A Runner's Adventures

Standard Charted KL Marathon 2010

2010-06-29T09:23:00.001+08:00

Yes its the inaugural Standard Charted Marathon 2010 ! Second year participating and geared on setting a new PR for my half marathon and I did, yippeee ! :) I had a strong run and it felt great a steady pace all the way, I was amazed, just that I missed my target of breaking sub 2:30, was so close :p I am sure there will be a next time ! :)

I was up early about 3:00 am getting ready to go to race site to cheer on some friends whom were doing their first full marathon ! The place was buzzing with activities when I reached, its seems the no. of full marathon participants have increased significantly. Wished my friends the best of luck and they were off ! :)

Made my way to the baggage counter to dump everything and just pack the essentials then stretched and warmed at the starting line. Decided to position myself in the back as the no. of half marathoners had significantly grown as well and I did not want to be part of the startup stampede, hahahahaha :) The race was underway at 6:15am sharp and we were off !

Didn't realize that the route had changed this year as I was running was think am going the right route, hahahaha its was nice and challenging route :) I reached the finish line 2:33:04 hours later ! :) Yay its my best time recorded for a half marathon thus far ! :) Made my way quickly to the baggage retrieval and had to stand there for another 1.5 hours just to get my baggage, almost had a heat stroke !!! The sun was blazing down ! :)

Got my bag finally and made my way to the start line to wait for the arrival of my full marathon friends ! Kudos to June, whom made to finish line with her swallon knees in 6:30:00, very proud of you and sheer grit to complete the race under the circumstances your were in ! Well done June on your maiden marathon ! :)

Finally headed back to my brothers place for much needed R&R before heading home. Will be resting for the week and start planning for my first maiden full marathon preparation , yay ! :)

Till then the adventure continues ! :)

Malakoff 26K Race

2010-05-30T13:07:00.003+08:00

It's Race Day ! :) The day begun at 4:00am, got ready and ran through my usual pre-run checklist and I was off to the site I was running late, arrrghhhh. Reached the start point the place was already buzzing with runners come in.

Had to navigate a bit to find parking, the parking locations we full !! Finally found a place and made my way to the starting point. Everyone was busy warming up and getting ready for the gun to go ! Made my way to a corner to compose my self and do last minute check on my gear and well as my laces.(i.e. not much on issue since its Lock Laces)

Soon after it time to start and we were are husled to the starting line, soon after the gun went off and we were on our way ! Along the met my sifu (i.e. HHFoong) , wished him the very and a good race and I was off !

I spent the night before running through the data I collected from my previous runs on the course to find areas that I could speed up. I identified a few key areas and made sure I sped up when it came to those key points. I think I came on to hard on one of the downhills and I there where I pulled my hamstring, ouch !

I kept to this strategy for the next few legs of the run but unknown to me my heart was racing quite high which I found out when I analyzed the data after the run. I really hit the wall during the last 1 hour of the race as my pace dropped drastically. Some how I managed to push till I reached the finish line at 3:12:54. I found a picture of your trully, thanks to Chuah (http://run2chuah.multiply.com/) for snapping this shot which is like meters aways to the finish line, hehehe :)

At the finish line, I quickly made way, returned the timing chip and got my shinny shinny ! :) Meet up with some runner friends (i.e. Mee Lan and her hubby). I was walking back to my car when I bumped in Tiger and Justin, so nice to see the two. The were looking out for as well, we chatted a while and they were on their way for a morning hike.

I headed of to my gym to hit the shower and stretch out a little, my hamstrings were hurting. The shower did a whole of good, felt great ! Time to head home for much needed R&R, next its SCKLM !!! :)

Till then the adventure continues !!

Bidor Half Marathon 2010

2010-04-25T18:15:00.003+08:00

Oraity, here's the scoop, great event all around and it was great to be back to Bidor again for the second time round ! :) Great run, stats from my Garmin bellow as well as the story behind the story folks ..

Had great company during this trip that is John Simpson whom wanted a feel of Bidor and what challenges it had offer. John is was aiming for a great time at this event. We started our journey late Saturday afternoon and arrive at Bidor that evening to pick up the race pack.

John had booked us in a hotel in Kampar and we drove over which took like 45 min to reach since we used the trunk roads instead of the highway. Finally got there, nice comfy place to stay before the race the next day. Made sure all my gear was setup for the morning since we need to leave at about 5:00am to Bidor again where the race starts.

Not much sleep that night, pre-race thingy as always, was up at 4:30am. Got ready got packed and headed over to race area. We reached around 6:00 am and place was already buzzing with runners getting ready. Warmed up and reported in and we were officially sent of at 7:00am. It was a great start I must say, perhaps a too strong of start.

Into 6th KM, my inner right knee started bugging me again, I kept pushing on and had a stead run till 17th KM. I think my best 10K time (i.e. it was somewhere 1:10:00, I think). It was a scenic green run definately. The air was cool and nice till 8pm when it the heat started hammering. There were quite a no of hills to navigate thru that made it quite the challenge.

I saw Seah(definately) and Robi (I think) during the run. Seah the experience veteran was definitely was ahead and already pushing back as we were in opposite direction at a point of time as well as John. The heat was starting to get on to me as well as the pain. I continued and managed to get to the finish line by 2:44:12.

John was already there at the finish line cheering me on as I came in. My tank was clean out, man was I beat. Quickly rehydrated and got some pics and head home. It was great race, need to work on some things again, back to the drawing board before the next big race > Malakoff 26K ! :)

Till then the adventure continues !

Putrajaya Marathon (Long Overdue)

2010-02-20T16:15:00.001+08:00

Finally, I got some downtime to write this ,waaahhhh ! Let me see the Putrajaya Night Marathon, first marathon of the year. I was going into the race with an injured right leg to say the least plus the last minute request from my dear partner whom need to me to fly the next day after the race for meetings. Things could not have been stacked much better. Had to make a run for it from KL to Penang as I needed my passport.

Reached back in Penang, started packing and flew back to KL again somewhere midnight. Crashed straight in and did not wake up till 11ish. Got up and as always pre-race jitters started settling in again, goshhh. U think after running quite a few races this would go away but nooooo.... its always there ! :) Off I went to get my last meal @ PapaReach some lovely noodles to be exact so after headed off to Putrajaya around, me always need to be early got there quite early.... they were still setting up the tents and stuffs !

Found a bench to rest and start changing into my running outfit so after June buzzed me and we caught up at the baggage tents. June introduced me to her friend Serena and we were all off walking about and checking out all the other tents and goodies being given away. Soon it was time for the race and good herded into the holding area where everyone anxiously waited for the gun to go ! :) Here a pic of the there of us in the holding area.

Soon thereafter the gun went ! And we were off, Serena literally zoomed away and I was running side by side with June. The first 10K were great, was steadily keeping my pace and my energy level, the environment was quite humid nevertheless. The route was filled with ups and downs, its was at the 15th KM where its struck again, the pain on my right leg made its entry, by the 18th KM I was in a lot of pain....ouuuchhhh !

It was a series of run/walk thereafter till the finish line, quite the bummer ! :( But nevetheless I finished what I started ;) Live to race another day ! June and Serena finished ahead of me, kudos to them both, outstanding job indeed ! We caught up changed, all were barely able to walk properly its like a bunch of ducks walking ! Hehehe :)

Its a great race and good to meet up with June and Serena, looking forward to the next race ! :)

Till then the adventure continues ! :)

Barefoot Running !

2010-01-30T17:36:00.004+08:00

Natural Running (Extracted from NEWTON Running Site)

2010-01-26T19:11:00.002+08:00

2010 Adventure Begins !

2010-01-03T16:48:00.010+08:00

Alrighty, its time to get to work and set the stage for 2010 ! One of the major goals this year is get ready to run a full marathon at the Singapore SC Marathon. Had a nice run on the 1st day of the year but may have been wee bit over ... had a bit of shinsplits thereafter but all is good ! :)

Running Goals
1) Run My First Marathon
2) Improve my Half Marathon Times
3) Improve my Nutrition Strategy
4) Include more Cross-Training Activities
5) Have a blast doing 1-4 ! :)

The first race is going to be PUTRAJAYA Night Marathon on the 6th Feb.(*Winks) The ~~first~~ second race in Bidor in April, time to transform and roll out ! ;)

The adventures begins for 2010 !

Reflecting on 2009 !

2009-12-31T08:44:00.014+08:00

2009 has been a memorable year for my running as I moved from 10K and started working on longer distances. It has definitely been a learning experience at each race as well during my training. I have definitely grown much strong over this year, feels like a fresh breath of life sipped in ! :) It's been great fun as well meeting and expanding a new circle of friends(i.e. Kim, June, Chiat, Apple, etc) from all parts of the world whom are passionate about running !

3 lessons learned in 2009

1) Persistance & Resilience

A core aspect in almost everything that you approach in life. In running it's a key factor to progress for there will be days where things go the opposite direction(i.e. your body, the weather, the "body over mind syndrome", etc) And this is where you need to summon that inner reservoir of will to push forward. Injuries, disappointments will always be part and parcel of any sports, its moving beyond that point that matters.

2) Training Plan and Logging

Having a training plan is one but making sure that you log data into in and keep monitoring mileage as well as progress is equally important. It really serves as crucial information to get back to really find out what works and what does not. Keeping refining it over time.

3) Keep the "Cup" always "Empty"

As I was recently reminded while watching AVATAR, "I cannot teach you if your cup is full - Moat", learning is a continuous process and its always advisable to keep your "Cup" empty so as to facilitate the learning and improvement.

Next the cool races that I have participated this year

2009 Hall of Fame Achievements

1) Teluk Kumbar 6K ( APRIL) - Done (00:32:00)
2) Earth Day Run 10K (APRIL) - Done (00:59:00)
3) Bidor Half Marathon (APRIL) - Done (2:38:00)
4) Labor Day Run (MAY) - Done (00:28:00)
5) Malakoff 26K (JUNE) - Done (03:30:00)
6) KL International Marathon (JUNE) - Done (02:43:41.91)
7) Penang Bridge International Marathon - Half (22nd NOV) - Done (2:58:48)

Running Statistics for 2009

It's been an amazing year for my running, a big thank you to all my friends whom have been supportive throughout 2009, I look forward to your continued support in 2010 ! Here's looking at 2010, another year of outstanding achievements ! Happy New Year 2010 wishes to all runners ! :)

The Adventure Continues ! :))

Season's Greetings !

2009-12-01T08:59:00.010+08:00

Dear Running Buddies ! Season's Greeting to everyone :) It's been an amazing year for my running adventures, filled with lots memorable moments. I am grateful for all the support I've got from mentors(i.e. Sifu, Kim), family and friends. It's been a journey of getting stronger and learning's each passing day. Not forgetting meeting new friends both the marathon and triathlon world. Looking for another outstanding 2010 running year and here's wishes all runners best wishes for 2010 in your running endeavors, may there be more memories, more events, PRs not forgetting more fun too, have a blast running into 2010 !

PBIM 2009 : Here We Go !

2009-11-21T09:33:00.008+08:00

My most anticipated race of the year and one that I actually diligently prepared the most for. I was in such a frenzy on Saturday in anticipation of the race that I got enough rest. I left in the wee hours of the morning to pick another few runners(i.e. Chiat & Apple) whom were running the race as well. These are seasoned two triathletes whom were participating in the race.

We reached about 1:00am and wandered around and deposited our bags. I was munching on my power bar and sipping on my GU dehydration mix. Somehow or rather I was feeling more dehydrated that I should eventhough I was sufficiently drink throughout Friday and Saturday. So it was weird to say the least.

Our Chief Minister Mr. Lim Guan Eng was gracious enough to be present to let the runners off for all categories, that was indeed a pleasant surprise. So after around 3:00 am, we were all lined up at the starting line. The Half Marathon category seemed to have quite the participation from all ages, it was large group to say the least.

At 3:30 am sharp, we were off, yippee !!! I was running with Chiat and another of his friends. Apple and her running partner were scheduled to start 15 minutes later. We started turning into the bridge when I started feeling a sharp pain on my Achilles on my left leg, this persisted all the way. At the 19mile, the pain was too overwhelming and I had to resort to walking/running for the last 3 miles :(.

My fueling strategy did not quite work up to my expectations as I did not stop at any water station and relied solely at my water bottles. Something not right somewhere, need to revisit this. When I reached the finish line, its was nice to see Chiat and Apple cheering me on to finish strong. I crossed the mat and heard the beep beep but at the same time my heart sank.

I was really disappointed with the outcome as I put a lot of time into my training. One part of part of me was sad but another part was searching to look at what went wrong and see how the next time could be a different experience altogether. Nevertheless it was a fun experience being able to run along side other friends and enjoying the true spirit of the marathon !

My Results : 2:58:48 (Champion Chip Net Time)

Half Marathon Video by http://runwitme.blogspot.com

Well its back to the drawing board to carve the next the big plan for 2010 , till then the adventure continues ! :)

Nike+ Enhancements, Love it !

2009-10-18T17:33:00.008+08:00

The new Nike+ Enhancement looks great ! :) , caught me by surprised when I uploaded my training data to Nike+, smooth interface, more granular look into your runs. Still some quirks though (i.e. Twitter integration issues) but it time is should be fixed. A much welcomed change and improvement to the Nike+ site. Looking forward to more enhancements

USM-Bukit 5 Miler Route

2009-09-22T11:31:00.000+08:00

USM-Bukit Jambul (5 Mile Route)
Find more Runs in Usm, Penang, Malaysia

Rest Days by Bart Yasso

2009-08-07T11:25:00.001+08:00

Run Fast, Run Strong by Bart Yasso

2009-08-07T11:03:00.002+08:00

Newton Gravity : First Impressions !

2009-08-04T18:33:00.004+08:00

My new trainers have arrived as I am retiring my NIKE's from the running scene. It's my NEWTON Gravity ! I loved the packaging(i.e. recycleable box that it came with, very nice indeed ! :) It's was supposed to arrive tomorrow but I thrilled when I received today. Definately a double bottomline company ! Kudos to the NEWTON Team !

The color is quite striking though, would have preferred some lighter tones, maybe its a good thing who knows ! ;) I took it out for a run and could immediately feel the difference, feels a bit weird though but I believe I need some time to get adjusted to the LAND-LEVER-LIFT fore-foot running.

Took for a 4 mile run as per my TrainingPeaks.com schedule as I am preparing for a Half Marathon in November, perfect timing ! New training schedule + new shoes, looking forward to good times ;) I enjoyed the run as well as noted the change in feel on my foot striking the ground. I was still somewhat using my heels a fair bit but in I believe it will change as my running gait needs to be re-adjusted to accomodate the fore-foot running mechanism.

As for the shoe itself, it was not as comfortable as my NIKEs but the cushion was alright I guess. Another concern that I had that it was a bit tight on the fore foot side because I have a pretty wide feet. I have more than enough space in toe box though. I think this one is a feedback back to makers and hope in the future they will make some provision for "wide foots".

It's a good start I must say but its still early to give a concrete review, looking forward to my longer runs :) Should you be interested in getting a pair browse on over to > Quick Sports under the Footware Section but visit Newton Running website first ;)

Hydration and its Importance !

2009-08-02T18:28:00.000+08:00

The Tech Behind a Pair of NEWTON's ... Wow !

2009-07-20T19:22:00.001+08:00

Vibram's Five Fingers ... Cool !

2009-07-13T10:07:00.003+08:00

Barefoot Running > Throw my NIKE's away ??

2009-07-13T09:47:00.002+08:00

Interesting read on barefoot running, take a stab at it here :)

Bart Yasso : Long Runs !

2009-07-11T20:26:00.001+08:00

Bart Yasso : Hill Training

2009-07-11T20:03:00.002+08:00

The Owww Factor : Common Injuries - Extract from RunnersWorld.com

2009-07-09T13:00:00.001+08:00

Hurt Feelings
Four common injuries—and how to treat them
By Michelle Hamilton

Every runner hates to get sidelined. Unfortunately, any time you ratchet up your training, your chance of getting hurt rises, says Clint Verran, a 2:14 marathoner and physical therapist in Lake Orion, Michigan. Your best bet is to follow tried-and-true training advice: Build mileage slowly, add intervals gradually—and address aches and pains immediately. Here's how.

Shinsplints

The Hurt
Any pain on the front of the lower leg

The Cause
Running in worn-out shoes or dialing up your mileage or speed too quickly can lead to inflammation, a muscle tear, or a stress fracture. "Shin pain is usually caused by overpronation or a high arch, both of which can be corrected by wearing a more stable or more cushioned shoe," says Verran.

The Fix
Ice twice a day for 15 minutes, and stretch your calves. Go to a specialty running store to determine your foot type and find the right shoe (and don't go beyond 400 miles in any pair). You can also experiment with over-the-counter inserts for greater arch support, says Verran.

Plantar Fasciitis

The Hurt
Pain in the bottom of the foot, sometimes between the arch and the heel. "If the first few steps out of bed in the morning hurt, you have plantar fasciitis," says Verran.

The Cause
The inflammation of the plantar fascia is usually due to a high arch or a tight Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles to the heel. Also, Verran sees more cases in the summer and fall in people who spend their time barefoot or in flip-flops.

The Fix
Ice where it hurts, and stretch your calves. Another trick: Roll out the bottom of your foot with a golf ball to elongate the fascia. And consider added arch support with an over-the-counter insert or custom orthotics.

Runner's Knee

The Hurt
Soreness or pain around the front and inside of your kneecap

The Cause
The inflammation of the connective tendon in and around the knee or damage to the cartilage under you kneecap often leads to patella pain. It's often associated with overpronation, too much mileage, running in worn-out shoes, and weak thighs and glutes.

The Fix
Take two days off and ice for 15 minutes twice a day. Get a more stable shoe. Strengthen your hips, quads, and hamstrings. "You could also try a Cho-Pat, a knee strap," says Verran. "Half the people who use them find relief."

IT-Band Syndrome (ITBS)

The Hurt
Sharp stab, ache, or burning sensation on the outside of the knee due to an inflamed iliotibial band (ITB), a long band of connective tissue that runs over the outer bone of the knee and along your upper leg.

The Cause
A sharp increase in mileage, hill work, or speedwork can stress your ITB.

The Fix
"Get on a foam roller," says Verran. "Rolling out the sides of your legs helps treat and prevent IT-band pain." Roll out your IT band after every run, then ice the outside of the knee for 15 minutes twice a day.

Looking Forward to Adding this My Running Playlist :))

2009-07-05T18:09:00.001+08:00

Standard Charted KL International Marathon 2009

2009-06-29T18:57:00.016+08:00

Yesterday was a big day with all the preparation's put towards this event and happy with results that I obtained which is 02:40:00 for my 21K, yippeee !!! The event itself was quite the experience from the race pack pick up till the begining of the event itself. I got my stuff's on Friday morning as I did not want be crushed in between the 12,500 participants of the event ;)

It was Sunday morning, got up early early 2:30 am and started through my pre-race ritual as always. I really getting good at this ... *Self Pat Pat :)) Had my driver drop (aka my brother) as close as possible to the venue. I was there quite early as I wanted to watch the release of the Full Marathon runners. As the Full Marathon Runners lined up at Starting it started to pour but the runners were ready to go, the gun went off they were off !! Cheered them on !

Soon after I took a walk around to deposit my bag and munched on my Power Bar. It was around 5:30am and started my warmup routine. There was quite a crowd for the Half Marathon, soon it was time and I walked into the starting lane. Had a chat with senior whom was 70 plus and had run many many marathon and he was so excited. Wished him best of luck and soon its was TIME !! 6:15am and the gun went, whooopeeee, we were off !!!!!!!!!

I started steadily following the dense pack as there were so many runners side by side. It was only after the 2nd KM it started to break slowly and continued to pace on steadily. There was a confusion with the distance markers as I felt they were wrong double checking with Nike+, that would have given many runners the wrong impression of the distance left to cover.

Traffic control by the police at certain junction is bad ! Some runners almost got run over, the police at some location were slack causing considerable danger to runners. The so called individual to cheer on the runners were an absolute waste money, they were just standing there expressionless !!! After 02:40:00 I finally reached the finish line in all its glory, just to have to stopped by some with a wand to detect my BID id, almost rammed into the person !

Then I had to stand for another 45minutes to collect my baggage, was lane super long sheeshhh ..... finally got it and got my drink and was sipping away! :)) Was looking at my new shinny shinny > Finishers Medal for SCKLM and met some of the fellow runners for chit chat. Went home tired but accomplished, it was my best time ever for my 21K ! Well it going to get even better that I promise myself !! Next PBIM 2009 ! The adventure continues .....

Updated Stats From SCKLM Website :))

Name:	KUMAR A/L RAMASAMY (MAS)
Net Start:	06:14:17	Category:	Half Marathon 21km
Net Time:	02:42:25	Position:	1231
Finish Timing:	02:43:41.91

Forefoot Running by Newton Running .. Tks to Charles Low (SCKLM Runner)

2009-06-23T09:35:00.002+08:00