already drenched, so was everyone else.

So soon as runners of the 11.5km category were released, everyone started running at full speed...while, I was still trying to search for some space to move away in order to inhale some oxygen. After that, I was struggling to find my rhythm. At the beginning, the running course was rather flat until I reached the slope at PICC (Putrajaya International Convention Center). It was here that I managed to pass a number of runners and regained a little confidence. The rest of the route was running the ups and downs of the roads of Putrajaya and crossing three beautiful bridges. But honestly, I haven't the faintest clue of where I was heading to cos' I was unfamiliar with the vicinity of Putrajaya. Furthermore, it was rather dark with only dim street lights.

Before I realized it, I was running with this Caucasian lady Carmen Robinson (the name I only got to know after the race). We were pacing each other - with Carmen taking the lead downhill while I took over on the uphill. Looking back, although it was quite a task trying to keep up the pace, it was fun and added some light to an otherwise dark and dull run. After the second bridge (Seri Saujana Bridge, if I'm not wrong), I was so surprised to meet who else but my dear husband..."Is it him?" Of course, I was the one who pinned his number on the belt. "What went wrong?" As soon as he sensed my arrival, he told me not to worry - just concentrate my race and keep the pace. I understood his message, obeyed and tried to break away from this Carmen lady with the assurance that John would assist me. But before he attempted anything, the lady eventually slowed down and gave up. I surged ahead, still trying my very best to run as fast as my legs could carry me.

Now with John pacing me from behind and then side by side, I managed to catch up with some more runners and with another 2km to go, we stumbled upon Ang Chee Kiang. When Ang saw us, he picked up momentum and ran even harder..Ha!Ha! As we were approaching 11km, John alerted me that we had only 500 metres and assured me that there were no lady runners behind me. Right after he said that, I asked him the silliest question if I could rest first and it became the joke of that night! What, with just 500m to go and you wanna rest - Yap Wai Mun must've run out of her mind!!! No, no rest for the wicked - I gave my last ditch effort and pushed towards the finishing line, holding hands with my pacer to secure 7th. position. At least, I made it below an hour.

The finale was exhausting but sweet. We were bursting with sweat and were drenched from head down! I remembered the Shape Run last year, I was so privileged I had a sub-3 marathoner senior veteran Lee Keng Boo to pace me so that I could secure a top ten placing. It was not planned for. This year, I was even more fortunate to have my own husband pacing me at halfway. This was not planned either.
There's no denying a good team permeate collective energy that engulfs one another where without exchanging a word, we inspire, encourage and cheer each other on. This contagious collective energy usually brings us together and forms a special vibe that's so raw, rare and pure. With this, I would like to thank John with all my heart for pacing with me; not only in a race but he paces me everyday in our journey in this lifetime.

Apart from a goody bag worth RM300, for 7th placing, I was awarded with heaps of goodies said to worth RM2,400.
1. Clark Hatch 3-month Titanium membership - RM500
2. 6-month subscription of Shape magazine - RM33
3. Origins products - RM1,000
4. Eclipse NatureCare Contoured Pillow - RM240
5. Nature Valley health bars - RM200
6. Sweet Sweat products - RM200
7. Clear Shampoo - RM100
8. Nuvafemme / Cartilamine supplements - RM150
9. Fruitz Organic Snacks
10. Tripo-X products
At least this time, runners were not being short changed.

P/S Picture courtesy of Lynn Guan.

No strings attached...

I must say that the Seremban Half Marathon is the only running race in Malaysia where the medal is the exact same medal that was given out to runners ever since the race was first organized, like two decades ago!! And it is the only medal (in my collection of medals) with no string attached. Boring!!
John and I had actually ban this race from our running agenda for a few years because it was so poorly organized. This year, we decided to give it another chance after hearing about some changes and improvements being made in the route design etc. However, we didn't set any expectation, in fact John reminded me to prepare for the worst and treat it as another 'training' run. So it came as a pleasant surprise for us when we experienced the following improvements :

New Route Design
At least 60 percent of the running course have changed...taking runners to some residential area which I enjoyed most because it's traffic free. The race route is like a roller coaster - hills after hills, which is fine for me.
The other 40 percent of the running course is back to running with the traffic and there were parts where we still had to run side by side with a lorry or a car and inhaled nothing but carbon monoxide!!

Adequate water/isotonic stations and sponging stations
Those days there was only 1 miserable water station at 11km and along the road, hawkers were selling drinking water @ RM1. Today, we had 4 refreshment stations and still plenty of it after the finishing race.

Speedy prize money collection
There is no need to wait for speeches after speeches. There is no need to wait for anouncements. There is no need to line up (like stupid FTAAA always made winners do so) to the podium. We went straight to an officer in charge of our category, present our ID and running bib for checking and that was it. Fast...no time wasted at all...I like this very much.

Fuss-free lucky draw
Yes, I've got coupon which said that I won a mystery gift. With that, I went to the Lucky Draw booth and draw my prize. The prize was half a dozen cans of 100 Plus and a Hotlink pack. Normally, a lot of time were wasted in getting a VIP to draw the lucky number and then waiting for the numbers to be called (not once but several times over), then waiting for the lucky person to check his/her number and then waiting for the person to slowly move to collect his/her prize. And it can go on and on until thy kingdom come...

Overall it was pleasant morning for me. The weather was superb - cooling and breezy. I enjoyed running the rolling hills. I won some prize money and received a small lucky draw without wasting any time waiting. I had a good breakfast with John, Lok and Agnes and headed home, happy!

NB Klang Pacers Half Marathon 2009

It's been weeks...I caught the flu bug twice last month and recovered from it.

The weather is still bad. Extremely hot, humid and hazy. Last Sunday seen me on the road racing for the third time this year. The New Balance Klang Pacers Half Marathon is another running event organized by runners for runners. Having said that, one can expect a certain degree of quality in this race. Indeed, we were not disappointed at all.

This year the race organizers decided to introduce an entirely new race course instead of having it in Klang like in previous years. Setia Alam is a new township - a huge housing estate along NKVE, between Shah Alam and Klang. As the running route was within Setia Alam itself which is mainly residential and almost zero traffic, it made running safe and free.

The race started in front of the Setia Alam Welcome Center. I was quite impressed with this new venue. Ample parking space, clean and comfortable toilets and many mobile toilets too (extremely convenient for women..hehe!).
The morning air was stale and covered with haze. However, it didn't dampen the spirit of runners. The race course was challenging - typical Shah Alam route with numerous U-turns (which is never my cup of tea). Refreshment stations were adequate and power gels were handed out at 10km. There were no distance markers although ribbons were given at check points every 5km. Plenty of fruits and light refreshments were provided after the race where runners could eat and drink to their stomach's content while bonding with friends and fellow runners. Coupons were not required - something other race organizers need to consider.

I ran conservatively, passing a few ladies from the Women Open Category, and managed to just secure 7th placing in the Women Veteran Category within 1hr 55 mins. The designs of the medal and trophy are attractive too. After this, I am looking forward to run the next race end of this month - the SCKLIM.

Apart from a slight chaos before the race, the Klang Pacers did put up a great event with minimal flaws!

Marathon Blues

Whoo! For the last 5 weeks or so, we've been experiencing extremely hot and humid weather with minimal or no rain at all. This alone could easily make one succumb to flu and I became one of the victims.

Thank God, the showers came this afternoon and we finally breathe a breath of fresh air!

While my running buddies and many other runners did their 30km LSD (Long Slow Distance) training last Sunday, I had to settle for a mere 25km with John. Currently, I'm feeling a little anxious because every runner I knew seems to be going 'ga-ga' and busy preparing for their Standard Chartered KL International Marathon and I, was not as excited at all. Somehow that "competitive chromosome in my body" have vanished!

I do not remember precisely when it happened - maybe, it was around the time when my age and my buttock became one and almost the same...LOL Ha!Ha!Ha! Then one morning I awoke and just realized that I no longer possessed the body of a 20 year old! Gravity had begun to exert a sneaky pull on me - a bump here, a sag there, a vague thickening over here. Hmmn...you know what I mean.

Obviously the days were gone when I could maintain a casual jog and still look reasonably fit. Gone, too were days when I could rely on my body's indestructible resiliency to recover from my exertions in just a matter of hours. Now it takes days! The once-effortless diversions, were enough to reduce me to a hobbling mess.

Many times I gave myself the excuse that it's just age catching up on me. But then again when I observed how persistent Uncle Hooi and Francis ran and live their lives, I am instantly inspired. Both of them are in their seventies; living life to their fullest, running marathons after marathons and hardly complaining, simply because they enjoy running. I sincerely admire and salute them!

Still, exercise - especially running remains as one of my valued routines. Over the years it has helped release my tension, reduced my stress level, cleared my sinus etc. Sure, I am still keen in endorphin rushes and so on. But right now, I guess I need to inject something more meaningful in order to perk me up and give me a reason to return to peak performance and run the race of my life again. Just like I used to.

Running in Bidor

Although Bidor is not my hometown, running in Bidor always gives me a nostalgic feeling. I felt transported back in time to my childhood days growing up in a little squatter area in KL with my nanny and her family. We stayed in a wooden house which housed about 3 to 4 families. Friendly neighbourhood - everyone seemed to know and care about everyone. Nowadays we're all wary of strangers and quite rightly so.

While I was running, one old fashion yet evergreen song came to mind which aptly describes my feelings then.
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD BY LOUIS ARMSTRONG
I see trees of green...red roses too
I see them bloom for you and me
And I think to myself...What a wonderful world!

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed days and dark sacred nights
And I think to myself...What a wonderful world!

The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, saying "How do you do?"
They're really saying, "I love you!"

I hear babies cry...I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself...What a wonderful world!

Yes, I say to myself..."What a wonderful world!" - Louis Armstrong

There are a few reasons why I enjoy running the Bidor Half Marathon :
Organizers
This marathon is organized by Bidor Runners for runners and it's friendly. Friendly because there's no prize money but I could still see smiling faces everywhere. I was told that the numbers grew from 200 participants few years back to 1,600 last Sunday. The increase in number of participants surely speak for itself of how a race in small town is being so impressively managed. Bidor Runners certainly deserved the support. Bravo!

Race Course
The race course is good and never boring. Running pass kampungs and estates, it brings runners closer to nature. It is also a good escape for me to get out of running in the city. Distance markers were placed at every kilometre and refreshments were adequate.

Post Race
Everyone who finishes the race gets a medal and it is one medal that I would care to collect and keep. Over the years, the Organizers put a lot of thought and effort into creating the design of the medal. Every year we get a different one and the collection get better and better. Thumbs up to them for creativity!
And I also received a trophy for finishing 6th. Thanks!
We were all treated with a generous post breakfast after the run and unlike other bigger races in the city, they do away with the coupon system. I honestly feel the coupon system is a waste of time and lack common sense. Of course, after a good workout we can all eat to our heart's content but how much more can a runner consume immediately after a race?

Well, Bidor is a town famous for its food...duck soup noodle, wantan mee, Pun Chun yam puffs, chicken biscuits etc. It is also famous for all kinds of hybrid jambus and fruits like guava, mango etc. 90% of Pun Chun, the shop that we ate were occupied with runners that Sunday.

It was a good weekend outing for us and more so, when we got to watch London Marathon 'live' on Astro when we got back that evening.

Run - Eat - Sleep - Watch TV. Ah, what a life!

Running the same course but worlds apart..

After the launch of the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon (SCKLM) on 13th March saw many runners getting up and started their long distance training. Some are already running into their 30km training last week.

And John and I haven't seriously moved our butts yet!!!

To begin with, I haven't even been competing in a single race since the year began. My running remains pretty normal. Same running route and same running buddies. My training buddies are mainly from the 'Senior Veteran' group which some folks felt their pace could be slightly slower for me. But I don't mind.
After each run, I did learn something from them which actually made me wiser. So while I may not be a better runner, I am certainly made a smarter person because of them.

Well, not all runners think alike or train alike...
We have one group called "the competers" - the pros and ambitious amateurs who live like pros and devote much of their lives to running faster and faster and of course, competing for the $$.
Then there's another group - "the completers" like the rest of us who sometimes run races with the objective to complete each race for a healthier and better well-being or simply to test out our fitness level.

The mixing of the 2 groups or 2 worlds at races maybe an illusion. "They" and "we" share little else but a common course. In an old copy of Runner's World magazine, I found this comparison to be funny. They (the competers) and we (the completers) run in different worlds and these are some of the differences :

- They outrun 99.9% of all runners.
We outnumber them a thousand to one.

- They make us proud to be runners.
We make them look good.

- They are largely young.
We are all ages.

- They race long and fast.
We run long races.

- They race for place and time
We race to finish.

- They are paid to race.
We pay to race.

- They train to race.
We race to spice up our training.

- They fit their day around training.
We squeeze training into our day.

- They train as much as they can.
We train as little as we can get away with.

- They are featured in magazines.
We read the magazines.

Happy training!

Finding the marathoner in me through another marathon

Behind every runner, there's a race. Behind every race, there's a lesson to be learned. And behind that lesson, there's always a story. Here's mine from the recent Maratona de Macau.

Regardless of one's ability, 26.6 miles or 42.195km is a long way to run. Heck, it's a long way to drive! And like any challenge of this magnitude, a full marathon takes a lot of preparation in terms of training. And this time, I was least prepared.
Having not run a full marathon for 6 years now, I decided to make a comeback. Don't ask me why - I don't know and still don't.

My husband always tells me that my body is designed to long distance running, simply because of my high endurance level, my threshold for pain and a strong mental tenacity. Therefore, I will do well. I have no doubts about my potential until...a month prior to the race, I succumbed to a lower tension inguinal ligament strain and back pain. Therefore, preparation for this marathon is minimal (with the furthest mileage of 27km, that was also because I got lost in the woods in Christmas Island!) Since I've registered for the marathon, I just have to try. But the Macau Marathon is not a good choice for the injured as the course is fast and qualifying time is a short 5 hours; not a second more.

As a matter of fact, with my condition I wasn't even looking forward to run any races. I had been to Hong Kong many times but not Macau. It has never been my holiday destination. So, there!

Upon arrival, we were experiencing temperatures of 16C and because of the strong wind, we felt so cold. After checking into Grandview Hotel, John and I headed straight to Taipa Stadium to collect our race kits. As it was late evening, the Stadium seemed somewhat isolated and solemn. After that, we took a stroll around the hotel's vicinity and had dinner. The hotel is located about 5 mins walk to Taipa Stadium where the marathon would start and finish, and 20 mins walk to The Venetian. There's a bus-stop right in front of Grandview which made travelling in Macau extremely convenient for us. The next day, we hopped onto Bus No 33 and spent the whole day sight-seeing and toured Macau's famous sites eg. Ruins of St Paul's, Monte Fortress, Cathedrals etc.
We savoured the tasty Portugese Tarts, the famous Almond Cookies and had Portugese meals. There were a lot of merriment happening at the Senado Square as the Christmas spirit filled the air!

I guess that atmosphere was just right for John as he would be wearing his Santa's cap again during the marathon. It would be his second time being a Santa running a marathon. His first was at Chiangmai 2 years ago where he achieved his personal best time of 3hr 33mins.

7th. Dec was a day of many events and happenings for athletes. Many of our running friends were at Singapore for the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon, a few ran Angkor Wat Half Marathon in Cambodia, others (Carmen & Team Tri-Hard) went to Phuket to participate in the Triathlon and while we thought we were the only ones running the Macau Marathon, we were surprised and joyous when we met fellow Pacesetters members there. There were Daniel Tan, Terence Chau, Crystal Foong and 17 of the Pacesetters Kuantan group. Except for Terence, John and I, the rest ran the Half Marathon.
Having ran in colder climate before, that morning temperature of 12 degrees celsius was about right for me. We were to start and finish inside the stadium. My nostrils quivered at the heady scent of Deep Heat as I exchanged pleasantries with my fellow M'sian runners. I observed around me that the other runners were filled with excitement of their race journey. I realised almost immediately that I was not sharing their enthusiasm. The morning message was clear, even if the sky was not: this was not going to be an easy marathon (at least not for me!). Ahead of us, lay 42km...

I had only one abiding thought - save energy. All endurance races are more about energy management than about speed and this would be especially true of the 42km. There were such a huge crowd, I hardly noticed the starting gun. Before I knew it, I was walking with the crowd, then striding, then jogging towards the start and once we managed to get out of the Stadium's tunnel everyone ran, each on their own pace. Aware of my injury, I reminded myself to run very conservatively so that I do not aggrevate it or trigger a pain too soon. I just needed to find my own pace, a rhythm that worked for me so that I could complete the marathon within the qualifying time.

Everything went well until I reached the 25km mark or so, the chronic injury to my left hip and back were painful enough to remind me that I needed to slow down even though I was already very slow. Later, I stopped at a First Aid station requesting for a panadol. They went all over searching for it and in the end, found none. Disappointed, I had no choice but to move on. Honestly, after 28km - the remaining kms were all a test of mental strength. 'Soul over Mind over Body'...why do I have to punish my poor body to go through this agony? Ha... the truth is during my entire running life, I've never considered myself a marathoner although I've completed several. I am just a runner, so I told myself. And I'll just keep running.

Then somewhere around my 35km mark, I thought I stumbled upon a small miracle. Instead of hitting the wall, I found myself counting down the last few kms...reciting my own poems and songs. I was running at my absolute limit that I've forgotten about the pain although I knew it was there. As the kms passed, I discovered that there was no small miracle - it was just Me.

I was quite relieved when I saw the distance marker at 38km. At this point, my confidence soared...I passed more than one runner who has left his sprightly legs behind and ran side by side with a weary Irish guy. His body language signalled to me that we should stick to the pace and run together for the remaining 3km. We did just that and trotted towards the sign which wrote Estadio de Macau. As we entered into the stadium, I heard the voice of Whitney Houston's "One Moment In Time". A warm feeling of happiness and euphoria swept through me and I did my final swing straight to the finishing line, wondering about my time..
Time? Sometimes, the watch is the real distraction (wondered why I wore one?). 4hours 21mins be respected. I received my hard earned medal, a finisher tee, bath towel from the Event organizers and then, a hug, a kiss and a pat on the back from John who was there to welcome me.
John did very well and clocked his second best time of 3hours 38mins. Yes, he wore his Santa's cap and had the crowd cheering him along the way, "Go! Santa, Go!". Indeed, he jingled all the way.

Upon completion, the feeling is still good as all athletes would know. I was completely exhausted or perhaps about to collapse to sleep, yet still have the strength to smile and beam proudly and bend down to unlace the shoes and remove the chip even though my legs were stiff with lactic acid.

At the finishing site, I paused and looked around me and saw that not was I amongst a group of marathoners, but I was actually one of them. Whether I clocked a sub 4 or sub 5 - I am not just a runner, I am a marathoner. After so many years of running, I finally realized that "being real" is simply a matter of looking inside myself and finding myself waiting there.

Triple Ten !

The climate determine my health or so I believe. The past 10 days was difficult to cope. The weather was hot and hazy with not a drop of rain for more than a week. And I had been hit by a bout of migraine almost every other day. If that wasn't bad enough - my eyes got itchy and inflammed followed by a return of running nose last Sunday. I guess it may be due to the accumulation of medication. I don't know. But on Thursday, the long heavy downpour actually helped clear the haze. Perhaps it's psychological but I felt so much better now.

Adidas King Of The Road 22.7 km
Many races took place this morning : Hatyai Nature Run, Penang Malakoff 26km, Ekideen Relay at Putrajaya, Avon Walk and Adidas KOTR Shah Alam. Looking at the crowd in Shah Alam this morning, I believe this race received very good response. John and I had chosen to run here because it's 22.7km and the race course is more challenging. Met Adam at the race site and he reminded me that '2 young lady runners' will be targetting on me! I felt honoured but at the same time, pressured. With that in mind, I was determined to do well.

Being a slow starter of any race - I was overtaken by all my fellow runners : KK Onn, Carmen, Ngae and a host of others. Later, I found myself pacing with a lady from Ipoh. We were trying to outpace each other for awhile. This made running quite strenuous for me, and for her too, I guess. It was until the 1st Sponging Station that I met KK Onn and he advised me to increase my speed and break away from this lady. In fact, he helped me and eventually, I managed to break away - what a relief!

After that, I decided to maintain my pace and slowly I overtook Yaziz, Carmen, Tomatoman, Khoo Yit Kiat and a few others. But the race course was really like a roller-coaster with neverending uphills and numerous roundabouts (about 10, if I'm not mistaken)! There were no distance markers except the last 500m. Therefore, you just keep running, turning and attacking the hills without the slightest idea of how much you've covered! Initially it was rather fun but then later, it was tiring and torturing.

An unfortunate thing happened to me at the 2nd Water Station after a sip of 100 Plus - my body suddenly broke down, exhausted. I felt like I just lost all my energy and succumbed to fatique. This is not my first experience with 100 Plus in a competiton. I always try to avoid 100 Plus but in this case, I had no choice as no plain water was available and I was beginning to dehydrate. I slowed down and as expected Carmen passed me followed by Dr Raymond and Khoo Yit Kiat. Whatever it was - I told myself to hang on and must not allow the '2 young lady runners' to overtake me. I stayed focus and in my heart, I sang an updated of my own version of 'My Favourite Things' which I borrowed from Julie Andrews Sound Of Music. Hey, it uplifted my spirit so that my legs could still carry me slightly faster and further.

Towards the last 200 metres, both Tomatoman and KK Onn did their last sprint and overtook me. My performance of 1hr 58mins was somewhat below par but I did the best I could.

Upon finishing, I was surprised that I got 10th placing! Then John further surprised me when he announced that he got 10th placing too!
It was a happy day for me and I don't know why. The weather was very kind this morning with little sunlight and cool breeze throughout. After the prize presentation, both John and I sat outside Secret Recipe at Shah Alam enjoying a cuppa with the wind still blowing on our side.


10th August : 10th Position Men Veteran (John) - 10th Position Women Veteran (WMun)

The walker strikes back!

For so long and now at last, we had a race walking event held last Sunday and perhaps the only one for the year!
Race walking has always been my pet event (perhaps it's because I started learning walking before I learned to run!). Unfortunately there aren't many walking races in Malaysia. Perhaps walking events here have not drawn as many participants as in running. Perhaps, the sport itself is too technical and takes time to train. In addition to this, the country also lacks quality coaches to train and guide us.

Race Walking
Ask any runner who has tried race walking and not continued with it, they will tell you that race walking is difficult. It is because it reflects the fact that the sport takes a much greater degree of sustained focus and concentration on tecnical details than running. Nevertheless, once the basic techniques are mastered, race walking can actually be an easier sport to progress within, because competitors avoid the injuries that plaque runners.

Coach Khoo Chong Beng
In my earlier days, I was rather privileged to have met Khoo Chong Beng and be coached by him. Mr. Khoo won his first Gold medal and broke the SEA Games 20km walk record in 1971. In the 1973 SEA Games, he won another Gold and upped the Games record again. In 1976, he represented Malaysia in the Montreal Olympics and a year later, he won his third Gold at the Asia Track and Field Championship in Seoul and also his fourth Gold in the SEA Games with another record. The same year he was honoured the Best Sportsman of the Year award by the Olympic Council of Malaysia. Now most of his time is spent participating as an official or judge at international race walking events.

Training under Mr Khoo was fun because :
He never pressured me - His motto is to have fun, relax, enjoy the walk and never forget to smile.
He never pushed or rushed me - His advice is always to walk with the right techniques and get into the rhythm. Once you achieved the rhythm, you will automatically walk faster. In fact, slower pace builds solid skills enabling a walker to walk faster later.
All these take effort, patience and passion.
Effort because unlike running, every part of our body need the correct co-ordination in order to 'get into the groove'...therefore, you get to use your body's untapped resources. It takes time to master.
Patience because you just can not rush. A simple mistake eg. a skip, knee bend or if the feet fail to touch the ground is considered as illegal and one can get disqualified half way through the walk or even at the finishing!
Passion is like anything else...when there is no passion, one will not be able to progress further.
Nowadays, I observed a number of novice walkers rushing the learning process which resulted illegal techniques and other inefficient habits. Such habits quickly became ingrained and difficult to unlearn later.

The Malaysian Insurance Institute Big Walk
When I arrived at Dataran Merdeka, I already observed Kelvin Chow and several other serious walkers doing their warm-ups. Kelvin in particular, was all set and ready as he was really very anxious to win. He had messaged me several times before the race day to enquire on John's previous timing etc. I advised him to stay calm and enjoy the race just as Mr Khoo would say to me.

At the starting line, I met many seasoned walkers namely; Shew Keng, Tong Lean, Teoh Tay Wah, Siew Cheng and Agnes. Kamala was missing. Anyway, I was behind all of them soon after the gun off. As usual, I needed time to obtain my rhythm and was glad that it did not take me too long to begin walking smoothly and swiftly. Soon, I was enjoying my walk...then slowly but surely, I overtook my friends one by one.

As I was approaching the Parliament, I met Melvin (from FRIM)..he was fast and furious that morning, so I decided to just pace with him. Ah! later, I sighted John at Padang Merbok traffic light, he was there to cheer me and signalled to me that Shew Keng was 50 metres behind me. As the finishing line was about 800 metres away - Melvin suggested that I should just charge ahead. I took his advice, left him and went ahead.
I reached the finishing line....1st!

RMAF : Running in Memory and Absolute compassion For...

The air is really getting bad these days...
Given a hypersentitive body - it can detect the air, atmosphere, drugs and even food!! I haven't been well for the last couple of days. Running nose, watery eyes, itchy throat are all signalling to me the eruption of an allergy or flu anytime. The condition worsened yesterday with a headache and a cold.

Since RMAF (Royal Malaysian Air Force) run is one race which I had been looking forward to, I decided to race anyway. I last ran this race in 1996. Today after 12 years, they made a comeback. I had enjoyed this event especially at the starting where runners had a chance to run the 2km runway. Fireworks display, a decent race course, adequate water stations add up to making this event commendable.

Medals and cash awards aside, I believe that as I "moved on to maturity" - my priorities are different...I'd like to look for having a reason, a cause or a purpose to race. This, I guess will add meaning to an otherwise mundane competition. Therefore, as I stood there at the starting line this morning, I was not filled with anxiety, but with a purpose and that purpose was : I'm gonna Run in Memory n Absolute compassion For...victims whose lives and families that have perished in the recent disasters in Myanmar and Sichuan, China. Instead of focusing on the prize $$ that awaits me or lament about being unwell, I decided to spend the entire 21km remembering the less fortunate.

Sometimes unfortunate things happen beyond our control. Some pastors said it's the evil one working to destroy God's people, while feng shui masters said it's ancestral sin! I subscribed to believe that some things happen to build character and teach us important lessons. But 2 natural disasters in a month overwhelm, not only for the victims whose home were wrecked, but the hearts of bystanders like me. First, it was political injustice, then famine which resulted in skyrocketing prices. Global warming and now cyclones and earthquakes. "Just how much can one do to support?" Monetary support only play a small part. Kungfu superstar Jackie Chan suggested, "just by not spending lavishly - by being conscious about the food that we consume - by spending a little time in solitude each day dedicated to the victims; we are in a way showing our support to them."

As I made up my mind to focus my running for a higher purpose than self, I realized that my body was not as wrecked as it should to be (the fact that I was really unwell). In fact, when some runners were dropping off at the KL/Seremban Highway stretch, I increased my pace and moved forward. Today, I crossed the finishing line with a time of 1hr 48mins - completely exhausted, but with a sense of reverence and satisfaction in believing that I've achieved my goal of Running in Memory and Absolute compassion For the people I don't even know!

But this race has brought me closer to my concept of becoming an athlete and a whole sportsperson - one who is feeling and connected to others. Unfortunately, postrace ceremonies do not include any awards for achieving your own personal purpose for running or becoming the person you've always wanted to be.

To my surprise, I still managed to maintain my top ten standing and won a cash award and it will certainly benefit a charitable organization.

New Balance Pacesetters 15k Run

I had been a volunteer for this event for the past 3 years. I intend to compete this year, I don't know why.
When Adam heard of my comeback, he volunteered to pace with me without any hesitation. In fact, he ran alongside with me twice in the previous New Balance 15km Race few years ago (both on different routes). I was fit and fabulous then (ahem!)! I wasn't sure about myself that instant but I knew more than anything else, I just wanted to perform well.
The refreshing thing about this NB15k is that the race course gets changed slightly every 2 years (I think)...so, one gets to experience running a new route and not get bored with the same old boring race routes like in most competitions. Aha! This year the race promises to be challenging, period. Anyway, any race organized by Pacesetters has always been tough and never easy.
The minute Adam saw me in the morning, he vowed he would run with me but I guessed he must be in such top form that when the race began, he zoomed off. That mattered little to me. I was destined to run alone and at my own pace. At halfway, my pace was just right and comfortable, I felt confident as my legs were carrying me smoothly. Many runners were already ahead of me but that mattered little to me. What matter was I was moving at ease, breathing well and not struggling. And before I realized it, I had caught up with KK Oon before the double hills...I'd wanted to run with him but when he signaled to me that he was struggling - I moved ahead to tackle the hills.
When approaching the double hills, I anticipated many runners would slow down and I was right. I caught sight of Carmen, Siok Bee and Marianne at a distant and ran with absolute abandon to overtake them all. The challenging part of this race is that you arrived at a hill only to find the start of another hill in front..ha! ha! (Isn't that part of life? You achieved your target this month but there's always the next month's goal waiting there for you to work on and it's like never-ending!) After attacking the hills and passing my fellow runners, I smiled to myself...pleased.
Next, I finally saw Lee Woon Khau and my pal who was supposed to pace with me - Adam close by. I chased and passed them at Wisma Tani water station. Just as I expected it, Adam caught up with me not long after that and this time, he paced and ran alongside with me all the way. We increased our pace and managed to overtake many runners along the way. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to catch up with Ultra-marathoner Ngae who was just about 100 metres ahead of me. Overall, I ran a good race, pleased with my timimg of 1hr 17mins and secured 9th position in the Women's Veteran Category.
When I went to search for John, my instinct told me that he performed well too...he was busy savouring slices of juicy watermelon to even notice his wife!! The rest of the morning was spent in sharing the race experiences. Everyone agreed that it was nothing but tough. As usual, we compared results and performances based on our timing. To me, the rewards of racing can't be measured by a stopwatch alone. My physical efforts should not result in trophies or medals but in lessons learnt, friendships gained and another memorable moment to cherish.

Weekend Feats

Saturday
I was caught up with so many things running at the same time and at different places last week...Mother's Day promotions, juggling my time between 3 Brands and not to leave out the endless staff problems etc.etc.
My decision to participate in the Larian Bomba was very last minute as I was feeling a bit blue and fed-up with myself. I thought I needed a competition (any competiton)just to give me that little perk! John registered me in the Women's Open 10k as he felt it's been once-upon-a-time since I competed in a 10k race. I agreed. Ever since I got upgraded to the Veteran Category, I hardly ran that 10k Jalan Duta route for ages! There were 5 Kenyan ladies in the Women's Open Category, therefore it was very obvious that they will dominate the top 5 positions and indeed they did. I was placed 8th position and I was pleased with that.
But I must not deny that I was struggling to keep up during my first 2 or 3km. Everyone else I that know had all surged ahead of me right from the beginning. Although I always prefer to start slow and later, stalk those who went out too fast - I was feeling miserable for lacking that 'pick-up' pace. In other words, I lack speed! However, soon after 3km I was relieved that I finally regained my rhythm...I managed to sneak on some ladies when they began to look over their shoulders. Ha! Ha! I felt like a wolf, and they were my preys and when I passed them, I pretended not be tired and never looked back (naughty! naughty!). Yeah, I arrived at Dataran Merdeka feeling energised and good. Good in knowing that I am still competition-fit for a 10k race again!
I won some cash prizes too! John and I headed for breakfast immediately after the prize presentation - went home for a quick shower - rushed to work - then, attended a wedding dinner that night.

Sunday
As expected, there were not many Pacesetters at the Bukit Aman carpark that Sunday. A group of them went for the Asthma Run at Padang Merbok, while another group (my John included) went to do the Triathlon Relay at A'Farmosa. Initiated by Tony, about 75 Pacesetters gathered at Putrajaya since midnight to train and get themselves equipped for the Sundown Marathon that will take place in Singapore end of this month.
However, I was fortunate I still had my running buddies who agreed to run Hartamas with me. That morning, my feet were extremely heavy due to that 10k race the day before. Well, I guessed as one aged - the recovery rate tends to slow down - at least for me. Anyway, we were running at such a snail-pace that even Siew Cheng overtook us! After crossing the Duta road, I decided to move ahead irregardless and abandoned my buddies. Upon reaching the Petronas station, there was still no sight of anyone at all - so, I ran all the way back to Bukit Aman alone.
I realized that at times, it's good to run alone. The solitude appealed to me. I cleared my head, renewed my soul, pushed on down the road and embraced the quiet, out-of-breath feeling of exhilaration when I'm done!
Elsewhere at the A'Farmosa Triathlon, John and his team (comprising Dr. Raymond and a lady named Yit Thing) emerged 2nd Runner-Up in the mixed relay.

Bidor Half Marathon ...and more.

There were 3 races that took place at the same time last Sunday : Power Run at Dataran Merdeka, New Balance / Klang Half Marathon in Klang and The Bidor Half Marathon. John and I chose Bidor as it has been sometime since we visited that town and this race is associated to nature. Bidor Half Marathon was timely because we were getting weary of running in the city.

Bonding
We started our journey at 4.30am. So far, my husband's estimation of time has always been accurate - we reached Bidor at 6am sharp. Upon arrival, we were surprised to meet some 'kwai lohs' eg. Robert and Neil there. The response for the race was fairly good. Gary, Francis and friends were there the night before...for social bonding and some big feasts. He proudly showed off his protuding tummy to everyone!! The result of over-indulgence from the recent Full Moon Relay Run in Thailand and now, Bidor. Apparently, the whole gang ran only 10k and they were looking forward for a sumptuous 'Fatt Tew Cheong' (Buddha jump over the wall) lunch at Tanjung Malim that afternoon! Yes, we were there for the fun, food and friendship - weren't we?

Global Food Crisis
I gently reminded them of the Global Food Crisis...exactly what we (Gerard and I) briefly discussed over buffet at Eric Teo's last night. 'Act Now, Eat Later' Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a looming energy crisis in poor countries and a looming energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Read more from Time mag. May 5th issue. If you are interested to make a donation and support the United Nation World Food Programme, please go to www.wfp.org
Surely, we all need to be mindful of this.

The Race
Runners were given a colorful Adidas wristband to wear upon reporting. I got mine which wrote "BELIEVE IN MIRACLES". Is Someone trying to tell me something? How come I was the only one (I think) who receive it (amongst so many of my fellow runners)? Anyway, I like this.
The race started at 7am. As usual, I took my time to warm up and ran at an easy pace until two young runners Kim and Jessica (who call me Aunty Wai Mun) came, and suggested that we run together. While I welcomed this idea, I alerted them that I was there to enjoy the beauty of nature and therefore, will not push myself crazy. They were okay and we were talking most of the time, at least for the first 12km where Jessica broke away from me to attack the hills. Kim actually left us earlier at the 5km mark.
The race course took us through some palm estates, lakes, a park, rubber estates and kampung (squatter) area which reminded me of my childhood days with my nanny and her family. The ambience was rather quiet so that I could clearly hear the cock crew and birds chirping merrily in the air. Although the hills weren't tough, there were many to tackle and it felt like a roller-coaster ride!
Soon the marker said 1km to go and I gave myself a final push to pass more than one runner to reach the finishing line. Jessica was 1st and I was third. John ran an impressive time of 1hr39m and earned 4th placing in the Men Veteran category.
Overall, we enjoyed the run as it was well-managed and runner-friendly. Unlike some more serious races, I noticed a gathering of friendly runners here because mainly they were here not to fight for the prize but for friendship, fun and of course, good food. Yes, social bonding, that is.
No need the ridiculous coupon system, no need to queue up for food and drinks..there were food and drinks aplenty for everyone. The medal and trophy designs look good - one that I would proudly want to show it off and not chuck aside after the race. Thanks and tumbs up to the organizers of Bidor Half Marathon for a simple yet well-organized event.

Food, Glorious Food..
The prize giving ceremony took awhile with lucky draws in between. After that, all the Pacesetters went separate ways for their favourite and well-deserved meals. We met a group eating at Pun Chun Restaurant, a few groups gathered at Mee Wah for wantan mee, Mr Lee and the Ho brothers went to Sungkai for fish and of course, Gary and gang headed to Tanjung Malim for their 'Fatt Tew Cheong'. Apparently, Wan Yew Leong and friends went to eat their 'Choo Sau'(Pig's arm) at god knows where? Oh well, for the sake of food...people just travel anywhere in the name of Food! Eat, drink and be merry but again, let's not forget the hungry. Let's be responsible and aware of the World Food Crisis.

KL International Marathon 08 : Of being disorientated and rewarded

When I got up at 3am, my head was feeling heavy and I was sneezing away. It was not such a good way to start the day especially knowing that it's a race day. On the other hand, my dear husband was very cheerful, feeling good and all set to do well for his half marathon. So, I didn't want to dampen his spirit. But he could sense that I wasn't alright and felt worried for me. He even suggested that I check my BP first but I refused.

No matter what - the race is on! I rested awhile and at 4.40am, we were ready to leave the house. Upon arrival, I found out that there were not many full marathon runners. Most opted to run the half or 10km. John and I had already competed 3 or 4 full marathons in KL and it seemed quite sufficient for us. Everything is the same. Nothing has changed, nothing at all. The marathon course is getting from bad to worse with the interference of roadworks here and there. The medal is the same, only different year. The T-shirt is the same, only different colour. There's really no improvement at all...how borrring!! Even with timing Chip, they still gave out reporting cards which I honestly felt a waste of time, money, manpower and paper.
Since we didn't run last year (were away on holiday) we thought we will just settle for the half marathon. After all, I did not train much and therefore, decided to take this race as part of training. This year the route for the half marathon had changed slightly.
But it matter little to me as I had little expectation and so, anything below 2 hours is good for me.

The start of the race took us to a big loop to Jln. Silang and back to Sultan Abdul Samad building before proceeding to the normal route ie. Federal Highway and Seremban Highway. I was running alone right from the start as I decided to run slowly with this heavy head and runny nose. Most of my friends had gone so far ahead of me that I thought it was impossible to catch up with any of them until I was crossing the junction at Dewan Bahasa, I heard a voice calling me "Wai Mun!" I turned and saw it was Dr. Raymond. Was I glad that at least, I managed to catch up with one person I know? Hmm..after the 15km mark, I was gradually feeling rejuvenated again. Somehow my body found a hidden reserve of endorphins that made me feel almost euphoric again. I began to run a fairly sensible pace until I reached the finishing line with a timing of 1:56:01. Then, I met Andreas Mindt who told me that his GPS showed that the road course is actually 21.8km. Later, I realized that I actually ran passed a few friends but I guess I was just so disoriented that morning to notice anyone. I was just blur!

John did well with a good timing of 1:45. We mingled around the site at Dataran Merdeka to cheer those who were competing in the full marathon. I could see these competitors sweat and heard them pant. I somewhat feel what some of them feel. I hurt for those who feel they'll never recover from the anguish of failing to do what they set out to achieve. I celebrate with the winning individuals who feel they had conquered the world!

Personally, as time moved on, time means less and more to me. Less in terms of how many kilometres I can cover within a given time and more in what I can still achieve. To me, personal bests only relate to myself. I have no problem setting myself some time goals to achieve, but then relating them to elite runners in my age group is taking them far too seriously. Well, I've had some wonderful races and some awful ones but this KLIM was such boring one!

That Sunday afternoon, while John was checking the official results on the internet, he pointed out to me that I got 10th placing in my category. While it's good to know that I could still maintain at top ten position, I wasn't excited at all. It was only late at night that I discovered that there is a prize money for 10th position. I guess I was really feeling disorientated the whole of that Sunday cos' being me, I would normally check on my position, timing and reward after a race. But the whole day for me had been blur - just blur...

I called up FTAAA the next morning to inform them that I missed collecting my prize money after the race, as there were no announcements made or card to show my position (which they normally have). They were helpful and quick to react - stating that they will bank in the money to my account. Today, Bani from FTAAA called to inform me that he had done the needful. I didn't expect to win any prize money cos' I still feel I did not perform well.
Although it's not a large sum, the prize money came as a pleasant surprise to me. Learning to be more responsible and conscious of myself these days, I recalled donating some diaper money to a home for retarded children in Ipoh a few weeks ago..and I remembered Dr Aaron's saying "Nature will always give you back what you give out. What you give is what you will receive."
Indeed, I do feel so blessed because I received threefold of what I gave out! And this has been one of life's lesson that I hold dear for many years.

The Great Eastern 30km Run

Today is race day : 30km for me. Haven't been running or training this long for sometime and didn't even know why I registered for 30km, so please don't ask.
John is smarter, he chose to do 20km. Whatever it is - the choice is ours. We made our own decision to run the distance we want, so we just got to do it and be accountable on the outcome, like it or not or don't race at all.
I decided to take it easy..so, when I spotted Raja Sofia running passed me at a fast pace, I'd wanted to signal to her that her pace was too fast. But I held my peace. Raja Sofia is not a novice, she is seasoned enough to strategize her own race - I might insult her by advising her to slow down. Not long after that, I sighted her crawling up the Double Hill and knew she was tired. Slowly but surely, I overtook her and ran my own race at a reasonable pace until I met Ironmen Lee Woon Khau and Azwar before crossing to Hartamas.
These 2 guys had been trainning very hard - what happened? Anything can happen during race day and more so, if it's long distance. It is so important to stay focus, mentally and physically.
At the Petronas water station, I caught up with Khoo Yi Kiat, Vincent Tiong, Kenny Tan and many others. They said, "struggling lah!" But Khoo speed up and disappeared soon after that. I must say it was Dr. Raymond Hee who was running very steadily this race...staying some 70 metres ahead of me all the time. He is also preparing for the Langkawi Ironman next month. I'm sure he is so happy with his performance today after losing to me during Adidas King Of The Road last year.
I thought I will have to take 3hrs to finish this 30km but was pleased with my feat, after learning that I did it in 2hrs 52mins. Without much long distance training this season, what more can I ask for?