2012 - The Power of Dream

I wouldn't have believed that until this day, I've completed 4 race events (with variety in distances) within 4 months of my very young and 'tender' running life. Thanks to that first '10k run on a treadmill in a hotel gym' 6 months ago, my life is now totally changed and I can proudly say to myself, 'Nothing is now impossible as long as you dream big and put one hell of an effort to achieve it'.

Just like the Honda tagline - The Power of Dreams..but with a big 'E' (effort) word to tag along it.

In honesty, masa dulu2..ana just berlari2 untuk menguruskan badan and also untuk meng'fit'kan diri yang sememangnya sejak kecik dah berada dalam bodyframe yang besar dan selalu semput2 ala2 enjin dah lama tak overhaul. In previous years, my ultimate max mileage would only be 8k of slow jog and itupun dah terasa sengsara nak habiskan. Sekarang ni, alhamdulillah..the mind and physical barrier of 21k or dalam bahasa canggih dier - Half Marathon, sudah ana pecahkan dalam last PNM2012 (Putrajaya Night Marathon) in Oct 2012. Bukan nak cakap sekarang ni that 8k distance is easy because you must always respect the distance even if it's only one short loop of 400m on a running track! Cuma sekarang ni, the mind and body can adapt easily if you train them properly and accordingly. One seasoned runner even told me, if you train hard, only the sky is your limit.

"Out on the roads there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be" - Dr. George Sheehan -

2012 bibs

So, untuk mereka2 yang dah lama berlari secara kasual tapi jauh di lubuk hati ada sekelumit niat nak meng'upgrade'kan the effort tu,my first suggestion yang tak berapa expert nih adalah untuk choose one race and register jer. By doing that, nak taknak kenalah training sebab dah bayar mahal untuk registration fee. And after that, along the way (i mean the training), you'll soon find that slowly and gradually, you'll awaken 'the runner' inside you. Same goes to the others. Be it yang kurus, gemuk dan berat, tinggi, rendah dan lebar, lelaki mahupun perempuan. Percayalah..deep inside each and everyone of us, there's always a 'runner' inside us and you just have to wake him up and see him go. Just like what happen to my younger bro. After ana cucuk2 dier join ana in one of the races (in the end he joined the 5k race in his maiden Royal Klang Run 2012), he completed the race in one piece, feeling satisfied and hungry for more. And now, after 3 months since that 'magical run', he is now training for a 10k run, comfortably and confidently. I won't even be surprised if he's now ready to run his first half marathon distance.

As for me, before I continue my running adventure in 2013, I couldn't just forget how much I've gone thru to be in this position and in the end, feeling awesome, healthier and met so many new acquaintances. I am really grateful that my family especially my wife supported me all the way in whatever that I do to achieve my goal whilst not forgetting my role as – a son, a husband and most importantly, as a father to a very beautiful baby daughter who were born last Nov 2012

She'll definitely be one of my inspiration and motivation to achieve my running goals..

My biggest adventure for year 2013 would be for me to get my first Full Marathon distance (42.195km) and its finishing tee. Bak kata mereka2 yang genius - nak memecahkan that 'Full Marathon Virgin' (FMV) title. So, setelah menelaah previous events in 2012, this target harap2lah dapat dicapai in May 2013 di Kota Kinabalu, Sabah dalam Borneo International Marathon 2013 sambil2 menghabiskan 2 HM before that. Hehe..In terms of preparation, I'm already at the early stage of it, adopting the Liz Yelling regime that I got from the 'The Ultimate Guide to Marathon Running - Third Edition'.

Of courselah bukan yang 3hrs 30mins or sub 2hrs 55mins tuh!!..hehe

Other major races that I plan to include in my 2013 would be:

• Multi-Purpose Insurans (MPIB) Run 2013 - The first event of the year (6 Jan 2013)
• Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2013
• Putrajaya Night Marathon 2013
• Penang Bridge International Marathon 2013 (I believe this would be on the new bridge)
• Standard Chartered Half Marathon Brunei (April 2013)
• Malakoff Run KL - (Nak conquer balik the 'hills have eyes' nih, InsyaAllah)
• Newton Challenge 2013 (this year punya tak sempat sebab on duty)
• and other races yang sememangnya banyak throughout the year. Tinggal sempat tak sempat jer nak join..

Akhir kata untuk tahun 2012 nih, if you strive for the best, you'll get the best. And jangan lupa untuk bertawakal bila kita dah berusaha sehabis baik untuk mencapai sesuatu sebab hanya Dia yang tahu apa yang terbaik untuk setiap daripada kita semua ini. :-)

My precious 2012 medals

May all of our dreams and wish come true. Like me, other than to complete my first full marathon, my other target is to improve my pace until I can run consistently and comfortably under 5:30min/km. If other people can do it, I can do it as well..or do it even better!!

Selamat Tahun Baru 2013 semua and see you all soon!!

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Malakoff Run 2012 - KL 16.12.2012

Hoho..at last, my last race event for the year 2012 - the Malakoff Run.

Was it the best ever run for me? Not really..Did I ended the year with a bang thru this 'M' run? Again..not really..the reason being, entahlah. My feeling was not quite right by the time I stepped on that finishing line. Nak kata tak best, tak jugak sebab dah dapat that finishing medal (berat gila plak tuh!) Nak kata best, tak jugak sebab my overall expectation was far below from the actual happening.

The sight at the starting point. It's still dark!

To be honest, when I was at the starting point that 16/12 morning, there was really nothing in my mind. Fighting spirit pun macam kureng jer the whole morning. Nak kata dah ready physical dan mental, rasa2nya seminggu sebelum the actual event, dah abih dah duk men'derem' mental and prepare the physical-me to face the very demanding rolling terrains of Bukit Damansara. The key phrase in my mind were always - 'You'll survive the hills punya..'.'if others can do, why not me?'..' ala, biler dah naik bukit, mestilah lepas tuh turun bukit'..'just treat the run like your hill work-out'..

until I met the actual nemesis...

The 'sperm-head' route. Ran the same route, twice!

The terrains via my Nike+ GPS. Berbonjol2 gitu~~

If you guys look at the pic above, all the 12k runners had to go thru those 3 hills (elevation at almost 358ft) in the middle, twice!. So, the first loop I managed to 'complete it 'almost' non-stop until I saw the sight of that first hill and the first sign-board of Jalan Beringin, again. This time, my mind already went somewhere else and the one and only objective in my mind (at that time) was to finish the race, with honor and also, in one-piece.

And so I did, with the run towards the finishing, I was being overtaken by bro 'Eezad_Vazz' when I suddenly recognized the pink colored cap and his ever 'classic' stubble. Baru jer nak tegur, kaki dia terus berdesup..haha..jangan mare..

Anyway, there were many people that I met in this event..my seniors, juniors, fellow bloggers and sememangnya tidak dilupakan, bro Najmi yang setakat nih dah kira jadi buddy official untuk semua race event. Congrats bro on the timing!

Me and Najmi

The senior yang sememangnya super-pantas. Penipu sungguh bila declare this Bukit Damansara punya hills susah giler. His timing was 1:08 kot!..haha..Dang!!

Akhirnya bertemu jua, Helmi Osman @Helos

And of course, last but not the least, the hero himself, selepas bergelumang dengan larian ala2 'kukus, grill, panggang..kukus, grill, panggang..kukus'..and terus hangus.

Me with the medal

The bib plus the finisher medal..

Race Lesson Learnt

1. Perhaps my body was still 'tired' and worn-out (but didn't realized!) after few weeks of traveling here and there plus working the night-shifts non-stop. The body's endurance has taken its toll.
2. Running up and down the hill is an art. You have to learn and practice to master it.
3. Need to do more tempo run to improve stamina and endurance. 
4. Always and always respect the distance and any elevation, even if it's only just a few hundred meters or 5 to 10ft high.
5. Do not skip your sleep because that few hours of having it will really help your body to recuperate and re-energize, before and after any intensive work-out.
6. Always listen and trust your body especially when you feel something is not right.
7. Eat and hydrate your body well.

Last but not the least, my race result summary..ta daa!!.

Larian semput..haha..credit to ET Tey and Syafiq Chapx

Now, move on to our next journey!

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Towards The 'M' Run..

Alrite peeps, i'm now in the taper week before the Malakoff run (kononnya lah..hehe). Body and mind pun dah start terasa 'letih' after these 2 weeks of fitness catching-up. Kepala dah ada macam mamai2 sikit (ni sebab x cukup tido) and the legs pun ada rasa mcm stiff sikit2 tapi not that muchlah.

So, what's next?

After today's 7k morning run, my plan is to have a total 2 days rest though I doubt that I could rest properly since my incoming working shifts are all NIGHT!..so, there goes my night sleeps for the next 4 days until 15th Dec. Terpaksalah mencari time untuk tido di kesiangan hari walaupun tak lama (maybe 2 - 3hours) to allow the body/mind to recuperate properly. After these rest days, I might go for a quick run, perhaps one 5k run and followed by a cross-training the day after. If not, I'll just lepak2 jer at home until the race day sambil fueling my mind and soul. Kui3..

Anyway, a pat to me-self since to-date, I have accumulated a stunning total mileage (for me at the least..) of 87km with 5 resting days. Ish3..terasa banyakla pulak distance tuh..haha..Itupun nasib ada nak meng'force'kan diri untuk rest. Kalau tak, dah memang buat kerja gila every day berlari2 sampai kaki lembik macam brokoli lama sangat kena celur..:P

Lastly, harap2 lah time Malakoff run this coming 16/12 ana dapat jumpa fellow runners (the old and the new one) untuk menambahkan lagi kenalan..like they say, the more the merrier, and the more crowded the road..hehe..

See ya..

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Re-conditioning Weeks

Yeay! By the time I'm writing this, I've managed to complete a couple of runs without feeling anymore niggles on my left foot except for of course, it still feel like I need oxygen supports whenever I push the pace a little bit during mid-run. But syukur Alhamdulillah, up till yesterday's evening, I'm now quite comfortably back working within the 5:40 to 5:50 pace though I do need a few more tempo runs before I could run consistently and 'easily' in these pace especially for 5k to 10k runs. But all in all, I'm quite happy to be back on the road and pushing myself again with all of that hard-work and efforts.

To be in this week means that I only got 2 weeks left before the Malakoff run (12k). So, the plan is to continue with the running plans within these last 2 weeks before flying back to KL for the run and most importantly, to meet my two 'girlfriends' in Besut, Terengganu (Lambatnya lagii!!..haih!)..Really can't wait especially after my lil girl did this:

Aisyah, Aisyah..boleh pulak tersengih dalam tido..haha..so comel!

So, before I sambung my shift for the night (oopss..kantoi updating the blog during working hours..hehe), as usual, the summary of my work-out for the previous weeks:

Previous weeks (27/11 - 3/12) Summary

27/11 - Larian kembali ke jalanan di Bintulu..completed the run with 3.71k of running, 10mins walk and ended with a slow jog for about 10min or so
28/11 - Larian kedua within 13hours after the first run on the 27/11 to assess the fitness. Hit the wall at around 40mins or so..continued walking for 4mins and then continue pushing for another 8mins. Completed 7.9km
30/11 - A short run before off to work. Completed 4.63km
1/12 -  The furthest after 1 week of running (post injury). Slowly getting back the fitness. Completed 10km
3/12 - It was a 'kukus, grill, panggang and kukus terus' kinda run...stopped twice at 7k and 10k for hydration..then couldn't muster anymore energy at 11k split..from there on, I walked all the way to home - jalan2 makan angin. Total mileage done - 14.58km
4/12 - Tristupe tempo run.7min w/up (~6:30), 10mins (~6:00), 10mins (~5.40), 7mins cooling down (~7ish). Total mileage done - 5.24km. The best work-out so far.

More to come in these coming weeks..

Alrite, now back to work peeps..hehe

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It's Flat!

Like the previous 2 entries, I've mentioned that my life would never be the same since I've become a father. Plus that with a new 'toy' at your disposal, your motivation to set your foot on the road would always be on the high (kononnya lah..hehe) or at least THERE to continue pushing you. So, nak dijadikan cerita. Setelah sekian lama/3 minggu mengelakkan diri daripada menhentakkan kaki di atas jalan, ana pergi membuat lawatan rasmi (chewah!) ke Running Lab kat Tropicana City Mall, PJ dengan my younger brother. Hajat di hati nak mencari kasut yang sesuai dengan kaki yang dah injured and also to at least, menghidupkan balik that running momentum yang dah 'terhibernate' setelah sekian lama.

Tup tap tup tap!

After a quick 'walk test' atas treadmill in the shop, I now know that my feet is a actually a 'flat' type. And, I pronate a lot. So, after a few advise, the keyword for all of my shoes after this would be - 'Stability'.

The process after that test is quite fascinating. My feet was properly being sized by a scale and as it turn out, my right and left feet have a slightly different size. Hahaha...sememangnya funny!Tapi takperlah, janji ana dah tau secara 'absolute' the size of my feet.

So, what's next?

The guy in the shop gave me 5 to 6 boxes of shoes from whole range of brands i.e. Asics, New Balance, Saucony and Brooks to try on (sorry peeps, there's no usual Adidas or Nike here..hehe). Some of them are 'Minimalist' and some are the 'Maximum Stability' since these types suit my feet need.

Try punya try, akhirnya ana choose to get the 'Saucony Hurrican 14' for maximum stability. Ha, just for your info, this is the first time ana try this brand. Nama memang pelik, tapi bila dah pakai. Perghh! It feels like your feet is being wrapped by wools + snow. Really2 comfortable.

Saucony Hurricane 14

Haha...she's already on the road twice!

So peeps, it is always important to choose your shoes right at the first time since they are the ones who's helping us to achieve whatever targets or dreams that we have SAFELY.

Before I finish, you guys could read this one article from one of the running web on choosing the right shoes - Click 'Here'. Credit to bro Ray sebab share. Tq2.

Adios!.

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I'm Ready to Go!

Alhamdulillah..it's been quite a while since the last entry. Nak buat macamana, empunya diri dah diupgradekan dari seorang suami menjadi seorang ayah. Of courselah, time management tuh akan bertukar 360 degrees. Lagi2 first born kan..ala2 baru nak belajar swimming, tapi dah terus kena campak kat tengah laut. Memang main redah jer lah. Hehe..

Anyhow, up till today. Everything is running smoothly. Ana punya wife and baby Aisyah, dua2 alhamdulillah sihat2 belaka and safely 'confined' kat Besut, Terengganu. And by the time I'm writing this, my daughter is already 2 weeks old. Owh..how time flies..and my leave is going to end soon within the next couple of days. Haih...hati pun dah mula terasa sebak.

Oklah..back to my running diaries.

Since my last run on Sunday of 18th Nov, I could now feel that my left foot is totally healed and can move freely without any of that niggling feeling. (That advise of 'know your body' sememangnya mujarab if we are in the period of recuperating and nursing our injury). Like a statement yang ana baca dalam 'The Running Times', - Your 2-3 weeks of without running worth nothing if you can't running for your whole life'. This statement is definitely true to its meaning.

Hingga ke saat ini (setelah 3 minggu bertapa), akhirnya ana sudah ready untuk kembali ke jalanan for new adventures. So,tanpa sebarang perasaan was-was dan dengan lafaz Bismillah, I can now declare - 'I'm fit and ready to go back to full running'.

Syukran to all and Alhamdulillah.

See you all on the road..

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My Shining Light

It is always a case of -  a picture is worth a thousand words. And here I gave you guys the reason why that for the past one week, though I couldn't run at all since I was injured,  it was the most tiring but also the most beautiful and memorable week for me and the wife..seriously..

Akhirnya, my lovely wife delivered our first child - a baby girl weighed at 3.12kg at the KPJ Kajang Hospital, last Friday (9th November 2012 - 1210hrs)

Our newborn baby.

My two lovely girls

Her first interaction with the giraffes. And lots of them too!!

Alhamdulillah, nama diberi - 'Nur Aisyah Radhiah' which means 'Cahaya Kehidupan Yang Meredhai'. InsyaAllah, with Aisyah's addition into the family, I would pray that He would continue to bless my whole family forever, here and the hereafter.

And from now on, my life would never be the same again..

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Post Injury Run

Akhirnya, larian post injury after almost a week immobilizing myself from any running. Agak suffer jugaklah sebab kaki dah memang rasa restless almost everyday and that everyday I felt like the leg dah macam sayur brokoli br lepas kena rebus. Nampak macam fit and hard, tapi biler tekan lebih sikit, hancur luluhlah encik brokoli itu (haha).

Oklah, now back to the running. The overall pace was obviously slower than the normal. I dared not to push myself to the normal pace because I could still feel the 'geli2' but not pain on my left tendon whenever my foot hit the road. Rasa2 macam dah almost healed but definitely not yet 100%-lah for a full blast running.

So what's next?

My plan is to further menjauhkan diri daripada aktiviti lari2 nih for a few more days (ramai jugak yang suruh rest jer for another week sebab takut melarat nanti sampai ke tua..erkk) before I do another assessment run (eh..boleh eh assessment run? :P) to see whether it is fully healed and fit for service. (I hope my ma'am don't read this because I'm suppose to stand-by myself 24/7 before the big day', otherwise nanti kena kill by her..shhhhhh). But that's only a plan because by tomorrow (Tuesday 6/11), I'll be back in Semenanjung until end of the month to attend to my wife before the big day. So, if the big day comes early, I don't think I would have much time to think anything that is relevant to the word 'RUN' except to run the errands lah.. :P

Anyway, that's all for now - a short but sweet entry for you guys to read.

Hope to see you soon, insyaAllah...and don't forget to pray for the best to me and my wife!.

Daa..

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The Niggling Injury

Alrite.. after watching that Chelsea vs Man U game (where Man U won the game with a decisive goal from their latest signing, Mark Clattenburg - the referee!) adalah ana seterez untuk seketika..But what to do, that's football. It's trivial. One moment, you are happy with whatever that's happening around it and one other moment, you are angry because something against you happened..hahaha..So, just live with it and move on. There are other more important things yang kita boleh fokus and do in this life. Andone of them is (for me) of course, running....hehe..

........

So, another week have passed and a lot had happened to me in this month of October. One of it was a  dream realized after I completed my first half marathon in one piece. Syukur sebab dapat abihkan dengan jayannya tapi with one consequence-lah. My left tendon...injured sudah. Ada swollen2 since that PNM. I thought I could shake it off after a few days but it's still there until now but already healing a lot better. 

Jangan cuak - gambar hiasan jer nih..hehe

Salah strategi maybe sebab sepatutnya dah abih that 21km tuh rest la properly. Tapi sebab dah gatal sangat kaki nih, after 2 days terus jugak gigih berlari 5km..haa, kan dah lambat ana punya tendon nih baik..siap ada follow-up run lagi tuh after another 2 days, it was almost a 8km run..haih..should've have just immobilize myself until now. Tapi nak buat macam mana kan? Dah takdir...redha dan bersyukur jerlah sebab akhirnya dapat jugak merasa first 'official injury' dalam karier muda berlari2 ana nih..(haha..boleh ker?).

Anyhow, maybe it's about time jugak ana amik short break from running. Lagi pun, this coming month of November memang ana dah diberi mandat oleh 'Ma'am Besar' untuk bercuti sebulan from all running events. That's why tak sempat nak join that Penang Bridge run (for those yang bertanya2)..hehe. Tapi takper, that bridge memang takkan lari pun, if nak tukar pun maybe sebab next year's PBIM akan dibuat on the new bridge (that's what I heard..). So kita tunggu dan lihat jer.. ;-)

Haa..why ana kena amik cuti sebulan? Jawapannya insyaAllah ana akan share in the next entry. Tak lama pun lagi..and doa2kanlah yang terbaik untuk ana and the family because what will come in this coming future, would be one of my greatest strength and the gift of all gifts yang ditunggu2 oleh myself and my beloved wife.

Last but not the least, happy birthday to me-self on this very day...my 29th birthday on the 29th of October 2012!..

See you guys soon..ciao

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Putrajaya Night Marathon 2012

Alhamdulillah syukur..

That would be the first words yang ana akan sebut for this entry. It sum up everything from the day I officially gatal2 join the endurance world in June 2012 until that last Saturday night in Putrajaya. It was truly an amazing experience and surreal to say the least. Why? Because everything went so quickly that I still couldn't believed that I just ran and completed a 21km run after only 3-4 'so-called' months of training!

Seriously guys, I managed to completed my first 10k run only in last June..on a threadmill pulak tuh!!Haha..

Few years ago, if you guys asked me some random question of  whether I would join some running event, be it if it's only 5km or 10km, I would've said" What the heck, gila ka? Cukupla me running petang2 for fun" or " Takper2, you go ahead. I'll just continue to jog for my health sake and also to kuruskan badan. And that for me, is already enough. No need to susah2 training and struggling with your own mental and physical''. The end.

But to date, believe it or not, I've collected 3 finisher medals and all was in different categories; 12k, 7k and 21k.In million years I would've never imagined that I could do all these if I didn't clicked that 'Pay' button when I first registered for the PNM2012 event.

And the rest was history..

First 21km in my whole life - 476/1759

The Race

The crowd when we first arrive

As usual, since this is the first 21k race dalam hidup ana, target asal adalah untuk sampai ke finishing line in one piece. Janji satu body cukup kaki and tangan, ana dah bersyukur.

The 21k route -  courtesy Tuan Dedeli

If you guys tengok the route tuh, sememangnya penuh dengan hills and the flat surfaces ada only in few places jer from the start until the finishing line. Yerlah, nama pun dah Putrajaya kan. Eventhough all the roads there semua taraf2 highway, tapi mostly yang termasuk dalam route 21k ni semuanya inclinations + flyovers. So, if beforehand tak prepare with hill or speed work, memang agak mencabar jugaklah sebab when ana went through the whole route, every hills/incline confirm akan ada runners yang duk sibuk buat stretching kaki and tangan sbb cramp! Even worst, ada one place tuh, one of the guys siap kena cardiac arrest (siap mata terbeliak!) and all the lady runners yang passed by that guy, semua menjerit2 ala kena histeria sbb cuak tengok mamat tuh. Erkk..

Before the flag-off, I was with other 3 runners i.e. Najmi, Dedeli (TD) and Faizal (refer pics). Tapi lepas jer gun-shot, semua dah start lari ikut pace masing2 and that includes me. Azam di hati nak just maintain pace with one of these guys, tapi because of there were too many runners, I lost sight of them except Tuan Dedeli. Najmi was already ahead of the pack ( I assume he's with 6:00 pace) while Tuan Faizal wanted all of us to go ahead with our own pace since he's at 7:00 pace due to his shin splints injury. (Satu tabik sping untuk Tuan Faizal because even with his injury, he slowly persevere until the finishing line).

So for the first half of the run, ana just follow Tuan Dedeli's pace until the 5th water station (I think at about 10km split) when we bumped into Najmi. He's already slowing down a little bit when me and TD caught up with him. After the water station stop, it was TD's turn to slow his pace a lil bit (post race, dia kata berhenti kejap nak ikat tali kasut). So, from there on, it was me and Najmi to continue side by side with a pace I think at around 6:20 - 6:30. By that time, we've already passed precinct by precinct, one bridge and also flyover by flyovers (TBH, i didn't really care about all those landscapes + buildings..:P).

At the 13km split, i stopped for a while to tie-in my shoelace. Najmi follow suit stopping. I thought he wanted to wait for me but instead he asked for the water bottle that I had in my hand. From there on, i ran on my own after Najmi signalled me to move on (Post race - his leg got cramp).

1km by 1km passed by until the last 3km where I could see a smaller crowd of runners started to climb up the final hills at the Precinct 2 route before entering Precinct 3 for the finishing line. By this time,ana dah bagi up sikit pace to 5:40 - 5:50. Throughout these last 3km, I could somewhat felt that the distance starting to feel too long and torturous. Hahaha...serious lama gila rasa nak abiskan 1km tuh but after one last corner and 1 water station stop, the end and the crowd was already there to be seen. Syukur..

For that last 600m, I've pushed further and gave myself one last kick towards the end at 5:20 pace.

And as the finishing line approaches, somehow tetiba hati rasa emosi sebab after all those 3- 4months penat dan lelah, everything will be rewarded once ana touch that finishing line. 

That final 200metres, I couldn't contain anymore. So, out of nowhere mengalir lah jugak airmate lelaki yang mahal (sikit jer lah) ni sebab ana dah terasa sebak sangat2. Lagi2 biler nampak the official clock tu still ticking kat 2hrs 26min, akhirnya dapat jugak merasa complete my HM below 2hr 30min. Debut HM tuh!!..hehe..Lepas jer the timing mat, ana terus sujud syukur. Seriously rasa lega sebab 'mind-barrier' untuk 21k akhirnya dah lepas..

Sebelum berjuang

 The trio - Me, Najmi and TD. By this time, kitorang still tgh tunggu Tuan Faizal untuk sampai.

 Tuan Faizal with finishing medal - Tabik2!!

And last but not the least, Alhamdulillah termakbul jugak niat di hati utk jumpa brother Ray nih. Sifu and otai nih. He got the 11th placing in the Men's Marathon category.

Boleh follow his Rayzeef blog via my Fellow Bloggers/Runners.

So rakan2, akhir kata untuk entri ni, thanks for all the support. The hardwork will continue for me untuk mencapai darjat full marathoner by next year insyaAllah. For those  yang nak start berlari2 tuh, teruskan usaha anda sebab once you got infected with that running bug, the feeling is seriously addictive. ;-).

The finisher medal, running bib and participation cert..yeah!

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Resting Anxiously

Akhirnya, dah sampai ke minggu terakhir before Putrajaya Night Marathon (PNM). Nothing much yang happen for the last 2 weeks except for myself yang dah start terasa restless and also excited sebab tinggal few days jer lagi untuk meng'official'kan diri masuk geng2 half marathon (haha...sememangnya seorang yang noob). Race kits collection for the race dah pun start since 13th - 14th last weekend tapi ana chose untuk amik this coming 19th Oct from Putrajaya sebab lagi dekat dengan rumah parent kat Kajang nih.

Dengar2 from one of my colleague yang dah collect the kit earlier, this year Brooks is one of the major sponsor. Hmm.. ana OKkan jer sebab selama nih memang tak pernah pun pakai this brand punya apparels/shoes selain daripada just dengar and read thru the brand's ads dalam all running magazines. Boleh kata famous jugaklah this brand to the Europeans/Westerners together dengan New Balance, Skechers, Saucony and also the other not so familiar brands to our Malaysian ears except for those yang dah lama menceburi bidang larian/endurance nih (endurance master can correct me if I'm wrong on this..hehe).

Anyway, untuk last week running journal, ana dah nukilkan (chewah!) dalam summary kat bawah nih:

Previous week (8 - 14/10) Summary

8/10 - Morning long run of 17.47km in 2hr 2min. Couldn't push further sebab dah abis bateri and weather pun makin panas (almost 9am)
11/10 - Larian bergumbira : 3.67km in 21mins
13/10 - A quick 5k run dekat Stadium Kajang in the afternoon (32mins)
15/10 - Another run dekat Stadium Kajang tapi with a longer distance. 10k in 1hr 2mins

Hmm...so total mileage = 36k..(Harap2 cukuplah ketahanan fizikal ini nak meng'endure' sejauh 21km hari Sabtu nih...insyaAllah).

Owh, before nak menghabiskan entry ni, semalam ana ada sambar satu Nike running specific tights dekat Alamanda. Quite surprise jugak sebab terjumpa this running specific fir sebab selama ni pusing2/visit mana2 Nike store mesti jumpa yang Nike Combat tuh jer. Anyway, boleh tengok kat pics below. Price dia boleh kata slightly cheaper than the common compression tights macam 2Xu or CWX lah. ;-)

 Nike Running Specific Fit

Siap ada zipper di kaki..hehe

Wokeh...insyaAllah akan bersambung lagi selepas PNM weekend nih..wish me luck!!

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Crazy Week!

Fuhh..while writing this entry, dah terasa letih yang teramat sangat satu badan sebab 3 consecutive days of running with a total mileage of 40k and tu tak masuk lagi running mileage of the two days earlier in the week! Haha..agak gila kan? But for me, it's worth it sebab banyak reason:

1. Minggu nilah akhirnya dapat buddy running with one of my friend/colleague in Bintulu nih. Siap join one amateur running fraternity lagi! Hehe..details will follow suit.
2. Mem'bandit'kan diri dengan indirectly join the Bintulu Run last Saturday (6/10). Even the police/marshal pun boleh confuse dengan me and my buddy participation. Nice~
3. Tested my endurance of running more than 8k in consecutive days and gladly + gratefully passed with flying colors. I'm even surprised with myself that I could run that long and with faster pace as well.
4. Get acquainted with many seasoned and new runners within these 4 off-duty days. Marvelous!
5. To commence the tapering weeks after a hard week before the Putrajaya Night Marathon.

So, in the first point ana did mention on the running frat yang ana join after being invited by a friend of mine (Thanx a lot Tuan Deli Dedeli!). The frat's name is - the Bintulu Amateur Running Fraternity or in short BARF. Actually this frat baru jer diestablish and founded by Faizal Sharin after everybody got infected by the running bugs and most of the members currently come from the Oil & Gas circle, working here in Bintulu. Macam2 jugak background all the members nih. Ada yang casual runners, ada yang seasoned halfmarathoners and tak kurang jugak yang joined in or being tagged along just to keep fit and maintain health. All around, it is an interesting group of people who fore-mostly share the same passion and hobby that is 'running'.

As for me, joining BARF was like a another step and platform for me to further channel my passion of running because all this while, ana just run solo jer kat Bintulu nih sebab takder geng untuk run sekali. So, bila dah diinvite untuk masuk frat, barulah tau ramai jugak yang sememangnya gatal kaki kat Bintulu nih. Hehe...syukur Alhamdulillah. Owh, by the way, for the upcoming Putrajaya run, ana akan berlari dengan si Faizal and Tuan Dedeli nih dalam half marathon. Haha..ala2 wakil BARF la kononnya..membawa nama bandar Bintulu ke persada dunia (chewah!).

So, for the past week, here are the short/daily journal of my doings:

Previous week (1 - 8/10) Summary

1/10 - Larian melepaskan geram lepas PJ Half Marathon the 30th of Sept. 11.03km in 1hr 13min.
4/10 - Chillax run time berpuasa sunat Khamis. 3.68km in 22min
6/10 - Pacing and LSD with Tuan Dedeli along the Tg Batu route. 13.37km in 1hr 35mins.
7/10 - Recovery + tempo run at Bintulu Waterfront. 9.15km in 1hr 1min (with Tuan Dedeli)
8/10 - Morning long run of 17.47km in 2hr 2min. Couldn't push further sebab dah abis bateri and weather pun makin panas (almost 9am)

So for the next 2 days, marilah kita berehat2 dan sambung shift duty (9 - 12/10). Hehe...

Daa..

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The Racing Debuts (Special Beginners RW) - Part 2

Alrite..mari kita sambung dengan runners racing debut stories bahagian 2:

Lifetime of Achievement

Graham Brooks, 79, retired, Turnbridge Wells
First race - Guildford Hogsback Marathon, December 1975

" I started running in 1966 to keep fit, and it made me feel good emotionally and physically. Then I decided to run a marathon for a challenge. I ensured my training was disciplined and on the day I wasn't nervous, but excited. I did get some foot pain and chafing, but it was such a wonderful feeling knowing that you can give the run all you've got and the pain will soon be over. Back then there wasn't much fuss. Now it's all razzamatazz - drums, crowds, costumes and so forth. It can be a bit too much. I am now in my fifth decade of running.My highlight has been running two Comrade Ultras in South Africa, in my late 50s. I lost my wife a few years ago and running carried me through that very sad first year. I'm not sure how else I would have coped."

Something to show off about

Nathaniel Cole, 21, project manager, Hackney, London
First race - Cancer Research 10k, Victoria Park, London, October 2010

" When I crossed the line I cried with happiness, and I knew the running bug had caught me. To celebrate I took off my top and walked home -  I'd lost so much weight in training I wanted to show my body off!"

Overcoming Fears

 Mulreann Carey-Campbell, 30, blogger and creative consultant, London
First race - Royal Parks Half, London, October 2010

" Before the race I was petrified. I can't remember being that nervous about anything. I barely slept the night before. Then I took off like the clappers, so at mile 9 I had to take a break. An old guy in the crowd saw me and walked alongside me for 15mins until I hit 10miles, then encouraged me to get going again. I mustered up what little strength I had and started running , and this old guy, who must have been in his 70s, ran alongside, then waved me on my way. It got me really choked up. When I finally saw the finish I just felt elated. The closer I got, the more emotional I became. I thought about the three months i'd spent training, how I'd gone from someone who wouldn't even run a bus to being a few feet away from finishing a half marathon. Crossing the line was one of the best feelings I've ever had."

 New Perspective

Kirstie Byrne, 42, teacher, Shoreham, Kent
First race - 5k Race for Life, Brighton, 1993.

" I felt emotional reading the cards everyone's backs at Race For Life. One girl was running to celebrate overcoming cancer, and that motivated me -  if she was able to run after all she'd been through, I knew I could too."

to be continued..

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PJ Half Marathon (30/9/2012)

Alhamdulillah..another interesting and happy weekend untuk ana sebab sudah tercompletenya satu lagi event running yang ana join which was the PJ Half Marathon 2012 walaupun categorynya bukanlah macam nama of the event tuh..hehe..register untuk 7k jer. Tapi, even if it’s only 7k, still kena respect the distance sbb it’s still far and the rule of thumb is that, the shorter the distance, the faster your pace (that’s why ada running jargon – 5k pace, 10k pace, HMP and also MP) and bila dah makin laju pace tuh, breathing and our stamina kita pun kenalah align sekali ngan pace tuh.Fuhh..ada jugakla terasa nak tercabut peparu nih. Haha..

Before the actual running day that Sunday, sempat jugaklah ana prepare one last run before flew back to KL on Saturday (29/9) tuh. So berlari lah ana on the 27/9 petang and succeeded in completing a 12k distance sambil lutut dibaluti dengan knee support yang baru. Initially rasa agak peliklah sebab ada something new ‘melekat’ kat kaki kiri, tapi bila dah lari for almost half an hour, the weird feeling tuh dah macam gone with the wind. Tak rasa apa2 pun dah lepas tuh and sengal2 kat lutut kiri tu pun rasa macam dah kurang sikit. Alhamdulillah..

Alrite..now the fun part. No need to put in words, i’ll just paste all the pictures yang ana sempat amik during the PJ Half Marathon. Tak banyak pun sbb nama pun lone ranger join in the race, so cameramannya pun of course diri empunya badan jugak.Tapi yang paling menarik, ana dapat jumpa balik brother yang join sekali race kat Klang arituh and we've officially become acquainted! The best part jugak, we will be running in the same half marathon in the Putrajaya Night Run this coming 20th of Oct. How's cool is that?!..Owh, lupa...nama dia Najmi Arif. Da siap add sekali dalam FB jugak sebab nak tag gambar yang ada..Haha..

 The 0600hrs flag off - Punyalah ramai manusia, too crowded!

 The finishing line - still got a lot them arriving especially the half category at this hour..

Me and Najmi - the newly acquainted running buddy!

Me with the finishing medal (should've wear other running shirt!)

 Steadylah bro!..

The running bib, participation cert and of course - finisher medal!

The timing - 46mins 26s

Summary

27/9 - Chillax run with newly bought knee support : 12k in 1hr 18mins
30/9 - PJ Half 7k category..wuuhuu..in 46mins 26s

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The Racing Debuts (Special Beginners RW) - Part 1

Kindred spirits

Paul Home, 42, Comedy Store Manager, Manchester
First Race - The Swinton Royal Children's Half, Salford, September 2008

" The biggest surprise was that despite arriving alone, running alone and leaving alone, I was suddenly with hundred of strangers, which was surreal. Up to that point, my running had been so isolated - you forget that there are hundreds of other runners turning up on grey Sunday mornings with their own reasons for being there. I barely spoke two words to any of them, but for those 13.1miles we were kindred spirits. Catching someone's eye on the start line, a nod of the head spoke a thousand words. It was incredibly moving - I'd never experienced anything like that before. I came 164th but I felt like a winner and was totally overwhelmed by all the friendliness and camaraderie. I realize now it isn't just about the race, the distance and the time -  it is also about the race day: the community spirit, the brief friendships made, the nervous anticipation on the start line and the elation at the end. There is no social ranking on a start line, you are simply runner. I haven't looked back since."

The rush

Claire Zakiewicz, 33, artist and DJ, London
First Race - Water of Life Half Marathon, Marlow, March 2011

" The endorphin rush of finishing was just amazing. I honestly can't think of anything else in my life so far I can compare it to. Each race since then has been more satisfying the the last. I'm hooked! "

Finishing is just the beginning

Candice Brown Brathwaite, 23, writer, London.
First race - Bupa 10k, London, May 2011

"  My father died suddenly in November 2009. Two weeks later a family member was diagnosed with HIV. By the spring of 2010 I'd lost a baby. I was emotionally at my wits' end. Running become my support system. My greatest fear was not finishing. On the morning of the race I felt sick with nerves, but as soon as I approached London Bridge and saw the mass people, my fears melted away. Crossing the start line was the best feeling ever. By 5k my shins were on fire and I wanted to give up, but then I looked down at my trainers and saw my dad's initials, which pushed me through. When I saw the finish line approaching a burst of energy came from nowhere. I went for it. Tears were streaming down my face. Since then I've completed seven races, including a half marathon. This year I'm doing three marathons and I've set myself the challenge of running a half marathon on every continent to raise money for HIV/Aids. Running has also given positive feelings about my body. I used to hate my thunder thighs, now I love them..they get me up hills!"

These are some of the stories I read from the Runners World Olympic special edition which inspire me to continue doing what I am now, week in week out without any regrets and continue to commit to it, with passion and pride..

Ladies and gents, call me crazy but since that first race on the 16/9, I'm loving it now and forever may it will be..

to be continued..

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Building that Mileage..

Another busy week had gone passed untuk ana, yang penuh dengan kerja (during offdays) dan jugak yang penat dengan running routine yang dah macam cacamarba dah. Walaubagaimanapun, all in all ana puas hati dengan current progress sebab once in a while, dapat jugak buat fun running dengan office collegues. while at the same time, maintaining that focus untuk continue building the mileage week in and week out until the HM actual date (erkk...nebes2..hehe).

So what happened in the whole week last week? Well, to start off, ana telah berjaya mengharungi the whole week (17 - 23/9) dengan mengumpul a total mileage of 38k. The big contributor was the LSD done on Thursday (20/9) on which ana dengan successnya telah mencapai distance 18k di Bulatan Saberkas Miri. Alhamdulillah syukur yang teramat2. So the next LSD will be in the target of 20k yang ana harap dapat achieve biler balik ke Semenanjung on Thursday and try kat Putrajaya lepas isya insyaAllah. Moving on from there if everything are according to plan, I plan do one last light run that Friday before taking a total rest on Saturday to prepare, physically and mentally for Sunday's PJ Half run (ana join the 7k run...hehe).

Previous week + 24 - 25/9 Summary

17/9 - Post OSKR. Bintulu waterfront speedwork. Completed a 8.15k distance in 50mins (6:10pace)
18/9 - Slow and steady run at the Tg.Batu hilly route against the fatigue. 6.93k in 47mins
20/9 - Completed an LSD in Bulatan Saberkas Miri reaching the 18.02k barrier in 1hr 57mins
22/9 - Chillax run with office colleagues. Again at Bulatan Saberkas. 5.45k in 36mins
24/9 - Morning tempo run around Bintulu. 7.92k in 48mins
25/9 - 400m interval session in Bintulu Dewan Suarah track. 4.01k in 23mins

Owh..during last tempo run tuh, ana pecahkan lagi rekod untuk 5k..hehe..terbaek2!

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Running is easy and fun...seriously..

Nak berlari2 nih senang jer..you just need a decent shoe, baju and seluar. Why ana tak specifically say baju and seluar sukan? Sebab if you go to any place in the world, there are people who would just wear a random t-shirt and a 3/4 khakis or even an old long-sleeve shirt with short jeans and then, they go out for a run. It sounds funny right? But it is the truth..

Kalau tak percaya jugak, try pergi KLCC park during the weekdays, you can actually find a few of them yang just pakai kasual wear and do the briskwalk. In fact, not only briskwalking, yang berlari berdesup pun ada..Hahaha..

 Shah, Dayah and Daju in motions..hehe

For myself, running doesn't always have to be very specific and organized like the LSD or the interval session day. Boleh jer ana just spend some of my days doing chillax run with my colleagues/friends for catching up and lepak2. Asalkan in the end, badan bergerak2 and berpeluh. Like the pic yang ana letak tuh, they were 3 of my colleagues yang kitorang spend time last Friday berjoging kat Bulatan Saberkas Miri. Ha..cuba tengok muka2 diorang. Happy jer kan?! hahha...that's why running is fun..because of this moments lah walaupun just 1-2 pusingan jer yang berlari2nya.

Anyway, kita boleh buat macam2 aktiviti yang menyihatkan badan and at the same time, fun. Tapi untuk ana, ana choose untuk continue with running setelah bertahun2 try macam2 product and regimes untuk kuruskan badan dan jadi lagi healthy. Plus, bila dah lama berlari2 nih, ana sendiri boleh jadi restless if ada certain days yang ana tak dapat spend time putting my leg into work on those roads. It is seriously addictive my friends!

So, whoever out there yang thinking nak menceburkan diri dalam bidang larian ni, sila lah takyah pikir2. Just pegi amik satu running shoe, pakai and then terus pegi buat. Kenikmatan berlari2 itu hanya akan dapat diexperience lepas kita dah abih berlari. Tak percaya, you guys boleh tanya orang2 gila kat luar sana yang year in and year out, paying for themself just nak mengheret diri sejauh 21k ataupun 42k dalam marathon race. ;-)

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Oren Sport Klang Run (Final)

The run started quite well walaupun ana kena maneuever here and there sebab agak crowded with runners kira kanan depan dan belakang (standardla tuh dalam race). The pace also macam yang ana target, at around 6:15min/km. For me, that pace taklah laju and taklah slow sangat. Suam2 kuku gitu. Hehe..

The first 1k of the route, kitorang lari naik satu hill yang takderlah nak kata steep sangat and lalu depan Istana Alam Shah. Memang tersergam indah jugak istana nih kat sebelah kiri jalan. Bangga la jugak sekejap menjadi anak jati Selangor melihatkan salah satu daripada istana2 family sultan negeri aku nih. Yerlah,nama pun dah Bandar Diraja Klang kan. Confirmlah istana2 yang ada kat bandar nih canggih2 belaka.

Anyhow, biler dah naik bukit tuh mestilah akan kena turun balik. Maka, berlari lah kami2 semua ini merentasi masuk satu pintu gerbang yang di atasnya tertera ayat2 yang aku lupa apabenda (Bandar Diraja Klang kot). Dah lepas pintu gerbang nih, the next landmark yang kitorang sampai adalah bandar Klang punya roundabout berselirat yang under the flyover tuh..and from there, kitorang masuk route Pelabuhan Klang sambil semua kereta berhenti kat traffic light kena tahan by the police ala2 VIP lalu.

Masuk jer this very the straight and long route (klik di sini if tak percaya), maka startlah all the other runners tukar pace. Ada yang tambah laju and ada juga yang start berlari in a group to maintain the pace. Untuk ana, the pace still maintain within that 6:15 - 6:20 and plannya adalah untuk bagi laju sikit after the U-turn at approximately 5k - 6k punya split.

For the next 30mins or so, ana just menikmati the buildings scenery along that highway sambil ditemani dengan hujan renyai2. Sedar tak sedar, ramailah jugak runners yang ana passed by and tak ketinggalan jugak, runners yang berdesup membuat road-kills.

Dalam agak2 dah sampai the 3k split, ana dah perasan all those elite/front runners dah buat U-turn dengan selamba and already lari on the opposite side of my direction!Gila speed pelesit diorang2 nih. Nak kejar memang tak dapatlah dengan kudrat yang ada sekarang nih. Still cap ayam la katakan. Tapi niat di hati, insyaAllah akan diusahakan untuk mencapai tahap macam diorang nih yang average pace diorang semua hover within 3-4min/km. Perghh...memang lama lagi lah nampak gaya!

At around 5 - 6k split, akhirnya sampailah giliran ana membuat U-turn dan ternampaklah jugak the first water station yang ada serve both plain water and 100plus (Tapi tak stop pun). From here on, ana pun memulakan langkah dengan larian yang lebih laju sikit. (Pace ~ 6:00).

Dalam route balik ke finishing nih, ana try to maintain pace dengan follow this one chinese guy yang pakai singlet/vest putih running just slightly ahead of me. I managed to do this for the next 2k before this guy start nak menghilangkan diri dari my eye-sight and he did by the 9k split. So, terpaksalah ana cari marker yang baru.

Lari punya lari, sampailah kat 2nd water station. At this point, ternampaklah this one chinese dude  wearing a blue singlet stopping by to take a sip from his fuel-belt. An interesting prospect as a marker~ (hati ana berkata2).

So, by the time dia habis teguk from his bottle, I decided to intentionally slowdown a little bit just so that I could run next to him. And bila dia realized this, this chinese guy pun start to 'align' his own pace with mine. So, berlarilah kami berdua together2 for the next 1.5k until he suddenly slowed his pace by the 10+k marker. From here, ana pun terpaksalah meninggalkan dier untuk terus maju ke finishing line yang just tinggal kurang dari 2k lagi.

Sampai this 10+k marker, kami2 nih dah start masuk balik ke bandar Klang yang mula sesak dengan traffic since it was already 7.50ish in the morning. Dari this split sampailah ke garisan penamat, ana mengharungi 2 lagi bukit yang agak mencabar sebab puncak dier yang agak tinggi + jauh.

Walaubagaimanapun, by the time ana sampai kat puncak setelah mengerah keringat yang masih ada dalam tank,  the last water station pun muncul kat depan mata. So, amiklah ana satu plastic cup berisi air yang disangkakan 100plus tapi rupa-rupanya air kosong jer. Chet!! Tak pasal2 stress kejap kat atas bukit!

Disebabkan tak dapat minum 100plus (ngader sungguh), ana akhirnya decide untuk buat final push to this last 1k without re-hydrating myself. And so I did..

I then passed a row of shophouses , the Klang komuter station and the last landmark of Jalan Dato' Hamzah Indian shops before sampai ke track stadium. Dalam 50 meter just before masuk the stadium, ana akhirnya nampak my lil brother tengah lambai2 tangan sambil bersorak2 untuk habiskan the race. Ana pun apalagi, dengan menggunakan energy bateri yang hampir2 nak padam nih, ana pun terus memecut sampai ke finishing line sambil berposing depan official cameraman mendepakan tangan membuat peace sign...hahahah...priceless!

In the end, alhamdulillah syukur sebab akhirnya tercomplete sudah cabaran larian pertama dalam karier ana as a runner cap ayam.

Timing: 1hr 16mins

The END

Me and my bro

My running bib and the 12k finisher medal

Me with the medal..yes!

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Oren Sport Klang Run (Part 2)

So lepas solat, kitorang pun change ourselves to the official T-shirt. Terang sangat baju tuh sebab color dier kuning with a few sponsors logo at the front. The material quite comfy jugak, so no complaint-lah from us yang bayar RM30 and RM25 for the registration.

Dah habis tukar baju, kitorang pun berjalanlah side by side with the other participants yang mostly baru sampai jugak to the venue. Semua pun pakai the official T except for a few of them yang pakai singlets/T-shirts which I believe from the previous race that they have joined. Nampak pun dasat2 jugak diorang nih especially yang owners betis2 keras ala2 Mo Farah gitu (ni surely the elite runners of the event). Nice~

By the time kitorang masuk the main gate of the stadia, the crowd pun dah nampak beribu yang standby atas track. Ada yang warming up, ada jugak just borak2 with their colleagues and tak kurang jugak yang awal2 lagi dah siap beratur mengadap trak air Vico untuk mengalas perut dengan air coklat sejuk yang lazat di pagi hari.

Lepas reporting to one of the secretariat booth, kitorang pun bersiap-siap dengan larian warm-up until an announcement from the PA system jelas kedengaran memanggil all the 12k runners untuk bergerak ke starting point for the 7.45am release. And hati ana pun start dup dap dup dap (tp till feeling confident lah).

The Starting Point

Standing side by side with all the other runners adalah satu perasaan yang tak dapat nak digambarkan setelah sekian lamanya ana bertraining secara lone ranger. Semua feeling letih, malas, takut, or senang citer semua yang negative2 lah, macam baru kena flushed away by this excitement and happy feeling. Serious rasa best!~~

Anyhow, this feeling was abruptly being brought back to its reality when ada abang sorang nih tanya pukul berapa that very moment. Unfortunately for him, ana dah pun sensor-linkedkan sportwatch ana for the run. So terpaksalah abang nih tercari2 to his right crowd if there's anybody yang tak setkan their stopwatch for the run.Cari punya cari, akhirnya terjumpalah one chinese guy yang without hesitation or even thinking terus show jam kat tangan dier. ;-)

Few minutes of waiting then passed before one big siren tertiba terbunyi. Luckily it was a false alarm sebab the VIP was doing a "cuba-try-test" moment with his blower. Obviously feeling sama2 anxious, the starting crowd pun reply him with a 'friendly boo gesture' just to stir the environment further. Hahaha...funny2..

However so, a quick 2nd siren pun dibunyikan lepas 5 kiraan by the VIP yang berdiri kat dalam bucket of a crane, parked kat tepi jalan.

Ttteeeeeeett!!

And off we go!

to be continued..

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Oren Sport Klang Run (Part 1)

Akhirnya, hari yang ditunggu2 telah tiba! Larian official yang pertama untuk ana dan adik ana yang telah saban hari dan bulan membuat persiapan sejak Julai 2012. Dan inilah coretannya..

15/9 (Malam)

Sepatutnya malam sebelum race adalah malam untuk relaks and rehat2, tapi for both us and the whole family, kitorang pegi ke Banting for a visit to one of relative yang dah lama promise nak buat nasi kerabu for her open house. And bila kitorang sampai, dah tersedia dah semua lauk dan menu atas meja. Fuh..sesungguhnya..ujian yang sangat besar dan sedap2 plak tuh. So in the end, tanpa segan silu, ana dan adik ana sental the nasi dua kali serving (each portion sikit2 jer yer..).

Alhamdulillah...kenyang perut dan bertambahlah lagi glycogen dalam badan untuk digunakan keesokan harinya.

Lepas makan, kitorang bergerak pulang ke Kajang and sampai dalam pukul 11.30pm. Tapi before ana tidur, ana siapkan dulu all the stuffs/kits yang nak dibawa untuk keesokan harinya supaya tak tertinggal. Dan akhirnya dalam pukul 12am (more or less), ana pun membongkangkan diri dengan nyenyaknya.

16/9 (Awal pagi)

We woke up that morning dalam pukul 4.30am, prepared ourselves and started the car engine dalam pukul 5am. Sempat jugak kitorang singgah kat 7 Eleven untuk membeli sedikit alas perut before the journey to Klang. Tak banyak pun yang dibeli. Just satu biskut Tiger coklat and 2 botol Gatorade. If dulu2 kalau beli and minum Gatorade or any isotonic drinks in the morning, confirm kena berleter dengan parent2 yang dikasihi sebab takut sakit perut.

Tapi sekarang ni and luckily for us, these Gatorades bukanla jenis yang carbonated sangat. So, agak baguslah untuk pre-race so that perut tuh diisi siap2 dengan electrolyte2 yang akan dipakai throughout the race nanti.

Arriving in Klang..

Along the drive, kitorang jamah biskut2 Tiger tuh 2 ketul seorang and teguk setengah botol Gatorade setiap seorang. By the time kitorang sampai kt Klang, perut pun dah rasa agak full and takda langsung rasa nak membuang lebihan2 angin ataupun air. Alhamdulillah.

Touch down bandar Klang, jam pun dah pukul 5.40am. Cari punya cari parking, akhirnya jumpalah satu spot yang paling dekat dengan padang Sultan Sulaiman tuh. And by the time enjin kereta mati, berkumandang jugaklah azan Subuh dari masjid India yang berdekatan.

Maka, bergeraklah kami untuk menunaikan solat sebelum menyambung kembara larian pertama kami di bumi Klang, Selangor pada pagi 16 September 2012.

to be continued..

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