I'm done

Tonight I completed my last run before KOTR 2009 this weekend. I ran a 7km route in the opposite direction from that which I normally take. Before this, I would start at the Lagoon and run along the ECP towards Big Splash but tonight, I ran towards Changi.

I was a little apprehensive as I started as the last 1km prior to the turn back demanded mental toughness because it was just long and straight, something I dislike.  Long straight roads allow me to see into the horizon, which would promptly stare back at me, gauntlet thrown down. This is a new route I scouted out last night on Pa's bike. DK ran with me and it made all the difference. We chatted about everything and anything - KL fares via Firefly, Lehman minibonds, running shoes, our running buddy CG, kids. The miles passed without us knowing, as like our pace. We didn't go fast fast but we weren't slacking, and the constant chatting simply added to the intensity of the run pleasantly. For some 40min, we were back to the same 2 students from the U that we were some 20 yrs back. Everything went well and it was close to being the best run in a long while.

Its rest now until sunday's run at Shah Alam. I plan to eat and sleep well. Nisa also said the orthotics were ready for collection and we have to bring our running shoes down to the shop for the collection; so this will probably take place Saturday. I'm done - all set for KOTR.

Oh yes, the credit card bill for the trip arrived. Money well spent on the family for an unbelievable holiday.

KOTR 2009

Today's post starts way back in 2001-2002 when I first started going to KL. I had been running sporadically before that, without any commitment or distance. In KL, I asked if there was a MacRitchie equivalent and Nisa drove me over to Lake Gardens (which is really a Botanic Gardens equivalent). I would run the "inner" route - within the gardens up towards the bird park, left turn at the space agency, down Tun Abd Razak memorial on the right, left turn into the police museum, left turn down into Masjid Negara and then up towards Bukit Aman.

Here's what we were then:


The route is as clear to me now as it was then, all 2+km of it. All heart and effort but not much improvement, from run to run. Nisa had heard there were groups of folks running outside Lake Gardens..they were fast too. Knee problems felled me after a while and the running stopped.

Sometime after the Orange Run 2009 I told Nisa I wanted to go back to Lake Gardens for one solitary run, to see if my old route continued to throw its challenge back at me and forced me to succumb like it always had in the past. I was now in much better shape after all and after Kiara, ought no longer to be taunted by the slope from Masjid Negara up Bukit Aman. I ran the route twice that day, ending up slightly winded. We decided to make Lake Gardens our regular weekend jaunt after that.

It was on our third run there, on a Sunday, that we saw the KOTR booth being set up at the Bukit Aman carpark. This must have been way back sometime April 2009 and we signed up there and then, with the early bird discount.

So here we are today. A few days to go before KOTR 2009 this weekend. Nisa and I have been running since our return from holiday and we have both been putting in the miles. One more run tomorrow night and I will be done, to rest until the weekend. Nisa collected our race packs today and she did not complain much, which probably meant there was no 4hr queue like that at the SCKLM. My Lunar Trainers (which were to have made their debut at SCKLM) have braved a full 8k run, a 10k run, and more recently, a 7k last night - I think they are ready. We'll take Jamie out this weekend and scout the route around Shah Alam so if the marshals fail that day, we will not.



I'm so pleased with Jamie. During the time when Nisa and him were in Spore after the trip, my mother told me she gave Jamie some money and he promptly announced he would use it to buy ice-cream for....and he named all his 3 cousins (from Nisa's side of the family), Mak, Tok, Aunt Fara and Mom. When I brought over some drinking straws (my mom told me too), he immediately divided them into 2 piles, handing one to Rayyan. My boy, my champion.

Malaysian customs

Nisa and I brought Jamie out Saturday late morning. We try to get out Saturdays and although not intended, we seem to always stay in Sundays these days. I was still recovering from my morning run at Lake Gardens that morning and we decided to just do a quick in-and-out trip to KL; we went to Megamall to try out the Nike LunarGlide.

What was supposed to be a 2hr max trip turned out to be a whole day affair. Walking past the orthotics shop at Megamall, Nisa reminded me that Aunt Jah had wanted to get custom shoes for her foot condition. But instead of Aunt Jah being the beneficiary this time round, Nisa and I each got ourselves customised orthotics!

Ignatius is pretty knowledgeable at what he does and he explained why Nisa needed orthotics. After Nisa, he turned to me, to which I said I have no problem (yet..). He mumbled something about prevention being paramount at my age but secretly, what sold me was the fact that Nisa and I would be getting something that will be totally customised to our needs (perceived in my case, real in Nisa's). It would be like having your own pair of shoes, tailored to your exact requirements - John Lobb on wings! No one else would know except me and my shoes because the orthotics insoles could be slipped into any running shoe that I currently have. Imagine, running up and down Kiara with your own secret weapon. Oh boy..

Ignatius told us to stand on a plate of glass with a lighted wand moving underneath - think of standing up on a photocopier. The resulting computer image showed where the weight on my feet were and he could even tell how and if my arches would collaspe. Turns out I have different arches on my feet, something I suspected but thought not possible since both feet ought to be the same. Next Ignatius made a mold of our feet by getting us to stand on a shallow box, filled with carbon paper. Our feet would compress the carbon paper and with white paper underneath, an imprint would be created. The imprint and the computer scan would be used together to create our individualised orthotics. Ready in 3 days; Nisa will collect tomorrow and we are all wait in anticipation.


p/s don't think we would be getting the LunarGlides

Lessons re-learnt

Last Thursday night was a milestone from my running standpoint. I completed 10k at a relatively fast pace, motivated by another runner who ran past (and kept going). With an ego the size of the moon, I had to respond and I did (yup..childish..). Came back feeling sore but satisfied.

Fridays are my enforced rest days because I drive home to KL at night. With all my energy depleted after Thursday's run, I only had a modest lunch and dinner before the drive home. Like an idiot, I told myself I had better not eat too much least I put on weight when I ought to know with all the running I've been doing, this should be the last of my concerns. Like an idiot (there, said it again!) I stopped at Ayer Keroh for the usual fried chicken dinner - skin and all. I probably only drank 5 cups of water all day (including the fried chicken dinner). Instead of going straight to bed when I arrived KL, I surfed the net and eventually laid down with Jamie and Nisa at 1-ish am. Both Nisa and Jamie were fast asleep by then.

We got up at 7am the next day for the Lake Gardens run. For me, its the Tugu Negara route, followed on by the Carcosa route, a slight slope when everything is fine, hilly when I am not. I was wheezing slightly when I came out of Tugu Negara and then the signs arrived. My sweat stung my eyes, I didn't see clearly and I started wavering slightly.

This is not the first time it has happened! And all because I did not eat well, hydrate properly and get enough sleep.

Eating well is so easy to do. And fried chicken (skin and all) is transient because the best thing is a balanced meal and lots to drink after that. You would think a father to a growing boy would know better but I felt head-first down this one and paid for it on the Saturday run.

Running Buddy

On the homeward leg of my run last night along East Coast, my mind starting wondering, my body started feeling heavy and this is when my breathing starts becoming increasing heavy; signs that tell me, from experience, that I will begin to lose mental focus and will give up on the run. About 2km before I arrive at the end point, I saw another runner about 100m away, and I decided to match strides. The runner did not know because he had earphones, I was some ways back, and it was dark - and hence I did not irritate him (I hope) by matching strides.

My strides must have been slightly longer because I caught and eventually passed the runner. The focus of doing so awoke from my slump; my strides were smooth, my form was good and more importantly I did not fade when seconds before I saw the runner, I was slumping.

I need a running buddy.

Almost all of my runs are done alone. I don't even have a watch to keep time and hence have not much idea about (my) pace, splits etc. This is probably a good thing because I seem to go at each run with somewhat maximum effort - this is the only thing that pushes me. It is when I am slumping that I need a running buddy, just so that the competitive side of me would not give in to the slump in the presence of the running buddy. For me at least, slumping has never been a physical thing and DK and CG (my running buddies some 20yrs back) would know my weakness is mental strength. It is not that I have no endurance, willpower and all that stuff - its just that I give up on the run because monotony sets in.

Nisa is my part-time running buddy and my full-time life buddy. We drive each other to get up early on the weekends to alternate between Kiara (on Saturdays) and Lake Gardens (on Sundays).

Jamie will be too, when he gets older. And this is why I run, so I can keep up with my boy as he grows up, and that he will be proud he has healthy parents.

The Grand Journey..My present

18 July 2009

Nisa, Jamie and I finally arrived home KL 9.30pm on Saturday 18 July.

As the family laughed, envied, squealed (kids..) and hooped over their presents and gifts from the trip, I sat having dinner whilst watching Nisa distribute them. I did not buy anything for myself on the trip but I got one of the best presents: father to Jamie, husband to Nisa and my favourite dishes from Mom (after 2 weeks of pasta and pizza, it was super to have spicy Malay cooking again).

We've landed, hitting the ground running..

15 July 2009

Nisa, Jamie and I returned home Wednesday 15 June to start planning for our next holiday. After ensuring the battery in the car was not flat, I promptly drove off to the nearby Marine Parade hawker centre and bought mee siam, lontong and nasi lemak. Never mind Marine Parade was not known for these things, we just needed local food after all that pasta and pizza.

We did many things that day. Before the evening run to re-start my batteries, all of us went to Queensway in the afternoon to check out the Nike Lunar Glide+. In two words - not skwishy!! It felt more like the Brooks Defyance for me and I could not feel the ground. The store guy explained the mid-sole was slightly firmer than the Lunar Trainers, which explained why the Lunar Trainers are a better "skwishy" ride for me. Like when I bought the Defyance, I had desperately wanted the Lunar Glide to work for me and I left Queensway convinced it would not. Saved some dosh there.

My knees ached during the initial stage of the run that night but my spirit was re-kindled and fresh. The weight of the pasta and pizza over the last 10 days on holiday was difficult to carry but every step brought back the joy of the jaunt over a familiar route. The euphoria lasted all through the next day and it was enough to cause me to signed up for the SCSM when the road show arrived at Raffles Place the next day. Nisa and I will be doing the 10k version December 6.

We all drive back to KL tomorrow morning; Nisa and Jamie will finally be home.

The Grand Journey..I am, therefore I (sometimes) can

8 July 2009 / 10 July 2009

The second town Nisa, Jamie and I visited on our holiday was a sea-side town built all around hills. Our hotel was a good 700m+ up the hills, steep too. We walked up and down the hill and nothing prepares you better for this than runs up Bukit Kiara. Whilst we didn't squirrel up the hills, we didn't pant, all thanks to Kiara. Because we are Kiara runners, we can...

If there is any question why we went to this place, and cantered up and down these hills, here's why:

There are 2 beaches in this town and we chose the smaller, private beach. The hotel and taxi driver warned us that there are some 300 steps down to the beach but it would be worth the effort. These are steep steps, winding around residences. Looking at how far down we travelled to the beach:

The return journey up left me gasping because I carried Jamie (all 11.4kg of him). Nisa carried the beach stuff. Kiara did not help this time and I arrived at the hotel out of breathe, duly humbled by the hills.

The Grand Journey..you don't need a drink to enjoy good times

5 July 2009

On our first night at our destination, we went out for dinner. Jamie was all tired out from the travel and was sleeping by the time we got to the restaurant the kind lady from the hotel (ok, ok, her name is Agnese) asked us to try. We had some time to ourselves.

I have always been brought up to believe both pasta Vongole and tiramisu gelato must be made with white wine and coffee liquour (almaretto?) respectively. Anything less would be..well.. less. I've not had this dish sans alcohol for many years now and when the restaurant said "no alcohol" in the dish, we ordered it promptly. Here's our big chance to see how the real Italians prepared this.

And it was fantastic!

The pasta was cooked with olive oil and whatever wonderful herbs only the Italian know enough to throw in. Finally, finally, Nisa and I had true Vongole. This just shows you don't need alcohol to have a great time; only the company of your family, a couple of clams cooked in olive oil and some herbs.

5 steps from the restaurant was a gelato outlet. Again - "no alcohol" was pronounced when we asked about tiramisu flavoured gelato. Another winner!!

Many times, restaurants serving Italian food over here in Asia feel the need to localise the dish. Nisa and I have grown to like our Italian food this way but when we had the dish as cooked in the land where it all started, it was something else. Way too often, life gets unnecessarily complicated, with one add-on after another - all with good intentions but they cloud the real thing. Like we all revel in the solitude of a run with just shoes, top and shorts, keeping to the basics, stripping away the add-ons, always work best at the end of the day.

The Grand Journey..sometimes, you need to ask the little questions

5 July 2009

After a 12hr flight from Spore, a 4hr wait for our connecting flight (it wasn't that long a wait), and another 1hr 45min flight, we arrived at the city where we take the ferry to our holiday destination. The kind lady from the hotel who gave us directions said to get onto the bus from the airport to the pier, get onto the ferry and 2 hrs later, we would arrive at the destination where the luggage service will pick our bags up.

We forgot to ask how far was the bus-stop from the pier!! A 800m distance is really nothing to Nisa and I at this stage of our running hobby but when you throw in

(i) 3 suitcases,

(ii) Jamie's stroller,

(iii) 2 hand luggages, and

(iv) Jamie's emergency bag of clothes and milk,

(v) an 18hr travel (so far, then)

it is "impossible".

Let's pause here a little for a tid-bit - "Impossible" is a word the non-English speaking Europeans seem to use a lot. No one says "I cannot do this", "Sorry, its just out of my way", "its not easy", "I'm not allowed by the store policy to exchange this item" - but Impossible!!

So it really pays to ask the little questions, the lack of which resulted in Nisa having to hail a taxi for the Euro20 800m ride.

At the pier, we struggled to cover 20m from road-side kerb to the ticket booth, getting there with some 45min to spare for our 2.30pm ferry. Only to discover the ticket booth was closed for lunch!

So it really pays to ask the little questions, again. Here's what we looked like while waiting for the ferry - yup, a little tired and more:

All's well - we got onto the ferry and was duly met at the luggage point where everything went smoothly until the next adventure on our holiday.

The satisfaction of the End

DK not only kept pace with me but he controlled the run!! I passed the 0.5k marker at the Reservoir and told myself this is going to be one fast fast "imagine you're a Kenyan flying down Dataran Medeka" (or whichever is the next marathon end stretch) type of run. He drew ahead and kept the 10-15m gap all the way to the end, after 1.5km into the run, and handed me a thumping lesson on why you are always not ready, especially just when you think you are ready.

It was one of the better runs todate, my mind was successful in enforcing the discipline of strict form, just like last night's run. The mind is stronger than the flesh, pushing the body; and as sure as running is a snap shot of life, I am hoping my mind will carry me through the trials of life.

Better stop dreaming there..

I returned home and set myself to picking out the last hotel for our trip this weekend. When it was done, I had crossed a half way point of sorts, like the one when I am on a LSD and start to turn back. Satisfied..and relieved. The rest of the way will now be the other leg, which always seems easier to me. There are many other loose ends to tie up for the trip but we are finally on our way. The satisfaction of the end of planning brings the beginning of the journey.

On running gear, my Asics are really skwishy but showing some signs of wear on the soles. This is not the first I have seen durability issues (at least for Nisa's and my style of running) but surprisingly, the Lunar Trainers seem just fine. From an Asics lifer, I am now looking into the new-ish Lunar Glide, falling into the comfortable warm soft lure of the mighty Nike marketing machinery. The trip will draw my mind away from running and gear and let's see what thoughts flash across when we return.

Sleep well, Yang. Daddy loves and misses you alot, Jamie.