parkrun Taman Pudu Ulu 100th Event

I'm well acquainted with parkruns though I have not participated any until last weekend. My runner buddy, Azwan informed me that parkrun at Taman Pudu Ulu would be marking its 100th event on Saturday, 5 November. So I registered with parkrun, parkrun.my/register, and printed my bar code and was all set to attend this milestone event for my maiden parkrun, meet other runners/walkers/fitness enthusiasts and anyone who's passionate about the sport of running.

For those unfamiliar with parkruns, they are free weekly, community running/walking events that take place in 23 countries around the world. It's a 5k run or walking on Saturday morning, and 2k event on Sunday morning. The event is run by volunteers.

According to the parkrun website, the very first edition was held in 2004 in Bushy Park, Teddington, UK. It is one of the most popular parkrun locations in the world, although just 13 runner participated in the inaugural event. 

I arrived at the Taman Pudu Ulu, around 7:15am, just in time for the briefing for first-timers by one of the volunteers. He briefed us on the route (which involved 3 loops and 2 U-turns and a funnel to the finish/start) and cautioned us on the slippery parts of the course (the path was wet due to showers earlier. The race director of the day was introduced and he gave a brief do's and don'ts while running/walking in the park and were were flagged off at 7:30am. Important message he emphasised: respect the right of other users of the park.

Briefing by race director

Runners of various nationalities, different shapes and sizes and abilities gathered on this wet Saturday morning - there were also a few children runner in the mix making this group the most diverse group of runners I've ever seen at a running event.

At the finish line, I received token which I presented to the volunteer, a friendly gentleman who scanned the my barcode on my membership card and the token. I later received an email with my finishing time and ranking according to my age group.

To commemorate their 100th run, the organiser laid a cake on the registration table, which was shared amongst all the runners after they have successfully finished the run...

It was a great event, well-organized by a team of dedicated volunteers.. A big thank you on behalf of all the participants of the run (it was a big turnout) to the volunteers.

A milestone for TPU - 100th event

PAR Relay 2021 @ Metropolitan Park

There are many attractive features with team relay runs - shorter distances, team spirit, competition and speed - and you can rely on the Pacemakers for their Anniversary Relay Series for that... and more. 

A total of 75 teams (comprising 5 runners in each team) turned up for the run.

Our team, Five Stars on The Run showed up early at 6:30am and made ourselves proud by finishing in 36th place. 

I’m still a long way from my fitness level pre-pandemic with more in-person races returning, I’m motivated to lose some weight, commit to training and push myself to greater heights in my next race … watch this space.

Run Melbourne 2022

 

My first post-pandemic run in Melbourne, Australia took place on 24 July this year was a reminder of how much my fitness level has declined over the months of lockdown and a weight gain which I have not been able to shake off. 

After days of bone-chilling cold in Melbourne, the weather gods answered the prayers of the participants, numbering in 15,000 on a nice, cool and sunny Sunday morning - perfect weather conditions for a run. 

I signed up for 10k, selected wave C (target finishing time of 65 mins) as I did not want to put high expectations for my first run. By km 3, I was already huffing and puffing and was in dire need of hydration (and an excuse to stop). Luckily I managed a decent recovery in my heart rate, but it set me back at least 2 minutes! 

The run was pure joy.. The route was scenic, mostly flat with slopes in the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

Some of the city centre's landmarks I recognised were the Shrine of Remembrance, Flinders St station, the MCG and Federation Square. Along the route I crossed the Yarra River twice - on Anderson St and St Kilda Rd.

I crossed the finish line at 57:33, a time I can certainly be happy with as it's my first race in three years. And it was a great way of keeping active and warm in the winter in Melbourne!

We did it!

We got our medals!

Thumbs up before we head to the corral 

Uplift Melbourne

Virtual 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon

 

I've been wanting to run the London Marathon ever since the day I completed my maiden full marathon back in the KLSCM 2016 (click here for race report). For the past four years, I applied through ballot entry to enter the London Marathon but have been unsuccessful in all my applications including the London Marathon 2020 which was supposed to be held in April.

And then the world was hit by the Covid pandemic. Since March 2020, most of the major marathons were either postponed or cancelled or moved to virtual run.  London Marathon 2020 was postponed to October and for the first time in history, it was a closed event - for the elite runners only and with no supporters. For the other runners, the London Marathon switched to a virtual race, bringing one of the world's biggest marathons to the general runners who secured their place this year, not only those in the UK but across the world (in total a record 45,000 people from 109 countries across the world signed up for the Virtual London Marathon 2020). 

In late August, a friend informed me that the virtual London Marathon was still open for registration and without a second thought I clicked on the link and registered to participate in this historic event. It felt like I was given a second chance to be a part of the London Marathon - although under different circumstances, it would still be meaningful for me to run my third Abbott's Marathon Major (Berlin 2018 report, Tokyo 2019 report).  After  successfully completing  the payment, it was official that I have now secured my place in the 40th London Marathon.  Instead of going to London for the marathon though, the race was coming to me in Malaysia. It feels like I am in the middle of a surreal dream! And if I ran the London Marathon on 4 October, I would have completed one marathon a year since 2016. 

My race kit arrived a week before race day

So the next few weeks were crucial in getting myself race ready. I was prepared to go for long runs and log the required miles for my training. However, things took an unexpected turn when I was hit with a medical emergency two weeks into my training. On Sep 13, I went to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. I underwent emergency operation for removal of my appendix, followed by hospital stay and rest at home for two weeks. My training plan was derailed to say the least, but the question that lingered in my mind during my recovery was "can I still run London Marathon?"  

Despite many well-meaning family and friends' advice to skip this race.. I wasn't prepared to give up on my dream of running the London Marathon. As I gradually recovered from the surgery, I was determined to run on 4 October my way. Even if I can not finish the race, I will not DNS. I will not go down without a fight. DNS versus DNF.. I will be able hold my head high if it's the latter..  

So I came to a decision just a day before race day that I would run with my running friend, Kak Liza on Sunday evening 5:30 pm. It's Kak Liza's first full marathon and I wanted to run with her, support her, and to reassure her that age is not a issue when it comes running one's first full marathon.  I told her about my situation that I was still recovering from surgery, and that I decided to run on that day because I wanted to show her that if you are passionate about running, you will not look for an excuse to give up - that we all have our own challenges in our running journey but we should take things in our stride and not let them blow us off course.. 

The route was set by Kak Liza. We would run from Precinct 4 to verdant Taman Wawasan and back, passing some of the iconic buildings in the administrative capital, Putrajaya.  I started my run first, going slow and steady, not pushing myself too much too soon.  Around 13km later, Kak Liza joined me after performing her evening prayers at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin mosque nearby. Her son was with her, making sure that she had all the hydration and re-fuelling supplies needed for her run. There were bananas, cereal bars, energy gels, isotonic drinks and water all packed for us in Kak Liza's SUV. 

A bond between runners 

Shades and headband 

I'm wearing the British 10k London Run 2016

Kak Liza and her running gear

I ran alongside Kak Liza for around 3km, chatting with her along the way about the reason we were doing the run. For her, it's an opportunity to challenge herself to run FM that does not have a COT. I told her about my four unsuccessful attempts with the ballot entry, that the London Marathon holds a special place in my heart and I have always believed that I would run it someday. Being able to share my story with Kak Liza made me realise even more the reason for me doing this run, on a Sunday evening when most people were staying at home in such difficult times...

I broke away from Kak Liza around 10pm, picked up my pace and continued with my run.. . I was feeling good, the incision wounds in my abdomen were holding up nicely and I felt that I could run a few more miles..... and another few more miles..The official app, with in-audio guide provided not only cheers at every mile but also inspiring stories and anecdotes to lift my spirits up and spur me on, as I began to struggle around mile 14. 

I called Azwan, my running buddy who supported me in my marathon debut in 2016. He lives in Putrajaya, and when he heard that I was about to "hit the wall", he did not hesitate to come over to give me support and drinking water (I was experiencing symptoms of dehydration).  I took a much-needed break, rehydrated and refuelled at the open-air food truck hotspot in Precinct 2, thanks to Azwan for his suggestion. 

Azwan came to support me

Legs needed a break from all the pounding

We broke the remaining distance up into chunks of 3 miles... 17, 20. 23. With Azwan pacing me, I was able to find my groove back. By the time we finished mile 23, Azwan said he had to go, and wished me good luck for the remaining distance...

I bumped into Kak Liza again at mile 24. Surprised to see me still running, she gave me a loud cheer.. I could tell she was truly glad to see me still pounding the pavement on Persiaran Perdana minutes to midnight.. I later found out that she even mentioned me when she passed other runners, telling them that I was her friend, about to complete the race in spite of my circumstances ...

In the final mile, I kept running, putting one foot in front of the other, reminding myself of the reason I was doing this race - my family, supporters, my running buddies, and also the people who believe in me such as Kak Liza. At 95% of the race distance, my goal was to finish the race. Just that. Nothing more, nothing less! I needed to stay calm on course and not risk any injury ...

And so I continued my run, slow and steady, all the way till I covered all 26.2 miles, one minute past the stroke of midnight - the peace and quiet of Putrajaya broken by the sound of cheering "crowds" followed by the reassuring voice of Martin Yelling telling me that I am "amazing for finishing this year's London Marathon" and that I was now part of history."

It was a unique experience for me running in the 40th London Marathon, in a virtual run. While we the runners across the globe were not gathered together in reality, we were indeed united as a community. I'm incredibly honoured to be part of London Marathon Class of 2020.. 

Proud to run as a Malaysian participant, the "gold medal" is a Costa Coffee choc  

The App was easy to use and was also a perfect aid for the run

#RunForChildren World Vision Malaysia Virtual Run

What do you do when most events have been scrapped or postponed due to the corona virus?

During the  movement order control (phase 1 and 2), I did zero running outdoor sports activities were not allowed. On the first day when the restrictions eased, I went straight into the neighbourhood park for my first run - to get back to my pre-lockdown fitness level and a breath of fresh air after two months of staying home.

Not long after I got back to my regular running, I longed for the excitement of participating in a race and getting a medal after crossing the finish line. But that's out of the question for now, perhaps until end of the year as most major events around the world have been canceled or moved to virtual format.

#RunForChildren 

Organised by World Vision Malaysia as part of their "It Takes You and I to End Violence Against Children" campaign, the #RunForChildren is a virtual run from 3-19 July 2020. 

#RunForChildren is a 42 minutes virtual run where participants run for the child on their runner’s bib.

The rules are simple. Participants are required to run for 42 mins, with no minimum distance. Runs can be done outdoors at your preferred location or on a treadmill.  

Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), children have 42 rights. These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and develop their full potential. They apply equally to every child, regardless of ethnicity, gender or religion. It is the responsibility of parents, governments and children themselves to ensure the rights of children are met. 

The 42 minutes represent the 42 rights of the child on the runner's bib, and to ensure that their rights are protected. Click here for more info on children's rights

I did my #RunForChildren in Serdang in a residential park in Seri Kembangan. The weather was beautiful, perfect for running so I ran at a leisurely pace, savouring event minute of the 42-min of the run, thinking about the child on bib, and all the voiceless children whose rights have been denied.

"If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much" - Marian W. Edelman.

If you're interested in sponsoring a child, click here

That's 42 minutes of running and 42 children's rights

Finisher medal 

Viper Challenge: King of the Mountain, Genting

After participating in the Viper Classic last December, I was motivated to sign up for the Viper King of the Mountain, Genting, on 7 March (Saturday). This event proved to be very popular as tickets were sold out on the first day the tickets went on sale. The organizer later added Day 2 on 8 March to accommodate the overwhelming response from the public.

My teammate and I managed to get a spot in the 1:30pm start time on Day 1.

We set off on Friday and stayed overnight at First World Hotel. On Saturday after brunch at the First World, my teammate and I walked to the shuttle bus pick-up point nearby for what was for sure to be a fun, memorable day, one way or another. The shuttle bus service was well coordinated and we were whisked to the race village in less than 15 minutes. We bought coffee and tea at the kiosks outside the Grand Ion Delemen Hotel then proceeded to the bag drop station in the basement car park. We reached the start pen half hour early.

As we waited for our start time, rain fell and strong winds blew and I got the chills. I started to question myself if I was really up for this challenge of not only overcoming the obstacles and trails in the course, but also the battling the elements.. From what I read in the guide, the Grand Ion Delemen Hotel is located 6,000 feet above sea-level and is at one of the highest points of Genting Highlands. JJ and I huddled together for warmth while we waited for 1:30pm. It was the longest half-hour wait in my life as chants of "Rain, rain go away" led by the emcee did little to stop the rain.
And then we were off!

The first obstacle was "Rocking bar", a variation of monkey bars.. This time, I was able to conquer this obstacle as I have been doing lots of upper body strength training.

Obstacle 1: Rocking bar

The course was not long, but challenging with lots of slopes especially from obstacle 3 to obstacle 4. It felt great to run side by side with JJ, to be the strong one in some parts, and in other parts, when I struggled with breathlessness, he was there to wait for me to catch up with him. The rain subsided by by around 2pm, and by that time we were on to one of the 'easiest' obstacles for us - jumping over a wall. All we had to do was push ourselves up and turned our body so that we sit our bump on the edge of the wall, turn around and jump down. We gave each other a high-five. It was real moment of pure joy and exhilaration

Drive me Dizzy was probably my favourite obstacle as it tests one's upper body and grip strength as one jumps up to grip on a contraption which resembles a wheel that turns when you pull on the sides of wheel.

Over your Ex was next. I had thoroughly enjoyed this in Viper Classic…it was interesting to note that most runners moved across on all fours on the X rods from the left to right. I broke the pattern by jumping to the other side of the X, and moved from right to left. It was hilarious and fun! I saw that other runners followed my approach.

King of the Mountain was an amazing experience. The turnout was astounding with around 7000 participants on Day 1. Just like many of the runners, I wasn't sure about coming for this event because of the Covid-19 situation, and I'm glad I did! After completing the event, I felt a great sense of accomplishment at the finish line when the volunteers presented me with a finisher T and medal. And nobody gets left behind at 6,000 feet above sea level!

Yay! We did it!

Surviving My First Viper Classic in F1 Sepang

For my last event of 2019, I completed one of the toughest of the Viper Challenge series - the Viper Classic at Sepang International Circuit.

The Viper Challenge is Asia's biggest sporting event series that combines running (trail and road) with obstacles which test your strength, speed, agility and your ability to work with your teammates (and other participants). Their tag line, "Leave No One Behind", emphasising the importance of team work to complete the course - peppered with obstacles - stayed in my mind since last Sunday.

I first dipped my feet in Viper Arena back in 2015 but didn't particularly enjoy the indoor setting of the course. I didn't enter another Viper event until four years later, in the Viper Beach Port Dickson May this year.  And let's just say I've been hooked to the sport since! I started joining  OCR, mass warrior workout sessions and Spartan classes in my gym and made new friends and training partners. And after a few months of training, I got the courage to sign up for the tough Viper Classic - 20km course and 25 obstacles.  I was warned that there will be mud runs and I was up for it!

After registration and bag drop-off,  I made my way to the start line, joining the 7:00 am wave. I found myself in a corral packed full of other Viper Challenge hopefuls like myself. The host kept us entertained, shouting "Finish" and us responding with "Line". After a few rounds of "Finish Line"s, I was off!

Selfie  before flag-off

And we're off.,,,,

Here's some photos of what happened that day...


Overall, I had an amazing time out there in Sepang, spending around 4 hours to complete the challenge, having attempted all of the 25 obstacles. The obstacles were well-designed  and evenly spaced throughout the course, and had catchy names (Over your Ex, Tarzan and Jane, Nerves of Steel, Stairway to Heaven, Heave Ho, etc). One of my favourite obstacles was Tumbling Block which requires team work and coordination and getting your head down in the muddy waters. This was definitely something out of my comfort zone...

What I liked about Viper is that it is non-competitive so you can do the obstacles carefully, slowly - once, twice or even thrice if you wish... and have a great time with your teammates (I especially like the team element of it).  Team work means no one gets left behind...

Hanging tongue.. a sign of tiredness

Tyre wall climb

Up for running up the wall behind me

Mud time

Getting out of the clogged drain

Into the woods: Palm oil trail run...

Stairway to Heaven

half-way mark... yay

Barbed wire crawl

Poor grip resulted in a fall into the muddy water

Tarzan and Jane

Hay bale, the final obstacle..

Here it is.. the finish line...

Meet the winner...