The Run-up to Putrajaya Marathon

Countdown to D-Day : 10 days to the Putrajaya Full Marathon!

So far my preparation have been good and almost according to my own 11-week training programme. But there were times whereby the training has been disrupted due to illness, leg injury and the unavoidable heavy rain and thick haze.

My training emphasized on conditioning for the 1st 2 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of strength training, 4 weeks of speed work-out and 2 weeks of tapering off. I hope this plan will enable me to cross the finishing line without much suffering.

As much as I wish to do at least one 70km in weekly mileage, I only managed 63km. The highlight of my training was a 3-loop of Double Hill which is approximately 33km, performed last week!

Right now, I am feeling good and hopefully I can maintain my form until the race day. Wish me luck!

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During this tapering off period, I plan to have a few more sessions on acupuncture and some massages. Need to pamper my tired body!

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My thanks to the valuable advice and input by Dr Jamie and Tey ET, I bought a pair of Mizuno Wave 8 recently. It was indeed a good buy as this "bloody expensive legs" of mine have been responding well to the shoe so far (I suspect my legs always work well with all the branded shoes!).

Come on my Mizuno, much will also depend on you whether I am going to make and break on D-Day. Please don't disappoint me!

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On paper, Putrajaya Full Marathon has been quite promising and professional.

I received a letter from the Organiser explaining why the race will only be flagged off at 6.00am. It is indeed a very late start off time considering of the hot and humid weather here. Nevertheless, the Organiser has proactively initiated to provide some fruits at certain distances, ie. banana at 24km, orange at 28km, watermelon at 32km, banana at 36km and honey juice at 40km! Looks like we will be in for a "fruit-athon" too!! Hopefully I don't get carried away by this fruit party that I forget to focus on my race.

A big thumb up for the Organiser! Hopefully the event will run smoothly and take off well so that more will participate in the Full Marathon next year.

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Recently, I had an encounter with snakes on 2 occasions on my run to Hartamas! One is big and dead (perhaps ran over by a vehicle) and the other still alive and crossed my path! The two of us (the small-sized, black and golden coloured snake and yours truly) had a shock of our life! We jumped simultaneously before we parted away. Thank goodness I don't step on it!

So my advice is always on the look out for little things on the ground while you are running.

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Lastly, I would like to end with a "Happy Independence Day"! I love you, Malaysia!

Poor Poor Seremban Half Marathon

Well, if you didn't take part in this year's SHM, you absolutely did not miss anything at all. The race has gone from bad to worst and to the extent that they cut down to just ONE water station for the 21km runners! No wonder there were 4 make-shift stalls set up by the roadside selling mineral water! What a joke! Maybe the organiser should make it clear in their Entry Form to inform runners to carry extra cash for their future races.

Thanks to the organiser of SHM, I have had a good work-out this morning from the race. They provided a training condition that you probably can't find it elsewhere - no water to quench your thirst, stinky smell from carcass in the middle of your run and the worst part was the fume from the stalled vehicles! From this kind of training - I guess I became stronger mentally but physically unhealthy! You would've guess if we will take part again in the future.

For the record, I did 1:45:02 with position no. 21, due to fewer runners I'm sure.

P/S By the way, their medals have never change one bit over the decades!

I Am Back

Adam is right - I am now back into competition. My next target will be the Putrajaya Marathon to be held on 10 September and guess what, I will be running the full distance!

Sometimes it is scary knowing that the place is so hot with little shades and wide highways. The undulating course plus the late starting time - 6am are of little help either. I can still remember how I suffered last year despite it being half the distance!

Nevertheless, I will still give it a shot to support the organizer as this will be the first time they are organizing a 42km marathon. Besides, I also have many customers-cum-friends from this administrative township.

To get the ball rolling... I took part in 10km in Ipoh last week. Despite a short one-week training, I think I did reasonably well in 45:43 which even surprised myself!

While my next warm-up race will be a 21km in Seremban next week, I hope I will be able to clock in as much mileage as possible within my busy schedule without aggravating my old injury.

Hopefully, I will be able to cross the finishing line under 4 hours in Putrajaya.

Till then, God bless me.

NB 15km Recce Run

Thanks for all the condolences and words of comfort forwarded to us recently.

As Wai Mun mentioned in her eulogy for Jennifer ...
"Altho' her time with us has been a short one, Jennifer had indeed lived well, laughed often & loved much.
She filled her niche & accomplished her task,
A tougher sister / friend we have yet to find,
May God grant her His Rest & Peace divine.
We will all missed her - her voice, her smile, her wit & her passion for life. May we then cherish these fond memories of her in our hearts and move on with life with Jennifer's enthusiasm."

Yeah my dear friends, it's really so important for us to live, laugh and love. Let's learn to treasure every moment. When we first joined Pacesetters, we were just going crazy on running. Our minds was so focused into running, racing and achieving PBs in competitions after competitions. It was until Wai Mun and I met and got married that we finally 'stopped to smell the flowers' and began to appreciate the friendship we made via the Club.

Next week, Wai Mun and I have been assigned a road marshall job for the coming NB 15km Run. While I have a little experience in the task before, it is interesting to see how Wai Mun will deal with it - as I believe most people will agree with me that female species don't have great sense of direction! Ha! Ha! Ha! Joke aside, I still have strong faith in her in carrying out her duty well.

This morning, most of the PACM members have a familiarization run on the actual route. So did I, except that I took my run more seriously compared to the rest. I just wanted to have a feel on the new course plus a test on my fitness level.

Though I did not push up to 100%, the new route is challenging enough to make me sweat to my last drop. It took me 1:15:17 to complete the run.

My personal observation is that this year's run will certainly be more challenging compared to previous years as there are more hills to tackle. Another factor to consider is that runners are to run a repetition loop up the Bukit Tunku which will be a test on your mental strength as well.

Fellow runners, good luck and don't forget to have fun on race day!

Life's A Roller Coaster

Ever since I took up a new job early this year, my running has taken a back seat. That explains why I have been inactive in blogging too.

My weekly mileage barely touches 30km. And most of my runs were done on 2 days only - a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday! A run on weekdays seems like a mission impossible to me these days.

It was like everything had to stop after KLIM. It was also clearly unfortunate that we had to miss the Saberkas Marathon due to the untimely death of Jennifer (Wai Mun's younger sister). Jennifer had suffered brain tumour & lung cancer for a year & a half. Her journey with C had indeed been a tough one cos' by the time she was diagnosed with this C, she was already in her 4th stage. Imagine the agony she had to go through with chemo + surgery. Within 2 months, she went thru' 2 operations : one for brain & one for the left lung! As a result, she lost her vision of the left eye....However, she had been very strong and positive about the whole thing. Her courage & trust in God has been such a comfort & encouragement to the family. Even towards the end of her days, she kept holding onto dear life & fighting back. So, it was truly amazing to see her making her own obituary & funeral arrangements ie. what dress to wear, flowers, which pastors to conduct her funeral etc. etc.

We came to realize how short, fragile & uncertain life can be. Therefore, while we still can...value health - treasure the little things - stop to smell the flowers - live life to the fullest - learn to love more...etc. etc. (easier said than done, right?)

Considering our current situation, my wife and I have decided to give this year's PACM 15km run a miss. However, we will both still be there - as volunteers of course. We hope to be able to catch you guys in action on the race day. Don't forget to have fun running!

Before signing off, I wish to share a thot which you may or may not agree. Well, anyways...

"Racing through life could be very stressful. If we stay in high gear too long, we lose our ability to shift down. And when we are stressed, we can't access happiness, appreciation, fun compassion, generosity, awareness of beauty and other wonderful qualities. High stress also triggers negative emotions like frustration, anger and fear.
Life has much to offer if we will slow down and truly experience it. We must always remember that we are the ones in control of the accelerator....we CAN choose to brake.
Therefore, enjoy life! It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast...you'll also miss the sense of where you are going & why." - Eddie Cantor

My First Half Marathon In KL

Can you believe it? Yes, it is indeed my very first half marathon in this metropolitan city since I started running in KL in 1990. I had either run full distances or 10KMs before! Perhaps that was why I could only sleep for an hour the night before the KLIM 2006.

As usual, I started slowly to warm up. I reached the 5km mark in 24:34.

As I was feeling good, I increased the pace and overtook quite a number of runners on the uphill near Tmn Desa. I reached 10km in 47.19. Oh yes! Thanks to the Powerbar Team for handing out the Powergel.

After the Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka, I think I lost my rhythm and energy a bit by zigzagging past the school children in the 7km category. My 15km timing was 1:12.

The story went on until the finishing with occasional blocks by the kids. How frustrating! I intentionally skipped the water (or mist?) sprinkle provided by Nike at Jalan Sultan Ismail. Sorry, no time for water game!

My spirit was lifted when I saw a group of PACM members and friends cheering us at the Dataran Merdeka U-Turn. Thanks mate! See you later as I've an unfinished job to do.

I knew the finishing is near so I tried to increase my pace. However, due to the lack of training for the last 3 weeks before the race, my endurance seemed to have failed me. I couldn't find my strength I needed most.

I completed my maiden half marathon in KL in 1:42:32! Still, it is the best time I've ever clocked since my injury. Hope for more better things to come!

5km Split Time:-
1st 5km - 24:34
2nd 5km - 22:45
3rd 5km - 24:46
Final 6km - 30:26

Official Results of GE PACM 30km Is Out

To view the final results of the GE PACM 30km Run, please click here.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

We would like to wish you a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year.

Two more days to the CNY and we are already starting to eat, eat and eat. Need to run more during this long holiday break or I will turn into a big, fat dog!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Run For Terence

der_Pacemakers is organising a run to show our support to one of our fellow runners, Terence (Penguin-6) who was diagnosed with brain tumour.

While his wife is not working and his own job is at stake, whatever assistance and support we extend him will be useful. Runners are known as a supportive and positive bunch. It's time to come forward to help a fellow sportsman in need. Treatment for tumours are often expensive and debilitating. The patient will also be weakened substantially by all the drugs. Besides resting and taking proper food, it's also beneficial to take food supplements such as antioxidants. All these require money.

As this is a non-competitive run, you can run any number of laps you wish to. After which we'll be passing the hat around to collect some contribution for him. You can also pen down messages for him in a book.

Date: Saturday, Feb 4th
Time: 8am
Venue: KLCC Park, the large space between the carpark and the mosque
Distance: Any number of laps

Please turn up in full to support him and spread the word around. Please also indicate your interest to take part in the comment column in der_Pacemakers blog. Thank you.

This One For You, Terence

First of all, I would like to dedicate this GE Pacesetters 30km Run to one of our fellow runners, Mr Terence a.k.a KL Penguin who has been diagnosed with brain tumor recently. I wish to tell him that he is not fighting the illness alone. He has got a strong support from all the runners and triathletes. So, be strong and fight like a champ!

I had a memorable experience in the inaugural GE Pacesetters 30km run this morning. The run was generally well organised by the PACM. If there is any area for improvement, it will be the toilet facilities and the availability of more cheering teams. Anyway, kudos to the cheering team whom I'm sure have lifted our spirit during our run. A high five to you!

The run is tough and challenging, I can tell you. For those who are not familiar with the course, it could be a nightmare as we have to conquer so many hills. However, the roller coaster-like terrain suits me fine. I just needed to pace myself well. I completed my first Double Hill loop in 58:44.

I got a big boost at the beginning of my second loop from the cheering team. From there, I was encouraged to increase my pace slightly and was rewarded with a timing of 48:01 at the Hartamas checkpoint.

On my home run, knowing that I should be safe from any leg cramp, I increased my pace further with 3km to go and sprinted to the finishing line in a time of 2:34.39. The last 10km split was 47:53.

Wai Mun completed a remarkable 2:51.29.

Once again, I would like to say a big thank you to all the volunteers for their sacrifice and effort to make this run a success. I'm sure we runners will always appreciate your contribution.

2 More Weeks to GE PACM 30K Run

Yeah! Bring it on, baby!

I did my longest run of the year this morning - 25km and I felt quite good with my condition at the moment. That showed my 5-week of conditioning trainings have borne fruits.

I will add some speed work-outs in my next phase of training before tapering off for the 30km run.

Although it won't be one of my key events, I will aim for a 2:30 finishing. Any takers out there to pace together on that day?

First CNY Card

I received my first Chinese New Year card today from the generous Datuk Mohd Yaziz - one of our sponsors for the Pacemaker Runs. See how creative he is to put every friends' name in the card and post it via website. How effective and efficient way of wishing people you know!

Wai Mun and I would like to wish him a healthy and fit body to enjoy his promotions-after-promotions, from Datuk to Datuk Seri, then Tan Sri and whatsoever!

Adious 2005, Welcome 2006

We would like to wish all our friends, runners, walkers and bloggers an endless happiness and excellent health.

Happy New Year!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas

(Picture courtey of KC & The Sunshine Runners)

First of all, I would like to wish all runners and readers of this blog a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

It's a Sunday morning. So you can expect some runners gather at the Lake Garden to start their run even though it's a Christmas day.

However, I chose to do something different this year - by dressing up as a Santa Claus! This is the second time I dressed up fancifully for a run - the first being in an office attire for the Rat Race!

Thank goodness, everyone seemed to be in jovial mood when they were approached by this little Santa Claus. They were even more surprise when they received their little presents - some Himalaya sweets (sponsored by Wai Mun) and bottle of lotion (courtesy of Amelia). Looking at their smiles really made me feel good!

And yes, I completed my 20km run and came back in one piece - unlike the Santa Claus who is always madly being rush by children for goodies in the shopping malls.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Happy Dong Zhi

Today is a rest day for me. Yes, no running!

Instead, I have been eating the whole day. I had breakfast with my wife at Mid Valley, Christmas lunch in KLCC with buddies and soon, I will be having a family reunion dinner for the Dong Zhi festival in Bangsar. Isn't that wonderful?

Hey! Did I mention I had tang yuan (glutinous rice ball) too? Yes, I had it during my tea time, courtesy of my likeable neighbour.

Life is good.... enjoy it while you can.

By the way, if you don't know what Dong Zhi is, here's some explaination (which I will try to remember too):

"In the Chinese calendar, the festival falls six weeks before Chinese New Year. A popular expression among the older Chinese to refer to the end of a year and the coming of the next one is: “Chi tang yuan, da yi nian (Eat tang yuan and grow older by a year).”

One of the must-haves for the festival is the marble-shaped tang yuan, which carries the meaning of a family reunion.

Yuan, which means “round” or “a circle”, is also an auspicious word that suggests yuan man (perfection)."

Mizuno Wave Run

It was a different role for me in this Run. Instead of participating as a runner, I rendered my service as a volunteer and I was assigned the Route Marshal's job.

A day prior to the Run, we gathered at the venue - Padang Merbok in the morning. We have a great time determining the best spot for the Start/Finish point. Due to the heavy rain the night before, the field has turned to a little pond with water and mud everywhere. Eventually, we agreed on a dryer ground before the Race Director - Mr Wan piled the first wood as the marker in a simple "opening ceremony". From there-on the job was much easier as we just needed to work according to the layout set by the Race Director. We made sure there was sufficient space for distributing the Finisher's Position cards and medals, timekeepers, result recording, check-in and exit areas.

Next we recce the actual race route and put on the road signages so that the runners would not lose their way. We had a short briefing at 4pm with all the 18 road marshals and assigned each duties at the specific checkpoints. That was our Day One job.

The following day when the Run was to start at 7.30am, we arrived early at 6am. After our breakfast, we adjourned to our respective checkpoints. I was based at Checkpoint No.2 and the last checkpoint.



At checkpoint 2, I needed to make sure all the runners turned right to the KTM Station behind the Bank Negara. After just 10 minutes from the Start, all the runners had passed by my checkpoint. Thereafter, I walked back to the last checkpoint guiding them to the finishing line.

It's always interesting to see how the runners react to their run. Some of them can run very fast; some struggling; some for fun; some for personal glory.

For me, it's indeed a pleasure to give back to what I like doing - running!

Zhen Qi Practice

My wife and I have been attending Qi Gong or Zhen Qi classes lately.

The practice is easy as what you need to do is to focus on your exhaling and your "tan dien" or abdomen. We need not do all the exercises like you see in Tai Chee. We sit and concentrate on our breathing - sound easy?

Actually, it's not as easy as we think as our mind is always "in the go". If you are not thinking of something else, you may sometime fall into the trap of sleeping.

There are 5 steps in a routine of EXHALING:
1) Focus on your heart.
2) Imagine the Qi flows from the heart to your lower "tan dien" (abdomen).
3) Concentrate on your "tan dien".
4) The Qi will flow to your back and then to the top of your head once it gets stronger.
5) The circle will complete when the Qi flows from the top of the head to your forehead, chin and back to your "tan dien".

You will notice some reactions in your body, depending on your health condition. Some participants burst into cry due to their past bad experience or depression. If you have blockage in certain parts of the body, you will feel a sensation of poking or ants biting at that specific area. Once the Qi has heal the problematic areas, its flow will become smoother and you will feel great! I saw some participants' face has turned reddish! How envious!

Well, we have not reached that level yet but we will be there if we are persistent to do more practices. However, I notice some positive result in my achilles tendon injury as the pain is almost gone (if not fully gone, touch wood).

Hope we could incorporate this Zhen Qi practice in our run - before, during and after. Who knows, we could do more PBs in the coming future. Hehehehe....

Our new World Champion

Congratulations to Nicol David for becoming the new World Champion & World No. 1 ranked women squash player!

We are so proud of your achievements and your contributions to our country. Malaysia Boleh!!!

Mouth-Watering Sports Attire

Congratulations to Malaysian athletes who won gold medals in the SEA Games in the Philippines.


What attracted me the most is their sports attire - so trendy and stylish. The colour and the design is also outstanding unlike the previous series. What make it so special this year is that male athletes got the chance to match their female counterparts in this area. It's good to see that whenever there is a Malaysian athlete on the starting block, they have already won a "gold medal" - in terms of presentation. Way to go, Malaysia!

By the way, are they for sale to the public?

Hari Raya Open House

Attended Azwar's Open House last Sunday. Most of the PM members were there. There is one obvious strength in all runners - punctuality. In all the functions I attended to, runners would be the first to arrive - on time, on the dot! Even the host's wife commended it. Keep it up, fella.

We had a good time together, served with lots of good food and entertained by the latest hot-in-town news-turn-jokes.

Azwar has a very nice house. If I have a house like his, I will install some simulators - swim like Ian Thorpe, cycle like Lance Armstrong and run like Haile Gebrselassie! How nice.....!

Again, thank you for the invite, Azwar.