The 6 Most Common Training Mistakes

WARNING : This post is suitable for all level of runners BEARING in mind that this is not a ‘Touch ‘n’ go’ post; Do take time to read what I have to share with you runners . To beginner runners or even experienced runners who are unfamiliar with certain technical running/training terms, I’ve linked some terms in this post to related articles from Runner’s World (well mostly). Just don’t get carried away clicking on all the links at one go because the linked articles will take another breather to read them !  The points I got for the 6 common training mistakes is from Peak Performance. Feel free to comment and share some feed backs with missjewelz after reading this article. Last but not least, be prepared to view some hot flamenco dancer photos which I posted along with this article, which is not actually related to the content of this article. But anyways, enjoy!

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The 6 Most Common Training Mistakes

1. Carrying out three long runs during the four-week period before race day

2. Carrying out just one workout per week at faster than goal marathon pace

3. Failing to complete any neural training, i. e., failing to train at VO2max speed (i. e., vVO2max) and omitting ‘super sets‘ from the overall programme

4. Emphasizing non-running-specific strength training

5. Using gels during the marathon itself. (since exactly the right amount of water must be taken in with each packet of gel)

6. Employing a training programme which is devoid of variety (look up cross-training!)

 

RedPenelope : Numero Uno

Mistake numero UNO

Carrying out three long runs during the four-week period before race day – a 13-miler  ( 1 mile= 1.609km) our weeks before the race, a 21-miler three weeks before the marathon, and a 14-miler two weeks in advance of the big day (we might also count the nine-miler at race pace one week before the marathon, which would give us four long runs in the pre-race month). For a runner with average leg strength, it takes at least a month to recover from strenuous marathon training so that the race itself can be completed with rested, healthy leg muscles; scientific research suggests that during this month before the race no workout should cover more than about 10 miles. This principle was violated three different times by the runner above, and as a result his quads were not really ready to race on marathon day – they were still reeling from the punishing training which had been conducted.

 

Proper strategy: to promote better recovery while still enhancing the ability to run marathon-type distances, carry out a long run every two to three weeks (not every week), gradually increasing the duration of this effort to 22 miles, only 10 to 12 of which are covered at race pace; on alternate weeks, complete shorter-duration quality training. Complete the last long run at least four weeks prior to race day.

 

Paco Pena : Numero Dos

Mistake numero DOS

Carrying out just one workout per week at faster than goal marathon pace. For endurance runners in general, max running speed is a good predictor of marathon potential, and for individual runners improvements in max running speed almost always lead to upgrades in marathon performance. It is difficult, however, to enhance max speed when only one ’speed’ session is completed per week, especially when that ’speed’ session is more of a tempo run than a higher-intensity effort.

Proper strategy: complete at least two faster-than-marathon-pace workouts per week, mixing interval workouts at 10-K, 5-K, and 3-K pace with neural training (see Mistake no. 3) and placing less emphasis on tempo runs.

Ayyayaaa.. (love the colours) : Numero Tres

 

Mistake numero tres

Failing to complete any neural training, i. e., failing to train at VO2max speed (i. e., vVO2max) and omitting ’super sets’ from the overall programme. It is certain that vVO2max workouts produce more gains in vVO2max, lactate threshold, and running economy than any other type of training session; these three physiological variables are great predictors of marathon success. It is likely that super sets have a similarly strong physiological effect.

 

Proper strategy: carry out a neural workout every 10 to 15 days during the early stages of marathon training – and every week during the last eight weeks before a marathon.

 

Roses in the garden : Numero Cuatro

 

 

Mistake numero CUATRO

Emphasizing non-running-specific strength training. For the first four months of the pre-marathon training period, this runner emphasized strengthening exercises which involved isolation of particular muscles or muscle groups and seated or lying-down postures. These kinds of exercises are likely to have only a small (or no) impact on actual running strength (i. e., the ability to consistently take longer strides and the ability to be more stable and economical when the foot is on the ground during the stance phase of the gait cycle; if you doubt this, read Owen Anderson’s piece on one-leg exercises earlier in this issue).

Proper strategy: start preparations for a marathon with six weeks or so of whole-body strengthening, with an emphasis on exercises which involve most of the muscles in the body simultaneously and which avoid seated and reclining postures. Then move on to hill training and exercises which duplicate key aspects of the gait cycle, including one-leg squats, high-bench step-ups, one-leg hops in place, bicycle leg swings, reverse bicycle leg swings, eccentric reaches with toes, and arrested step-downs, focusing on weight-bearing exercises which require high degrees of coordination and must be carried out with full body weight supported by one leg at a time. Finally, finish with about eight weeks of explosive work, including hops, bounds, sprints, one-leg squats with lateral hops, in-place accelerations, Indian hops, drop jumps, and high-knee explosions. These moves enhance the ability to run fast, and as max running speed increases, it drags marathon pace along with it.

Cinco, cinco, cinco ci : Numero cinco

Mistake numero CINCO

Using gels during the marathon itself. This is very tricky business, since exactly the right amount of water must be taken in with each packet of gel. Take in too much water – and you end up with a hypotonic sports drink in your gullet which delivers too few carbs to your leg muscles. Take in too little water – and you concoct a syrupy goo within your intestines which actually drags in water from surrounding tissues and spurs diarrhoea. Pour sports drink down your throat along with the gel, and you might as well begin scouting around for a Portaloo.(portable/mobile loo)

 

Proper strategy: it is possible to use gels during the race, but you’d better have a sports-drinks expert or exercise physiologist calculate your water intake for you. It’s far easier to simply use sports drink throughout the race (remember never to mix sports drink with water), a practice which will increase your chances of avoiding GI upsets and delivering enough carbohydrate to your muscles.

 

Vote for Spain : Numero Seis

 

Mistake numero SEIS

Employing a training programme which is devoid of variety. Note that although our marathon runner attempted to make the overall training schedule progressive by broadening the duration of the cross-training (aqua jogging, stair-machine, and bicycle) workouts, the easy runs on Monday and Thursday, and the Saturday long run, the programme is monotonously similar from week to week. Although the workouts get longer, the types of training sessions utilized do not change.

Proper strategy: avoid a too-heavy dependence on tempo and long running, substituting an array of higher-quality workouts, including neural sessions (see Mistake numero tres), lactate-stacker workouts (two-minute intervals at close to max pace, separated by four-minute recoveries), hill climbs, fartlek efforts, speed-strength circuits, 800-metre intervals at 3-K pace, 1200- to 1600-metre intervals at 5-K speed, 2000- to 2400-metre reps at 10-K pace, and competitions ranging in distance from 5K up to the half-marathon. These kinds of exertions will have a much broader – and larger – impact on the key physiological variables which are important for endurance-running success, including vVO2max, lactate-threshold running speed, and running economy. They will also promote the ability to run faster, which is critically important for all types of racing.

No flamenco : Final punto !

Final PUNTO (points in Spanish!!)

Completing our analysis, it’s important to bear in mind that aqua jogging does not remove lactic acid from the leg muscles (see Sunday’s workout above); in fact, if the aqua jogging is above a fairly minimal intensity, it will actually increase muscle lactic-acid concentrations. In truth, there’s no need to fret about lactic-acid levels in the muscles. Most of the stuff is removed or metabolized within minutes after a workout is over, and of course lactic acid does not cause muscle soreness or stiffness.

Note, too, that this runner can run much faster than 4:08 – or even 3:57 – for the marathon. If he can complete 18-mile runs at 8:20 pace relatively early in the overall preparatory period (as indicated in his letter), then the range of paces between 8:00 and 8:20 – not 8:57 – can be utilized to select a reasonable goal velocity, depending on how aggressive one wants to be at goal setting. An 8:20 pace would of course produce about a 3:38 marathon – and automatic qualification for Boston for this runner. That can happen without problem, as long as he doesn’t get burned out during training.

Remember that it is your overall fitness which will determine your success at marathon racing, not the quantity of miles in your training log or even the number of long runs which you have completed. In fact, too many training-log miles will make your legs feel like logs on race day. The idea in marathon training is to ‘peak’ in neural and physiological fitness and in the ability to run long at goal marathon speed about a month before the race – and then to reach an even higher ‘peak’ in marathon capacity over the last four weeks by combining less total running and greater rest with the right amount of intense – but not prolonged – training. If you can pull that off, while retaining your confidence, you will have the greatest chance of running your best-possible race.

How To Make Running Shoes Last

After you’ve devoted time and money to finding the perfect running shoes, take special care, so you can get the most mileage out of your investment.

1. Step 1

   Store your shoes in a cool, dry place. Don’t keep them in a hot car in the summer or a cold garage in the winter. Extreme conditions can break down the cushioning and supportive materials.

2. Step 2

   Air out your shoes in between runs. If they get very damp and sweaty, remove the insoles and let them thoroughly dry. If they don’t have time to fully dry (if, for example, you run twice a day in a warm climate) consider buying another pair and alternating them each day.

3. Step 3

   Wear socks with your running shoes. Bare feet don’t compromise the durability of the shoe, but they do make them smell worse. And sometimes smell alone will compel you to buy another pair before it’s actually necessary.

4. Step 4

   Rotate your shoes depending on workouts. Wear a lighter, more flexible shoe for track workouts and a sturdier, more supportive shoe for long runs. (The exact shoe depends on your foot type.) In general, lighter shoes will break down faster than heavier ones, but their durability also depends on frequency of use. If you run thrice-weekly track workouts, you could benefit from lighter shoes. Monthly track stars should save their money and stick with one all-purpose pair.

5. Step 5

   Don’t walk in your shoes. That is, don’t run errands in them or use them for other sports. Have a separate pair of kick-around sneakers and run in your running shoes.

6. Step 6

   It’s OK to wash them. Take the insole out of the shoe and throw it in the wash with the shoes. Let them dry naturally, but do not leave them to bake outside.

7. Step 7

   Run on grass or a soft trail instead of pavement. This not only extends the life of your shoes, but your legs as well.

By Elizabeth McGuire
eHow Contributing Writer

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

Other tips :

Source : About.com

It’s important to replace your running shoes every 483km(300 miles) to 644km(400 miles), but getting new shoes every couple of months can get expensive. But the better you take care of your running shoes, the longer they’ll last. Here are some tips for making your running shoes last longer:

Wear your running shoes only for exercise.

Although they may be your most comfortable pair of shoes, don’t wear your running shoes for anything other than running or working out. Even if you’re just walking around, you’re still wearing out the cushioning.

Take them on and off properly.

When you’re in a rush, it’s tempting to try to take your running shoes on and off without undoing the laces. Make sure you loosen the laces before you put your shoes on and take them off.

Dry your wet shoes properly.

If your shoes get wet, don’t put them on direct heat, like on a radiator. Heat dries out the leather and other materials in the shoes. To dry your running shoes properly, loosen the laces, take out the insoles, and let them air dry, away from direct heat. To help them dry faster, you can put crumpled-up newspaper inside of them.

Alternate shoes.

If you run almost every day, it’s beneficial to rotate two pairs of running shoes. Your shoes will last longer when you give them a day or two to decompress and dry out between workouts.

Store your shoes properly.

Keep your shoes in a cool, dry place where they can air out properly. Don’t leave them in places like a gym bag or a hot trunk.

Don’t put them in the washing machine.

If you need to clean your shoes, use a scrub brush, mild soap, and cold water, and then let them air dry.

Hari Ini Hari Isnin

Isnin tiba lagi.Ini hari perlu dihantar report terakhir untuk Experimental Psychology.Tak siap lagi ! *yikes*. ‘Burnin em midnite oil’ kononnya tapi tak bisa ku lawan kelopak mata yang makin memberat ini.Maka dengan itu, dia tidur….tidur….. dan sedar 6 jam kemudiannya..Dan kini..dia cuba mencapai PB nya (personal best) untuk menyiapkan report yang terbaik. *argh* Saya bukan seorang yang puitis, juga bukan seorang yang bisa menulis dengan yang baik. Tapi ada kalanya, ingin juga ku cuba menulis….yang puitis.  (LOL do i sound lame or what?)

Isnin tiba lagi. Baru sudah melayari blog rakan-rakan dari Indonesia. Begitu banget mereka banggakan bahasa ibunda. Tetapi tiada salahnya kita gunakan bahasa yang lain.Cuma jangan  sekali-kali kita pinggirkan atau merendahkan bahasa sendiri. Saya tidak pasti telatah saya di pagi yang indah ini bunyinya seperti Bahasa Indonesia atau Bahasa Malaysia. (I don’t know..really)

Isnin tiba lagi. Namun bahasa ibunda itulah yang terindah. Keindahan itu begitu subjektif dan terpulang kepada si pembaca atau penulis untuk mencari dimanakah keindahan itu. (Keindahan itu perlu dicari? Ya, tentu sekali!)

Isnin tiba lagi. Ada apa dengan si Julie? Tiada apa dengannya. Cuma sengal-sengal sendi jari-jemarinya untuk mencuba sesuatu yang lain.

 

Isnin tiba lagi.

 

(Hope you guys understand and enjoyed my Monday morning ”test run” with bahasa kebangsaan, bahasa malaysia ! LOL)

 

Perjalanan Masih Jauh

More Powerman Malaysia pictures !

More pictures from Powerman Thanks to Fadil’s wife, Julia for these shots !

Rolling out ! Spot me, Ngae, Shakhir, Azahari and Zabil !

Bike in

Cepat !!

 

Ni shutter speed laju nieh can click click click ! I was focusing on a fast transition even I know that I can't push it on the 2nd run !

 

My idol (in red!) mr Upiq ! He did the sprint ! And thank you oh so much for supporting me and other friends Upiq ! Really really appreciate it ! He was constantly giving moral support every time I pass him on the course

And I wish to do the same for my friends wherever and whenever I can. visit Upiq's blog http://khanra.blogspot.com. He da' man !

The mercy-LESS Manjung HOTness. The sun I mean.

I like this one. Thanks again, Julia !

Photos by Jason Hue

Sun is shining..the weather is sweet...yeah..makes you wanna move..your dancing feet..yeah.. -Sun Is Shining, Bob Marley-

Stand jangan tak stand ! This is Raymond Lampard (AUS). He clocked 3:37:53. Bike time 1:47. Transition time 45 sec. He came in 11th in his age group Men 30-39

Pictures by PM Tey

The World Champ Joerie Vansteelant. However he DNFed this year's race. Read my Powerman race report for details

Shahrom Abdullah (3:04:22). Malaysia #1 duathlete. He came in 7th in the Men Elite category. Congrats !

Fr left to right : Muhamad Razani Husain(3:24:37), Iwata Takatoshi(3:30:54), Hafiz Wong Abdullah(3:17:03), Naresh Kumar(4:09:58), Badrol Hisyam(DNF), Sangup Richard (3:55:16)

Cecil Cheong (3:27:38)

Radka Vodickova of Czech Republic (3:08:55) (Women Elite)

Against the odds. Proving that's nothing odd. And that normal IS subjective. Here, Rafiq Khan of Malaysia (2:34:55) strides to perfection. Check out the slimmer and 'fitter' guy behind him ! Yeah, Rafiq overtook the elites alright. (coz he took part in sprint la). but still, he ranked #67 out of 109 guys in the Men Sprint category ! That's like 42 guys behind him!!! So, congrats Upiq. You ladies and guys CAN do it. Rafiq can, and so can you ! In case you didn't know, Rafiq takes part in triathlons and marathons as well !!

 

This was possibly my first time hitting the road after Ironman earlier this year. Check out helmet sticker still intact. Putrajaya ride with Upiq and Fadil.

 

A visit to OBS last Powerman (2008) with the Le Tuangers. That's me and Upiq posing outside the hall. Pic taken by Kam I think.

 

 

This 1 for ya Upiq. Congrats dude !!!

Ready or not..?

The kind of question which I don’t often want to ask myself.. I asked this question many years ago when Tun  Mahathir  stepped down from the PM post. And now asking myself if I’m ready or not to give myself a chance to recuperate the next few months. I hope I will find enjoyable activities to kill the time. I am psyching  up myself now because I know I will pay for not doing so.. Like when crossing the finish line in Langkawi earlier this year,   I  just didn’t know what or how to feel. Yes, happy, satisfied..and then?? And then FULL STOP.. aaghh..blank blur..hahaha..gosh..  (ahhaa..laugh at me if you want to.) It took me some times to gulp in the overwhelming feeling I had that time.  It was a battle against myself where I am the one racing the course against myself.. not anybody else. And once you’ve confirmed as the victor, that’s it. I’ve achieved some level of fulfillment there, and I know I am in for more. But for now, that battery needs to be re-charged. I will definitely come for you IM L’kawi 2011.

I have a few interesting books waiting to be read. A  book entitiled Sub 4:00  (ehem), a sports event management book  (batuks)..A  few triathlon and running magazines to flip through ..and what else..oh ya, 2 psychology magazines which I just bought, edit the fotos which I took at the Old Railway Station (KTM), was there with 2  friend, Chekdet and Ammar. Interesting photo shoot which I’ve yet to share the product here in my blog. :0

Will sambung later when I’m a bit bored..LOL..Peace out and have a wonderful WEEKEND ahead !

ULU YAM RIDE HAPPENING THIS SUNDAY. ROLLING OUT AT 0630 HRS. RV POINT : PETRONAS BATU DAM. Please bring your blinkers people !!

p.s.  can u imagine its already Friday.cepat  sunggu waktu berlalu kan ?

 

Some camwhoring moments :- haha..

A scene from my dream last night

Kuantan here I come ! This foto looks so dreamy..!

Me, a few years ago. (Dec, 2006)

READY OR NOT , FUGEES

Powerman Malaysia 2009 results here

Stephanie Wang (SIN)

Nor Juliana Ali (MAL)

Teryn Tham (SIN)

>> OFFICIAL RESULTS HERE <<

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE

The Thai Police van ! the shot of me taken by Alwin.

 

Bahri, Shakhir and I posing with the van !

 

There is always time to catch up. Especially before the start of a big race !

 

The mighty Yellow Submarine with her owner. Thanks Bahri for this pic. I really like it ! Pic taken just before I cycled back to the hotel post race. If only this bicycle can speak.. .. !

 

Lagi gambar-gambar Seludup bin Selidap

Gambar seludup pertama : end of the lap 1 of the 1st run. spot me

That's Fadil Shukor in the red tri-top showing the PEACE sign

 

Wa begitu serious. Kenapa la cik kak oi..? hahah..tak perasan la plak ada si Fadil next to me..LOL..eh, maybe perasan kot..cuma masa overtake tuh buat2 tak perasan.. Kot ! hahah..

 

Thanks to Fadil's wife Mrs Julia for this foto. Best jugak kumpul gambar2 seludup dari FB org nieh..hahahah.. That's Teryn Tham ahead of me. But got to overtake her (cant remember exactly when)

 

End of 1st loop on the bike, going to the 2nd. Hahaha.. nampak tak there's only 1 water bottle left..damn...kira I dropped it masa 1st loop lagi..gila ah... nie kena tukaq bottle rack nieh..

 

Doing a slow U-turn. And love the defined shadow tuh. Cun giler.

Gambar seludup terakhir : Stand up after making u-turns to give you that extra push.

 

 

Powerman Malaysia 2009 : my last race report for (this wonderful year of) 2009

I will try to keep this short   , for once ! (yeah right !!)  Enjoy !

Intro

This is my 2nd Powerman Malaysia race, the first one last year when I manage to dip into the sub 4 finish with a time of 3:59.

Time split (Powerman Malaysia 2008)

RUN 1 ,11KM = 00:54:55

T1 = 00:01:03

BIKE , 64KM :2:02:08

T2= 00:01:13

RUN 2, 10KM = 01: 00 :14

TOTAL : 3:59:37

Pace average(Powerman Malaysia 2008)

Run 1; 4:59 min/km

Bike ; 31.4 km/h

Run 2 ; 6:01 min/km

Position (age group) =7

This was last year’s result. This year ?? Read on..

To Du or not to Du + Training for Powerman Malaysia 2009

The training was kept to minimal, and err..too minimal? Busy with academics and a not-so-good left knee left me in doubt whether to take part or not. Confession : I signed up for this race 7 hours before the closing date, thanks to The Star reporter (who has interviewed me before) who rang me up after the Powerman Malaysia 2009 press conference. He asked if I am taking part, I said .. ‘I haven’t decided’. A series of annoying questions followed, particularly when he asked why don’t I join the Elite category. Seems like Mr. Reporter doesn’t know what it takes to be in the elite category. All I could tell him was that , ‘Look sir, it doesn’t go that way! You don’t simply join that category because you want to.’ Anyways, I spoke to Mel after the reporter called, and asked for her opinion, of whether I should take part or not. I convinced myself that I would go and support this event by taking part. And I promised myself that I WOULD NOT push myself in training or during the race itself. In other words, I promised myself to take it easy.

The 5 weeks training which I was suppose to follow didn’t go exactly to plan as I was very much tied up with my academia. But I did manage to do a few rides. Training for this year’s Powerman was nothing like last year. I dare to say, I wasn’t much of a preparation either. But the training had to go on, eventhough it was very, I must admit, minimal. But that justified the promise earlier on, where I said, I am going to take it easy, I don’t want to bust my knee..and it was exactly what I did.

The last 1 week to Powerman I didn’t do much. I ran around 5k or less the weekend before the race, and around 6-7km with Arif a few days after that. Thanks Arif. You’re right, we need to go slow in order to go fast !

I did some core workouts too, and hope it will help me during the race.

Pre Race

The race week was incredibly ..busy. I had my final exams on Friday and Saturday before the race. Paper on Saturday was 9-11am, making me not able to join any friends for convoy to Manjung. And only manage to pack my stuff after my exams. So, it was kinda rushing.. Drove to Manjung just in time for the race briefing at 5pm. I was tired and exhausted alright.. But was happy to meet up with fellow triathlete/duathlete friends. Was happy to know that some of my friends are doing Powerman (the full distance) for their first time. There was Ezer,Fairul, Shakhir, Bahri and the gang, and other regular faces; Mac, Adeline, Yusran and Alwin. The Team Elite who I saw and met; Razani, Don Khor, Cecil, Ngae and Awe (Shahrom).

Anyways, I had a good dinner with some friends at this seafood joint in Manjung, or Setiawan..sorry I am not familiar with the place ! Slept around 12 (friends, please sleep EARLY night before race!) after preparing my race gears for the big morning, my last race for this year.

Race morning

Surprising I took it easy the race morning. I wasn’t rushing or getting too anxious for the race. I had in mind that it was going to be a hot day. I hydrated myself well before race day. Was hoping no cramps too. My race number is #517. By the time I got to the stadium, the transition area was already packed with the racers. Again saw many familiar faces, and other new ones too, there were simple too many. So I didn’t bother to talk much or say Hello! to everybody. The mood have sort of shifted to FOCUS on surviving this race.Since I didn’t prepare much for it, especially for the run.

I parked my bike at the bike rack, next to Jiha, who is doing her 3rd Powerman. She too had an injury,she got 5 days prior to race day ! I am not sure exactly what happened but I read from her blog that she had knee pain, and ran on the concrete pavement.

I blocked out partially the madness that morning at the stadium. Manage a quick warm up run with Badrol (Bad), my team mate at the Perhentian Island Challenge 2008. Badrol just got a baby boy. So congrats dude!

Some stretching at the start line while catching up with the rest. Any races you go to Malaysia, chit chatting and hoo haa, posing for the camera with friends, its normal ! Stupe arrived that morning with Aileen, his wife. Jason was there too to support his girlfriend Wendy, and served as a guest photographer ! Thanks for the great fotos Jason. I believe the camera he was using belongs to Stupe.

But this year tak banyak foto from my camera .So, minta maaf ya..my camera battery went flat before race day !!

Run 1

” Ni training ke racing ? ” LOL. Major Kalam asked me this question less than a kilometer after we crossed the start line. People was overtaking me. Ok, fine. I didn’t have problem with that. I had a promise that I had to keep to. All smiles looking at the likes of Zabil, Kabi, Laif, Azmar, Shakhir and gang passing me. Go ahead guys. We’ll see if I can overtake you guys. Well, I didn’t have that in mind when they passed me. Generally it was my strategy anyways for most of the races that I do. Start slow The 11km took me 62 minutes, thats 1 : 02 . An 8 minutes extra added to the 54 minutes 11km I did last year (10KM PB 49MINS). I wouldn’t say it slow. I also ran on grass ! Yeap, the whole way every time I see a strip of grass which I can run on. Avoided the tarmac as much as possible. But at certain times I had to skip the grass because the surfaces were not flat. I didn’t run with any water bottle. So, the water station was not an option. If I didn’t hydrate now,I would suffer later on. The sun was already UP at 7.30am and it was HOT okay people.

Transition

One thing if you finish your first run around the 1hour window.. traffic jam at bike out ! I was like.. ‘Excuse me, excuse me…tumpang lalu..’.haha..so used to go for a quick transition. But this time since habis lari lambat, traffic jam boleh tahan.. fly mount was useless coz i) i did not prep the bike for a fly mount at bike out since the grass was wet..basah kang my socks.. ii) i was expecting that traffic at bike out.. i don’t want to be DQed for domestic violence against fellow racers. Hahah ! I can’t recall who I passed during transition. But i think I passed Jason Thiang of Pacesetters. He was doing relay with his family.

And there was Upiq, Jaja and the gang who sat at the shaded area behind the stadium stand to cheer for their fellow friends ! Upiq has a tagline for me, especially for me and its called ‘Anak sapaaaa ni..?’ since he and I knows that I (well not really really dread but to a certain extent) dread the tan lines every time it develops after training /race, and the overall tanner and darker skin..

Bike

2:06 ! It was a great bike outing. Yes it was HOT on the bike course. I was careful not to draft, I don’t know how to draft and I took the center of the lane so that I do not have to slow down everytime I cycle into a slow cyclist. I kept looking to my right and check out the faster cyclist a.k.a.the Elites..! I saw Shahrom, Emma, Don and Razani. I was wondering where in the hell were those guys who overtook me on the run.. or at least some other familiar faces. Bee was strong on the bike.

So, last year time kayuh was 2:02.. this year tambah 4 minute… there’s not much to complain there.. I overtook AJ and Laif on the 2nd loop after the u-turn after the water station. Wanted to splash the water on both of them but Laif mistook it. Hahah..i was tryina ‘chill’ you guys. No seriously, water on a HOT day is not ONLY for you to drink but to also cool yourself down by pouring it on your head, your neck, and your legs ! Thats what I normally do. The only thing missing on the bike course is iced water/sponge.

To add to the suspense, my extra water bottle which I (am not sure exactly why) placed at the rear rack decided to jump out of my bike after I overtook the 2 guys after hitting a bump on the road. People, make sure your bottle racks are ‘water bottle jump proof ok..’ make sure the metal rods/plastic grip thingy is not loose ! And if you don’t want to waste time grabbing the bottle everytime you need to take a sip, go get an aero bottle. That too doesn’t mean you’re 100% free from water bottle jumping annoyance. My friend, Azmar , said the sponge holding the straw decided to jump off after he hit a bump/hole on the road. Every time the front wheel hits (even a minor) bump on the road, the water will come splashing out.

The bike course at Powerman Malaysia is all flat, straight, nice and all, but the road quality is not 100% good. So you really gotta put your eyes on the road.

Ok, here’s the interesting part. I was actually drafted for 5km. I am not sure when I passed Zabil, during the run , or bike (missjewelz so focused la konon..hahaha)..but.. I heard Zabil shouting behind me ‘Julie, tarik !!’, I tried looking behind, but couldn’t see him. He must have aligned his bike already behind my bike. I just gave a general laugh. I wasn’t ready to pull anyone, and I know I don’t want to get caught drafting and what more, allowing other racers to draft. I am not sure at what speed I was doing that time as I’ve decided earlier on  during the bike to take out the meter and place it in my pocket. The thingy which was suppose to tie and fix the meter to the bike was loose, and I can’t afford to drop and lose it.

But anyways, that gave me the advantage of getting my focus on the race course, and not busy checking out my speed. No I am not a techny-technical geared person..but strategy-wise, I am a bit technical. Zabil shouted to me again , ‘Julie ! Ko laju sangat lah!’, meaning ‘Julie, you’re cycling too fast’.. I am not sure how fast, maybe I’ll check with him tomorrow. LOL.. It was minutes before a draft-buster passed by warning my friend not to draft. I saw the shadow of his bike behind mine as the sun was shining from our left, as we headed back to finish the 2nd loop.I saw Kabi fixing his punctured tyre, and Badrol WALKING. He tore his tyres. Don’t ask my how. The bike course wasn’t that smooth..

The 2:06 bike leg finished quickly and I was glad it did.I need to get back to the ground for the final test on my legs and knees..

T2

I think I did push a tiny bit on the bike and my muscles were getting minor cramps that I didn’t dare to sit or bend my knees to put my running shoes on. Imagine how hard it is putting your shoes standing up. I can afford to waste time if I wanted to. But doesn’t mean when I decided to ‘take it easy’ in a race I have to drop off all the competitiveness. Nay… I already dropped a a few guys which I know were ahead of me on the 1st run, and a few girls from my age group. In fact, I over took Stephanie Wang (Singapore) on the bike as well as Saya Lau Pui San, another close buddy of mine. Out to the 2nd run !

Run 2

I saw someone wrote that the temperature was 38 degree celcius. I’ll describe to you how hot it was.. The water which I pour on my head at 1 water station totally dried up by the time I reach the next water station (which are around 1.7km apart from each other). Talk about over dehydrating, but I made sure I drank at all water station. I peed even at 1 station. Last year okay lagi, I jumped into a drain to pee..this year, ahh..no time..dah lambat dah !!

Still, there’s no wet sponge on the run course. I might suggest this to the race organizers too.. and Manjung, I believe setiap tahun pon, memang HOT despite the race director ‘comforting’ note during the race briefing day before that it was going to be cloudy the next day !

I was just lucky my flu subsided 2 days before the race day or else it would be more uncomfortable.Again, I ran on the grass. Already tired and suffering on the 2nd loop. Panas !!!!!!! I know I was slowing down but I had to keep on going. Surprisingly, my knees did not complain, alhamdulillah. Only once I felt something, but it disappeared. At that point I was scared I might get worse but it didn’t. I slowed down a bit realizing that I will/am being overtaken by some girls from my age group.

So it wasn’t surprising when Saya Lau overtook me, well, she’s a bloody fast runner that one.. and than towards the middle of the 2nd loop Stephanie Wang overtook me and a few other gals. Hahaha..but still, I’ve nothing to lose. My beloved knees need me and I know a smart racer KNOWS what it takes to take care of situations like this. Its easy if you have made a choice (and a promise) that you will not push because you already know what you’re putting yourself into. A less smart racer will go on racing and pushing despite knowing that their training wasn’t sufficient, that their health and fitness wasn’t at optimum..and still want to compete with the much much prepared racers..just to puke during the race and ending up DNF.. I am not this type, and will never be one. What’s there to loose, I’m not even a national athlete, and there are plenty of races which I can go for in the future. I did a sub 4 for my maiden Powerman and manage a 10k personal best on the 1st run, so that humbled me down in the sense that I have nothing to lose.

My 2nd run took me an hour and 9 minutes. I sprinted with Ngae (Team Powerbar Elite) towards finish line, our finishing announced by Melody. Thanks Mel !

So there… my 2nd Powerman .

Timing splits (Powerman Malaysia 2009):

RUN 1 : 1:02

BIKE : 2:06

RUN 2 : 1:09

TOTAL : 4:21

POSITION : Again, #7

Post race

Water, Ice, iced towel, finishing medal, finisher t-shirt, watermelon, air-cond, hang around to wait for other friends to come in, posing for the camera..tired, exhausted, collected my gears from the transition and biked to the hotel. Serious, penat ! Mandi-ed, packed my stuff and back to the stadium for the awards lunch. Manage to catch up with friends.. I ate a bit.. pasta, soup, and some noodles.

A long drive back home, unpack , wash up the gears..and then zzzzz…. A tiring weekend it was but certainly a memorable one. There may no be many fotos which I took but some friends brought their camera and supporters with camera, and I believe PM Tey took a lot of fotos. Last year I did not have any finisher foto as the people , and maybe the photographers were focused on the 3:59 tick tock to see me coming in the finishing shoot . But this year got finishing foto. So, yeah.. it was a good race and I thank God I had no physical obstacles, pain or injury during and after the race.

I kept my promise, and it did me good. Still figuring out how to celebrate this one..hahaha.. Anyways, some fotos here Will upload later if there are more

Race analysis

Last year the top seven ladies from my age group did a sub 4, me being the #7. This year, only 1 lady manage a sub 4. Overall observation of the timing results shows that there’s a drop in the time for most finishers including that off the Men Elite even though some athletes showed a marked improvement in their time.

Joerie Vansteelant (the current #1  Duathlon World Champ)dropped his water bottle somewhere on the bike course thus withdrawing himself from the race. You see how important sports nutrition are! No wonder I didn’t see his name in the results sheet. Another friend of mine DNFed due to dehydration, he skipped 1 water station, (he thought he could survive to the next stop), but boy was he wrong. He passed out ! (pengsan) and was rushed in an ambulance to the hospital.

Another friend puked like 3 times on the run course..(yikes..)

Top 3 results for Men Elite , Female Elite, and top 4 for  Age group.

Men elite

1. Andy Sutz (Switzerland) 2:45:47 (2008 result :-2:55:48)

2. Brice Viegas (S. Africe) 2:51: 08

3. Jason Spong (S. Africa) 2:54:36 (2008 result :- 2:43:13)

Female elite

1. Radka Vodickova (Czech Republic) 3:08:55

2. Camilla Lindholm (Sweden) 3:11:11

3. Caroline Koll (S.Africa) 3:16:12

Men (20-29)

1. Mohd Amran Abdul Ghani Malaysia 03:14:53 (2008 result :- 3:27:54)

2. Abdul Rahman Abu Hassan Malaysia 03:17:12 (2008 result :- 3:26:00)

3.Laurence Gerang Moses Malaysia 03:24:49 (2008 result :-3:32:58)

4.Cecil Cheong Malaysia 03:27:38 31 (2008 result 3:41:51)

Women (20-29)

1 Lim Baoying Singapore 03:49:57  (2008 result :- 3:46:16)

2 Natcha Painprasobsuk Thailand 04:02:45

3 Saya Lau Pui San Malaysia 04:10:48 (2008 result :-3:56:59)

4 Angela Huang Singapore 04:12:00

5 Lin Zhiyun Singapore 04:14:41

6 Stephanie Wang Tingxi Singapore 04:18:10 (2008 result:- 3:53:39)

7 Nor Juliana Ali Malaysia 04:21:37 (2008 result :- 3:59:37)

8 Chin Yee Mun Malaysia 04:27:16

9  Teryn Tham Singapore 04:31:54 (20 result:- 4:27:55)

Men (30-39)

1 Patrick Poetzsch Singapore 03:12:28 (2008 result :- 3:06:30)

2 Chaikamjorn Chadarak Thailand 03:15:52  (2008 result :- 3:13:51)

3 Danny Feng China 03:19:52 20 (2008 result :- 3:18:03)

4 Adrian Mok Singapore 03:22:53

Women (30-39)

1 Emma Bishop United Kingdom 03:33:38  (2008 result :- 3:31:40)

2 Ong Siok Bee Malaysia 03:58:31 (2008 result :- 3:53:22)

3 Lesley Tan Li Lian Malaysia 04:07:36 (2008 result :- 3:50:47)

4 Oon Lisar Malaysia 04:10:10 (2008 result :-3:56:25)

Men (40-44)

1 Simon Cross Malaysia 03:11:49 (2008 result :- 3:19:40)

2 Yong Chin Cheng Malaysia 03:17:53

3 Muhamad Razani Husain Malaysia 03:24:37 (2008 result :- 3:16:11)

4 Charoen Khangkharo Thailand 03:26:00

Women (40-44)

1  Carmen Leong Malaysia 03:54:39 (2008 result :- DNF)

2  Lau Soh Wai Grace Singapore 04:04:49

3  Sabrina Stahl Germany 04:19:53

4  Tan Shih Ming Malaysia 04:43:17 (2008 result :- 4:20:48)

Men (45-49)

1  Iwata Takatoshi Japan 03:30:54  (2008 result :- 3:22:29)

2 Yap Boon Kheng Singapore 03:34:27 (2008 3:36:30)

3 Bunrit Deerod Thailand 03:42:25 (2008 result :- 3:37:42)

4 David John Spence United Kingdom 03:43:22 (2008 result :- 3:58:33)

Women (45-49)

1 559 Jacqui Saffery United Kingdom 03:54:15

2 560 Mika Kume Japan 04:09:12

3 558 Agnes Tee Yoke Loi Malaysia 04:19:57 (2008 results:- 4:14:47)

Men (50-59)

1 Don Khor Ngee Leong Malaysia 03:31:42  (2008 result :- 3:25:00)

2 Lok Chan Chuen Malaysia 03:41:10 (2008 result 3:39:12)

3 Victor Chan Singapore 03:46:08 (2008 result 3:38:46)

4 Sam Shinichi Matsunaga Japan 03:53:58

Women (50-59)

1 Yvonne Yip Yuet Yong Singapore 04:32:50  (2008 result :- 4:14:53)

2 Ayeshea Ching Abdullah Malaysia 05:36:48 (2008 result :- 5:06:31)

Men (60 & above)

1 Kapt(B) Abdul Hamid Aris Malaysia 04:30:57

2 Loe Hock Guan Malaysia 04:32:35

3 Dr M Sharkawi Jaya Malaysia 04:55:32 (2008 result :- 4:34:25)

4 Abdul Rahim Anuar Malaysia 04:56:50 (2008 result :- DNF)

National athletes (both raced in the Elite Category):

6 Shahrom Abdullah Malaysia 03:04:22 6 00:38:49 00:00:42 01:40:33 00:01:01 00:43:15 (2008 result :- 3:00:34)

9 Muhammad Hafiz Wong Abdullah Malaysia 03:17:03 16 00:43:27 00:00:51 01:42:14 00:00:56 00:49:33

Other friends’ results :-

Full distance

Naresh Kumar Panjimanadan Malaysia 04:09:58

Raymond Ng Chow Kiong Malaysia 04:13:11

Zabil Ihram Zainol Malaysia 04:28:56

Ong Poh Seng Malaysia 04:30:05

Michelle Looi Mei Yan Malaysia 04:30:29

Zulkifle Hassan Malaysia 04:31:20

Azmar Mohd Nor Malaysia 04:31:35

Khairul Ariffin Ibrahim Malaysia 04:34:07

Laif Ahmad Fisal Malaysia 04:38:13

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya Malaysia 04:40:47

Shakhir Ishak Malaysia 04:51:40

Mohamad Fadil Abdul Shukor Malaysia 05:01:12

Fairul Mizam Zamani Malaysia 05:03:04

Badrol (DNF) (tayar meletup)

Omar Yip (DNF) (punctured tyre)

Sprint

Men

Ahmad Lamchannak Morocco 01:51:10

Cyril Loo Malaysia 01:57:50

Muhammad Fitri Saharil Malaysia 02:21:20 (adik Fitri, which I mentioned in previous posts)

Bahri Mohd Aris Malaysia 02:26:09

Nur Danial Kalam Malaysia 02:33:37

Rafiq Khan Malaysia 02:34:55 (#67 out of 109 !!) Congrats Upiq !

Mahizzan Mohd Fadzil Malaysia 02:47:47

Azly Ahmad Anwar Malaysia 03:02:58

Women

Lynn Guan Yoke Ling Malaysia 02:11:43 (#5 . Congrats !)

Tan Chin Chin Malaysia 02:17:25 (#9. Congrats !!!)

Lydia Tan Shenh Ai Malaysia 02:33:59 (#18)

Chang Kim Siew Malaysia 02:39:20 (Uncle Bo. Azmar’s oldsters friend)

Wong Yit Thing Malaysia 02:41:26

Cheryl Hawkins USA 02:43:22

Future (races)

As I mentioned earlier, this is going to be my last race for this memorable year. My 1st 2 races this  year was the GE 30k and my maiden Ironman Langkawi (3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run). The Ironman being the more memorable one.. I’m typing these lines while listening to Sungha Jung’s playing the acoustic version ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ (sorry iklan kejap..) I will be on break from racing till  next year. Hoping to start a fresh one next year. My next humongous  race will be Ironman Langkawi 2011. Anything in between (meaning 2010) I will sure share it here in my blog. I am not doing Ironman Langkawi 2010 but will be there to support for sure. Mean time, I will be chilling on the beaches and the big rocks watching the sunsets and sunrise. Oooh I miss em beaches. TC here I come !

Fotos courtesy of PM Tey, Stupe, Jason, Victor, Lee Puh Heng and Shakhir.

Last 'long' run at Bukit Aman. . ni orang takde kerja..suruh pi training pi ambil gambar pulak..haha..no lah, pic taken after my Sunday run at Bukit Aman. The Sunday before Powerman.. i took it easy testing the knees. Met up with Senn, Arif and the rest who were doing the Terry Fox in sarong !

Me with fellow Bukit Aman Pacesetters. That's my friend Swee Huah (white cap) with her friend.

When I grow up I wanna be like Sofian ! Traveling and racing all around the world !

Victor, Lee Puh Heng, Tony, YitThing,myself, YitThing's bf and friend at the race kit collection held at Armada Hotel, PJ

At the Powerman Malaysia 2009 race briefing. Checking out Shakhir's cool shades !

With fellow friends at the start line

All the bicycles you can have !! Transition area.

Beautiful innit ??

Yak Yak Yak..chug chug chug.. (at the back!)- the normal startline scene in Malaysia !

2008 : Manage to stay ahead. 2009 ? I was making sure I ran on grass !

2009 : Peace out ! Run 1. Taking it easy. As you can see in this photo, the runners are close to each other, and smiling The sun was still having mercy on us !But not on the 2nd run !!

Nice shot here by PM Tey. Run Julie run !!

Excuse me, excuse me...tumpang lalu.. T1 is 1 minute ok !

Thanks Victor for this shot !

Holding on !

oohh..serious...! yo, smile la !!

2008

2009

Bike in. Finally ! Note, only 1 water bottle left. 1 more dah tercampak on the way up the 2nd bridge after the u-turn..

Heading for my 2nd loop of the 2nd run ! Twas sizzlin' !

The 100m dash

Playing catch with fellow Team Powerbar Elite, Ngae ! LOL. Tak faham betul.. penat, exhausted, but still can gelak2 and sprint.. this is called FUN , people.

Weh, nape tak sampai2 lagi ni?

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh !! Shouting our lungs out..hahaha....

Check out the shadow beneath me. Flying !

Nearly there !!!

That's a 4:21... last year 3:59..nape la takde gambar kat finish line tahun lepasssssss???!

Done...I am asking myself right now, why do I feel that sub 14 Ironman was much easier than this ?!!

Congrats Ngae !

Tired but still can smile !

Congratulating each other !

Done !!!!

*hugs* Thanks to PM Tey for all the lovely shots. PM Tey uploads his pics at multiply.com/pmtey2. Look him up.

Nice shot by Lee Puh Heng ! Thanks dude. (minus some1's rear !!!) LOL

I had water in my mouth when Victor Lok took this foto ! Iced towel on my head.. nice !!!!

missjewelz will be retreating to the beaches on the east coast chillin'.. Thank you for following my races updates for this year. Hope you guys and gals enjoyed this post, pics and the funny captions. LOL ! Peace Love and Harmony nor juliana ali, Team Powerbar Elite 2009

FULL RESULT

Click on the link or right click to save.

>>Individuals<<

>>Sprint<<

Thank You Powerbar !

I wrote something on my twitter last nite after reading Paula Radcliffe’s statement that she can resist the temptation of racing. Sound familiar? And Lauryn Hill said in 1 of her songs, ‘ready or not, here I come’ .. When you stir these two statements together ,juggle and blender them, you’ll get Julie. At least for this particular upcoming event in Manjung !

If I feel that I am going to regret for going for this event, I won’t go. But since the pros are looking much hopeful and better now than the cons, (my general condition), I might as well give it a go. What I didn’t share here before is that I did register. (and lucky me  did not have to pay  the registration fee upon race kit collection. last Saturday! Powerman Malaysia 2009 will be my last race as a Powerbar Team Elite member. Of course I’ll still be racing after this.  I have no idea if I am going to make it for the 2010 selection, but what I can say is that 2008 and 2009, especially the first quarter of 2009 have been helluva good time for me as a triathlete.

I was honoured the 1-year sponsorship 2009 contract  last year after receiving the Powerbar Duathlete of The Year Award , and I know  I did not waste it.  Even if I am not sponsored for next year, I’ll still be donning some of the Powerbar apparels given to me by Powerbar. A confession to be made, I feel very proud wearing my Powerbar cycling jersey. I got 2 cycling jerseys for them, some dri-fit and cotton  tshirts, a pair of Zoot tri suit (2 piece) (thank Mr Rahimi!), socks, the 3 quarter shorts etc.  More importantly Powerbar gels, bars, endurance and recovery drink for a year. And on top of that, I didn’t have to pay a single cent for registration fee for the tri events, Ironman and Powerman. These are Powerbar sponsored major events. Oh ya, and not forgetting the MUDS series.

Not listed above, or in the contract, is the motivation and inspiration that Powerbar gives to their athletes, and to those who takes part in Powerbar sponsored events. My branding knowledge sucks, but I know people associate certain brands with certain values. Powerbar is associated with performance, sportsmanship as well as a healthy lifestyle.  Sports should not be very serious and left to the sports geeks and kiasus.  It should be enjoyed by all, and more vital is that ;it is our ultimate right to embrace sports as part of our healthy if not healthier lifestyle. Some people go for races because they simply can’t resist the temptation to challenge their friends *ehem*, while some take it leisurely. Either way, you’re already in the right mind set and foot step. So keep it up and spread this positive enthusiasm to all our family members  and friends especially those who really needs to ‘change’ and improve their lifestyle.Team Elite members also hold their share of responsibility in promoting Powerbar as THE sports nutrition provider, and of course,  promote sports itself !

Powerbar Malaysia  have provided some platform and opportunity for event organizers to run their show successfully, and this in turn benefits us sports lovers. Be it mountainbikers, runners, cyclists, kayakers, rugby !, what else… too many to mention here. Continue to support Powerbar, and if you missed the application for 2010 Powerbar Team Elite intake, make sure you don’t miss it next year.

To the Powerbar Malaysia management team; Mrs Emily Loo, Mr Rahimi, Mr Jordan Ng,  Mr Shahrulniza, Ms Roslizawati and the whole crew from Totalfield Sdn Bhd – Mr Razman, Mr Khamal Basha, Mr Jasrul & Cik Nor ,  a  very big THANK YOU to all of you for the endless support and encouragement. I am dedicating my last race this year specially to the Powerbar family . God bless !

Nor Juliana Ali

Team Powerbar Elite 2009

>>Powerbar Malaysia website<<

>>Powerbar Team Elite<<

>>Team Powerbar Elite application<<

Proud donning the Powerbar jersey !

Mrs Emily Loo, Country Business Manager of Healthcare & Performance Nutrition, Nestle(left most), Shahrom Abdulllah, another Powerbar Elite athlete (receiving the Duathlete of The Year Award) and Ms Melody Tan of Quick Release Adventures.

Mr Shahrulniza Othman (Powerbar Business Development Manager) , myself and Mr Rahimi (exPowerbar Business Development Manager)

Roslizawati of Powerbar (right) and myself

Powerbar Team Elite 2009 logo launch at Totalfield

My 1st race in 2009 as a Powerbar Team Elite ! note that I have the Powerbar logo on my running vest ! And yes, love those catchy Buff !

<<first race as a  Team Elite (2009 intake)>>

<<Powerman Report next week lah after the race !>>

This (not) just in

Went to collect my Powerman race kit last Saturday at Armada Hotel,PJ.  Met up with YitThing Wong&bf, Victor Loh, Tony Quay, Wai Onn, Shakhir, Laif and some other friends doing the race next week. My lucky number for this year #517.

2008 Powerman race number was #404.. ! Anyways,the training is ON going despite the overall condition being tilted on the slacking and relaxed side, and …..thus …..I might be racing after all. These knees were tested during my regular runs and last Sunday they were still okay.Again, its not an easy option for me..  Control will be the keyword this Sunday !  Let’s pray for the best aight ?! So they say..Powerman is harder than OD tris, trust me, there are some truth in there. Unless you’re coming from a running background, you will have the advantage on enjoying your duathlon races. I am from running background. Been running since the day I was born ! Just kidding..LOL.. It’s a hobby and passion..Anyways..yikes.. .I’m secretly hoping someone(who is not racing) can drive me to Lumut !!!! So can help save me energy ! Planning to leave Saturday afternoon and be back in KL the next eve !

On another note I’m looking forward for a long vacation happening somewhere this month after my exams.  LOL..  I’ll be off from racing after Powerman (no, not retiring). Sending my system to the service center for fixing ! Rest and Recover. Looking forward to a fresh season next year y’all.

So again, all the best. Remember to race smart if you’re racing. And if you’re thinking of trying out tri events for next year (Miri Tri will be the last 1 for this year i believe), I wish you all the best in your training. Triathlon and duathlons are fun ! Seriously !

-missjewelz-

racer:404 time 3:59 rank : #7

By far the only race my NOSE bled ! Manjung,Perak is indeed SUNNY & HOT ! Just hope it rains a bit this year !! FYI, my nasal capillary are thin and sensitive.... imagine racing with blood dripping on your white tri-top...that was what happened to me last year in my 1st Powerman..luckily it happened before the last water station or else my finish foto will be with blood stain on my baju..euuuww ! p.s. : at 1st i thought it was the PowerGel or something ..contributing the stickiness in my fingers..tengok2 blood..this pic shows the saki baki of the blood after i rinsed them off at the water station!

Don't be fooled by this photo.. Mariana Mohammad is behind me because she is 1 lap ahead of me! LOL..and damn..i think im fatter now ..! fatter as in heavier..i trust that the camera have some special effects to make my thighs look errr..slimmer !

me leading the Rawalpindi Express.penat tau lead the train !! hahaha.. Bro Yusran, AJ,Zabil, Stupe and a few others..tak nampak..p.s. : didnt know got people chasing me ! 10k PB in the 1st 11k run.. i hit a 49er..

Bike in to T2 for 2nd run.

These Singaporean dua/tri athletes will be back this year to retain their title for age group. That's my friend Theryn Tam on the left most of this pic, and Stephanie Wang (white shirt) on the right most.

Junior fans ! Adik Fitri in the black Du Rock tshirt. He's so adorable !

-thy end-

Getting my focus put !

Focus

With so many things going on at the moment, I just gotta make sure that my mind stays focus on my academics Will have to bear this attention span for at least another 2 weeks before I break free temporarily from studying. Just need to get some motivation back to keep my mind rolling and not ‘halting’ randomly. I do not have problem missing races because I have my priorities right. It just pisses me off when I bump into wrong people who expects me to take part in all the races present on the annual race calendar. I know of people or friends who register and plan early to go for a race. Come 1 week prior to race day they become very busy piling up their mileage and call that training.

No Training No Race

To me, its simple,no training no race. But like some athletes (leisure athletes?) if there is not enough prep for a major race, either they skip it, do relay or have fun reaching the finish line.  Some of us or even myself sometimes go for a race for the fun and sake of doing it. Some have more noble intention; they go to support their friends..! My knee is temporarily out, an excuse to pull out from the upcoming Powerman. Though I would really really love to race, the most that I can do is go there to support my friends taking part. It doesn’t mean I am a sponsored athlete  ( well, at least for this year), I HAVE to take part in all triathlon, duathlon and marathons ! If like that every weekend I’ll be racing.In my current state I can’t continue to take part in races, especially my favourite ones  if I can’t train unconditionally. So Trailblazer, Ironman or Singapore marathon hafta be put aside for the time being. There are races every year, so what’s there to lose ! Plus, I’m still, ehem , young. I don’t see the point rushing and forcing myself to do races which I’m not prepared for.

You know when you have 2 race events back to back, and IF you were ever on a training program, you know the  training program for the 2 events may ”clash” in terms of the type and intensity of the workout IF you don’t plan your training/races well. They keywords here are : planning, and not being too ‘greedy & unrealistically enthusiastic’ in selecting what races to go for that season. And more importantly which training phase are you at, at that point of time. Say you are in your  taper phase for Ironman training, you don’t need to pound any more miles ! You should be enjoying the reduction of training hours. In the earlier part of the Ironman training are the prep weeks (20th to 17th week counting down to race day). But some, especially age-group athletes do just that !

Training Plans

For the Ironman prep phase(this comes before the base 1 phase) , you spend at most 10 hours a week to train. Not 15 , and not 18 ! There is no point pushing the mileage and training hours too early. When there is no training plan used and appreciated, people will start pounding the mileage too early, or too late.. Training plans are planned and used by athletes because they work.

You don’t have to make your own program, you can just look it up on the net. Read the sciences of training if you would. Some of you reading this may not be in the same boat as me,particularly when it comes to whether or not we believe in using any training programs  . My first Ironman was a big deal. Its an honour to be able to register, train and do the necessary preparations for it. Come 28th Feb, I just gotta press PLAY and of course, ENJOY. I have to admit, I did not use any specific program for the 2 ODs which I did before my 1st 1/2 Ironman distance and my 1st Ironman. Langkawi was when I seriously started using a program and tried my best to stick to it. Nobody had to tell me that I have to use a program. I just knew that if I screw up the training part, the bigger the chance that I’m not going to race well, and that I will suffer and  may even bonk. I got my IM program from http://www.beginnertriathlete.com. A 20 weeks training program designed for 1st time Ironman. but still can be used even if you’ve completed one.

Interesting observation

It is very interesting to see how people who don’t use training programs train. There are so many training programs which you can find and find from the net,magazines  etc.. be it for a 10k road race, a sprint du, Powerman, OD , half marathon , just name it ! I wouldn’t dare to do Ironman without any training guidance. And I couldn’t depend on other triathlete friends all the time to train because  they have various training schedules and styles! Especially when it comes to cycling training. Some pound the mileage too early, or sometimes too late. It doesn’t say in the training program you gotta ride a total of 200km per week.. Or you gotta do back to back long rides.. or you gotta brick too early in the training phase.. or you HAVE to do a full marathon before doing Ironman. I never did a stand alone full marathon (thats 42.195km), and from my reading it is NOT NECESSARY that I HAVE to do a full marathon before attempting Ironman. That is so false and outdated myth. There was once i was talking to a friend and when I told her that I am preparing for IM, she said ‘Ko gila ke? Pernah buat full marathon tak’? meaning: ‘Are you crazy? Have you ever done a full marathon before’. And I said ‘No’. She replied, ‘Ýou have to do a full marathon first, to get the feel of ‘endurance’. And I said look , its NOT necessary to have done a marathon before attempting to do Ironman. That conversation sorta pissed me off coz 1st; ‘gila?’ what kind of motivation is that. Other people can, and did..so why are you saying that I’m crazy? Is it because you yourself haven’t done any triathlons and now you’re getting back at me..? but anyways..

Tri-Myths

The other myth(s) about training for triathlons, especially the longer distance ones (1/2 , full Ironman), is that, oo you gotta really pound the mileage and total work out hours per week.. no rest, etc…thing is, if you start thinking anxiously like that without any references to credible sources, than you’re gonna treat preparing for a race like you’re preparing for dinner, ’sesedap rasa’ indeed you will train sesedap rasa. Sesedap rasa as in ‘as you like it’. I hope I am not starting to sound annoyingly bitchy about training appropriately using training programs here.. You may say, hey look, my training works for me, so what else? Even if you’re not the serious type of athlete, like me, duh!..haha.. you do need a program..and why is that ?

If we’re gonna be ignorant, stay ignorant and never willing to appreciate the effort put in by coaches, sportsman, sport physiologists in their quest of coming up with the best training programs, than too bad. We’re missing the edge. Seriously missing it. I just can’t imagine doing my first Ironman without any specific training program. I may be joining random group for swimming, another group for cycling, whose distance are all jumbled up throughout the training phase..and believe in the weekend long runs is enough to prep me.. humm.. just lucky enough I had that realization that a specific training program is necessary and utmost important. Why so important ? From what I’ve learned and experienced :

 

• to train specifically for the race
• to not under-train and not over-train; tell me what rules are there to tell you when you’re overdoing it? you can’t really tell. therefore, if you have a guide (your training program, then you know, since you have the experience of using one!)
• to peak at the right time for your training. You don’t want to peak too early or too late as you can exhaust yourself
• to decrease the chances of injuring yourself as a result of training without any program a.k.a overdoing it
• to learn the proper way of  training
• to grasp certain training concepts which you might have not known before
• to know what kind of nutrition plan to use (some people underestimate its importance..some people overestimate it too !)
• to gear yourself well so that you can finish a well-done race
• to get you psyched up and motivated to train, and to race !! (totally worked for me)

 

Other importance I plucked out from the net :

 

• just too many lah . please proceed to the www for more info ! From lay man explanation to scientific benefits of training properly, precisely !

 

Whatever it is, I wish all of us can become more optimistic and have an  ‘edgier’ outlook when it comes to training. Its not geeky or nerdy that you’re looking up for training programs and reading articles to know what latest training programs are there. Plus, it is a complete waste of time to go, especially for big races but not train properly. You spend a lot of $$$$$$$ for your gadgets, nutrition, attires and what not and  a lot of TIME training + sweat lost for wrong reasons (when’you’re pounding the mileage at the wrong time) just to BONK the race and SUFFER. Baik duduk rumah tengok Astro. (better just sit at home wand watch TV). Why some dedicated coach put so much effort in posting online FREE programs? Because they want the public to know how to train properly.. why some people PAY to get good coaches or programs? Because they want to race a good race. And if there are any target or goal to improve from previous races, the better. You can totally reap the benefits from using a training program.

Another interesting observation here, even though I am still considered as a newbie to tri-races and Ironman, some of us focus so much on talking, spending and talking. Talk about the latest gadget, since some of us can afford it..and then spend some money to buy this and that gadget. Fine, no problem, our own right to buy But unfortunately, not everybody fully utilize what they have. It doesn’t matter if you have the lightest helmet, the most expensive bike in town or the latest tri-suit. I can use a bike 3 times heavier than that lightest most expensive bike (I’m talking about my Yellow Submarine Giant lah..)..but still can play catch with a Cervelo (yeah Dennis, I’m talking about you !! LOL !)..

If you bother about performance..you’ll probably think (I’m assuming), that it is not in the end the bike. (Denis is a guy and he’s much taller than me). Come Powerman 2008, I was overtaking a couple of the top end bikes with my heavy cranky Giant. Then I passed Denis (that time I didnt know him).. A couple of minutes later, he overtook me again.. hahaah..and then my turn to overtake him again..all the way till the end of the bike leg. Moral of the story; train well.

Its not all about the Money, money , money..

Just click on 75% on your view option to get the whole picture here..its the training, the effort, the discipline , the edge.. its not the $$$..or the amount of time spent talking and bragging how poor your mileage is..unless you do something about it of course..  so if you were gonna chuck Faris al Sultan my brother (ehem) on my bike, .. and you put me on his super bike (smaller size la), obviously I can never catch him.. you put me on an Orbea, and you put Mariana Mohammad on my old HEAVY KHS, i don’t think i can keep up with her..She’s fast because she trains. She won’t be strong if she doesnt train properly. And that she’s strong and trains properly and races on a Cervelo, walla, i can just eat her dust !!! Take away the Cervelo, and ask her to race a 10k, still, you still see dust flying.. It’s the TRAINING. And not to forget the experience and knowledge which she have gained over the years pent training ‘properly’. The sesedap rasa concept, thus, don’t work for her because she’s a performing athlete. Being an age-grouper still don’t excuse us from training properly. Think about it……

Walking on the MEX highway..hahah !

Other fellow triathlete/runner  friends who inspire me :

 

• IM Kevin Siah ; cause he’s like so cool, smart and fast !!!! those glasses are cheeky as well..hahahah..

 

• IM Rahman (Navy) (he qualified for Kona but couldnt go because of $$, and no, he doesn’t have a fancy bike, yes he’s young, so are you !!! hahah!)

 

• IM Dr Fiona Lim (consistent performance and ever strong determination)

 

• Lian Bee Hoon (runner)(the old but young (races in senior veteran category; a.k.a she’s 45 years olf ++), friendly and STRONG; Mizuno 10k 2008 time : 45:43).  when I grow old I want to run like Lian Bee Hoon

 

• Shahrudin (runner)

 

• Emma Bishop (you can’t find the word rest in her neurons or any parts of her memory. 1 tough and cool chick ! I pray silently to God before I sleep at night for that level of will and determination Ms Bishop has !

 

• Simon Cross (what can I say.. he’s fast.. pheeww…I’m already sweating while choking dust on MEX highway while Simon and Sam zoomed by.. (coughs…)

 

 

• Ultraman Omar Yip ! (krazy , kool and brings sexy back)

 

Definition of smart training in this post : knowing your strength and weaknesses and focus on improving on the weaknesses while using a training program to improve your overall performance and training skills.

Definition of strength in this post: physically stronger, able and capable. having the physical endurance and  mental strength.

Definition of will+determination in this post: if you’re gonna keep triathlon ‘dry’, you can skip this part. Its not just about simply following the training program like how you would follow a baking recipe. You gotta put your soul into you training program for will and determination is not skin-deep. Its heartfelt. Ironman for example, is  very PERSONAL to me.

Definition of ‘fanciest/latest gadgets/gears‘ : Self-defined !

How I categorize training :

a)smart training + strength (athletic capabilities)+will+determination+ PLANNING+ all the latest fanciest gadgets and gears : VERY GOOD.

b)strength + will + determination + latest fanciest gadget and gears + all sponsor can give apparels + nutrition – smart training : NOT GOOD

c)smart training + will +determination + not so fancy gears + nutrition + some strength : MAY WORK and possible of  a PB/ great time  in 1ST IM. (hint..)

d)no proper training + fancy gears + some strength + will to meet cut off  : NEED TO WORK ON TRAINING PLAN. plan to fail, fail to plan. but if you don’t bother, I am surprised you read this article to this line already! hahaha !

Remember, every little thing you have gives you some sort of edge. If you’re a fast swimmer, you have an advantage. You have a good bike, you have an advantage. But if you really work on your bike and go race with your good bike, than you have the edge. Say you’re a good runner AND you trained well for the race, you got the edge baby ! Like the All American Rejects said on radio ‘a little bit of this and and a little bit of that goes a long way..’ I think he’s right. Start small, dream big. Don’t start big and dream small again, tri-falsampah of the day !

Anyways, all I am doing here is to share with all of you my 2 cents. Enter my site and read my ramblings with your own risk. Again, this is a personal website and I don’t offer unprofessional or professional advice to anyone here. There are plenty of reliable and credible websites you can look up, there are plenty of books or even magazine (and even online magazines) which you can access. Be creative in searching what’s best for you. Mere talking does not help. And so does mere visualizations of what is possible or  impossible to be done. You don’t just do it. You do it after you plan well what you wanna do. Follow that mere visualization with plan and action. So do it right and all the best in future races. God Bless.

Transition area; Ironman Langkawi 2009.

Carboloading dinner at Ironman Langkawi 2009. That's Denis next to me !

Swim. Done !

Bike leg - burnt under the scorching Langkawi sun ! Look how 'black' my hands are !!

Run Julie...Run ! And I ran !

All smile ! 1 happy jewelz

Shower- post race. Mak pesan, lepas bersukan kena mandi...so i showered. Beramai2...hahahahah...

Other then tri-life, there's also the camwhore-life. Quite fun ! Posing for Hermes!

me and my good friend, Shihming. bloody fast runner !!! Pic taken during her recent birthday party at Frangipani !

si Mary and si Julie : Ibu pesan, anak2 jangan gaduh. And I did. Jaja and I belasah-ed Mary with a surprise birthday dinner and movie after. Watched 'Law Abiding Citizens' starring Jamie Foxx. Talk about HOTness !

Girls just wanna have fun. MJ does it her way. Eat her heart out !! Oppss..mak pesan,if nak jadi kuat, kena makan.And so i ate, ate..and I ate ! All the 4 plates + 1 bowl u see in this pic was only for me ok. ahahah.. mmg kuat makan !!

What are you missing...? I missed time for myself..need rest..and time to think. and be happy, love and be loved ! Life is too short, too precious. Make the best of it folks ! And start to cut out those shit undeserving people out of your system. You don't deserve them. You deserve betta. God Bless. Amen.

Capturing the Unrewindable Moments

Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 8:58am

I was suppose to wake up at around 5.15am today.. But slept on like a rock ..was suppose to join a few friends at Gunung Nuang ! Uhmmm… But tak bangun. Woke up to see 3 misscall and 1 SMS . Yesterday’s ride clearly left me ‘koyak’ oledi. Quite a number of us turned up to do the dry run for next week’s race. I’m not sure if I’m taking part or not. Wasn’t part of the initial plan. But if I do take part, I’ll be doing the relay. No big deal for me, but big deal for my knee. I’m avoiding long runs at the moment. 5-10km boleh lagi, but not more than that. Cycling ok, swim also ok.

Going back to yesterday’s ride … Fun to see the spirited group and train together. Some did 1 loop of the bike course some did 2. Followed by swim/run. I ran with Laif n d rest. Laif complaining 5km only missjewelz ? Hahah.. Ya lo.. 5km only.

IM 70.3 Putrajaya - dry run : Arif & Laif

IM 70.3 Putrajaya dry run - smile !

I was huffing and puffing my alveoli off.. Tak fit, nak buat macam mana !! (of course kena get fit balik la). Training ’seriously’ and video recording/taking fotos doesn’t fit together. the 3rd raya ride to lukut (for me) wasn’t serious training. Just getting some kicks after 2 days jamming the tummy with endless savoury n array of food. And of course to get together with friends. Ride to lukut would always be memorable because that was when I 1st joined another group for cycling (b4 this kayuh with the Subang gang). So excited coz Azmar invited me to join. But alas Azmar didn’t even make it to the 1st quarter of the ride after he slipped frm his clip and fell on his shoulder and fractured his clavicle.

3rd raya ride to Lukut : Alwin & YitThing Wong

So again, making d Lukut ride again this time, without Azmar,(1st time was last year

and lucky to be able to enjoy the ride. I believe no one was really pushing, including Alwin. If Bacin or Dicky were to be there, mungkin storyline note ni wud be different la! So with the front pack together ; Alwin Ish and myself (Hadi mcm chipsmore, kjap ada kjap xde), the ride was in control. And I was able to video record n take fotos as well during the ride. Fun for documenting.

Myself, Ish and Hadi

This was on Tuesday. On Friday I was lucky not to bring my camera for the 30k ’spin’. Me n John overtook Ishsal at 51km/h. Not datz it’s a big deal. But still !! I won’t be able to do it if I had a camera in 1 hand wud I ?? So there, some concentration converting to some quality training. But come Saturday, I brought my camera. Wrong move ! If uve seen d video I uploaded for the Putrajaya 70.3 dry run, you’ll know what im talking about. You can hear my breath very Clearly.

Leave the documenting part to stand alone camera/video ppl, @ cameraman ! im quite the ‘memorable’ type. Memory is very powerful , but when you have that extra something which is visible and tangible preserving the memories,it can actually make you smile or even cry..! I still keep my primary 6 prefect duty roster. That piece of foolscap now is 15 years old, much older than my younger brother. I had my rumah biru sports day tshirt which I was VERY PROUD of (you know, being a CBNer). But that was until my mum decided to cut down the budget for wipe cloth and converted my treasured item to a kain buruk.

Prefect duty roster (SSU,1994)

Just to share with you a piece of my LTM(long term memory), I still remember my primary 5 class teacher calling d students names to come n collect their sukan t-shirt from her. And I remember taking my tortoise to school in my pinafore’s pocket n place them on the desk during class. I remember when I was 5 or 6, I was lying down on the floor at my mum’s room solving a Disney cartoon puzzle. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Strangely , these memories are kinda stronger compared to when I look at old photos of my childhood. There’s more reality which I could sense. Uhmmm…. Coz I captured it. But the fotos, it was mostly my mum who took em. Not me. Those days where got video camera. Only film rolls n manual camera. ahhah.. This is funny.. I remember watching A Hard Day’s night the movie.. The Beatles?! And of course remember sneaking into the bathroom during bulan puasa with a bottle of Vitagen !!! Hahaha ..

But anyways, since now we’re accessible to the many tools n various ways of recording, why not. It’s always nice to see another person smile looking at those wacky pics n videos. I can’t imagine this just yet.. When I grow older and looking back at the videos and pics which I took during training with my friends. I can either still that grin/smile for a couple of seconds , especially when watching something funny, or I can choose to shed em tears (me being nostalgic).

Memories are beautiful. Preserve them.

Fast forward 20 years after I first stepped into CBN in 1989. Picture taken during a recent visit back to my beloved school !

I told you memories are indeed beautiful.. I missed this moment chillin' on the rocks by the beach, watching the sunset...

Meet Me Half Way …

<<CAUTION !>>

<<Please turn your audio UP before attempting to click play on the video below ! >>

Meet Me Half Way - Black Eyed Peas

I can’t go any further then this
I want you so badly, it’s my biggest wish

I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you
Every single day yes, I’m really missin’ missin’ you
And all those things we use to use to use to do
Hey girl, what’s up, it use to be just me and you
I spent my time just thinkin thinkin thinkin bout you
Every single day, yes I’m really missin missin you
And all those things we use to use to use to do
Hey girl what’s up, what’s up, what’s up, what’s up

Meet me halfway, right at the borderline
That’s where I’m gonna wait, for you
I’ll be lookin out, night n’day
Took my heart to the limit, and this is where I’ll stay
I can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish

Girl, I travel round the world and even sail the seven seas
Across the universe I go to other galaxies
Just tell me where to go , just tell me where you wanna to meet
I navigate myself myself to take me where you be
Cause girl I want, I, I, I want you right now
I travel uptown (town) I travel downtown
I wanna to have you around (round) like every single day
I love you alway… way

Can you meet me half way (I’ll meet you halfway)
Right at the borderline
That’s where I’m gonna wait, for you
I’ll be lookin out, night n’day
Took my heart to the limit, and this is where I’ll stay
I can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish
I can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish

Let’s walk the bridge, to the other side
Just you and I (just you and I)
I will fly, I’ll fly the skies, for you and I (for you and I)
I will try, until I die, for you and I, for you and I, for for you and I,
For for you and I, for for you and I, for you and I

Can you meet me half way
Can you meet me half way
Can you meet me half way
Can you meet me half way
Meet me half way, right at the borderline
That’s where I’m gonna wait, for you
I’ll be lookin out, night n’day
Took my heart to the limit, and this is where I’ll stay
I can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish
I can’t go any further then this
I want you so bad it’s my only wish

Another song I feel like singing and dance away to every time the radio plays it !  BEP caught my attention with their cool music ever since their 2003 Elephunk release.  Anyway, enjoy the song, the video & lyrics ! xx-mj-

.bob marley.ub40.queen.

Blogging From My Iphone

Im blogging thru my phone!!! Testing d iPhone wordpress app in here..!!

Good news to all missjewelz.wordpress.com followers !

The culprit !

It took me just one click to discover why most of my blog follower are having problem to leave comments on my blog ! Settings>Discussion>Uncheck the ‘users must log in to comment box !!’ But only after 68,000 hits ++ on missjewelz.wordpress.com plus 1 useful advice from a friend before I   finally gotta know how and where to uncheck that magic box !!! No wonder !!! Hhhahaa… Buta I.T. jugak missjewelz nieh !!!

Do test the comments features in wordpress. I know blogspot is much ‘friendlier’, but its ok, I’ll just stick to wordpress.com ! So, no need to log in or register to wordpress to leave comments. Pheewwwww !!

Anyways, nice to meet  all my running friends and kakis at the recent Mizuno Wave run !   To Ezer, Najwa, Upiq, TSB, Mac, Mo, Izzaz, the IIU X Team, Dicky  , Bacin, Don, Cecil..everyone lah !! Mizuno pics can be viewed at my Shutterfly page http://missjewelz.shutterfly.com

Below are some fotos I want to share ! It’s so nice to view all these old and new pics !!   Can see how my ‘ketembaman’ have developed the past 4-5 years.. I miss running ! Running has always been a hobby, passion, a past time ! You give me a strip of land, a strip of land I will run.. You gimme a mountain, a mountain I will climb.. (tapi tunggu my knee recover  dulu la..) .You give me a piece of Harbour Bridge, I will run across it (though in real fact I only ran 1/2 of it before turning back to the hotel !!!)..where else..oh yeah, I also ran at the Great Wall of Chine during a trip with uni staffs and students. Sightseeing for them, but pure enjoyment for me to  scale a section of the wall which lead me to another section where there were ancient soldiers statues and cannons ! Boy was I excited.. running, huffing and puffing the cold China air !! I was so happy !

And have used these factors to enjoy all the races and training which I’ve been through.  Every runner reading this should know what I’m referring to. That constant thrill that you get what ou’re running. I’ll be back in action next year insyaAllah. I missed my Kinabalu Climbathon last week and I MIGHT have to miss Powerman anyways..! My knees are not ready yet. To all my friends doing Powerman, all the best. Race smart to enjoy the race. If you push too early during the first run, expect  a much slower 2nd run..and yes, everyone likes to go fast on the bike just to find their legs wobbly once thy get off the bike ! So no chasing ‘tail’ and ‘tale’ between me and Denis Oakley. I found it so hilarious when we overtook each other and kept this routine constant  on the last bike lap !  Denis on his Cervelo, me on my big fat heavy Yellow Submarine..! Denis to me: ‘You again ?!’..  Memories eh ?! I did a sub 4 for my maiden Powerman, and achieved a 10k PB in the 1st run leg. A 48 minutes ! Had to pee in the longkang coz tak tahan , and also my nose bled during the 2nd run..gila tak gila..my hands were sticky..ingatkan Powergel..rupanya mi blood !!! More good news (at least for me..) ,  Equal Fitness the premier sports massage company in KL called me yesterday. They will be conducting a 2 days sports massage course and offered me to join the program. It took less than a split second for me to say ‘Of course I am interested !’ For those of you who wants to get your muscles fixed, and those stress on the neck and shoulder to go away, or to get those lactic acid off your system, head down to Sooka Central (next to KL Central). The place is called Equal Fitness, and they’re really good ! There’s also another branch in Bandar Kinrara.

 

Eighties baby !!!! taken circa 1986-1987 by mum, in Singapura ! The innocent young me. The lips were usually pursed. I didn;t know how to flash my not so white teeth for the camera until I was in my late teens..oh duh....! ahaha... I've always been active as a child.. like to run, jump, skip ..ahhaha.. A memory much dear to me : I played catch with a boy from St John's , a neighbouring school while waiting for our school bus. I was around 9 years old, there about..So there was I , chasing a boy, in a boy's school..IN my school pinafore.. in the school's corridor..come one sharp corner to the left, Rajah ran into a school teacher (a guy) who was holding a cup of coffee.. so uhmm.. coffee splashes on teacher's nice white shirt.. Rajah received an instant spanking on the face..and 'poor' me went 'oh shoyte !!!', retreating back slowly and went back to the school bus..! Poor Rajah... haha..I wonder where you are now lah dude. We should 'catch up' soon..hahah..

Pondering ... back in 06...when I first entered the tri-scene..

 

Sunrise in the east coast ! this was in 2004..

 

missjewelz : once upon a time..

missjewelz : not so long ago.. fast forward to July 2009. Taken during my recent PD Triathlon outing. A stroll on the beach..aaa so refreshing..but then the beaches on the West Coast aren't as beautiful as the East Coast. well, at least in this country !

my 1st half marathon 4 years ago in Kuantan ! Check out the medal. cool eh ?! hahah ! Picture taken in December 2005. Maiden 1/2 marathon time 2hrs 12 minutes. Not bad..came in 4th coz not many women took part.

My 1st and last 12 hour walk. I covered nearly 60km ! came in 6th place. got some cash and a trophy !! Picture taken in 2006. The guy I'm standing next to was the champion. A seasoned national walker from the Armed Forces. LKpl ..tak ingat the name..

missjewelz : during the recent fasting month; Friday night ride at Putrajaya with the cycling kakis. August 2009.

my 1st 10k trophy from the KRI 10k event in 2005, Ipoh..! I came in 5th I think. Don't ask me my time..i tak ingat ! picture was taken in November 2005.. tembam !!! Gosh,,, i was tembam.. i need to get my tembam back..at least is a bit.. family and friends have been complaining !!! they dont like the 'thin' me..well, im not thin tapi..my legs are super fat !! wakakakkakaka !!!! (and she laughs..! )

MIZUNO WAVE RUN 2009 photos !

Mizuno Wave Run fotos uploaded !

<<click here>>

Congratulations to all finishers !!!

To NAJWA, my high-school buddy,

Congratulations !!!!!   So proud of you !!!

Simon Cross

Phoenix Saya Lau Pui San