Shape & Men's Health Run 2009

After PD OD Tri 09, this is indeed was my 1st tarmac run race since then. Laid off the bike, run & swim for the past week, & the Shape & Men's Health Run 2009 was the 1st ever training that I started just 1 week before Desaru Longest Triathlon 2009.

The run was an easy 11.5km run. Started @ 8pm & ended around 11pm (The Event). All started with the nice goodie bags that the organizers gave out that tempted me to sign up. :P With only RM30, all participants gets a goodie bag worth RM300 (as the organizer claims). The list of the Goodie Bag:
• A Men's Health bag
• A Runner’s Tee** from Reebok worth RM79
• 2 pouches of Nature Valley® Crunchy Granola Bars
• 1901 Soakin’ Ted (great size)
• A Fitness Concept Microfibre Towel worth RM26
• Clear Men 85ml Shampoo
• Clear Anti-Dandruff 85ml Shampoo
• Shokubutsu Body Shower Foam Active Sports 180ml
• Fresh & White Fresh Blast Toothpaste 30g
• Bion 3 Probiotic Multivitamins Minerals worth RM45
• Naturale Choice Veggie Snack
• Care Condom 3-piece pack
• Kenko 30mins Fish Spa Voucher worth RM38
• 7-UP Revive 325ml • Bleu Mineral Water 600ml
• TruDtox Tea Bag • Nuvafemme 10’s
• Cartilamine Glucosamine Sulphate Tablets 10’s
• Clark Hatch 1-Week Free Trial Pass

Check out the list of the goodies that registered Participants will get. :D That's what tempted me to sign up for this run. It is not a race, but more like a leisure session for runners. I know my speed, I'm the 60min or longer finisher & I'll always finish the race with the majority of participants. No stress & no expectations. Just run, pace myself & not stopping in between & most of all, annoy others, cheer for others & also to HAVE RUN!!!...

Supposing to car pool with Tomatoman, but his car is full & I'd let Bernard & Lydia know about the race & Tomatoman is driving & he is able to give up a lift but ended up his car is already with 4 peeps including himself, excluding me. If I ride with them, Bernard & Lydia will have to go on their own. Hmm. I was thinking, since that I'd told them about it, mind as well I roll with them in 1 car to Putrajaya instead. Decided, told Tomatoman, & notified Lydia & Bernard, changed, brought clean clothes, & shower items & off I went to meet up Bernard & Lydia. Me & Bernard plotted & "conned" Lydia to drive her Convertible Volkswagon Golf GTI (the older version) out to Putrajaya. Convertible man, why not. :D

Left from Gasing to Putrajaya @ 6pm, sped all the way to Putrajaya (Lydia demostrating & showing us how fast she can drive on that 1.8cc small car on Highway). Reached there in about 40mins, it was kind of fast & cool (without the roof down, 6pm, BLOODY HOT). Parked, prep'ed & went looking for Coach for my bibs. Once had it, I ate my own Granola Bar & waited for the run to start. The worst part of any races or events is always the waiting part. Waited for almost a whole full 2hrs before the Race Started!!!

During the waiting period, I was loitering around, meeting up with friends, chilling out with team THG, newly met friends met @ MUDS, Uniten. Crap for bit, see how Michelle Looi did her hulla-hoops from a-far, & watch Bernard demo his version of hulla-hoop, Macho Style, HAHA!!!
Then the announcers voiced out "REPORTING FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS, GROUP A, B & C TO THE STARTING LINE!!" Then I'd told myself, FINALLY!!! RUNNING TIME!! Upon reporting, it is so bad that the organizers forbits participants with only 1 bibs from entering the starting line. Bernard & Lydia was one of those smart runner that brought only pinned 1 bib instead of 2, Bernard nearly got into a big fight with the marshals & with his usual "Serious" face, he & Lydia went back all the way to the car to grab their other bib, while I was waited alone in the starting line for the run to start.

During the wait for the flag off for the run, I saw Pathma, Lee, Yan, Kam, Hoo Yeen, & some other frens, played for abit, took some photos, annoy as much people as possible, & then the way we go, the start of the long, hot & DANG Loads of SYT run. HAHA!!!

Started off with a slow & seemingly warm-up like run, casually ran for about 1km, then decided to start over-taking, Pathma, Yan & Myself, started to over-take runners, after 3km down the run, the course seems to be more easier to run @ as heaps of 1st timer are falling back. Happily we went, 1st comes the bridge facing PICC, the the PICC Hills, & then the bridge facing PICC again, I'd messed up my pace on the PICC hills, as was playing with Bernard on the uphill (Wrong Move!!) & then started to run at a slower pace, with Yan as my pacer for the the rest of the way (about 6 - 7km). Saw Selon after the the return journey from the PICC Bridge, with Lydia & Bernard just 5 runners distance ahead of me & Yan. We took it slowly & paced each other, & as we ran & paced one & other, we also started to over taking other runners, & as we ran, the pace was getting much & much comfortable & also gradually, we can TALK!! Woohoo!!!

Sign boards was really annoying, as it started to count down from 5km to go till 1km to go. DANG!! However, as we ran, there was this Bib number B2031, she was running ahead of us, & then she walked & ran, walked & ran for quite a few times. To be honest, Yan & I was totally bring attracted by her, from back, she looked very nice indeed. When we overtook her, & we looked back, GOOD GRACIOUS GOD!! She was a cutie!! Man, Yan & I told ourselves, Our Run had officially being made!! B2031 Really Made our run such & all the meaningful 1 :D

However, regardless how cute she was, good things rarely lasted. As our pace was constant & her's was not, for only 1.5km on the course we manage to check her out from back to front & from front to back, finally, we had to overtake her & continued our pace. DANG!! Just that I did not lose out totally, I'd cheered her for a bit & motivated her for bit just before Yan & I paced away from her. :( Come to think of it I should have ask her to run with us @ our pace!! FREAK!! :(

Oh well, let by gones be by gones... Moving ahead, after about 30 odd mins, we'd finally reached the Finish Line. I told Yan that I wanted to take it easy, once see the Finish Line, we'd decided to dash for abit, just an easy 1, crossed the finish line... 11.5km done, an easy 65mins finishing (Estimating Time).

Still, sigh, No photographer Friends around, no finishing Photos, yet again. FREAK!!!

Oh well, after the run, I tooked my shower, get on to Lydia's Ride & home we went. Got lost for abit in Putrajaya, because trying to figure out the way to MEX Highway, after 30mins of speeding around Putrajaya & don't know how we somehow ended @ Salak Tinggi, finally we manage to find our way to MEX. Paid RM2.50 & another 30min or so, & we'd reached Gasing. Had a Late Late Dinner cum supper @ Pandi's, Banana Leaf Dinner worth RM8.80, 12:15 am got back to my car, & home I went.

Loiterred in front my laptop for abit, & "Pengsan" terus!!

Then this morning, IT'D RAIN!!! I'd then decided to continue my sleep rather that Putrajaya Mini Tri. Rest is also essential. HAHA!!!

Boy, Oh Boy... Lazy me...
HAHA!!

Despite of my winding about the completion of Desaru, I'm LAZY TO TRAIN!!..
DANG!! If I'd suffer big time in Desaru, "Padan Muka" Bobby!!!

:S

History Made?... ...

Finally, I'd decided to do up this report, as that I think that I owe myself for that much. Hope that the Lazy Bugs won't get to me before I finish up here...

Here it goes...

12/7/2009 - Port Dickson International Triathlon 2009, it was my 1st ever Triathlon race. I was very nervous about it. I'd already started to feel the excited since 2 weeks back & counting down to the date where I make my own history (Bobby's History) to remember by. The excitement & also the anxiety feelings are all mixed up, I'm happy & excited, & at the same time worried about can I complete the race? For some reasons that worries me... Hmm... ... ...

11/7/2009 - Travel day.
Woke up 8am (Slept 1230 the night before, after a movie & also some "tong shui"@ SS2 with Lydia, Bernard & Jacqueline) & only took me 15mins to pack all my clothes, racing gears, water, money & even my bike in my car. Drove out of home @ 9am sharp & cruise to Lydia's house to pick up Jacqueline.

After picking Jacqueline up, without Lydia, we cruise off to PD @ exactly 930am. Drove an easy 1hrs 30mins to PD, while stopping for petrol, candies & toilet breaks, by almost 11am, PD, destination reached. Admiral Cove was the race venue, collected bibs, goofed around with the Organizers, Quick-sports & TYR. & then off me & jac went for a quick lunch & checked-in to the hotel Lydia booked. For RM80 per night for a 1 room apartment, IT IS A GREAT DEAL!!!

Get settled down & the rushed off to Admiral Cove @ 3pm for Jacqueline's Sprint Triathlon, 750m swim, 20km bike & 5km run. It start @ the worst time ever, 4pm in the evening. After almost 2 hrs of wait, Jac finally manage to complete her 1st even sprint. (Oh, forgot about Lydia, she reached PD before the Sprint race starts & join Patrick on a Kayak to "disturb"the Sprint Triathletes). After Jac completed her race, we went for dinner @ Admiral Cove, supplied by the organizers (Heck, we pay for it), Carbo Loading Dinner. Food was okay & then come Briefing. 1st time listening to Uncle Chan's briefing for the OD. Weird feeling but I get what he means, & the off we went back to hotel & rest.

12/7/2009 - Race Day.
Unfortunately, for me when the clock hits midnight, my phone rang. I was telling myself in my blurry sleep, "CRAP!! Someone Called!!"(honestly I was cursing left & right about it). I ignored it for about 6 times, then it stopped ringing & I finally get to sleep @ God knows what time. But the next thing I know, my phone alarm went off. 545am. Time to wake up. But I tell myself, heck 15mins more, & then I'll get up. Wash-up & also get myself clear with the usual morning business & also not to forget to wake up the Jac & Lydia. Then prep with all the gears & off we went to the race course.

However, in this wonderful day, the sky decides to rain & make my warm-up cycling session from hotel to race course quite insanely wet & freezing cold, especially when the cross wind blowing hard & I'm riding head on. Yet it was a great 2km bike ride or some spins & warm-ups. less than 5 mins, there, I see the race course & also my transition area & the number tag that is being allocated to me. Had some breakfast courtesy frm Powerbar, get body marked & also decided to go in of the sea with only my tri-pants, swimming goggles & the events' swimming cap.

The Swim...

The swim does not concerns me much, just that I'm worried about Jellyfish rather that get kicked on the face for the swim. But the waves are really hard & tough to attack, as that the condition was really rough, some of them said that it was Desaru's Swim x3, as waves are really the killer!! 1st time ever 1.5km swim was all so ever long lasting, it swim was like endless, as that I do not have anything in front or beside me to tell me how long I'd swam & how long more to go.

After 37mins, I'm are the shore!! I'd survived, & thank God that after my 1st ever open water swim,I'd completed the swim, with only dirty sea water in my stomach (No Jellyfish). But the weirdest part is that I'd cramps on both of my hamstring after the bloody ROUGH open sea swim @ 1.5km, just before I get out of the sea. But it was not a serious one, manage to flex it off & got out of the sea & ran all the way to the transition area & prep for the 2nd league, the Bike. But the cramping part was really the werid part. Hmm...

When I was preparing myself for the bike, I can still feel the strain from the cramp & also the spiked up heart rate (the dash after the swim to the transition area) I think that I'm over confident on my swim & I'd fail to train properly in my swimming discipline. (ROGER YEE KICKED MY ARSE ON THE SWIM WITH BREAST-STROKE!!!) I was kind of disappointed on my swim & I strongly believe that I can do much much better in the swim, regardless the condition. Back to the drawing board for my swim!! Drills, Speed & Power trainings & even long distances. 3 times a week should be sufficient, I hope...

The Bike...

Once prep'ed for the bike, I'm still struggling to get my heart rate down for abit, as that it is still pounding & giving me a hard time. I was able to sprint for about 2km flat out, then I'm done!! CRAP!!! Struggling to maintain my bike speed for flats & at least 35kmph & climb at least @ 28kmph. It is just plain MURDER TO ME!! I started with the bike with like such a small amount of people, roughly about 50 participants ahead of me, but because that I could not maintain my pace, I GOT OVERTAKEN!!! AT LEAST MORE THAN 60++ PARTICIPANTS IN TOTAL!!! Most of them are on the my age group 20-29 & 30-39!! I'm so pissed of myself & the trainings, by not having a balance with in my bike & run.

To make things worse, MY SPEEDOMETER DROPPED!! I have to stop to get it!! Even though it is faulty, it still has its sentimental values & at least when it is not faulty, I know what speed & pace that I at least tried to maintain. Boy, Oh Boy... this 40km is really something for me to really reflect on in terms of my cycling. I was pushing myself to complete it within 1hrs 30mins!!

To makes things even worst, I HAD A CRAMP ON MY LEFT CRAFT, WHILE UP-SADDLING & UP HILL!! I nearly fell from my bike & that's it for my race. I stayed calm, tried to flex my crafts while I'm on the bike, try not to lose it, & it fact, I'd manage to flex my muscles, & again, immediately I got back in maintaining my pace once more. After 20km, only I'm feeling the kick to bike much harder as that I'm back in the game!! I was maintaining 40kmph most of the way, back to the transition area!! Whoa!! 40kmph riding ALONE!!! Really freaked my out. Yet I still got dropped as that I still sucked on climbs. Sigh, really need to train for climb till I puke. Then comes Freddie, just 4km before reaching the transition, I tagged his train, & I was cycling at Max Capacity of gears tailing back to the transition area. Speedometer was out, but I know that I'm whacking around 48kmph for the last 4km the bike league!! Along the way back I saw Irene Tan wit my camera!! But sigh, only 2 shots of me in my bike league. How sad :(...

That's it, The bike is completed, by trying out the dismount that all triathletes uses, leaving the shoes on the bike & run to back to your transition area & prep for the run. I tried that, I WORKED!! Dang Stylo lo.. But no photos ARGH!!!.....

The Run...
After when I'd prep parked my bike properly, changed to my old trainers (The Old Ascis, then off I went) I'd started my final league of the race, 10km of run. It started great when I saw all the supporters cheering along the transition area & also the the 1st 300m of the race course, I was runnning @ a very comfortable pace, & keeping a smiling face, until the point when I'd reached the corner when I don't see the any supporters, I'd decided to slow down my pace, as that I know that 10 more km to go. I'd started my run by remembering what Uncle Chan said on the briefing, every 1.2km will be a water station, & that's how i decided to keep count of my distance & how I could budget my energy throughout the remaining of the 10km run.

The 1st water station was always the best, as that it was the 1st place that I can get some ice cole drinks & 100plus. :) But as the mileage come on, I'd started to feel the pain on my legs, especially on the quatz, in the run, the 1st 3.6km was indeed relaxing as that I still have energy & was not feeling any pain, but when comes the 4th water-station @ 4.8km, that's where I'd started to feel the pain. Despite the pain, I'm seeing so many friends along the entire 10km run. High-Five'ing & cheering for each other for the run, was indeed fun. Then comes the 5th water station (just reversing counting the water-stations :P), & 6th & 7th & 8th... The heat started to take to toll in me, the pain on my quatz are really hurting, my heart is telling to stop running, but my mind is telling me to go on, just a few more hundred meters & you'll see the finishing line.

As I was having a fight between my heart & mind, then I saw a few people that really brings my mind away from the "fight", & I pull out the remaining might that I had, & held on & kept on running. As more of my friends & the other supporters, I'd look back checking out whether is there anyone behind me to steal my lime-light at the finish-line...

The Finish-Line...
When I saw Yap, (Mr. Lee's wife), I know that the finish-line is about less that 150m away, I'd look back once more to confirm that there's no 1 behind me to steal my lime-light from me at the Finishing-Line. It's sorted & settled! No 1 behind me, Boo-Yah!! As I was pulling out as much & the remaining energy in me to run faster & much in style, I was thinking on how I should cross the finishing-line. But before I'd manage to think straight, The Crowd was cheering, The Amcee was announcing my arrival at the finishing-line, camera flashes was flashing all over the place, I know that I'm reaching my 1st ever milestone in my sportsman aka triathlete life, COMPLETION OF THE OD TRIATHLON!!

That finishing-line, that ice-cold towel, that 100plus & that ice cold bottle of mineral water was indeed something worth working hard & training hard to achieve for...

Oh My God!! I'd completed my 1st ever Olympic Distance Triathlon!!!

It's already been like 9 days after since my completion of it, I'm still feeling the excitement of it!!!

Next Target to complete, DESARU!!!

I sure hope that I can complete it...

1st Tri Completed... Boo Yah!!!

12th July 2009, will be a day that I'll remember for life. My 1st ever Triathlon, completed, survived & success... Even after 2 days since the crossing the finishing line & still standing, & still looked kind of fresh, I'm still experiencing joy & the excitement of crossing the finishing line, the finisher medal, that ice-cold towel & that can of 100Plus & Mineral Water, was indeed still cleared & vivid in my mind, as it that it had never left me since PD.

I'm a very very lazy dude when it come for reports & blogging. I'll just stop here & I'll draft out 1st before I put anything solid here in Blog.

My Oh My.... Lazy me.....
hehehe....

Post SCKLM Half Recovery....

I'd manage to recover in 2 days after SCKLM, but only @ 60%, but good enough to walk properly. Monday was really the pain, as I'd to walk like a "humpty-dumpty". Really a weird walking pose, yet despite all the pain, I still found it worthwhile.

Only muscle sore, very minimal (or literally no knee pain & discomfort), guess that I'll have to give the credit to the trainings that I'd done for the past 2 months (But still I got my butt kicked by a friend of mine where he claims that he'd never hard before & still ran a Half @ 2hrs1min. A BLOODY WHOLE 8MINS FASTER THAN ME!!! FREAK!! & I'm really worried for my PD OD Tri, as my friend is going as well, & he'd completed Kenyir, PCC Interstate Ride, & Kuantan Xterra, which all of it I'd yet to complete. FREAK!! I'm really worried that I'm going to get my butt whooped again. Not to mention Lydia Tan had been training hard with her Ipoh running trainers & also cycling buddies. FREAK!!!! DANG!!!)

Also, I have a feeling that it maybe thanks to the new running shoes of mine rather than my old trainers. The new 1 really are giving me some good support, cushioning & shock absorbing as well. Cools!!! (I ran my 1st Half on my new Running Shoes!! Dumb huh?) Still Never blame the shoes whether it is old or new or even for the minimal pain. Regardless what shoes you wear, check out Kenyan Runners, all of them are on racers (least cushioning) yet still they kick everyone's butt & they took all top 3 places for Full Marathon. GOODNESS!!!

The Champion finishes his Full Marathon (42km) in 2hrs 13mins, just 6mins slower than me!! DANG!!! They are really fast!!!Boy, really it is tooo long of a way for me... Sigh... Still I need to amp up my running!! I don't want to get my butt whooped again...

OH well, life's like so, u get to improve & other improve as well. Hmm...

I need my sleep for Tri Simulation on Sunday morning. Gosh!!! I really can't wait for the simulation....