RMAF Half Marathon

Not long after we parked our car, we were chartered in a bus to bring us to the starting point of run.

When the race began, fireworks were displayed on the air until we left the 2km long air-way. A good effort made by the organiser although it was not as grand as it was last held in the early 90s.



We were required to run almost the same route as the KLIM. I must say the organiser had done a good job by having the safety cones along the roads and making sure it's safety first for the runners. Water stations were adequate and we were even provided a power gel.

As I have yet to recover from yesterday's cycling, I just made sure I finished the run and qualified for a medal as my birthday gift! I completed in 1:40:16 for a 52nd position. What a good number to buy 2552 or 5225! Hahaha!



Yes! Today I turned 40 and like many people say, life is just beginning! I quite agree with the saying as you may've observed, I have just started cycling and travelling to places I've never heard of before. I'm still learning new things and meeting new friends. I'm so blessed to have met good people so far, people and friends who share the same passion and values in life. May I make a birthday wish here to wish all the friends I know, a healthy and enjoyable life for the years ahead!

Titi Ride

Yes, I finally exceeded the magical 100KM of cycling in one ride!

This morning, I rode with the Iron Lady - Lisar Onn to a little town in the state of Negeri Sembilan called Titi and back. Honestly, I fell in love with Titi at first sight. This town is so simple, peaceful and clean. I wish to stay here with Wai Mun when we retire. I think she will like it too.

Anyway, we started our ride from Pekan Bt14, proceeded to Pekan Bt18 (Gerard joined us at this point), then Genting Peres (Gerard turned back here) and straight to Titi. After having our breakfast, we continued the journey where we came from earlier.

The route offers a magnificent and scenic view with some mountains and a waterfall at the backdrop. There are plenty of greens. Air is fresh. Furthermore, the weather this morning was fantastic with some mist near Pekan Bt18 and Titi. I assure you this is the best day for cycling! Anyway this is not the highlight of my experience. The highlight is how I struggled up the 14km-long hilly stretch of Genting Peres on the return. If not for Lisar's constant motivation, I think I'd have given up!

Cycling with Lisar is really fun. I confessed I had goose bumps when she called me to join her. I was excited at the prospect of riding with an Iron Lady yet I was worried I would be "tortured" by her - her speed of course! In contrast, she kept reminding me to go slow and save some energy for the return leg. That advice is really a music to my ear! Hahaha! An added bonus to this ride is she makes good cookies too! Now I felt fortunate and really enjoy cycling with ladies! Hahaha!

Thanks to Lisar's company and pacing, we completed the ride at a total distance of 109.76km. Total time 4:29:42. Avg speed 24.4 km/h. Max speed 56.6km/h.

NB 15KM 2008

As mentioned in my previous posting, I took part in this year's NB 15km just because of this....



Isn't it unique and cute?

Anyway, I finished the run in 1:10:14 for a 58th position in the Overall Men category. Not bad considering I just cycled more than 90km the day before.

The hilly terrains would prove too much for many runners. However judging from their facial expressions, I believe not many would complain about that. Everyone seemed to be satisfied after they had completed their run.

As expected, this race was well organised with sufficient water stations, good traffic management and a runner-friendly running course. Thank you to the volunteers for their effort and time. You did a splendid job!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, May 17 - We cycled from Pekan 18-Pangsun-Pekan 18-Genting Peres-Tekala-Pekan 18-Pangsun-Pekan 18 for a total distance of 94km. I believe 60% of our ride was at speed of 30km/hour or more, for which I was very pleased with. Our very young team (in experience not in age of course!) has certainly been progressing. Keep it up teammates!

A'Famosa Triathlon 2008

I can't imagine I did it - I woke up as early as 5am, drove an hour (about 100km), waited almost 3 hours for my turn to race and then drove back - just for that 10km run!

Yes, I was in the thick of action again, this time I was to run in the Mix Relay for the A'Famosa International Triathlon in Melaka. Dr Rum started with swimming which is his forte, our gutsy lady Yit Thing did the riding and I was the anchorman in the running segment.

Mind you, this doctor can really swim! He was one of the first few to come out from the water. By the time he passed the ribbon to our rider, our team was fourth. As Yit Thing is quite new in cycling, we expected our ranking to drop eventually. Nevertheless, she did her very best and came back safely. We were told there was a crash involving 4 riders with one of them having to be sent to the hospital!

Honestly when I received the ribbon, I was in a dilemma : should I go all out or just take it easy as I knew by then we were out of the podium finish? Thank goodness I chose the former. My form today was much better compared to yesterday. Furthermore the stress on my both thighs did not bother me at all while running and that further boosted my confidence level.

After running with all my heart and might for 40:34, I finally hit the tape to complete my first experience in a back-to-back 10km race. Even though the race course is slightly under-distance, I'm very happy and satisfied with my performance this morning. To add icing to the cake, we were surprised to learn that we were 2nd Runner Up during the prize presentation. And this is what we got ....


By the way, I would like to congratulate Tomatoman and Ultraman Yip for their Third placing in the Men Relay, Michelle for her successful debut as a Triathlete and many more who have participated.

Bomba Run 2008

Picture courtesy of Lee Yin Fook aka Pm40.

This is my first 10km run after don't know how many donkey years! Yes, it's that long! I took part just because I'm into this Powerman thing in Nov or else I would rather sleep in the comfort of my bed! Hahaha! Just kidding!

The Run, on a 10.9km-undulating course, this morning has highlighted some of my weaknesses especially on the strength of my leg muscle as well as the speed. I have also lost my sharpness and credence in this type of short distance running. Thank goodness I still have 6 months to polish them up!

For the record, I did 50:48 for a 28th position. Wai Mun got 8th and earned herself RM100. How envy! I made her buy breakfast after the run. Hehehe!

Bidor Half Marathon 2008

April 27, 2008.

Woke up at 3.30am. Couldn't sleep any further as the weather this morning was rather hot and humid. I wasn't sure if it was the consequence from overtraining as I did a ride-and-run the day before?

Left home at 4.30am and by 6.00am we already arrived at Bidor. Honestly I was quite sleepy and thought of taking a nap in the car. However, excitement won over the drowsiness and I decided to just get ready for the race.

The race was started at 7am sharp. After 2-3 minutes into running, I could feel the stress on both shin - no thanks to my usual laziness of not doing a proper warm up! Being an experienced runner, I knew the pain will go off eventually, so I just stayed calm. True enough the pain vanished after running 3-4km.

As I was beginning to cruise, I started observing and enjoying the surroundings. The route was generally undulating. There are lots of green and rubber trees. Air was good. The best part was runners basically occupied the whole 2-lane road to ourselves due to the almost zero traffic around this area.

After 5km, we were required to make a u-turn heading back to the town. Upon reaching the town, we turned right to another side of the town. This part is even more hilly but I like it very much as it is quite similiar to our training ground at Bukit Tunku area.

Again after another 5km or so, we made a u-turn and headed back to the finishing line in the town. I was pleased to complete the race in 1:39:24 and was fourth in the Jr Veteran category. Wai Mun came back some 15 minutes later and she was 2nd Runners-up in the ladies category. Some of our friends also won the Top 10 finishers. Congratulations to Ben Swee, Neil, Mr Chin, Jessica, Kim in half marathon and Shahnom, Ronnie See, Chen, Clara Bong in 10km. We were presented with a beautiful medal and trophy.

Special thanks to the event organizers for a well organised and runner-friendly race. Enjoyed the race!

KLIM 2008

It's just another Sunday morning run for me in the recent KLIM which was held on 30 March. No specific goal! Just want to go out there and have fun!

It's also the event I made my debut in the Junior Veteran category. Gosh! I'm 40 years young now! I can't imagine I've been running for 27 years by now. No wonder I'm starting to look for new adventures and challenges - like cycling and duathlon!

Some people told me I should be excited to get the "upgrade" and enjoy the advantage of competing against the older runners. Alas the truth is the organiser also upgraded those 35 years to the same category. So number 40 became the mean of the age group!

Anyway I was the 31st person from my category to finish the 21.8km half marathon. I clocked a consistent time of 1:45:28. My wife got a Top 10 finishing. Here's her encounter I wish to share with you guys and gals!

I've lined up a few races for this year where I will be at its starting block:
27 April - Bidor Half Marathon (1st timer for the run. Nice medal to be collected)

18 May - NB 15km (sudden change of heart after seeing its cute medal)

25 May - RMAF Half Marathon (heard of its rich history. Coincide with my birthday- a must run!)

13 July - Century Ride 160km (it's going to be my virgin ride in an official event!)

29-31 August - PCC Interstate cycling Kajang-Bahau-Kuala Rompin-Kuantan (sooo excited to be part of this mini-LTdL. Probably the ride of my life.)

9 November - Powerman Run/Bike/Run (My event of the year! Also our wedding anniversary)

The Arrival Of A New Family Member

Welcome our newly "born" son - Scott Pro CR1 aka Scott Tan. It weighs around 7.93kg or 16.6 lbs. The labor cost is RM1x,xxx! Now I can't wait to bring him for a ride this Saturday!

Thanks to Mr Lok Chan Chuen for sparing his time and expertise in selecting the parts of the bicycle.

2008 GE 30KM

This year I took part in 20km instead of the usual 30km. The reason is obviously due to my lack of training. Nowadays, I only managed to run on Sundays for around 15km-20km and cycle on Saturdays for about 65km. It started since I took up cycling in mid October 2007. These days, running especially on weekdays really requires a huge dose of motivation and inspiration!

Despite the 3-month "lay off", I'm happy I still managed to clock a consistent 1:42:46 this morning to finish at 17th position. Not bad for an old man about to enter into the 40th league in the next couple of months!

Wai Mun puts me to shame as she ran the longer distance and finished 15th with a time of 2:52.

12th Angkor Wat International Half Marathon

Written by Wai Mun:

When I viewed the beautiful Angkor Wat pictures taken by Runwitme last year, I was inspired to visit the place and at the same time run the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon there.

Therefore, when Air Asia was having a promotional blitz, John & I grabbed the offer and booked ourselves a seat without any hesitation. Two months before the race, Uncle Hooi dropped a hint that he was keen & asked if he could join us. What can we say to this healthy 70 something marathon enthusiast? He certainly deserves to run any race anywhere cos’ he really knows how to appreciate each & every one of them. We welcomed him to board with us just as we welcomed Yew Chee Chung to join us in Chiangmai last year.



Angkor Wat International Half Marathon 2007.
This event is organized by Khmer Amateur Athletics Federation & the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, co-operated by the Japan Medical Joggers Association & NGO Hearts of Gold. Therefore, it was no surprise to me when I saw the number of Japanese runners turning up to support this marathon. I was fascinated by how an event like this can draw such a multitude of runners from all over the world…from both far & near to come, contribute, run & raise fund in support of the landmine victims, education & prevention of HIV in Cambodia. The response was overwhelming.

Pre Race
We managed to catch up with a local lass, Arun Sinketh (Gary’s girlfriend) the eve of the race. Arun made no mistake when she took us for dinner at Khmer Kitchen. The food there was simply delicious. I took a liking to Khmer food almost instantly as it was healthy, not too spicy & not expensive. Arun works as a Public Relation Personnel at the Angkor Hospital for Children. She shared with us her work at the hospital, her lifestyle and taught us some common greetings in Khmer. John & I felt very blessed to have made new friends every time we travel & the most astonishing part was we didn’t look for them…we just met. Many times, they happened to be our friend’s friend or …we just met.



Race Day
As usual, we woke up during the ungodly hours of the day & hopped into our pre booked tuk-tuk that took us to the marathon site. The morning was rather cold but bearable. When we arrived at the starting point, the magnificent view of the Angkor Wat greeted us. What a sight to behold! We met 3 of our other Malaysian friends – Tee, Subra & Norizan who also came for the race & took photos with them.

Later, a lady approached us & introduced herself as Koo Ai Lin. Ai Lin is a Malaysian working in Singapore for many years. She is also a marathon freak and like us, running & traveling at the same time.

A Different Kinda Race
The running course took us through from the Central Sanctuary of Angkor Wat…passing a series of ancient temples & ruins namely Prasat Kravan – Banteay Kdei / Srah Srang – Ta Prohm – Victory Gate – Bayon – South Gate – Baksei Chamkrong – Phnom Bakheng – Ta Prohm Kei and ended at the front of the Central Sanctuary of Angkor Wat again.



Water stations were adequate. In fact, I found it such a waste to be given a whole bottle of water to runners as most was unable to finish them. The turnout of supporters comprising of mainly little children, never failed to amaze me. They came…waited…clapped…cheered…laughed & offered us their hi-fives! Some were a bit shy and just smiled. Most of them wanted us to clap their little hands or touch their little cheeks when we ran pass them. I slowed down my pace to hold their tiny hands & made sure that I didn’t miss any one of them. Who cares about recording a good running time then?

After the 17km mark, my back began to ache as we were running on the hard surface of the gravel road. My buttocks hurt too. But then…there standing ahead of me, were another row of children. They were waiting to cheer me – their generous applause took my pain away & their giggles warmed my heart. I was truly touched by their simple gestures. They are all so innocent & poor and life is hard on them but they remain happy. I was smiling throughout the last few kilometers admiring the scenes all the way until I reached the finishing line at 21km. Running at a relax pace, I was pleased that I could still clock below 2 hours.



Later, much to my disappointment – there were no position, no prize money & no medals at all. Nevertheless, I comforted myself that the running experience in the World Heritage Site & one of the 7 wonders of the world itself is the prize & it’s priceless!

What made us proud is that we were able to witness how runners from all over the world gathered together in the name of charity (or love) to raise awareness & funds & to help people who are less fortunate in a foreign land. My pain pales in comparison to the millions who have been afflicted by HIV etc. Hopefully, in our lifetime, we will be able to find a cure or some kind of solutions & then John & I will be proud to have played a small part.

An estimate of US$13,000 was raised from this year’s marathon & distributed to different charitable organizations in Cambodia.



Post Race
The rest of the day was spent at leisure. John & I pampered ourselves the much needed massage. Later, while Uncle Hooi & John were having their siesta, I managed to finish reading The Alchemist which left me bewildered cos’ at the end of it, I still find some contents too deep to comprehend. Anyway, we caught up with our new friends Ai Lin & Soo Ling for dinner at the Bayon restaurant that night and had a marvelous time.

We were excited to explore other interesting places in Cambodia for the next few days of our stay there.

A Medal, A Movie, An Awakening
Back to my humble abode, I gazed at the wall panel now filled with a hundred something medals. Each one has a story to tell. They speak to me of my achievements and reminded me of every race experience, friendships formed, mistakes made & lessons learned. Each one holds some meaningful memory. Here, back from the Angkor Wat Marathon, there’s nothing to remind me I’ve run there?

3 days later, I was glad that I made the decision to attend Dr. Aaron’s workshop where the movie ‘Peaceful Warrior’ was shown. The movie relates so well to my recent running experience that inspires me to write & share this with you.

‘Peaceful Warrior’ is a sports movie not about imagined perfection of victory but about heart. It explores the highly competitive world, while introducing an astonishing philosophy that awakes the human spirit. It is a whole new ideology – one that values consciousness over intelligence and strength in spirit over strength in body. It is about letting go of all expectations and simply live in the Now. Ultimately, celebration of achievement is made possible by an open mind.
I began to fully understand that winning a race or getting a medal is not so important after all.

It is not about the medal - it is my passion to run. With or without the prize money or medal, I’ll still run at the end of the day because I enjoy running. And there at Cambodia, I was actually running for a good cause and I was proud of it.

It is not about the race - it is the experience. And this experience is totally refreshing as I didn’t have to push myself crazy to record a good time. I shook hands with the locals, hi-fives the little children along the way and it just felt so good!

It is not the destination - it is the journey. As I reflect, my journey here has been enriching. I’ve learnt that if my purpose to Cambodia is to run & take a break at the same time, then I should not be expecting so much (eg. the medal!). I should enjoy the run & the beautiful sceneries. I should savor the moment and be thankful for having John & so many other friends to share, travel & run together with me all these years.

Yes, it’s not about the medal anymore…



One hundred years from now…
It will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in,
how much I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes may looked like.
But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child.
- author unknown

I Love Cycling More Than Running Now

The beauty of cycling - you get to go places and enjoy the scenic views in an environment-friendly manner! Picture taken by Gerard Pereira during our ride to Semenyih on 17 Nov 2007.


Woke up very early the next morning to drive to Ipoh for the KRI 12km Run. The end result was pretty obvious - I was extremely exhausted in body and mind.


Sleep, sleep & more sleep - That's one thing that was playing on my mind as I was crossing the finishing line. I would rather exchange the finisher medal with a good sleep!

P/S I got 22nd placing in my 30-39 age category with a time of 54min! Was so pleased with the result as I could still manage to maintain at 4:30 pace in this situation. My wife got 2nd in 57min! Congrats to her.

She again won a 2nd placing in the Penang International 12-hour Walk in the subsequent week. She did 75 laps with a distance of 80.85km. I'm very proud of her right now. Click here for the full results of the Walk.

My New Toy, My New Interest

Alor Setar 50km Ultra Marathon

The report for this run will be short just as I cut short my run during the race.

On the eve of the run which was held on 7 Sep (Fri), I felt both legs were weak upon waking up. Expecting the worst, I checked on my body remperature and true enough, I have fever of 37.5 degree. However, as I had earlier agreed to Ching Tai, another fellow runner and participant of the run, I braved myself for the trip back to my hometown - Alor Setar, about 5 hours drive up-north from Kuala Lumpur.

I couldn't eat much for dinner as I felt like throwing up. Neither could I drink much as my stomach also failed on me - which I don't wish to elaborate here the number of times I went to the toilet! Thanks to one Chinese herb medicine - Wong Lou Kat, I have a good-but-drowsy night sleep even though it was for a mere 3 hours!

It has been a very hot day in Alor Setar the whole day we were there. Just as unpreditable as I'm, the sky suddenly opened up and poured as if the organiser needed to cancel the race. Honestly, I was so relief as it affirmed that I would not start the run. But then it stopped after just an hour or so!

There you go, I dragged myself out of the bed with another hour to the gun time. We reached our destination - Taman Rekreasi Gunung Keriang, the Start and Finish point just in time for a light stretching. At 3am the run was flagged off.

Although there were only 63 runners taking part, it was never short of fire and enthusiasm. Everyone was running like brothers and sisters, motivating and cheering each others. Our common goal was to complete the dreaded 50km mark! And because of this energy, I managed to cover until 15km mark before my stomach gave way again and I have to call it a day. A "DNF" is never in my dictionary but I think I have to accept it and be humbled by it and life goes on!

Call me a reflexible guy as I quickly volunteered my service as a waterman by handing the runners cup of drink and sponges.

Will I do the 50km again if you may ask? It's definately a YES!

Congratulations to Ching Tai, Ben Swee and Narumol for their achievement in the run. For more pictures, visit Tey's blog.

4th Malaysia International 24 Hour Walk

The Walk is into its 4th series and for the first time it's held at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur. Unlike the past 3 series where it was held in cool mountains of Genting Highlands, this time the competitors have to brace themselves for a tough challenge of walking in the heat and humidity amidst heavy traffic.



The race is flagged off at 8am, Saturday and will end at 8am, Sunday.






Here's the FINAL results :






To view some walkers in action, please click here,

Or Album2,

Or Pacemaker22.

For more Race report, please visit RunWitMe's blog.

Adidas King Of The Road 2007

This is the first time Adidas incorporates a 21km in their run and it is also the first time the race is held at Sunway Pyramid. I think that is a great idea as it will attract lots of tourists-cum-runners to this resort (if the right marketing promotion is implemented) as the Sunway Pyramid offers facilities such as shopping, entertainment, dining and theme park all in one roof!

Runners are required to run the whole 21km on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE). Kudos and thanks to the highway authority for closing the whole expressway for us runners! We understand this will definately burn a hole in their pockets as a result of a loss of revenue in toll collection. Thank you.



I am also pleased with my form this morning as I did 1:29:37 and placed at 45th. position. Alas, only later after the race did I find out that the actual distance is only 19.6km. So, if the distance has been exactly 21km, I estimated I should be doing around 1:36 which can easily be my season best too! For the record, I've always finished around 1:42 to 1:45.

With another one more month to go for my debut 50km in Alor Setar, it feels good to know that I'm on the right track!

Just like me, my wife also took this race as a training. However, she is preparing for something more gruelling - the 24-hour walk this coming Saturday! If anyone is free on that day, please do spare sometime and give your moral support to these walkers at Dataran Merdeka (8am - 8am).

For more reports on Adidas KOTR, please click:

1) Impossible Is Null
2) der_pacemakers
3) Watermelonog

For more photos on Adidas KOTR, please click:

1) KC & The Sunshine Runners
2) Running With Passion
3) Pacemaker 22

Sign Up For Angkor Wat Half Marathon

Picture courtesy of Run With Me.

We have recently signed up for the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon which will be held on 2 December 2007.

This run, to me, is like a revisit to our history book when we were in Form 1. The difference is now I will physically be there to see it on my own eyes. It's going to be an awesome experience for me for sure. 25 years have passed since I picked up a history book. Therefore, in order not to embarrass myself, I've better read up some of the interesting facts about the world renowned Angkor ruins.

MII Big Walk 2007

Shh...share a secret with you - my buddy won a prize this morning! According to him, this is the first time he has ever won something this big! The last time he won something was when he was still much younger, in a very small run in a very small town in Selangor - that was just mere RM50!



Look at these gigantic trophies! One for him and the other for his wife.



The medal look impressive? All in gold & I love it! Can someone please give me some napkins to wipe my saliva...

StarWalk In Ipoh

Wai Mun and I took part in the StarWalk Ipoh this morning.

I must admit that I'm not good in walking, be it on leisure or competition! I hate the feeling esp. when my shin sometimes burns to its limit during those walks!

As Wai Mun is taking part in the Walk, I might as well join her...otherwise, the trip to Ipoh will be futile for me. Furthermore, I thought it would be a good idea for me to train the other muscles of my body at times.

The race flagged off punctually at 7am. Indeed, my fear came true when my shin gave way during my first 3km. However, after the 3km mark, I guess I must've warmed up by then and the pain just subsided. I was able to walk fast and started overtaking lots of participants. The feeling was really good!

When I hit the tape, I was really surprised with my timing and position. I got 13th (later upgraded to 11th after some other walkers got disqualified!) and with a PB time of 64'31" (previous best 65+' in StarWalk Penang dunno how many donkey years ago). What surprise me is I was able to do this with only one training last Sunday and while still recovering from my flu!

My joy was further enhanced with Wai Mun emerging champion in her category and finished her 10km below one hour! What a feat!

Now it's time to go back to running....


Newspaper clipping courtesy of Abdul Haris.

My First Back-To-Back Full Marathons

Yes, I did it! 2 full marathons within a week! And of course it was by chance rather than a planned one! I did the second marathon in Penang on 24 June 2007 because I felt I have done quite badly in Phuket a week before. It was more of a redemption effort. Even though I did not achieve my target eventually, surprisingly I felt much better and happier after finishing the second marathon.

I completed Phuket Marathon in 3:53.31 and Penang with the time of 3:56.




Phuket International Marathon, Thailand, 17 June 2007

If this race was flagged off at a much earlier time and if it was not for the rain on race day, it would’ve easily justified its tagline as “Run Paradise”!

The start and finish of the race was held at the beautiful Laguna Beach Resort, the exact place of their prestigious annual triathlon event which we could see on TV! On Saturday, we collected our one-piece BIB, the Champion Chip and t-shirt in one of the air-conditioned halls in the resort. All were done efficiently and effectively and within 5 minutes, we got our Race Kits! (Penang Organizers, please take note!)

The race course was a mainly flat out-and-back course on paved roads. Having said that, when it came to hilly part, it could still pose a challenge to a season runner like me! One plus point is that there were distance markers on every km and plenty of toilets with clear signage along the route! (Penang Organiser, please take note!)

Race Day
At 5am local time (6am Malaysian time) sharp, we were flagged off. Gingerly, I stepped on the 50-metre long carpet, feeling like a triathlete more than a marathoner!



First 10km (my every 5km split as follows: 5km – 27’36”; 10km – 27’13”)
We ran out of the resort into a generally flat kampong road. Although it was still dark, I could see paddy field on both sides, making me feel as though I was back at hometown (I grew up in Alor Setar where paddy field is a norm)! We ran past 2 Siamese temples before heading to a market. Suddenly, I could smell food and felt a bit hungry!! Few monks were seen walking and performing their duties. At this moment I wish Chan WK or Tey ET were there to take a photograph of me running past these monks. It should make a good picture, I think!

Suddenly the tar road turned to a cerment road and we could see more kampong houses.

11km – 15km (27’01”)
The sun began to rise and the day was getting brighter. By now I came across the first “slope”. This is no big deal, Bukit Tunku is tougher, so I thought! Now, we could see rubber trees by the road side. The terrain became undulating but I just ran on confidently. By the 14th km, all of a sudden, I felt the heat on both my cheeks! Wow! How am I going to last this heat for the next 28km? As I was figuring that out, the first runner was on his way back! Bravo! This guy is fast!

16km – 20km (26’18”)
I think God must be kind and without any warning, the skies opened up and poured at 16th km! I guess most runners’ prayers were answered when it rained cats and dogs! My handsome face was badly hit by the rain water and my nicely gelled hair immediately turned flat! Hehehe! I could hardly open my eyes for the next 2km (due to the rain water hitting on my face) and I was worried of any incoming cars hitting on me. Thanks goodness, no vehicles to be seen at that time (or I didn’t see any)! Needlessly to say, my socks and shoes turned wet and heavy. I was worried I would develop blisters as it was my pair of brand new shoes! Oh, my shoes!

Luckily, by the 19th km, the rain subsided. In fact, it drizzled from here onwards until we departed for home. We turned left into a private beach (or was it Sirinat National Park?). I enjoyed this part of the route the most as we were shaded by big trees and free from any vehicles.

At about 20th km, we were required to make a u-turn and step on the red map. I purposely slowed down my pace and stepped on the map. “Beep! Beep! Beep!”, okay, I can be assured that my timing was recorded accordingly! Hehehe!

I was so delighted to see bananas and watermelons at one station. (Penang Organizers, please take note!) It meant a lot to me as I don’t have a habit to carry any power gels during my trainings or in races. I quickly grabbed a banana and did my monkey business. I meant eating it!



21km – 25km (27’48”)
At 21st km, I was shocked by a lightning and thunder! I was praying hard it doesn’t strike on any of us. By now I was running on the main road where I came from. Ooops, did I say a road? It’s more like a stream now after the heavy downpour. I saw water flowing on the road, flood at some places, landslide and red mud! You name it, now I know these things can happen in even paradise too! Hehehe!

26km – 30km (26’59”)
Back to the undulating terrain and rubber estates. I wished I could do a F1-pit stop to change the rubber of my shoes and stinky socks!

I quickly grabbed a 2nd banana at one station.

31km – 35km (25’57”)
This was my fastest section. I think it’s because of the flat course. I reckoned I would do 3:45 at this pace.

36km – 40km (31’12”)
Alas, did I say flat too early? Immediately I got this hot-Wisma Tani-slope to handle! To make the matter worse, we had to cross a construction site where it has an uneven 100-metre stretch full of mud! The workers had already started their day and lorries were plying on the same route as ours! (Hope the Organizer will improve on this in the future runs).

Really “potong steam” at this moment!

41km – 42km (13’21”)
I “jogged” (any name for a pace slower than a jog?) past our resort room and was tempted to turn back and jump into our bed! No grand finishing kicks from me this time round!

Congratulations to my beloved wife for coming in 3rd in her category in the half marathon!



Penang International Bridge Marathon, Malaysia, 24 June 2007
If Phuket tagline is “Run Paradise”, this Penang run should call “Running Into The Past”! Why? It’s because they never learn and improve over the years!

Things are the same as I first started running here 10 years ago. No Champion Chip till now. Colour ribbons were used instead. The amount of chaos at the starting line (especially for half marathoners) and the finishing (for half and full). The lack of isotonic drink. No fruits provided. Almost non-exist toilet facilities. The only thing they have “improved” is that they charged RM1 for the luggage safekeeping! It must be nuts when they expect us runners to bring cash to a race like this!

If not because of my wish to redeem myself after my “disastrous” performance in Phuket, I wouldn’t be bothered to make last minute arrangements for the bus and accommodation services with our PACM to be here!

At 12 midnight, I woke up or rather got up from the bed to prepare myself. There was zero sleeping for me.

I was at the reporting cordon-off area by 2.30am after a saga with the luggage boys and girls!

When the run was flagged off at 3am, I was concern if I would make it to the finishing line without incurring any leg cramps as the weather then was so hot and humid. Luckily as we entered the main bridge, there was a slight breeze which was most welcoming.

Throughout the run, my left hamstring kept sending me signals. Fortunately enough, I managed to complete the run in one piece. To be honest, I thought I had it in me to better the Phuket timing as I did 26’33” for the 1st 5km and 26’11” for the next. However, my pace slowed down gradually without me realizing it! It didn’t help when I pressed the wrong stop button of my watch at 25th km onwards, where I headed into total darkness.

Thank you to PACM for their services and Powerbar team for providing the complimentary power gel.

Triple Double Hills

This morning I did my last longest week-end run, ie 3 times on DH loop and then Lake Garden for a 35km before hitting Phuket. Total time taken is 3:08:08. This week mileage is approximately 72km.

I must say I'm feeling good at the moment and much better compared to my condition 5 weeks ago.

With another 2 weeks to go, I'm into last phase of my training - tapering. Although it's the easiest phase amongst all, I always find it the most critical one as I have to be very careful not to fall sick, get injury or succumb to fatigue both physically and mentally!

Wish me luck!