Standard Chartered - Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2010

Finally, after a short preparation for this event, me and my friend, managed to finished it! We tasted the 10km of sweat, a bit of tears and foot blisters of my 4th marathon to date.

Its a fine morning.. a rainy, but fine morning. Good thing, the rain finished before we started our race. I just pity all those who join the 42KM run since the rain was on its mids when they started.

We arrived at the venue around 6am from my friend's house. The atmosphere is so intense when we reach there. There are lots of participants, from 21 and 10 Kilometers who are busy stretching and doing their pre-marathon routines. I just watch them and enjoy the moment. In my mind I say, "This is it, I'm not a newbie anymore.. I will surely love this!" Though my stomach and bladder isn't say so. They are nervous, nervous that I felt some butterfly in it and my bladder told me to go and search for a comfort room!

It was 6:52 when Me and my friends decided to queue on the starting area and condition our mind for the run. I was busy listening to David Cook's "The Time Of My Life" (not the "Dirty Dancing" theme, but the song he sang as his Final Song in American Idol) when the announcement was given for the race to start.

There are so many 10Km participants that it took us 2 minutes before we cross the starting line and record my starting time using our D-Tag attached on my left shoelace.

Run...

... Walk!

Run...

... Walk...

... was my technique earlier. I don't want to force my left foot which is still recovering from the sprain I got from the Badminton tournament last time. I am expecting to finish the race at an hour and 20 minutes, 20 minutes shy from my time on the last Marathon in Cyberjaya.

Its still early and here we was, watching the busy road of Kuala Lumpur while running. I'm counting if we are near to the finish line.. it looks like forever for me. I'm not aware of what song I'm listening to, or what song I have listen on my iPod anymore, I'm busy thinking where was my friends? Where was that drinking station after 4Km, isn't it 4km yet? Yep! 4000 meters and I'm already thought those things.. so Imagine what more did I think for the last 6km of the run!

Familiar places... KL Sentral, Indian Town, Police Station and now Jalan Sayed Putra. Finally, I saw the drinking station, and like the others who are thirsty, I queued and get my two cups of 100 plus from the table. I saw 4 portable toilet on the route but ignore to pee..

My run continue...

KL Railway station. I thought we are already near to the finish line because I haven't notice any "Mark Sign". I check my phone just to be surprised, 39 minutes? It's already 39 minutes.. I calculated 3 minutes more and I will reach the finish line.. that was fast.. what happen??? My mind was set that I am already near.. but it was a mistake! I haven't remember that we will cross the back of the KL Station twice as stated on the 10km map.

We turn left going to the Lake Garden, its an inclined area and it adds the burdens on us, runners. Most of us just walk and started to run again after we reached Jalan Cenderawasih and Jalan Parlimen.

It was in the last 2km to 2.5km when I noticed a commotion ahead me. It was, I think, in Jalan Raja Laut before Sogo Mall. Though still far, I saw a man lying on the side of the road, surrounded by some of his friend (I think). Some of them was shouting.. Mani! Mani! Mani! Many or Manie, I don't know what word they calling. Then all of the sudden I felt nervous, I thought that man lying there was my friend Manny who got separated from me earlier in the race. it was about 40 meters when I heard them clearly.. they are calling for Medics! Maybe their friends need someone who have oxygen... in my iPod, Regine Velasquez is singing "Babalik Kang Muli".

I passed near the group to check if its my friend.. Good Heaven, I thought... it's not him! Then my eyes got wet... Yes I cried! I felt sad about what happen on the guy there while listening to the sad music.. thinking, how if its me lying there? Or my friends? What will happen?

I pray that he would be okay.

I continue...

It's my final Kilometer, I saw the tents made by the organizers. I am near the finish line.. and this time, it's for real! My clock says, I been running for an hour and 15minutes, 5 minutes more! There are lots of people cheering for their friends, family and loveones. Other are just watching the event. Gathering pictures of the runners along the way.. and now my final steps! I crossed the Ark with a big happy letters "FINISH".

And everything are a very very sweet experience!

Weekends: Finals, Run, Friends

I haven't heard any news whether our badminton final will be set this coming Saturday. If it will, I do hope they schedule it in the morning.

My weekend would be very busy for sure. Sunday will be the day of our KL Marathon. I wasn't sure yet if I will get my Race kit personally or will ask someone to get it for me. If Saturday final will pushed through, then I have the whole afternoon to visit Titiwangsa where the Race Kit Collection Centers for the marathon is located.

I have no running/jogging practice for a few days now due to the sprain on my left foot which I got from the badminton game last weekend. I hope the sprain healed soon. If not, I will force to just walk and be left out on the running route.

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Had an hour swimming practice last night with Thess and Allan. This is to test my breathing to check if I still can stand doing one routine for a couple of minutes without resting. A great cardio exercise too, so it will benefit me for my upcoming run.

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By the way, I met some new great guys from the LBC cup. I learned that they will join the run too but in different distance. Hope to see them along the way. They are pretty cool and quite friendly. Atleast my world will not rotate in Cyberjaya alone...

Switch Your Head Gear On!

"On your mark... Set... Go!"

Those words signal us to go and make a new history for the first Energizer Night Marathon in the country held in Cyberjaya, Selangor. My third marathon to date and my second night marathon of the year.

I was so happy that my pre-run training help me alot to reach my goal. Though my friend Shai, who I always ask to jog with me didn't registered, I'm grateful that she supported me to this event. Together with some friends, Nog and Bea, and other runners and the crowd, the event became a success.

Again, Nog run on the same category as mine. We started together but since there are lots of runners and I think we both want to maintain our pace, we split our way. The first 2km of the run is really a struggle to me, my mind is not focused and I was worrying about my leg calves. I'm having a back pain early that day and my mind was not set properly about the event. Keeping my running pace is a problem too. Seeing those more fitted runners run as if its nothing to them felt very intimidating that you want to compete, you want to push your self, you want to sprint!

But the past experiences gave me lessons that pace and distance running has a step by step procedure that you need to keep in mind. You need to save your energy for the last kilometers of the run and best of all to keep the will to go through, keep running and keep motivated.

And so I keep going, checking my cellphone which I used as a stop-watch once I reached every drinking point stationed on every 2.5km mark (which I doubt since I only remember passing 3 drinking station points). I keep going and did not stop running until about 4km to walk and started to run-jog again after a minute of walk to rest. I continue the process for another 3km, walk for every up and running on down slopes.

Then I let my motivation push me to finish the last 3km of run. So what keeps me motivated? Those friends waiting and cheering for us on the finish line, those people who run for a cause (what ever reason might that be), and those people, despite of old age, challenge themselves to participate in the event.

And the sweetest moment of all came, the time I saw the finish mark, that huge ark that welcomes you, greeted you and somewhat whisper to me, saying, "Good Job".

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My un-official time based on my cellphone is 1:02:03:04.

This is it! Earth Hour and Energizer Night Race 2010

Almost 8 hours from now, the global environmental awareness activity a.k.a. "Earth Hour" will once again be observed here in Malaysia. Some of the cable providers will join the activity by cutting the regular program off and will be blacked out their stations for an hour which will start at 2030h. The company I'm working with will observed this global activity too.. so for those who wants to make a change by participating to this activity, all you have to do is switch off your lights tonight at "Earth Hour" (2030H).

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And at 2100h, I will join in the first Cyberjaya Night Marathon sponsored by Energizer. The event will start at 1800h (for those who join the full marathon). Since I don't have the guts to try and push my self too hard, I only join the Mens Open 10km run. Some of my friends will be joining me to this fun run.

(http://www.energizernightrace.com.my/index.php)

Healthy living yeah?///

Update...

My journal wasn't been updated for a couple of weeks. Like eating, I think I slowly loosing my appetite.. hahaha.

Anyway, I been quite busy in two months now, taekwondo training and competition, Sony Ericson WTA tournament and Marathon.

February 6 and 7 dated my first Tae Kwon Do tournament. Two weeks prior to the date, I been very busy training for 3 hours, 3 days a week. It combines my preparation for the competition and for my marathon a night before the BIG day. Its really a rush training since the students were been away for End of Year holiday.

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9pm, February 6. My first night marathon in Putrajaya, Malaysia. My 2nd marathon to date. Together with my friend, Shai, I join the 7.7km fun run. It was a sweet experience but not sweeter than my first run. I was holding back to run fast since I'm worrying about my leg calf and muscles to contract. If it happens, my taekwondo tournament the next day will be doomed. I finished the race at 9:42pm... yeah 42 minutes after the starting time.. Well, I really thought I might get a medal that time.. but still I got none. Since we have nothing to do after the race, We decided to walk going home and took some pictures in Putrajaya's beautiful lover's bridge :D

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7am, February 7. the Big day. I received an early sms from our group president, Eddy, requesting us to be in the competition place at 7:15. I did not inform him about my activity the other night, so he is expecting me and the rest of the team to be physically fit in that morning. He calls an early meeting for a run-through of the event. Since MMU is the organizer of the competition, We, the demo team are set to perform. I came late.. I wasn't able to join in the run-through. He says its okay. hehehe.

My fight was set to start at 9am, but the program proper started at 10. In my mind I thought, "bruises will be all around my body before We perform". I watched some fights, between the lower category, to observed and see how they move and play the game. Some of them didn't use the whole place to move and chase their opponent. No solid kicks and their stamina are very low. They are panting too much on the first half of the game.

My two teammates won their first match by a no-show opponent. I was next, the butterflies on my stomach started to bother me. I was nervous. I saw my opponent and it add ups the bad thoughts I'm feeling that day. Eddy is in my back telling me what to do if he thinks theres an open spot and possible points which I follow. It was a great match, a great experience and I can't wait to be part of the next tournament. I got a bronze :D

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2pm, February 28. Sony Ericson WTA Kuala Lumpur Open. After attending the mass at the City, Shai and I went to Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort to watch the final match of the first WTA in KL. I was excited to see one of my favorite players, Elena Dementieva, who I called "Mommy". She is soooo pretty. I still love her though she didn't win. She is good but her opponent, Alisa Kleybanova is superb. Her ball placements are excellent that Elena can't break her serve or even save her own service game.

King Of The Road

First...


to....



and join the...


until one by one....







and Finally....



And yes! I'm The King Of The Road :D

Mixed Activities :D

We again had a training for the upcoming " Convo Fest". Finalizing the group of each who will attend, I was grouped to those who will do the Demo a.k.a "Taerobics", a mixed steps of aerobics and taekwondo.




We started the training at around 9pm since most of the guys had an exam for the break. This is our last chance to practice for the week since some of them will go back to their hometown tomorrow. The President informed us to prepare for the final practice set on the following weekends.

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I'm also bit excited. 2 days from now will be my most awaited day. I ask my friend Michelle to ask their friend to pick up my gear for the marathon... really I'm so happy and tense. This will be my first so I'm trying my very best to set my mind to one goal.. Finish the run.. It doesn't matter if I get a medals intended for the first 350 finisher or not... But I will be much happier if I got one :D.

Jogging, Bonding, Planning

We had a jogging session with my kicking team last night at MMU oval track. This is where I practice my stamina in preparation for the coming marathon that I mention on my previous entry.

The session started at 1830h and I came late. I thought they aren't arrived yet and wait for a couple of minutes to check when they passed in front of me running.. hehehe.. shy shy shy... I tailed them and keep my pace near them for about 4 rounds. I walk around the oval after my first four lapse and done another 3 lapses before we stop.

Eddy gathered us around to say a few words about the binding camp. He discuss some of the activity that they plan to do there. He also brought the "Demo Team" plan for the coming Martial arts fest at the University and the IIUM Invitational Taekwondo tournament. The tournament will be held at Gombak, Selangor this coming August 7, 8 and 9. Two disciplines are open one for 16 to 18 year old jins and the intervarsity which is open to all (no age limit). I want to joint here since I don't have duty on that saturday. I just forgot to ask him if its okay to join for two days only since I cant take a leave on the first day of the tournament (Friday).

Keep my fingers cross...

Let's Run

I slept late last night. My adrenalin is still fully awake due to two hours of jog and walking. I'm doing this in preparation of the coming marathon that me and my friends are planning to be part of.

I'm not yet registered unlike my other friends who requested one of their officemates/friends to register for them. I'll try to visit Adidas booth at "The Gardens" near MidValley Megamall to register this weekend.

I'm so excited since this will be my first time to join such activity. I tried to timed my self using my cellphone timer and check how many minutes it would take for me to reach the end of the nearest Park in our Place. It feels great and its a good motivation that you are doing this kind of thing because of a certain goal.

Oh and I received a call from a friend from Philippines who is here now in "The City of Lights" asking for direction on how to reach his hotel while were on the midst of our cardio-training. He is still not familiar in the country though he's been here for a couple of times.

We also discovered a track and field inside MMU. Its a best place to practice and timed our speed. I think the oval is about 400 meters long so it will take us 27 to 28 rounds to complete the 11Km mark that were planned to join in. I tried to run to check my time and finish the whole oval for a minute and 40 seconds. If my calculation is right, I could finish 11km in roughly 40 minutes! Inside the qualifying time of 50minutes.. that is if I can maintain the same speed from the start to finish.. yay!

For those people around the City and who wants to be part of this activity please check below link for more info: Shah Alam King of the Road

Happy Running :D