Resolutions adelah karipap

Heya,
Before the year ends tonight, I'd better review 2009. I managed to dig up last year's blog entry for resolutions of 2009. Lemme see..

2009/1430 to do list and what I actually did:

1. Be more toned.
I guess I am. And I thought I've reached plateau 5 years ago, but surprise-surprise, I did managed to lose another 1 kg what's with all those running. I'm doing 5-6 days of workouts weekly. So I guess that's not too shabby.

                                                                                                  tapi takdela cam ni..fuh.

2. Save more money
Saved and saving... Important for proper exit strategy

3. Use my passport
Nope. Refer no 2.

4. Run more
You betcha I did. I guess I overachieved this one. I never really thought/imagined that I'd participate in competitive running. I've been working it up in my mind for the last couple of years but never really had the guts to do it until May when I suddenly experienced what you can say an enlightenment. Never looked back since.

5. Do more housework! hahhahhah ( ye la tu, says somebody i know)
Ye la tu..

6. Learn how to goreng on the drums
Yup. Goreng the (chicken) drum stick is more like it. Initially the drums were bought because I wanna look like awesome Meg White ( of the White Stripes). But ever since the purchase of those drumsets, ade la 3-4 months semangat nak main, then the giddiness deteriorated. Those poor drums are now like artifacts in the back room.Sometimes, hub will play for about 5-6 minutes. Occasionally, when the kids somehow find their way to the room, they'll bang on it like there's no tomorrow. Me? I can hardly remember the basics.

Maybe I'll carry forward this to 2010 huh?


3 out of 6? Ayoyo..
But I did achieved some other things that are, well, unintended
1. Got a promotion
2. Got an APC
3. Learned the guitar !!
    I bought my first guitar back in 2002 and tried to learn to play but it made my fingers rough and hurt like anything. So I gave up and kept the thing in my room so my friends would be awed with my coolness (huhu). But when hub left to do some peacekeeping duties with UN in Lebanon for 9 months, I got bored and took guitar lessons on Youtube ( everything is so accessible nowadays on the net). Now I can proudly say I can play..urm..good..uh..sometimes.. Not Steve Vai yet but probably Lisa Loeb or Jewel. Okay, I 'm exaggerating. But I can play. Yay me!

4. Got 2nd in a race! Walaupun bukan dikalangan orang terer2 tapi I got RM200 for it. Terer schmerer.

So 2009 ain't so bad. I got to be the girl who did things and not the girl who dreamed big but was too scared to get off her but.

So for 2010/ 1431, I hope to

1. Run a marathon!

2. Eat healthily ! Cut back the jajans!

3. Be more toned ( TONED not SKINNY)

4. Menerer kan diri playing the guitar and play Karma Police ( yo la tu..power chords pun terhegeh-hegeh)

5. Be a multitasker super mommy ( cheeyyy)

6. Berguru

7. Oh..and learn how to goreng on the drums ( fingers crossed)

That's all for now. I'm off to sleep. LSD this week will be postponed to 2nd January as the Lake Garden will be full of mat rempits still in new year celebration mood, people with bad hangovers and other weirdos who can't fathom the decency of an early morning run.

Happy new year everybody! God Bless.

Of running and crying toddlers

Our weekly LSD today started at 6.35 am. Our attempt today was 18 K. Not much hu-ha there but this was hub's first attempt at that distance barefoot all the way.

Our target was going 5 and a half laps in a 2 mile loop at the Lake Garden which beats going round and round 18 times at the 1 km loop at the Rakan Muda Complex. This may seem taxing to those who hate running in loops but it's all okay really once you psyched yourself really good.
From experience, the first round was ran in silence on my behalf. If it's too cold, or too early or if I talk too much too soon, I'll be wheezing and struggling to catch my breath. So I let hub babble along and try not to snap if he asks me a question. By the 3rd km it usually gets better and I'll suddenly crack jokes and hub will be like ,  " I reckon you feel better?"

To make our run bearable, we like to people watch all the way. We deduct that old people are the best, greeting people with beaming smiles in the dark of the dawn. People in my age group are occasionally friendly but the young ones will almost always have their game faces on. You smile at them and they look at you like you're a nut.
Thumpers ( people who like to stomp while running) will try hard to pace with normal runners and occasionally attempt to overtake them, but will ALWAYS stop half the way. There was this Uncle Power Walker who walks way faster than we were running , and to me , this made the 50K walk world record in 3 hours plus more fathomable ( I kind of wondered how this was possible the first time I read it in the news). There was this chick who was also running 11 miles solo in the opposite direction and never got bored saying hi every time we passed ( which was really nice but commented, " Aiyaa, sakitnya" at my hub's naked feet on the last lap).

Sure in the middle of the run it got a bit tiring going through the same scenes over and over again but I try to psych myself with some encouragement. Instead of thinking, " Oh man, it's this hotel again. If I'll pass it again I'm gonna scream", I 'll say something positive out loud like, " Hello Hotel, I'm here again. See you later" or "There you are Zoo. How are the animals holding up? I'll be back". I know it sounds corny but it helps. And to catch a glimpse at people's faces when I say this is such a gas.

And by doing all these distractions, sedar-sedar our run was over. Hub's ankles and knees weren't acting up and all is well. The only downer was when I called Dad and he told me Adik was having a tantrum when she woke up. Tapi yang kelakarnya , bila ditanya " Adik, mama pegi mana?" , tau pulak jawab ( in between sobs) ," Mama kami pi lawi"

Aiseymen, kesian la pulak.

What's wrong with you?

From the book Rules of The Thumb : A Life Manual it is said that "To determine the size of your brain, put your fists together so that your wrist touch and your thumbnails face you side by side."

Well, I found out today that some people, when they put their fists together pun agaknya they'll still get half the size. And it's not a congenital defect or anything but  rather something they acquired over the years of their sad little lives.

Peristiwa no 1.

We plan to start early  for our LSD at the Lake Garden, so we figured we'd do our Subuh  at a nearby mosque. When we arrived, the  azan had just been recited so I was in a hurry to follow the rest of the saf. I took my telekung from my PBIM Digi bag. Usually, at some other places, at some other time, I'd put my bag in front of me but because there was nothing else in the bag except some product brochures from the run, I chucked it behind me. When we were in the 2nd rakaat, I heard some shuffling noises behind me and I thought it must be some other woman getting herself ready for the prayer but even after we've finished the qunut, I was still alone in the women's saf.
After the salam, I turned to get my bag but  what's weird was that it was on the floor 4 meters away from where I last placed it. My first thought was : the wind must have blown it away. But there was no wind, and the bag was too heavy to be carried by the draft. It eerily dawned to me finally that somebody must have tried to take something from my bag while I was praying. The nerve!! I was so disappointed.. and mad. I was appalled that someone had the audacity to try to steal in a mosque! While everyone else was praying! Is nothing sacred to them anymore?
I can't imagine somebody can go around like that with no conscience whatsoever. Please la...

Peristiwa no 2

So we ran at the Lake Garden in our attempt to do a 15K LSD. It was clearly stated on a BIG signboard at the entrance of the Lake Garden that on weekends and Public Holidays, the two way road will be turned automatically to a one way road in favour of the runners, walkers,etc. Tapi yang hanginnya, banyakkk vehicles tak ikut and risk running over people just because they're too damn selfish or maybe just plain stupid. Nak kata tak reti baca, ramai je bawak big, expensive cars indicating that presumably they're professionals and are head honchos at work. Tapi why la why so dumb in that way.

So I guess it's true that some people can be summed up like that.
Put two fist together, oso get half.
Bladiful.

I'm bored and there's nothing good on TV

It’s only Wednesday and I’m up to my nose with things around me. Here are some

Workwise : I managed to climb up a step that ladder. I’d like to say I nailed the promotion but truth to the matter is, there wasn’t much nailing to be done in the first place. Then, there was this rumor going around that I might have to take charge of another clinic, which means I have to haul the whole family to another location, which I hate because I hate to be forced out of my comfort zone unwillingly. Finally, got a phone call from the Big Boss saying that all is well, stay wherever I was staying and do whatever I was doing before ( but with slightly more perks).

Runningwise : Dammit! No races post PBIM and pre Pacesetters 30K. But I’m training well ( please don’t ask “ define : well”). I read in FB that the Pacesetters 30K will be moved to Padang Merbok, wherever that is. So will this mean there will be no mosque along the way like the previous planned route at Putrajaya? Ok, ok I will not whine. And this new route will involve double hills! I basically train on flat surfaces so this will definitely be a challenge.

I’m doing a different training regime. Yes, I’m all about fad training regimes. Before, I used to log in my accumulated mileage weekly. This new regime says “ Screw that!” and I go “ Okay!”.

I’ll tell you guys about it once I get that sub 5 marathon…haha..tu dia aih..berangan baik punya.

Reading wise? : I’m now reading “ Rules of The Thumb : A Life Manual compilated by Tom Parker. Let me share :

1. If your fiancée does something that bothers you before you ‘re married, it will bother you ten times more after you’re married.
   
2. When you are checking a reference and ask someone ‘s former employer whether he/she would hire the person again, any answer but “ yes” is a “no”.
   
3. If a woman can walk around during contractions, she’s not fully dilated ( duh)
   
4. When ants travel in a straight line , expect rain.
   

I could go on for hours but then I’ll lose all of you by then.

Or are you guys already gone?

Hello? Hello?

Helooooooo?

Thank You!

Answer me this? When's the last time you said thank you to that toll gate girl? To the person weighing and sticking price tags to your vegetables in the hypermarket? To your children's caregiver while you're at work?
If you don't remember, then I suggest you start doing so. Saying thank you, I mean.

I find that our society don't express their gratitude much. I 'm not sure whether it's because we're molded that way, or we're shy, or we permanently feel that the other party don't deserve it. I clearly have no idea.

It seems so hard to say thank you to that person processing your business at the bank. Or to that person who cleans your office everyday.  Or your staff who helped you toil through the deadline. Or that telephone operator answering politely to all your ridiculous inquiries. Kenapa ye? Because we think that it's their responsibility? They're already paid to do whatever they're doing? If so, then  why can't we say still thank you anyway? They went out of their way to help didn't they. Paid or not. Tugas or not. Point is, they helped.

As runners in races, I don't think we show enough gratitude towards the volunteers. We pass race officials at junctions without even acknowledging they're there. We take those water bottles/cups ( sometimes grab) without even making eye contact with the person who's giving them out. We don't even bother to smile at the St John/ Red Crescent kids waiting patiently at the side of the road. People, they're there on the road for hours before we've even set foot at race site and hours after we've left. Solely  to cater to our needs and clean up after us. We whiz past like snobs, scattering cups, bottles, banana peels and what have yous with no thank yous, no smile, not even a nod. Is that fair?

My job requires me to meet people from different walks of life everyday. My job is mentally and physically demanding ( teeth don't get pulled out magically, crowns and dentures don't appear out of nowhere, surgery isn't done with a switch of a button) and by the end of the day, I get tired. But it's all worth it when they show me their gratitude.  It's all worth the back pain, the arm fatigue, the mental drain. It's not much, just a thank you and you'll make my day. Even though you were fussy though out the treatment, or with a low pain threshold, or demand an experimental treatment only heard of in Switzerland , you'll make it all better with your acknowledgement that you're thankful for everything. No kidding.

Point is, a thank you goes a long way. I know.

So make it a point next time to say your thanks. I propose all runners to show your gratitude in your next race. Malakoff ke, Pacesetters 30k ke, even at Jogathon Sekolah Rendah Parit Pak Mahat pun, it won't hurt. We're a friendly bunch aren't we? So extend the friendliness to the volunteers. They deserve it.

( for those yang memang dah amalkan your terima kasihs, then I salute you.)

We're back on track

Okay, cheat week is officially over and we celebrated it with much gusto. No kidding.
Cheat week was all about food and travel. As I grew up mostly in the north and spent a few years in the middle part of Malaysia, I never really had much reason to venture the South. So we decided to head way South for this edition of cuti-cuti Malaysia.
And like I said, food was one of our main objective. And I personally got what I wanted. Rojak Singapore, tauhu bakar, briyani Batu Pahat, mee rebus Johor, Wah! A friend also insisted on Kacang Pool.

I'm not a big fan of baked beans but it wasn't bad, no it was quite good, actually.

I only missed out on Johor's famous goreng pisang cicah ngan kicap pedas simply because we couldn't find any stalls along the road ( weird, huh?)And it didn't stop there. When we got back, the food fest continued.
But  guilt got the best of us so we did managed to squeeze in 11K yesterday. Tu pun lepas tu had nasik kenduri at a cousin's wedding and my department's Family Day lunch at a hotel.
And to close cheat week, tonight as the official last day of binge-ing, I've cooked nasi lemak for dinner.With real santan and not the usual low fat santan in a box. Heaven.
So okay, crunch time starts tomorrow. We've enjoyed what we've enjoyed.
Lepas ni back to constant pounding, back to the usual regime, back to training.
And funnily enough, I can't wait.

But now, for that nasi lemak...Ahhhhh...

Help/ Opinion Needed.

So I'm planning to do the Pacesetters30K. (planning baru, daftar tak pun lagi). I have no qualms about doing the race except that itsy bitsy part about praying.
What I love about PBIM so much is that it starts way early in the morning and you still have time to do your subuh prayers by the time you're done racing. But I understand that this Pacesetters30K will start at 5.30 in the morning which means that I'll have to do my subuh on the road. Which will be the first for me.
I know that some Muslim runners opt to qadha their subuh but I really hate to think that I have to run for 4 hours in guilt.
What if there's no surau/ masjid along the way?
So how does it get done then? Especially for female runners?Hidden in the bushes ( is it safe?)?Open  under a street lamp ( is that too open?)?
Do you bring a telekung or just pray in your running attire?
I'm so caught up by this that sometimes I just feel macam malas je nak participate.
But that's just an excuse, right? Sampai bila nak elak, kan?
So how la how?

Oh yes, after my first half marathon, last week's running regime was just pitiful. I only accumulated 8Ks and one sorry 20 minutes session of lower leg exercises.
This week is predicted to be sadder ( running-wise). It's Zoom Malaysia time and we've declared it as cheat week ( if there is such a thing). Horreyyyy!!!
Nak buat Pacesetters30K kunun..heh.

His side of the story

As there are a handful or runners writing about the 'lively' atmosphere of PBIM, Hub's version is more of his experience finishing the race in pain.
Finally after months of neglecting his blog, I can declare " IT'S ALIVE!" again.
Heheh. No offence, darl.



On another note, I heard someone said , " Once you're into running, your whole universe gets sucked right in too"
Here's a mild example :

Chiam's in a Dress-up Pageant at school

I know it's so cliche, but we couldn't resist  

The longest report yet..heh.

Ok..let's get the facts straightened out. It's 2:36 and not 2:35. Ha! I knew I
shouldn't really count on my cheap-o watch.

Anyhow, let's get started on the report shall we?

We arrived at Queensbay open parking lot at 1-ish am, I think. Mind you, before
that, we didn't get any snooze much. We tried sleeping on Saturday afternoon but
with little kids, it was lucky to get away with an hour and a half worth of
sleep. Then, at my parent's house, again we tried to catch some zzs after Isya'
but my kids were overexcited that my siblings were home for the weekend and it
was impossible to get them to sleep. So we figured, with all the adrenaline
pumping and not to mention the caffeine laden powergels we were about to
consume, we'll get away running without feeling overly tired.

A lot of participants arrived early due to the fact that the bridge was to be
closed at 2 am. Even the quarter marathon kids were already there. As usual,
pre-race, toilet time! -though Hub thinks I seriously should not make this a
habit ( like I can control it). It was my first time in a port-a-potty and it
was surprisingly clean and harummmmm. Haha. Made 2 other stops there later that
day and it was still clean. A big thumbs up to the organizers for that.

the race pack

Anywho, I sent Hub off to his marathon starting line at 2.30 am. Hub was
standing in front of this person who had 4 water bottles orbited around his
waist and I said to Hub," How come you not equipped like that?". There was also
this uncle wearing a sarong but I didn't have a chance to snap his picture, darn
it.

While waiting for my starting moment, I decided to go back to the car to get
some light sleep. But all I managed was getting the car alarm screaming 3 times
due to my tossing and turning. So much for that.

When it was 3.15, I went to the starting point. As I wasn't much of a fast
pacer, I decided not to risk myself getting trampled on, so I stood in the middle
of the pack. Tried to scan for anyone familiar but failed, mostly I guess to
my poor ability to recognize faces in the semi-darkness.

The women's category started before 3.45 am because when the gun went off, I
thought, " What? Already?". And due to the MC's instructions to step on the mat
at the starting line to activate our time chips, everybody was practically
stomping on the mat like they were putting out a fire. It was hilarious!

Then, everyone started running. Some girls who planned to run together with
their men had them waiting at the side of the road with the ' Mana
awek/bini aku ni?' look. I don't know the relevance of that in this report but I
just think that's so sweet of the boys.

The weather was superb. No rain, just breezy and cool. But the first km for me
was weird because I had this unusual discomfort at my left ankle and foot. It
felt stiff and I couldn't imagine running the remainder of the race like that.
Then, somehow my left shoelace came undone so as I tried to the ends together
(double-knot) at a kerb, I did a bit of stretching and it felt a lot better.
After that, the discomfortness went away altogether. Rejoice!

Running the bridge was fun. Some people complained that the race route was
monotonous but I guess thanks to our usual training route, we were used to
monotony so I didn't get what the fuss was all about. It was okay, whaaat? You
can marvel upon the lights at the bridge's middle span, you can gape at the
black sea water, you can people-watch, you can awe yourself at the Penang's
skyline. Macam-macam ada.

At about a quarter way into the bridge, us girls caught up with half of the guys
which I guess sparked some of their egos.It was ridiculous to see some guys
getting intimidated when a girl passes them and they get themselves winded just
to overtake the girl back ( when  a minute after that the girl would just
pass them again) . But it was the same too for some girls when they felt a bit
overly competitive when they see another girl passing. It's a bit annoying. I
say, run at your own pace and don't overexert that early into the race.

The water stations and volunteers were efficient enough. Sometimes at some
stations, human traffic jams formed, especially when our half marathon group
merged with some of the full marathoners, but I guess that's unavoidable. At the
beginning of the race, I contemplated whether 2 powergels were more than enough
for the whole of the 21ks. Phew, I was so glad I didn't bail on the idea because
I surely did need 2. And I am sure glad I brought my own tiny water bottle in my
pocket to wash the gels down at my own convenient time rather than wait to
consume them at the water station.

At the 10km marker, my cheap-o watch showed 1:08 so I thought, maybe I could
finish in 2:20 or so. Perasan betul, haha! Because after the 15th km, muscle
fatigue was setting in. I slowed down a bit but kept on running while most
people around me were already walking. Going uphill was a drag but I smoked the
downhill part. It was as if my legs were automatic ( cue lagu Tokio hotel in the
background). Best betul.

After the bridge part was over, the plodding phase set in. Only 5 km left and
I was just plodding along. It was like that with every step, plod, plod, plod.
My muscles were getting tired and somehow my neck felt a bit stiff (posture kot)
Almost 2 km to the finishing line or so ( I heard someone asked the St John
member at the side of the road), the Azan was recited at a nearby mosque and it
was the best moment of the race. I was so psyched up about it, I guess it made
me move faster to finish the race.

At 6.20-ish I finally saw the finishing line. As there were a lot of us there,
there was a line to get the finishing medal. When I was handed the medal, I felt
so welled up. My first half marathon, I did it! A year ago, I wouldn't have
imagined this moment.

Mahal ooo benda ni

But it wasn't over yet. Hub wasn't finished. I decided not to mingle and wait
for him at the finishing gate with my camera. I stood for an extra 2 hours for
him, waiting and waiting and waiting. But it was worth the wait, because when he
finished, I was so proud of him. Even though he busted his right knee in the
process, he smiled at me and said ," So, are you up to run with me in the next
marathon?"

Bring it on!

Next year, we'll finish together like this sweet couple

 

I'm a bit peeved that marathon finishers who exceeded the cut off time a bit weren't given any medals although there are many left after the cutoff time. At least give them a bit of credit for their efforts finishing. I mean, what were the officials going to do with the baki of medals? Melt them into spoons? 

 
Tabik this uncle who finished his 21 k, okay.

 
This guy's haircut was only a bit cooler than my daughter's hari raya haircut.. hehe

DONE!

I can now declare : Half Marathon 21 K - been there, done that.

I just feel like singing " We did it! We did it!" ( lagu Dora the Explorer- my daughter loves the show) over and over again.
The race was great, my run was great and I finished it in 2 hours 35 mins- slow but still, I FINISHED IT!
Race report later, guys.
I'm now busy doing the next best thing after finishing a race,
as orang Kedah will say it - mentekedarah!
(look it up)

4 more days

“ So how far is he running?”

“ A marathon”

“ Good. One of his job description is to be physically fit”

“Yup”

“ So how far are you running?”

“ Half marathon”

“ How far is that?”

“ More than 10 Ks or so. I dunno. I forgot”

And before you can say liar, liar, pants on fire, I was out the door.
I don’t mean to lie to my dad. It just that, no matter how old I am, or no matter how healthy I seem, I am etched in his mind as that asthmatic little girl who lands herself in the ER at least 4 times a year for Oxygen treatment. Even though I haven’t had any attack in say what? Ages.

If I told him before going, the actual mileage, it’s not like he’ll forbid me from going, it’s more like he’ll voice out his disapproval and I’m left with the guilty feeling of going, nevertheless. Oh you know that feeling with parents.

But I’m not hiding it all together. I’ll tell him after I’ve completed the race. My father has always been the ‘you-do-it-first-and-if-all-comes-out-good-in-the-end-then-it’s-okay” type of father (there’s a mouthful). It’s like the time I went to my first rock concert. If I’d told him beforehand, he would pitch a fit. But following my older sister’s advice, I was like “ By the way, Dad, I went to a concert last Friday” and all he said was “ Best ke?”.

But I know he is proud of me. After I finished my first road race, which was only 6K, he was all smiles and praises. I guess he would never have guessed his mandom little kid would turn out to be a runner. It’s like a cosmic joke.

So, I’m dedicating this half marathon to my Dad, and Mom whether I can finish it or not.

Hey, at least I’m willing to try.

A quiet prayer for the solitary walker

Every morning for two weeks now, on my way to send off my son to pre-school, I’ll see a woman / girl ( it’s hard to tell from inside a moving car) walking on the side of the road. A lot overweight, a little wobbly, she dons a shabby shirt underneath a windbreaker and walks along the road - everyday. I see her sometimes too, late in the evening when it’s close to twilight, walking and walking and sometimes, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Sometimes, she is clutching a water bottle, one time I spot her munching on a kuih she bought from one of the stalls along the road ( but hey-she’s trying). Sometimes, she’s taking it slow, sometimes she’s brisk-walking. All those times, I stifle the urge to give her a little honk and show a thumbs up sign. I suspect she was enlightened by some episode in her life and is now trying to improve herself. At least she is trying.

And I’m in the car, reciting a quiet prayer for her. I hope she does well; I hope she perseveres; I hope she will not take every negative remark to heart. I hope she understands what she’s doing right now will be one of her greatest decisions ever made.

Most of all, I hope I still see her tomorrow.

LSD of our league..heee

We did our weekly LSD today. Started it at 6.45 am and our venue today was this Rakan Muda Park which has a loop of 1 km. It was intimidating to think at first that we were about to go 16 rounds but we planned to go slow running with the heart rate monitor and practice the 'relax-relax dulu' strategy.

Funny that we were one of the first to arrive and the last to leave. Dari takde orang, ke ramai orang ke takde orang balik. There was this one guy wearing a mizuno wave run vest who ran for one loop and then disappeared. We suspected he went of to do the remainder of his long run at the taman perumahan nearby. It was scorching hot by 8.30 am and the heart rate monitor would chirp every half km in the hot sun so upon finishing the last kms, we were forced to go a bit slower.

Once the 16 rounds were over- which was done at the slowest pace, thanks to the heart monitor, I can concur that 21k in 3 and a half hour ( or less) for me is doable. I just have to remind myself no to go too fast at the beginning and not let my kiasu -ess ( or what's left of it) get the best of me.
Oh and on our 10th K, we stopped for a few mins to get a drink of water and try out those energy gels. Huh, tak sedap. Mine was banana strawberry- tak sedap. Had a taste of Hub's chocolate flavored - tak sedap jugak. And we had to wash the sweetness down with a lot of water.

If only they could liquefy a snickers bar..puh.

sedakkk eeee


weekly mileage accumulation : 29k

Finally some time to write mid-week!

This is Michelle Aguilar. She’s my favourite Biggest Loser. Yes, for those who are following the latest Biggest Loser on Hallmark right now, I’m going straight to be a party pooper and tell you that she’s the winner. Oh, stop whining. You knew she’d win.

I love TBL. I watched every season there is on Malaysian TV. I love the exercise regime. I love the transformation. Yeah, sure Jillian gives me the creeps looking like she could take your head off with one blow of her manly fist, but Bob is a hottie even though he seems a little bit gay sometimes.

Yes, I still watch TBL as a reminder never to lose myself again. Almost 10 years ago, I was a blob. Bordering overweight , sedentary, teh /milo ais three times a day for a week. I’d like to blame it on the stress of early Univ days but I guess that’s just an excuse. I wasn’t really stressed out, just couldn’t accept the fact that I didn’t have my adolescent metabolism anymore. That I couldn’t eat all I want and not gain a thing.

It was sort of embarrassing. I was a moving blob but my BF was active. He was rugby-ing, running, kayaking and all, and I was just, well..again a blob. I was like that for 3 years. Sure I got a lot of comments from friends about my shape but I pushed them aside to the back of my head. It took me one rude remark from an ex-high school mate that flipped the switch.

And it wasn’t all that easy. At that time, I was staying in a condo rented by the campus and the gym was off limits for the students. I had to do little exercises in my room.

When I moved back into main campus the following year, I was on track. Did my exercise VCDs religiously and cut back on my calorie intake. I discovered running through my BF. He sort of encouraged-forced me into it. There was this well known taman tasik right in front of our campus. I couldn’t believe how I could ignore it all this time when others would come from across the city to run here ( I still can’t believe it now). Running initially was painful. I was wheezing, limping and bitching all the way. But after learning how to breathe correctly, how to pace properly it was getting addictive. And I like they way it has shaped my body and weight without even trying.

Fast forward almost a decade, thankfully I’m still running. And due to my recent love in endurance running, I feel that I’m in better shape than I have been in years.
Back to talking about the show, I guess it motivates me to do more. Sometimes, when my dumbbells feel heavier on my blah days, I think of all those people on TBL and how they can do it. Sometimes when it feels lousy to just even walk, I think of Michelle Aguilar’s determination and try to emote it. Sometimes when I feel like calling it quits, I hear Jillian scream ,” Unless you faint,puke or die,KEEP MOVING!” And I get my butt moving.

And who would have thought the executive producer is JD Roth. Remember Fun House guys? That game show we tuned to every week when we were kids. The one with the red head host and cheerleader twins? JD Roth was the host. Remember?

Who would have thought?

But Jillian still gives me the creeps.

running in baju melayu ( not me)

Larian Merdeka 6.5K at Esplanade Penang 1.11.2009

So far, I can declare this as my ditziest race. Dunno why I was such an airhead from the beginning to the end.

Ditzy moment no 1

On the day we collected our race kits, I started talking about how people run in costumes in some short races for fun. Then,out of the blue, he decided to run in this race sporting a baju melayu + sampin just for kicks.
Me and my big fat mouth.
At the night before the race, I kept asking him " Are you sure ? Are you sure?" like a parrot over and over again. But he was adamant about it so I figured, the least I could do is support him.
But I warned him, If he was going to pull a stunt like this, he should carry it off with grace. Jangan buat malu-malu pulak.
And so he did.

 cheyyy

 that baju melayu didn't see it coming

It's safe to say he made a lot of people smile that morning.


Ditzy moment no 2

When we arrived on race day, it was 6.30am and I had a bit of tummy ache. As soon as the car was parked, I jumped off to find the nearest toilet. It took me 15 minutes around the whole Esplanade area to find one, and unfortunately it was locked.
By that time, I didn't feel like going anymore. 15 minutes before the start of the race, I suddenly felt the urge again. My little bro who was our shutterbug for the day said ," There's one over there," and pointed to a tandas awam across the field from where we were standing.
And to think I lost all that time before searching when it was just right there.


Ditzy moment no 3

We were coming to 1km of the race when I realized that I forgot to set my watch. But I pressed start anyway, thinking that I'll recalculate later. You know, plus minus 5 minutes or so. But then only after I got my medal, mingled, rest and ate my complimentary bun did I remembered to press stop.

Ditzy moment no 4

While we were running, I saw a lot of runners wearing shirts with the same company name on the back.And I thought it must be great for their employers to rally off that many staff to run for the company. But when I saw some kids wearing the same shirts, I got confused. They hire kids too?
Only towards the end of the run that I realized they were wearing the run's official shirt with the name of the main sponsor emblazoned at the back. Ayaakkk..ini bahana tak belek tshirt lepas dapat.

can you really blame me?err yup, you probably can.

Ditzy moment no 5

Upon finishing the race, one of the race officials flagged me to my category's finishing lane. I ran to the right but he kept saying " More to the right, more to the right." Well, there was a Vico truck on the far right side of the road, and I thought maybe finishers are supposed to grab a drink first before crossing the line. So I ran towards the truck ( as silly as it may be- but hey, it was my ditzy day).
Nasib baik this other race official at the end of the line ( which was next to the truck) waved at me like crazy to finish at the correct lane.

Ditzy moment no 6

While cooling off, I decided to be like the orangputehs and selamba je duduk atas padang. Nearby was this kid with her oh-so-cute little doggy. The dog wasn't on a leash and he freely roamed anywhere he liked. I noticed it limped a bit and said, " Poor little doggy is tempang ."
Hub snorted, " Tempang mende, he wants to take a piss." And like on cue, he went all over the lawn. Hah, patutla takde sape duduk atas lawn. So much for orangputeh-ness. I forgot orangputehs don't have to samak..

Ditzy tak ditzy, I managed to finish off and add another medal to my minuscule collection despite my stuffy nose which has been bugging me for a week now
And this time, nobody paid attention to me, Mrs tudung clad lady amongst the shorts. This time, I was only the person running beside Mr Popularity in baju melayu and all.
Know anywhere that rents a Barney outfit?

Report on Larian Festival 1Malaysia 10K ( or whatever they called it)

Let me tell you, when I signed up for this race a month ago, it was called Larian Festival 1Malaysia. But somehow, when I turned up on Saturday to collect the race kit, it has magically transformed itself to Larian Antidadah dan Jom Cegah 2009. Pulak dah. Whatever. As long as it’s a 10k, I’m still game.

My partner and I have a mutual dislike of overwhelming crowds. So local runs are our thing because of the comparatively small crowd. This race has fewer than 400 people taking part, I think.

So as usual, or as VIPs go, the MB arrived fashionably late. The race was supposed to start at 7.30 but we were flagged off nearing to 8. Thanks to my new attitude towards racing, I lost all my kiasu-ness. Sape nak potong, potonglah. I’m no longer intimidated when I see some girl trying to overtake me, or some makcik whose pacing faster in front of me and I try macam nak mati to catch up. Of course, I’ll overtake who I can overtake but I try to avoid dying in the process.

And the fact that Hub decided to run with me helped a lot. It’s so nice to go over the distance with somebody to talk to instead of the usual drup-drap-drup-drap rhythm of some guy behind you with heavy sneakers or wrong footing. And I don’t care how many LSDs you have done before or how far, but 10Ks to me never get easier. I guess it’s like childbirth. No matter how many kids you had before, this next one ain’t gonna be less painful. Oh, it’s okay at the beginning of the race, you think “ Hah, It’s just 10K..easy peazy lemon squeezy”, but I can guarantee right in the middle of the run, you’ll find yourself thinking, “ Hoih, brapa lama lagi daa..”.
But because I had a partner with me this time, it was less tiring. Or at least, I thought it felt less tiring. We had a blast, talking, laughing, even dancing to the senamrobic music that could be heard at a distance. When time isn’t a factor, I guess it’s less stressful.

The waterstations were efficient enough . We didn’t have to stop or line up one bit. The guys expertly handed our drinks and we were on our way. The St John’s team and officials who showed us the route were strategically positioned and they happily cheered for the runners all the way. It’s true when they say that the best runs are organized by running clubs. Kudos to Ipoh Roadrunners!

There was this one lady with red running shorts who was in her late 40s or so, got my attention because she had this undeniably fast feet turnover and was in front of me a good 200m all through out the race. I made her my benchmark and just tried to follow her pace. I told hub, that I’ll try to take over her to challenge myself ( okay, the kiasu-ness is still a bit there). Tried to do it in the 2nd K, but she quickly took over me a second after. We suspect she heard me voicing out my plan. So I thought,” Okaylah, takpe. Maybe some other time”. When Hub’s Garmin buzzed telling us there was only 1K to go, we decided to hustle and I let Hub breezed his way in front of me. I didn’t want to be left far behind, so I gave it all I got and in the process, I finally took over the red shorts lady. At the end of the race, I wanted to go over and talk to her and tell her I admired her through out the race tapi uhuk uhuk..malu pulak..hahaha.

All in all, it was a good, no, great race. I got to be with my partner. I got a good exercise. The exhaustion wasn’t there at the end. We weren’t panting or any parts of our bodies hurt for that matter. Hub did 68 although I'm sure he could do way better if he wanted to. My overall time on my watch was 66 minutes but Hub’s Garmin told us that I did it in 69 ( He claimed, “ This is Garmin okay. GAR-MIN!”) So 69 minutes it was. A good 4 minutes later than my IIR 10k record.




the crowd


cooling off ( kununnya)


Although we didn’t receive medals or finisher’s certificate at the end of the race, it was okay. We didn’t have time to dillydally and stay to find out if they gave out any because as running parents, we had to rush home to our kids before they drove their grandparents crazy. Takpe la, at least we have the race bib as souveneirs, kan?
My prize was when we got home, my son took my bib and pinned it on his shirt and paraded around saying ,” Look, mama. I’m a runner, just like you.” And my little girl scampered about the living room chanting “ Adik lawi, adik lawi.”

Now, how on earth can you beat that?

toddler translator : lawi = lari

Accumulated run this week : 24 K

Dawn

It came to me. My revelation

I was wondering why after Ramadhan, I felt exhausted. I no longer felt the rush to run. Running felt more like an OCD-ed chore. I felt lousy doing it but at the same time, it felt awful not doing it.

So I figured, I'd run faster. I increased my normal pace of 5.5-6 mph on the treadmill to 6.5-7 mph. Sure it got me on my targeted mileage faster, but I was sweating like a pig and breathless at the end of each run. I also tried to go faster on my long runs. I wanted to have a 10 K sub 1 hour record. I was obsessed with other people's achievement that I wanted to make them mine too. She's 5 years older than me but she's pacing at 7 mph. He's a dinosaur and he's doing 8 mph.

But I couldn't do it and I was stumped. And my left knee hurt.

Then, as if God didn't want me to be discouraged just yet, I stumbled upon this book which told me straight in the face what I was doing wrong. I wasn't training right. I was going too fast for my heart which hasn't yet developed for that stage.

So now I'm rebooting myself to heart rate monitored runs. This heart rate monitor thingamagig monitors my heart and tells me whether I'm going too slow or too fast. I understand that initially, it's gonna be a pain in the ass as I have to run slower than my usual pace. But eventually, as my heart builds up its endurance, I'll be able to go faster but not as tired as I was before at that pace. Macamana nak cakap ek? It'll be like, I'll still feel the muscle fatigue, but minus the exhaustion. Minus the injuries.

Last Saturday, I tried my first heart monitored run of 14k. As expected, into the 6th km, the monitor buzzed every 10 minutes we ran indicating we were running faster than we ought to be. So we had to bite our egos and walked for about 20 seconds to decrease our heart rate. Then, we ran again, and it buzzed again, and we walked, then ran, buzzed, walked, ran right up to the 14th Km.

Sure it took longer,but it felt way better. I can talk more with my partner and not be as grouchy in my faster runs before. And I can be rest assured that if I follow this heart monitor plan, I'll eventually go faster to my heart's content. Literally. I'll just have to be a little bit patient these few months.

For now, I'm settled if I can't go any faster. I'll just train at my pace. I have to remind myself that I'm not a natural born athlete. I can't afford to go out on daily outdoor runs on my time constraint. I don't sprinkle protein dust on my food. I can't do that sub 1 hour 10 K (for now).

I'm just a working mom, with a loving hub and two little kids trying to make ends meet. I'm trying to juggle work, household chores and hobby like your next Bozo the clown. I'm just a person who polished off that half a pizza pie without the slightest pang of guilt.

And with that in mind, I'm ready for my next run. And this time, I'm happy ready.


Footnote : I'm not a whiz when it comes to explaining all this technical mumbo jumbo, so if you're interested, try Googling about this heart rate monitor training plan. It could do you good too.

Accumulated week run : 23 K

Buat je

This entry is to motivate my good friend KC and my demotivated best friend PP

Out of nowhere she asked ," How do you start?"
Interesting as that's what I struggle with everyday.
How do you overcome all the lame excuses you try to make? How do you overcome the :
"No mood la"
"Ate too much"
"Ate too little"
"Too hot outside"
"It's raining" ( even tho it's just a drizzle)
"No time"
For an amateur, I think I'm in no place to give out big advices.But the best I could come up with is ~ Don't think, just do.
That's just about it.
When you're tired or down or full or swarmed with work or just plain lazy, don't over analyze it, just put on your shoes and go.
The first 5 minutes will be grueling. You'll want to stop, you'll want to haul those shoes in the drain, you'll swear under your breath what the hell you got yourself into, but trust me after those 5 minutes it'll be okay. Just do.
Best yet, somewhere in the run, your feet will go on autopilot and suddenly you find yourself thinking "What? *insert appropriate mileage* already?
Trust me.
Don't really think of how tired you will be, how fast you are, how slow you're going, how far you're covering. At least, not too much.
At the end, you'll think, by golly she's right. You did that much. You did that far. You did it.

As I mentioned, I struggle with this too everyday. If only runs were not that tiring. Ain't it grand if you can run all day without being tired? This I told him. He wisely nodded, then said " That'll be just great. Right until you drop dead smack in the middle of the road"

Right.

(Last week accumulated run was only 19K. Don't think, just do. Hehe)

blue suede shoes

hai hai

Pada satu hari, saya telah pergi ke shopping mall tanpa ada niat apa-apa. Tiba-tiba, kaki saya melangkah masuk ke kedai Adidas dan hati saya terpaut kepada sepasang kasut.


( waahh..shantekknyaaa)

Setelah men'test drive', saya berasa sangat teruja lalu bertanya kepada sang suami, "Patut ke tak patut?"
Sang suami menjawab, " Ambikla kalau rasa tengah kaya."
Ya, saya perasan saya kaya pada waktu itu, terus merembat kasut tersebut.
Budak kedai memandang saya dengan wajah skeptik lalu berkata,

Budak kedai : Akak beli ni sebab nak lari saje-saje ke ada tournament?
Tournament? tournament pun tournament la
Sang suami : Tournament
Budak kedai : Oooo, ye ke? Kat mana?
Saya : Merata-rata. Perak, Penang dan sebagainya.( macam bagus)
Budak kedai : Oo..kalau camtu kasut ni bagusla untuk akak.

Saya dapat agak budak kedai pada mulanya hendak merekemen kan kasut yang lebih murah untuk meyelamatkan saya dari hangat-hangat taik ayam. Syabas adik, usaha murnimu itu saya hargai.

Setelah dapat kasut di tangan, saya sungguh-sungguh teruja. Saya berasa ingin pulang ke rumah dengan berlari memakainya. Heee....

Oh Gazelle, semoga dengan kehadiranmu, saya akan sepantas namamu.
Chiuuuu chiuuuuu chiuuuuu... (bunyik seekor gazelle membelah angin di Afrika)



Nota kaki : This week, did my long run of 12km.. tu pun pancit jugak..hahah..bahana sebulan tak buat long run. Accumulated runs for the week : 23K

the spider and the ant

Wah! Dah bersawang blog ni rupanya. Sorry for the neglect. Been busy doing things:

1. Gaining back the 2Ks I lost during Ramadhan (unintentionally) hee..
2. Trying to learn how to play Heartless and Poker Face( and failing miserably)
3. Catching up with friends yang dah bertahun tak jumpa ( success!)

Now, I guess it's back to business. I just visited Kak Haza's blog and realized it's only 55 days left till PBIM on the ticker. Yoikes!
To those who are achieved marathoners, mesti fikir " Alah, mende la minah ni. 21 K pon nak kecoh"
Tapi I got really antsy just now. I got less than 6 weekends to train to 21 k. That's minus the weekend off training that I have to attend a friend's wedding in KL.
Guess I have to resume that 16 k next weekend.
This weekend? Err..malas lagi kot..heh.

Eid Mubarak!

Selamat Hari Raya to you and you and you!
Maaf zahir batin and have a safe ( not to mention looooooongggggg..ggg..ggg..dan gg lagi) trip home.
Buckle up people!

Taking a break

Early Ramadhan..
Mak : udah, udah le tu larinya
Me : bla bla bla ( long string of lectures about the benefits of running)

Late Ramadhan ..
Mak : Udah udah la tu larinya
Me : okay!( without batting an eyelid)

Dey, raya season is a week away...udah udah le tu..

Try to keep up, son

Phew!
3 days of all food and no work ( or play) made me one lazy lady.

I caught the flu on Friday and luckily that gave me 3 days of cuti to recover.
However on Saturday, my 4-and-a-half year old son insisted we take him running ( we promised earlier -adehhh), so ignoring my lethargic sluggishness, we geared up and went for a short 1k jog. My parents were out of town so we had to take his little sister along too.
Initially,we took turns running with Chiam, because Adik needs to be carried ( she can walk perfect, but on that day she demanded to be carried) but after some time it was all me and Chiam.



It was quite funny because Chiam tends to concentrate on other things besides the road so there was this one time, he ran straight into a bush because he was staring at his own shadow.


here's the promised pemandangan di kampung.


he just loves this ' telowong'


keep up, son.


" Back in the day, they used to poop in there"
Ye ke? Ntah..aku auta je lebih.


Gambar menunjukkan kami mengkaji grafiti di terowong
Chiam : Mama, FOK tu apa?
Me : Err.. it's a misspelled kitchen utensil, dear.


Balikkkk..try running on flu mode..1 k pon penat tau.

Sekian , trima kasih
p/s I'd like to thank Hub, as he was the photographer-child carrying extraordinaire.

tadak tajuk

We ran on our normal route today. It's kinda funny because I thought we swore off running outdoors for this month. But despite post sahur sleep beconing, the calling for our normal cuti runs was louder.

Our route is this small kampung road just nearby my parents' house. The road runs along a large canal and paddy fields. Most of the kampung people are nice enough to flash us shy smiles or quietly ignore us when we pass by.


(lebih kurang cam ni la pemandangan)


Today, it was quite damp. And although it was nearning 8 am, not many were up and about. It was almost an uneventful run. Almost, because I nearly pushed Hub into the canal while avoiding a large squished-flat snake carcass on the road. I really hate snakes ( even the dead ones) and after the incident, I was jumpy everytime I heard a noise coming from the dense overgrowth on the side of the road. But this can't beat the time we got chased by a cow on one of our runs.

So we did 6km. I'm hoping of doing it again next Saturday to beat last week's accumulated runs of 14k. I sure wish marathons were that easy. You accumulate runs throughout the week and by the end of the week, you go to the designated spot to collect your medal.

But then, where's the marathon in that?
PAP! (tepuk kepala)

* just another random entry to get my mind off that nasik lemak for berbuka.

makanlah ini

I'm really a fan of this. I've been having it for breakfast and sahur since two years ago.
I remember having it for sahur last year. My dad said, " Kesiann..macam makan makanan burung ja."
But it keeps me full. Especially on run days.Yang bestnya, it has bits of dates in it so I tell hub " Kalau nak dates, tak payah cari yusop tayub. Seluk je dalam cereal."

Best part is : Sedap wo.

*entry in tidak ditaja sesapa pun-saje je nak share sahur yang tidak menyebabkan kembung perut, lapar sebaik sahaja pukul 10 pagi , kentut-kentut atau perasaan nak ter'ceri beri' sepanjang hari

lallalala

Hey guys,

Any of you managed to catch the Women's 5000m  race( Berlin 2009) on tv a few days back?

If you missed it, here it is.

Gile tensen tengok finishing dia. Lesson is, don't slow down when you're near to the end. Give it all the gusto you got.

Another note, did my 4 k today. First run this Ramadhan. So far, I feel ok. But the thing is, This is not my first Ramadhan excersizing. Last Ramadhan was done with weight training and cardio aerobics. This year, I guess kena masukkan my runs in between. 

Some may ask," Whyyy la?"

Simple. I'm a foodie. But I hate gaining weight.

It's a simple equation really:

Amount that goes in = amount to burn out (and then some)

Irony of it is, a lot of people still don't get it.

hee..

Last Sunday, managed to get 14 k in the bag.

Felt alot better compared to last week's 12 k. But then, maybe it's because of the post run carbo loading (if there is such a thing) due to my daughter's 2nd birthday bash.

Ice cream cake, nasi briyani, pasembor, mi goreng mamak, chips and fruit juice, oh my!

Worth every calorie of it. Kahkah.

Facemask and H1N1

As requested by Amsyah, here's a blog entry about H1N1 from my other blog.

Hi kids,

This is a rather long one. And I think, long overdue.

Pasal apa? Pasal H1N1!~ yeaaayyyy!

Notice how everywhere you go, ramai gile orang pakai facemask. Untuk protection against H1N1 katanya. Betul?

Errrrkkk ( bunyik buzzer)..WRONG.

Untuk pengetahuan semua, normal 3 ply facemask TIDAK boleh melindungi kita dari H1N1. Kalau nak pakai untuk protection against influenza virus lain boleh. H1N1 tidak sama sekali.

Why? : Sebab H1N1 virusnya terlalu kecik and dapat tembus the pores of the mask.

Tapi kenapa KKM asik suruh pakai?

Notice tak dalam iklan, KKM suruh orang yang sakit je pakai. Ini kerana ( eceh) normal 3 ply mask tu hanya boleh tapis nafas keluar tapi tak boleh tapis udara dari luar masuk ke dalam. Ini dalam se-layman term yang aku boleh come up with. 3 ply mask tu boleh halang droplet bersin atau hingus orang yang sakit dari tersebar ke luar.

Tapi kenapa KKM suruh budak sekolah pakai?

Sebab untuk elakkan mana2 budak2 yang undiagnosed H1N1 dari menjangkiti orang lain. Nama pun undiagnosed, so kita tak tau sapa dia yang kena. So as a percaution, setengah pejabat kesihatan bagi je face mask kat semua orang kat sekolah yang berisiko. Setengah pejabat kesihatan pulak kasi kat sekolah n pesan kat pengetua/guru besar untuk bagi kat budak2 yang sakit je.

So facemask takleh protect la kita dari H1N1 ?

Normal 3 ply dan 2 ply facemask TAKBLEH. Tapi ada satu jenis facemask ni, nama dia N95 ( cam tepon Nokia plak) yang dapat tapis H1N1 virus. Masalahnya mahal adik oi. Aku baru tanya supplier, 1 box of 100 = RM600. Tukar yang baru setiap hari ye.  Bila aku cakap jenis N95, kalo nak beli , beli yang original ye. Jgn beli hat sama bentuk dengannya. Fungsinya tak sama. Cam bila orang kata  goreng pisang Kak tipah sedap, pastu pi beli goreng pisang Mak Senah, pastu gaduh tak sedap. Dah orang kata Kak Tipah, Kak Tipah la.

Oh, so takbleh la pakai facemask yang sama dalam tempoh seminggu/dua minggu/sebulan/setahun?

Ok, so whatever your reason to wear facemask, be it nak lindungi diri dari influenza bug yang lain ( bukan H1N1) atau nak elakkan orang lain dapat jangkitan, point is : Kena Tukar Facemask Kerap!
Maximum time of usage untuk satu facemask adelah 4 jam sahaja. Lepas tu kena tukar. Sebab bila dah lama facemask tu kat muka, n then kita pun bawak la bejalan merata (pi pasar malam la, TESCO la, pi toilet pun!)and then letak merata2 bila tak pakai, other kuman leh lekat kat facemask tu n jadik tempat membiak. Pastu kita pun hidu la kuman tu, pastu..toing! dapatla demam/sesema/batuk lain. Itu la sebabnya wahai adik-adik, despite ramai orang /budak sekolah pakai facemask, ramai still kena demam/batuk/sesema. Sebab dok menghidu kuman dari facemask yang berhari2 tak ganti tu.

So ekceli apanya yang boleh lindungi kita dari H1N1?

Oh lupa bagitau, penyebaran H1N1 ni melalu droplet contact. Maksudnya virus tu tersebar melalui air semburan bersin, hingus dan sebagainya. Ianya bukan dikategori sebagai airborne virus yang bleh dok lama2 dalam udara. So kalo orang tu sneeze directly kat kita atau kena atas permukaan kerusi ke meja ke apa2 la, n kita hidu sneeze dia directly atau tangan kita terkena air semburan dia kat kerusi tu n pastu kita korek hidung atau makan tanpa basuh tangan, voila! kenala insyaAllah.

So point is, kena jaga kebersihan diri. Basuh tangan! Kalo susah , guna hand sanitizer atau alcohol rub yang jual kat farmasi tu ( jangan lak sapu tangan ngan beer). Jangan bagik anak2 masukkan tangan kotor dalam mulut , tangan atau mata. Kalo pi tempat awam, elakkan pegang tempat yang org slalu pegang ( cth railing, eskelator). Last, elakkan dok dekat orang sakit la, kecuali la anak2 sendiri atau pasangan masing2 yang korang kena jaga ( kejam la pulak kan kalo tak jaga)

Kenapa aku begitu tekankan pasal facemask ni ek?

Sebab aku dah bosan dah tengok orang misuse facemask ni. Aku bosan pi keluar n tengok orang2 pakai facemask ngan tujuan for protection against H1N1 tapi salah. Please read up! Bukak internet, jangan main FB saje ( hai, berasap nampak). Wartawan pun buat la kajian sikit, tolong la jangan main tulis je. Tak ketinggalan staf2 kesihatan yang lain. Sebab aku tgk banyak jugak tak paham fungsi facemask ni.Sources banyak. CDC ada. Ni baca majalah Mastika sampai nak lunyai.

Aku pun dah bosan n naik kesian kat budak2 skolah yang kena paksa makbapak ngan cikgu untuk pakai facemask. Dahla pakai berminggu2 tak tukar. Pastu taula kan, budak sekolah, kalo tak pakai boh merata. Pastu tak cam sapa punya , pastu main cekau je kawan punya. Pastu makpak heran kenapa anak depa demam. Parents, cikgu please read up!

Aku pun nak bosan n marah kat farmasi, supermarket, kedai-kedai runcit yang ambik kesempatan jual facemask bapaknya mahal. Sekotak facemask yang retailernya harga RM10 pun boleh dijual kat farmasi jadik RM48..(tak tipu). Pastu anggaran selai dalam sekupang tapi jualnya kat kedai biasa sampai seringgit satu helai. Pastu ada jugak yang jual hat facemask kertas 2 ply tu. Orang2 yang taktau ni pakai la, berhari2 plak tu sebab ye la kan, mahal.

So peeps, aku harap korang dapat sikit info dari aku yang hina dina ini. Kalo tak percaya, sila la baca n research sendiri. Yela kan, haritu staff nurse aku sampaikan la benda ni kat staff nurse kesihatan. Staff nurse kesihatan tu taknak percaya n still insist pemakaian facemask for protection against H1N1. Dia kata ," alah, boss kau tu bukannya doktor betul pun"

Whaa? Excuse me? Oh- kay la. Whatever la.

At least aku dah sampaikan public service message ni kan?

Tarik napas, lepaskan. Tarik napas, lepaskan.

So in conclusion, despite apa yang aku cakap nih, kalau nak jugak pakai facemask , boleh. . Tapi kena paham tujuan dia. Kena pakai ikut guidelines. And please jangan la bubuh merata2.

Tak percaya, pi la tanya doktor betul. Doktor betul pulak, kalo ada apa2 tambahan sila la add. Kalau aku tersalah bagik info ke silalah betulkan.Kepada rakan2 aku doktor2 palsu gigi semua , jangan la amik hati kat kenyataan staff nurse kesihatan tu.

Tarik napas, lepaskan. Tarik napas, lepaskan.

Bummer

Just found out yesterday that Penang Merdeka Run is postponed to 1st of Nov due to the H1N1 scare. Dang. And I was so looking forward to it.

No matter. Gives me a free Saturday for another 14k. Is it possible after a hiatus of 4 weeks of long runs to just continue and increase the mileage after Ramadhan?

Anyone ? Anyone?

On another note, I do pity my medical collegue these days. His clinic is swarmed with outpatients from 7.30am to 7 pm day in day out. Tak kira yang datang time oncall. Pastu there's rumours that KKM will make it compulsary for all clinics to continue their service to 9 pm. All because of H1N1.

And here I am going to work at 8 and then sengih2 balik pukul 5. No active calls. Not even passive calls ( my boss kata" tak payah la since you're so far from the district hospital" - taknak tanggung mileage claim aku la tu)

I am so not regretting the choice I made 10 years ago in Uni.

Short one.

Just did my 12k this morning. Penatnyaaa...

I'm tired. I'm hungry and my mind is going whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

Training oh training

I need road races to keep me motivated.

This I told him.

If I don't plan ahead, after the last road race, I'll be like " Now what?"

So before Ramadhan, we'll squeeze in one more race in Penang. Only 6k maa but like I said, okla kan for the motivation towards PBIM.

Doesn't mean in Ramadhan I'll stop my training, nope. I'll still do my alternate days 4k but I guess no Saturday long runs ( changed from Sunday to Saturday pulakkk..)

I found out in early September there's gonna be a race in Kampar. So tempting but that's Ramadhan for you. All about temptations.

Tahann....

Jogathon Kesihatan Perak 2009

Last Saturday, instead of joining the Shape Run at Putrajaya, I engaged in my semangat ke' jabatan'an and ran in the Jogathon Kesihatan Perak.

I ran in the women's junior category for 5K ( that's the longest run they got)

So it was a chilly morning, chilly because the route was a few metres from the beach. As I was in the starting lineup with all those other doctors and nurses and pharmacist and dieticians and paramedics and..( you get the picture), I got a bit jittery and intimidated to see that half the route was all uphill and most of the participants were 19 year old nursing students.

When the gun went off, as usual everybody pecut like there's no tommorow. Lantak korang la. But  at 1k, seperti biasa most of them start walking and I took advantage.

Lari punya lari, I got knots in my tummy going uphill for so long. Then, funnily enough I felt hungry pulak. Halfway I thought I could finish top ten.

Then bila route went downhill, I accelerated. I guess by that time, they were all tired by the hill that they simply slowed down kot. So surprisingly, at almost 4k I couldn't see anyone in my category in front of me. Haik?..bior betik..cam twilight zone pulak. Other runners in other catogory tu adela ( cth men's junior, men's senior 4k, women's senior 4k).

So I crossed the finishing line at 27 mins 14 secs dengan terperasan dapat nombor satu la..wah! But when the officals handed my finishing number, it wrote number 2. Kahkah ..padan muka aku.

Rupa-rupanya ( as told by hub) the first placing girl smoked me by 1 minute. Patut pun tak nampak. But then, she's a young girl and I'm 29 with two kids..so there. Haha. (And I got 2nd out of almost 200 people in my category. )

So all in all kesimpulannya :

1. My timing improved ! Yay!

2. JKN Perak staff are not that fast ( including yours truly la)

3. I got my 5 minutes of fame when Dato' Pengarah asked me twice " Betul ke Dr ni?" when he was handing out my prize.

4. Jgn harapla dapat even top 30 in other races. Sigh.

5. I'm RM200 richer. Makcik kayooo....

Stuck in a rut

You know what's dumb? The prices of so-call healthy food here in Malaysia. They urge us to eat healtier but the choice of healthy food are so much pricey compared to the unhealthy ones.

Contoh ? Banyakkkk

Cereal : Whole wheat cereal bapak mahal compared to those choclatey, sugary ones.

Vegetable produce : They're so called free from pesticides and chemicals and are grown organically  so secara teorinya supposed to be more cheapla kan? But no.

High Fibre/ whole wheat bread :  the main ingredients are pulp and hampas kan? Why more 

                                                            pricey compared to white bread?

Unpolished Rice : It's unpolished for God's sake! Less work but more RM?

Ayam kampung : Claimed to be healthier. They are grown as free-range chickens and are fed 

                               organic feed. They are not given shots to fatten them up tapi still lebih mahal.

Drinks : Those that promote less sugar won't cost less. 

And then, there's this issue of local fitness magazines that only copy the articles of their Western counterparts. Tak buat kajian to fit the local needs langsung. There's this one magazine under the article titled'Quick 100 cal Snacks' which lists the main ingredients as 20 rasperries, Greek yogurt, and fresh figs. Dey, mana nak dapat la. At your local pasar malam? I know you guys in KL can go to one of those fancy organic markets ( but I can guarantee they'll be as expensive as hell) but what about the rest of us?

Buat research la, people. Takat cut and paste aku pun boleh buat.

WHO has been promoting MakeThe Healthy Choice The Easy Choice for years. At this rate, my response is : my foot.

Pay up.

So I officially signed up to run 21k in Penang Bridge International. Can I run 21k? Sure, I can. 

But can I finish in the cut off point of 3 hours? Here's where I'm trying not to choke.

I'm really trying to train but it's kinda hard when all I got is Sunday mornings for my long runs. Itu pun kalau tak hujan like last Sunday. I can only train to the max of 35mins of my lunch time on my working days ( and try to squeeze in eating, praying, bathing and resting in the remainder of time) and an hour or so on Fridays.

So as you can see, I'm really hoping on that long Sunday run to get me all ready for that 21K. But sometimes Sundays don't go as well as planned. Mom got something to do and can't babysit the kids la, hujan la, Hub has to work la, malas la...hehe.

Tapi I can't really whine now,can I? I've already signed up and paid. It'll be a shame to waste that RM50 for nothing.

Come to think of it, it's so funny that I have to pay people to run.

Friday break time

Contrary to other people's beliefs, it is ok to run with a stomach full of nasi tomato ( ayam merah +dalca+acar), 2 small peices of moist chocolate cake and air sirap.

Did 6.1K of it to be exact. 613kcal burnt ( according to the treadmill la).

Dengan syarat : lift up your hands when you hit those side stiches and have Regina Spektor and Mika on the iPod as motivators.

Orang kata Gila. Aku kata Lagi.

Ipoh International Run

My day started at 4.15 am. It had just started to rain. My hub reassured me that it will drizzle by race time. Boy, was he wrong.

Dressed up the sleeping kids and packed their basic needs. Ate what was available in the fridge ( apple pie), geared up, hauled the kids in the car and rolled off. 

It rained heavily along the 1 hour trip. Hub was still confident that the rain will stop.

Arrived at 6.20 or so, saw a couple of Kenyan runners doing some warm up running in the rain. Hub said if he couldn't get the car parked, I should run off in the rain to the venue. By that time, everybody was running in the rain to the stadium.

6.30 sharp, I hopped off the car and ran blindly towards the stadium only to be shouted by the pak guard that 10k and 21 k runners are supposed to wait at the MSN building. Geez,dude, everyone else in eefing wet too, you don't have to be bitchy about it.

I ran to the MSN building which was next to the stadium, at first avoiding puddles. Halfway,my shoes were soaked and I thought, what the hell.

Had a few conversations in the rain with some random people. Went to the toilet 2 times to do #2. Apple pie was a bad choice for pre run breakfast. We all waited for 20 mins for the race to start. The officials kept postponing because of the rain and we were all getting restless. Why wait soaking wet and cold when we could be better off running?. The rain didn’t look like it was going to stop anyway.

At 7.30 I guess, the gun went off. This was my first experience running drenched. My shoes felt heavy and all that was on my mind at the time was " I guess I'll be taking an EL from work tommorow..theehee."

 I was kind of intimidated at first when it seemed everybody was passing me but then I pujuk-ed myself into remembering that I'm not an athlete and I don't intend to win any prizes. Lagipun, half will be exhausted once they hit the 2k mark with that pace. I concentrated with my own pace and my footwork. Then I got bored and opted to people watching instead. 

There were all sorts of people running around. Some ran with umbrellas and risked poking others in the eye with it. Some even wore crocs (?). Some schoolchildren ran barefoot. Most teenagers stomped while running, but they're teens, they'll recover, who cares. There were senior runners who looked older than my dad but ran faster than me. There were heavily built women who ran faster than me. There were muscular guys who ran slower than me. There were also women clad only in short shorts and tank tops who were freezing to death but guessed it was better to be fashion savvy instead of sensibly warm that morning.

At the 2k point two lads with ' Engineering' printed on the back of their shirts turned to me and asked " Jauh lagi ke kak?"

' Isk adik..jauhhhhh lagi". And they looked like they were about to collapse.

So I ran and ran. I promised myself never to stop and walk. I didn't stop at the water station for fear of getting cramps. I didn't stop at the sponge station cause I guess it was no help. Lagipun it was raining (it drizzled by that time) for pete's sake. 

The route went uphill and downhill, past a hospital and shopping mall, past houses with gigantic dogs barking like mad. Past annoyed looking drivers held up in traffic because of the run.

When I saw the 7k mark, I found myself smiling. 3 more Ks. I sped up, surprised at the sudden surge of energy. Tried to pass these two tudung ladies, who wore the words Perak on their jerseys: assumed that they were Perak athletes. Managed to keep in pace with them until the last 500m, when they suddenly went sprinting to the finish line. 

So I crossed the finish line with 3 other ladies. Decided to collect my certificate ASAP as hub and kids were probably waiting somewhere. Surprised that the line for my category was short and eased my way to the booth. I was extra surprised to see that they gave me a medal. Sure wasn't expecting that. I thought medals were given to 21k runners only. 

I criss crossed my way to my waiting family. There were hundres of people but I managed to locate them. My son greeted me with not a congratulation but with " Mama, kami pi makan Happy Meal tadi." Kids, heh.

Hub was really proud but was a tad bit jealous of my medal. I didn't want to rub it in as he sacrificed his place in the IIR to take care of the kids for me. It'll be my turn when he goes for Manjung Dualathon sometime this year.

All in all :-

Venue : ( minus the rain and initial sucky officials ) Great!

Time : My time 10 k : 64 mins

Will I race again? : Hell, yeah.

p/s I did not take that EL.

kaciwanyaa

I was told by Mum that on the 4-5th july she will be going to Kelantan with Dad to send off little sis to University. Arghh..5th is my Ipoh International 10k with Hub.

I was so upset I called Hub.

It looks like I'll be running on my own while he whisks the kids to the nearest McDonalds. ( anything to keep them quiet in 1 hour ( or more..) )

Tapi takpe because we have this KKM Jogathon in 25th July for 5K and I guess that'll be pretty easy.

I just hope Mum's available.