Day 3: Larian Bersama Bomba 2008...

Event: Larian Bersama Bomba 2008
Venue: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur

Date: 10 May 2008
Time: 7.30am
Distance: 10KM (10.93KM by Choi's Garmin Forerunner 205)
Shoe: adidas Response Control 7
By Frank

I missed last year's Larian Bersama Bomba due to a boil I suffered. So it will be first time participating in this run. Although I'm very optimistic about this run as I had been improving positively, I just got the feeling that I miss the medals by a few placing. The medals offered for this run was for the top 75 runners. And to get it, I must complete it within 53 minutes based on last year's results. To find out if I managed to get myself a medal, read on...

It's Day 3 now since I received the adidas Response Control 7 from the adidas shoe seeding program. Having tested it on Day 1, I guess it's time I put it to race test. I arrived at Dataran Merdeka at 6.45am and to my suprise, the place was already packed with runners. The usual parking spot where I park my car has already been taken. Got no choice but to park at the basement car park which costs me RM4! Met up with Ronnie who arrived at 5.30am. So early! As I did my warmup and stretching, the gang arrived. Adam, Chen, Choi, Hong, Lai FS, Ryan, Saiful and Geraldine all came except for Kenny who was late. He overslept. Haha... And so after all of us were done with our warmups, we proceeded to the starting area after having our group photo taken. I entered the staring area with Choi and we chatted a for a while, while waiting for the even to be started. This loosen me up a little. Kenny then arrived just in time. Ben who is running too saw me and called me. We both wish each other the best out of this run.

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Group photo before the run...

And so at 7.30am, runners were let off. I had trouble getting a good start as I was blocked by slower runners. Adam and Kenny started cleanly and I told myself not to loose them. I tried get myself an empty running space in front of the slower runners and I managed to do so with Choi just right behind me. I was running at a comfortable pace of 6:00/KM. Didn't want to start off to fast after what happened at the recent Olympic Torch Relay Fun Run. After the short hill climb after JKR, I began my race pace. As I entered the Kenny Hill area, I started overtaking runners around. My pace was averaging around 5:10/KM here and I felt floating on air. This made stride bigger than usual. All thanks to plyometrics. I managed to overtake Chen, Lai FS, Ryan and Tay Poh Chye here. I really felt good and strong here, and hope this will go on. But I know it's going to be tough at the front once I enter the Duta Highway. At around the 4KM mark, I overtook a Malay runner but he managed to pace by my side. I didn't mind as this helps each of us and he doesn't pose any problems for me. At the 5KM mark, I began to free myself from him as I approach the refreshment station. To my disappointment, only plain water was served. There was no isotonic drinks.

After the refreshement station is where the real challenge began. As I entered the Duta Highway, Chen overtook me back. I know I will struggle at this part due to the vehicle fumes plus the hill climb. I'm still able to see Kenny which I did from the start but now he is already like 20 seconds in front of me. I didn't want to lose him so I tried to maintain my pace but I know I'm starting to slow down. As I approach the Indian Embassy, I suddenly heard loud running foot steps from behind. At first I thought it was Lai FS. It gave me some pressure but a good one as I increase my pace back again. But in the end, that runner managed to overtake me and he was Tay Poh Chye. Haha... Soon later, Choi overtook me too. I guess I'm slowing down a lot already. But then, Yaziz came into my picture with 2KM to go. He gave me some encouragement and we managed to pace each other for a while before I broke away from him at the last climb at the Jalan Parlimen flyover. After the climb, I can feel that fatigue is taking over me. I tried to push, keeping Choi and Tay Poh Chye in my sight. As I arrived at the Bank Negara roundabout, Yaziz overtook me. I guess he really wanted to win me this time after what happened at the recent Bidor Half Marathon. Hehe... As I made my way to the finish line which was in the middle of the field, all I can hope for is the best as I had already did my part. I crossed the finish line at 00:52:52 and I was thinking whether do I stand a chance to get a medal. As I queue to receive the certificate, I asked a Malay runner who was 2 places in front of me on his position. He showed me his position card which was 75 and with that, disappointment took over me. Sigh... I missed the medal by 2 positions!

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After the run, tired but yet still smiling...

Though I didn't manage to get a medal, I was extremely happy that today's timing was my best for a 10KM race. And hey, this race was 10.93KM as recorded by Choi's GPS sensor. That made me even happier. To me, medal isn't everything. As I long I did my best, and the results shows, that's all that I can ask for.

The certificate of participation...

So how did the adidas Response Control 7 performed? It was very comfortable. The light weight helped a lot especially during the closing stages of the run. And even without geoFiT, my ankle was well protected especially when I took the corners. But as the shoe was still very new, I suffered a slight blister on the bottom of my right feet, but not serious. I guess I have to run in the shoe a bit more. The unsteady heel which I complained 2 days back seems to have disappear. Not sure of the reason behind it, but I gues could be the terrain of the route. So overall, I can now certify this shoe suitable for a 10KM race. Well at least for me.

But that's not the end for today. I will still have a midnight simulation run for the upcoming Sundown Marathon at Putrajaya later at midnight. And not forgetting the World Asthma Day Jogathon tomorrow morning. It's going to be tiring but I just take it as a training at the next 2 runs. And besides, it's going to be fun with all the familiar faces around for the midnight run. So, I'm signing off here for now as I need my rest.

Day 1: Responding To My Call...

By Frank

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adidas Malaysia...

I'm in need for a pair of training shoe, one that at least can do a 15KM run. I was eyeing at the new adidas Supernova Control 11 where I first saw the sample at the recent KLIM08 race kit collection day. But then, came the adidas second shoe seeding program of the year. I was very happy with the previous program and so, I decided to participate in this round too. Made an appointment with Krishnan and together with Ronnie, Kenny and Saiful, the 4 of us drop by at adidas Malaysia's office this noon. After informing on our feet size, Krishnan brought 4 pairs of shoes out. And here's the story...

The shoes...

The 4 shoes were the adizero Tempo, adizero Mana, Supernova Sequence and Response Control 7. I was presented with the Supernova Sequence due to the fact that I'm a mild pronator. However, after testing out each pair, Ronnie felt that the Supernova Sequence suits him better. I offered to change with his Response Control 7 as the shoe of suits me too, although I got to admit the Supernova Sequence was just excellent. But I believe Ronnie's feet can be pretty choosy on shoes, so I sacrificed. Hehe...

Details on the Response Control 7...

The adidas Response Control 7...

And so, I got my hands (or shall I say feet) on the adidas Response Control 7 for my second shoe seeding program. The shoe is a basic entry level model for the training/competition range. Not so much of high end technology built into the shoe. I love the colour of the shoe as it came in shades of white, metallic silver and red. And compared to the previous adidas adistar Cushion 6 I've got for the first program, this shoe is light. Here's a little background of the shoe's technology before I continue on.

adiPRENE: The main absorber at the heel.
adiPRENE +: The absorber at the forefoot which is also used for toe-off.
adiWEAR: A durable outsole used at high impact areaa.
FORMOTION: Acting as a suspension system provided by 2 plates at the heel area. And with it, the 2 plates moves around to adapt to the ground at every heel strike.
TORSION SYSTEM: A stabilizer used to provide arch support.
pro-moderator: Used by motion control shoes to limit the pronation of the feet.

One very interesting thing I found out was that, upon taking out the insole, I actually found out that instead of the usual adiPRENE 45 used on the inner rear heel sole, the LITESTRIKE 55 was used this time. Not sure on the diffrence though. But hey, let the running do the talking here.

LITESTRIKE 55 at the inner rear sole...

The weather was good today and training was on at Lake Gardens with Ronnie and the rest of the gang. And so, I slip into my new adidas Response Control 7 and away I went. First thing I felt was, the toebox was so roomy! I can move my toes around. Nice! But the heel area was pretty hard! Not sure was this due to the LITESTRIKE 55 or was the shoe too new? But as I ran, it felt better. The pro-moderator worked very well and I can certainly feel the support between my arch and heel. One thing that got me a little worried about was the stitching. As all my adidas shoes came with the noseam technology, the Response Control 7 didn't come with it. I was afraid of blisters or cuts that might happen but luckily it did not. Actually, it felt pretty nice except that the shoe isn't that well ventilated compared to my other adidas shoes. I miss the holes! Another concern of mine was the heel strike. Although the 2 FORMOTION plates were present, the mechanism that sits within it is missing. I'm not sure whether does this contributes to it, but I felt the rear sole to be moving too much. It was't really steady at every heel strike I made. Hmmm... But anyway, I felt really happy with the shoe as I ran pretty comfortable with it at a fast pace today covering 7.5KM. Here's a little summary of my early Day 1 test of the shoe:

Pros
1) Comfortable and light weight. No fancy high technology used.
2) Excellent pronation support by the pro-moderator although just only at the heel area.
3) 2E width suits those with wide feet.
4) Handsomely designed.

Cons
1) Ventilation could been better.
2) Heel area appear to be unsteady.

Pronation support by the pro-moderator...

The 2 FORMOTION plates...

The missing inner FORMOTION mechanism...

I'm happy with the Response Control 7 as it suits my requirement for running 10KM or max 15KM. I don't think I can run anything more than that in this shoe. Although the shoe is still new and have yet to run-in, I felt confident in it and might use it for this weekend's 10KM Larian Bersama Bomba 2008. How will the shoe fare in a race, only this weekend will tell. Till then, stay tune for my report.

And before signing off from this entry, I would like to thank Krishnan and adidas Malaysia for allowing yet another opportunity for me to participate in their shoe seeding program.

Group photo (From L-R: Saiful, Kenny, Ronnie, Frank, Krishnan)...

Story Of Ryan And Alicia Shay...

Please take your time in viewing this inspiring and touching video about the late Ryan Shay, Alicia Shay (Ryan Shay's wife) and Ryan Shay's family on life after Ryan.

Part 1 of the video...

Part 2 of the video...

Labour Day, Labour Of Love (Pain)

Event: Labour Day, Labour Of Love (Pain) LSD Run
Venue: Bukit Aman carpark, Kuala Lumpur

Date: 1 May 2008
Time: 5.00am
Distance: 30KM (30.32KM by Jamie's Garmin Forerunner 205)
Shoe: adidas Supernova Cushion 6
By Frank

It's a cool Labour Day morning and I was up as early as 2am to catch the Champions League semi-final second leg match beween Liverpool and Chelsea. Sadly, Liverpool lost. But hey, I'm not to here to talk about footie. This is a running blog!

After KLIM08, most of us has been slacking on our long runs. My recent Bidor Half Marathon 2008 can be considered one actually, but the pace is very different. It's a race after all. Therefore, in conjunction with Labour Day, Jamie organised our first LSD run for our upcoming Sundown Marathon at our usual Bukit Aman to Hartamas route. However, those who are interested were welcome to join us. He named the LSD run Labour Day, Labour Of Love (Pain) run. Haha... Seriously, I like the name. There were 2 "categories" for this run. The first being the 30KM runners scheduled to start at 5am, while the second being the 20KM runners scheduled to start at 6.15am.

I decided to put on my adidas Supernova Cushion 6 for this run. Despite not wearing it for quite some time already, I still find it very comfortable. And besides, 30KM is no joke if I were to wear the heavy adidas adistar Cushion 6. Me together with Geraldine, Jamie, Choi, Cheang, Kit and Tey were in the first batch and we started off around 5.10am. I had Geraldine to run side by side with for the first 10KM. We were chatting along the way and this made my run relaxing. Didn't worry about my pace too much as quickly enough, we found ourselves at the Petronas station at Hartamas already. Jamie managed to caught up with us and we did 4 loops around the petrol station so that we can cover till 30KM later. Geraldine did only 2 loops and she went off by herself. By the time we completed the 4 loops, we covered a distance of 13.2KM in a time of 01:22:35. We took a breather at the Petronas station and rehydrated ourselves while waiting for Choi, Cheang, Kit and Tey. And when they arrived and have rested enough, we continued our adventure.

This time however, it was the start of a lonely run for me. Jamie has up his pace and I just couldn't keep up. Back at the income tax building, I met up with the second batch runners doing the 20KM distance. They were Ronnie, Tay Poh Chye, Stanley and a few whom I don't know. I did one loop around the income tax building and upon doing so, was rewarded a view of a beautiful rainbow formed up in the sky. What a pleasant view and I managed to share it with Choi who was just behind me before we made our way back to Hartamas again. Bumped into Geraldine just before reaching Petronas. Although I'm tempted to stop to rehydrate myself at the station, I didn't as I wanted to keep going. Jamie who was there with Ronnie and the others took off as I arrived.

As I left the station with Tey, Choi too checked in followed shortly by Kit and Saiful. At this point, I can feel my quads aching already. It felt very tight. Didn't want to give up as I had already come this far. Besides, I have Tey just behind me to add a bit of pressure. Hehe... But he slowed down once we reached back at the Duta stadium, and soon I lost him. So I was all alone from here all the way back which was like 5KM more to go. So in the end, I made it all the way back in one piece, and was greeted by Geraldine, Jamie and Ronnie who had completed their run earlier. And so my time for the total 30KM was 03:05:51.

We all did our warm down and stretching while chit chatting, and once Choi is back, we all gathered around him as he showed us the 2008 Saucony model which was just one word, OUTSTANDING! And before we all left, we took a group photo to to mark a successful LSD run on Labour Day 2008, one with lots of love and pain.

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Despite running 20KM and 30KM respectively, we are all still smiling...

Bidor Half Marathon 2008...

Event: Bidor Half Marathon 2008
Venue: Dewan Muhibbah Bidor, Perak
Date: 27 April 2008
Time: 7.00am
Distance: 21KM (20.38KM by Polar RS800sd S3 footpod)
Shoe: adidas adizero Tempo
By Frank

Bidor is a small town approximately 140KM from Kuala Lumpur. The town is famous for it's herbal duck noodle, guavas and also chinese biscuits. But that's not the main reason I visited the town for over the weekend. In fact, I went there to run the Bidor Half Marathon! A half marathon in an unknown race route. How will I do? Read on...

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The race kit collection centre, a tailor shop...

And so I left KL yesterday morning with a total of 15 (11 ladies) of us including myself, Andy and Kee Fong. I do not know the remaining 12, as it was my first time joining them and honestly speaking, I only knew Ben Swee, Yee Hua (Ben's wife), Yen Erl and Fook. And even these 4 person, I only knew them through their blogs. But it's one of the wonders of running that I managed to meet up with these people and in the process to be friends with them. The journey from KL to Bidor took us less than 2 hours and upon arriving, we went to collect our race kits. It was a simple process at a tailor shop. It was done in a brisk and after that, we went to have the famous herbal duck noodle for lunch. And it was also here that I introduce myself to Ben and Yee Hua. I was suprised that Ben actually know my name and he reads this blog. I felt honoured. Lunch was good. It was my second time trying out this herbal duck noodle. The first time was many years ago and I wasn't too impressed with the dry version back then. This time, I ordered the soup version and it was better. And so after filling out stomach, we left for Kampar, where our hotel is located.

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Streets of Bidor...

Bidor's famous herbal duck noodle...

Kampar is around 30KM away for Bidor. Why book a hotel so far from the starting point? Well.. I guess there isn't any hotel at Bidor and besides, this is actually the official hotel for this event. The hotel is called Grand Kampar and it is very nice considering the location of it in the small town of Kampar. 3 rooms were booked, 2 for the ladies and 1 for the guys. I bunked in with Andy, Ben and Fook and our room was just simply amazing. Everything was so well placed except the (air con) and it was spanking clean and huge! For RM160 a night, I could stay for another night longer. Hehe...

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View of the room the guys room/suite...

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Kampar and it's surroundings...

After settling down, we explored the rest of the hotel visiting the swimming pool at the roof top before we proceeded on to the town of Kampar and also to some lake just beside Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. With most of the places explored, we returned to the hotel to clean ourselves up before heading back to Kampar town for dinner. We tried the famous curry chicken bun here, and it was certainly tasty. But I didn't want to risk it as I know I be running the next day, so I just tried some potatoes in it. And it was during dinner time, that I actually chatted with Ben about both our running stories and also our job. He is also a free lance personal trainer like me. I was simply blown away upon hearing his running career. Not only into runs, he also cycles and swim. He is after all, an Ironman! We continued chatting even after dinner as we made ourselves into the night market where I eventually lost contact of my driver Kee Fong. Haha... But soon afer locating her, we all went back to the hotel to call it a day.

Kampar's curry chicken bun...

27 April 2008. Race day... I woke up at 3.45am freezing as the air con temperature was set to 23 celcius and both the vents are blowing directly to me! As everyone was still asleep, I slowly clean myself up and had my breakfast. Soon, it was 5am and everyone was up getting ready to race. At 5.40am, we left for the race venue. The starting point was filled with runners and music was playing softly into the silent morning. I reported in and was given a nifty Nike wrist band. I warm myself up and did some stretching while waiting for Ronnie and the other Pacemaker's arrival as I was holding their bibs. After passing them their bibs, it came down to race time. The half marathon was scheduled to be flagged off first at 7am.

And so, after a short speech by the organisers, the race started. A few days before the race, I read Ben's blog and he mentioned that he would like clock 01:40:00. I was tempted to pace with him to achieve that time or somewhere near. But in the end, I was glad that I didn't choose to pace him as I thought about it seriously. "I am not at that stage yet", I told myself. I need to be realistic. And so it happen. Just 200M after the race started towards the second corner, Ben called me as he overtook and just disappear towards the front. He's fast! And so it all came down to my race strategy, to run negative splits. I remember Jamie mentioned before that a second makes a big difference while running a marathon. Although this is a half marathon, I decided to give it a try. I started off at a comfortable average pace of 6:10/KM, with every kilometer increasing my speed by 1 second . The first 10KM was pretty flat except for a mild climb on the bridge. The scenery was beautiful as runners was treated with the scenic views of the mountains. I ran all the way to the end without any problems which was the 5KM mark. Just before the U-turn, I saw Ben making his way back. He is running at a very relax pace and still manage to smile back at me, while all I can do is just to give him a thumbs up. I just can't smile like he do while racing and all I can offer is just what I call a "pancit" look. Hehe... Soon, I was greeted by the first refreshment station there and I took my first PowerBar Gel as I made my u-turn. Bumped into Andy after a while and just like Ben earlier, I gave him a thumbs up.

As I run my way back, I overtook this lady runner at around the 9KM mark. However, as each time I overtook her, she increase her pace and overtake me back and this happened for like 5 times or so. But it all ended as we arrived at the 10KM mark which was the start of the hill climb, as I increased my average pace here by 2 seconds faster for each kilometer. And although it's a long hill climb, I find it pretty comfortable. I wasn't struggling. I guess all the hill training paid off. Shortly in front, I bumped in RunWitMe as he is making his way back from the 10KM run. He took a photo of mine. Thank you! I also bumped into Kee Fong. Actually, she called me as I didn't notice her as I was in race mode. This second part of the half marathon route is all hills and although it's isn't very steep, it's a long climb as we run deeper into the so called oil palm forest heading towards a waterfall. Bumped into Ben again as he makes his way back. At least this time besides a thumbs up, I managed to inform him on his position. But still at the cost of a "pancit" look. All the way to the end, was some rocky dead end and I did not see any waterfall. The refreshment offered at this u-turn was H-Two-O by Yeo's. Took a sip and it taste weird. And so, I saw the last 5KM distance marker and this time, it's downhill. I increased my pace again, this time 5 seconds faster. I bump into most of them as I made my way back. Yee Hua and Yen Erl looks tired although still running strong. Fook still looking good. But the big joke was Andy as he was cursing all the way up the hill. Haha...

Caught in action by RunWitMe...

I took my second and final PowerBar Gel at the second last refreshment station at around the 17KM mark as I got ready to unleash my everything. And at the last 3KM, it's all out from me. Not thinking of how many seconds to shave off my average pace, I just went. I overtook a malay runner but he managed to stay behind me as I can hear his breathing and footsteps. Out of a sudden, he overtook me back with 200M left to the finish line. And with that, I suddenly remembered the torturing speedworks training I had with Ronnie and the rest. "I must put that to good use now", I told myself, as I let all that is left in me out. With just around 30M to go, I managed to overtake him and managed to complete the half marathon in position 25 clocking 01:55:10, a first sub-2 hours for my half marathon, a new personal best! And I dedicate this victory to a friend of mine, Andrew, who is currently (at time of entering this entry) warded at Sunway Medical Centre for pneumonia.

How I overtook Yaziz...

(video courtesy of Ronnie)

As I warmed down and did my stretching, I caught up with Ben. He clocked a time of 01:37:36 at position 9 and was awarded a trophy. NICE! Ronnie joined in too later and he informed me that the malay runner that I was racing with earlier was Yaziz, the same guy at my KLIM08 finishing video. Haha... I met up with him too shortly later. Took a few photos together while I waited for the rest to return. Half an hour after I completed my run, came Andy. He "drifted" into the scene at the last corner and ran like Speedy Gonzalez towards the finish line. The way he ran was so funny that I would really like to see it on video as Ben did manage to capture it. Hehe... And so with everyone back safely, we return to the hotel to have a good shower before checking out from the hotel to have our lunch before bidding farewell to Bidor and Kampar.

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The 15 of us from KL came and conquered Bidor...

Front view of the huge beautiful finisher's medal...

Rear view of the finisher's medal...

Certificate of achievement...

And so, Bidor Half Marathon 2008 came to a successful end. It was a great event organised properly with minimal complains from me. They even had a commentator at the finish line commentating on almost every runner running towards the finish line. And not forgetting the nicely designed finisher's medal. It was the biggest medal I received so far and it was heavy. They even sealed the certificate. Smart of them as they know that our palms will be sweaty after a long run. Anyway, overall kudos to Bidor Runners for successfully organising this great event. I shall be back for more!

Olympic Torch Relay Fun Run 2008...

Event: Olympic Torch Relay Fun Run 2008
Venue: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 20 April 2008
Time: 7.30am
Distance: 5KM (5.82KM by Polar RS800G3 GPS sensor)
Shoe: adidas adizero Cushion 6
By Frank

With the Beijing Olympics 2008 just 109 days away and also being the Olympic torch is now here in Kuala Lumpur scheduled for a relay tomorrow, it was certainly a must to have a running event which relates to it. The Olympic Torch Relay Fun Run 2008 is much more of a fun run for most people, but some took things seriously as there were medals offered, 20 medals each for the men and women categories. As for me, I took it as my speed training for my upcoming runs.

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Group picture with the Pacemakers before the run...

I arrived at Dataran Merdeka as early as 6.30am and found a great parking spot. Ronnie arrived shortly and we chatted for a while before the rest of the runners arrived and we made our way to the starting point. Before the race started, we actually had the chance to catch a glimpse on the actual Olympic torch which was just stunning. At 7.30am sharp, we were let off. I started very fast and managed to follow closely behind Lai FS and Ryan. After a short flat route, runners was greeted by the first hill climb behind Bank Negara. I attacked the hill as part of my training. I was going very strong all the way till around the 3KM mark when disaster struck. Side stitch came on my right side and I swear, it was the most painful side stitch that I have ever encountered. I guess the change of gradient and also my pace caused it. However, I still kept running. I was still very near Lai FS and I was actually hoping to complete the run with him side by side. But then, as I entered Jalan Parlimen near to the Lake Gardens entrance, I just couldn't bear the pain anymore. I slowed my pace down and nearly wanted to start walking, which I didn't. I continued running slowly as Lai FS eventually just disappeared in front. I struggled all the way to the finish line completing the run in a time of 00:30:56. Not a very good time for a 5KM run but then, I checked my GPS sensor and it recorded 5.82KM! With this, I'm more satisfied with my timing. Ronnie informed me that my estimated position is 72. And also, congratulations to Geraldine as she complete the run on the number one spot in the women's category.

My finishing video...

Certified Olympic runners, in a way...

Overall, the run was pretty ok except that it was pretty dull along the way. Not many runners participated too as it was announced late. But anyway, the certificate of participation is certainly very nice. Probably the nicest running certificate I received to date.

The bright orange coloured certificate of participation...

Polar RS800sd/G3...

By Frank

I received my Polar RS800sd a week before KLIM08. The “sd” version meaning the one with the foot pod also known as stride sensor. The package came with the wrist unit, heart rate monitor, chest strap, foot pod, infra red communications link with cable and the Polar ProTrainer 5 software.

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The complete package...

Being a former user of the Polar RS200sd, switching to the Polar RS800sd is a major upgrade. Not only the wrist unit is way much sleeker and sexier in design, it sure tracks lots of data including altitude with a barometric altimeter built into it. The way the wrist unit is designed is very similar to the Polar RS400sd except for the difference in colour. It is light weight and very ergonomic it fits my wrist without any discomfort. I even felt that the built is tougher but yet lighter than my previous RS200sd.

The wrist unit...

The heart rate monitor is now built on a new technology call the WearLink W.I.N.D. transmitting at the 2.4GHz channel which is interference free. With it, it also solved the issue of crosstalk while running too close to other Polar users. The chest strap is now softer and instead of a clip on system, it uses a hook now, which allows the whole strap to be secure on the skin rather than one part being the transmitter back panel. This prevents irritation on the chest caused by the transmitter’s back panel which I suffered during my Polar RS200sd days. And not only that, the fabric is now lighter that I can hardly feel that I am wearing one.

The HR monitor with the chest strap...

The foot pod is now known as the S3 stride sensor and is also built using the W.I.N.D. technology. Currently, only the Polar RS800 is using the S3 stride sensor. Having switch from the S1 foot pod, it sure was a big difference, as it is the smallest and lightest Polar foot pod to date, just slightly bigger and thicker than a RM0.50 coin. It not only tracks distance and speed, but also strides rate and length. My first use with it was at the recent concluded KLIM08 running a full marathon. The S3 recorded a 42.95KM distance without calibration. I will say it is pretty accurate as I did run on the outer loops on a certain places and also going zig zag overtaking runners. After all, Polar did state that it offers 97% accuracy without calibration and up to 99% if calibrated. And these distance sensors are very subjective as the way each runner runs is different. One thing that annoyed me was the lithium battery. Although Polar claimed 50 hours of usage and is user changeable, I still find it a lot of hassle in buying those types of batteries and also changing it. Therefore, I will only use the S3 in my full and half marathon races.

The S3 stride sensor...

Now with all the basic units looked into at, here’s the final unit, the Polar G3 GPS sensor which I just got it last week. Bought separately as an add on accessories, the G3 sure is huge, about the size of typical notebook mouse. But luckily, it’s pretty light weight. It operates on a single AA battery which last around 10 hours according to Polar, and its hassle free unlike the S3. With this battery, I will use the G3 for my 10KM races and training. Also built upon the W.I.N.D. technology, there is a nifty feature as there is an option to use the full power or half power mode to save on battery life. Full power mode will use its highest signal strength to “lock” onto the satellites especially in shady areas. The half power mode can be used if we are running at an open area without any trees or tall buildings. But of course, it’s only for outdoor usage. Satellite detection was a breeze. Just power on the unit and wait for the connection. It should take an average of no longer than a minute or two (I was lucky that it did got connected in around 8 seconds once). Accuracy wise, I used the G3 for the first time at the BHP Orange Run 2008 3 days ago and it recorded a 9.98KM distance. Very accurate indeed as Jamie's Garmin Forerunner 305 recorded 9.89KM and my previous Polar RS200sd (now sold to a friend) recorded 10.1KM. The package came with an armband and storage pouch. I did not use the armband as I just don’t like the feeling of using one. Therefore, I slip through my race number belt and buckle it on my waist and it didn’t bounce at all. The only downside of the G3 is it doesn’t track any location information which I think the Garmin Forerunner does. Oh and yes, the G3 sensor only works alone as it can’t co-exist together with the S3.

The G3 GPS sensor...

As a conclusion, I love my new Polar RS800sd/G3 very much. I did not regret switching from my previous Polar RS200sd to this despite the price. Although it still uses the traditional chest strap (which some people find it uncomfortable) while some manufacturers are moving towards detecting the heart rate via the wrist unit sensing the radial artery and ulnar artery, I have no problems with it as some does say that it is still the most accurate. Yes, the Polar RS800sd/G3 may be the one or of the most expensive running computer to date, but the amount of technology built into it and also the information it tracks, made it a perfect training and race tool for me. I won’t give a rating value for the Polar RS800sd/G3, but I greatly recommend it should any of you doesn’t mind splashing the cash.

The retail selling price are:
Polar RS800sd - RM1969
Polar G3 GPS sensor - RM629

Video from Runner's World on setting up the Polar RS800sd/G3...

Flora London Marathon 2008...

The Flora London Marathon 2008, part of the World Marathon Majors was held yesterday 13 April 2008 at Greenwich Park, London. The following are the respective report for the Men and Women Elite category extracted from Runners World.

Martin Lel Wins His Third London Marathon in 2:05:15
One hundrer years after the marathon distance was standardized as 26 miles and 385 yards at the 1908 London Olympics, the Kenyan Lel made an argument for his being the greatest current master of that distance as he joined Dionicio Ceron and Antonio Pinto as a three-time London Marathon titleist , outgunning Sammy Wanjiru by nine seconds in a course record of 2:05:15. "I was under pressure to do something today," realized Lel. "They asked for something and I gave something." He successfully defend his 2007 laurels; he also won in 2005. The race was actually on world record pace for about 20 miles. Abderrahim Goumri's third place was 2:05:30 was a Moroccan national record in the first marathon ever to have six men finish under 2:07. "To win this race you have to work extra hard," observed a happy Lel. "This is one of the best races I have done. Now I want to come back next year and make it three in a row." It's expected that Lel and Wanjiru will both be named to the Kenyan Olympic team. Lel is now the fourth fastest marathoner of all time behind behind Haile Gebrselassie, Paul Tergat and Sammy Korir on the world all time list.

Germany's Irina Mikitenko Upsets Zakharova And Wami At London Marathon
Mikitenko was a track runner who'd represented Kazakhstan in the 1996 Olympics; she has run 14:42 for 5000 meters. She later switched her allegiance to Germany and, in her marathon debut, finished second to Gete Wami in Berlin in 2007. On Sunday in London, in just her second sojourn over 26.2 miles, she accelerated away from former Boston and Chicago champion Svetlana Zakharova of Russia in the 24th mile to win by 25 seconds in 2:24:14. “I was in such good shape I knew I could do it,” explained Mikitenko, who became the first German winner of the London Marathon since Katrin Dorre in 1994. “I am so happy to win my first marathon and I know I have much more to show at this distance.” There was good news for Zakharova, too; after the race, she received a call from her Russian federation confirming that she'd be on her country's Olympic team for Beijing. Gete Wami, the World Marathon Majors champion, took a hard tumble at a refreshment station just before the 30k mark and may have lost as much as 30 seconds, but she recovered on Sunday to place third. Liz Yelling ran 2:28:33 for ninth place and may have earned a spot on the British Olympics team. "I'm delighted to break the two-and-a-half hour barrier, I'm not sure I ran the best tactical race," observed Yelling, "but I decided to just race and see how much I had."

Martin Lel (L) and Irina Mikitenko (R) winning the London Marathon 2008...

BHP Orange Run 2008...

Event: BHP Orange Run 2008
Venue: Piazza, The Curve, Selangor
Date: 13 April 2008
Time: 7.30am
Distance: 9KM (9.98KM by Polar RS800G3 GPS Sensor)
Shoe: adidas adistar Cushion 6
By Frank

It was a rainy and cold morning when I woke up at 4am. I was hesistating to wake up as it was just so nice to continue on sleeping. But I knew I have a run in 3 hours time, and so I forced myself out of bed at 4.30am to prepare. Just a simple breakfast consisting of bread with a hot cup of Ovaltine with oats. Enough to fill me for the run.

As I left home at 6.15am, the rain has been reduced to a slight drizzle. Met up with David at The Curve's parking before proceeding on to the entrance of Fitness First to pass the bibs to the other Runnerz and also those from Pacemakers. At 7am, the rain stop and the weather was cool enough to my advantage. Did my warmup and at 7.25am, runners from the A and C category, being the men open and men veteran were called upon to the starting line. I panic at first as my Polar G3 GPS sensor had trouble detecting the satellite. It was the first time I'm using it and the sky was cloudy so I assume that was the cause of it. But luckily, everything was set up few minutes before the race. I started at the middle pack with Cheang and Ping Loong. Sharp at 7.30am, we were flag off. Although this is a fun run, I took it as a race. I went on my race pace and managed to clocked an average of 5:05/km for the entire distance. I attacked each corner and hill and glad my body didn't let me down.

The first 3KM in the housing area of Mutiara Damansara was fine. I met Keat Seong here and we chatted for quite a distance before he asked me to go ahead as he couldn't keep up with my pace. Guess he is still recovering after a full marathon effort at the recent KLIM08. After exiting from Mutiara Damansara, the road became kind of harzardous due to constructions, plus the rain earlier caused certain areas to be slippery and not to mention the puddles of water. I went zig zag in order to avoid it. It was near the 4KM mark after the Pelangi Damansara area, when runners were greeted by the first hill climb. I attacked the first hill and soon came the second hill at Sunway Damansara. It was an approximately 1.2KM climb here and that's where Jamie overtook me and as usual, full of carbohydrate power, *poof* he went. As I complete this hill climb, there was a short down hill before the third climb which was the steepest heading towards the former Sony building at Bandar Utama. Although the steepest climb, I find that this is my strongest. As it isn't very long, I push on till I reach the top before I was greeted by a flat route all the way back to the finish line.

Just before KBU, my photographer friend, Jasmine was there to snap some photos as agreed. After zooming pass her, I raised my game a little and push. The second last corner after 1 Utama, is where I started to empty my tank. It was still an approximately 1KM to go, but I felt good. And as I saw The Curve, I knew I had clocked a good time and therefore dashed to the finish line as I crossed it at 00:50:53. I'm very happy with my time as the distance is very closed to the 10KM mark as measure by my GPS sensor and also the other runners. And not to mention the hills. And therefore as promised, I managed to redeem myself for this run after doing badly last year. A 00:12:52 shaved off. And not forgetting that I wore a heavy shoe which I did on purpose so that not only racing, I can actually train with it too.

. Orange Run, therefore I'm in orange...

Despite the "downgraded" goodie bag made out of a pretty good quality material (not sure what the bag is called) as it just consists of a finisher's certificate and a bottle of mineral water, I actually enjoyed the run. Nothing to complain here as it's after all a free run. Traffic control was better than last year and at least the water station served the original 100 Plus this time together with the tangerine flavoured. But I wonder. If the distance is so close to 10KM, why not change the name to 10KM run instead. Does BHP have a liking for 9KM? Hmm...

The goodie bag...

What's Next...

By Frank

KL International Marathon 2008 has gone down into my history books. And people are asking me when is my next? Oh well, I have just recently signed up for my second full marathon of the year which is the adidas Sundown Marathon 2008 scheduled to be held on 31 May 2008 at Singapore. And yes, it's a night race. A whole new experience indeed. The race being just 8 weeks away from now, and most of my Sundays being pre-occupied with other shorter distance races, I guess there wouldn't be much isolated training but instead to attack, attack and attack! With the race route being told to be mostly flat, I have been pressurised by some to outrun my KLIM08 time! *sweat* I hope to do so too. But anyhow, here's the other races I will be participating in as I await the arrival of 31 May 2008.

13 April 2008 - BHP Orange Run. Although there's no registration fee for this run, I aim to do well this time after a bitter experience last year. The route will be tough and hilly and I'm sure it will prove beneficial for upcoming races. And not forgetting the absolutely incredible goodie bag I received last year. Hoping it will be as equally as good this time.

27 April 2008 - Bidor Half Marathon. A first time for me and I have heard praises for this race everytime it was held. Not sure about the race route though but as Bidor is a small town, I will expect minimum traffic obstruction.

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10 May 2008 - Larian Bersama Bomba. I missed this event last year although I registered for it due to a boil I suffered. The route will be through Bukit Tungku and then to Jalan Duta, a route which I have not run for quite some time already. Not too much hill but the traffic at Jalan Duta might irritate some runners. A good run a week before hitting the 15KM.

18 May 2008 - New Balance Pacesetters 15KM. A high profile race running through the ever famous double hills. It's a tough race route but runners will be rewarded with a beautifully crafted medal (leaf shape in year 2007) and also a personalised certificate with their finishing picture.

25 May 2008 - RMAF Half Marathon. Another first time for me. Running on the aircraft runway will certainly be cool! Not too sure about the race route but I heard it's a bit hilly. I will need to tackle this race carefully as it's just a week before the big Sundown. Probaly will treat it as my last long run before the mighty 42KM!

31 May 2008 - adidas Sundown Marathon. A new race route. A new race time. A new challenge. And it's in Singapore. My second full marathon of 2008. It all comes down to this!

KL International Marathon 2008...

Event: KL International Marathon 2008
Venue: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 30 March 2008
Time: 4.30am
Distance: 42.195KM
Shoe: adidas adizero Tempo
By Frank

It was a fine day. In fact, it was just too good. The day I have been waiting for has finally arrived. KL International Marathon 2008, my third marathon. It all comes down to this after all my training.

Woke up at 12am feeling refreshed and energised. After preparing myself, I left for the "battlefield". Arrived at Bukit Aman carpark at 3.15am and waited for Choi. He arrived shortly and we were joined by Jason as we made our way to Dataran Merdeka. It was an approximately 1KM walk there, so it's a good way to warm up. Upon reaching, I met up with Haza, Rashid and Yip. Went to the washroom and cleared everything before I reported in. Met up with the rest of the Pacemakers like Jamie, Kenny, Kit, Dinesh, Shine and Ping Loong, and we chatted and wished each other just before the start of the run. At 4.30am sharp, we were flag off. We all gave each other a thumbs up and it's the start of a long adventure.

I started very well, in fact too well. I found Jamie and Choi and decided to pace with them. It was then at the 2KM mark that I decided to go ahead of them. Reason is because I know that I will lose them eventually if they are ahead of me. Therefore, knowing they are just behind me, I managed to maintain an average pace of 5:45/KM. Talk about pressure. I also overtook Ping Loong shortly. I arrived at the 10KM mark at 01:03:32, still feeling fresh. Stepped on the mat, *beep* goes my ChampionChip and it's 1 down, 3 to go. It was at the 15KM mark that Jamie and Choi went in front of me. My pace has dropped to an average 6:00/KM. I still managed to pace with them but they eventually went further and further away from me. It was around the 17.5KM mark, that I lost both of them. Sigh...I'm all alone. I reached the halfway point 02:10:21, a very good achievement for me. Out of a dark corner, Shine suddenly overtook me and just disappeared!

From here on, although my energy level is still good, I can feel my legs weakening. My pace has dropped to an average of 6:40/KM. But I didn't want to stop and rest just yet as I told myself not too until I breach 33KM which is the longest running distance I've done which is at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007. At around the 25KM mark, there was this ClimaCool zone prepared by adidas. Last year, there wasn't a single drop of water. But this time, it was showering so darn heavily! I didn't want to get wet, so I just ran pass it from the side washing my hands in the process. Arrived back at Dataran Merdeka for the U-turn. Further ahead, both my ankle joints was really hurting but upon checking my time, I have completed 28KM in around 02:58:00. Although just a slight improvement over my circuit run, I was still motivated. Pain aside, I kept going and was greeted by the PowerBar booth at the 30KM mark. *Beep* goes the third mat as I clocked 03:19:26 and continued on with my journey. My pace dropped drastically to an average of 7:50/KM. I eventually reached the 33KM mark. I told myself that I must go till 34KM before I take my first stop as my ankle was really hurting like no tomorrow. And as I arrived at the 34KM mark, I told myself, "Why not another kilometer?" I kept asking myself this as I completed another kilometer and it was when I reach the last 4KM, I told myself to go all out till the end. Chest was feeling a bit tight here and although I do not want to do a Ryan Shay, that didn't slow my progress. It was really tricky towards the end as it was hilly. But it didn't stop me from increasing my pace back to 6:30/KM. And it was at the last 1KM that I started to empty my tank. I finally saw it, the finish line. Kenny who was making his way back to his car saw me and cheered for me. It was so precious and that push me all the way. Near to the finish line, the Pacemakers were there to cheer all runners on. Ronnie, Lai, Jaime, Choi, Pueh Tian were all there. I compose myself emotionally and as usual look up the sky for one final push as I stepped on the final mat and *beep* goes my ChampionChip, crossing the finish line at 04:46:22, 25 minutes 38 seconds shaved off my previous personal best set at Singapore last year. I screamed to myself at the finish line punching my fist before settling down to collect my finisher's medal.

Towards the finish line...

A tired but yet proud runner...

I made my way back to meet up with the Pacemakers and was congratulated by them for a job well done. I was really touched, proud and happy. Not only did I shaved time off my previous personal record, but I actually ran a sub 5 hours marathon. To make things event sweeter, it was from the start till the finish line, a whooping 42.195KM! A major achievement for me. It was a perfect start to a full marathon adventure for 2008.

A few things though. On the positive side, water and sponging stations were oragnised very well this time. Traffic control was also a step up from last year. However, I was disappointed that there weren't any cheerleaders or bands throughout the entire course of the race except for 2 places where some employees from adidas was screaming off their lungs. Looks and sound like hooligans! And the finisher's t-shirt. OMG! I do not know how to describe the awfulness of it. But anyway, it's all over. See everyone at KL International Marathon 2009! .

The finisher's medal...

The finisher's t-shirt. No comments...

Official results of Runnerz Circle and friends:

A – Men Open 42.195KM Full Marathon (ChampionChip timing)
04:46:22 - A0003 : Frank (Category Pos. 134, Overall Pos. 379)
05:46:23 - A0045 : Rashid (Category Pos. 206, Overall Pos. 636)

F – Men Open 21.1KM Half Marathon (ChampionChip timing)
02:49:18 - F5110 : Terence Ng (Category Pos. 397, Overall Pos. 953)
02:57:38 - F5003 : Andy Chee (Category Pos. 449, Overall Pos. 1061)
02:24:29 - F5617 : Eugene Teoh (Category Pos. 236, Overall Pos. 576)

M – Men Open 10KM (Individual timing)
01:15:00 - M0488 : Andrew Chiam
01:21:00 - M0002 : William Lee
01:30:00 - M0212 : Andrew Chang

N- Women Open 10KM (Individual timing)
01:18:00 - N2106 : Ija (Category Pos. 271)

Approach To KL International Marathon 2008...

By Frank

Got my race kit this morning. As usual, it's full of hiccups. Actually, it's even worst than last year. There's no paper bag for us to store our race kit. Everything came loosely. First I got my bib, then programme schedule, then vouchers then finally the ChampionChip. Why can't they get everything ready the day before? It's an international event but the standard is just so below par. Sigh... Anyway, I met Krishnan from adidas Malaysia there. I spent a short quality time with him studying some of the 2008 upcoming running shoes. The shoes are now so colourful and striking!

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A view of the race kit collection centre. Not so "international" feel...

The simple yet hectic full and half marathon race kit collection area...

adidas 2008 running shoes. Wicked...

adidas 2008 running attire. Nice...

My race kit...

So, how did I prepare myself for this third marathon attempt of mine. After a miserable run at the Great Eastern Pacesetters 30KM 2008, I double the intensity of my training hoping to improve myself in time for the KL International Marathon. I’ve joined Der Pacemakers lead by Ronnie in his gruesome training beginning at the end of January. The usual people that attended the training from Tuesday till Thursday are the regular Geraldine, Lai, Kit and Kenny although sometimes we are joined by others.

Normal training is held at Lake Gardens. On Tuesday and Thursday. It’s a normal run around the lake. At 2.8KM per loop, we usually do at about 3 to 4 loops. It was challenging as it’s a mixture of flats, up and down hills which will be beneficial for upcoming events. On Wednesday, it was speed works. It was usually done at the 270M distance with a gradient estimating at 4% value. However, there were times when we changed to a shorter 200M flat distance or a more challenging 6% gradient. Training with these people is really tough but as time passes, I am now a better runner thanks to their guidance and motivation.

During the weekends especially on Saturday’s, I’ll do my long runs, also known as LSD (Long Slow Distance). It’s about the distance of 20KM or even 30KM on my feel good days. The usual runners are with Geraldine, Jamie, Loke and Choi although Andy and David do sometimes join in too but for a shorter distance. Not to mention the 2 circuit runs organized by AmBank. I regarded it more like my LSD training rather than a race.

I believe a runner has to train overall rather than just sticking on running, although running is still the main thing. Therefore, I still do resistance and weight training though on Sundays. Besides that, core and rehab exercises are also on my regular training schedule.

There was a setback though on the first week of March. Out of the blue, I suddenly felt a discomfort on the left side of my chest. Yes, it’s my heart! Took a couple of days off training after running the third circuit run with it. Lucky enough, the pain went away in 4 days time although. I did not visit the doctor though.

And as off 12 days ago, I have started my tapering phase. With the big day just 3 days away, I guess I can say that I’m both physically and mentally prepared to battle myself, my heart and the route. My target this time will be to shave time off my personal record set at Singapore last year, and to dip below 5 hours will be a bonus. Although it’s tough as the course is more demanding, I believe it can be done. Therefore, it’s time for a “revisit” to KL International Marathon, this time the year 2008 edition.

Tapering...

Extracted and modified from Marathon Training.

Many runners fail to realize that one of the most important aspects of marathon training is the taper phase. Tapering refers to the practice of reducing or tapering off exercises, days or weeks before a competition, stating longer endurance events requires longer tapering phases. Typically, tapering for relatively short endurance events takes as little as a week or less, but tapering for an event like the marathon takes at least two or three weeks. Medical studies shows that the final three weeks of any marathon-training program are the most critical stage of training; a review of fifty studies on tapering indicates that optimal levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants, and hormones, which are significantly depleted by intense endurance training, are achieved during a taper. Here are a few basic steps to taper.

- Reduce the distance and intensity of your training runs during the tapering phase prior to the marathon, eliminating long and hard efforts.

- Listen to your body. Remember, there are no workouts the week prior to the marathon that will enhance your preparedness for the race. An important rule of thumb is "Less is Best", particularly if you are feeling either physically or mentally tired and/or your leg muscles are fatigued/achy.

- Keep stretching as much as possible during the couple of weeks prior to the marathon.

KLIM 2008 Circuit Running 3...

Event: KLIM 2008 Circuit Running 3
Venue: Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 9 March 2008
Time: 7.15am
Distance: 2.8KM per loop (to complete as many loops in 03:30:00)
Shoe: adidas Supernova Cushion 6
By Frank

I took a big risk by turning up for this event this morning. My left chest was actually hurting yesterday. Yes, it's the heart. It felt that something is nailing it and it's going to burst anytime. I never felt this pain before and being a runner, I am confident that my heart is healthy. I was in fact hesistating to actually run this morning. But at the end, I decided to give it a go.

I took a slow and steady pace as I didn't know what's happening inside my heart. I didn't have my heart rate monitor with me as I have sold it off and currently waiting for the new model I ordered to arrive. Besides, I didn't regard this as race. In fact, it's more like a training. Turnout was pretty good and at 7.15am, we were let off. My shoes were very comfortable but at certain places which was wet, it was really slippery especially the downhill section near Carcosa.

I completed my first loop at around 17 minutes, just slightly off pace. It was a comfortable pace and I told myself to go with it. Things started to change only at loop 6 when I took the GU Energy Gel. It boosted me physically and I up my pace a little. I was lucky at this point that my heart is still all right as I have not stop yet. But, a new problem arised. The weather! As it rained yesterday evening, there were minimal clouds. The sun shone straight through. I felt that I was being barbequed! Everytime I passed the refreshment station, I wet myself with a cup of water.

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Suffering from a diffrent angle...

Then at loop 8, I suddenly felt the pain again. Slowed down to a fast walk pace to ease the pain and lucky enough, it went away. Didn't want to push my luck too much, I slowed my pace down. As I completed loop 10, I checked my time with the time keeper. I heard he said 03:14:00, which was 16 minutes more to the end. I might not have enough time to complete another loop with that remaining time so I decided to call it a day, successfully completing 10 loops equivelant to 28KM in 03:00:15. Yes, I know. It's not a typing error. 03:00:15 is in fact the actual time. Sigh... I could have completed another loop but it was already too late as I only found out 5 minutes later and has already downed 250ML of water and 2 cups of Milo. Nevertheless, I was very happy with my results as if this was a race, I would have achieve a Personal Record already. In fact, I was very suprised I can actually achieve this time with my pace. I guess my training, persistent and motivation I received has been a key factor.

After a tough run, we still manage to smile...

Call me stupid or daring to actually participate in this event despite my condition. To those reading this, please do not follow my footsteps. My advice is, "Listen" to your body well.