PD International Triathlon 2007

The turn-up was great. Over 700 people participated.

The team did well. Everyone kept to their target.

Foo Chee Yong, swimmer: 1.5km swim time: 40 mins.

Azman, cyclist: 40km bike time: 1 hour 30 mins.

Zailan Yusof, runner: 10km run time: 1 hour.

Semua stock finish on the dot. Nice round numbers.

But the event was marred by a tragedy. Triathlete Zubir passed away in a tragic death during the swim event.

It is a sad day.

Al-Fatihah.

The Opening (Al-Fatihah)

1:1 In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

1:2 Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe.

1:3 The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1:4 King of the Day of Judgement.

1:5 You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help

1:6 Guide us to the straight way;

1:7 The way of those whom you have blessed, not of those who have deserved anger, nor of those who stray.

Race Report: Port Dickson International Half Marathon

It was a very very very wet race. Bacin would've loved it. Pun intended. Hihi.

Event wise, this was my first anniversary since I started running. PD half will always be a nostalgic race as it was my first race ever, back in 2006.

The day started at 5:30am. Chee Yoong picked me up and we later picked Kang Kai and head to PD. The race this time is a milestone for IMU students. 5 of us were there. Chee Yoong, Kang Kai and myself took part in the 21km event and Fahmy and Tengku Kashfil took part in the 11km event.


Yeah!! Masochists United!
From left: Yours truly, Kang Kai, Kasfhil, Fahmy, Chee Yoong.

We arrived just before the crowd came, so there were ample parking spaces. As I stepped out of the car, I could see raindrops in the car headlights ray. Not a good sign. 3 minutes subuh next to the car, I then proceeded to the starting line and met Adrian. He was with Ah Fook and Ronnie, whom I met for the first time. I also met Wendy. She brought an escort along. Guess who was the person? It was Justin! Feewiitt. So sweet the two of them. Tapi tak jadi le aku nak kacau. Heheh.

5 minutes before the start, what the runners feared most happened. It started raining. The crowd became restless, and the organizers wasn't able to contain them. Ye lah, dah hujan, semua orang nak start cepat-cepat. It delayed the start for 5 minutes. Considering the commotion, I think it was acceptable.


Some pervert guys were seen wearing a sleazy smile when it started to rain. The official t-shirt was white cotton shirt. Lucky day for them.

The moment the gun went off, it didn't just rain. It poured. Tau-tau je. 5 minutes into the run, my mp3 player gave up. Shieeettt!! Lesson 1: The mp3 player is not waterproof. I ran without my 'girlfriend' this time, and hell, was it quiet and lonely.

I had trouble breathing. The cold rain triggered my asthma. I quickly took a few puff of the inhaler and I was able to breath again.

I was running at the back of the pack, along with another girl. We took turn to pace each other. After 6km, she started talking:

"Abang dari mana?"

Huh?

"Dari Seremban."

After a few seconds:

"Seremban kat mana?"

Eh, sebok la kau!

"Kat Rasah."

"Saya dah penat lah."

"Takpe, pelan-pelan je."

She kept on talking. This cannot happen. I need to concentrate!! So I waited for a slight downhill, and pulled away from her. Zaassss!!! I never saw her again, until after I made the U-turn. To the girl, if you're reading this, sorilah, saya bukannya nak sombong, but I had a race to finish.

When I reached the 8km mark, I looked at the watch and realized I'm making good progress. I kept up the pace, and by the time I reached the 10km mark, I was faster by 7 minutes than the 10km I did in Subang Jaya. Yessss!!!! That means since November last year, I've been improving!

Few hundred meters after the 12km mark, the brick bench that bear witness me quitting PD half last year, came into sight. It was the brick bench I sat on while waiting for the support van. I can still clearly recall how disappointed I was that time. As I pass the bench, I looked at it and whispered "Not this year, baby" and kept on running.

17km into the race, I started showing signs of fatigue. I was swerving left and right, and sometimes stop to catch some breath. What kept me going was the progress I was making. I was definitely faster than KLIM. A lot faster actually, that it made me doubt if they had measured the route correctly. I was motivated.

2km from the finish line. I'm gonna make it. By this moment, I have been asked to board the support vehicle 7 times. Twice by the policemen, twice by the ambulance and 3 times by the officials. "Naik bas lah. Dah lepas cut off time dah." "Takpe bang, saya nak habiskan." I can sense their frustration. To them, I'm just another runner who was delaying them. To me, this is a struggle I can't afford to lose.

The final stretch is always the hardest. This time it was different. No people cheering, no music thumping. I was on my own. As I cross the finish line, I gave out a loud sigh of relief. Thank God. I made it. And believe it or not, it was still raining.

Official time: 3 hours 21 minutes.

That's a whopping 37 minutes improvement from KLIM!!!!

[Sebenarnya nothing pun. It only shows that I walked a lot more during KLIM]


Hard-earned medals.

A few runners (whom I can only assume are from Ipoh, based on the t-shirt they're wearing) who were nearby congratulated me. One lady gave me a bottle of Glucolin. Bless them all.

All in all. It was a good race. More people came this year compared to last year. Organizers were fairly professional, but hey, this is Malaysia lah. And above all, I have improved. One gold star for Azman!! And another medal in the collection!


Lick it, eat it, bite it.

KLIM Picture

Muka macam nak menangis. Hehehe. Memang pun sebenarnya.

Race Report: KL International Marathon 2007

The day started with a stroke of panic. Chee Yoong was supposed to pick me up at home, but from where he is coming from, the roads were already closed. There was no way he could get to my place. Luckily my brother just got back from his 'aktiviti ronggeng di malam hari'. So I told Chee Yoong to go ahead, and had my brother send me to Dataran Merdeka.

Bought myself a packet of Power Gel, then proceeded to the starting line. RAMAINYA MAKNUSIO!! I couldn't locate any familiar faces. Oh, what the hey. Nanti jumpa la. Few minutes later, the KL Mayor flagged us off.

6:03, azan subuh berkumandang di udara. Ok, time for my subuh prayers. I remembered in school during Agama class, we we're thought how soldiers at war pray (not that they're breeding any freedom fighters, but it may come useful one day. It actually did). So I prayed while running. I wasn't alone. Some stopped and prayed on the sidewalk. Further ahead, I see runners running out of buildings. I can only assume the prayed at the surau. See, boleh buat apa. It's the matter of how important it is to you je.


A lot of people used this side of the number to show their creativity. The best came from Azmar. He wrote there "I'm still a virgin". Hehehe.

The run was pleasant. The nice thing about KLIM is that the route criss-crosses. So I get to see the leading pack where the route crossed. How nice must it feel to run in a pack. But there I was, minding my own business, alone, with my mp3 player crooning on the earphones. Considering its loyal companionship, it qualifies the mp3 player as my girlfriend. If only it had a pair of boobs and a vagina, i would've married the mp3 player.

KL roads are generaly flat. And I've driven and cycled on most of the route, which I consider a psychological upperhand, because I can anticipate what may happen next. I ran slow. Really, really slow. My goal was not to DNF, like what happened in PD half and Putrajaya half.

Everything was fine, until 3 hours into the race. Fatigue set in, and I found myself walking, then running, then back to walking. Near Sogo, I was already very tired, up to a point I ran sideways. Bystanders must be thinking "Gila punya budak." We had to make another lap of 2km to make it an even 21km. The final 1km stretch was the hardest. But I was determined to finish under 4 hours. Not that it mattered, but, hey, sub 4 hours sounds nice.

About 200 meters from the finish line, the primates spotted me. Then semua orang cheered. "Woi!! Azman lah!!" "Go! Go! Go!" I couldn't help it but to smile a bit, walaupun sebenarnya I was in pain. I gave everything I had. My right calf started cramping. Lari tercapit-capit. Ahh bullshit!! I want to cross the finish line in style. So I grit my teeth and swallowed the pain.


Read: Half Marathon Finisher. So what have you done lately?

Alhamdulillah. The digital timer above showed 3 hours 58 minutes. I was happy. I finished the damn race.

I met most of the primates, and met few more for the first time. Stupe, Bean and Harris. It was a pleasure to finally meet you guys.

Few things I learnt from KLIM 2007:

1. I can run for 3 hours non-stop. I can be active for 4 hours non-stop.
2. I am slow because i am heavy.
3. My mp3 player playlist goes for 4 hours before it starts all over again.
4. Adidas shoes rock.
5. Painkillers and ventolin inhaler are runner's best friends.

Plans up ahead:

1. Lose weight.
2. Lose weight.
3. Lose weight.


Official result.

Not-so-S.M.A.R.T. Tunnel Run

I went, I ran, I finished. That was all that matters. But I have to say the organization of the run sucks @$$.

I'll let the strip do the talking.

Disclaimer: The complaints are valid, but the arguments are purely fictional. Concept and presentation ripped off from Maddox.

Subang Jaya 10K Run 2006

Port Dickson Half Marathon 2006 : DNF (Did not finish) Naik support van.
Putrajaya Half Marathon 2006 : DNF (Did not finish) Naik support van lagi.

Subang Jaya 10K 2006 : DF (Did finish)!!!!!!


Muka puas hati. Placement nombor yang sempurna meng'cover' dada. Hehe.

It wasn't just a simple finish. For the first time, I wasn't last!!!! Hahahaha!! And I didn't stop or pause in the run!! That was an achievement. Third time's the charm. Yep. And demoting myself to 10K runs is a wise decision.

At the beginning of the race, I wasn't sure of what to expect. PD Half and Putrajaya Half was badly executed. I didn't train right, and I was aiming too far, too unreal. This time, I had to get my everything straight.

The Target

So few minutes before the run this time, I had a chat with myslef and properly weigh my abilities and put it through a serious thought. Heck, I wasn't sure of what to think, so I came up with the simplest aim any simpleton can come up with. It was a 10km race, so lets make it a minute per km. 100 minutes. That's 1 hour 40 minutes. Ah, belasah je. So that was my humble target, to put it in the words of Master Zailan, 'Janji Habis'.

I can't help it, but at the starting line, I was scanning the crowd, not to look for competitors, but I was looking the possible faces that would end up behind me (evil!!!). Hey, I kept my thoughts to myself (until now) so it isn't a crime. Plus, that actually kept me going.

Bang!! The race started pre-maturely. They promised 7:30 am, but it started at 7:27 am. Hmmm.. Malaysians being early? Tak kisah lah. But I was caught off guard. "Eh, mula dah? Ok, here goes nothing."

My pace was based on my heart rate. Didn't want to push too hard too soon, so I started really slow. Almost everyone overtook me. Sabar, beb, sabar. I tried enjoying the scenery. Subang Jaya is actually quite a nice town I have to say.

The Turning Point

Half way into the run things took turn to the better. My 'engine' was then warmed up to perfection and was itching to rev. The group ahead of me, which was previously stretched into a very long line, has started to bunch up, a sign that people are slowing down. Ahhh, chantek!

This was when I said to myself "Ko jangan nak mengada nak berenti lari. Kalau berenti, ko ni macam pondan potong ko**k". I kept my pace steady. Slowly, one by one, I started to overtake those who were ahead of me. But Malaysia is never short of kiasu drivers and runners. Ada la a group of 3 ni, everytime I overtook them, they would scramble ahead of me, then slowed down. Aku potong lagi, dia lari lagi pegi depan aku. Oooo, mau main Hare and Tortoise dengan aku ye. Aku up heart rate aku by 10 beats per minute, and keep up for 5 minutes. Aku potong sekali, never to see them again!! Hahahaha. How's that mofos. A sight of a fat guy overtaking you? Priceless.

The Finish

Everything was smooth sailing, until the final kilometer. Aku dah nak pengsan, my hands were numb, beads of cold sweats was pouring, and I didn't feel right. Then I remembered the video that Mary reccommended, Will Smith video on Key to Life: Running and Reading. "I will not quit when things get hard". Tahan, beb, tahan. Slowly but steadily, I was finally in the stadium. Hundreds around me had already finish the race, maybe I was the only one running. But I was determined to finish. 50 meters, 40 meters, 30, 20, 10, 5, 3, 2, 1 meter, and I finaly crossed it!!!! Sumpah, aku rasa macam nak mati, beb.

Coincidentally, at that very point I met Mary and Jaja. They were already on their way back. I yelled, "Mary!!!! I DIDN'T STOP!!!! I DIDN'T STOP!!!!!" Mary muka macam konpius. Ntah ntah she was thinking "Gilak apak ini budak". She then introduced me to Jaja (whom I met for the first time). It was a brief introduction pasal I had to go get myself bukcet loads of water.

After few cups of water, my senses were slowly coming back. Then I realized, when I was crossing the finish line, there were no cheers, the were no ribbons like you see in movies, heck, no one was paying attention to me. But it wasn't about all those. It was about the inner struggle that kept me going, that kept my wanting to cross the finish line. And I was happy.

My time for the run? Well, I did better than my target, by 56 seconds!!!! 1 hour 39 mins 14 secs. Hahaha. Bapak slow macam gajah. Tapi takpe. I DIDN'T STOP!!!

So I'm keeping 10K events as MY events. Half marathon? Well, until I can set a 10K within 1 hour 10 mins, that has to wait. But why bother now when I'm having so much fun!! WOOOOOTTT!!!


This is Ali, my buddy since high school. He broke his running competition virginity today with a time of 62 mins!!! Hanjing power dia nih. About 3 months ago he had a right knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. Tapi dah power macam power rangers.

Procrastination at its Best

To all my imaginary fans out there, I'm sorry for the long isthmus. You see, this is the problem you'd face if you don't have your own digital camera and internet connection. I spent the first 2 weeks post event trying to get a hold on the pictures (my fault entirely) and the next 2 weeks trying to find time to write. Finally, I'm here. So lets get down to business.

Ahhhh... Terry Fox Run. This event is such an eye opener. I've never witnessed the generousity and support of Malaysians for charity events like this. And according to my guess, I never will. Why? 70% (and I'm being very generous) of those who came are not Malaysian!! I've never seen such gathering of expats and their offsprings ever in my life!!


The last time such gathering happened was during Francis Light's funeral.

There were so many of them, we even took picture with one.


L-R: Min, Ali, Some dude, Me.

Not that I'm complaining, because the proceed will still go to the Cancer Research Institute. And particularly, I wouldn't complain because I get to see these. Yummm..


ISKL volleyball team decided to run in their jerseys.

Guys, I know where exactly you're looking at. Let me help you with that.



Still not clear enough? Bacin, this one is for you!


Yes, they're so tempting, I just had to paw 'em.

There were many more sightseeing during the run, but alas, I don't have the camera with me. Eventhough I was a bit disappointed, because out of confusion at the starting line, I took the shorter 'kiddy' route, I did not regret it, not a single bit. Haih. Should've enrolled myself into the private schools.

Anyways, after the run, I witnessed this:


Believe you me, I tried really hard to conceal them identities.

And right on their backs, are these words:



I guess after spending RM50 on 2 t-shirts, they've earn the right to take a puff or two. You guys at the cancer research institute better make full use of those money we gave you and find cure for cancer for the sake of these 2 fellas.

Putrajaya International Marathon 2006

It's the Putrajaya International Marathon 2006, and I ran in the half marathon event. 21 pain in the ass kilometers (actually I only ran 12 km. DNFed because I injured my ankle). This was my second half marathon event, and my second DNF. Haha. Both due to the same reason. I had fun anyway. Here was what happened that day.

Woke up at 5.10am and quickly got ready. I got everything with me this time, except I forgot to leave something behind. Didn't have time for my morning dump, so I had to run with the half kilo extra weight. Haha. While driving, I took my homemade PowerBar, something I call the PowerPack (I shall share this in the future). Psyched myself up with some rock tune from The Who, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Richie Kotzen.

When I arrived, the marathon event had just started. I parked my car and quickly took my wudhu' and performed Subuh prayer at the car park, next to my car (later I found out the organizers actually prepared a decent surau. Not bad.). I changed, and met Chee Yoong near the starting point. Did some stretching and before I knew it, BOOM! We're off.



One km into the race, my right ankle starts to complain. Adoi la. So I stopped and loosened the lace, which helped. Ahhh. Best. It worked. I didn't aim high. Cukup la running at 7kmph. Everything was ok. Until it was at about the 10th km, the ankle complained again. I stopped and massged my right foot. No good. So I limped the next 2 km. Managed to come across one dude. He said 'Bang, jangan paksa diri, bang.' Yeah right. I kept on limping. At some point, I was hopping on one foot. Sampai la kat the 12th km. Ok la. I give up. Tak sanggup dah.



This was where I stopped and waited for the support van. It came and there were already 2 girls in the van. The paramedic had to take both of my numbers off, he said for technical reasons, and promised to give them back when everything is done. I never saw them again. Chit podah. Takde souvenir aku kali ni.



I was brought to the medical bay. First, a lady approached me. From the trembling hands, I think she's a medical student. Then another doctor (pictured) came to check my foot. He's one cool dude. He said:

Cool Doctor: Sprained ke cramped?
Me: Sparined.
Cool Doctor: Hmmm (examining my right foot). You've got flat foot.
Me: Yeah, I know.
Cool Doctor: You know what to do, right?
Me: Rest, ice and painkillers?
Cool Doctor: Exactly (handing me some painkillers). Take one now and another one later tonight. You should be ok.

Haha. Why do I think he's cool? Because he understands runners' ego and respects it. Hahaha. No fuss, no kerek-kerek. In return, I respected him. Allah bless him.

At the recovery area, I met Chee Yoong. He finished the race at 2 hours 25 minutes. A huge blister on his left foot was staring at my face. Well worth it because now he's got something to brag about.

I was cooling my right foot in the ice bath when an African dude (very obvious from the accent) who was sitting opposite me began a convesation. He asked:

Kunta Kinte: Iz eet yor ankol?
Me: Excuse me?
Kunta: Yor ankol. Yor foot. Da one yor cooling down. Iz eet yor ankol that's painfool?
Me: Oh yeah. My ankle. I sprained it.

He noded, then dipped his socks in the ice bath and started wiping his legs to cool them down. Then he wiped one time too high, exposing his schtincker. SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why must I witness it!!!!!!! Arggghh!!! I fled the scene quickly. Sicko.

All in all, the organizers did a very good job. Hell, they better do, since the fees was set at RM30. A lot of booth were set up that gave a lot of freebies. And with details like setting up a surau and all, they really did their homework well.

My aim in the future? Well, I'm demoting myself from 21k race events. From now on until I'm fit enough, I'm only going to run in 10k events. At least I get to finish it and get a medal or certificate. That's a lot better than just a piece of cloth with numbers.

*Pictures are courtesy of www.pacesetters.com.my