Mizuno Wave Run 2007 - Thoughts

Yesterday while at the Mizuno Wave Run 2007, some things crossed my mind while running:

• I asked myself whether I was in the right run, as all the other participants seem to be very good runners. Only a handful slowed down and walk at any point during the first half of the run. Pacesetter shirts EVERYWHERE.
• The first half of the race was easy though.
  
• Did they just give us 100 Plus Power at the water station? If so... it tasted really really good.
• Green Apple flavoured PowerBar Gel is actually quite nice.
• The guy starting next to me was wearing a pair of Adidas Uruhas, the ones I used to wear.
• Red shoes definately get attention when running
• Running in lycra does looking uncomfortable.
• Not that many ang-mohs running this race.
• Bukit Tunku is not freehold land (heard from a friend), wonder what will happen to all these nice houses when the leases expire?
• Tugu Negara is a very creepy place to drive pass early in the morning, a little less so when we were running pass it. And it's not even a mausoleum.

Post Race:

• My colleagues really should learn how to socialize a little. Don't la act so blur sotong if a stranger talks to you.
  
• Runners are friendly and are quite chatty. It's nice talking about the race.
  
• I don't like Gatorade, and they were serving more of that nice drink I had during the run, at the other tent.
• The Milo guy should get an assistant.
• People should really check their goodie bags before throwing them away, they contain your finisher medal! Seen a girl rummaging a garbage bin (or box..hehe) for her goodie bag.
  
• Veteran runners give good advice and live interesting lives. One is running his next race in Thailand! He added: "You can run anywhere, anytime.. all you need is a good pair of running shoes". Yup!
  
• More toilets (port-a-loos) please!

I had a blast, and a time of 1 hour 8 minutes 49 seconds with a 767 placing. For more of my experience during the run, head to my previous post here.

Mizuno Wave Run 2007 - Race Day Report - 1 hour 8 minutes 49 seconds

I can't begin to describe the course that we ran on for today's Mizuno Wave Run 2007. It was so... hilly.

We started of at Padang Merbuk and the first half of the race was pretty easy, having ran that part twice (both clock wise and anti-clockwise) earlier this year. Instead of bringing us to the highway for the 2nd half of the run, the organizers made us run through more of Bukit Tunku, with a spirit-breaking length of a slope as a preview of things to come.

On the way during the first half of the run, I saw a lady took a tumble in front of me. I was just too suprised to stop and help her up. So so sorry. And just before the Istana (Jalan Sultan Salehuddin...something like that), there was a guy already lying on the ground, I think he passed out or something. Some of the runners were looking out for him and apparently by the time my friend ran pass the same area, the guy was already in an ambulance.

What an eventful race.

The run brought us pass the National Monument (Tugu Negara), it was a hill climb all the up before a rather fast down hill back towards Padang Merbok. It was a pretty cool sight looking at the finishing line from the road crest I was running on and despite my rather complain-y tone early on (hey...the race was made up of hill climbs!), I finished with a placing of 767! I don't know how many participants took part in the rub but that sounds like a nice number.



My time: 1 hour 8 minutes and 49 seconds (on my watch). And this was a harder run compared to that Siemens Run which I completed in 1 hour 15 minutes. Improvement? Yes. Room for further improvement? Most definately.

I chatted with some of those veteran category runners, mostly when I was waiting in line for drinks and while walking back to the parking lot. All of them uncles said the same thing, "run more, young man!" (or variations of that). That's a sure thing :).

Mizuno Wave Run 2007 - Pre Race And Other Shenanigans

Thanks to a friend of mine, I managed to get in a late entry for the Mizuno Wave Run 2007 and practically got my t-shirt and number a week early! But due to his forgetfulness, I only got the items from him yesterday. But at least I don't need to spend my Saturday morning making my way to the Padang to collect my stuff.

The t-shirt is abit heavy, despite how light it looks. I will stick to my Adidas t-shirt, like I always have. And I don't know why my running numbers have an affinity for the number 4 in my recent runs. Lucky number eh?

So see you guys Sunday morning at Padang Merbuk. I'll need to stock up on my PowerBar Gel. I'm pratically addicted to that Tangerine flavoured, 2X caffeine stuff.

And hopefully it doesn't rain tomorrow, otherwise it would be muddy shenanigans not unlike the Malay Mail Big Walk. And speaking of shenanigans, these two are totally up to no good:

A New Pair of Red Running Shoes...yes..RED

A little more than a year ago, I bought a pair of Adidas Uraha running shoes, to replace the previous pair (affectionately known as the RED Adidas shoe..because it was red and silver in colour).

The RED shoes had a pretty illustrious life, having spent most of their time running in jungle trails, and in the badminton court, and off the beaten track, got bashed up hiking up Gunung Irau and spent a washing machine of a time in the rapids of Sungai Kampar.


The replacement pair, the Urahas, had no less of a crazy time as well. Other than the usual trail running and badminton court action, they were stuck (purposely) in the sand dunes of the Dubai desert, spent almost everyday for two weeks being worked out in a Dubai gym (because the owner can die running outside in Dubai's summer heat), walked the streets of Bangkok just like its predecessor and this year alone participated in 5 10 kilometer road runs (well 4 runs and a walk).

The end was near for the Urahas when it came to a point whereby my left knee was in a world of hurt right after my third 10km run and it became a common occurence after that. Hills (uphill and downhill), left hand bends and even roads that tilted to the left became my running banes.

At first I thought it was just over-stressed from all the pounding or from the nature of the course, but come to think of it, I wasn't a stranger to that kind of road conditions (especially going up and down hills), and I probably have a harder time running on gravel/earth trails compared to running on tarmac.

Then I happen to read a small article in the Runner's World magazine (the mag makes for good reading for runners). Quoting directly from the magazine:

"Running is bad for your bones and joints."

FICTION. Lots of people assume that the high-impact nature of running must take a negative toll on your bones and joints. Yet scientific evidence suggests the opposite: High-impact activities such as running, can help increase bone mass, thus improving bone health. In addition, numerous studies have concluded that running does not increase the risk of joint disease and osteoarthritis-even after sveral decades of participating in the sport. Physiologists agree that humans were built to run. So when we run with proper form, and a good pair of running shoes - our bodies are strengthened, not town down as we log the miles. - Jeff Galloway, Runner's World August 2007 issue.

So, having crossed out my form and road conditions for being factors for my knee pain, it was time to focus on the shoes. The rest was easy, I went out and bought a new pair yesterday and broke a long standing tradition of sticking with Adidas for my running shoes.

The new Asics Gel-Cumulus 9 pair, felt VERY GOOD when I hit the trails this morning. Sure, they were a little stiff since they haven't been broken into yet, but they felt so good...and there wasn't any pain in my knee.


The colour scheme that I chose was purely for nostalgia though, it reminded me of the Red Adidas shoes I had. Bright shiny red apples...anyone?

Subang Jaya 10KM Run - 1 Hour 1 Minute and 12 Seconds.

I got up at 4 a.m. (my usual time when it comes to running races) and it was raining. By the time I left home at 5.45 a.m. I was wearing a jacket driving the car to MPSJ.

The turn out to the run was pretty good. There were people parking cars in the residential areas surrounding MPSJ and also in front of the HSBC building. As it was still very cold, I ran up and down a portion of the stadium's track before stretching. No point stretching cold muscles, yes?

Out of the 6 entrees that I submitted, 4 of us showed up. It was a pretty good turn-out considering the two that didn't turn up had an interview and class respectively.

The race started somewhat on time, and suprisingly there wasn't any enclosure for us to enter, we just needed to stand at the starting point on the road in front of MPSJ. The start was okay in my book. The narrow road made for a bit of jostling around for some clear space to run in but after several minutes things did clear up.

The track..or circuit as my friend called it, that we were running on was a very fast one. Consisting of long stretches, the roads were generally flat, and I ran the first 3 km without before slowing down to take a Power Bal gel. By the time I reached the half-way point, I was already proceeding at a better than normal pace...but where was the drink station?

Come to think of it, the race details didn't mention anything about a drinks station. Shocking eh? It might be trivial to some but I think most people would appreciate the sight of a drinks station during a run. No matter, I proceeded with the 2nd half of the run with a even better pace.

The only problem I had during this run was the big left hand curve in the second half. I'm pretty wary of these kind of road conditions as they only serve to aggreviate my left knee. But the good thing is, the knee didn't act up during the run, although now I'm sitting with it bent..straightening it will only cause pain.. a lot of pain.

One of my church members is aware of my knee problem from the previous race and asked me this morning about it. I told him I just ran another race this very morning. Hehe.

During the final stretch nearing MPSJ, passing the HSBC building, I lost abit of focus as I thought, the end was near and I already been expanding my energy to finish off the race (my watch showed 52 minutes), but I forgot that the 10 km runners have to run pass the MPSJ building before making a U-turn back!

Brr. So much for thinking that I managed to dip under an hour for this run...I'll get that in the next run. Anyways, I arrived at the finish line at 1 hour 1 minute and 12 seconds. Which is not bad, an improvement actually over the previous one. My friends came in a little later.

---

Some people ask me why do I run? My answers usually would be to get a better time, and to enjoy the scenery. Actually is more of the former than the latter, since the focus is on the road and on my pace and staying out of other people's way.

And there's a bonus of the camaderie among participants. I find it easier to say hi and pick up a conversation with a stranger during or post-run, rather than someone on the street. I spoke to one uncle at the parking lot, and he commented that the competition was tough this year. Apparently the last person to receive a medal ran a 48 minute race!

This uncle ran a 50 minute race..and was abit disappointed for not getting a medal this year, unlike previous years. No problem uncle, there's always next year to prepare for :).

Subang Jaya 10KM run

1 hour 1 minute and 12 seconds. That's my time for this morning's Subang Jaya 10KM run. Hehe. Much better than my 1 hour 6 minutes and 41 seconds time for the Adidas King of the Road run. I'll blog more about this later.

Stay tuned. Check out my pre-run post over here.

Political Correctness and the Subang Jaya 10KM Run

In this age of political correctness, I didn't expect the organisers of the Subang Jaya 10KM Run 2007 to pack a bottle of "Biocare Multi-Purpose Cleaner" for each female participant's goodies bag.


But I shouldn't be so surprised; afterall we are living in a country with an affirmative action policy that favours a certain ethnic group instead of benefitting disadvantaged people from across the entire ethnic spectrum. Yes, political correctness doesn't apply here in my beloved country which coincidently is celebrating its 50th anniversary of its independence.

Nevertheless, Singapore-born me will gladly take up the Malaysian flag and recite the Rukun Negara because despite an artificially propped-up playing field, we are toughened by adversity. That's the Malaysia we should strive to be in...with a back bone and not with a crutch. Aye?

Back to all matters tarmac and running. Several weeks ago, I submitted 6 names to the Subang Jaya 10KM run. 3 of them are my colleagues, one a friend of a friend, another is a regular running partner of mine and then there's yours truly.

So imagine the weight of the goodies bags I've to collect today including the one which had a bottle of cleaning solution inside. Each bag consists two cans of Sting energy drink (whoever thought of the name should at least be sack, the word is normally associated with scorpions and snakes..), one can of herbal tea, some Fisherman Friend sweets, biscuits, chocolates, pamphlets, California Fitness pass, T-shirt, vouchers for Gardenia and spectacle lenses.. quite worth the RM 10 entry fee eh?

And the ladies get a bottle of cleaning solution! To The Star newspaper, and other event organisers, for the sake of political correctness... I want a bottle too. KTHXBAI

Adidas King of the Road...Just One Picture

A friend of mine, Penman, managed to take a snapshot of me running in the Adidas King of the Road run. He was in the run as well and while he took the shot on the top tier of the highway heading towards PJS 1, I was already at the ground level tier of the highway running the final half of the race towards Sunway.


I was probably checking my time in this picture. LOL

This is probably the only race that I've ran so far whereby participants of the same category can meet face to face (albeit with a difference in height of around..8 metres between ground level and the top tier of the highway) while running in opposite directions.

Thanks Penman for the pic!

Adidas King of the Road - I conquered NPE...well..a part of it.

1 hour, 6 minutes and 41 seconds. That's my time for the Adidas King of the Road 10 KM run. Much better compared to the 1 hour 15 minutes disappointment for the Siemens Run. However, even though I'm suprised at the good pace during the first 5 km, I can't help but feel disappointed that my left knee acted up in a big way in the 2nd half.

I had to run conservatively in the 2nd half since the pain was pretty intense during the uphill and downhill sections of the course. The ligaments probably contracted or something and that really sucks.

The finishing line area is a really cramped place, and with all the construction work going on in front of Pyramid, not a nice place to be either. The course itself was rather smelly, with the tyre factory and the sewage treatment plant on both sides of the road. I drive on this highway occasionally and the smell can seep into the car, so imagine running on it.

Even so, I had fun with the run (especially with the time improvement) and despite running without companions, I managed to chit chat with some folk during the run. So how was your Adidas King of the Road experience?

Pre Race Day

Unlike previous runs, I'll be sporting something extra for the Adidas King of the Road run that will allow me to run without hindrance. It's an arm wallet from Reebok; the thing that you strap around your arm and you put stuff inside.

Basically it allows me to put my W700i Walkman Phone, car keys, identification card, some cash and with somemore space to spare. I would probably try to squeeze in a PowerBar Gel later. More importantly, it will allow me to run without my wallet, handphone or keys interfering with my stride. Nice eh? I wonder why I have not thought about it for the past three runs.

On another note, I think that the running vest given out by the organizers, although better in quality compared to say..the KL International Marathon, looks abit apek-ish (think singlet). As with the Siemens Run, I'll be running with my own shirt.

Get Off Your Lazy Bum and RUN!!

I submitted a total of 8 entries today for the Adidas King of the Road 2007 Run, which is going to be held on the 5th of August at Sunway Pyramid. This must be a record of sorts (9 entries in total, including mine which was submitted last Sunday) since there were only 5 of us who went for the KL International Marathon.

The idea of running on the NPE is interesting, especially when you have to pass the Dato Harun area, with that smelly tyre factory. I'll always drive faster whenever I pass that area since the stench (omg) is strong enough to invade the cabin of my car (don't forget to hold your breath!).

Anyone of you dear readers interested in signing up for the run? It's still not too late as you can register by the 21st of July. The entry form is available here.

Siemens Run 2007 + Reshmonu Vids

I just got back from the Siemens Run 2007, and in a word, it was a BLAST! And I even got videos of Reshmonu performing at the Dataran stage after the race.

More about the race. It started a little late around 7.40 a.m. YAB Rais Yatim flagged us off at the Dataran. The course was pretty tough, as it led runners right into the Bukit Tunku area. I don't really like going up extended inclines, but that was the nature of the course. The downhill portions were pretty smooth, it was going up that made life abit difficult.

In any case, I like the way the organisers ran this race. There were small billboards indicating distance to the finish line throughout the entire race. And the water stations, there were so many of them along the way that I lost count. There was even one in the first kilometre!

I finished the race in an hour and fifteen minutes, not really a good time as I finished the KL International Marathon 10km race in an hour, but that was a walk in the park compared to this.

But despite all the very nice organization, and all the fun activities at the finish line, the abundance of sponsored drinks available at the Dataran (Powerbar, 100 Plus, Milo, Vitamilk, plain old mineral water), a massage tent, a recovery centre with inflatible pools to put your hot feet in, and having Reshmonu perform on stage, the disappointing part was the attendance.

I'm not expecting something to rival that of the KL International Marathon, but come on, give these guys (the organizers) a break. Are you people still tired after the Penang Bridge Run?

It was rather appaling to see not many answer the call to a good cause. I understand that the proceeds from the race go to charity. Case in point, I was talking to a lady manning one of the tents and found out that Siemens donated to the National Cancer Society.

So, this time next year, get off the couch, switch off that LCD TV of yours, and go running in the Siemens Run.

And before I forget, here are the videos. A little small though, since I was recording with my phone and I couldn't get closer without blocking the view for a number of people.

Siemens Run 2007

I'm participating in the Siemens Run 2007 this coming Sunday. Looking at the map, it looks like the route I walked for the Malay Mail Big Walk, with the exception that it is inverted. Here's my checklist:

• Siemens Run T-Shirt - Checked
• Bip Number - Checked
• Receipt and Report Slip - Checked
• Power Gel - Don't forget to buy at the pharmacy tomorrow
• Orudis Gel - Indispensable, and not edible - Checked
• Adidas Running Shoes - Checked
• Phone Strap - Not necessary but nice to have, running with a lighter pocket is nice - Will look for it tomorrow

This Run should be quite interesting, as it is has a pretty hilly route. And Reshmonu will be performing post-race! Nice.