Tesco Walk For Life 2008...

Event: Tesco Walk For Life 2008
Venue: Tapak A, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur

Date: 27 July 2008
Time: 8.00am
Distance: 4.3KM
Shoe: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3
By Frank

I drove almost the distance of a full marathon to get myself to Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, the venue for the Tesco Walk For Life 2008 charity walk event as I got lost in the glorious city of Kuala Lumpur. Nevertheless, I made it with plenty of time to spare as I left home very early at 5.30am with the vent starting only at 8am. It was my first visit to this huge park and I was amazed by how well it was maintaned.

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Tesco Walk For Life 2008...

The Tesco Walk For Life 2008 basically is a charity walk event organised by Tesco in aide of MAKNA's effort to prevent, cure, research and provide support for cancer patients and love ones and also the general public. As a cancer survivor, this event meant a lot to me. A couple of weeks ago, I started on my own donation drive to raise some cash for this event. Though the amount I collected isn't much, I sincerely hope that it will make a difference to those facing cancer out there. I TRULY thank those who have donated on behalf my campaign and certainly you guys made a difference.

I was very suprised and happy with the turnout as it was simply amazing. Seas of people in white t-shirt flooded the venue and most of them were from the normal public. It's always good to see people getting out of bed for a good Sunday morning workout. Sadly, regular runners can hardly be seen. This clearly shows the difference between living a normal healthy lifestyle and a competitive one.

Participants getting ready for the start...

I bumped into Suresh (was suprised to see him) and Chanthiran who is taking part in the walk. Kudos to them for the effort! The walk started at 8am after a warm up session by Fitness First and also a long speech. Although it's a walking event, it isn't stated that one can't run. Therefore, many took the opportunity to run. The sad thing about this is that there were some who acted like "hooligans" screaming their lungs out and also treating the route as if it was their. It was an eye sore to the society.

Participants walking along the lush greens...

And around the lake...

Passing through the Eye on Malaysia...

And finally to the finish line...

Anyway, the walk took the participants around the beautiful lake and into the housing area of some of the rich and quite famous, before re-entering into the lake area. After breathing some really fresh air, going through wonderful traffic control, taking some photos and most importanly a good 4.3KM walk, I completed the walk in a time of 00:50:17. As it was a charity event, I did not expect any goodies to be given out. But I was wrong. I was rewarded a certificate of participation and also a "mini-hamper" consisting of 4 can drinks, a bottle of mineral water, potato chips and also a chocolate malt drink all courtesy of Tesco. WOW! What can I say? Doing charity and in the same time being rewarded. Double thumbs up!

The certificate and contents of the "mini-hamper"...

The North Face 100...

A regional series sprawling across 4 countries, The North Face 100 was designed with one goal in mind - to push the limits of human endurance. The series kicked off in Australia on May 17 taking runners across the Blue Mountains for 100km of stunning views, and not to mention, the aches, pains and crampsthat come along with participating in such a grueling race.

Appealing to the most adventurous of athletes, The North Face 100 is not your ordinary run in the park, but an off-road trail run that promises to test your determination, perseverance and zest for pain! The North Face 100 will stop in The Philippines on-route to Singapore before its grand finale in Beijing, China next year.

Be a part of this inaugural run and you could just find yourself running amongst some of the world's top ultra runners in China!

The North Face 100 Schedule
- 17 May 2008: The Blue Mountains, Australia
- 26 July 2008: Tagaytay City, The Philippines
- 04 October 2008, Central Catchment Area, Singapore
- April 2009: The Great Wall of China, China

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For more info on The North Face 100, hit the link.

Saucony Grid Fastwitch 3...

By Frank

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I first saw the Saucony Grid Fastwitch 3 a few months back when one of my running friends wore them. The sleek looking bright yellow colour shoe was something a runner won’t be able to miss. And not only that it is bright in colour, it sure was one shiny shoe thanks to the amount of reflective materials used. It sure was an attention grabber. However, I know that the rule of thumb in buying a shoe especially for runners like me is not to judge it by its appearance. Therefore, I went and did my homework and lucky enough, I found that the shoe actually suits me.

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The Saucony Grid Fastwitch 3...

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The Grid Fastwitch is one of the very successful racer series in Saucony’s lineup. Entering into its third generation now, the Fastwitch 3 is made different from its predecessor. Instead of having 2 different models to suit different feet types, the third offers only 1 type. And it’s this one type that it is able to suit all feet types, from pronators to supinators. The secret lies with the low profile outsole that yet still provides the necessary support for pronators with the included medial post support although very minimal which is just perfect for mild pronators like me. A very innovative design indeed. And being low profile, the sole is almost in contact with the ground, something which elite runners will really like as it provides a very fast yet effective toe off.

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Pronation support...

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And being a racer, it sure was light, weighting at only 205 grams for a US size 8.5. The outsole was made of carbon rubber and EVA which felt really good. It offers great flexibility and the response is one of the best that I have ever experience. The cushioning system on the heel was of the Saucony’s Grid technology while the mid-foot uses SSL EVA. Although I would have prefer the ProGrid technology to be used instead where it offers full cushioning for the entire outsole, I guess what is used on the Fastwitch 3 is sufficient enough considering the weight, flexibility and responsiveness of the shoe. Anything more advance will probably cause some sacrifices.

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The arch support...

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Though most of the shoes body is built pretty thin, it felt sturdy. For example, the tongue which is of a separate construction felt so thin and flimsy but yet it stayed on its place during my runs doing its job shielding my upper feet. The collar too was rather thin but yet support was there though it’s advisable not to push it. I’ll prefer if it was slightly thicker with memory foam used. But most importanly, the shoe felt like that it was "formed" around the feet. I do not know how to explain it, but it's something like the shoe being moulded to the feet hence the perfect fit.

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The heel counter...

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Another thing that is worth praising is the ventilation of the shoe. The upper air mesh to the overlays has the largest holes I have ever seen in a shoe with another layer of it at the below with smaller holes. Don’t be fool by it though as it is constructed ingeniously. It was put together with minimal stitching and it felt solid, yet offers great breathability. And it goes all the way down to the sockliner although the holes there are much smaller to prevent pebbles from entering.

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The excellent air mesh (notice the amount of reflective materials)...

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Ventilation for the forefoot...

The downside of the Fastwitch 3 is probably that it is a low profile racer shoe. And being it, I believe that it wouldn’t last long especially for those who land on mid-foot. And also, this shoe is rather narrow. Although stated that it is of normal width, I felt that it was slightly tighter than others. No worries on the toebox though as it had sufficient room for my toes, at least for me.

As a conclusion, the Saucony Grid Fastwitch 3 is one fantastic shoe. Retailing at a recommended price of RM230, it’s one of the most valued for money shoe around. It’s so light that I can’t believe that I’m actually wearing a pair of shoes, which in the same time providing me with all the necessary support and protection. And with the unpredictable weather here in Malaysia, it sure did justice to my feet with its superior breathability. 2 halluxs up (my running version of 2 thumbs up) for the Fastwitch 3! Thus, my rating below sums it all up on how much I like the shoes.

Comfort: 8.5/10
Cushioning: 8/10
Design: 8.5/10
Flexibility: 9/10
Weight: 9/10
Overall: 8.6/10

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Run A 10K Like No Other...

The Nike+ Human Race 10K, happening on 31 August 2008 will get runners into a unique running experience when they become part of the world’s largest one day running event. And not only that, as participants will be treated to a full blown music concert making it a race plus entertainment event. 25 cities around the world will be hosting this event with Singapore being the only country in South East Asia to be selected. However, it’s considered a virtual race and runners all around the world can run at any place and any route that they wish too. Just get yourself registered at Nike+ and start running using the Nike+ Sport Kit or SportBand, and then transfer the running data into the website. It’s so easy that an average Joe can do it!

To get you excited...

And yes. The Nike+ Human Race 10K will be a charity event too. With every kilometer logged into the Nike+ website, Nike Global will donate to 3 charity organizations being Lance Armstrong Foundation, The UN Refugee Agency and WWF. What a way to run to good health and in the meantime to do some charity work.

Be part of something great...

And so, come early August 2008, I will be blogging about my preparation leading to the race experience itself, as I will be experiencing a very historical event indeed at Singapore. Come experience it your own by visiting the official website at http://nike.com.my/nikeplus.

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Larian Jelajah KSN 2008...

Event: Larian Jelajah KSN 2008
Venue: National Sports Complex, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur

Date: 12 July 2008
Time: 8.00am
Distance: 6KM (5.39KM by Nike+ SportBand)
Shoe: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3
By Frank

The National Sports Complex at Bukit Jalil is into it's 10th year since it first open for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. And to celebrate this occasion, a run was held. Another training and fun run for me as I have not run since last week's Siemens Run. Therefore, no pressure for me.

I arrived at the National Stadium at 6.20am and it was pitch dark. However, Ronnie was already there as we both wanted to arrive early to secure a good parking spot near the guard house due to the uprising cases of car break-ins. With the run starting at 8am, we got plenty of time so we just hung around and chatted with various people till we hit 7.30am when we began our warming up. The rest like Lai FS, Saiful and Stanley too arrived and we reported into the starting area just inside the National Stadium on the running track. I found myself at around one quarter from the front as was just next to Stanley.

And so at 8am, the run was started. My usual slow start saw runners overtaking me as we exit the stadium via a short climb up a tunnel before running halfway around the stadium. The first stair case appeared shortly later and it brought us down to a park. The path here was very narrow and it was hard to overtake. However Lai FS did a good job and he overtook me. At the end of the park where another stair case going downwards appeared, I managed to pull one back by overtaking Lai FS back. And that's where I think he lost it as we were greeted by a very steep climb next. It sure was tough but I kept my composure. "Just keep running", I told myself. At only around 2KM here, I am already struggling and gasping for air. This has showed a decrease in my running level since starting my break a couple of weeks ago. During the climb here, I bumped in William Chan. He was struggling with the climb too but he managed to overtake me back later on when he paced with Jessica Tang, a really fast female runner.

As I made myself down a slope later, to my horror, a pedestrian bridge appeared! Memories of the Sundown Marathon 2008 return. Climbing it wasn't an easy task, but I managed to conquer it without stopping. *Phew* A water station was there to reward our climb but I skipped it. Heading forward was a few more short stair case climb. I managed to overtake William Chan back when he was reduced to walking. I guess the pacing with Jessica Tang was too much for him. I asked him to continue running at least with me, but he just couldn't. That left me with no choice but to carry on myself. Next, I was into the Commonwealth Park. It was a nice park here with a man-made lake in the middle. It was a time to enjoy before the next horror appeared. A long way up via zig-zag stair case. It was painful to climb it and everytime I have to turn myself around, I lost my momentum to carry on with my climbing speed. At the top, I began my descend down to the stadium. It was a sharp descend and I had to control my footsteps to avoid falling over. It was here also that runners were taken to a "cross-country" run when instead of running on the concrete route, they ran on the grass with tree roots and branches everywhere. It was really dangerous and at one part, I decided to actually use the longer concrete running route to avoid the risk of tripping over. At the end of it, Nazib caught up with me. He cheered me on and I managed to follow him tightly at the back. As we near the National Stadium, he slowed down a little allowing me to overtake him but he eventually overtook me back inside the stadium with around 100M left. At that point, he told me that he was off and I assured him that I would not challenge him and I allowed him to finish the run just ahead of me. I crossed the finish line at position 58, clocking 00:26:43. I was rewarded a finisher's medal and certificate which was just for the top 60 finishers. I was lucky! However, upon closer inspection of the medal, I found 2 spelling errors. Larian which meant run in English was spelled "Jarian" and Ulangtahun which meant anniversary was spelled "Ulantahun"! Major flaw and I do not understand how the organisers can let this happen.

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.Tackling the steps...

With the Pacemakers and our rewards...

The run was really tough and it certainly proof that the my rest period is certainly starting to show its effect on my running performance as I struggled very early in run. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the run as it brought me around the National Sports Complex beautiful surroundings. Although my Nike+ SportBand showed only a 5.39KM distance, I believed it will be longer if runners followed the actually running route instead of cutting through the "cross-country" short cut.

Front view of the finisher's medal...

Rear view of the finisher's medal. Notice the spelling error...

A Well Deserved Break...

By Frank

Since running my first marathon of the year 2008 at KLIM08, I've been hit by a very hectic running schedule. To train 3 or 4 weekdays followed by a long distance run in the weekend and not forgetting that almost every weekend, I found myself in a race. Since the start of April 2008 till now, I have ran a total of 523.92KM which include races and my training runs, which also equals to 12 races and 2 long runs all done back to back every week. Although it was tiring, I must say that I really enjoyed it. Not only it helped me improve my running and fitness level, I found myself breaking my own personal best at almost every race I ran in. To me, the highlight will be the 3 runs (Larian Bersama Bomba 2008, Putrajaya Night Run 2008 and World Asthma Day Jogathon 2008) I did in a matter of 26 hours and the Sundown Marathon 2008.

With all this, I think I now deserve a break from running, at least for a month. It's been 10 days since I started this break of mine, and although I am still running, I am not runnig as much as I used to. I'm just running to maintain my fitness level. With all the runnings done, I have lost a tremendous amount of weight and with this, I am now focusing on resistance training, to build back my mass and also to build my strength. The training is not easy but with my knowledge and experiences as a personal trainer, I had the upper hand. Besides, I'm lucky that I have my own home-gym and also exposed to other training equipments needed. To me, all these are very important factors and part of my training for my year end push for the major events like the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008 which I have my eyes on. I believe to train smart over training hard, quality over quantity. And with a strong body, it will certainly help with my running. I might struggle a little once I'm back into the race scene in August 2008 especially there is a half marathon awaiting me there, but I believe it will be just for short time before I'm back at my fullest!

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The weight bench, barbell and plates. Part of my many training equipments now...

Get Healthy, Get Active, Get Involved...

By Frank

The Tesco Walk For Life 2008 scheduled to be held at Tapak A, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa on 27 July 2008 at 8am, is a Corporate Social Responsibility program by Tesco that is not only committed to raising money for cancer causes but also encourages the public to stay fit and healthy by encouraging exercise as a vital part of cancer prevention. In support of MAKNA, all proceeds will go towards MAKNA's efforts to prevent, cure, research and provide support for cancer patients, their loved ones, high-risk groups and the general public.

Donations for charity...

I will be taking part in this meaningful event as a cancer survivor and therefore this charity means a lot to me and also to other cancer patients, survivors and families. I do hope that you who are reading this will be able to take some time off in supporting this meanigful event. In the same time, I am raising some donations too. For those who are interested to contribute in any amount of cash, please do let me know by either giving me a call at 012-3959598 or simply drop me an e-mail at runnerzcircle@yahoo.com. Let us all join the fight against cancer!

Siemens Run 2008...

Event: Siemens Run 2008
Venue: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur

Date: 6 July 2008
Time: 7.30am
Distance: 10KM (8.65KM by Nike+ SportBand)
Shoe: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3
By Frank

I have set no target for the Siemens Run as I'm currently taking a break from running for a month before restarting my training in August. I'm currently doing resistance training for my upper body and although I still do run, I'm keeping it to a minimal mileage just to maintain my fitness level.

With no sleep at all due to the fact I was coughing badly throughout the night with fever, I was thinking twice on whether to join this run. But as I had a good experience last year, I guess I"ll just give it a shot. Just take it as a fun and easy run. And therefore at 2am, I pop in a Panadol pill hoping that it will help with my fever as I run.

I arrived at the race venue with Andrew Chiam whom I picked up earlier at 6am to secure a safe parking spot as there has been a lot of car break ins lately at races. With 90 minutes still to go to the start of the race, we chatted while waiting for the others to arrive. And it was around 6.40am that Andrew Chang, David, Chee Kong and Ija showed up. Ronnie and the rest of the Pacemakers showed up too. Started warming up at 7am before reporting in at the starting line. Met up with Lai FS and Kenny and we wished each other for a good race ahead.

The run started at 7.30am sharp. Again, I failed to get a clean start as I was squeezed between somewhere around the middle pack. But this time, I didn't mind as I had no intention to race. I just want to enjoy and finish the run comfortably. Anyway, I only managed to get a clean running space at the Bank Negara section. Bumped into Zulazlan here and I thanked him for cheering me on. The first water station appeared shortly and I was really suprised that it was stationed so early into the run. Next was the Kenny Hill climb. Although I'm still pretty allright, I can feel my throat drying up quickly. I regretted not drinking earlier. Sigh... Towards the end of the climb, Ben overtook me. I wanted to call him but I couldn't due to my throat drying up. And so, he disappeared. Thankfully, the second water station was near ahead before the next climb. Took a cup of isotonic drink and continued my run. It didn't really help and this is where I started coughing a little.

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The picture tells it all, I'm struggling...

As I began to struggle, I told myself "mind over body"! Although still unwell and struggling, it did help me mentally. As I climb the last hill and enter Jalan Parlimen I was greeted by another water station. Took a cup of water but I swallowed it bit by bit to help wet my throat. As I arrive back at the junction at Dataran Merdeka, I could see the finish line although I know it's not over yet. I need to run to Pertama Complex and make a u-turn there before running back to the finish line. It was pretty nice to run at this section as the cheerleaders (pom-pom girls, clowns, bands) were there to support. I ran and ran till I hit the traffic light area where I started my sprint but I just couldn't take it. And so, I had to run at an easy pace as I crossed the finish line at position 62, clocking 00:41:24, too good to be true for a 10KM distance as I later found out from my Nike+ SportBand that it is only 8.65KM.

With the Pacemakers...

Runnerz Circle and friends...

Honestly speaking, I was really shocked with my results despite my condition. Although I wasn't pushing myself, I was really tired and struggling all the way and the coughing didn't help at all. I coughed like there is no tomorrow upon crossing the finish line. I needed water badly and went back straight to the car to get it before returning to the finish line with my camera to snap some photos. As for now, I'm really glad that this is over as I really need a good quality rest now to recover.

Front view of the finisher's medal...

Rear view of the finisher's medal...

The certificate of achievement...

On a separate note, I'm really proud of Chee Kong who came all the way from Miri. It was my first time meeting him and he clocked around 45 minutes. He is one big guy (no offense), but he clocked an incredible time! This proves, running can be done in all sizes! But I was saddened when he told me that he finish the run at position 152, missing the medal by just 2 positions. Sigh... But that's nothing to worry about as it's a good start to his running career and I foresee there will be much more to come from him!

Nike+ SportBand...

By Frank

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The Nike+ concept that was launched a couple of years back brought a whole new running experience to runners all over. The Nike+ Sports Kit which was the first to be introduced was a collaboration between Nike and Apple which saw a transmitter being attached to an iPod Nano which receives information from a sensor embedded into a Nike+ enabled shoe. The end results, to be able to read and monitor the distance, pace, time and calories burned together with the enjoyment of music.

2 years later, Nike introduce to runners the second generation of the Nike+, the SportBand and I had the opportunity to give it a go thanks to Nike Malaysia and Mr. Wong Li-Zren.

The new Nike+ SportBand comes together with the sensor and a small instruction booklet that is packed nicely into a small plastic case. It’s operational once it’s out of the case but it’s better to check if there is power in the wrist unit. To charge it, just detach the receiver from the band and plug it into the computer’s USB port. A full charge will require around 2 hours and it lasts for around 2 weeks with regular usage for running and up to 3 weeks as a watch. Usage is pretty straightforward. Just put the little sensor under the inner sole of a Nike+ enabled shoe, pair it with the receiver and you are ready to go. However, the Nike+ Utility software needs to be downloaded from Nike’s website first before the first synchronization process. And it’s also through this software, is where the user sets various settings like time and user details. Everything is shown on the instruction booklet in pictures. For those who prefer in words, there’s always an online documentation.

The Nike+ SportBand...

The SportBand only has 2 buttons on it. The main button at the top and the toggle button at the side. The main button is used to pair the receiver with the sensor and it takes only like 5 seconds or less to get both connected. It’s also used to start, stop and pause a run. As for the toggle button, it’s used to toggle between information shown on the screen.

Positive
The Nike+ SportBand is neatly designed and light weighted. When not running, the SportBand doubles up as a watch and I must say that is sleek looking. A fashion statement indeed. The built of the band is pretty solid. It doesn’t feel flimsy nor cheap. For a first time user though, they may find it just a little difficult to put the SportBand on. It’s not easy to buckle it up but after a few tries, there shouldn’t be any problems. And it fits nicely without moving around too much. I gave it a few swings and it just held its place. No worries of it dropping off.

Fit's nicely on the wrist...

For those who already own the earlier Nike+ Sports Kit, fear not as the sensors are all the same. The receiver is capable of pairing with up to 8 sensors, so there is no need for switching the sensors upon wearing another pair of shoes.

The same sensor as per the Nike+ Sports Kit (notice the Apple logo)...

Key notes:
Nice design.
Light weight.
Good built.

Negative
My main concern of the SportBand is the lack of backlighting. As I usually do my runs in the morning before the sun rises, I find it difficult to read the information displayed on it. To make it just little more difficult, the screen is actually pretty small and it only displays 1 information at a time be it distance, pace, time or calories burned by pressing the toggle button. And we runners like to take down our split times for any distance covered say each kilometer or at each 10KM throughout a run. Sadly to say, the SportBand doesn’t come with the split timing feature.

The receiver...

As mentioned earlier, I’m pretty impressed with the built of the SportBand. However, there’s one thing that caught my attention. Nike claimed that the receiver is water resistant and can be submerge for up to 30 minutes at a depth of maximum 1 meter. But, upon a closer look on the receiver, it got me wondering as it doesn't look pretty "tight" for me. And I’m not too sure on how the gold USB plating might react to water. Therefore till now, I have not washed the receiver at all. Just give it a wipe with a damp cloth after each workout.

The most important thing especially for a hardcore runner will be the accuracy. Nike has claimed that the SportBand offers 92% accuracy without calibration and up to 97% if calibrated. And so, into the Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 the sensor goes and I gave it a test together with my Polar RS800G3 GPS sensor and the table below shows the results.

Test results of the Nike+ SportBand as compared with the Polar RS800G3 GPS sensor...

Foot pod distance sensor has always come under fire for not being as accurate as how the user wants it to be. However, I must say that I’m pretty happy with the accuracy of the SportBand’s sensor, after calibrating it of course. It’s not easy to get an almost similar reading especially when comparing with a GPS sensor. And even the top end Polar RS800S3 stride sensor differs and can’t match its own cousin, the G3 GPS sensor, although the reading is much closer.

Key notes:
Lack of backlighting on a small screen.
Water resistant issue.

One last look will be the Nike+ workout site. After finishing a run, just simply detach the receiver from the band and plug it into the USB port. However, for those who own a slim notebook like the MacBook Air, the curved design of the receiver might cause some problem of getting it into the port. Anyway, after plugging it in, the Nike+ Utility will automatically launch the Nike+ website and upload your run to it. It’s here where you will be able to view your runs as a graph displaying the distance, pace, time and calories burned. Previous runs can be seen here too and you can actually compare it with your latest, thus be able to set future goals. Pretty neat and easy to use I will say.

Easy to use Nike+ website...

To sum it all up, the Nike+ Sportband is great for anybody who runs. And to those who want a Nike+ without wanting to purchase an iPod Nano, this is a dream come true for them. Despite having identifying quite a number of shortcomings which doesn’t seem too much of a problem (at least from my perspective), it is still a pretty good training tool to have. It is easy to install and use, and provides useful information about your runs and it doubles up as a stylish watch too. Plus the best thing is, it’s affordable!

The Nike+ SportBand will be available soon retailing at a recommended retail price of just RM229!

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Do read about Jamie's take on the Nike+ SportBand too by hitting this link.

Running Since Young...

By Lionel Lee

I was a 10 year old schoolboy in Singapore when I told my dad there was a school fitness test and one of the requirements was to run 1.6km within a certain time. And he replied: “You should probably train for it”. I guess I should, and I did, probably overdid it. My enthusiasm for running did not start off right away though. My competitive years were in secondary school. Now, it is pretty much recreation, and I don’t really follow a structured training schedule. I just take care of myself, get enough sleep, eat right, and just have fun running (but making sure I still run enough).

I grew up in West Coast, Singapore (It’s the name of a neighbourhood, not a description of the location) near Clementi. With the decision to put in some “training” for the “fitness test”, I did my first run at Clementi stadium. It was a 1.6km run, just 4 rounds of the track, no warm-up, and I did it in 9min 35 sec. I continued doing 1.6km runs from time to time from February to July. On test day, the run was on the school field with school shoes, and we ran as one whole class. Towards the final 400m, I was still second behind my classmate, and I pia-ed the last 300m to finish first, in a time of 7min 27sec. The guy I overtook on the last lap came in 12 seconds later. That was way back in 1997. After that, I stopped running and continued playing football and basketball. However, that all changed when I entered secondary school in 2000.

My secondary school’s annual cross-country race was in February and somehow, that really got me motivated to start running again, and this time, running very seriously. This annual school race was a 4.4km distance at MacRitchie reservoir with pretty steep slopes. I did weekly runs at Pandan reservoir, and the training was sufficient for me to win the Secondary 1 (Form 1) race in 20 min 9 sec. With that, I was called up to the school team for the National Schools’ Cross Country race (U-15 category and over the same route) the following month. I never turned back since.

In 2002, my school closed down the track team though I could still represent the school. That was tough to take. Anyway, I trained with my sprinter schoolmate (he is still training now) for a while before both of us joined SWIFT Athletes Association.

During those competitive years, I clocked PBs of 2:14 for 800m, 4:44 for 1500m, and 10:41 for 3000m. The 1500m PB was my best achievement as it was a 7th placing during the Singapore National Schools’ Track & Field Championships 2001 (U-15). However, over-enthusiasm led to too much self-inflicted stress. That showed in early 2003 when I was even too stressed to jog. I picked myself after that and before migrating to Malaysia, I did 36min 4sec for the 9.1km event during the 2003 Singapore marathon. I thought I could continue with that momentum when I migrated to Malaysia. But turns out, I had to look after my future and decided to call it quits from competitive running.

After that, I just did 20-30min jogs and mixing them with other sports. When I graduated and got more settled with working life, I decided to train for the KLIM 2008 from December 2007. Actually, all I did was to cover long distances at a comfortable pace depending on my mood and topping them up with basic strength exercises. A week before the race, I did 35km from USJ18 to 1Utama and back. Probably not the thing to do a week before a marathon.

Then, it was 31 March 2008, 4.30am at Dataran Merdeka where the gun went off. It took me 30 seconds to reach the starting line and I began my tour of KL on foot. I wasn’t aiming for a particular timing. But in any case, given my condition, I predicted a 4.20. The race was just absolutely exciting and I loved every second of it. I was pretty much on negative split pace throughout and finished in 4hr 2min 27 sec (Including 30sec of urinating at the 2km mark).

I took a break after the marathon and went back to my usual 30min jogs. As I had been running alone for my time in Malaysia, I felt I needed to run with company to continue enjoying running. As such, I decided to join the guys from Runnerz Circle and Pacemakers running group in their runs. That was just two weeks ago as of writing this entry.

My next race will be the Adidas King of the Road (KOTR) on August 10. I also plan to participate in the Singapore marathon this December and hopefully a few more races after the KOTR like the PJ Half and the Subang Jaya 10k if they are organized this year (but still no word on these races yet =S).

So am I back into competitive running? Well, actually not. I just want to have fun running, and having fun, I am =D. Presently, I run, play football and basketball around my home during weekdays, and meet up with the pacemakers on weekends at Lake Gardens. I don’t have a blog, but you can reach me by email at lionel87@gmail.com. CHEERS!!

Olympic Day Run 2008...

Event: Olympic Day Run 2008
Venue: Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur

Date: 29 June 2008
Time: 7.30am
Distance: 7KM (7.31KM by Nike+ Sportsband)
Shoe: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3
By Frank

Got a little worried about my tummy before this run. As my digestive system was acting up for the past week, I felt bloated and seriously uncomfortable. And it was yesterday that my system decided to start purging. Just before the run started, I actually had to visit the toilet 3 times. It felt better but still, I was keeping my fingers (and toes) cross. Nevertheless, I was treating this run more like a training and fun run for me. I have no expectations of being rewarded a medal as there was only 30 of them. It won' be easy but should I get it, then it will be bonus.

The sky was gloomy at 7am. Rain clouds can be seen. I was praying that it won't rain during the course of the run as it won't help with my present condition. Met up with Andy, Keat Seong, Loke and Haza while waiting for the run to start. At 7.30am, nothing happened although all runners are ready to go. Almost 10 minutes later, Ronald McDonald showed up. This run organised by McDonalds can't do without him I guess. But this guy is short and plump, probably due to lack of exercise and also consuming too much burgers and fries. Haha... And so with his arrival, the run was finally started at around 7.40am.

As usual, my start was horrible. I was blocked all around by slower runners although I started around the fifth row from the front. I only managed to clear myself as I approach Bank Negara. Nothing much happened and I was glad my tummy was holding up. However at Kenny Hills I was hit by side stitch, although still bearable. I ran with it hoping that it will go away, but it was stubborn to stay on. So I had no choice but to bear with it as I ran. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as compared to the one I had at the Olympic Torch Relay Fun Run 2008 and I still managed to overtake quite a number of runners, in the meantime not being overtaken. Yes, not even a single runner overtook me throughout the entire run! WOOT!

The pain finally went away as I entered Jalan Mahameru and it was here that I started my final push. At this point, there weren't many runners from my category ahead of me. Most of them were from the younger category. Upon approaching Dataran Merdeka, I managed to overtake 2 runners from my category. Dashing to the finish line, I was glad I made it back safely without any tummy discomfort. And so, I crossed the finish line at 00:35:11. Not sure what was my position, but I knew that I miss the medal again by just a few position, probably by just 2 minutes or even lesser. Nevertheless, it was a good run for me and I certainly enjoyed the Ribena served at the carnival area. I gulped down at least 4 cups!

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Almost there...

From L-R: Andy, Frank and Jonathan...

A very simple finisher's certificate...

Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3...

By Frank

I had the privilege on trying out the new Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 recently and I must say that I was really impressed with the shoe. I hadn’t had much opportunity on trying out Nike shoes and this experience was really worth it, all made possible by Nike Malaysia and Mr. Wong Li-Zren.

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Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3...

For the introduction, the Vomero+ 3 is neutral cushioned shoe. And for a trainer, it certainly was light weighting at only 326 grams. Not forgetting too that it is also a Nike+ enabled shoe.

Positive
The Vomero+ 3 I received came in white, black and reddish orange colour with some shades of grey and not forgetting those reflective metallic silver although Nike’s website reveals another 2 colour option. It looks really plush but personally, I always feel that a running shoe would be best if it comes with majority lighter colours or those that repels heat. Darker colours tend to attract heat especially with the hot humid weather of Malaysia. But thanks to the great ventilation, the shoe was great and comfortable to have both my feet in it. Not much of a sweaty feet experience even with those traditional cotton socks. My guess for the great ventilation lies with the very breathable mesh as I did not notice any or much holes on the shoe like some how other shoes have on them.

A look on the breathable mesh. Notice the amount of reflective metallic silver...

The most significant highlight is, the shoe was very soft. It’s the softest shoes I’ve worn since the day I started running. From the built of the shoe to the cushioning, everything was so soft. The built of the shoe from the vamp to the overlays and the tongue was so soft that my feet felt like that it was resting in a piece of very soft well cushion pillow! And the material being this soft provided the shoe with excellent flexibility. Oh and yes, it’s seamlessly built so no stitching which led to a really comfortable shoe. The collar was made of memory foam and it hug my ankle nicely. No trouble at all even when I do a sharp turn. And since I mention the shoe’s tongue, I think its worth to talk about it. It’s a one piece construction and it doesn’t move around at all compared to traditional tongues. Well designed here as I had always mentioned about the irritation I suffered from moving shoe tongues.

The shoe’s width was just nice for me. It doesn’t look like a 2E width to me, but somehow, both my feet just fit snugly in the Vomero+ 3. The toebox was generously designed and my toes had the freedom to move in them.

The footbridge with the Nike+ logo...

A quick look on the outsole quickly reveals that Nike did an impressive job here by adding support to the metatarsals especially to the cuboid. With it, the force which is generated during the locking of the midfoot during the propulsion phase which without the support may lead to plantar fasciitis or even iliotibal band syndrome.

Key notes:
Nike+ enabled.
Great ventilation.
Comfortable to wear.
Impressive metatarsal support.

Negative
Besides the slightly darker shade of the shoe, the other or only negative aspect I found from the shoe is the cushioning. I simply like the softness of the shoe, but it was the softness of the outsole that let me down. The outsole cushioning was built on top of Nike’s Cushlon technology for the midsole and the Zoom Air for the heel and forefoot. It was all right for runs distanced at 10KM or even further at 15KM but at 20KM, my calves began to hurt. With every heel strike, my calves are called into action especially when now I am implementing plyometrics to my runs. However with the Vomero+ 3, my calves had to work extra hard as the softness of the outsoles meant a slower response time as my heels felt that it was like “sinking” with every strike. This probably was due to the thick but yet soft outsole which compress on impact. The transition from heel strike to toe off isn’t as smooth as I would like it to be, but on harder surfaces like concrete, it felt better.

Cushlon on the midsole...

The heel cushioned by Zoom Air. Notice the Zoom word...

Key notes:
Cushioning on the soft side.

Comfort: 8.5/10
Cushioning: 7.5/10
Design: 8/10
Flexibility: 8/10
Weight: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

To finish off my first ever Nike shoe review, I have only one word to describe the Vomero+ 3, “Excellent”. Obviously from my perspective, I will definitely like it better should the outsole is made just a little bit harder, but that doesn’t mean it is not suitable for me at all as I still found it a very comfortable shoe during my “pain-free” runs. Finally, my thanks to Nike Malaysia and Mr. Wong Li-Zren for the opportunity to test out this great pair of shoes.

The Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 3 is now already available retailing at RM479.

Injinji Tetratsok...

By Frank

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Injinji pronounced as “In-gin-ji” is an African term which describes "when a drumming circle reaches a climax, the peak in the performance, when all of the participants are at one with the rhythm, when everyone hits a stride and there is unison among all".

So, what is this all about? Basically, Injinji are makers of Tetratsok, a quality technical sock for running, cycling, walking, casual and much more. Their trademark, toe socks. Unlike conventional tube socks, Injinji Tetratsok comes with 5 separate “toe pockets” which allows each toe to be separated from the others thus preventing chafing. And with high quality materials like COOLMAX, Nylon and Lycra used to construct the socks, it’s no wonder that Injinji Tetratsok offers superior comfort and performance to athletes all around.

Injinji Tetratsok Performance Mini-Crew as seen above...

Off the shelves...

OK… Enough of all the intro. Here’s a short review. I have been running a lot lately. I have been hammering myself with races after races each week. Even without races, I will myself in a long run. Although I’m able to take it, my poor feet succumbed to blisters. Without enough time to heal, I find myself back in the running scene again. Therefore, I told myself that I needed to do something about it. And thus, just a couple of weeks ago while I was down at Singapore participating in the Sundown Marathon 2008, I dropped by at The Running Lab at Novena Square to buy myself a pair of Injinji Tetratsok Performance Mini-Crew. It costs me SGD23 and although being expensive, it was a worthy investment for my poor feet.

The first time I slip the socks on, it felt weird. It takes a little while to get use to slipping each toe into each individual “toe pockets”, especially when it’s new. After wearing and washing it a couple of times, it should be fine. The socks actually take time to “mold” itself to the feet, just like those memory foam technologies. And when it does, the sock will be ready to show its full potential. First feeling wearing a technical sock is that it sure felt light and cooling. The COOLMAX fabric certainly lives up to its name being able to wick moisture as I ran in the socks. No more soggy feeling and its dryness all the way. As for the toes, no more chafing! Even though if the toes rub against each others, the “toe pockets” which holds each toe in it will “shield” it thus preventing chafing. And not only that, Injinji states that this will help promote healthy circulation as there won’t be any restriction to the feet’s movement.

How it looks like when it's slipped on (those are not my feet though)...

Although I just wore them a couple of times, I’m already loving my Injinji. It’s goodbye to traditional cotton tube socks and trust me that you will love the socks despite the price. Imagine the time you have to spend to endure in the pain of blisters and buying the plasters and medication to ease the pain which is time consuming. Prevention is always better than cure. And Injinji Tetratsok is the answer to it.

For further enquiries on Injinji, please do not hesitate to contact Runnerz Circle at +603-6142 6787 / +6012-395 9598 or at info@runnerzcircle.com.

A Survivor's Story...

By Frank

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I have been running for more than a year now. From my first step to my first 10KM leading all the way to 42KM and getting my first medal, and recently suffering my first cramp at Sundown Marathon, it has been a wonderful experience. A journey not only to suffer through the pain but yet one that will push me to a stage where I have yet to be at. And being a lonely individual, running has exposed me to a network of friends. Some were fast, some like me, some slower and yet some arrogant! But no matter, this allows me to see and understand the world even more.

However, there has been one thing that many didn’t know about me. My past. My running story. How it all began? What led me to running and who are the ones behind my success? Not many people know that I’m a cancer survivor and being one isn’t easy. Yes, you read that right. I'm a cancer survivor. To keep it within my heart is not a simple task when others are looking at me from a different point of view without knowing. I didn't want to share my past with people I know as I fear that I will be treated differently. And in running, I do not want to be trained differently. Although I know I'm different, I just want to be myself. But as each day pass, I guess it’s time to share what I have gone through.

Back in March 2008, I’ve started writing an article about my running story to be published on Footloose, the Pacesetters quarterly newsletter to share with fellow runners. It has yet to be published yet though as I wrote this entry. But on one morning while having my long run alongside Jamie Pang from Runners Malaysia, he asked me for that article to be published on his website. And so I agreed and after editing it being slightly more detail than the first version, Jamie helped me published it a couple of weeks ago. And here’s my write-up.

"Running has always been my main aerobic exercise to stay healthy. Since my kiddy days, I always follow my dad on weekends to the park for a light jog. It was until the age of 12 when I was diagnose with cancer that put a stop to it. I was diagnosed with a type of sarcoma cancer on my left wrist which affects the muscles and other soft tissues of the affected area. I needed an operation on my left wrist to remove the tumuor followed by treatment. I underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy for almost 3 years, and I couldn’t involve myself in any physical activities such as running. I bloated up like a balloon and my weight almost hit 80KG.

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.As per request, here's a comparison of me from the year 1996 (left) and today (right). Don't laugh ya...

At age 15, when all treatment had cease and my condition got better, I decided to get myself back into shape. I started running again but not very often as I picked up mountain biking. My parents weren’t supportive and kept telling me to quit, but I didn’t. It wasn’t easy when I first started due to my weight, but eventually through persistent, I managed to overcome many obstacles including bringing down my weight. And 2 years down the road, I was finally crown champion in one of the races I participated in. I retired there as I have achieved my goal and this sport had caused me a fair amount of injuries which still affects me till today, although not as serious as before.

It was in year 2006 when I decided to take up running after reading much of it in various running blogs. However, as I was still struggling with knee problems, I decided to give myself a year before competing in my first race which was the KL International Marathon 2007. Again, my parents weren’t supportive but I decided to go on. In fact till today, they aren’t supporting me. But luckily, I have found tremendous support from a special friend of mine. I joined the gym and started training and also in the meantime, doing some rehab exercises for my knee. I even studied the human body anatomy by going through books and also the Internet to give myself a clearer understanding on my own body. And besides going through all the scientific stuffs, I also followed Ronnie (PM1) and also Jamie (carboman) blogs as I found them to be informative.

One year passed, and I eventually made my debut at KLIM07. Call me crazy for taking up a full marathon at my first race. I managed to complete the race in 05:50:10. Although I suffered during the race and couldn’t walk for a day later, I felt extremely good and proud of myself. And thus, it all started here when I decided to pick up my momentum on running and a few days later, I dropped by at Pacesetters office and signed up as a member and eventually met many new friends. I ran in races around the Klang Valley and as time passes, I found out that it couldn’t satisfy my hunger for more. I began looking at other states and eventually signed up for the Penang Bridge Half Marathon 2007. But it still wasn’t enough, and I finally went oversea at the Singapore Marathon 2007. My second full marathon and I got better.

It’s 2008 now and it has been a year plus since I started running. After following Ronnie and Jamie’s blog for almost 2 years, I finally decided to introduce myself to them back in January 2008. And I did not regret it at all as I met up with lots of running people through them and also eventually trained with them. I express my gratitude to them as not only they allowed me to train with them although I’m a slower runner, they also motivated me and treated me just like part of their “running family”. At this time of writing, I just completed my third marathon at the KL International Marathon 2008 a month ago, clocking a sub-5 hours time! I have set myself a target of 4 full marathons this year and am now training for my second being the Sundown Marathon at Singapore.

With my cancer history and fair amount of injuries I suffered through mountain biking, I never thought that I could defy the odds with my running achievements today. But as running has brought my life back, I’m glad I made the decision 2 years back to take it up. To me, I’m not a competitive runner. I do not regard the other runners to be my opponents as I know the only one thing or person that can stop me, is myself. So here’s to share my motto to everyone. “It’s not the question on how we fall, but it’s how we pick ourselves up again”."

I do hope my story will be able to inspire people out there to take up not only running but also to do the things that they have long waited to do as life is just too short to give it a miss. My above published article on Runner's Malaysia can be seen here. And many thanks to Jamie for helping me publish it.