Soak in the Sun

I'm gonna soak up the sun

While it's still free
I'm gonna soak up the sun
Before it goes out on me

(Soak on the Sun by Sheryl Crow)

Sheryl Crow is one "Siaow" (Crazy) Ang Mo Lang (REd hair people, even though she's blonde, still qualify). Why do they like the sun so much??


Talk about the sun. The weather today is very extreme. Hot. Just came back from training today. It was the first time I ran with a water bottle in my hand.

I found a guide in the website while looking for ways to run with water bottle in my hand and i stumbled upon this illustration on how to drink and run:

But my take on who are the real expert in drinking while running must be this group of guys: (Click pic for website)

Anyway, today I did 10 km run in my campus. Getting ready for the New Balance 15K run at Padang Merbok.

first lap (3.1k) : 20minutes 0sec

Second Lap (3.1k) : 21minutes 10sec

Third Lap (3.1k ) : 23minutes 5sec

Fourth Lap (0.7k) : 04minutes 0sec

1hr 8minute 15sec : 10k

Back to Square One

Sejak latihan ke-38, sesi latihan saya sudah mula merosot akibat dari pengurusan masa yang tidak baik. Lebih-lebih lagi, faktor peribadi dan juga luaran yang begitu melemaskan membuatkan saya sering melakukan kesilapan dalam apa jua benda yang saya sedang harungi. Ini adalah salah satu bab dan saat akhir pada hidup saya ini... iaitu untuk mengakhiri ijazah Masters saya, sebelum memulakan satu lagi bab baru - dunia pekerjaan.

Memandangkan konsistensi latihan saya tidak lagi berada dalam keadaan yang teratur, saya telah memutuskan berlatih semula dari angka satu. Walaupun tidak dicatat, latihan terakhir saya adalah latihan ke-40 sebelum mengharungi larian Amal Seri Sinar di Bukit Jalil baru-baru ini.

Sejak Februari 11, 2009, saya hanya berjaya berlatih sebanyak 3 kali sahaja (tidak termasuk 2 hari perlumbaan). Sukar dipercayai bukan? Prestasi saya pula telah merosot, satu pekara yang tidak ingin saya berbincang di sini. Itulah hakikatnya... seorang pelajar yang dikhaskan untuk belajar dan menulis thesis tetapi gatal sangat untuk melibatkan diri dalam pelbagai aktiviti-aktiviti yang sekarang telah menjadi bebannya. Bak kata orang melayu: bagaikan menggali tanah yang lekuk.

Hari ini dijanjikan permulaan yang baru. Latihan bermula dari pengiraan satu. Saya berlari sejauh 5.1km, tiada tekanan mental untuk melakukan masa yang bagus. Masa tercatat: 37minit 59saat. Tiada masalah, gunakannya sebagai pedoman.

Minggu ini, Saudari Teh Lay Hoon akan mengirimkan saya hadiah hari jadi saya yag sudah lama ku tunggu. Beliau tahu saya kini mula giat berlari sejak tahun lalu. Kerana saya asyik mengadu kepadanya bahawa berlatih seorang diri amat membosankan (tujuan saya adalah menglibatkan beliau dalam latihan berlari), dia telah belikan sebuah MP3 player untuk menemani saya semasa berlatih...

Harap - harap dengan bantuan teknologi saya mampu berlatih dengan lebih giat lagi.

Untuk mengakhiri blog saya hari ini, izinkan saya menggunakan tagline Hasbullah Awang sebagai kata rangkapan: MAJULAH SUKAN UNTUK NEGARA!

Minggu ini saya menggunakan Bahasa Melayu bagi menyokong Sasterawan - Sasterawan Negara yang sudah lama dipinggirkan dalam konteks pembentukan negara akibat daripada impak globalisasi.

My 38th Training

New Training route:

This is "Tasik Rekreasi UKM". If you google this lake, the descrpition for this lake sounds like this:

Yellowish to Brown most of the year around. Heavy silt from nearby construction work. Popular dating spot in UKM at night. Rumored to be the playground of ghosts.

Also known as Tasik Kejut by some, Maybe too many shocking incidents happened here. The Pegawai Keselamatan also rated this area as a "HOTSPOT" area - a potential "Tempat Maksiat".

But now already fully renovated. So, all the yellowish, brown, Ghost and hantu maksiat already gone. Ok, i'm not sure about the maksiat part but definitely the area is nicer to run now.

Anyway, I'm not there to bermaksiat but there to bergiat because KL City 10K Run is coming soon and so far NO satisfying training is achieved.

One round of the Tasik is approximately 856.41meters long. And I tried hard running one round, clocked in at 5min 12sec.

I plan to do at least a one hour run or 10km run today... Mana tau when i reached my 6th round the frogs at the Tasik summoned the rain and stopped my training.

Only manage to run a total of 5km++. Timing 33min 01sec.

My 36th Training

Today suppose to be the ADUN Chempaka 6km run. Unfortunately, it was postponed to tomorrow. This is the 3rd time they had changed the time. Hence, Miracle Milers decided to boycott the run like how Malaysia Government Boycott American products…

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It was a good thing that Team Miracle Mile decided not to go for this run. I was still recovering from coughing and phlegm. I was considering not going already anyway.

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But since I’m now feeling much better, today I decided to run my own personal 6.2km run in UKM Campus as a replacement for the ADUN 6km run today.

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I did this route before last year while I was preparing for 12.8km KRI run. My timing was 54minutes 12seconds. Very slow i know.

One complete run is 3.1km. So I'm planning to do 2rounds which equal to 6.2km.

Like every F1 drivers, it is important for the drivers to know their Circuit very well so that they know which tire to use, when to speed, when to slow down, which corner can speed, what gear to use for certain corners and etc etc...

Similar to my case, I need to know my running path. UKM Campus route has some obstacles need to be noted. They are:

Gangster Monkeys; Fierce, have the ability to work together and most of all they bite. They are known for their vice activities in the girls' hostel... break in into the girls room and take everything they can... They share the skills of the ancient carribean Pirates.

They are likely to hang out near the garbage area. Two places actually, one near the school of humanities and one more near school of Mathematics. With that in mind, I'll run on the other side of the road.

Slope and hill; there's one road leading to the UKM Clinic. The slope gradually build up, the angle is about 10 - 15 degree. But it is long run, about 1km. The ontehr one is the hill, a short one but the angle, according to my estimation, is about 20-25 degree, then half way, build up till 40degree angle. Here, the first round on this was okay.. still can run. But the second round on this hill was too much to handle... my back ache, and i admit, I stopped running for a while to catch my breath before continue running towards the finish line.

Cars, Buses and Lorries; Cars, is because nowadays students are mighty rich already, can afford cars to move around, even though their faculty is nearby. Buses, is because UKM bus drivers very lowly paid... you pay peanuts, you get monkey drivers, and i don't like monkey bus drivers driving around the campus while I running on the road. Lorries, is because renovations are going on around the university... that is because UKM aspire to become the next APEX University by 2020 after USM APEX contract ends.

I mention this is because there are some part of the run which requires me to cross the road. By doing this, it will definitely break my momentum/my speed. But what to do... Biar lambat asalkan selamat, right?

***

My Personal 6.2km UKM-Campus Run Result: 42minutes 06seconds

I seriously think the timing could be better lor... compare this with my run in stadium and other places, this timing is not that good lor:

6km @ 38min 46sec (33rd Training) - UKM stadium

6km @ 40min 36sec - 12.8km KRI (when reached the 6km mark timing)

My 34th Training.

NOS training Today!

Lap 1 ---------------- 1:41

Lap 2 ----------------1:44

Lap 3---------------- 1:41

Lap 4---------------- 1:41

I definitely improve from my previous NOS training i had in my 30th training. Hitting 1:41 - 3times is something i thought i'm not able to do. Now that I'm able to maintain that timing, it surely encourages me for the upcoming 6km run.

But i seriously think my performance got something to do with the hill training i had from time to time.

Anyway, Just a little bit more of NOS training, I'll be able to reach below 1:40 @ 400meters in the next NOS training.

My 33rd Training

Today I did 7km run. Covered that length in 46minutes 39seconds.

I realised when i reached the 4km my time was 24minutes 37seconds. That's a new personal best because my previous timing in the same venue was 25minutes 46seconds. That's about 50 seconds faster.

My 6km timing also improve. I clocked 40minutes 36seconds at the 6km mark during the KRI
12.8km run. This time it's 38minutes 46seconds.

I seriously think it's the hill training i've gone through which helps me to improve my running and timing. I'll talk more about that in my next posting,... gotta run to the TV room to catch the result of the Kuala Terengganu by election. bye!

9.09pm UPDATE: The team at the PAS IT centre has reported that the tallying process has stopped as PAS has declared victory based on unofficial reports that PAS has won by a majority of 2,616.

Malaysiakini 9.10pm UPDATE: According EC official tally: PAS (32,393 votes), BN (29,969), Independent (191) with two more boxes to be tallied. The majority so far is 2,424.

FINAL and OFFICIAL UPDATE: PAS Wins Kuala Terengganu.

My 32nd Training

My previous 4km record in UKM stadium was 29minutes 46seconds. That was 2 months ago/on my 9th Training.

Back in Penang, In Westland's Field,i recorded 26minutes 30seconds.

Although I did set a personal best of 4km (25minutes 05seconds) on the Gurney Drive route, I would say that this two timing is the most legitimate ones as it was timed on an accurate track, the distance are precise.

Today's training shows alot of improvement in terms of my speed and stamina. I'm more comfortable and capable in strategizing and managing my run now.

My timing is 25minutes 45seconds for 4km run.

My target is to reach 5km in 32minutes next week and 6km in 40minutes the week after. Then, I would only set my target for the ADUN 6km RUN after chinese new year.

Oh ya, today's total Calories Burned: 450

My 31st Training

According to Calories Calculator, today i burned around 250Calories. :-)

For my 31st training, i decided to visit the hill road behind my hostel; a place where all the rich malays stay. Bungalows and Palace... like the Klang's Zakaria palace kind of thing. My firend say that the famous Malay actor who acted KL Menjerit, Gangster and Anak Halal - Rosham Nor has a house there...

Maybe the next time when i jog there, i'll snap some photos and post it up on the blog. Let's just hope the police patrollers won't arrest me for attempted robbery. They frequently do their rounds there.

Running around area like this one is a great motivator. Looking at all the beautiful and big houses sort of encourage you to work harder to achieve that kind of status... or it can also discourage you by wondering why aren't you born a Malay in this bumi tercinta ini....

That kind of encouragement and motivation may influence your running too... and hence you run harder.

Have you ever tried doing NOS up hill?

I did today and i felt this strange fading sensation in my mind and suddenly everything slowly becomes dark... ***

Anyway, for the record... today special training I manage to cover 3.5km in 30minutes. Hooray!

Drink and Run

One common thing I always do when I train is that I rely on thirst to signal drinking. That’s one fact I’ve found out in an article I read in the internet while goggling “Running” and “Diet” - http://www.nismat.org/traintip/runner/diet.html

Maybe it’s because I’m not brought up in a family who frequently force you to drink water when you’re young (I know some family even schedule their kids drinking time). Like in school, most people would bring their Water Tumbler and drink from time to time in class. A habit acquired since young. I still see that habit in University and also in work place. According to my observation, mostly Chinese people would have that kind of Water Tumbler habit –young and old.

But I’m not like that. In school, I bought drinks from the mamak stall; that’s only when I’m thirsty. Sometimes I drank straight from the pipe, a common trait which I learned from my fellow Malay and Indian friends back in school. I still remember, Baharudin, once told me “Air the Penang bersih punya.”

Then I asked “Mana you tahu, nanti minum saya kena cirit birit macam mana?”

He replied “Bapa yang cakap. Dia kerja kat PBA” (Perkhidmatan Bekalan Air / WaterResource Service).

In PBA I trust...

* * *

Now back to the article I read. It suggests that one should drink two cups of water 2hours before training. Then 30minutes before training drink another cup. Then while training, drink one cup every 20-30minutes.

The article also noted to drink only beverages with less than 8% sugar (it did not state why). Also avoid fruit juice since it frequently leads to stomach cramps and diarrhea.

There is also an after training drinking requirement. Drink one cup of fluid every 30-60 minutes through- out the day, such as water, low-fat milk, juice or sports drinks. It warns runners to limit caffeinated beverages, especially during hot weather.

I got a feeling that I'm not able to abide with this drinking discipline.

My 29th and 30th Training

My 29th training was on Wednesday. It's officially my first training back in UKM after my my semester break.

All hype up and ready to go, i suddenlly realize that i forgot to bring my stopwatch for the training. What a way to start my first training for ADUN AMPANG 10k run.

So, since i'm there and already warm up already... Just run-lah.

I ran for an hour non-stop covered 8km(LSD style and sometimes speed a bit)... using my handphone watch to mark my time. It's amazing to find that i did not felt tired after an hour of run, but i sweat profusely. Baju basah macam kena hujan...

My 30th Training, which was Today... was my NOS taining.

Lap 1: 1.50

Lap 2: 1.41

Lap 3: 1.48

Lap 4: 1.46

Ok-lah... no complains. My first lap is only a testing lap. 2nd Lap, I went too fast. 3rd Lap, i too slow. My 4th Lap, just nice.

My 28th Training

I did two runs on 26th Dec and 28th Dec which i did not record down. I barely reach my 4km requirement on both training and my timing was horrible. Christmas fat i blame..

Today, feeling much more healthier and lighter, i visited the gurney drive route again to try to set a new 4km timing.

My best record for the gurney drive route was 27min 30sec which i recorded in my 22nd training. Recently, i did a 4.2km run around my neigbourhood and clocked in at 25min 32sec on my 26th training.

On my 28th Training, I clocked in at 25min 05sec for a 4km run.

Progress... I like!

My 27th Training

Long Slow Distance (LSD) running today.

With a 45minutes of running, I covered an approximately 6km around Padang Kota Lama.

Wanted to go further and longer, at least 1hour of LSD but cannot cos need to fetch my mom from work.

My 26th Training

Another 4.2km run today.

Two days ago, i did the same run at the same place clocking 26min 31sec.

Today, I started extra strong and for my last lap 1.4km i pick up my speed and NOS all the way at my last 800meters.

With that strategy, I slashed 59secs of my previous best timing.

Now, my personal best 4.2km record is 25min 32sec.

Improvement I like... :-)

My 25th Training

Did not train since last Thursday (NOS training). Feeling a bit lazy already.

Today I motivated myself to run by watching Cool Runnings in YOUTUBE, a story about the jamaician bobsled team. YA MAN!

My running route:

One complete round is 1.4km.

Did 3 rounds. Total up 4.2km. That's an additional of 200meters from my usual 4km.

My last 4km best timing was 26min 30sec.

This evening, for a 4.2km run, i clock in 26min 31sec.

I will call that a mathematical improvement.

Better Walk than Run...

Last Sunday, I participated the Penang 10km Starwalk with Lay Hoon. Managed to finish within 2hours. I thought it was impossible to finish within that time. I was suprised that we made it. Both of us finished at the same time, 1hr 26min.

What bugs me the most is the timing. My last 10km RUN timing was 1hr 11min 39sec (November 22, 2008 - training record). While for the 10km StarWALK... is 1 hr 26min. It's just 15minutes apart.

I cannot accept it... 10km run is so difficult; painful, tiring, stress, mental torture etc.. all hardwork!!! and only to be 15minutes apart from the effortless 10km walk?!?!? Come on... is my watch playing tricks on me?

24th Training is my NOS Training

I did my NOS training in USM Stadium with Joshua today.

Did a 1.2km warm up jog and then stretching for about 10minutes.

Here's the result:

Lap 1 - 1:36

Lap 2 - 1:45

Lap 3 - 1:48

Lap 4 - 1:46

It's good to see that i'm clocking in below 1:49. My first NOS training back in early November was terrible, clocked in at 1:50 average...

Progressive training since that day had given me a more confident timing in my NOS run. Now I got an average of 1:44 for my 4laps of NOS. I just need more "Pia" spirit to do more of NOS training.

Here's some facts about my training record: Out of the 24 training i did, i only did 3 NOS training. shame, shame shame...

My 23rd Training

For warm up, I ran 1 and 1/2 round of this:


It's along Jalan Khaw Sim Bee and Victoria Field road. If you don't know where is that place, the landmark is always the new Penang Christian Centre Building.

Approximately 2km of warm up running then i head to the nearby field:

Ah... Padang Westland... revisited. It's the place where my high school usually organise its Sports Day. Many memories... sweet and sour ones.

***

Anyway, it's another training day and another new timing record. I did my 4km run again. The 400meters lining is still there on the field. So, it means the length of 400meters per-round is accurate.

I started out strong as usual. And whenever i can, I picked up my speed every each round. Yesterday my timing for 4km was 27min 30sec.

Today, I locked in at 26min 30sec for a 4km run.

TMM Runners Photographed in KRI 2008

Jensen: The one with the red shorts

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Joshua: "Pia"-ing with an old man.

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Me: grey vest and black shorts

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This was the girl Joshua was talking about. It kept most of the men to continue running.

My 20th, 21st and 22nd Training

My 20th Training
Two days after KRI 12.8km road race, i went running again. Did the gurney drive route. After about 10minutes of running, there's the terrible aching pain on my shin. I had to stop to ease the pain a little before continue running. I ran a total of 4km in 33minutes 22secs.

It's not my best timing but i'm still in my recovery stage.

My 21st Training
3days later after my 20th training, I did a LSD, a total of 4.1km. Legs still hurting.

My 22nd Training
Today, i felt stronger today. Maybe it's the new haircut, felt lighter now. I did the Gurney drive 4km route. My best timing for this route was 28min 17sec. But today, i clocked in at 27min 30sec.

It must be the new sexy short pants i'm wearing and the haircut.

(if) Runner's World Interviewed Andrew

Andrew Ng is a student from Univesiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Majoring in Literature, he now found a whole new literary meaning in running ever since it was introduced by a friend not long ago.

Runner's World had the oppotunity to interview him about his experience in KRI 12.8km road race last sunday in Ipoh recently.

*****

RW: How'd the race go? Did you have a strategy worked out heading into it, or did you just wing it?
AN: I think I ‘wing’ it. Once the signal was given to start the race, I ran hard for about 1 – 2km. Then, I slowed down and kept to a moderate pace. I build up some speed according to my recovery rate; I pushed myself from time to time whenever I felt I’ve recovered.

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RW: For a first timer in a long distance race, how do you think you did in this 12.8km race?
AN: Well, as you said I’m only a first timer. I’m just happy to be able to finish a 12.8km race. And clocking in at 1:30:40 was a time I expect to get after just 19 times of training.

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RW: Do you think you could have done better if you got more time to train? You’ve told me that you only started training last month.
AN: I would think so. I’ve noticed the development of my running through out my 19 trainings that I had. I remember my first training; after just 800meters of slow run I stopped and panted as if I’m dying.

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But by the 10th training, I’ve already reached the 6km mark and able to run a 30 - 40minutes of non-stop running. On my 12th training, I’ve reached my 7km mark. Then by my 17th training, I finally reached my 10km in 1hr 11min 39sec. The KRI 12.8km run was actually my 20th training; hitting my 12.8km mark was a success to me because I had never reached that distance before.

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I can only imagine if KRI 12.8km race day was my 100th training. Who knows, maybe I may be one of those top ten finisher.

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RW: Did you get any strange looks before, during and after the race?
AN: I don’t know about the ‘during’ and ‘after’ the race look but I can share with you the ‘before’ thing. While registering and colleting our goodies, there was this guy who hinted to me that I’m unfit to run a long distance run – but he did not said it directly, maybe not even intentionally.

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As you can see, I’m very plump in size and weighing between 68-70kg while having a short stature will eventually give people an impression that I’m an unfit person.

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After the race, I met him again. And lo and behold, he had to preach me the ‘FIT’ sermon again. I’m okay with it. In fact, it motivates me. I read in runner’s world magazine about a runner who lost 38kgs through running.
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RW: I see that you are wearing a new outfit. What happen to your “Pasar Malam” bought pants and vest?
AN: Yes, bought it a day before the race at Ipoh parade. I though if I want to take running seriously I therefore need to invest on quality attires. It did boost my spirit a little bit since I now look like a professional runner.

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RW: Tell me more about the difficulties you faced in the race.
AN: I would say that the last 3 kilometers were the hardest. It’s just the feeling I had because the finishing line was in sight but it felt like its taking a long time to reach. It was a time when the runner’s psychological effect of “Hitting the Wall” was possible. And I’m so afraid of that.

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RW: Did you have a lot going on in your head when you run?

AN: A little bit. Mostly laconic thoughts which able to motivate me to keep on running such as "FASTER-LAH", "RUN FATBOY RUN!", "COME ON!". Sometimes I think there's a group of little cheerleaders living in my head.
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RW: I heard you're part of a running club in Penang.
AN: Yes. It’s a new club by the name of Team Miracle Mile. I encourage all readers who are reading this to be part of this running club. This club changed my life. As you all know, I’m not much of a runner before but I after being afflicted with Team Miracle Mile, I started running passionately.

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By the way, if you are one of the early birds to join Team Miracle Mile, you’ll get a free Mizuno running vest worth RM59.90 for FREE!

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RW: So, what is next for you now that you’ve completed your first ever long distance race?
AN: I will continue running and aim for a better timing every each race. I would also like to improve on my training which means I need to read more books or online facts by experts. Another thing I’m looking forward to is diet which I believe may enhance my running performance.