Running Again...

By Frank

The route to recovery was a tough one. Tough because I wasn't able to do the things I like to, running. Nevertheless, I guess all was worth it as I rewarded a quick recovery since fracturing my right patella slightly more than a month ago, a few days before running the Great Eastern Pacesetters 30KM 2009.

Ever since going down with the injury, I was barred from doing most exercises that I do often. I even had to postpone my personal training sessions for at least 2 weeks. And though I did allow my right knee to be casted, I still had to wear a knee guard over it to help stabilise it as I move around. Not a good sight to behold and certainly not very comfortable. I was told by the doctor that I will be sidelined by at least 2 months. All I had in my mind that time was absolutely blank, except the thoughts of my friends and also what will become of me after 2 months.

Then a miracle happen. A second scan done 3 weeks after the first revealed that I was recovering well, that it even amazed the doctor himself. I was allowed to run a little, as in a light jog and also to perform some resistance exercises although being a seated version. Though it was certainly great to hear, I decided not risk it and stood back for another 2 weeks before I resume my training again. I started with resistance exercises using my trustworthy Gym In The Pocket resistance band before starting to run again today with an easy 5KM run, to start things off. It certainly felt weird to move the legs again but I was glad that there were no discomfort and that my fitness level isn't really badly affected. And yes, I wasn't even wearing the knee guard to run too.

My injury this time has taught me the importance of being patience. I have to admit that I was demoralised with it, but I was glad I had really good friends that stood by me, cheering me up and sending me e-mails. Thank you all of you! I was really tempted to run thinking that I will be able to substain the pain, but I was wrong as I failed trying on one attempt which I eventually gave up after running for less than 1KM. Morning on weekends allowed me to sleep longer though I did appear on one Saturday at the regular "Platinum car park" to catch up with my friends.

How did I recover so fast? Instead of 2 months, I recovered in just slightly more than one though it's not a full recovery. I will guess it will be plenty of rest coupled with the intake of food and supplements. Due to my nature of my job, I was allowed plenty of rest, just like athletes laying off when they are injured. Not forgetting that I was spoilt with food choices during the recent festive season and certainly took in a lot. I'm sure it certainly help "nourish" my injured patella. Not forgetting the supplements too which I had doubled the intake amount. Though not cheap, I was glad it really help.

Anyway, I'm just glad to be back running again. Time is certainly running out for my Sundown Marathon 2009 preparation. With short races this coming few weekends, I hope it will help in regaining my full fitness as I resume my adventure again. It's great to be back!

Launch Of Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009...

Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 Set To Take Off In June With The Aim Of Being Sustainable
RM 350,000 biggest ever cash prize for a marathon in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 20 January 2009 – The inaugural Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 is set to place Malaysia on the global map of marathons by being a sustainable event. Following in the footsteps of eight successful Standard Chartered Marathons spanning four continents, the Race offers the biggest prize money ever for a marathon in Malaysia (RM 350,000) with a guaranteed prize pool for Malaysian runners.

Octagon, a division of CMGRP (M) Sdn. Bhd and Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad officially launched Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009, today. The launch was officiated by the Minister of Youth and Sports, YB Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob. Endorsed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 is also sanctioned by the Malaysia Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

YB Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri said in his speech,

“Our vision at the Ministry of Youth and Sports is to develop an active, healthy and energetic community. Specifically, we aspire to realise this by making running an accessible sport for all to enjoy.

A world-class, international race such as the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009 lends support to this goal by fostering the spirit of excellence not just among professional athletes but among all Malaysians, from the youngest to the oldest of them.”

Octagon who are specialists in sporting events worldwide, aims to attract 12,500 participants for what is expected to be the marathon of the year. Ivan Brixi, Managing Director for Octagon in Asia, elaborated,

“We aspire for this race to become a race for everyone – professional athletes, amateurs, families with children, corporate and NGO bodies and anyone who wants to be a part of something fun and inspirational.

We have every intention to make this Marathon a sustainable one – both by “greening” it and through the charity element. This means we will do our best to use recyclable materials where possible for the runners’ giveaways and encourage KL to become a car-free zone for the day. Indeed we will do everything in our power to reduce the carbon footprint of this event.

The Race will start from Merdeka Square on 28 June 2009. The route for the marathon will showcase some of the capital’s most famous landmarks, making it an ideal attraction for tourists and out-of-towners.”

Julian Wynter, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad said,

“We are very excited to add KL to the Standard Chartered series of marathons. In all eight countries where we sponsor Marathons, each has created a real buzz amongst the marathon-running community globally and we know that Standard Chartered KL Marathon will be no exception.”

“Standard Chartered Marathons characterise the values and attitudes we believe in and live by every day – having a can-do attitude, the courage to try, and the stamina and determination to go the extra mile, no matter what. They also embody our Right Partner promise to our governments, our communities, and our people – to help our communities grow and prosper.”

Octagon’s goal is to establish the Standard Chartered KL Marathon as the best in the region and to ultimately achieve the Silver and Gold recognition from IAAF within the next 5 years.

Octagon proudly welcomes Standard Chartered Malaysia as the Title Sponsor and MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd as a Gold Sponsor in the Insurance category. More sponsors will be announced in the coming months.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Standard Chartered Malaysia
Karen R Yap, Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs +6 03 2781 7257
Karen-R.Yap@standardchartered.com +6012 292 6780

For Octagon: Weber Shandwick Malaysia, at 03-7843 3100, or;
Alina Morais amorais@webershandwick.com (017 323 3078 / 03 7843 3125)
Suninthini Ramalo sramalo@webershandwick.com (012 635 6351 / 03 7843 3131)

Standard Chartered – leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad, a member of the Standard Chartered Group was established in Malaysia in 1875 and locally incorporated on 1 July 1994. As Malaysia’s first bank, Standard Chartered leads the way through product innovation, consistent and strong growth performance and sustainability initiatives. It provides a comprehensive range of financial products and services including retail and wholesale banking for individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, corporate and institutions through its network of 37 branches across Malaysia.

In 2001, Standard Chartered established a global shared service centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to provide software development, banking operations and IT support services to the Bank in up to 70 countries – the first international bank to do so in Malaysia. It now houses the biggest software development company in the country, International Software Centre Malaysia (ISCM). Standard Chartered’s two other global shared service centres are in Chennai, India and Tianjin, China.

Another wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, Price Solutions Sdn. Bhd is also located in Malaysia. The company promotes and markets Standard Chartered’s financial products in Malaysia through a network of direct sales agents.

Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad, its Islamic Banking subsidiary was established in November 2008. It offers a comprehensive range of Shariah-compliant products and services to individuals and corporates through its first Saadiq financial centre (branch) located in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

Standard Chartered employs more than 5,000 employees in all its Malaysian operations.

Octagon
At Octagon, sports and entertainment are our passions. And it's been that way for nearly five decades. From a foundation in athlete representation dating to the 1960s to the emerging as one of the first agencies of its kind to offer strategic consulting, Octagon has been a thought leader and agent for change in sports and entertainment content marketing. Octagon globally has 900+ employees in 18 countries and works with more than 500 of the world's top companies and organizations. Worldwide, Octagon manages more than 5,200 events and $3 billion of investment in activation of sponsorships, ranging from entitlements of major properties to grassroots events.

Octagon represents over 800 athletes and celebrities. Our services include career and financial planning and management, securing endorsements, managing and creating ties to the community and cause related programs. Contracts negotiated by Octagon for athlete clients are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Octagon also manages a variety of sports properties with a principal focus on tennis, golf and running. Some of the major properties managed by Octagon in Asia include Beijing International Marathon (China), Toray PPO Tennis Championships (Japan) and World Cup Gymnastics (China) amongst many others.

Octagon in Malaysia is a division of CMGRP (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD a registered company under the laws of Malaysia. CMGRP (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD is a member of IPG (Interpublic Group) a company listed on the NYSE stock exchange and a communications giant globally. Octagon Asia Pacific network spans the world’s most populous and dynamic region. Our regional headquarters are based in Beijing, and we have a growing network of offices in this region across 8 countries serving the sports community.

We have established our offices in Malaysia recently and we believe that in this dynamic and growing economy we would be able to help the growth of sports industry through our expertise. We are committed to our growth and our goal is to assist the overall sports development in Malaysia.

Run Mechanics...

By Andrew

Here's to share a video I stumbled on YouTube. May seem simple but some may still be landing on their feet wrongly.

Run Mechanics by Marc Baker of Go Faster Training, Inc.

Project 84...

By Frank

It is said that the first marathon is the toughest. From a certain point of view, I have to agree on that. However on another aspect, I have to say that it is my most memorable. Of all my 6 marathons done to date, my fourth marathon which is the Sundown Marathon 2008 is still regarded my toughest. Tough due to the unforgiving race route and the race time which is done during the wee hours.

After running for almost 2 years now, I guess it is time that I take up the challenge of running something beyond the marathon. And since I won't be able to earn the title Ironman due to my incapability to swim, I would just stick with the discipline of running. And beyond the marathon is of course the ultra marathon. Due to the large scale of how the Sundown Marathon is organised, I decided to sign up for it for the second time. This time, the difference is that I will be competing in the ultra marathon instead which will cover 84KM! That's twice the distance of the marathon and running the route twice. It will be my first, though I do not know whether will it be my last, as Geraldine once told me that I should never say it's the last of everything.

I have registered for this event since December 2008 but decided to keep it to myself and also among the "Platinum Runners" only. Took me a while to decide on it, but I guess that it is do or nothing. It is decided since the day I ran my first marathon that one day I would like to run an ultra, at least once. And having to receive tremendous support from the "Platinum Runners", it certainly gave me the boost that I really needed to conquer this ridiculous distance. And I will remember the tag line of "Frank Boleh" (meaning Frank Can) given by Lynn. Thanks all my friend.

Friends who will be running the ultra marathon along side me will be Luc who is attempting his first too, Victor his second and also Mohan and Seow Ping who has both ran a few already. Besides them, I'm also glad that Lawrence, Chin Chin and Lynn all signed up for the marathon. With them around, training will certainly be much easier and not to mention fun. And not to mention that I hope we will be travel mates together and no doubt, it will be great to have them waiting at the finish line too.

A glimpse of the 2009 running top...

With 116 days to go till the race, training will undoubtedly start soon for me, in fact in a few days time although I'm currently down with my knee injury. However, training isn't necessary all about going out to run. It can be anything from planning, resistance training, rehabilitation, a strict diet and also even rest. It takes both physical and mental to click. Technically speaking, it's a change of lifestyle.

With the coming of my soon to be toughest race, I need to take things both seriously and lightly too. To be discipline and not to go overboard at the same time. Although my main goal is to complete the race and that timing isn't a factor, I still hope that I will be able to complete it in the fastest time possible. From another point of view, less time means less suffering.

Hence with this, I commence now on my Project 84, on route for 8.30pm, 30 May 2009 where the Sundown Marathon 2009 awaits me and my friends at Changi Village, Singapore..