Multi Purpose Insurance Run 2012

Yeay I have completed my first run of the year. The races details are as follow:
1. Date : January 8, 2012
2. Location : Padang Merbuk
3. Distance : 12km
4. Running Buddy : I was all by myself (sob .... Sob... Tina had o sit for a test that day and Yana did not manage to register)

Anyway the race started at 7am and my dearest Along drop me at the location around 6.15am. The crowd was not that big. The course was a bit more hilly then expected but it was well planned. 

The runners had little contact with the traffic which was wonderful. I always hate the look drivers in the cars gave when they are stop by Race Marshall to let us pass first. You can just feel them "evil eyeing" you. 

However, there was a bit confusion at the starting line, people line-up at the wrong location, not sure if the women category start first or we are to start together, then all of the sudden Bang!!! and we are off. Yups was a bit weird at the start of the race. 

This was not one of my best run I clock in 1hr 45 min mostly due to me not running regularly for almost 2 months. I was lazy after Penang Bridge Marathon and seem satisfied to end my race year with that event hehehehehe. So it was not because me being busy with Nurman moving to Singapore or ensuring Angah had a good time when she was visiting. It was all about me being lazy.

But I am back! Full marathon here I come :-) 

PS: Did not manage to take any pictures no fun cam-whoring alone ...sob .... sob ...

Running Schedule

So far I have registered for the following races:

• Multi Purpose Insurance Run, 12k - January  8
• URun, 10k -  February 26
• Brooks Half Marathon, 21k - March 11
• Run350, 21k - April 22

Seriously don't know how many races I will participate this year hopefully I run in all the races I have register for. A plus this year, since Nurman moved to Singapore my race venue has extended to that country.

So far I have 1 race per month. I am very excited to collect my race kit tommorrow, feel like ages since my last race.

Wrapping up December 2011

December 2011, how do I wrap-up the last month of the year. The PLAN was to run the Malakoff Run like last year, it was suppose to be my last run for the year and wanted it to be my yearly running closure (or something like that). Alas the plan did not workout, the event clashes with Nurman's family event. Which we had to attend and had to spend the night there (only today I found out in details why we had to be there ... still a sore point)

In a way December was still a lot of fun because:

1) Angah came back for a visit ... have to teman her and ate a lot of things which will make my trainer work harder for her money next year.

2) Accompany Angah to Shang Hai which to my  surprise was a very clean and beatiful city. I would recommend everyone to visit the place and would love to go back and finish my site seeing. The only thing that could be a little difficult is (A) the language unless you speak mandarin communicating is going to be really hard. Be prepare to use lots of sign language, sound effect and some visual aid (B) If you are a muslim the food. This is due to the language barrier because on our last day we did manage to find a Halal restaurant.

3) Visit Singapore twice, on the first visit we finalise a lease on an apartment in Pasir Ris. It is about 45min away from the town but I guess, is not a big deal. On the second visit we went shopping to furnish the house. My Along is coming over this weekend to help me put on the finishing touches, I need a miracle. The house is a rainbow this is all I am going to say.

4) In between visit to Singapore I went to Medan with extended family member had my fill of Nasi Padang over there. I am pretty sure the workers at Ruman Makan Famili can pick us out in a line-up LOL. Shop in Pajak Ikan Lama bought lace and telekung. Since it is my second time there I don't think I will be visiting the place again anytime soon.

5) This is one I what I didn't do. I did not exercise, the last time I ran was for 1hr in Shang Hai and that was it. Since I have a 12k run on Jan 8, 2012 this is not a good thing. Oh well I can always crawl to the finish line.

6) As for my running goal 2011, I manage to run 14 races this year exceeded my 12 races per year resolution and finish my first half marathon within 3:06.

So that is my December 2011. I am currently find tuning my next year running resolution. Not so sure on how to go about it. Should I go for distance or should I go to improve my timing ....

THE BIG RACE - PBIM 2011

I finally did my first 21k aka half marathon, been planning for this event for the whole year. Lame I know 21k need 1 year of preparation but who care. I finally did it. Anyway our journey for begins earlier Saturday morning on November 19, 2011.

I woke-up at 4.30AM when Tina call asking what time would I come to pick her up so I said at 5.30. Giving myself 30min to prepare and 30min travelling time and Tina 1hr to prepare. Alas when I reached my mum's place Tina have yet finish taking her bath and have not even packed her  bags so I have to wait for her to get ready. Hish.... well that is Tina for you. Before went off to Penang we pick up 2 other running buddies Kak Sue and Yana. There was suppose to be 3 others joining us but they all cancelled last minute.

Anyway we reached Penang around 11am and went straight to Queensbay Mall to pick up our race kit and afterwards had our lunch at Subaidah (Nasi Kandar + Telur Sotong. What else ?? Hei we are in Penang after all!).

Finished with lunch we drove to check in our hotel rooms where Tina book us in Eastin Hotel. It was expensive but the starting line was just in front of the hotel we figure this will save us the effort of waking up extra early and trying to look for a parking later. Sadly something must go wrong somewhere lah kan since everything went on well so far. Tina book us from 20th Nov instead of 19 Nov !! So we did not have a room for the night. Panic ... we call every hotel near by but all was fully book except for B Suites. They have only 1 room with 2 single beds available and we took it. Can't ask for anything extra at all even the pillows :-( everthing was not available and was taken, so we had to make do with the 2 beds.... Tinaa !!!!!!

Anyway the at 2.30am on November 20, 2011 Kak Sue and Yana drop us at start off location. We lepak for a while, saw the men half marathon went off first at 3.00am and the women categories was off at 3.15am.

Everyone came for the race ..... Digi, another major sponsor of the event chartered and this is what we saw 32 busses to move the people. Everyone who came for the fun run got the Yellow t-shirt sponsor by them. We met a guy that came from Kuala Terengganu, he also came in a bus chartered by a Kuala Terengganu based running group and 1 bus was from a Klang based running group. Yups lots of runners in Malaysia ... this is so cool ..... kan

The run was fun, the weather was windy and cooling it was just lovely. The route was a bit hilly but it was gradual so it was manageable. Lots of water stations and portable toilets station throught out the route but I still saw a few runners going in and out from the bushes. Neanderthal !!!. Anyway I finished within 3:06 waited for the others at the finishig line with a cup of Milo. Yeay me ......

We rested, went back to the hotel and check out.

Love the race ..... will be back next year and do a full marathon .... Hopefully Tina will get the hotel booking right next time around.

 





 



Terry Fox 2011 - Padang Merbuk

This will be a short post, as mention in my earlier posting I have decided to do the Terry Fox Run / Walk instead of the CICM Run.

It was for a great cause and the turn out was wonderful. However I wish next time the organiser choose a different location. Padang Merbuk park simply can't cater for the amount of people that turn out that day. A  few issues on that day:

1. Parking space. The space was so limited, people parking at both side of a 2 lane road, narrowing the road even more. It was a not good but wasn't exactly a nightmare.

2. The crowd was huge but the road was narrow can't actually run so mostly people walk. Everything was so sempit.

3. The run/ walk start at 9.00ish so during the walk / run it got really hot and not so nice at the end of the day. Wish it was a little less sunny. Maybe next time can start at 8.00am

Anyway the company was nice Nurman and Yana was my running buddies that day. Afterwards we had nasi lemak with kari kaki ayam at Kampung Baru. Yummy .....

Getting Cold Running Feet

The Penang Bridge Run is less than 2 weeks and I am getting a little scare. The furthest I ran so far is 12k and I read somewhere that you should have at least run 18k. This week there is no races schedule may be I will manage to run the distance.


As for the CICM run I will most probably miss it as I am thinking to join the Terry Fox run instead because:

1) Most of my running buddy fail to register for the CICM so I don’t want to run alone

2) The starting time is 9.00am much better then waking up at 5am or 6am

3) Nurman said he wants to join this run since he did it last year and it was fun.

BSN Putrajaya Night Race 2011 A+

BSN Putrajaya Night Raya organizer should held their head high as it is very well organised (as far as Tina and I am concerned anyway). Before I jumped ahead a brief details of my run are as follow:

Run Name : BSN Putrajaya Night Race

Date : 15th October 2011

Time : 8.40

Distance Ran : 10km

Running Buddy : Tina , although ZCAT was there did not manage to see him as this time around we went on separate cars

 
As earlier mention the race was organise smoothly , BSN as first time sponsor should be proud of themselves . They really make sure everything went well. Things the made the race an A+ in my book was:

Race Location & General Logistics
The race location was in Putrajaya, this is not the first race I joined that was held here but somehow the organizer took the extra effort to ensure everything is well coordinated. There was RELA assisting / directing us on where to park and they where also accordingly placed on roads that were closed just to make sure no one remove the cones placed there. Yes, people this does happened before.

Forgot to mention parking was free.

 Luggage Keeping Facilities

Although it was a bit further down than where all the activities where taken place, I think it is a bit more secure as there was no crowd at the location and the person in charge can focus and not be distracted. They also decided to segregate the booth according to the distance you run so there was no queue when I went to send and retrieve my bag.

Water

The was lots of water. They gave mineral water bottles both before and after the race. The during the race there was 3 water stations; normaly they put only 2 water stations even though sometimes they advertise 3 . Feel so cheated when that happened.

Cheers and fireworks

They started the race with fireworks how awesome is that ... not much can goes wrong in event if you got fireworks :-)

Anyway along the way again strategically placed cheer team. The first cheer group encounter was probably; if not mostly BSN workers. Don't know if it was volunteer or instructed but they all were such good sport cheering us on going up the hill. Then there was the marching band; loud speaker was place in some location blasting songs and some tradisional indian drums was played. It was all  good keeping the energy level high.

Food

At the end of the race they gave us packet  food; currypuff and remember anything else.

Anyway Tina finish 1hr 43 min this is a huge improvement from her last race which was 1hr 55min. I did not improve as much my last race was 1hr 33min and this time I clock in 1hr 31min. Hope next time I can clock in 1hr 25+ish min.