Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011 : My 4th 42km Marathon

Hello there. If you must know, I'm currently doing my internship in OCBC Bank, which left me with little time for leisure and what not the soon-to-be-forsaken hobby of blogging.

Just a couple of days ago, I ran my 4th 42km marathon marathon. It was still so fresh when I first ran long distance in Ambank KL Marathon 2008 I thought "Woah I just finish 10km and it's so freaking far. Those 42km crazy one".

This is my fourth time being 'crazy' and still counting.

The mission in running marathons is the ability and will to overcome adversity and accomplishing the mission is indeed rewarding. If you're an avid runner or fitness enthusiast, I strongly suggest try a 42km full marathon at least once in your life. Worth while the experience.

The build-up and preparation to this marathon was not as good as the previous, as I've been channeling most of my energy waking up early and working 8 hours, 5 days a week. Respect how parents who work, and still has the energy to take care of house chores. Not easy, I must say. Hats off to these unsung daily heroes of ours.

Training has been below the level I would address 'intensive', weekly mileage is only around 40km when I should at least have a weekly mileage of 60km. Plus, 5 days before Putrajaya Night Marathon, I hurt my ankle during futsal. I had hard time to even run 2km during training. So fingers cross I was hoping my ankle would recover by itself naturally before the marathon.

Apparently it didn't. My ankle came back and haunt me after I merely crossed the 6km mark. I did the remaining 36km in pain. Of course I take it slow, which explained why I finished 5hours 53mins instead of my personal best of 4 hours 56mins. Not a good idea to run 42km with a bad ankle. Perhaps there's some blood clot.

Anyway enough about myself, because I believe the world doesn't revolve around me. I fetched Nico, Khai Sim, Su Juin and Christine to Putrajaya.

1 car ferrying 5 people, yay for Mother Nature. We arrived slightly later than planned, shortly later 42km kicked off.

The people I fetched - Khai Sim, Christine, and Su Juin in pink (minus Nico :P)

Yes, I close my eyes when I dash to the finishing line to take off all the pain and push myself through

42km finishers/survivors :)

Terrific effort, 42km finishers - Wu Chuan, Kaartig, Michelle and Nico :).
Well done to the slightly hardcore 21km half marathon finishers - Kevin, Khai Sim and Karmun.
& also good run from the many 10km runners - Christine, Jovita, Su Juin, Aris and so on.

Hope to see these familiar people again and perhaps more in the future.

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After the grueling run, time to fill the tummy.

Where to? - William's

Spaghetti Carbonara Beef Bacon!

Nico's Nasi Goreng Tomyam with Ayam Pandan!

 I don't fancy William's Indomee so Khaisim, your food got no feature here hehe.

Upcoming runs within October to November :

• 30th October 2011 = 21km PJ Half Marathon
• 13th November 2011 = 5km CICM Run
• 20th November 2011 = 42km Penang Bridge International Marathon
• 27km November 2011 = 10km Nike KL City Run 

Busy busy weekends :)

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Remember, "Limitations only exist if you let them".

Transitional Phase

Ah, I remember putting on my concert costume performing one last time during my kindergarden days which I spent at Holy Light Kindergarten. Then my kindergarten teacher had a hard time finding a mortar board to fit my relatively big 6 year old head. Then I knew time to say good bye to my friends and teacher where I continue my primary and secondary education elsewhere.

That transition was not something I look forward to because I like my friends, perhaps I'm a fan of familiarity. Even at such young age I was thinking in such manner.

Now, after 15 years, the finishing line of my tertiary education is within sight. I had to bid farewell to a place I spent 3 years at - Kampar. Fair to say my good times there over-weigh the not so good ones. It was my first time leaving my home (then), so it wasn't easy. I'm sure it's likewise for anyone who left their hometown to pursue their studies.

I recall when the days of putting on school uniform comes to an end in 2007, a lot people whom I was close with headed different directions. It was tough settling into a new surrounding such as UTAR, sometimes it's like a duck trying to fit into a flock of chickens. Eventually, the people I met during my Foundation in PJ are the people who are closer.

There are a lot of people that I would like to thank to help me through but there are certain individuals whom I would like to extend my gratitude, deserved to be mentioned here. Firstly, Mr. Long. Oh tai lou(big brother), you're ever concerned and warm, especially after the occasional fights I had with my ex-girlfriend when she's at KL and I'm at Kampar. I had a tendency to sulk alone, and you were there to accompany me and we would go grab a meal together.

Then, CPM I dare say among so many people I've work with for assignments and work, you're definitely one of the most reliable. Your assistance in class and off class are invaluable to me, thank you :).

Captain/Founder of Brothers Futsal team, you might not realize but your presence actually lighten up the people around you. Thank you for encouraging me to play futsal and invited me to join your team - it's hard to mix around there without any teammates. & also the times when you gave word of advice when I'm having rough patch with my ex-girlfriend, I appreciate that too.

Greatstyler, your ever caring nature touches me. Fun-loving and opinionated, you're truly one great guy. Never regret having you as a friend, my buddy.

CLC, probably the reason why I leaned more towards the darker side. Your mixture of being caring-outgoing-funny-perverted nature never fail to make people laugh. Thanks for the times you've been there for me man.

Apparent-"BFF", your presence never fail to lift up my spirits. Though you got me into deep trouble last time, I've never regretted our friendship because we are clean :). You're a friend any person would definitely cherish. Thanks for listening to my rants, thanks for being there :).

imba player, perhaps the person I spent most time with throughout my tenure in UTAR. You may present yourself as a playful dude, but you're a great company. I'm glad to have a familiar face around me as I step into tertiary education. We've come a long way since Std 1 - now grown into men at the driving seat controlling the direction of our respective lives.

Last but not least, chocolate cake. If you are ever reading this, I'm apologetic and sorry on what kind of state we both are in at the moment. Glad to have you in my life anyhow. You carved your mark in me indefinitely which I'll carry till the day I stop breathing. Thanks for completing me once, and bringing me happiness that I never felt with anyone before.

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I've also learned that life is never a smooth ride, if you think it is, you deserve a wake-up call. The closest people to you could possibly be the one that hurt you most. Keep your guard up. There are pretentious people out there. Be careful of who you tell your personal matters to - some are really concerned aiming to help you while most of them are merely curious. 

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So that's it. No more waking up to fresh air, storks flying above you, seeing huge monitor lizards and otters swimming, seeing uncles out-doing each other in fishing, play futsal in Westlake, embracing the lake-hill scenery, cycling to class, burning midnight oil for exams, eating relatively cheap good Kampar food, hanging out at Ipoh, running with Kampar people and so on.

We all encounter transitional periods in our lives, as excited as I am on the changes that are bound to happen, I dare say I am intimated looking forward in the uncertain future.

My 1 week break has come to an end, and Monday marks the first day of internship at OCBC Bank. Pretty positive that I will spend much lesser times here. I'm wishing my peers all the best, be strong, have faith in transitional phase like this. Do not lose faith.

Plus, my 21st birthday is around the corner. Any suggestion on how I should celebrate it?

Last but not least, anyone out there care to fill my empty glass?

Johnnie Walker – Step Inside The Black Circuit Singapore 2011

 One of the biggest party is happening very soon.. one that involves experiencing the sophisticated and glamorous world of Formula 1™. Any idea what this party is? If you still haven’t guessed it by now, allow me to have the honour of informing you that this has to do with JOHNNIE WALKER®. Once again, they are back this year with the JOHNNIE WALKER® JET BLACK race party for two nights. It is an invitation-only event and they are giving you Malaysians a chance to experience this amazing event.

It's definitely a party not to be missed as it features a really interesting line-up of some of the world's best DJs, stunning interactive party experiences and stylish JOHNNIE WALKER® cocktails.

Haven't experienced it before?
Here's a look at some of the previous JOHNNIE WALKER® events.

Hows good partyin' with great music, amazing cocktails, gorgeous ladies and dashing men within sight sound to you? Sounds terrific to me ;)!

So, JOHNNIE WALKER® is giving two Malaysians plus their partners a chance to win a trip of a lifetime at the Singapore GP for three days while also attending the  JOHNNIE WALKER® JET BLACK race party for two nights. The contest is open to everyone so why not give it a shot!

Questions:

1.  JOHNNIE WALKER® is the global partner of Formula 1™ team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes™ since 2005, who was the 2009 Formula One™ SINGTEL Singapore Grand Prix night race winnder and which team did he drive for?
   Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes
   
2. The JOHNNIE WALKER® JET BLACK race party is the most talked about party of the Singapore Night Race, featuring a stellar line up of the world's best DJs, stunning interactive party experiences, and stylish JOHNNIE WALKER® cocktails. Tell us in 50 words or less why we should send you and a friend an exclusive invitation to the party and include 3 or more hi quality pictures of your version of a perfect JOHNNIE WALKER® race party to win yourself 2 passes each to both exclusive events.
   The passes should be give to my friend and I because we have never experienced this event before and it sounds way too exciting to be missed especially when it involves cars! Ever eager to party - glamorous style.

Head on over to Johnnie Walker Malaysia's Facebook page for more information and visit http://www.adverlets.com/weblog/2011/09/07blogger-contest-johnnie-walker®-"step-inside-the-black-circuit-singapore"/ if you want to join the contest.

Keep Walking. Never Drink and Drive.

Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur International Marathon 2011 : My 3rd 42km Full Marathon

Of gruesome distances, intense training, and discipline. It has been a long journey. 

RAGE!

Marathons, something I got pretty familiar with. Now I am proud to have 3 Full Marathons under my belt. I wonder when will I stop, 10 Full Marathons perhaps? Till I'm 50 years old? Till my prospective girlfriend tell me not to?

That I'm not sure, but what I'm sure is that I'll run 2 more Full Marathons by the end of this year. That's 4 Full Marathons in a year. Creditable feat, if you ask me. 

To be honest, the gruesome distance is taxing and taking its toll on me. Probably I'll run till my body tells me to stop. This marathon was disappointing one for me personally, I didn't have sufficient sleep the night before - wrong move.

Geared with my ever-reliable Nike Free, digital watch, 2 Power gels, 1 bottle of Gatorade, I clocked my worst ever timing for 42km, 5 hours 26 mins when I expect to improve from my previous 4 hours 56 mins. I literally lied down on the floor for numerous times, my body's just exhausted. Never happened to me before, so I blame the lack of sleep.

As long as I've run, I'm always fascinated with the spirit of marathon. Those little things; runners helping one another when one experienced cramp, friendly gestures among runners, supporters lifting up the mood, there were even free breakfast offered around the 34km mark at Bukit Tunku. God bless these wonderful individuals.

Quick fact :

• Grand total of 22000 runners
• The marathon attracted more than 1000 foreign runners
• I ranked 566/1256 in the men open Full Marathon category
• 10km category is the most popular with 10000 runners participating

Warned, there will be a lot of pictures of me. I'm not exactly a narcissist but bear with me, haha. (it's my blog anyway :))

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Sincerely apologized for letting down some of my friends who were expecting my arrival at the finishing line. You know who you all are, sorry! 

Meet the UTAR-Sg-Long-Building-Run-Gold-Medalist-Kong-Yi-Ching and me haha.

Myself in the Finisher's tee and medal :)

Personally people say they enjoy running from experiencing "runners' high". For me, running is obviously tiring and somewhat torturing, the only "high" or satisfaction is felt only when I finish the run. 

So in order to reap the success of whatever you're doing, don't give up halfway, instead - finish it. 

Happy Father's Day, Pa!

I've written a Mother's Day blog post, I believe it is fair to write one for my dear papa too.

Meet the macho Lum Senior.

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The man I look up to and respect most - my father.

My father is more than just a man with big specs, frequently seen reading the newspaper at his favourite desk.

A quiet, calm and composed man he is, but he has taught countless number of lifelong lessons, important values, shaping the person I am today.

Your ability to put up to each and everyone's menace amaze me. Throughout 21 long years of my life, living with my father, no matter how furious he is at me, he never hit me before. Indirectly implying brute force is not the best solution. He scolds me, warns me the consequences of my wrong-doings all along. Pa, the way you brought me up opened my eyes. You seek the most rational solutions at toughest times, you teach me to realize myself - what is right and what is not. You taught me to be considerate, you taught me to be a better man.

Starting a family, raising a child is definitely no easy task. Having 4 children is definitely gonna be rough and tough. Despite all the headaches like household expenses, bills, debts, rising cost of living, and so on, you deal with them thoroughly. Pa, I look up to your work ethics, you never fail to put food on the table for the family. Unlike conventional fathers, my father actually lay his hands on house chores even after long day from work. Love the fact that you arrange frequent vacations for the family to spend quality time together. You also never fail to remind us the importance and ways of staying healthy.


Selfless man, my father is. The countless of sacrifices he makes for the family - invaluable.

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My father, despite his age (he's over 60), he stills indulge in weekly badminton! Did I mention he has an exceptional affection towards fish? Particularly loves tasting fresh steamed fish!  Lived through the 1970s, my father is actually a fan of Elvis, Beatles, Bee Gees and so on. So here's a clip of Bee Gees performing "Stayin' Alive", enjoy :)

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The root to the achievements, success of all of us (Wai, Cheng, Foong and myself) are all from the guidance from my beloved parents. No words can describe my gratitude towards their contributions to our lives, sincerely thank you.

I love you dearly, Pa.

Happy Father's Day to all deserving fathers out there!

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus?

Questions regarding heterosexual relationships have been surfacing every now and then, a never ending mystery. In fact, both genders actually have very different perception, values and practices.

For example, the topic of sexual fantasies. Generally, men have more visual sex fantasies, and most of the times genital-themed and filled with explicit visualization. Women, however, fantasize less than their male counterparts. They are less visual, less focus on genitals and more likely to construct a story with emotional feelings of a romantic encounter. There's a saying that, most men needs sex to feel wanted, while most women needs to feel wanted before having sex. However, it doesn't imply that all men are sex-craving beasts and all women are not nymphos. 

However despite the fact male and female are hypothetically worlds apart, we embrace each other's presence. If we put deep thoughts into it, such differences actually complete one another. For example, you like to cook but hate to clean. Your other half prefer to clean, cause cooking is alien to him/her. Things work out naturally sometimes, don't they?

Knowing the differences, both genders are actually seeking for the same thing from their counterparts;

  intimacy - the state of comfortable familiarity

In relationships, argument happens. Sometimes you feel your man is behaving like a total prick, or your lady is acting like a total bitch. Bear in mind, there's a reason that 2 people are called "A Couple". The usage of preposition "a" symbolizes singular unit. Each person in a relationship makes up 50%, 2 person making it a complete 100%. So, if you feel your partner is at fault, you might not realize you that you could be contributing 50% to the emergence of argument. It takes 2 hands to clap. When dispute happens, I believe both parties are at fault and should be responsible in rectifying problem with each other. Tolerance is the key.

Wouldn't you rather lose an argument than to lose your other half?

Make admends, clear the air if things are rough. Do not be ignorant and collect all the matters into a big-bad-bag-of-trouble, there's when you realize you're in a point of no return and being regretful and sorry is all you can do.

We can go on whole day debating on what men want, and what women want. What actually do we seek from our counterparts?

Men presumably the more dominant gender, is usually the breadwinner. They strive for achievements, recognition and reputation. Most of the time, man's business should not be interfered, sometimes you gotta let a man be a man. Excuse the egoism, men are born this way. However, men do have a soft side too, being by their side (but not appearing too clingy), knowing the way to their heart is a great way to compliment them. Ladies can be very vocal at times - it's good to voice out but if excessively, your words are redundant and could be whiny - something men don't fancy.

A female is deemed as the backbone of the dominant male, supportive, a figure of love and tenderness. But of course times have changed and females can be as successful as male or even more successful. Most women actually have simple needs; you don't need to catch a grenade or put your hand on the blade for ladies. Extravagant gifts, romantic candle light dinner are bonuses but not necessary needs. Ladies actually needs to be cared constantly, wishing their man put themselves in her shoes. Men, pay attention on the tiny details, fulfill them and your lady will be utterly contented. Example, a chocolate lover be brought to a chocolate fondue? Amazing to realize how small things can bring big joy. Simple yet complex player of this game of love.

In a nutshell, men want to be appreciated, women want to be adored.

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Good relationships don't just happen, they take time, effort, patience and two people who truly want to be together.

Single ladies and men - heads up. You might feel worthless to one person, but you are priceless to another. Never ever forget your value.

Lovebirds - adore, cherish and appreciate your other half. Express your love like there's no tomorrow. Never ignore a person who loves you, one day you might wake up from your sleep and realize that you lost the moon while counting the stars.

I sincerely want to grow old with you ;)

Adidas All24 AllRun - 4 hour relay

Adidas All24 is an epic scale celebration of style, street and sport! Among the competitive events are futsal, skating, basketball, dance-off, running and so many more! The condition of the event is it is open only for youths aged 24 and below, sorry oldsters :P. Held on the 4th June at Rakan Muda Sports Complex, Bukit Kiara.

Without must effort guessing, I signed up for the AllRun, with Louis, Murphy, Kaartig, Khityeng and Khai Sim. I find this format of race fun and enjoyable. After running 1.4km, we have approximately half an hour to recover, regain composure and run the following 1.4km lap.

Meet the Roadrunners :)

It is a 4 hour relay, with 6 runners in a team, we're required to cover as many laps of 1.4km as possible.

L-R : Louis, Khai Sim, Kaartig, Michelle, Murphy and myself.

The above picture display our running order, first myself, till last Louis. Knowing there will some of the country's top runners running, it is very unlikely to win top 3 places. Our goal was to have fun and we absolutely did :).

We completed 37 laps of 1.4km, which means we ran a total of 52km in 4 hours. The final result was we got 9th out of 45 teams, still top 10 pretty creditable :).

Lady luck wasn't on our side, Murphy, injured his foot a couple of days before the race. Determined and persistent dude he is, he ran 6 laps with a swollen foot! Hail his sporting spirit there.

At the starting point, right before the flag off.

Being the first runner, I finished the first 1.4km lap in 4mins 36secs coming back 4th. But later on the pace of other runners caught up and we can only afford to clinch 9th place:\.

Why you so smelly?

While waiting for Khityeng/Kaartig to complete their lap :)

Us- after the 4 hour relay :)

 Each of us ran 6 laps which equal to 8.4km each, but I ran an extra lap, covering 9.8km. Really enjoy the relay, fun to push and see how far we can run. A break from those regular relay races :).

This is Murphy and I waiting for our supper at SS2 Murni

That's all for now folks. I've got to go OCBC Bank tomorrow to settle my internship stuff. Woohoo sorry for the short and simple post, will be back ;).

On the hook.

Inspired by the ever comedic and entertaining series - How I Met Your Mother (Season 5 Episode 16), I'm here to share with you a very interesting term.

No, this is not a blog post about fishing.

On the hook

Definition : A person who is "on the hook" will be overly infatuated with another person. That person who is desired usually cares much less and sometimes take advantage of the person who is on the hook.

The person on the hook is hopelessly obsessed with the other person. The devotion is pretty much one sided. When you are on the hook, you usually think a lot about what the other person thinks, and would do almost anything to please the person they desire.

Ever felt as if the people you fall for never falls for you, while the people you are not fond of fall for you instead? Everyone has been on the hook, and of course kept someone on the hook. It's one vicious cycle.

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Person on the hook :

Being on one's hook comes almost involuntarily and naturally. The person you eyed or desired probably possess a specific captivating trait that you don't see in other people, an X-Factor perhaps? You probably are aware that the desired person is out of reach, but you still want to chase for it, falling for the 'bait'. Well, it's human nature to be constantly challenging ourselves right? We never know what we can achieve if we never take a leap.

Pleasing the person you fall head over heels for seems like the only thing you want to do. But honestly, look around you. You have people who love, appreciate and care for you! Wouldn't they deserved to be pleased and appreciated more? Never neglect the close ones around you, your family, your close friends - they are your lifeline.

Sometimes all you need is a wake-up call or a slap on your face (figuratively), don't be blinded by the desired person. You're born with good senses, put them to work! If you are wooing a possible partner, by all means, go for it, I don't mean to hinder it. Because if we never try loving, we never realized who we could end up spending our lives with, right? But at a point if you feel like you're clapping with only one hand and experiencing unreturned love, you should consider retreating. Hurtful but possibly wise move. It's better to be alone than to love alone.

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Desired person :
(I shall include 2 very desirable personalities of both genders to be fair to keep you reading :P)

Which of you girls are on hunky Ryan Reynolds' hook? ;)

Adriana Lima sure could easily get any men on her hook effortlessly ;)

Being able to have someone on your hook usually mean you're somehow attractive which could definitely boost self-esteem and ego. It's nice to know you're liked but sometimes if you abuse the feelings of the person on the hook, it is unethical.

If you have no interest on the person who is on your hook, cut him/her off early. Break his/her heart now before they get an even deeper wound. You might think being nice and playing along with the person who is on your hook is a better solution, NO. You're cultivating a bigger, more severe infection on them by misleading them. If you enjoy doing so, you're definitely cold-hearted, insensible and all the negative remarks I can think of.

If you have someone on your hook but you don't notice it when everyone else around you does, alarm your senses and be more alert. Never mess with others' feelings as you never want yours to be messed with, right?

Perhaps you can cut someone off by gradually showing them signals that you are not keen or interested. Sometimes don't give them even the slightest hope because a person on your hook will still hang on and be hopeful he/she will prevail one fine day. In most cases they won't, sadly.

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Are you on the hook, on someone's hook, or both?

Energizer Night Race - my 2nd 42km Full Marathon

Energizer Night Race 2011, despite being held at the majestic Sepang International F1 Circuit, it somewhat turned out to be a catastrophe. The discomfort, dissatisfaction, anxiety has led to participants venting their anger on the Internet such as this website on Facebook.

No point going too long-winded it since most of you probably read/watched video about the chaotic event :P.  From a personal point of view, my second 42km full marathon during was fine. I would change my description from 'fine' to 'great!' if it wasn't for the fact there are poor road marshals, cow dungs, and sighting of non-pleasant people :). Running 42km at the outside route made me miss all the chaos and drama happened near the finishing pit. When I came back 4 hours 56 minutes later, I was greeted by a dead town, with organizers or officials barely within sight. Going home empty handed (we were promised finisher t-shirt, medals, goodie bags) made me walk off heavy-heartedly in addition to my extremely fatigued legs. Energizer Malaysia took proactive action towards this 'fun run', pledging to post the respective goodies as well as refunding the fees. That is one bold appropriate move and kudos to Energizer Malaysia for taking the action to rectify matters.

On a positive note, I went with good company that night. I had Louis, Khai Sim, Hoong Yeap, Khit Yeng and Kaartig waited (patiently :P) and cheer me when I dashed my way though the finishing line. So nice right :).

This marathon, I was slightly better equipped, ate 1 Power bar, had 2 Power gels along the run and applied Vaseline around my thigh. The Vaseline simply reduces friction behind your pants and thighs to prevent scrapped skin that would be so damn painful. Having Gatorade every station was great! I think Gatorade simply rehydrates better, sorry (50+50) Plus - but I love to drink you too. 

Did I mention the Sepang Circuit is HUGE? When we returned from the outer route back to the circuit, we had ran like 36km already so I'm pretty exhausted by then and being greeted by a Sepang circuit that seems to never end almost break my heart. It was like baking-a-cake-that-never-turns-out-right/spending-hours-in-the-toilet-suffering-from-constipation/having-unreturned-love. Yes, it was that saddening. Glad I finished it anyway :).

Did anyone realize the moon was oh-so-beautifully bright that night? - makes it so hard to think and motivated by - you ;)

Fantastic Four ready to save the day

Heeee all smiles before the race.

Getting ready... - putting on the timing chip

Louis passing me a Power gel, sweet fella. Oh did I mention I love my car? :)

The sea of frustrated participants. Goodie bags were thrown to the crowd like the organizers were tossing fish food to the fish pond.

Sprinting to the finishing line with every ounce of energy I have left

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - 2nd 42km Full Marathon under my belt ;)

with Khai Sim and Khit Yeng. Don't be fooled by my expression I was dead tired!

Group shot before we all head homeeeeeee.

Hello guys, meet Kaartig with trannies behind him while we were having dipper(dinner + supper) at Williams.

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Turning my attention to my next 42km full marathon at Standard Chartered International Kuala Lumpur Marathon this coming 26th June. Weeee.

Before that, I've got 4 more final examination papers to sit for after finishing one this morning. Still I am here, blogging :p.

Going to run to Tanjung Tualang later on, to clear my mind before wrestling down International Finance, Commercial Banking Management and Banking Operation Treasury Management which figuratively resembles a very huge sumo wrestler to me. Beef it up, Meng Leong!

We'll make it through ;).

Volunteerism Run 2011 organized by Public Relations (Education) students!

As part of their course structure, Public Relations students are required to run a campaign, and one of them is organizing the Volunteerism Run & Carnival. Initially, I registered for a race namely Sg Long Building run, a competitive race that gives out medal (one of those things I never get bored of). However, something rather 'magical' or some would call it 'tragic', struck me recently. The incident that struck me made me feel like a small kiddo finally found his favourite long lost pillow. 

Sheer joy.

Ask me about it if you wanna know in details.

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Volunteerism run, which was held at Tronoh Mines Village slight off Kampar, is supposedly a charity run, non-competitive which the proceedings will go to building of a new library there. Noble cause by the Public Relations team. The Public Relations team possibly stamp their mark in Tronoh Mines history as the place never had an event or function of such magnitude - with so many people visiting Tronoh Mines. The Public Relations team practically just added Tronoh Mines in the 'personal map' of so many people as people are more aware of its existence.

Just right before the flag off of the run at the starting point, we were informed there are prizes for top 5 positions. My eye brows were raised cause as I was expecting a casual run. Anyway, I finished 5th in this 5km race, which was below the expectations of many. Competition for top places are getting stiffer, races will get better. Looking forward to race again to do better :). 

The CF running gang and I - early in the morning before the sun rises

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Here are a few scenic shots of the Tronoh Mines village ;

Sun rise!

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The starting line - some school somewhere in Tronoh 

1000 runners.. well done to the PR team for fishing so many participants :)

Pang!  - the village chief doing the honour

Running through the oil palm plantation

Smiling to the cheers by the water station :)

Sprinting to the finishing line!

Finish! :D

Guess who clinched 1st place for the female category? - the Block H cafeteria aunty :O

Resting and filling up survey forms

The carnival consist of games, food stalls, exhibitions etc.

Taking shelter by the ambulance :P

The prize won - Yee Hup sponsored biscuits. Later on I won a food steamer from lucky draw :).

Participants spectating the performances arranged.

Miau Miau (the actress from Ice Kacang Puppy Love) among the artist who entertained us and got us giggling.

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There a brief post, got to rush off to gym now. Tata!