 |
| Source: http://runinja.blogspot.com/ |
Pardon me on my super dusty blog, filled with all the cobwebs and all sorts of dirt... Remind me to purchase Methods products for the spring cleaning purpose... #lawakhambar
Hello there to all my fellow readers and loyal followers, my brothers and sisters of runninghood. It's still not too late for me to wish Happy New Year 2014 to all of you out there.... Boy, it was a hell of a year full of events for me in 2013... So now I`m determined to tone down the number of events for 2014. Instead I want to increase my mileage of training for this brand new year... Quality over quantity always triumphed, so they said...
Here are some of the statistics of my running journey in 2013:
 |
| My medal collection for 2013 |
(2) Total running events DNSed: 3 (NTV7 Feel Good Run - clashed with Seremban HM, Rock 2 Rock Run - too far away, registered for the cool Hard Rock event tee only, Live Great Run - Had to take a break, joined too many back2back events)
(3) Total mileage for events: 774km++
(4) Total mileage for training: 1000km (Did not see this coming before. Thanks to Dailymile! ^_^)
To make things simple (simple la sangat!) and sweet, I`ve enlisted some of summary of all the unpublished, outdated entries for our future reference. Blame it on me for joining all the events, almost every week from September until December 2013... Goshhh! I have to admit I was insane at that time... Luckily I escaped from any major injuries during that crazy months, except that I did suffered some mental fatigue during Newton Challenge Run 2013, the closing event of 2013. Enough is enough... T_T
(i) Back 2 Endurance Ultra 2013 (57km)
For the record, it was my debut attempt to express the Ultra genes inside me. Thus to gauge how far can I push myself to break that Ultra Virgin title too. It was held in Lake Garden (LG), Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 13 October 2013. The rule of thumb was pretty simple, I have to run as many loop as I could around LG during the 12 hours Ultra run. After 12.30 pm, we have to run the route reverse. Since it was 2.3km per loop, I had to run at least 22 loops on order to get a Silver Trophy (51 - 78km). The weather was super awesome throughout the event, overcast and cloudy even around 11.30 am. Had a KFC chicken rice for lunch. Thanks to Sis Suzie and her support crew for all the buffet spread. Running this Ultra Loop Race was super mental. It felt like don`t over analyse, just do it, Aizat! Until now I could still felt a wee bit traumatised to run at LG because of the mental loop. LOL! Not only it was super mental, both of my feet felt like burning from pounding the uneven pavement and hot concrete at some part of the route. I completed 57km for my first Ultra Race from my Garmin in 10h:25min:29sec (pace 10:57). Took 2 hours++ for lunch break, quick stop at the gazebo and toilet break twice. All the details is HERE.
 |
| Fun KFC Chicken Rice for lunch with fellow Le Sabuns Comrades |
Yes, I was taking a HUGE risk for doing a Back 2 Endurance Ultra a week before this event but I had to do it since my mileage was quite low and under training after SCKLM. Thank goodness I did pretty well for my 7th Full Marathon to date (6th) for 2013 as it was a wet and wild run. The weather was cooling as it was windy and started to drizzle around 12km. It rained several times along the route! Luckily I've decided to wear a Teddy Bear beanie cap, which kept me warm throughout the night. Credits to Mis Fid for her creative masterpiece. Eventhough the route was super boring, especially the grueling mental loop circa 30km, but I managed to soldier on. It took me by surprise when I saw some familiar faces at KraziRunners impromptu kedai runcit aka pitstop. Special thanks to Sis Nannoor the Glam Marathon Mom, Datin Elegant Sis Millie and Kak Betty Mak Buyong yang Super Supportive and Sis Hanim my Running Idol for the cold Ribena! I reached the 42.1954km distance in 5:46:39 (Garmin time) 5:51:41 (Net time). Not that bad lohh... =P
 |
| Papa Bear In Action... Semuanya semata-mata demi Finisher Tee yang fuchsia ittew... =P |
 |
| This medal was way nicer than the BSN PNM finisher's... Finally one for a photo with WARs! |
This was my second time running this event after the first one in Singapore last March 2013. Even though it was a just a 15km race, the route was littered with lots of undulating rolling hills making it even harder and more interesting for the hill huggers It was a heavy downpour at the start of the race but us runners will have run it rain or shine. The tarmac was wet all the way making my socks and shoes drenched wet in the end. Thank goodness it was just a 15km run or else both of my feet will become whitish and kembang like a duck feet! Hahaa... The highlight of this rainy run was the Mayor Hill. Some of the runners even name it Mother of all Killer Hills or Bukit Iblis for its neverending 1km incline after KM11-12! Totally insane and mental I tell ya! I was forced for a power walk twice during my way up. It turned out that it was the official residence for the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. The view from the top was breathtaking! I was surprised by this tormenting Mayor Hill. Successfully finished my run in 1:47:45. Not bad for a fat guy like me... Hohoho! Oh this race was also a reunion run for four of us, the Fantastic Four (Me, Rashid, Azim and Faiez B.) after our 2XU Compression Run in SG.
 |
| This is my MRSM PDRM Junior, Cikgu Budin nama diberi... Tahun nih nak nikah dah weh! hahaa... #seniorkertutaklaku2 |
 |
| Fantastic Four Team Reunited in KL! Well done guys... |
(iv) Maybank Wild Tiger Run (9 Nov 2013, Taman Rekreasi Bukit Jalil, KL)
This was my second 10km run of 2013 after Adidas KOTR. I've decided to put some fun element in my run this time around as I've heard there will be some cool prizes for the best dressed runners. So I was thinking of wearing a cute Tiger beanie earflap with stripes mitten. Thanks to Mis Fid for her creativity juices and intricate craftsmanship, I got second place as the fastest runner in a cute Tiger costume after Sis Guy! They had to choose only ONE best dressed winner in a Tiger costume so we were asked to do our Tiger Walk and tried to impress the audiences. The person with the loudest shout/cheer from the crowd won the contest. In the end, Mr Fazli aka Harimau Ganas won the Bodyshop hamper, while the rest of us won a consolation prize, a tiger tee and a 16G pendrive. How cool is that! Personally I didn't expect to win anything at all at first. Hahaa... Some of the runners took a picture with me, some of them even borrowed my sweaty Tiger beanie and wear it for photo taking session! Hmmm I was surprised that I was being interviewed for a Kids Show in RTM2, I think. She asked me on the importance of preserving the wildlife, especially our Malayan Tiger for the future generation. I was a bit nervous too.. Camera shy la katakoan LOL! Oh, back to the race event, it was a lil bit hilly route. What do you expect, it's Bukit Jalil! It reminded me of my Brooks HM route at some of the stretch. Thank goodness it was a overcast morning, so running in a Tiger beanie earflap was doable. It kept my head warm and cozy at first. I crossed the finishing line in 1:07:56... Ok lah kan... Hiks! =P
 |
| My 1st TV Interview with RTM... Jenuh nak speaking ok... Hantam sajala labuuu! =D |
I have to admit that it was impromptu back2back event after the Maybank Tiger Run date was changed to Saturday, a day before this Salomon X-Trail Run. This was a must join event if I had to choose between these two events. Who could resist for not to run the muddy trail of MARDI-MAEPS jungle, especially it was held right at the backyard of my office. To make it more challenging, it was raining the night before this race. So I was expecting a super muddy terrain of the trail route. After the 2km of road, I was running into the nasty climb of MARDI Trail Jungle. The relentless inclines were unforgiving but I need to suck it all up and soldier on. However I was disappointed when the they diverted the actual route due to the landslide after the heavy downpour on the night prior to the event. This results in the under distance of the race to 7km. However we met lots of the running Sifus and friends on that Sunday. I've decided to top up another 15km of LSD right after the run since PBIM was just around the corner by that time... =D
(vi) Allianz Penang Bridge International Marathon 2013 (17 Nov 2013, Penang)
This was my 7th Full Marathon of 2013 and 8th to date. To make it even sweeter, it was my Anniversary FMV Run. To top it off, I've decided to wear my brand new Marathon Maniacs vest on my Anniversary Run! Yes, I was awarded the MM #7618 for running 3 FMs (BIM, RJM and SCKLM) in 36 days. I would never thought I would be running on the same old bridge again last year as we were promised that new bridge will be ready for the run by then. However for safety precautions, the event was held on the old bridge for the very last time, hopefully! I felt blessed running my Anniversary FM Run because it was very cooling dawn. It was all windy and rainy on the bridge, unlike last year! I really enjoyed it so much. I ran along with my MM Comrade, Mr Yahya Iskandar from Kuching on that bridge. Unlike the previous year, the Jelutong highway dragonback loop felt less mental as I could already expect the U-Turn. We were lucky because it was still dark even around 8 am! The sun was too shy to come out and play on that very morning! Advantages for us to run strong all the way. The horrendous merge with the 10km/HM runners was not that bad this time around. I finished my run in 5:41:22 (Garmin time) 5:47:45 (Net time). Officially it was a PB @ PBIM for me! My timing was the same as Pamela Anderson's in the recent NYC Marathon. Yayy LOL!
 |
| With the most Gorgeous Runner, Miss Aeda... Tumpang feeling Gorgeous sat... LOL |
(vii) Standard Chartered Half Marathon Indonesia (SCHMI, 24 Nov 2013, BDS Tangerang, Jakarta)
Honestly it was my first running event in Jakarta, Indonesia last year. I was intrigued to run SCHMI because of the inexpensive registration fee and I would love to soak in the running atmosphere there in Indonesia since I've ran in Hat Yai, Thailand last May. Although it was a well known StandChart running event, it was quite a small scale event where there were not many of Half Marathon runners spotted at the starting line. I went there early to acclimatise with the Jakarta weather. I was told that it wasn't raining for the past 3-4 days so I was expecting a bright clear sky race on that very sunny Sunday. I collected the racekit at the Standard Chartered tower in Jakarta. The heavy congestion aka "macet" was totally insane on that Friday. It took me almost 4 hours in the vehicle from the airport to reach the racekit collection centre in time. @.@ Fast forward to the running day. I reached the starting venue just in time for a brief warm up and we were flagged off 5:30 am sharp!The route was pretty flat and simple. The traffic control was awesome. Even the water stations were aplenty with isotonic drinks at some stations. I was touched to see some of the poor locals were collecting the plastic cups that have been thrown by the runners at the road side. I think they will wash and sell it back. We were running around the elite guarded neighbourhood before I could see there's a golf course nearby and the U-turn point was not that far. I reached the finishing line exactly on 21.1km with the time of 2:25:32, within my targetted time of 2:30. Yayyy.. 13th HM (5th in 2013) to date safely in my belt. Still need to train hard to reach that 2:15 and above. The best part after any run was the makanthon, where I could savour the super hot Indonesian dishes like Ayam Penyet and Nasi Ayam Bakar etc! @.@
(viii) TM Fan Run 2013 (1 December 2013, POJ, Putrajaya)
In support of the Malaysian Contigent to the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar last year, TM Fan Run was held in Putrajaya. We were being flagged off by our beloved Youth and Sports Minister, MP Khairy Jamaluddin. There were not many participants in the 15km category as there were many other running events coincided on that day. I wore the same Tiger beanie earflaps, mittens and matched it with my Team Malaysia Panthera running tee. Now Abam Tiger was ready in action! LOL... It was a hot morning for 15km runners. I was sweating profusely due to the purr-fect combination of morning heat and hot beanie cap! @.@ I was struggling to keep up with my own pace...Hahaa! Finally I managed to crossed the finishing line under 1:41:55... Phewww! After the run, as usual I took several picture with the usual suspects, my instant "fan" cum FB friend, Che Nurul AH and surprisingly Kieran, a DJ from Hot FM. Hihii.... Happy2 run indeed....
 |
| Me, Nurul AH n Fazli... =D |
(ix) Back2Back Energy Efficiency Run 2013 (7 Dec, Putrajaya) & GM Klang Run For It 7
(8 Dec, Klang)
First of all, I did not expect to run this EE Run at all. It was a very last minute thingy, thanks to Abam El Zaffril for the extra running bib. But still Rashid accused me for being over dramatic LOL! Ah well, it was a freaking good 7km speed workout as it was 100% flat like a pancake route and a wee bit under distance (6.42 km only). Met lots of Tortoise Runners here alongside Kak Lina and hubby, Kak Lily. It was a fun after run photo ops! The best part that it was a FREE running event with a generous goodie bag and a nice running tee from Brooks! Woot2... Lavits! Later on the night, I went back to POJ to show up and keep on cheering my running buddies during the 12 hours Ultra Walkathon. How I wished I could camping out there supporting them through the wee hours but I have to catch some of my beauty sleep for my running event on Sunday... Zzz
As soon as I woke up ,I was still feeling restless and some parts of my feet (hamstring, glutes) were still sore from the horrendous EE Run. Nampak sangat dah lama xtraining speedwork... LOL... Amik hobat! Fetched Zen in KL and hurriedly rushed to GM Klang before 5:30 am. Sempat lagi sesat sekejap walaupon guna Waze ok! Dang! Thank goodness we arrived there by 5:10 am! Could not meet Fong at the starting line as she was a little bit late. I just gave my best and ran with my heart on that day. The route was just nice, flat all the way with a mini incline at the flyover. I was running towards Port Klang and around the neighbourhood. Saw one runner sat at a tree circa 13-14km with several runners stopped to help him and called for the ambulance nearby for help. Poor fellow. Hope he's doing okay afterwards. I was confident to break my PB (2:23) before I had to face a mental long stretch of road around KM 17-18. It felt like forever to reach the end of the road! Goshh... I was relieved to hit the finishing line in 2:25:44. I was more than satisfied considering I didn't had any cramps or blisters along the route. And that's my 14th HM (6th in 2013) safely completed.
(x) Ayutthaya Marathon 2013 (15 December 2013, Ayutthaya Thailand)
I've been dreaming of running around historical ancient ruins like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Borobudur Temple in Indonesia and Bagan in Myanmar before. And this marathon came at the right time. It was an inaugural running event in Ayutthaya last year. Plus, the registration fee was quite cheap, just like Hat Yai International Marathon, which costs RM70.00 only. After some consideration, I immediately booked my flight tickets, accomodation and asked my MM Comrade, Gila Bola @ Golf Karim to register it on my behalf since he was working in Bangkok at that time. I went to Bangkok on Friday and had a lovely Thai dinner with him. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Sir! Do remind me for my lunch/dinner treat in KL ya! Since this is a solo runcation trip, I had to do all the homework by myself. I took a minivan in Victory Monument to Ayutthaya at 1 pm and reached the Ayutthaya Tourism Centre for racekit collection around 3.30 pm. After I collected my running bib and the cotton event tee, I bought some running shorts. It was quite cheap and comfy =D . I went around to look for a Thai Muslim food for a late lunch. Luckily I found a small Muslim nearby. The owner was very friendly when he knew I was a Muslim from Malaysia... He helped me to get to my hotel. Blessed your souls, Brother in Islam. His food was awesome and I tapao-ed some for dinner too.
 |
| Had a warm up run around Lumpini Municipal Park, great scenery, lots of people running/jogging/walking/ taichiing too |
(xi) Petzl Trail Night Run 2013 (28 December 2013, Putrajaya Challenge Park)
This was my third trail run after Deuter and Salomon X-Trail. To make it more interesting and challenging although quite dangerous, it was held in the darkness of night. The route was totally challenging even at the first two kilometer especially when we had to run across a dark field with long grass uneven ground littered with lots of big stones and muddy puddles. I even witnessed a guy fell down right in front of me! Goshh... Need to be extra cautious while running there. As we entered the oil palm trail, there were many puddles of mud everywhere. It was definitely inevitable! I just ran through it like a trail freak. LOL! The trail section was awesome, it reminded me of Deuter! The undulating incline and decline really pushed my limit. I could hear my heart pumping like mad! It felt like forever to get back at the finishing line! Then again I had to be extra careful for the sharp twigs, stones and slippery trail. I met Rashid and Azim around KM7-8 and Rashid was not fully recovered from his viral fever. He seems struggled to keep a steady pace. I managed to crossed the finishing line in 1:21:49. Could not be any happier! I was totally hooked to running in a trail... =D
(xii) Newton Challenge 2013 (29 December 2013, Bandar Kinrara 5 Puchong)
This was my final running event of 2013. To make it even worse/insane, I registered for 25km before the Petzl Trail Night Run event was being announced! I drudged my way to BK 5, felt a bit sleepy Zombie-ish around 5 am. We were flagged off at 5.30 am sharp! There were also some appointed pacers for the designated timing. I was running sluggishly knowing that I should not push myself too hard so I took it easy. The first 10km was done in 1:09-ish, so far so good. I started to feel the fatigue was creeping on me after KM14-16. It was drizzling a bit by this time and the weather was awesomely overcast! My mental started to crumble and hit the wall as I could feel cramps accumulated around my hamstring. I kept on soldier the nasty hills and remained positive to hit the 21km distance asap! I had to run uphill at Gerbang Kinrara Residence to reach to the 21km mark. I was feeling restless and lacked of electrolytes as I only had one Hammer energy gel on KM12. I was so grateful when Tri Stupe offered me his Endurolyte while his wifey, Aileen offered her drinking water. It felt like a heaven sent! I could not thank them enough, I must say.. T_T Finally I reached the finishing arch in 3:13:17, worse than my 2012 timing of 3:07! @.@ Ah well, there's always reasons to repeat this event in 2014... =P Well done to all my runningmates for ending your 2013 with a BANG! Pat2 on the shoulder...
 |
| Only Four of the TotisThoners were running on that very fateful day... =D |
 |
| P/S: SAYA MEMANG GILA MARATHON!!! This was my first interview for Utusan Malaysia on running... LOL... #sayatumpangmnyebukjenih... =P |
Ciao bella!
