Run In Memory Of Ngae Koh Hieng...

By Frank

This morning, an initiative to run in memory of late Ngae Koh Hieng was done by Wan Yew Leong together with Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia. The idea behind this run was to pay our tribute to the icon himself who sadly left us last weekend. I've attended his wake the past Monday but still am still unable to accept the fact that he is gone.

In conjunction with the memorial run, Wan has prepared a special running bib for all runners who has the option to wear it for a run to be done together although the distance and the route isn't fix. I asked for number 84 which they gladly gave as I assume that will be my bib number (as printed on my receipt) for next weekend's Sundown Marathon 2010 and I will be wearing it. I'm now in my tapering phase and I ran an easy 10KM yesterday morning. And with exactly no sleep at all since 8.30am yesterday morning (simulating next weekend's race condition), I opt to run an easy 5KM first around the Bukit Aman to bird park area before joining the others for the memorial run running the double hills route.

A simple but yet meaningful running bib...

The distribution of bib started at 6am and we had a 1 minute silence before we all head out to run at 6.30am. I wore a sarong for this run as Ngae was made famous by running with it together with his barefoot running style. I borrowed the sarong from Jasmine and the first thing I noticed was the flower design instead of the usual boxes. I asked her and found out that the design is for women. Hahaha.... No wonder. I'm not able to run barefoot but I guess Ngae will understand. Perhaps 1 day I will. Who knows right?

Running in a sarong is certainly not easy. My hats off to Ngae for doing it all the time. I started well with it, but once it gets soak in sweat, it sticks to the skin and movement became limited. I ran the entire double hills route with it and I was lucky it didn't came loose. Kind of surprise with how well I put it on. Hehe...

Anyway, I had a good run with the others although not everyone ran together. And since this is the final tapering weekend, I do feel better running 16KM this morning. And after the run, there was a mini pot luck breakfast where some of us contributed some food. I contributed some Gardenia Twiggies. Wan made his signature teh tarik.

I had a wonderful but tiring morning. Back home, it was laundry before I fell asleep after entering this entry. As for Sundown Marathon 2010, the final week now approaches. Mentally I do feel a bit ready, but physically wise, it's another matter. Let's see what I can do in this few days.

Loss Of An Icon...

By Frank

The Malaysia ultra endurance sport scene lost an icon yesterday. Ngae Koh Hieng famous for his down to earth lifestyle, barefoot running, sarong, desert and ultra running, singing while racing and training, and also for his big smile on his face has passed away on 15 May 2010.

I was really tired yesterday as I did not sleep a wink as I am trying to simulate being awake in the wee hours for my Sundown Marathon 2010. As I was about to call it a day yesterday, I received a SMS at 9.30pm from Lawrence delivering me the sad news that Ngae has passed on. I was really shocked when I learnt about it and actually took me some time to accept the fact.

Ngae was had a tumour removed a year ago from his head. He recovered well from it and I remember the photo that Lynn took of him during last year's edition of New Balance 15KM Run (this year's edition actually happened earlier this morning). He was all in smiles. But then, I first learnt about his deteriorating condition during my trip to Langkawi Island back in February 2010 for the Ironman Langkawi 2010.

Though I only got to know Ngae for less than a year, I have read about his adventures since I first stared running 3 years ago. The time when I got to know him was during the preparation for Powerman 2009 where we trained together. We had our pre-race dinner and raced together too, but little did I know that, that was the first and last training and race that I did with him. I remember very well on his praises for my run and also on how he overtook me in cycling. And also the moment he got lost in Putrajaya during our Powerman 2009 simulation. Not to mention him promoting and passing around his traditional "Foo Chow" biscuits during our pre-race dinner at Lumut.

With Ngae (in shades) after our Powerman 2009 simulation at Putrajaya...

Ngae promoting "Foo Chow" biscuits...

I'm sure many will miss this great icon for he lived a life too short. Ngae if you are able to read this, we all miss you and wish you a good journey ahead. My condolences to his family and loved ones.

Rest In Peace, Ngae Koh Hieng (08 January 1954 - 15 May 2010)

Eye Asia: A Cancer Survivor’s Story On Marathon Running...

By Frank
Translated by Chee Kong
Article scanned by Jamie

In the month of October 2008, I was interviewed by a journalist from Eye Asia to be featured in their magazine. It was published in November 2008 and since it was a Chinese magazine, I had no clue on what was written until Chee Kong helped me translate it. Though certain parts were written wrongly, I guess it's no harm publishing it here. The following is the write up.

A Cancer Survivor's Story On Marathon Running
Chong Wei Siong - Pain Is Just A Minor Issue

Although Wei Siong's involvement in distance running is just over a year, running is a sport that he is fully dedicated to. In order to run well, he gave up lots of sports like badminton and squash which may hurt his legs. Besides running, he only does resistance trainings. When asked the reasons he likes running, he can't really explain it and replied "Difficult to explain. The feeling when I cross the finish line is something you have to experience it yourself to understand".

At the end of August 2008, he ran in a charity run, the Nike+ Human Race 10K at Singapore. The event was held simultaneously around 25 countries. The fund raised from the event was donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, WWF and UNICEF.

This event is particular meanigful for Wei Siong because it was his first time being fully sponsored by the organiser. Furtheremore, he successfully ran a personal best.

Wei Siong, 29 years of age is a Personal Fitness Trainer. He is not tall, slim and without 6 packs isn't a huge guy and certainly doesn't have the build of a trainer. When he was 12 years of age, he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer seen among children. He was fully cured though.

"My weight was nearly 80KG during my treament days. It was around 60KG before I first started running. Now I have slim down a lot and that made my parents not supportive towards my running career". Anyway, he felt that running was a great help towards his health as he gets better sleep and his metabolism is greatly improved. Though he has a big appetite, this doesn't make him fat and that's the good thing about it.

Cancer did not affect him a lot as he is still into sports. During his high school days, he took part in mountain biking competitions. He competed for 2 years before finally winning in one of the competitions in 1996 when he was a Form 5 student. He then retired from it as it was a dangerous sport and injuries from falls are common.

Difficulty in walking after a race
In 2005, his friend and him started talking about the marathon. "It looks interesting, thus we started training", Wei Siong said. However, he had some knee problems that time and therefore waited around a year before making his debut in his maiden full marathon in 2007. The distance for a marathon is 42.195KM. Besides marathon, he also participates in other shorter distance races. He still remembers that after his first marathon, he could hardly walk the next day. He needed an umbrealla to support his body. "Now it only takes me a day to recover". He smiled and said, "During my first marathon, I ran non stop for 22KM before I started walking. But now, I can run the whole distance. Although, I can still feel pain after completing a run but it will be gone within a day".

We think a 10KM race should be easy for him. "It's different. The pace for 10KM and 42KM is different. The pace for 10KM is fast and breathing is hard. Normally I can't talk after I finished the race but after a 42KM race, I am still able to". He runs almost everyday except Friday which is a rest day, as he does his long distance run on Saturday and Sunday.

Marathon running not only depends on physical endurance, but also mental strength. Due to the long distance, fatigue will slowly kick in. A good mentality will help to see one through. His suggestion is to try not to stop during a run because it will be difficult to resume as the leg will be in pain and heavy to move.

His running tag line is "No regrets" as he would if he gives up. "I have experienced some tough times in my life. Therefore I remind myself that pain from running is just a minor issue, at least for me".

Setting realistic goals
For those who would like to try out running, he would encourage them by telling them "If I can do it, so can you!".

Before any race, he will set a goal. "The goal must be realistic. I would be happy if I achieve it, else I will try harder the next time". He thinks running should be taken easily, especially for those who are new. Do not over do it.
"Take it easy. Don't try to be a hero. 5KM or 10KM, it doesn't look like a big difference from the number, but it can be felt when you run. For those who are new to this sport, there are lots of information on the Internet to help you get started. Training must be flexible but yet in a discipline manner. Do not over do it if the body can't take it. Be patience as I spent a year training before debuting in my first race".

Running is just as addictive like any other hobby. Wei Siong says he will never stop running, unless something happens. I (interviewer) said that he is still young and have a long road ahead, but he disagrees as anything can happen in the future especially when we are not careful.

The Greatest Race On Earth
In the coming December, he will be running the Singapore Marathon which is one of the races under the Greatest Race On Earth. After this, he would like to particiapate in a 84KM ultra marathon. That's double the distance of a full marathon. " I would like to give it a shot once as it is an achievement that I would like to live with".

People said running a marathon is a sport where money is spent to torture ourselves. Some races required expensives registration fees. However, he thinks that it is worth it especially when one crosses the finish line.

He was looking outside the shopping mall after the interview, so I asked him, "Are you planning to run back home?". He looked to the sky and replied half seriouly, "It's going to rain, better not". 4PM is his running time. 10KM each day follow by 20KM to 30KM on the weekend. Ordinary peoples understanding towards distance running is different from a marathoner. 10KM to them is too short. Running will make you addicted, do not ask him why. You would only know after you experience it.

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Team Hoyt...

Running a marathon itself takes a lot of discipline. When the road ahead gets tough, some of us seek inspiration from others. For myself, one of them is through getting to know incredible stories about extraoridnary people around the world. Therefore, be inspired by the following article courtesy from Sports Illustrated about Team Hoyt. It really inspired me a lot. Do watch the video too and do pay attention to the great lyrics of the song played.

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life. This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;" Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially. In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?"

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Be inspired...

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says. Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape," One doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago." So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once."

Living Yet Stronger...

One of my idols and cycling all greats, Lance Armstrong a winner of 7 Tour de France titles in 7 consecutive years and also a finisher of 2 New York Marathons and a Boston Marathon both under 3 hours during his 3 years retirement from professional cycling, on 8 September 2008 announced that he will be coming out of retirement to try win an eight Tour de France crown in 2009. The below is his statement and story courtesy from MSN Sports.

US cycling icon Lance Armstrong said on Tuesday he will return to professional cycling in 2009 and try to win an eighth Tour de France crown.

"I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden," Armstrong said in a statement, while in an exclusive interview posted on vanityfair.com the 36-year-old cyclist says he has his sights set firmly on the Tour de France in 2009.

I am going back to professional cycling. I'm going to try to win an eighth Tour de France," Armstrong told Vanity Fair.

Armstrong, who will turn 37 on September 18, cited 41-year-old US swimmer Dara Torres's Olympic comeback in Beijing as proof that age was no barrier to an elite sports career.

"Look at the Olympics," he said. "You have a swimmer like Dara Torres. Even in the 50m (freestyle) the 41-year-old mother proved you can do it," he told the magazine.

"The woman who won the marathon (Romanian Constantina Tomescu) was 38. Older athletes are performing very well. Ask serious sports physiologists and they'll tell you age is a wives' tale."

Armstrong said he decided to tackle the Tour again in August, while competing in the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race in Colorado.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor and vocal advocate for cancer patients, hopes to use his return to spread his message of support for those with the disease as well as his call for investment in cancer research.

"This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma ... it's now time to address cancer on a global level," he said.

Armstrong, who won seven consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005, has vigorously denied doping accusations that have dogged him even into retirement, and told Vanity Fair that in his comeback he plans to address the issue of doping head-on by submitting to a rigorous testing regime.

"We're going to be completely transparent and open with the press," Armstrong said. "So there is a nice element here where I can come with a really completely comprehensive program and there will be no way to cheat."

Armstrong said he would discuss details of his plans for competition in 2009 on September 24 in New York City.

On Monday, cycling website VeloNews.com reported that Armstrong was poised to join the Astana team, although an Astana spokesman denied it.

In his Vanity Fair interview, Armstrong mentions Johan Bruyneel, onetime sporting director of Armstrong's US Postal and Discovery Channel teams who is now general manager of the Kazakh-backed, Luxembourg-based Astana.

Bruyneel himself said on Tuesday morning at the Tour of Spain that he thought reports of the cyclist's impending return were only "a rumour."

However, Bruyneel seemed to leave a door open for the American.

"If he were serious about a comeback ... myself having a team I could not imagine him at CSC or Rabobank," Bruyneel said.

Astana didn't appear in the 2008 Tour de France, having been barred by organizers Amaury Sport Organisation in the wake of a series of doping incidents.

Armstrong told Vanity Fair that he is already preparing a back-up plan if the ASO attempts to exclude him from the Tour - taking his case to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"I've already put a call in to him," Armstrong said. "He has said strong things about me in the past."

To know more about the latest developement, do visit the Lance Armstrong Foundation website. From Runnerz Circle, we wish Lance Armstrong the very best!

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.

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...