Chasing a faster me

Friday 28 September 2012

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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Wednesday 26 September 2012

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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Sunday 23 September 2012

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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Wednesday 19 September 2012

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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Monday 17 September 2012

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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Saturday 15 September 2012

It's coming!

The D-day sudah dekat! Hari yang ditunggu-tunggu akhirnya akan tiba setelah hampir 2 bulan menunggu dan membuat preparation -  The Oren Sport Royal Klang Run 2012!

The details untuk tomorrow's run yang ana registered for adalah seperti yang tertera kat bawah ini:
  1. Starting time : 0645hrs (12km category)
  2. Qualifying time : 2hr 15mins
Adik ana registered untuk 5.5km category and his starting time will be at 0700hrs with qualifying time in 1hour.

So, untuk details and all of the happenings during the event akan dicoretkan dalam the next entry, insyaAllah.

As for now, pray that both of us akan selamat sampai ke garisan penamat dan segala apa yang akan kami lalui pada hari esok akan dipermudahkan. Amin..

All the best to me and my brother!!


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Sunday 9 September 2012

September Telah Tiba!

Alhamdulillah syukur nikmat. Habis sudah satu minggu di bulan September nih dan semakin hampir jugaklah larian pertama ana dan adik ana untuk tahun ini: Oren Sport Klang Run on the 16th September bersamaan dengan Hari Malaysia sedunia.

Minggu lepas2, ada banyak jugak plan training yang dah dicompletekan. Ada antaranya di Bintulu dan ada juga yang terlaksana di KL sebab kebetulan attend workshop kat KL Convec.

So untuk entri kali ni, ana akan just summarisekan the whole activities yang dah dicompletekan dalam minggu lepas bermula sejak 31 Ogos yang lalu.

31 Ogos 2012

Speed work sejauh 4.85km + indoor core strength workout (Plank, bodyweight squat + dumbells and single leg squat - Yang nih memang terbaik! Dapat completekan satu set jer sebab bila masuk 2nd attempt, dua-dua kaki dah start trembling. Habis jer the whole session, badan dah abis lencun tapi the whole body felt really refreshed.

Timing: 28mins (run) + (+/-) 30mins (core workout)

3 September 2012

Full run di KLCC Park pada waktu petang dan ditemani oleh beberapa orang runner yang sudah tersedia berlari-lari anak atas track larian. Alhamdulillah, hasil konsenstrasi yang jitu (poyo!) dan endurance yang hampir2 malap, ana succesfully managed untuk completekan the whole run dalam masa 1hr 40mins 35s. And guess what, the magic number untuk the distance yang dah tercomplete,,it was 15.42km! So, sangat2lah bersyukur...

5 September 2012

Haha...this run adalah antara yang paling best setakat nih sebab track kat KLCC park tuh crowded dengan manusia. Dah macam cukup sifatlah untuk running event senang citer i.e. ader group of elite runners (this one confirm lah ana tak masuk), a bunch of group berlari happy2, pakcik makcik breeze walking, pacing group and macam-macam lagi lah. Oh terlupa...siap ada one fitness challenge group yang sangat gigih at one side of the park. But for me, the day taught me of how fun it was to run with the others..tak kisahlah, buddy2 kiter ke or even orang yang kita tak kenal because the motivation is different if compared to me running alone (especially running at Bintulu!)...takder geng ma!!...tapi apa-apa pun, ana berjaya completekan larian ana sejauh 10.4k dalam masa 1hr 7mins..siap ada race and pacing dengan satu mamat indian for about 2 laps...terbaiklah!

7 September 2012

Larian yang sangat relaks tapi menguji ketahanan endurance (at least for me lah). Tapi since masa tak mengizinkan sangat sebab dah dekat masuk maghrib, so ana shortenkan the distance tapi increasekan pace larian dia sikit. Alhamdulillah..dapatlah completekan larian sejauh 2.2miles atau 3.54km dalam masa 21min 28s. Biasa timing dalam 23 - 24mins.

8 September 2012

Hajat di hati nak push distance sampai 18k..sekali dh sampai split 10k, body dah start rasa letih and kurang bermaya. Dalam hati kata..ni mesti sebab half an hour before lari tadi just minum air kosong 2 gelas and buah kurma 3 biji. Ingatkan ke boleh last long...sekali ana dapat push untuk sampai ke 12k jer..tapi apa-apa pun, Alhamdulillah sebab by the time dah complete tuh, body rasa ringan sangat. Rasa macam baru lepas wat sesi 'mendetoxkan' diri..haha..

Timing: 1hr 14mins 10s

So, this week punya highlight ada tertera di bawah hasil rekod running buddy ana - Nike+ Sportwatch GPS.


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