Kids in a Candy Store

Most runners will find themselves like kids in a candy store for the 2nd half of 2010. Running events scheduled in the pipeline are aplenty for runners to choose from. I bet most runners will be all ‘rambang mata’ in selecting which race is worthy to participate in. So many interesting running events, so limited weekends. *sigh.. There are few equally interesting races which fall on the same date will surely give hard time for runners to decide. Me myself have shortlisted 11 races that I plan to take part in, tentatively.


Klang Centro Run – 11th July 2010 *new race for me, not sure whether last year got or not..registered oredi

Siemens Run – 18th July 2010 *participated last year, event was not that bad, hilarious lady MC

Shape Men’s Run – 31st July 2010 *potential goreng pisang panas, RM300 worth of goodies, a must run race!

Newton 12/25km – 26th Sept 2010 *expensive goodies, cool 2XU socks, interesting distance

Adidas King Of The Road - 3rd Oct 2010 *sentimental value-sake, among early runs that I took part in, love the atmosphere in the stadium

Mizuno Wave Run – 17th Oct 2010 *love the upm hills

Putrajaya 12 hours walk – 24th Oct 2010 *gonna be a maiden 12 hours walk for me

Genting Trail Blazer – 31st Oct 2010 *Revisiting the muddy trails, I’m all up for dirty fun

Penang Bridge Marathon – 21 November *revisiting the bridge and perhaps cuti-cuti penang afterwards

StanChart Singapore Marathon – 5th Dec 2010 *revisiting the merlion, plan to go there like a pauper this time around

Malakoff 12km run – 19th Dec 2010 * wretched hills of mont kiara got the better of me last year, so it’s pay back time this year..



These are the races that I’ve shortlisted from many races slated to be held. How crazy is that? Running is in for Malaysians nowadays so it seems. Maybe Malaysian find it fashionably cool to be spotted in running gears and wearing bib numbers. Hey, that was what I thought in the initial phase of my involvement in competitive running! A poseur I was before and now I am regularly running and regularly participating in running events. That’s not a bad thing kan?



Sadly, as many think that running is a cheap sport, it is not that cheap when one talks about fees of races. I notice that the price of few running events have spiked up to exorbitant range of fees which could be a pushing factor for one to enter a running event. To encourage people to take up running and to participate in running events, organizer should consider lowering the running fees. This could be achieved if the organizer make it optional for runners to opt whether to have the running vests or to forgo them. Runners who opt to have the vests may pay more than those who choose not to have them. Come to think of it, this year alone there are like more than 20 races and all runners are made compulsory to have them through the fees that they are made to pay. That said, one will have to store 20 vests in the wardrobe for year 2010 alone! Gile kan? And one wont get the chance to wear all, as us runners do have preferable or favourite running vests that makes us feel at best when wearing them while in action *i am talking about my self here, mine would be the white NB15km 2009 vest and the orange Adidas KOTR 2009 vest, ironically, both vests give me chafings! LOL! I don’t fancy the idea of piling up running vests in my tiny wardrobe in years to come.. i make good use of them by wearing them as baju tidur though..



Why restrict to running vests alone? Runners may also choose not to have them goodies or even post race meals as these may help to lower the running fees even more.. All the runners need to pay is administrative fees and off they go with their own shirts/vests and bib numbers provided by the organizer once they are let off at the starting line.. *I know, I sound like a cheapskate already.. hehe



If only seasoned, influential runner can highlight this matter to those money-milking organizer and enlighten them about their supposed social responsibility that is to encourage more people to run, and that is by lowering the race fees, they could attract more sedentary Malaysians to move their butts from the couch and eventually take up running as mean of exercise. *especially for those in the lower income bracket, that’s me!



No need seasoned and influential runner lah.. we can get so called newbies *otais actually* to create a “WE DEMAND CHEAPER RACE FEES TO ATTRACT MORE MALAYSIANS TO RUN’ group in the Facebook and recruit fans to file a petition to powers that be. (read: yim and kak june) hehehe..



Just a wishful thinking from el cheapo me.. it's not that i am starting a running revolution though, hehe.. Having said all that, choose wisely, folks!

Romancing The Hills

New Balance 15 KM 2009 marked one of my earliest participation in competitive running *though I don’t run to win. The route for this race was a runner’s nightmare *at least to me, as the organizer included the vertically challenging and brutal hills of Bukit Tunku. It is still firmly etched in my mind how I struggled my arse out to complete the distance up to the point of blurting out vulgarities and cursing myself. LOL! I clocked 1 hours and 46 minutes to complete the whole course and swore to never get myself running on that hell-ish route again. But, sometimes people don’t mean what they say, and first love is hard to forget so they say. I registered myself for New Balance 15 KM 2010 last December for the sentimental value of it and to see how much have I improved as one year has gone by since the 2009 edition.

So, the memory lane of NB15 km was strolled down again last Sunday. I was a bit prepared knowing what to expect *the mean double hills of course, how to tackle the hills, and how to run during the whole course but still the jitters never ceased to haunt me. Tortures of the hills still remain though. Punishing enough to those who didn’t wisely plan on how to conquer them. And the scorching morning heat was equivalently evil, draining every bit of energy there were in grasping-for-breathe runners. The only salvations throughout the course were the time going downhills. Just only when one thought the suffering was over, just before one could heave a breather of relief, there came another hill mounted infront waiting to be scaled up!

But, Just like Yim and Nadya, I love them hills especially when going up. It is the time where I gotta sayur back people who overtook me at the corner of somewhere flat earlier. Contrary to many people, I kinda dislike going downhill because this is the part where people sayur me back. I don’t know, I guess my stubby legs couldn’t take the speed and the momentum of going downhill. Sometimes I feel like fumbling forward when I was going too fast running downhill. I’d rather maintain my cautious stride and don’t give a hoot when other runners overtake me when racing downhill.The idea of my body rolling down the hill doesn’t fancy me much.. LOL!

The last stretch going downhill from jalan parlimen to the finishing line was heaven-sent. I upped my pace and strived bigger aiming to overtake a Chinese uncle, maybe participating in the Men Sr Veteran Category, whom I paced on the 2nd half of the run but to no avail. He was just too fast. Nonetheless, crossing the finishing line, knowing that I have improved my timing from last year’s is just enough to give me a runner’s high. :)

NB 15KM RUN 2009 VERDICT

Time : 1:46:41             Men Open Placing : 423      Overall placing : 926

NB 15KM RUN 2010 VERDICT

Time : 1:15:34             Men Open Placing : 37        Overall placing : 77

p/s: Met the usual suspects at the race – syuk, diket, det, ian, yim and kak haza. truly weekend warriors!

p/p/s: thanks to kaki lariks – irwan, babart, aliff, ted and amir for the company and for the sinful-but-justified nasi lemak session after the race.. :)