No. 9 & No.14...

By Frank

Almost a year ago, I did my 9th marathon at the Macau Marathon 2009 which happen to be also my first official oversea marathon (Singapore not included). The result stands as my current personal best. And not only that, my friends all did wonderfully with Keat Seong running his first sub 4 hours marathon and Lynn running her half marathon personal best. Looking back at it now, everything of it came gushing back like a huge tidal wave. I really train for it, run my legs and life out for it and returned with almost a fond memory from the entire trip, not only from the race but the holiday with my friends. My 9th remains currently my best marathon but how I wish I can go back in time a year ago to have this trip repeated for I regret that I did not have something else done.

Memories of No. 9...

A year down the road, today I'm looking at my 14th marathon which will be the inaugural Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 happening this coming weekend (5 December 2010). A whole new sponsor, they promised a new route. Lots of marathoners were taken by it, and in the end, only a quarter of the route will be new, being Orchard Road where the start is, and the Sands Casino area. Nicoll Highway, East Coast Park and certainly The Padang where the end is, will still be part of it. And the best part, half marathoners will be running into Sentosa Island and the marathoners not. Such sad case indeed.

However, the above isn't the main reason that I'm not looking forward to it. Back in year 2008, when it was still known as Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008, though I ran a decent time, I had a nightmarish run. Myself and a good friend of mine agreed to pace each other hoping to finish the marathon in our best possible time. We started well together but my friend began to fall back after a quarter distance into it. I tried to pull my friend but by the third quarter, my friend asked me to go head. I won't forget that faithful moment when I had to choose to whether to wait or let my friend go. I chose the latter when a a message was passed down. I regretted with my decision that day, and probably till now too. Upon completion of my run, I waited and waited impatiently and finally was relieved to see my friend completing the run, though in difficulty, pain and sadness.

That unfaithful moment still remain fresh in me. The first time agreeing to pace a friend, I failed to do so and even failed in taking care of my good friend. Since then, I have not pace anyone.

Though I will be returning to the Singapore Marathon this year, all I can say is that I'm running as part of my training regime for my century distance. After all, I've registered for it and no point backing out now since transportation and accomodation has already been purchased. A quick splash and dash trip with Poh Seng, Keat Seong and Jennifer, I just want to get this over as fast as possible.

My 1st, 5th, 9th, 14th or any marathon that lies ahead, I would probably say now that my 9th was the one that I want to repeat it again should time travel is a thing to be made. Given the chance, I would want to relive the entire trip and to rectify the things I've done wrong, or perhaps not done at all.

K-Swiss Blade-Light Race...

By Frank

At the recent Kona Wolrd Ironman Championship 2010, K-Swiss officially introduced an arsenal of super light running shoes cater for racing, training and recovery. And thanks to them, I had the privilege of trying out the all new racer, the K-Swiss Blade-Light Race and to race in them at my recent Powerman Malaysia 2010. And after a 28KM long run and race with it, it's about time to give my review on it.

K-Swiss Blade-Light triplets...

The K-Swiss Blade-Light Race weighting in at 245 grams (men size US9), is a no frill minimalist racing shoe built with just meshes, overlays, rubbers, velcro and a few plastic. Nothing mumbo jumbo about it, though the inspiration of getting it design is rather "special" in a way. The construction of the shoe is all similiar with it's other 2 siblings, the Blade-Light Run (trainer) and the Blade-Light Recover (recovery compression shoe). It shares the same outsole and what is the difference is just the upper.

K-Swiss Blade-Light Race...

Lateral view of the shoe...

Medial view of the shoe...

The way the cheetah runs, fastest land animal on earth is the inspiration behind the blade designs. A close look on the blade designs on the outsole reveal 2 sets of blades. The forefoot area has its blade pointing 45 degrees to the back while the mid to hell area has it's blade pointing 45 degrees to the front. The idea is conceive from when the cheetah runs, the front legs are pointing to the back, while the hind legs to the front, hence the design of the blades. It may sound weird but it does really work if you are are mid to forefoot striker. The blade compresses and the energy return can be felt, at least for me hence a very responsive ride. The only downside of the blade designs is that it picks up small pebbles easily hence getting stuck in between.

Closer look at the blades...

The outsole construction is based on the K-Swiss exclusive K-EVA rubber with the Aosta II blown rubber covering one quarter of it. Therefore, three quarter of it is exposed K-EVA which may prompt a quicker wear and tear, especially for mid and forefoot strikers. And located in between the outsole and the insole, a layer of Superfoam EVA is stitched to the footbed for the extra cushioning hence double density foam goodness.

View of the outsole...

Superfoam on the footbed. Notice the ventilation holes for the extra breathablility...

And not to be miss is the 10 drainage ports on the outsole, part of the Flow Cool System to keep water out of the shoes. The ports are on a small side compared to the K-Swiss K-Ona C, but it still does it's job well. As for the main Flow Cool System, it's still located on the toe box and collar area, keeping the feet well ventilated and wet socks at bay.

Flow Cool System on the toe box and a closer look at the mesh...

The meshes and overlays are built on a 1 piece seamless construction, hence the good news for triathletes, no socks required! It's pillow soft but yet thin meshes will keep the feet really comfortable, just like wearing a well cushioned socks. As for the velcro fastener, it will shave seconds off during the transition. I swear by this for during my Powerman Malaysia 2010, I just slip the shoes on and off easily, on or off the velcro went, and off I went. Just don't try to get the velcro aligned properly as this is very subjective due to the different width of our feet. And when the feet swells up after all the pounding, just loosen the velcro and you are ready to go again. A downside on the velcro fastener is probably the inability to fasten a timing chip on it. Therefore, an ankle band to hold the timing chip is really required here for those using this shoe for pure running purposes only. One little cool feature is the pulley on the collar. Really like this nifty feature as it allows ease of putting the shoe on. In goes the feet, a little pull from the pulley, velcro on and you are ready to go! Fast!

Something werid about the fit though is the space around the toe-box. Even with my regular size on, the extra space on the toe-box is about at least half a thumb in length. A quick check with some K-Swiss athletes around the world and also some wearers showed similiar results. Whether is this a good thing or not, I had no trouble with it, though a triathlete I know did mention about problems during tackling of turns and corners where the toes tend to move around.

Overall, the K-Swiss Blade-Light Race is a fast and comfortable shoe indeed. Not only it's responsive, it will also help shave time off during transition and probably races too. And you don't need to worry about laces coming undone. The downside, the outsole wears out quickly too. Whether a 10KM, marathon distance or anything beyond, I'm pretty confident that this shoe will be able to stand up to the challenges.

The K-Swiss Blade-Light Race retails at a recommended selling price of RM369.00 and can be found at K-Swiss official store at Runnerz Circle.

Running The Century...

By Frank

84KM, double of the marathon distance is the furthest I ran so far and I did it twice. The North Face 100 Solo is in my to do list but sadly, I failed to qualify for it this year. Still fighting to get myself in, last week came the chance for me to topple off the 84KM distance.

A few days just before the Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010, I've received news that the Sundown event for next year will be divided into 2, the regular marathon and the ultra marathon. And the ultra marathon will undergo an upgrade to 100KM and scheduled to be held on 25 June 2011, a month after the marathon. I was thrilled! I know my source is reliable and by night time, it came true. Newsletter were sent out to past participants e-mails and soon, Facebook was flooded with it.


As of 19 November 2010, my new chapter in my running career started. In a matter of minutes, I was registered. 100KM, a century distance is on my to do list for the year 2011, and will be my Class A race. Completing this new distance is my main goal, qualifying for The North Face 100 Solo will be my secondary. Personally for me, the distance is doable especially on the road. But please be advice that this isn't the case for everyone. One shouldn't try this distance if they have yet to complete any distance above the marathon. And Sundown's game isn't on the easy side. One really have to fight the sleepiness to complete it. It takes physical and mental strength to run this tough and probably boring distance too.

And if any of the above mentioned has decided to register for the race, probably now it's a good time to think about training. It's about slightly more than 6 months till the race, and hope is still there provided discipline and sacrifices is part of the training regime. Unofficially, Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010 was the beginning of my training though it didn't go down well. But at least it redefine my mental strength and my pain barrier which I'm willing to undergo.

Training for an ultra isn't all about running. It's a total body workout if you ask me. Just keep running normal maintaining the usual weekly mileage averaging about 60KM to 70KM. But do try to run at least two or three times super long runs at the peak of training. That's the tip from my really strong ultra marathoner friend and I found it really useful without having to put my body into serious torture. Then beside running, resistance training will be really helpful too. Upper body and core strength is really essential when tackling the distance, and I do hope to get some actual packs out from my abdominal area (talk about serious thick skin here).

To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed that Jamie and Lawrence decided not to run it. I know they can do it, but I respect their decision for they have analyse through it wisely. I'm still pinning my hope on Yip though, though earlier news from him is that he won't be participating. But knowing him, he might just reconsider. And also Chin Chin and Poh Seng who personally I think, they are ready for it. But I"ll let them decide. They know themselves best. I do not know who will be my training mates this time, but I'm keeping my fingers and toes cross that I will find some that will go the distance with me, if not accompany me.

And with the race committed, it's now goodbye again to all those delicious food. :(

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010...

Event: Penang Bridge International Marathon 2010
Venue: Queensbay Mall, Penang
Date: 21 November 2010
Time: 2am
Distance: 42.195KM (42.28KM by Nike+ SportBand)
Shoe: K-Swiss K-Ona C
By Frank

Since year 2007 when I first started running, the word "Quit" has never came into my mind during my runs whether a marathon distance or even an ultra. But yet this morning, for the first time, I thought of it...

3.30am as the time I woke up on Saturday. Didn't feel too good as stomach was bloated with wind. Took my very own sweet time preparing myself before leaving for Subang Skypark at 6am to catch my flight scheduled at 7.10am. Bump into Chris who is on the same flight and running the quarter marathon distance. Had a good catch up with him before boarding the plane. Surprisingly, we took off 5 minutes earlier! Hooray!

Upon touching down at Penang, it didn't take long for Chin Chin to pick me up and we headed straight away for breakfast at a famous prawn noodle stall. Lie Wei and YannKai was already there waiting. The noodles tasted pretty good I will say, though it was on the spicy side. From there, we then proceeded to Chin Chin's home to unload some stuff before heading for some traditional toast and steam bread. I visited this place before at Campbell Street which I really like their steam bread. However this time, we waited a long time to get our order taken and somehow, my bread came out to be "disfigured"! Taste wise was still awesome though!

Next stop, Eastin Hotel as Luc has already arrived. The rest left to do their stuff while I check out Queensbay Mall with Luc before having a simple lunch. Then it's back to the hotel to prepare our race items before getting some rest which technically I did not.

My race gear...

5.15pm, I reunited with Chin Chin and Lie Wei and we headed off for dinner with Keat Seong Jennifer, Siok Bee, Carmen, Chris and Yvonne. A simple dinner then it's back to the hotel for rest. I turned in at 8pm but only manage to do into dream land an hour later.

Race day...
Didn't have a good sleep and manage only 3 hours. Felt sluggish and yet the stomach issue still stands. Breakfast wasn't too ideal too. By 1am, we headed down to the lobby to meet up with others like Keat Seong, Jennifer, Poh Seng, Karen, Mohan and more. Took a slow walk to the start venue and just hung around there.

The start venue was rather a busy but boring place with the emcee repeating the same old message till the start. I was hoping the organisers will play some motivational music to brighten up the race atmosphere.

At 2am sharp, with the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng present, runners were set off. I started fine but upon arriving at about 3KM, I started feeling really tired. My stomach felt heavy and my thighs and calves are still feeling the tightness from last weekend's Powerman Malaysia 2010. It's going to be a real challenge to complete this race, I told myself.

Back at Eastin Hotel which is about the 5KM mark, I was really wasted. And after 44 months of running, the first time thinking to quit came. "Why am I doing this when I can be sleeping through the night in the hotel?". Just when all the negative thoughts were coming, Poh Seng ran beside me. He encouraged me not to quit and just carry on slowly aiming just to complete the run. His idea did not struck me instantly but I continued on with him slowly disappearing into the distance ahead with Keat Seong.

Soon enough, I found myself on the Penang Bridge. And the first sign of the sky opening up soon came with the presence of thunder and lightning. The weather forecast did forecast a wet morning though.

Kept running till the u-turn point at the end of the bridge. I wanted to take my first stop at the 20KM mark but was shattered when I saw the u-turn point to be only just 16KM. I though it was 18KM as stated on the race information booklet? However, upon completing the u-turn, another distance marker appeared this time showing 20KM instead. I was confused!

This is also where Karen passed me. I tried to stick with her but slowly for sure, I was loosing out. Then the sky finally open up, big time indeed. Heavy rain and the droplets were huge. And to my suprise, Loke came beside me when I though he was already far ahead. As the droplets were huge, we ran beside the wall hoping it will shield us.

Then at about 21KM or so, came the defining moment. The rain help freshen me up and I was ready to pounce. And with the really wet conditions when other shoes began to feel heavy and squashy, my K-Swiss began to shine. I navigated through the runners like a possesed one and managed to catch up with Karen. She followed me closely and I welcomed her company. But my pace reduced again after 24KM. Probably just an instant boost from the rain.

Managed to find ice cubes with the medics at the bridge's mid span distance and use it to ice my thighs. Rain was slowing down but the roads was still very wet. With the bridge conquered, it's now the mentally challenging Jelutong expressway. At about 28KM or so, I spotted Jennifer walking. Pulled over beside her to find out that she is facing chest discomfort. Knew how that felt for I had experienced it before. And looking at how strong Karen was running, I guess the better option here was to keep Jennifer company.

Whenever Jennifer is ready to run, I did too. And she was leading it. We used signage and markers like street lamps to indicate where to walk and restart our runs, something which I use during my ultra runs too. We stopped at most medic stations to get our legs ices. I even stuffed ice cubes into my calf sleeves.

With each other's company, we soon arrived at the u-turn point at 33KM. One final long stretch back to the the finish line. Time wasn't the factor anymore for I just want to complete it. Though stomach isn't really well, I was hungry and looking forward to breakfast.

Meters and kilometers, it got closer. We are still walking and running till the final kilometer. We ran, looking forward to the finish although with ease as legs were giving way. Don't want to end our run in "style" and we just hobbled till we see the finish gantry. Good to see friends like Yim and Paul cheering by the side as we both completed our run in 05:06:28.

Collected our finisher's medal and shirt and then reuniting with our friends. I went to Poh Seng immediately to thank him for his encouragement. Karen was also there and she ran a superb first marathon in just under 5 hours. WELL DONE!

Front view of the finisher's medal...

Rear view of the finisher's medal...

Some quick photographing session and we then limped back to the hotel to get ourselves clean up before heading for breakfast. Luc ran around a 3:20 despite being unwell too. After breakfast, I rested in the hotel room. Luc left at about 10am while myself 11.45am for the airport where I hung around with Shine, Keat Seong and Jennifer before finally heading home on a 1.50pm flight.

All in all, despited not a personal worst, it's by far most my worst marathon experience. The condition I was in made it really difficult to run. Even experience runners falter at times like this and had to rely on others to see me through. At the end of the day, I'm just glad I still remain marathon "Did Not Finish" free!

Acknowledgements...
- Luc, for paying for the hotel room using his corporate account.
- Poh Seng, for encouraging me not to quit but yet to run slowly aiming just to complete the run.
- Karen, for the pacing together and spurring me up. And a HUGE CONGRATZ on completing her maiden marathon strongly and in style!
- Jennifer, for the pacing together.
- Chin Chin and Lie Wei for bringing me around during my short stay.
- And to many others I met during this trip and along the race, THANK YOU!

Powerman Malaysia 2010...

Event: Powerman Malaysia 2010
Venue: Seri Manjung, Perak
Date: 14 November 2010
Time: 7.30am
Distance: 11KM run, 64KM bike, 10KM run
Shoe: K-Swiss Blade-Light Race
Bike: Ceepo Katana
By Frank

My main race for year 2010 but one to be forgotten. :(

Travelled up to Seri Manjung late Saturday noon at 4pm with Chin Chin in my car. Poh Seng who is driving his own had Debbie with him. Journey started smoothly till we hit the mid of the trunk road when it started to rain. The traffic there was also on the heavy side due to a few lorries. To add matters worst, I was in need of the washroom! After about 3 hours driving, we made it safely and proceeded immediately to Leadview Hotel. Met up with my roommate Yip and unloaded some stuff before heading out for dinner with Chin Chin's Penang friends. Dinner was really good and I'm sure Chin Chin enjoyed hers as well as she really wallop it.

Back at the hotel, after unloading all the stuff and preparing my race gear, it was off to bed after cleaning myself up.

Race day...
I woke up really early at 3am due to coldness. Was trembling even with my blanket on. A quick check out the window revealed a wet morning. Kind of surprise here and I started hoping that the rain will stop in time, especially during the biking leg later.

Gobbled down my breakfast, cleaned myself up and by 6am, I'm all ready with Yip. Proceeded to the lobby as we wanted to avoid the bike traffic at the lift. The rain has lighten to a drizzle and both of us made our way to the race site hoping to be able to check our bikes in early. Sadly, that was not the case and we hung around the area chatting with friends.

At close to 7am, I started queuing up to get myself int the transition area. Checked in my bike and prepared all necessary stuff. While doing so, my friendly rival, Andrew hop by. A few friendly taunts here and there with a photo taken together, and we are off for warm up.

With my friendly rival, Andrew before the start...

At the race start, I had Poh Seng with me. 7.30am and we are off. Had a little difficulty heading out of the start area but soon spotted Lynn and Pat. Wish them luck and I broke free. Poh Seng followed me closely. Kept reminding myself to control my pace as I did not want to repeat the same mistake last year. 55 minutes for the first run is the time I'm looking for. Just about 3KM into the run, Poh Seng was already off on his own. Tempted to follow, but I did not. I stood with my own strategy.

At one point, the locals were barbecuing chicken and the smell was really "bad" (aromatic) for the duathles. Hahaha... Kept running, completing the first loop and soon re-entering the race site again for my bike transition. Leg was still fine, completing my 11KM in 00:51:39! That's more than 3 minutes faster than I wanted too but still slower than last year. I will take it.

Bike transition was a mess. Everything went on well except my bike shoes. The double strap plus 1 lock took me some time to put them on. I had to stop twice while pushing my bike out due to the shoe loosening. Sigh... Took a cup of water, clip on and I'm off. Spinning on low gear first to get my legs moving and once out on the main straight road, it was game on.

Down I went on the aerobar, and slowly switching to high gear, I went for speed. The aero helmet helped a lot here when I managed to reach speed of 41.2KM/h (the only time I checked my speedometer). The wetness on the road was fine as it has started to dry up but sadly to say, the road condition was bumpy due to cracks. And at a certain point, I had to battle head and side wind. I was swaying left to right and it was really scary considering the speed I was going.

First bridge, second bridge and then disaster struck at the third. While climbing the long steep Raja Permaisuri Bainun Bridge, I stood to climb. Was really surprised Andrew managed to catch up with me here. The climb was bad but when I got to the top, it was speed again going there. However, I guess damage was done as just slightly ahead, my left calf gave way. Going at high speed on the fast lane and then slowing down was really dangerous and it took me some time for clear road to pull over to the side. Yes, I was forced to stop as left calf cramped up. Really really early still in the race and I was wasted about 3 to 4 minutes here.

Back on the bike, the leg wasn't itself anymore. Twitching all over my left calf sending signals that it may give way again. I can't push anymore and I know my Class A race was over. It was all about nursing it and to complete the race. I lowered my gear and just pedalled. The aero helmet did not help anymore and I just concentrated on the road ahead.

Completed the first loop in 01:03:31 and I'm off again for the second. Average speed has dropped to 29KM/h and dropping even further. More and more cyclist overtook me including one on a Ceepo Viper! Just before the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Bridge, Sunny caught up with me and kept motivating me. I swear that she is such a good cyclist! I'm glad to have her company here. We switch places a few times as I played around with my gears. Zooming ahead and then slowing back down. Soon, Raymond too caught up and the 3 of us pedalled together back to the transition area for our 2nd run.

Disaster struck again as I had problems getting my bike on to my rack due to the athlete beside my rack sitting on it. I told him about it but he was simply taking his own sweet time putting his running shoes on. Luckily the other athlete on the rack beside was not back yet, and I quickly do what I can first as I did not want to stop too long. Left calf was already signalling me and I quickly slip into my running shoes, removing all the bike essentials from my back pocket. Then I screamed to that guy again who is still putting on his shoe when I'm already ready. He now noticed me now and apologised. I shifted my bike into the correct position and off I went running.

Emma was at the side of the exit area cheering and she tip me not to stop running. I have no plans on stopping either as I know it will be disastrous should I do that. "Small strides, small strides", I told myself. The weather was hot now. I was already grinding my teeth as I run as it was plain horrible. Legs were really tight and even my right quads is showing signs. Entering the side of the race site, I told the marshall to splash water on me which he did. It was really refreshing as it was cold. Surprisingly, he apologised but I gestured to him that it was a job well done. My shoe was all wet here but I had confident in the moisture management system.

Just after completing the first loop, Chin Chin passed me. She was in great shape and I took the opportunity to follow her. About 4KM to go. "You hang on there legs" I told myself. At the last kilometer, I spotted Pat and gave her a thumbs up before I went for it. I was really glad to see the finish gantry and just made my way happily through it completing my second Powerman with a time of 04:08:21, a new personal best.

Chin Chin followed closely behind and I took an opportunity to have a photo taken with her at the finishing area, congratulating all our friends before heading straight for the fruit stall to replenish my sugar level. Did not want the same thing to happen last year when I went fuzzy. A few more photos taken with friends and I waited for a while at the finishing area to wait for a friend. But I was forced to leave as I knew Yip was waiting for me back at the room. I forgot the drop the keys in at the lobby.

Chin Chin and Poh Seng who both did really really well. Maybe it was the black in them...

With super supportive Emma (noticed some of her gear) :) ...

With June Yew, an uprising star in the triathlon scene...

Showered, packed up and went for lunch before making our way back to KL at about 4pm. Overall, a very simple race trip. As for the race itself, though a personal best, I was left utterly disappointed with it. However, things like these do happen I will take it and learn from this experience. What may have cause it, I'm not sure. But one thing for sure, it's the same muscle that gave way during last month's TNF 2010. Could that be the cause?

Front view of the finisher's medal...

Rear view of the finisher's medal...

Acknowledgements...
- My sponsors K-Swiss, BV Sport and Key Power International (Ceepo) for the gears provided for this race.
- Chin Chin for keeping me entertained during the long drive to Seri Manjung and congratulations for completing in the top 10 with a very good time.
- Poh Seng for the convoy and company together, plus congratulations on an amazing result.
- Yip for being room mates again.
- Sunny and Raymond for the morale support given during the race.
- Tony for making the arrangements for accommodation.
- Emma for the cheers and support.
- Andrew on the friendly rivalry. And a HUGE congratulations on a HUGE improvement!
- And to others not mentioned above, you know who you are. THANK YOU!

"Du"ing It Right...

By Frank

With the Powerman Malaysia 2010 barely a week away, I should be into tapering mode. However, how do I taper if I have not train well. Sigh... But still, it will remain my main race of the year, but should I fail to hit my target, so be it. There's always another Powerman.

Only done 3 brick sessions, 1 main and 2 minis. Compared to last year, although the "jelly leg syndrome" is still there, I guess it's much more manageable now. If the weather permits tomorrow evening, probably I will do 1 last mini brick session. Longest run was done the past Friday with my TNF 2010 team mate, Jamie revisiting the Newton 25KM route. We extended our run to 28KM visiting an unexplored territory for me, hills, hills and more hills. Though it was a killer run, I managed to complete it fruitfully while testing my new race shoe for the upcoming race.

To my race gear now, as mentioned above, I received a new race shoe for this race from my sponsors. The K-Swiss Blade-Light Race coupled with race apparels. The apparels which are for running which will be used in my next marathon, but in this Powerman, I will race in the tri-suit given earlier ago. As for my bike, the Ceepo Katana is now race ready as described by Daniel from Specialized Malaysia. It was fine tuned and cleaned up by the boys there and now looks spanking sparkling clean! The one thing I worry, puncture. I now have a phobia after suffering it twice and not knowing how to change it. The boys at Specialized Malaysia did gave me some tutorial on changing but I guess I will need to perform some hands on one of this days before the race.

And in this year's race, an old friendly rivalry will be reignited. My battle with Andrew Chan! Hahaha... Andrew who is a stronger cyclist pass me last year but I made my move on him on the run, thus finishing just barely ahead of him. This year, Andrew if you reading this, let's see what you have up your sleeve! *wink*

Collected my race kit yesterday at the collection centre. I was there to exhibit my products with dad and Jamie helping me out. Had a really good time meeting all the athletes. And besides, Melody and her people from Quick Release really know how to treat us well. I had a good time chatting with her during dinner not only on the race but on other matters too. She's really an amazing dedicated person.

But anyway, my diet has to be clean for the next 6 days. Diet has always played an important role in my race result. And let's hope that it will go well this time too. Before signing off, here's wishing all Powerman duathletes, happy tapering! Oh and ya, although I did Powerman Malaysia last year, but how do I get to Seri Manjung again? 0_o"