Run. Mix. Burn!

Sunday 30 December 2007

Report 4th Penang International 12Hour Walk

Penang, 24-25 November, 2007
By Aiman Cheah Tiong Chap.

It has been two consecutive years for me to be in Penang in the month of November and December to take part in three events, namely, Penang International 12Hour Walk, Penang Round the Island Relay and Penang Starwalk. Like last year, I have good and bad results for the events. Good simply because situations are favourable and bad due to lack of training and preparation.

Last year I completed the race with my best ever position – 4th, completing 70 laps of the 1.078km circuit. It took me three attempts to achieve that. I abandoned the race after 8 hours in the first attempt due to muscle cramps. In 2005, I completed 69 laps and was ranked 7th. I had intended to go for the Men Junior Veteran category although I knew that it would be more challenging based on past records. I would not have the ghost of a chance to be in the top 6 even if I could complete 72 laps. 72 laps was a realistic goal that I had set for myself since last year.

Training
I was more prepared this year compared to the previous years where I normally walked about 10km each session three times (on alternate days) before the competition date. This year I put in extra effort, doing 10.5km (1hr 15mins), 16.8km (2hrs 03mins) and 14.7km (1hr 47mins) in the quest to achieve my goal of 72 laps.

First 2 Hours
I started off quite fast because there were fewer competitors and I was not blocked in the early laps. I completed 14 laps to be ranked 6th after 2 hours. I was on cloud nine and hoped to maintain that position.

2-4th Hour
The nightmare began after the second hours. Felt hungry but unfortunately, food had finished. Only fruits were available. Took some papaya and watermelon but my stomach began to complain. I had to slow down as I felt like throwing out whenever I stepped up my pace. Two laps later, I vomited but felt better after that. However, the hunger pangs kept me uncomfortable. Took some papaya and tomatoes and the problem began again. Threw up for the second time and then I decided to consume my power gel. I dropped ten rungs to 16th at the end of the fourth hour. I only managed to complete 11 laps.

4-6th Hour
Opted for boiled red bean and it did help to quench my thirst. But perhaps, I took too much of it and it must be taxing for my stomach to digest it. Took a long break and finally threw up for the third time at the rest area. Rejoin the race with Mr. Jamie Pang and Mr. Chin Phoy Foon. We were left biting the dust after about a hundred meter. Before the end of the lap, I decided to take my second packet of power gel. Felt better and step up the pace a little bit. By the end of the 6th hour, I dropped two placing to number 18. I only managed a dismal 8 laps in two hours!

6-8th Hour
I was impressed by Mr. Jamie’s performance this year. He had completed 32 laps. I was only a lap more than him. Feeling better, I tried to catch up with the rest. I had to borrow RM2 from the race official, Mr. Yu Song to buy a can of soya bean. Certainly could not take 100 Plus because each time, I took it, my stomach complained. Stopped for food at the 7th hour and what was left was only a morsel of fried koey teow. After food, get my money to return Mr. Yu Song and bough 3 cans of drinks – chrysanthemum and soya. I managed to complete 12 laps and my position improved to 16th.

8-10th Hour
I was lucky because Power Bar was served by this time. The fried koey teow would not last me for more than an hour. Each lap I would take a small piece without fail and I felt good. I did 13 laps but was penalized a lap. I wonder why because I do not think I litter or flout with the walking definition. I managed to improve to 14th position.

10-12th Hour
I finally conceded defeat. It would be impossible to fight for the top 10 finish. By the time I stopped at the food tent, there was none left. Took time off to massage my legs and did some stretching. However, the pain did not go away as I had gone ‘too fast’ earlier in my excitement to catch up with the others. Trudging all the way to complete the final part of the race, I managed to complete only 8 laps.

65 laps and 15th position may not look good but personally, I felt that I had achieved the ‘72 laps’ that I set out. I had contemplated to abandon the race a few times when I was suffering from stomach discomfort but managed to hang on and hoping for the best. It also gave me a psychological boost because I ‘had the ability’ to maintain a faster pace at the later part of the race. For the first time in such race that my feet were free from blisters and I did not feel feverish. Perhaps, because I did not drink 100 Plus as much as I used to do. Also, I find that having a longer practice enable my body to recover faster after the race. There was minimal pain on the legs two days after the race.

Next year, I have to be wary of the food. Unlike the previous events, the food served is much less. As usual, I will only ‘pit’ for food after about 2 laps when food was served to avoid crowding at the food tent. This year, the strategy went awry!

There is no one who can be at their best all the time but there will be certainly many who can be at their best most of the time. Harun Tee finished 2nd with 77 laps in the Men Open. Alexander Vanden Hoeck, Abd Wahid and Thomas Kok were among the jubilant competitors this year when they had had problems last year. Certainly, we take cue from them.

Laps
LapTimeSplitLapTimeSplit
100:08:2108:21:003406:03:4610:00:00
200:16:2108:00:003506:13:3909:53:00
300:24:0807:47:003606:23:3709:58:00
400:31:5407:46:003706:33:1209:35:00
500:39:3507:41:003806:41:5708:44:00
600:47:2207:47:003906:50:4208:44:00
700:54:5807:36:004006:59:0708:25:00
801:04:1309:15:004107:07:2508:18:00
901:11:5407:41:004207:27:2019:55:00
1001:21:4009:46:004307:36:0108:41:00
1101:29:4508:04:004407:44:1808:16:00
1201:37:4608:01:004507:52:4708:28:00
1301:46:0308:16:004608:01:0708:19:00
1401:54:2708:24:004708:16:2115:14:00
1502:05:4411:16:004808:24:4208:20:00
1602:16:2110:36:004908:34:0609:24:00
1702:27:5911:38:005008:42:4908:42:00
1802:38:3710:37:005108:51:3108:42:00
1902:49:1010:33:005208:59:5008:19:00
2002:59:5110:40:005309:10:0410:13:00
2103:10:5711:05:005409:19:1109:07:00
2203:23:0312:06:005509:28:0008:48:00
2303:34:1211:08:005609:36:4108:41:00
2403:46:2012:07:005709:45:0108:19:00
2503:57:3111:11:005809:53:1908:18:00
2604:14:0016:28:005910:02:1808:59:00
2704:32:2518:25:006010:18:3216:13:00
2804:42:3310:07:006110:31:1912:47:00
2904:51:4209:08:006210:54:0522:46:00
3005:02:5611:14:006311:09:4815:42:00
3105:29:2302:27:006411:24:4414:56:00
3205:43:2914:05:006511:43:0318:19:00
3305:53:4510:16:006611:57:4414:40:00


Past Record
Year2nd Hour 4th Hour6th Hour8th Hour10th Hour12th HourTotal
200515 laps11 laps12 laps11 laps10 laps10 laps69 laps
200614 laps12 laps12 laps11 laps10 laps11 laps70 laps
200714 laps11 laps8 laps12 laps12 laps*08 laps65 laps
*After 1 lap was deducted

Haris: Full result can be download here and many thanks to my guest blog writer for the report.

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Tuesday 25 December 2007

Nike Air Pegasus+

Got myself a new pair of Nike's Pegasus series for Raya Aidiladha. Can not tahan already. Along December torture me hardly. Got no mood to run or even jog. Hati mau lari but legs - tarak mau. Just like when I own the Asic Kayano 13.



The Pegasus 2005 model felt like I ran on barefoot, no more cushion. Could felt my foot stepping on tarmac. + tapak pon dah lekang and stability pon dah kureng. Sometimes it's hurt my legs after workout. Emmm.. maybe my Powerman slow because of it. Heheee.. anyway the 2007 KRI 12km Road Race was last race for it.

Actually.. when i bought it on December 2005, i pick-up wrong size. I forgot the previous shoes size which is less 0.5 US size. Then i tried it with thin socks from sox-world - yeah! it fit and got a room for my toes.

My first race with these shoes was Larian Aids at Taman Jublee, Sungai Petani which i finished in 10th and grabbed the last medal. With this shoes, I ran 27 races. Got no record for mileage probably more than 800km including training ran. And with this shoes.. it brought me up to KL Towerthon, twice of Gunung Jerai summit, twice of Powerman event and Mount Kinabalu summit. + number of half marathon and short road/trail races. This wrong size of shoes provide me a comfortable racing and training run along the two years. Sometimes it dragged me fast and sometimes too slow - maybe legs too tired.



But when you have two same stuffs, usually you will thinking to try a different one. So i bought a new brand/model running shoes 4 month ago - An Asics: Kayano 13. Huh! for me.. mahai siot. But it causes me injuries each time i ran race. My worst race with Kayano 13 was Larian Ria at Bukit Mertajam.

After AIMST Unity Run the Kayano 13 was sold to my running friend. Glad to hear that my friend gumbira running with my Kayano 13. Guess that my jodoh with Asic tarak. So now I turn back to my favorite shoes model - PEGASUS.



Bought at Penang a day after Aidiladha at Queensbay. Before that i when to Nike outlet at Plaza Gurney but the owner very tangkai jering - not giving any discount for 2007 model. Except 10% on 2006 model which is same price with 2007 model. Back to Queensbay, luckily i meet-up my old friend who worked in that store and he gave me 15% discount for the latest Nike's Pegasus 2007 model - Air Pegasus+. Fulamak! i paid less RM300 for this model.



On Sunday @7am after a month without serious training run. I put Air Pegasus+ and ran heading to trail route - Ladang Thye Eng. As usual without proper warm-up i felt hard to run for first 5-10 minutes on tarmac. Hitting the trail route, legs getting stronger and comfortable. Had to stop twice to pick-up ketui batu for barking friends.

Surprisingly i crossed one of traffic light posts, 2 minutes less from my training record. Then i slow-down for last 2.5km before finish my 9km test-run. I was away a few second from my personal training best. - Canteeek. Perfect for my legs and i waiting to start a new year.


Pegasus series: 2007, 2005 and 2003.

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Wednesday 19 December 2007

Spirit Of The Marathon

Spirit of the Marathon is a film that takes a close and very personal look at the marathon as never before. The film stars professional marathoners Deena Kastor and Daniel Njenga, as well as four unique and determined amateurs, all preparing for the same event: the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.

The marathon is presented as a mass participatory event seen through the training and race-day perspective of the six individuals. The film also explores the emotional experiences and bonding of participants and spectators in a race, relates the growth and mass appeal of the marathon in contemporary society, and explores recent history and ancient traditions.



The filmmakers know marathons. And they clearly have tremendous passion for the historic event. They create a stirring, intensely personal account of a dramatic race after months of preparation, obstacles, setbacks, determined perseverance—and finally triumph. They have produced a masterpiece with lessons that transcend sport. No, this is not a sports documentary. But parallels are drawn through the experiences, empowerment and sense of accomplishment of a half-dozen people in a field of tens of thousands preparing for and running one of the world’s largest and most prestigious marathons.

Produced and directed by award-winning Jon Dunham, a fervent marathon runner (more than two dozen to his credit—four Chicago Marathons); along with executive producer Mark Jonathan Harris, a three-time Academy Award winner; and producer/marathoner Gwendolen Twist, this outstanding film follows the determined and emotional journey of two of the world’s best marathon runners and four amateurs—two running their first marathon—as they prepare for, and finally complete, the Chicago Marathon. Hundreds of hours of film shot on four continents have been condensed into a fantastic, clever and dramatic view of the sport from a perspective never before seen in theaters. The filmmakers bring us incredible footage of the Chicago Marathon, despite the unbelievably hectic environment of race day.

The recognized stars are Deena Kastor of California, Olympic bronze medalist and American record holder, and Daniel Njenga of Nyahururu, Kenya, winner of several major marathons and ranked in the world’s top 10. Also starring are Lori O’Connor, Ryan Bradley, Leah Caille and Jerry Meyers, all from the Chicago area, and all inexperienced in marathon running, but just as dedicated to critical personal goals.

Deena Kastor—Distance Running Superstar
Deena Kastor is a star athlete and has a starring role in this film. She is one of the USA’s most accomplished distance runners, best known for her Olympic bronze medal in Athens in 2004. She holds many American records from 5K (world record) to the marathon.

But despite all the records, accolades and races, she had never won a major marathon prior to running Chicago in 2007—not even the U.S. Olympic trials marathon. This film tracks her path to victory, running 2 hour, 21 minutes, 25 seconds, a new American record at the time. This triumph came despite a debilitating foot injury (broken bone in her foot) that interrupted her training and had her “running” in a pool for fitness. This triumph—and its accompanying tribulations—make her story all the more arresting. She followed Chicago with her record-setting win in London the following spring. Her London win produced the fourth fastest women’s marathon in history: 2:19:36.

She was one of many stars originally contacted by Dunham—even before her medal-winning Olympic Games. And the crew focused more and more on her as her training progressed, especially since she was training for Chicago—the central event of the film.

"I simply went about my normal routine and training," said Kastor, "and they followed and filmed as we went. I did not find it distracting. In fact, it was motivating."

"I was struck by the similarities for us as we prepared for the Chicago Marathon," she said. "Everyone had hurdles and setbacks, and everyone struggled through long runs—it was so similar despite the different levels of training and pace."

"I went into that race very confident—I don’t know where that came from—but I was supremely confident," Kastor recalled. "I ended up winning by only five seconds, and I hit the wall for the first time."

Talking about the other runners in the film, Kastor explained, "We do many of the same things to get ready, and we have the same concerns, fears, doubts, nerves. The six of us became the focus as Chicago approached, but we didn’t meet each other until a post-race brunch. That was terrific, and emotional—an immediate bond of friendship."

"It was a thrill to be involved in this project with such a great crew. And Jon has such a tremendous passion for the marathon," she said. "It could not have been done by someone unfamiliar with our sport."

Joan Benoit Samuelson heads a list of marathon notables also making appearances in Spirit of the Marathon. There are interviews and vignettes from some of the greats of the sport: Olympic marathon gold medalist, Frank Shorter; four-time Boston winner, four-time New York winner and two-time Olympian, Bill Rodgers; Boston and New York champion, Alberto Salazar; Paula Radcliffe; Greta Waitz; Paul Tergat; Amby Burfoot; Hal Higdon and many more—a who’s who of the marathon in recent decades.

The film is enhanced by an emotional score written by Jeff Beal and played by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague, which beautifully blends the emotion, strain and exhilaration of the marathon—and the dogged preparation that comes before.

Spirit of the Marathon, earned tremendous acclaim and the Audience Choice Award in its debut at the 43rd Chicago International Film Festival in October of 2007. It won similar acclaim at the inaugural Mammoth Lakes Film Festival a month later. Spirit of the Marathon will be shown on one day only—January 24—in cities across the United States. Click here for more details and to find a showtime in your area.

At last, a film that captures the drama, personal sacrifice and incomparable reward of the marathon for all of us. Spirit of the Marathon is a movie all runners must see; and one all others should see. It will have you primed to get on the road and trail. And it will reinforce for all, once you cross that finish line, your life will never be the same.

By Skip Cleaver
For Active.com


The Trailer


..just listen to background music make me want to do marathon again..

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Tuesday 11 December 2007

Week02 - Dec 2007

Last week I did 3 training run between 40-25mins. I changed the training route to Harvard Suasana Golf Resort. Locate between the office and home. Dah muak dah dok lari kat belakang rumah (Kg Ladang Thye Eng – Semeling – AIMST). Quite tough ran along the buggy lane. Almost no flat road. Jalan bukit-bukit macam roller-coster.



Saturday – Riding day.
With Riza, we went to Kuala Kedah via Merbok – Yan – Kg. Jawa. We stopped at Jetty Kuala Kedah for break-lunch before continue return via main road Kota Sarang Semut – Guar Chempedak – Gurun. 124km.

It was tough ride especially riding through paddy fields - strong wind blow across us. Kiri-kanan but not from behind. Aku rasa kayuh dah laju habih… but my speedometer still showing 30-28km/h.



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Friday 7 December 2007

How to Win a Running Race

Tip from http://www.wikihow.com

1. Choose your best starting position. Once the ref says "set" breathe in air. It helps you last longer in a sprint as you should breathe in your nose and out your mouth, it keeps you from cramping up in a longer race.

2. Keep a steady start. If you get a shaky one you won't get a good position.

3. Keep swinging your arms as fast as you can. That helps your legs go faster as well.

4. Store water in your mouth for a long race as it helps you run fast and far without getting tired.


5. If you are in a long tiring race, don't ever go off sprinting in the start as it is a waste of energy and it tires the hell out of you. Just sprint a bit for a couple of seconds to help you keep in a good position, then just jog to not get tired and on the last laps, sprint like hell to come in a high position.

6. Before the race, do anything that makes you very angry and mad. Anger makes your determination rise and gets you going.

7. Keep humble. If you are very proud of yourself then you think it is too easy and you will come in a fairly low position. But keep your self confidence saying " I can do it". If you are too humble thinking your rubbish and you will do rubbish then you might be correct.

8. Be careful not to be put off by the pistol if the ref uses it. That is the thing that makes you come in a low position.

9. If you are running in an oval race track, try to keep in the lane closest to the center as it takes you the shortest time to complete the track.

10. Take in an energy drink like Powerade couple of hours before the race. It builds up all the energy inside you and makes you want use it all up and gives you strength and speed to do something

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Actually.. for me the tips it's not about winning, just how to improve yourself.

Heheee.. i agree on tip#6. Such as marking your "musuh ketat" (Just a friendly thought to improve yourself). Don't said it infront of him like boxers or your end up like a boxer too. - Lebam bijik mata. Or felt mad cause no mobile toilet around and you have to "keep it" till finish line.

But tip#4 - eemmm how you do it?

Tip #10 - Do you take energy drink before, during or after workout? Why?

Put a comments if you like to share.

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Tuesday 4 December 2007

ING New York City Marathon 2007 Memorable Moments



The Champions
At the 38th ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4, Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain led wire-to-wire in the women's race and pulled away from Gete Wami of Ethiopia, 2:23:09 vs. 2:23:32, while Martin Lel of Kenya kicked ahead in the final mile to win the men's division over Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco, 2:09:04 vs. 2:09:16. Both champions notched their second ING New York City Marathon titles, and Lel became the first man in history to win both the Flora London Marathon and ING New York City Marathon in the same year.

Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland set a new course record of 1:52:38 to capture her third ING New York City Marathon wheelchair title. Hunkeler previously won in 2004 and 2005, but a serious injury forced her to miss last year's race. In the men's wheelchair division, defending champion Kurt Fearnley of Australia won in 1:33:58.

Breaking Down the Numbers
This year's ING New York City Marathon boasted the largest marathon starting field ever as 39,265 runners crossed the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, 2,517 more people than started the 1996 Boston Marathon (36,748). Exactly 38,524 runners made it to the finish in Central Park, the largest number of marathon finishers in history. The second largest finisher field was the ING New York City Marathon 2006 at 37,866, and the third largest was the ING New York City Marathon 2005 at 36,856.

More than 100,000 people applied for the ING New York City Marathon 2007, a record number of applicants.

New York Road Runners paid $809,300 in prize money and time bonuses, with Radcliffe earning $170,000 and Lel taking home $160,000 plus a Toyota Prius each. And for the first time since 1982, there were four American women in the top 10: Elva Dryer (6th), Robyn Friedman (7th), Melisa Christian (9th) and Alvina Begay (10th).

Teaming Up for Charities
The official New York Road Runners charity program was one of the biggest winners of the weekend, raising $18.1 million, including $207,500 for American distance running development. More than 4,950 people ran for an official charity or charity partner. With more than 1,200 runners, the New York Road Runners Foundation's Team for Kids raised a projected $3.6 million to benefit youth health and fitness programs in under-served New York City public schools. Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Fred's Team, in honor of the legendary Fred Lebow, raised a projected $4 million for cancer research.

The Recycling Bin
New York Road Runners partnered with Poland Spring(R) Brand Natural Spring Water and the Department of Sanitation to implement the first recycling program in the history of the ING New York City Marathon. The initiative was an overwhelming success, as more than 11 tons (22,080 pounds) of cardboard and plastic was recycled throughout the five-borough race. In Manhattan alone, more than three and a half tons of waste was recycled, while Brooklyn South was a close second at three tons.

Did You Know?
3,152: Finishers from Italy, the country outside the U.S. with the most finishers
2,923: Finishers from Great Britain, second to Italy
12,658: Finishers age 30-39, the most of any age group
5:58:58: Time of the oldest female finisher, Margaret Davis of Azusa, CA, age 85
7:22:17: Time of the oldest male finisher, Peter Harangozo of New York, NY, age 86
53 degrees: Temperature at the start of the race
10,000: Volunteers who assisted with all race operations
18,000: Participants at the Continental Airlines International Friendship Run on Saturday, November 3
16,000: Attendees at the Barilla Marathon Eve Dinner on Saturday, November 3
76,239: Attendees at the ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo, more than 2,000 more people than in 2006. Friday attendees alone totaled 31,128, the highest ever one-day total.
43,040: Goody bags distributed at the expo
$2,408,932: Total sales from the Marathon Store presented by ASICS

Races Within the Race Winners
Mayor's Cup Award: NYPD
Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge: Richard Conley of the Bronx, 3:35:21
Alberto Salazar Award, given to the top American finishers:
Male: Sam Hill, 2:29:27
Female: Elva Dryer, 2:35:15
Lewis Rudin Award, given to the top Team for Kids fund-raisers:
Male: William Mills, $17,008
Female: Beth Rustin, $13,250
Abebe Bikila Award winner: Paul Tergat

By New York Road Runners' Marathon Mile Markers
Posted Friday, 30 November, 2007

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4th Penang 12 Hour Walk 2007 Result

An official result for the 4th Penang 12 Hour Walk held on 24 November 2007 at Padang Kota, Penang.



Click here to download all the categories (A, B, C, D, E and F)

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Monday 3 December 2007

Penang Round Island Relay 2007 Result

1. Ah Choon Runners - 4:34.43
2. USM - 4:43.24
3. O2 Hiking Team - 4:53.43



Click here for official Penang Round the Island Relay 2007 result including team position and individual timing.

..from Pak Ya (BM Leopard)

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Sunday 2 December 2007

December

Everything slow for me this month. I think i gonna take a good rest this month. Felt too tired of running and race but i still jog 2-3time per week without stopwatch or timing concern. Just mau kasi keluar peluh2 and all the negative thought on that days.

Each time i finished jog/running, I felt 'free'. Everything yang tak puashati, kena taji ker.. tah hapa hapa lagi on that day - gone. And I ready/fresh on the next morning to start a new day.

December.. got 2 major events in Penang. 12 Hour walk and Penang Relay (yesterday) both event i missed. Felt tired already after finish Powerman and KRI. Plus.. got no more budget for race. Had to allocate $$ to another activities this month.

Plan to bring them a vacation sambil khatan/sunat my son Alauddin. Together with his sepupu at Melaka. Probably celebrate raya haji there. And a surprise party for my dad.

Last week.. no running for me. I think i need a new shoes this coming hari raya haji to lift-up abit my running and race spirit. Of course i looking for Nike. Although i'm not satisfied with tapak kasut but it served my legs better.


I did an easy ride yesterday from Jetty Semeling - Merbok - Yan - Sarang Semut and return back via Guar Chempedak - Gurun - Bedong. 100km - cantek. With Riza, Fauzi and Brahim. Once reach home, I'm flat for half an hour under garage at 12:30pm. Fuh! sedap.


Last saturday.. my 3rd attempt in thumbnails. - pap!
I need inpirasi. :P
Hit the url to vote for me http://thumbnails.thestar.com.my/view.asp?id=2121

..terima kasih.

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