le sabuns ultra: Feb Night LSD

First wave of runners at 9:30 pm @ PoJ

Last Saturday we had a Night LSD session at PoJ. Many came to our first LSD session for the year, we accounted about 24 runners came that night. Some even drive all the way from Kuala Selangor, that’s what i called commitment!

The first loop (10km ish) we ran together, as to show the route to the first runners coming to Putrajaya. Then we all ran according to our pace or group pace. This LSD is to promote more runners embracing running beyond 42.2km – the Ultra distance.

We want more people representing Malaysia running Ultra Marathons all over the globe – hopefully one day our dream will be realised.

Our sabuns model for the night.

 

The Extramiler himself came to join us.
Nice to see you Alex, it’s been a long time since you ran Putrajaya.

 

Carin – our marshal on bike that night. Thanks for the support

When you got 24 runners running the first session, i guess we are on the right track. The distance covered that night ranging between 30km – 45km, i only managed 43km due to cherry berry during the run. The LSD started around 9:30 pm until 6:00 am the next morning.

Some of these runners already committed to TMBT and SD100 later this year. Thanks to all runners that came to our session, we will see you guys again next month – this is a monthly event at PoJ.

Sabuning session in progress

Come join us next session, bring your own hydration and food. Most importantly, bring your friendships. See you soon at PoJ.

Esquire (Feb 2013) Digital Version

For those missed the Magazine (printed) version, here’s the digital version made available through official Esquire Malaysia website.

Cheers.

http://www.esquire.my/Style/Man-at-His-Best-Skills/article/How-to-run-100KM

CNY Running & Cycling

Running mileage (3 days) : 101 km
Cycling mileage (Gombak - Bentong) : 110km

It's been a while since I last run LSD at BA-Hartamas route, many fond memories were made here. My very first 20km LSD was done here few years back.

There's been changes around the area, new construction taking place for new multiple stories car park. It would be a different BA car park when it's completed this October.

Saturday LSD 31km, was done with Ms. K-Swiss as she's preparing for HK marathon in few weeks time. We started late, 6:50 am. Around Bukit Tunku area I met with a guy running with just bare sandals. I wish you could see how he ran, it was poetry in motion. Beautiful running form, just perfect how he landed front feet first - I could stand and watch how he ran all day long. Had a quick chat with him, he said he wanted to correct his running gait/form. So he bought this Tarahumara sandals from online - brilliant! I never thought of doing that when I started running. He's a friend of Izuan which I met last year in Seremban HM and I forgot his name - old age catching up with me.

We completed our LSD that day after 11am, it was a hot day!

Congrats Ms. K-Swiss, watch out for her pink shoes burning rubber on the streets of HK in few weeks time. Well, you have been warned - sub 4:30 for sure.

Sunday LSD - 35km BA-Hartamas route.

Ran alone - perfect to test my mental strength throughout the long hot day! Whenever I lack of motivation to do long run, BA route will bring out the best of my Ultra running self. I parked my car at BA and during the run, whenever I felt i wanna stop, I found myself in Hartamas. No choice, had to gutted out and ran back to my car.

At the end of the run, i found out that the BA food stall was closed that day. Dang! there's goes my ice cold ice tea. Replaced my long run reward with overdue visit to Kudu Nasi Kandar, da' bomb.

Nasi Kandar Kudu – post LSD treat.

Monday LSD - 35km Putrajaya route.
Loops after loops, and it was hotter than BA route. No tall trees unlike the ones in Bukit Tunku.

Tuesday (Cycling) 110km

Gombak - Genting Sempah - Janda Baik - Bentong - return back.

Supposed to do this cycling with Hailmi from Chap Ayam Cycling, but he woke up late.

Azmil and I had no choice but to follow the Cycling Otais, led by Diket Mencanak. To these guys cycling is like their bread and butter, they can cycle in their sleep and couldn't fall down. I was worried, but nevertheless go ahead to take up the challenge. Thanks Diket for letting us follow you season cyclist to Bentong.

I guess it's true, ignorant is a bliss! I've done 100km cycling before this, from Putrajaya - Bagan Lalang and back. That was easy! For Azmil this was his first 100km cycling distance, you could sense jittery in his face.

Back to ignorant part, I did not do research on the route. I heard it was a bit hilly, oh boy when I cycled that route it was a mountain - endless rolling hills from Gombak to Genting Sempah. I cried murder that day! I decided to cycle with Azmil at the back and let the professional with their speeding pace in front.

It was a huge relief when we arrive at Genting Sempah, no more back breaking hills just downhill towards Bentong. The road after that was horrible, thankfully we both survived the ride without any incident nor getting our tyre punctured.

We had a brief stop at Bentong town for early lunch, we needed that calories intake considering the uphill battle cycling back - physically uphill battle! No kidding!

It was hard and horrible ride back from Bentong to Genting Sempah, hills after hills after hills. Unashamedly we (Azmil & I) took one too many break during the cycling back, I don't know how we survived arriving at Genting Sempah, but we did it after back breaking effort and bad chaffing between the ass. Shower after the ride was expectably painful...lol.

It was a mountain of relief arriving at Genting Sempah coz we know after this it would be downhill all the way to Gombak.

110km later we arrived a shade darker around 2pm, it was hot ending. Thank goodness the weather was superbly cloudy and cooling during most of the ride. I'm beginning to prefer this route, I could train my legs for mountain attack, getting stronger legs will benefits my Ultra running. Cycling is my cross training, running is my prime mistress.

Congrats Azmil for completing your first 110km long ride. Be proud dude, you choose the tougher route for that maiden long cycling ride.

4 days of Running and Cycling amounted to 211km, bliss!

What did you do during the long holiday peeps? I hope you enjoyed the long holiday as much as I did.

(Photo: Awe)

Nestle Fitnesse Malaysia Women Marathon’s (MWM) Press Conference

I was invited to attend this Press Conference on official launching of Malaysia Women Marathon. It was an absolute honour and pleasure to support this historic inaugural event.

Congratulations to the Race Director – Karen Loh for having the audacity in making this event a reality. It will be an unforgettable Marathon i’m sure, especially for Women runners in this country.

Karen and I goes way back long before we established ourselves as Marathoner and Ultra Runner. It was my first 10km at the defunct Siemens 10km in 2010, i was happy to be able to completes that 10km race under 1 hour. I think i cried a little after crossing the finish line and thus earning the limited medal, it’s not an easy feat to achieve sub-60 minutes. Then i cried some more when i saw a lady already finished in front of me, that when i met Karen for the first time. Come to think of it, i met Kak June for the first time too  at that fateful Siemens 10km run.

Ok, enough about flashback. The PC was held at I-City Shah Alam, where the start line will be for MWM coming this April.

The idea behind this MWM is about empowerment to women, encouraging more women to run for health and happiness, especially to add more Women runners to run the Full Marathon distance which Malaysia is sadly very lack of.

I was inspired when the organizer showed us the short video clip of Katherine Switzer – i got goose bums watching that. Katherine Switzer is the first women to run Boston Marathon in 1967 which was only opened to Men runners at the time. When the Boston Marathon’s Race Director saw a women crashing that Men only event, he tried to stop her from finishing that fateful race. But her friends shielded her from that awful RD and she finished that Boston Marathon eventually. Women runners was barred from running competition soon after that. Finally after lobbying and intense campaign by Katherine Switzer and her friends, the Boston Marathon finally allowed women to run and compete in 1972, which open the door to other runs and Marathons for Women across the World.

The incident where the Boston Race Director tried to stop her running Boston Marathon.
Taken from www.katherineswitzer.com

Katherine Switzer is also the New York City Marathon 1974 champion with finishing time of 3:07:29 and her PB/PR is 2:51:37 .  She can beat many men with timing like that – me especially!

Yours truly announcing Kak Tiff running FVM at MWM. Sorry Kak Tiff, too late to back out now :p

After the PC, compulsory photo with MWM’s Race Director. Congrats Karen, a historic event for Malaysian Running Community. Proud to support and an honour to be involves with this event.

This year, we celebrates 41 years of Women running Marathon since 1972. The MWM is an historic event to celebrates this occasion, most timely as MWM and Boston Marathon will be held in the month of April.

More details on MWM (taken from Runwitme blog).

What? Malaysia Women Marathon 2013

Where? I City, Shah Alam
GPS coordinates 3.064753, 101.485391? +3° 3' 53.11", +101° 29' 7.41“

When? 7 April 2013 (Sunday)

Route:
The Route will traverse the the city of Shah Alam. This is the capital of the state of Selangor in Malaysia and is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The Route will take you through a majestic Blue Mosque, the Sultan of Selangor palace, 2 grand stadiums, 2 beautiful lakes, an old museum and the beautiful shell shaped Royal Theater of Selangor. Not to miss on challenges, there are lots of inclines but who says women cannot live up to challenges. The route will be measured and sanctioned by a sanctioning body in Malaysia.

Special Feature of the Marathon:
We will have Katherine Switzer to flag off the event. She will be here to give inspirational talks and meet all the participants. We have a 2 days pre event program that will encompass from a women dialogue session of women in running where we have in the session, numerous women race directors who have organised runs of their own (some for which are ultras); to an award giving ceremony for a woman runner who has through her running injected some sense of empowerment and inspirational feature for other women to follow; and of course we are planning a fashion parade. Many more programs. Stay tuned.

Race Categories:
Full marathon Start Time : 430am
- Women open : age 18 – 39years old
- Women Veteran : age 40 onwards
- Couple Category - registration is done for 2 persons by the woman participant ie with 2 registration fee.
The distance for the full marathon is 42.195km and the cut off time allocated to complete the distance shall be 7 hours. Slightly challenging route but we wont be surprise to see all ladies finish before this time.
The couple category is open for women who would like a pacer who are either their husbands or their personal trainer (pacer) not being a female to run with them. She will have to register two registration under her name where her bib will be issued in a pair. There will be timing chip for both runners in this category. The male is also entitled to the race benefit other than winning prizes. They may stand a chance to win other consolidation prizes.
Half Marathon Start time : 530am
- Women open - age 16-39 years old
- Women Veteran : age 40 years old
- Couple category – registration is done for 2 persons by the woman participant ie with 2 registration fee.
The distance for the Half marathon is 21.1km and the cut off time allocated to complete this distance shall be 4 hours.
The couple category for women who would like a pacer who are either their husbands or their personal trainer (pacer) not being a female to run with them. She will register two registration under her name where her bibs will be issued in a pair. There will be timing chip for runners in this category. There will be timing chip for both runners in this category. The male is also entitled to the race benefit other than winning prizes. They may stand a chance to win other consolidation prizes.
8km fun run Start time 7am
- Women open – age 16-39 years old
- Women Veteran : age 40 years old
The Fun run distance is 8km. The runners where will be issued a bib but will not be given a timing chip. MWM will record only the top 30 runners of the 8km women open and veteran for the result list. A certificate without timing will be given at the end of the race to the runners.

Register here: MYraceonline.

So what are you waiting for? Run Sisters Run :)

100.Miler.Man in Esquire Feb 2013

I have been busy with works and trainings, and have less time to blog.

But here’s a little update from the 100.Miler.Man.

Yours truly is featured here in February issue of Esquire Magazine (Malaysia).

It’s an honour for me to be given recognition in chasing my dreams and my passion, plus doing my part in promoting Ultra Marathons here in Malaysia.

To be featured in the same Magazine with the beautiful Megan Fox…it’s like a dream, sometimes i have to pinch myself and be grateful that i can run hundreds of kilometres without injuries or harming myself in the process.

I know it’s a gift from God, alhamdulillah.

Life does start at 40, i guess.

From where i stand, thing are starting to looking up for me (blessed).

Thanks Esquire Magazine for sharing my story.

Hope to get more runners inspired and runs Ultra Marathon soon. All my “secrets” in running Ultra can be found in page 120.

Don’t forget to get your copy from the nearest Newsstand today :)

When i no longer walks this earth, i know i have done my part in leaving a great legacy to my two boys.

Thanks a million for all your support peeps through thick and thin, you know who you are. I can’t imagine myself here today without your endless supports.