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

Busy and High Bee

Been busy like forever..the only time I have for myself is when I nap or sleep at night. Yesterday evening I was suppose to ‘nap’… ended up sleeping comfortably the whole night !! And last night I was suppose to be completing another 2 assignments ! Well, its normal that I am busy now..its nearing to the end of the semester. Plus the past 3 weeks I was involved as a committee for the YEA Kids Tri. Totally burned out from that one. But anyways, once I am in this super busy mode, other priorities fall into the 2nd place, or further. So to friends, I do apologize if I haven’t been updating.

It not always that I prioritize myself and I know I have to improve for that. I only have one life here on earth and I gotta use this chance wisely. Hope you can understand that yeah.

I am skipping the Kinabalu Climbathon eventhough I have registered, booked air ticket etc… but I gotta let it go due time constraint. Plus, I don’t think I would be enjoying any mountain climb with a bad left knee for that matter. Mizuno is also not in my list but I did manage to register 10 IIUM students for this run. So, bravo and all the best to them. Also registered Najwa, my close buddy from high school to do this run. Powerman ? Well, we’ll see..I have registered, but still deciding….

Ok lah, this Saturday since I’m in town, I am doing the MEX Highway. A 60km ++ ride. Starting from the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club at 6am. So far 6 people have confirmed. Whoever wants to join, do let me know ok.

All the best to all my friends doing the

Mizuno Wave run and Kinabalu Climbathon !

Make sure you finish the race injury free !

Just wanna share this pic : I think mountain biking is good.. builds a whole lot of confidence and courage.On top of that,increases your general reaction/response rate! but still..ouch !! This was during my 2nd or 3rd MTB outing. This 1 in Lbh Kiara with mr Rahim. Bad bad fall..unlucky me..ugly scar still there..how to get rid of it ?!!! Buruk lah ! hahah..

I am what I am

A few friends have been asking me why I do/did Ironman. This is a common question, which mostly are answered  by  some Ironman finishers with common answer due to common reasons.. I was chatting with a friend today. And suddenly were talking about people’s value (not people value), how do we categorize ourselves etc. He asked me how I categorize myself..good, bad? naughty?angel ? Here was my answer ..

me : im julie

me : i am myself. i have my princips. i dont want to be too serious and i want to have some fun too but not too much until i forget myself.

me : like Ironman,  thats what I am

friend :  waaaahhhhh…..

me:  going for Ironman is like preparing for a war, need to plan, ’strategize’ and arm myself

friend : true

me:  expect things but also prepare for the unexpected,

me : know my friends and know my enemies

friend : fuhyooo….

me:  and know that will and faith and strength will carry me through

me : ahhaha did i just say that ? ..Ironman is personal

friend : nope.. u typed that..good lah if like that..

me:  only myself can claim it. because i did it on my own . not any1 else (for my own and not for anyone else)

P.S. Julie lives like Bob Marley, one of her music and personal icons.

Full of metaphors. Metaphors which lives through his words, songs

and life. Bob Marley is a legend. and I am full of metaphors. I am what I

am. I am missJeweLz.

Pic taken at Pantai Beserah, Kuantan in 2004

my favourite Sunday graffiti pose. taken at Central Market, 2009

A Little something for le Big Easy @ tsb

I don’t tri. I do
By Tuan Senang Besar aka TSB

TSB took part in his first triathlon back in July. His report epitomises all that encompasses the lifestyle of this sport. A self proclaimed ‘Teh Tarik tri-wannabe man’, TSB’s take on race day is inspiring, heartfelt and REAL.

I try to plan my swim/bike/run on the weekends around the family’s schedule. That includes going out very, very early in the morning. Never-the-less, it’s something that I choose to do. The key is to keep everyone happy. And so far, everyone is.

My friends always asked me this question. “Why do you take the trouble to get yourself involved in this sport of suffering?” My answer would be “don’t know but I just want to show how a fatso can finish a race he started.”

A short while ago, I became a runner by completing the KL half marathon despite citing that I hated running. This time around, I got myself into the pain fest again by signing up to do the PD International Triathlon.

The first task was to get through to the ‘The Wife’. For some apparent reason, she thinks I can’t swim, despite me swimming in the pool at our condo every other day. So I had to tell a white lie and told her that I was doing the relay.

Race Day: Woke up at 5.45 and wondered how did I get myself into this? Down at the transition area I saw familiar faces, got my body marked and made my way to the Power bar counter and chomped down a free bar. Took photos, everyone had a tri-top on except me, Kam & AJ. We were real men. We went topless. I decided to test the water. Seemed a bit choppy and murky, swam out for a bit and came back. The usual briefing from Mr. Chan who had to scream before a loudhailer was given to him. More photos, smiles and then, it were time.

I started with the second wave. Positioning myself towards the left where the line was out on the sea I did quite well until the first buoy, that’s when the choppy water came into effect. It took me forever to reach the next buoy for the u-turn. By this time I was zigzagging a bit and the female swimmers caught up with me. Made the u-turn and felt a bit bushed so I decided to take it easy, enjoying watching the yachts at the marina (yeah, right). Out of the marina and back into the undercurrent. I was now leisure swimming. Spotted Mac on the side and yelled to him. I could have a conversation with him. And then Bandit came alongside. He swam really well and that gave me the extra little push I needed to swim faster to the shore. Damn, that was one long swim. I didn’t know how long it took me because I don’t have a stopwatch, but apparently according to Bandit we did about 1 hour. That’s not bad, I guess.

Nearly all the bikes were out of transition. Ha-ha! Took my time to change and pushed my bike out, taking the phone from my old boy and rode off. I have never done a brick before so it took me a while to adjust to the different use of muscle groups. I didn’t’ push hard on the bike. On the rolling back roads towards Linggi I struggled on the inclines. I was so slow, I was yawning on the bike. Nice scenery. There seemed to be an Indian religious event going on. I wonder if they have banana leaf rice served. Then I saw this lady on a mountain bike. She had a flat rear tyre and was struggling to pedal. I came up to her and asked if she needed help (not that I could offer much since I didn’t have a spare MTB tube). She replied saying that she’ll be fine and would push. Amazed at her will I rode off towards the u-turn. At this point I seemed to get a second wind and started to big crank all the way. I was certain I was faster on the way back. No, I don’t have an odometer either.

Rode into T2, put my shoes on and walked off. I brought a bottle of ‘happy juice’ with me, just in case. By then, most of the field had come home to the finish line. I started my jog. I saw Adli and he encouraged me to keep going. Barath came by my side with his car. I asked him if he’s going to run with me like I did for him at ironman. He said he’ll do it in his car. Useless ****. So off I went. More runners on the opposite side are coming home. Almost all of them exchanged hand slaps.

It felt like the longest 5km run of my life. Major Kalam and Adni came past. I was approaching the Avillion and then the amazing Patsy overtook me. I couldn’t even pace with her. At the u-turn, I sipped drinks at the water station and headed back. I kept my pace but had to pee. Must pee, damn it! At a public beach area I ran to the public toilet and pleaded to the lady to let me pee without paying. Didn’t carry coins. With that done, I went on my merry way again. The traffic police truck was moving slowly towards me to pick up the cones. I walked for a bit then I saw this dude on a bike with a medal round his neck. It was Upiq! What a God send! He came back looking for me. He got off his bike, pushed it and walked with me. We spoke about everything and anything. That took my mind away from the fatigue. Next up was Julie & AJ who snapped photos of me. Julie even shot a short video and interviewed me. Adeline came on a bike not long after that too and before you know it, I was already at the junction of PD Marina. A few corners to go and I decided that I MUST run to the finish line. They were all waiting for me there. Stupe, Bandit, the old boys, Ish, Z, Mac, Adeline and Senn.

Damn that was hard. So why did I bother to do this? I don’t’ know. I don’t tri. I just do.

I’m not a triathlete. I’m just a fatso who can reach the finish line (albeit slower) just like the skinny guys.

What are you doing?

TSB

5 weeks to Powerman Malaysia 2009

Click logo to go to Powerman Malaysia website

Powerman Malaysia 2009

Hola amigos and amigas ! Initially Powerman was not on my 2009 list, until the last 7 hours before the closing date ! Registered under the age group 20-29, however the system picked up my registration as elite ! I must have forgotten to click after scrolling to the category in the drop down arrow menu. I called Melody of Quick Release (Powerman event organizer) to confirm, and she said she’s happy because I am the sole rep for Malaysia in that category (Women, elite)… and I was like..what?

No way I registered under the elite category. Plus, I am certainly not ready yet to join that special category ! Not till 2012 ! Kena training lagi la !! Not strong and fast enough. Anyways, QR have re-registered me . Thank  you  ! Mariana Mohammad (TeamPowerbar Elite) is not taking part as she is full time with the national cycling squad. She came in 2nd in a recent road race in Singapore. As for Stephanie Chok( Team Powerbar Elite), she did not take part last year, and this year she’s not taking part too.

missJeweLz maiden Powerman Malaysia 2008 result:

Time split

RUN 1 ,11KM = 00:54:55

T1 = 00:01:03

BIKE , 4KM :2:02:08

T2= 00:01:13

RUN 2, 10KM = 01: 00 :14

TOTAL :  3:59:37

Pace average

Run 1; 4:59 min/km

Bike ; 31.4 km/h

Run 2 ; 6:01 min/km

Position (age group) =7

For this year, I am not sure if I’m going to be able to run the R1 pace  i did last year..haha..wallop like crazy. Just look at R2..hhaha..slow.. so, I might just run slow. Won’t be having any trains behind me this year. Less pressure ! Just wait 2012.. I am coming to ya !

Powerman 2008, my 1st Powerman !!

I look not so fat here.. haha ! But now already fat lah !!!

Me and young duathlon fans. Kecik-kecik cili padi. Adik Fitri on my left (in black DUrock shirt) has already a few duathlon and triathlon titles on his belt. Bike training includes cycling up Frasers ! I'm a big fan of adik Fitri as much as he is a fan of me ! ahha... Don't call 'aunty' ok. Too young !!

Training plan

Anyways, I already got a program for this event. A 5 weeks plan, including this week. Basically 1 easy run, 1 long run, 1 easy cycle, 1 long cycle, 1 brick ,1 flexibility training/stretching session and 1 rest day (sessions not arranged in sequence here ok!). I’mjust giving a preview what the program is like.While running will be done mostly on grass or rubber track, for cycling I will do it both on road as well as the trainers !

Flexibility training and stretching will be fun as well ,and vital to ensure my muscles and joints are injury proof. 1 golden rule for stretching , warm up before you stretch. E.g if you’re doing speed work out on the track,or run at the track, you’d warm up by doing 2-3 loops , then stretch.

It is very important that you perform the general warm-up before you stretch. It is not a good idea to attempt to stretch before your muscles are warm (something which the general warm-up accomplishes).

Warming up can do more than just loosen stiff muscles; when done properly, it can actually improve performance. On the other hand, an improper warm-up, or no warm-up at all, can greatly increase your risk of injury from engaging in athletic activities.

To all friends and athletes taking part in Powerman , I wish you all the best. I won’t be going all out for this November outing. Taking it easy and enjoy !

Other athletes updates,

Hafiz Wong (Team Powerbar Elite) and Carmen Leong are doing IM KONA. So all the best to both of them. Shahrom Abdullah (TeamPowebar Elite) came in 5th in the pro category in the recent IM70.3 Putrajaya. He overtook at least 1 pro ! Congrats Awe !Aini, Jaja, Vivian(Eric’s wife) and Lizi Lim are all preggers ! That’s 4 Tri Babies by next year !

Selon Yap got involved in a bike-car crash in Putrajaya last Sunday.Man is alive, but weak and shocked. He can already move his hands, but legs still weak. His rear wheel broke to  parts. And his carbon frame needs some attention. Both Daniel and Sze Kuan of Bike Boutique were there to help him. Nurses and ambulance were pretty blur, not sure of what to do.They were even saying no  need to bring Selon to the hospital because Selon can still speak ! By the way, the front screen of Iswara which hit Selon from the back was shattered to pieces. According to Sze Kuan the car must have came in pretty fast from the back, hit Selon and cyclist+bike went flying to the air before landing/crashing on the screen. The impact must be pretty strong as it happened quite fast..

Selon lives somewhere near Bandar Permaisuri, Cheras. Do drop him a line if you want to pay a visit. He’s on FB too. And was online yesterday !! The guy is on a week medical leave. Selon was not taking part in IM70.3 , he was just another innocent cyclist who wanted to check out the route with his 2 weeks carbon frame. Get well soon Selon !

Get well soon Selon !!

Selon and I after Shape Mag run

Circus of life : IM 70.3 Putrajaya 2009

With the fun and chaotic aftermath of the IM70.3 Putrajaya my mind was pretty occupied with settling the result issue, plus other things. In other words, a bit serabut up here.And new things and issues keep popping up every second of the day. And just now an old friend buzzed me on YM telling me his 2 month engagement is off. I told him, move on. If you look back too long, you  might stumble again on your next step.

Some of my friends have been telling me that too, from time to time. Move on. There’s no point pondering too long , not worth it, etc. Truly true. You gotta stay focus if you want to succeed in walking in and through this circus of life. The moment you need peace, chaos will come. The moment you thought you’re having fun, trouble steps in. Really bizarre and giving headache ! Annoying ain’t it?

Anyways, the IM70.3 Putrajaya was not exceptional. I did the relay. My team mates; Ish and AJ. Ish swam, I bike and AJ ran. All was generally ok for us, until the organizer published the unofficial result. My team DNFed. Wtf?…and then it nearly change to DQ (God knows why), but it didn’t. And on the official result posted on the web, the DNF status got retracted, and we got 1st place ! Circus bin Cartoon.. funny kan? and on top of that, they added a bloody 47 minutes to my bike time out of no where.. Confusing. I did 3 hours flat on the bike for the 90km bike course, timing on 1st unofficial result was correct 3:00:58.. The one on the official result was 3:47:00.. where in the world did that 47 mins came from ? This is so bizarre.

Anyways real official result team relay :

Pos	Bib	Fullname		Class	Country	Swim	Cycle	Run	Time
1	300	Ishal ,Julie,Ahmad Jauhari		Relay	MYS	0:57:03	3:00:58	2:04:48	6:04:54
2	294	Ubo Robert Weitz		Relay		0:41:26	3:32:55	2:39:42	6:56:56
3	291	Nurina,Hadi,Kash Kasiri		Relay	MYS	0:54:33	3:36:44	2:35:36	7:09:27
DNF	215	Khan Shiraz Mikael		Relay	MYS	0:54:27	3:41:42	2:37:53	7:19:33

My team got 1st place after unfairly being DNFed. No prizes at all for relay, no big deal ! But still tak puas hati because the organizr keep screwing up the results !

The headache and weirdness caused by the timing system used this time around by the organizer is indisputable ! My friend Siok Bee and Yip got DNFed ! Come on, these are not newbie athletes. They did not make any mistakes, followed the course correctly, and this is what we get… some screwed up result..

There were just too many mismanagement, mistakes and glitches by the organizer last Sunday. I can’t list them down just yet because I am already seeing stars as I type these paragraphs. But nevertheless , the sportsmanship and passion for triathlons and multi-sports saved me and the rest of our friends that day. We did have fun on the race course alright. I had fun too on the bike. Can’t wait to share it here. But in another post. Just a bit too tied up at the moment.

Congrats To :

Bandit

Ezer

Senn

Kash

Hadi

Jabbeer

Major Kalam

And many Thanks to all support crews and photographers !

All smiles !

Nurina, Hadi and Kash formed a team too !

MJ on the bike !

Passing IM70.3 spectators

Nice panning work here.

My friend, Bandito. 1st attempt on IM70.3. Congrats Bandit !

Team work. Team mate Ishsal passing the timing chip to me. (sorry pics are not in sequence!)

Fellow triathlete friends who were also participating on that day ; Ngae (Team Powerbar Elite), Elaine Wong Karyan, Julie (Team Powerbar Elite), Adeline Lee, Ishsal Ishak, Mahizzan

missjewelz with the boys from Bike Boutique; SK and Daniel

Don Khor, another Team Powerbar Elite member.

Bandit completing his final lap. Putrajaya lake at the background.

relaxing and supporting Bandit and Senn after the bike leg !

Stupe and I pointing at Geoff asking him to get his arse down here !!

More pictures will be uploaded in my next post.

p.s. : sapa main tipu masa kat bike/running course angkat tangan…ooooweee..i see quite a few hands raised there…. advice to you people, you only tipu diri sendiri. Anda yang rugi while blocking other people’s right to be ranked properly in the result sheet. If nak tipu, tak payah race lah. You don’t need to pay to tipu/lie..Duduk rumah, main kejar2 ok?

Young Endurance Athlete (YEA) Triathlon 2009

In NST a few days ago !

YEA Triathlon 2009 registration form

Kids of steel — children

2009/10/05

By Anis Ibrahim

PUTRAJAYA: Fancy seeing your son or daughter take part in a mini triathlon?

Budding athletes are invited to take part in the Young Endurance Athletes Race 2009 which will include a bike race, a swim and a run.

Open to children aged 7 to 15 years, the event will begin at 7am at the Public Swimming Pool at Precinct 6, Putrajaya, on Oct 18. There are three categories for boys and girls — group A (7-9 years), B (10-12 years) and C (13-15 years).

The distances covered will be based on the age group. Group A participants will swim for 50m, cycle for 500m and run for 100m. Group B entrants will swim for 100m, cycle for 3,000m and run for 200m while Group C triathletes will swim for 300m, cycle for 6,000m and run for 500m.

Organised by Perbadanan Putrajaya Bhd and The Yellow Bicycle, the event will be supervised by two-time Ironman finalist and regular race participant Major Kalam Pie and cyclist Amir Hashmi Ibrahim, who has undergone training in triathlon coaching skills.

A doctor and nurse will be present at the venue, together with life guards, marshalls and female assistant coaches. There will also be a group of volunteers made up of experienced national triathletes.

Children who cannot swim need not worry. They can use kickboards, arm floaties or other floatation devices. Lifeguards will be in the pool to assist.

Amir said any kind of bicycle can be used, including those with training wheels.

“It doesn’t have to be a racing bike. Parents, however, must ensure that their children use cycling helmets. Their bikes must also have brakes and the tyres must be well-pumped.

“Proper shoes must also be worn during the run. Children will not be allowed to run barefoot or in slippers,” said Amir.

There will be a workshop before the race on Oct 17 at 7.30am by the International Triathlon Union-trained coaches to introduce participants and their parents to the sport.

Fees, which must be paid at the workshop, are RM50 for all categories. Refreshments will be provided on both dates and water stations will be set up on race day.

For details, call Amir (012-219 5552 or ybicycle@yahoo.com), Kalam (019-271 2569 or kalampie@gmail.com) or Julie (017-332 3451 or missjewelz@gmail.com).

YEA Triathlon 2009 registration form

We’re open for :

• Participant registration
• Volunteer registration
• Sponsorship

Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya

“Duit ku sudah songlap ke…4 million from the government per year.. 2mil for each event.. Langkawi course lay out 20k.  70.3 reg fee = 350/individual..and relay myr600.. myr200 to swim 1.9km..wahh mahalnye..quality  ada baik ke..? you didn’t hear it from me. okay?”

[undisclosed source ]

Wuteva ittis, i think Powerman and mr Chan’s race lagi berbaloi. No, seriously..There’s no point putting up a pretty stage here with pretty actors and actresses on ‘em. Enter my personal  blog with your own risk.

TriFalsampah of the day : kalau hidup itu kerana mata wang, mati pon kerana mata wang. Hidup atau mati,mata wang itu amatlah penting.Nothing else matter. Kan ?

IM70.3 : registration. Registration was quick coz I came at lunch hour, time tak ramai orang. Despite the swift registration process, the aunty- aunty kat meja tuh don't know really know what they're dealing with doing. They were not even sure team relay registration fee is how much. And girl at bike check in tanya why untuk relay don't have age-group.. hum.... I don't blame the girl. She's just a volunteer who sincerely came to help her mum who is also helping out at bike check in.

Around the registration area. Powerbar booth.

Yellow Submarine hitting the PJ. 1st bike to go through check in, thanks Ah Thiam.

1st to check-in when the organizers are still busy tagging the racks. How's dat for a world standard race? That's Yellow Submarin, my beloved bike !! Comel kan ?! Like me laaa.. hahahaha.... I manage to ask the ane, aunty and also IM Soffian to help ensure dat my bike is at #300. Ye la, bike rack tagging pon tak siap lagi time ni ! I gotta rush after that.

Participant t-shirt.. material quality uncle Chan nyer race lagi cun the quality. ... by the way, this tshirt comes in 3 colours. can choose. white, dark red and green. ..

Inside the 70.3 tshirt..ahha..

The chocolate bar from the race kit... serious ? adoii... sponsor punya la banyak ......... ini dapat ?!

my race number.. bayar MAHAL.. 300 x 2 (rm600).. but quality.....kain ! gosh... very dissapointing !!!!!!!!!!

Kain = Cloth !! Even Pacesetters can afford more quality material race numbers !!! and we pay 1/6 - 1/8th or less of the 70.3 fee to enjoy a quality race . Pacesetters, Quick Release for Powerman as well XTerra do not use KAIN for race numbers ! Larian Bomba boleh lah !

That's the race number helmet sticker. Funny size and design.

Okay, enough of the rantings. If I don”t put it here, and simpan in my laptop je, basi pon you all tak tau. We triathletes pay because we want to race not just a race but an enjoyable AND quality race, both aspects which are vital for the organizers to consider.Have they ever ? I’ve always saluted Pacesetters for their quality and improvement. They’ve managed to mature and grow.. And they didn’t need politicians to jump in and run the show themselves. Malaysians and Klang Valley runners love their races and events because they’re good. 4000-5000 runners or more per event is not uncommon to them anymore. p.s. : I’m proud to say here I am a Pacesetters member ! Registered in 2005 baby !!

Great Eastern Pacesetters 30k 2009 : Spot me in my blue Adidas, and blue Buff 'shower cap'..eeee...comel nye ! (ya rite !!) hehehe..

For my maiden IM Langkawi this year, during its press conference in Nestle house, around a month before the race, not just myself heard this with my 2 ears, but also everyone who attended the press conference ; the media, athletes, organizers etc. Sri Ram openly said ‘I am a businessman’. A 4 worded sentence which means a lot especially when talking about the future of Ironman triathlon in Malaysia.  Mark my words.

Every athlete and organizer have to know a bit of everything. If you know only 1 thing, and that 1 thing is how to generate $$, and how to look sleek, clean, handsome and perfect teeth … payah ler..we can put majulah sukan untuk negara in my wardrobe and let cobwebs appear in no time.

Tomorrow I’m just gonna race. Enjoy it, and support my other friends who will be doing the race. God Bless and all the best to everyone taking part. Can’t wait to write my race report !! LOL !!!

Once upon a time (Satu ketika dulu). Ketika aku tanned and hitam. Ketika Upiq always kacau me saying 'Anak sapaaaa ni..?'