Reflections...

Malakoff 26km Run - finished 16th
Without Kenyans, I'll be 8th, top 10! Wow! Never thought about it this way till moments ago looking at my medals and the time I wrote on lanyard of Malakoff 26km Run medal...2:02...it also meant I crossed 21km in PB time! Heck, I didn't realise that!!
So, getting 16th position with Kenyans is in fact a darn good result :)

MALAKOFF 26km, Penang 2009
Preliminary Results
Men's Open
Position Bib Name Finish
1 A0063 Daniel Kipkemei Koringo 01:25:53
2 A0134 Shadrack Kemboi Kipchirchir 01:26:35
3 A0135 Moses Kipkemboi Kiptoo 01:27:15
4 A0039 Richard Mutisya 01:27:34
5 A0036 Ruto Stephen Kipchumba 01:27:56
6 A0040 Josphat Nzinga 01:28:29
7 A0038 Nderitu John Wandahi 01:34:28
8 A0037 Kimberess Kembar 01:38:06
9 A0081 Sivamanogran Sivalingham 01:44:26
10 A0047 Ow Yuang Jin Kuang 01:45:54
11 A0436 Rubenkumar Ramasamy 01:51:16
12 A0065 Mohd Ardy Azmi 01:51:18
13 A0148 Chuah Soon Haw 01:56:24
14 A0128 Peter Chong Jian Li 01:57:25
15 A0117 Ng Bak Kiong 02:00:00
16 A0019 Raymond Ng Chow Kiong 02:02:28
17 A0007 Cha Chee Wei 02:06:14
18 A0323 Yeoh Seng Siew 02:06:55
19 A0288 Kenny Tan 02:07:46
20 A0078 Yeoh Kean Boon 02:09:17

Looking back can mean a lot... :)

Shape & Men's Health Run 2009

Kelvin, Siok Leng, crazytomatoman, Chin Chin

Running 11.5km at night is tougher than running in the morning. The night was extremely humid, there was not a bit of cool breeze not to mention heat from tarmac rising. Standing inside 'kandang lembu' awaiting flagoff was enough in making us to sweat profusely.
Although no Kenyans this round, somehow the pressure of performing well was there. Maybe because everyone wanted to show Kenyans we can do something too!
11.5km... it's a long distance sprinter's game. Btw, is there such a thing as...long distance sprinter? hahaha! Yes it's some distance altho not too long. Just that we have to pia kaw siao running these races.

8pm...bang!
I must have dashed off too fast as I was already panting heavily after the first km. Even so, I was still behind my sifu, Khoo. Before reaching 1st bridge, Ben went pass. Approaching PICC hill, Chin went pass, Ronnie went pass. Descending PICC, veteran Daniel went pass.
Aiyo i kena sayur like mad!! Reaching 1st water station, I showered to cool down. Felt much better and from there till km9, I had a pacing buddy, a veteran. Going uphill, I sayur him but heading downhill, he sayur me back. So it resembled a Tom & Jerry run, chasing each other.
Turning into the final bridge, I expected him to pass me as it was a gentle slope down but he didn't appear.
Going pass 9km mark, I increased my pace slightly and behind me was Stanley. He did the same and I was sayur-ed...again. Sheesh!!!
With the 1km mark in view, I tld myself to sayur someone. Started striding and with around 500m to go, I was neck to neck with Stanley. Turning into finishing straight, tomato power kicked in. At last I did my own sayur-ing and sprinted the final 100m.

Finished 36th at 52:12

Lungs felt like bursting out as I collected my medal and goodie bag. Definitely a fast & furious race!

Thanks to organisers for making it a great race with a carnival like feeling!!!

crazytomatoman

Lunarglide+

Ran with it 3 times now...

1 - 2.5km around my condo
2 - 5km in mini triathlon training
3 - 10km in PD Triathlon

Cushion - no issue on this. The heel is well padded with rocket science 'dunnowatumahcallit' soft yet strong cushion. Enough cushion for a full 42.195km, that's for sure.

Sole - tough rubbers that don't run out after a few runs.

Weight - for a marathon, it's light enough
Thumbs up for stability. Hold your feet firmly and your spread of toes are not squeezed tightly inside. So that's great!
Bounce or spring...can feel that the pounding impact is absorbed and the energy is converted into a spring effect. Shoes do not have the heavy feel.

As for the look, it's pretty aggressive, predominantly in black. Grrr!!

The only downside is that it maybe our feet will get too hot in long runs here with our tropical heat. The air circulation can be improved. But good for cold countries, that's for sure!

Overall, I LOVE it!

Time to glide with the Lunarglide+ !!

Gooday!

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE

This i s God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.
I love you.

P.S. And, remember...
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you. You may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
Now, you have a nice day.
God

God has seen you struggling,
God says it's over.
A blessing is coming your way.

Sub 5...almost...

Team Hyper Gila - After race kit collection


Ipoh taugeh chicken rice loading



With Mr. 'Merida' Yeap from KSH shop and Frank


Yip, me, Frank, Lynn, Chin Chin




Bkt Kinding Resort - start/finish for Century Ride 2009

As soon as the riders hit the main road, turbos set in and off they went. I was just warming up and went rather slow for the first 5km.

Riders zooming past me and very soon a 30 rider peloton went by so I joined in. More and more riders were 'picked up' and soon the peloton grew to about 50 riders. Average speed then hovered around 35-40kmh. Not before long, we caught up with leading pack, building the peloton size to at least 70 riders. Impressive! Especially since Tour de France was halfway through and we get to...well...imagine we are in France la. :P

I was enjoying the peloton but the speed crept upwards till we were doing above 40kmh and at certain stretches we even hit 50kmh+

I have no idea which downhill stretch recorded a 71kmh on my meter as the fastest. Wow!

When we hit the 70km+ mark, I failed to keep up when they attacked the hills. I lost it...bye bye peloton. Immediately speed dropped and I hovered around 30kmh till water station. From then on, together with 5-6 riders, we cruised in single file drafting each other. Very soon another peloton of around 20 riders came by...alright! But scattered to bits at water station no.3
From then on, I was more or less alone for the remaining 40km. Quads were feeling the stress and began twitching. Already 2 PowerGels and bites of PowerBar in my tummy and they surely kept me going...rolling... I'm the 'belakang mari' guy

Somewhere around km 130km thereabout I had to dismount my bike and do some stretching and had a couple minutes rest by the roadside. Legs were crying!
But I must say the short rest did wonders. Legs felt much much better.
30km...20km...10km...I kept the pace decently as I didn't want to be below 30kmh this time.

The last 10km... hot hot hot. Sun finally showed itself after a pleasant cool morning. Resort guardhouse was a view longed by all riders. I cruised to finish line slowly, enjoying the final moments of this great Century Ride. Last year, I took 6:13 and this time, I stopped in front of the race clock which showed 5:00! Yahoo!!! 5hr flat!

I'm the one wearing Powered by Jesus jersey. Praise the Lord!

But my cert was printed 5:01...no official 5hr flat...oh well, next year then...

Justice

In today’s Gospel,
Jesus explains how His Spirit will “present judgment to the nations.”
God’s Justice will prevail over all forms of injustices in the world.
No one can escape the Divine Justice;
we all have to be accountable to God for the way we live.

Desaru, here I come!!

Received this in my email today...confirmation of registration in Desaru International Long Distance Triathlon.

My tri fever is getting hot after PD tri. It was a last minute registration.

Crazytomatoman is rollin!!!



Dear Raymond Ng Chow Kiong

We've confirm your registration with Triathlon Malaysia. This is your registration details:

Desaru International Long Distance & Sprint Triathlon 2009 [Click to View]

Registration Info

Name	Raymond Ng Chow Kiong
Reference No	tri4a609c693033c
Registration Status	Confirmed
Entity	Individual
Race Category	Men 30 - 39 years (Malaysian) Long Distance Triathlon
Payment Method	Credit Card
Price	RM 100.00

A good try in PD tri

PD Triathlon 2009, my second Olympic Distance after my maiden at Kenyir Lake last year.
Since Langkawi IM2009, it has been a tri-hibernation. March none, Apr none, May none, June none and July…at last there’s a triathlon race, PD International Triathlon. The moment crazy nuts like me have been waiting for…to get more nutty!

Journey to PD on Saturday morning was the usual jalan-jalan cari makan. Besides being close to Admiral Cove where the tri-action was, Golf & Country Club was our “tri nest” this time round. A comfortable place to stay, not mentioning that it’s very affordable as well.

Somehow my nose was not feeling well that day, endless sneezing throughout the day…and night.
After collecting our race pack, it’s…what else but carbo loading time again after a yummylicious beef noodle in Seremban open air market. This time round, we had Chinese round table lunch. Tummies smilling half an hour later, we adjourned back to watch the Sprint event.

Girls seem to like water more than guys. Michelle, Jennifer, Siok Bee, and Debbie were all geared up for a swim once we arrived at the beach. But before that, photo session. Click click click…endless clicks…

Usual carbo dinner and briefing by Uncle Chan before retiring for the night.
Popped in paracetamol tablet and I hit the sack at 10pm. Hoped my nose stopped running so my legs could run on race day.

Race day…

Morning drizzle cooled things down. Good weather for a tri!!
Checked in bike, body marked, all set for PD tri. Loud blasting techno music really psyched everyone up for the race.

I was in wave2, after 5min of wave1. The calm PD waters was not its usual self. Somehow the waves were strong and likewise with the currents. Rats! Another Desaru???

Getting to the first Powerbar buoy was excruciating. Tossed around like rag rolls in a washing machine! That’s what it was. Front back left right up down, you name it, we got it. Coupled with hands slapping, legs kicking, the swim was…was…damm celaka! Honestly I didn’t have the confidence of finishing the swim in that situation. Before halfway I was already hanging on to a small buoy for a breather. One by one yellow caps floated pass, then came blue caps. At least marina was without waves but still, I didn’t like the swim at all. Lack of training made it worse. I was practically ‘crawling’, not swimming.

48min was what I needed to get on to dry land. First few steps was tough as I still felt the tossing motion. Stopped a full minute at the shower to get my bearings right. Lee was just about to leave transition when I got hold of my bike. Everything set and off I rode on my trusty Merida880.
Caught up with Lee after the roundabout and we drafted each other for a while till KK went pass signaling us to draft behind him. I jumped at the chance! Caught up with Jenn and told her to draft as well. Before long there were 4-5 guys behind KK. We were going around 35kmh! Good pace!

Spoke too soon cos my legs gave in before the U turn. Twitching began and like it or not, I had to slow down. Didn’t want to end up with cramps all over. Thanks KK but sadly I couldn’t keep up. From average speed of 35kmh down to 27-28kmh. Nooooo!!!!

Not long after U turn, Lisar and Mich ‘sayured’ me. I tried to draft behind their peloton of about 5-6riders. These girls are amazingly fast! Wished I have their legs…I mean…strong legs…I mean…speed! Yeah yeah…strong sexy legs! :P

Upon the turn into highway back, I let the peloton go. Cruised slowly back to transition hoping that helped restore some strength for the run. Checked my bike time, 1.12….pretty good timing! ‘Parked’ my bike and I took my sweet time with a PowerGel, PowerBar Endurance drink, putting on socks and my new running shoes…Nike Lunarglide+

Must have spent at least 5min in transition. Hahaha! Time was 2.10 as I jogged out. Legs felt ok and I increased pace. Bad move. At km2, bang! Cramps! Alamak not again!!! For about 2km, I hobbled on. Thank God the pain subsided and I could do a decent pace after the first water station. Saw so many fast runners on their way back. That motivated me to speed up. Then came Yip, Roger, Keat Seong, Meng, Bobby. They were fast! I only caught up with Lydia and Mich a km after the km5 U turn. No problem with top10 for them. Halfway back, Tony the pelumba haram was pacing someone. Saw Ngae as well. This super ultraman was not in sarung but in tri pants. He’s back!

At the final water station, I downed 100plus and drenched myself with water as usual but all of a sudden, left hamstring seized up. So bloody painful!! Had to stop completely. Stood motionless for about a minute. No way, not the wall!! Checked my watch…2.45…will it be a sub3??
Slowly I jogged and slowly I increased pace cos I’m not gonna miss a sub3 this time. As I turned into the grass pitch, the finishing line was simply…magical.

Yes, a sub3…2.56…not something to shout about but target achieved. The moment I crossed the finish line, both legs hit the wall. Lady taking off the timing chip told me to be still. I forgot to tell her I couldn’t move! Must be close to a minute I stood there. Very gently step by step I dragged myself to the tent. First time my legs ended up like that. Friend were happily chatting and laughing away but I was grimacing in pain. Funny that must have been. Hahaha! Only after a few minutes rest, my legs agreed to walk.

A good try in PD tri!!

Let's make that change!

> One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which it was written:

> “Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym”.
>
> In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself. The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.
>
> The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone thought: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!”.
>
> One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood
> nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself or herself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: IT IS YOU. You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself."
>
> Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
>
> “The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have with yourself”
>
> Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality.
>
> **** The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed. *****
>
> The world and your reality are like mirrors laying in a coffin, which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to imagine
> and create his happiness and his success. It’s the way you face Life that makes the difference!
>
> - If an egg is broken from outside force .. life ends. If an egg is broken from inside force , life begins. Great things always begin from
> our inside.

- Anonymous

Day before PD triathlon

Saturday 11 July...the day before Port Dickson International Triathlon.

Carbo loading sessions...

Round 1

That's where we went...famous Seremban beef noodles

That's who we are...hyper gila bunch

That's what we had...yummylicious kao kao!!!

As for tri report....err....relak la...coming soon to a blogspot near you...

Durian Glorious Durian!!

No more RM10 eat all you can durians available but the durians for RM20 eat all you can was worth every penny...I mean sen!

Plump, soft yet supple, I bite into it like there's no tomorrow. Slowly it melts in my mouth as I gently spread it over my tongue letting the sweetness, bitter after taste hitting the right spot. Normally, wine connoisseurs' eau de vie description will sound like this; dry, heavy body with a hint of raspberry or some berries...blah blah blah... Wonder what they will say how durian is like.
Very full bodied, sweet, creamy, milky, freshly brewed alcoholic taste and finishing off with a gentle bitter end?


Sorry no comment...my mouth is full!

Oh mama! I'm in heaven!!!!

And so, that was our carbo loading dinner for PD triathlon this Sunday! Burp Burp!

You are a runner

" Shut the door and lock it. Now stand in front of the mirror and slowly take off your clothes. Marvel at your body - the flatness of your stomach, the curve of your hamstrings. Years of running have made your hips lean and your calves sculpted.
You are strong.
You are beautiful.
You are a runner."

- by Tamara Rice Lave

Is your heart healthy?

Just because you don't have any symptoms does not mean you are healthy! About 80% of disease process occurs long before we have any symptoms. That is why it is so important to be proactive about health. Sadly, most members of our species are only motivated to make changes when they are caught up with symptoms.

About 80% of disease process occurs long before we have any symptoms.

Some diseases don't have any symptoms until they actually kill you. The first symptom is death! Well the number one cause of death in this country is heart disease and the most common symptom of heart disease is not chest pain, but it is sudden death.

We must not forget in taking care of our heart. Our heart is a super ultra marathoner that beats without taking a break!

Imagine our legs that can go on like our heart! Wow!

Therefore, we must take good care of our heart so that it keeps on beating.

Fish oils for heart health

The American Heart Association has acknowledged that the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are essential for heart health. They now recommend that people without heart disease eat fish 2 or more times per week and consume a diet rich in alpha-linolenic acid. Heart disease patients should consume about 1 gram of EPA and DHA daily. Patients with high triglyceride levels may benefit from supplementing with 2 to 4 grams of EPA plus DHA per day in capsule form. EPA and DHA are the main components of fish oils. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Vol. 23, February 2003, pp. e23-e31, 151-52

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol Him, all peoples!
For great is His steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfullness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117

Mini triathlon trial - Putrajaya

After a fast & furious mini triathlon this morning, I can't wait to be in action in Port Dickson Triathlon next weekend!!!

Bet the rest felt just the same.

The group this morning consisted of age group 20's to 50's...marathon runners to ironman...newbies to seasoned... We had a great time training together.

30min swim, 1hr bike, 30min run...not too long not too short, just niceg! And our lunch was also at a super fast & furious pace...only 30min or thereabout. Carbo loading for PD? :P

Adding this into the menu will be perfect! Guess it be sometime this week in my carbo loading for PD. Hahaha!!

Long ride after long long break

A time where everything is long...

Long ride...

Long time...

Long & winding road...

Long...err...everything long la...

It's either everyone is still recovering from SCKLM or it's a long story, only 3 of us turned up at Bkt Jalil starting point for our long ride this morning. This long ride was supposed to gear up for Century ride this month and start our engines for PD next Sunday. Michelle, Jennifer and yours truly....that's all. THG peeps...mana lu orang??
Keat Seong finished work at 3am & he was a goodie bf, sending Jennifer to Bkt Jalil before heading back for some sleep. So 3 of us...small group left Bkt Jalil at 715am.

Initially we planned to go Salak but since another group started from Kiara Park was riding to Downtown KLIA, we tried to meet them on KLP...hopefully. Well, it didn't work out as we missed them by a few minutes.

Upon entering MEX highway, Michelle took off like lightning. Speedy gonzales..err...anyone knows the female name for gonzales?? Anyway, I felt terribly heavy and crawled like a tortoise. Was it a post marathon syndrome to get no speed? Hmm...even going downhill was...SLOW! Couldn't believe it but it just happened. 40km/h downhill! Riders are doing that on flats. Alamak...apa dah jadi??

It was a tiring, energy zapping 17km to reach Putra toll. Michelle was having her munchies when Jenn & I arrived. Checking my bike I wanted to smack myself! Rear brakes! The pads were holding on to the rim! Stuck! Argh! Could see a considerable chunk had been 'eaten' on that 17km. Bummer! So what else to do...fix my wheel properly la. Heck I was too sleepy to check this morning. Stoopid of me. But....yeah, there's always a but...it was a funny 'weight' training style. Eat your brakes! Haha!


From there, rolling downhill was...smoother...43...48...51kmh...yup, that's the way.
Turning out to Dengkil, Juliana & rider passed us. Fast! Didn't have time to greet them as the passed.

One good thing about the road after a traffic light junction...I dunno the name of the road so I know it's rather blurr as I carry on trying to explain or exprain.... A motorbike lane was created. Something new...something good.
Much much safer with so many heavy vehicles hogging the road.
But what about cyclists???? Can use la hah...

At the roundabout, we rode straight on to KLIA instead of the usual left turn to Salak. Nice road with much less vehicles. Smell of food filled the air with Caltex station in view. Three of us rode in & saw the group of Siokbee, Jason, Gane, Lisar...& somemore riders. They were heading back. Called them & immediately Siokbee was kind to show us the BEST wantan mee shop she's been talking about. Yes! agreed! No doubt about the claim as the BBQ & roasted pork came into view. My saliva was dripping already!
Yummylicious! Very the nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe it's just me going goo goo ga ga over pork. Jenn had her wantan mee without the pork and Mich...well...she didn't have an appetite to makan babi. Takut selsema babi ke? Kekeke!
After the delicious pork-load session, we headed back around 10am. The rest of the ride back...well...it's a long ride la....

ATHLETICS: KL Marathon organiser admits to shortcomings

Source : NST
3/7/09
ATHLETICS: KL Marathon organiser admits to shortcomings

DEVINDER SINGH



STANDARD Chartered KL Marathon organiser Octagon Asia has admitted to shortcomings in its handling of the event last Sunday even as more details of the fiasco emerged.
Race director Hemant Dua, Octagon's director for Southeast Asia and India, yesterday apologised for the technical and logistical issues which saw water stations run dry, runners getting lost and the apparent misdirection of the 5km runners to the 3km route.

But it has also emerged that the timing system used to record the times of the runners led to the confusion in declaring the winners of the various categories.

The official results released by the organisers yesterday, four days after the end of the race, omitted the local men's marathon category which became the centre of dispute after second placed Shaharuddin Hashim was declared the winner instead of R. Muniandy, the first Malaysian to cross the finish line.

The women's international category was also not spared with the organiser taking three days to settle the dispute over the third placed finisher, which a source said led to a bust-up between the two Kenyans concerned.
But after a barrage of criticism by runners on the social networking site Facebook, Octagon issued an apology with a pledge to rectify the errors for future races.

"Octagon, as the event organiser of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009, acknowledges that there were technical and logistical issues that affected a number of runners," said Dua in a statement on the event website www.kl-marathon.com.

"As the race director, I would like to apologise to runners who had a bad experience connected to the marathon. It was never our intention to cause any distress.

"We have always aimed to provide a positive and memorable experience for runners in Malaysia.

"We have taken all your feedback and this will go towards improving the standard and experience for all runners next year."

Blunders mar marathon

Source: The Star
Thursday July 2, 2009


VALLEY VIEWS WITH Y.P.SIVAM


THE Standard Chartered KL Marathon, held for the first time this year, concluded on Sunday. While the organisers must be glad that the whole event is over, they must be held responsible for the glaring, embarrassing mistakes.

To say the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) and Octagon South East Asia failed would be an understatement.

They had promised to organise an international event with about 12,500 participants and a memorable experience for the runners, spectators as well as the media.

Unfortunately, they did not live up to the promise and it was chaotic end to the race.

The prize-giving ceremony was a farce. Former international R. Muniandy was the fastest Malaysian in the 42km run, crossing the finishing line in a personal best of 2’31:52. Shaharudin Abdullah, who had represented Malaysia in the Korat SEA Games, clocked 2’39:52 to come in second.


I am the champion: Kenya’s Julius Ndiritu Karinga lifting his arm as he crosses the finishing line.

Even the electronic media had interviewed Muniandy after he crossed the finishing line. But Shaharudin was announced the winner and he went up to receive his prize, much to his own surprise.

A media official, who had been covering marathons for almost 10 years, was embarrassed about the whole incident.

“This is the first time I am seeing this happen. I have to wait for the official results to determine the winner. Until then the clippings cannot be carried,’’ said the official.

N.T. Balan, who has been a technical official since the first Kuala Lumpur International Marathon (KLIM) in 1984, said he had a shock when Shaharudin was called up to receive the prize from Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“We had the results with us. We had also compiled the results manually to avoid any problems.

“Unfortunately, the organisers chose not to consult us and went ahead. It was an embarrassing situation for the VIPs present on stage during the ceremony,’’ said Balan.

The blunder involving Muniandy and Shaharudin was not the only bad episode at Dataran Merdeka on that day. The media were not presented with the official results. The group then left at noon after waiting almost three hours.

That was the reason the results of all the categories were not published in the newspapers. The runners also did not have any good words for the organisers.

An elderly participant said no one was at the water stations when he reached the crucial last 10km.

“That is the time when we need water to avoid dehydration. I don’t know why the water stations were not manned and we had to struggle to the finishing line. I took part in the Standard Chartered Marathon in Singapore and it was not like this,’’ said the participant.

The route also came under fire. There were many turning points as the organisers wanted the participants to go through the important landmarks in the city. Unfortunately, this led to the participants criss-crossing and running the wrong way.

In fact, many doubted the official results as they felt the runners did not go through the actual route. The chip system was also questionable.

In the past, the Federal Territory Amateur Athletics Association (FTAAA), as one of the organisers, had handled the technical aspects involved in the marathon. This time the MAAU, as the national body, took charge.

There were also about 200 volunteers but they did not have any experience in the running of a marathon.

The Standard Chartered Bank should be praised for creating a carnival atmosphere at Dataran Merdeka. As the main sponsors, they should not be blamed for the unsporting incidents during the marathon.

The MAAU must realise that they don’t have the expertise to organise a marathon for 12,500 participants. They are just the governing body for athletics in Malaysia. They should work closely with their affiliates to run mammoth events like the marathon.

The MAAU, Octagon and the Standard Chartered Bank should take this year’s KL Marathon as a learning mission. Hopefully, we can see a better marathon next year.

I'm gonna glide...

Nice huh?



Yeah I'm on cloud 9...!!



It's the new NIKE LUNARGLIDE.



Will be the first few to use it before it's launched!

Gonna run with it tomorrow. Yahoo!!!!



Let y'all know how it feels like after I glide on it ya...hehe!

Bong bong bong! Hit the wall!!!!!

SCKLM2009...

Woke up 320am and my nose started sneezing again...clear sign I haven't fully recovered from flu or am I having another round of sinus attack? Haze hasn't been kind to my nose these few weeks. Been sneezing & having runny nose since Thursday. Stupidly I took another couple of minutes snoozing without realising I've turned off my clock alarm! Somehow...something must have woken me up and I jumped out of bed thinking I'm late for SCKLM! Saw my watch 342am...phew! Thank God! Managed to reach Dataran Merdeka before 430am and secured a nice parking spot just beside Kelab Selangor.

430am and I was at the starting line. Not because I'm kiasu! My eyes scanned for Race Director holding pacer balloons but to no avail. Those who volunteered to be pacers...(one of them is me as I have agreed to do a 4hr pace)...were supposed to collect pacer balloons from him. But where was he??? Nowhere to be seen. Neither were there red, yellow, blue, pink and green pacer balloons. Perhaps he was so kan cheong and he had to go lausai somewhere. Michelle, Meng and me waited...440am...still no balloons seen... 450am behind starting line, still no sign of Race Director with balloons. What was going on?? I met Mark who was supposed to be the 3hr pacer and he gave up waiting for his red balloon. Oh well, so much of pacing for SCKLM. No balloons no pacers. Whatever the reason was, we were played out...sorry runners, no pacers in this run.

Rain fell just before flag off...yes, the skies opened and one by one ran for cover. Although it kept the morning cool but wet shoes for 42km was not desired at all. Bummer!
Gun went off at 5am and around 1800 runners started their marathon engines to the first SCKLM. I just hoped there's no heavy rain.

First two kilometres was slow and zig zagging through runners. Was with Chin, Frank and Victor for a while before I went on my own pace. In front was Simon but he seemed to be doing a slow pace for his standard. He must be warming up cos before I knew it, his engines kicked in and off he went. At km5 I caught up with Ronnie and Stanley. They put in a good pace so I joined in. From Jln Tun Sambathan to Loke Yew, the run was smooth. I just hoped to be able to maintain the pace all the way to the end. At 10km, Ronnie checked the time...49min...good pace.

We continued that good pace till 20km...1hr38min...and that's when my calves started to twitch, hinted me something but I refuse to acknowledge. 1km later it twitched again and it was serious! I had no choice so slowed my pace. Instantly I knew the cramps will be making their presence...but when...which km??

Somewhere near KLCC, I had to stop and do some stretching hoping...just hoping cramps will hold back. At that point I was already at least 500m behind the pack I was pacing with and their figures became smaller and smaller. 24km, bong! The cramps have landed! Calves got it. First thing I thought about was not he pain but my 3hr45min target...my PB...gone! So long! Sayonara! Bye bye! Argh!

Besides cramps, blisters were forming fast. Could feel them on both feet. My pace was so much slower in the next 5-6km. Very disappointed as the last two training long runs were not like this! Legs were not their usual self on race day. Cramps didn't want to leave out quads as well and you can imagine how it was like with cramps on calves and quads. Reminded me of Sundown2007.

At 33km, Sam ran pass...John followed soon enough and told me to focus...shut out the pain. I did and it helped my pace but going downhill beside Muzium Negara, my left calf couldn't take it anymore as it flexed out of shape. Quads followed suit and I truly hit the wall. Mental game came into play cos I thought about giving up but it was only 7km to the finishing line. Even if I walked, I could still make it. It's not like I broke a bone or something more serious had happened...cramps cannot win! So I walked...I waddled...and ran when I can.

Final turn at 40km, my watch showed 3hr40min. Sub4 is in the bag but perhaps a PB still possible?
41km++...3hr48min...someone said it's only 5min away. Heck, I was not going to be slower than my Penang Bridge marathon of 3hr42min. I squeezed every ounce of strength my legs had left...the final 500m was tough. Not only I had to endure the pain but swerving left & right to go through the heavy runner traffic was despicable! Where were the marshals??

Crossed finish line 3hr52min...on par with Penang Bridge.

Net Start: 04:58:36
Category: Full Marathon 42km
Net Time: 03:51:57
Position: 140 (079)
Finish Timing: 03:52:22.74

Looking back at SCKLM2009, it has to be one of the worst marathons I ever ran.
Pacers got played out...cramps...blisters...too many turns on route...poor traffic control...dangerous at 34-38km on highway...no direction after crossing finish line...poor human traffic control... and insufficient water supply!


I had the chance to see the top 3 medals earlier and the quality is just like our finishers...sucks!


Here's to show you the BIGGEST blisters I ever had!!!

Maybe I can enter Malaysia Book of Records???