I went to the orthopedic doctor this afternoon. I went through the symptoms and training history with him. He checked the X-ray for both foot. They were OK with no visible abnormalities. Next he checked the left foot by pressing various parts. It was OK too but why am I experiencing pain after I finished running ?
The doctor didn't know what was the cause of the problem. He suspected a pinched nerve and prescribed Methycobal (vitamin B-12). This vitamin helps to repair damaged nerves. I set up another appointment in three weeks time.
In the evening it was raining heavily so I had to run on a treadmill. Did 4 km at 11,0 km/hr. Could FEEL something was not right with the left foot. After stepping off the treadmill, felt a "hot" sensation beneath the whole foot. The hot sensation lasted for about 2 hrs. If I had run outdoors, it would have been much worse.
I did some investigation on the Internet. The symptoms I had are similar to Plantar Fasciitis. But I did not have sharp pain when I wake up in the morning. Not yet anyway. But I did have other symptoms; swelling, redness, tender arch after running and pain during long periods of standing up. Even now at 11.00 pm I could feel pain when I pressed the arch strongly. Possible P.F. but not certain yet.
There are some things that can be done to verify and reduce the effects of P.F starting from tomorrow. Also thinking about seeing a Podiatrist before Friday.
I'll just have to try a few things, then wait and observe the effects.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
The Singapore Challenge
This Sunday's 21 km run will be a big challenge for me because insufficient training. So far the longest run I've made is 10.7 km. My training since the fasting month has been inconsistent; about 5-6 km a day. Normally for a half marathon, I would be running 8-10 km a day with a 2-3 long runs.
I have not meet my normal training program. Now I have an injured left foot. What am I counting on to complete the run successfully?
First, I have a conservative race plan. My target is to finish in 2 hrs 15 minutes much slower than the normal pace of less than 2 hrs. The right pace would be critical and I am counting on my previous 11 half marathon race experienceto hit the right pace. Second , for the injury, I have an appointment with the orthophedist this afternoon. I am hoping for a positive diagnosis.
I have not meet my normal training program. Now I have an injured left foot. What am I counting on to complete the run successfully?
First, I have a conservative race plan. My target is to finish in 2 hrs 15 minutes much slower than the normal pace of less than 2 hrs. The right pace would be critical and I am counting on my previous 11 half marathon race experienceto hit the right pace. Second , for the injury, I have an appointment with the orthophedist this afternoon. I am hoping for a positive diagnosis.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Seven Days to Singapore 21 km - Injury
It's a seven days to the 21 km run in Singapore but now I am carrying an injury.
After the Siemens run on Sunday, my left foot was painful and tender the whole day. I have been having this problem for 9 months. Afer each training run, the left foot begins to hurt and swells. Usually I have to remove the shoe to reduce the swelling. As a result of this persistent problem, I've had to reduce training mileage and avoid from doing speedwork this year.
I am not sure if this problem is related to the shoes that I am currently wearing for the runs. Both pairs (ASICS-2090 and ASICS Kayano 10) are about one year old. I went to see the G.P. this morning to have both feet X-rayed. According to the doctor, they looked normal. She offered to prescribe anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) and painkillers. Typical response really that doesn't identify the root cause. I refused the drugsans asked to a referral to a specialist. Tomorrow afternoon I will be seeing the orthophedist.
Had another op. on the molar - got a permanent filling this time. I experienced some sharp pain while she was poking around with the files. The crown has not been installed yet as I have to get the backmost molar (wisdom tooth) extracted. That will be sometime in January next year.
After the Siemens run on Sunday, my left foot was painful and tender the whole day. I have been having this problem for 9 months. Afer each training run, the left foot begins to hurt and swells. Usually I have to remove the shoe to reduce the swelling. As a result of this persistent problem, I've had to reduce training mileage and avoid from doing speedwork this year.
I am not sure if this problem is related to the shoes that I am currently wearing for the runs. Both pairs (ASICS-2090 and ASICS Kayano 10) are about one year old. I went to see the G.P. this morning to have both feet X-rayed. According to the doctor, they looked normal. She offered to prescribe anti-inflammatory (NSAIDS) and painkillers. Typical response really that doesn't identify the root cause. I refused the drugsans asked to a referral to a specialist. Tomorrow afternoon I will be seeing the orthophedist.
Had another op. on the molar - got a permanent filling this time. I experienced some sharp pain while she was poking around with the files. The crown has not been installed yet as I have to get the backmost molar (wisdom tooth) extracted. That will be sometime in January next year.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Siemens 10k Charity Run - 28th November 2004
This race was going to be a training run for the Singapore half marathon next Sunday. So I had a modest plan to run the 10.7 km distance in 1 hrs 05 minutes.
I arrived at Dataran Merdeka at 7.00 am. Immediately saw Jamie standing around looking quite bored. He came early to be able to park behind the High Court. I told him where the place I usually park is empty even at 7.15 am. Suggested for him to park there but the place will remain a secret to avoid future congestion.
Soon we were joined by John Tan, Jason and Lonerunner. Glad to see John was back to running races. This was his first race this year. Probably it will the the last as well - there were no more races in KL this year. A few bald mat salleh also showed up; figured out they were from Siemens. A few more familiar faces turned up; Ronnie, Justin Newton and MJ. Newton as looking for a pacer as his target was to run in less than 1 hr. Too bad, neither Jamie and I were suited for this task as we will be just taking it easy for this run.
A drizzle started at 7.00 am but fortunately it stopped before the race started at 7.30 am with the 10 km runners. I started running alongside Jamie and Casey (Penguin-x) at the back of the pack. We chatted along past the traffic light and tunnel. Along Bukit Tunku, I even had time to observe the surroundings and other runners.
There were distance markers every 1 km for the first 5 km. I reached the 5 km mark at 33 min. 10 seconds. Next was three uphill sections on the the Jln Duta. I put my head down, leaned forward to press onwards up the three hilly sections, After this I decided to increase my pace as an experiment for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, I slowed down to conserve energy for the last hill at the flyover.
Here I was running alongside a Malay guy (Kohar) . Chatted for a while. Found out he was a running enthusiast as he knew about the charity race at Cyberjaya in January 2005. I ran quite slowly up the flyover. After the flyover, I decided to step up the pace with Koha pacing beside me. I overtook about a dozen tired runners in the final stretch.
Reached the finishing line in 1 hr 07 min. 20 seconds . Saw Newton nearby. He had done a PR but missed dipping below 1 hr by 0.02 seconds; @^*(**!
Meet with the other runners for a group photo near the clock tower. Left Dataran Merdeka at 9.20 am.
Overall , it was a satisfying run as it was intended as preparation for the 21 km race next Sunday. I was able to gauge my current state of fitness (not very good). I should aim for a time of 2 hrs 15 minutes for the 21 km run next Sunday. It is doubtful if I would be able to run below 2 hrs next week.
I arrived at Dataran Merdeka at 7.00 am. Immediately saw Jamie standing around looking quite bored. He came early to be able to park behind the High Court. I told him where the place I usually park is empty even at 7.15 am. Suggested for him to park there but the place will remain a secret to avoid future congestion.
Soon we were joined by John Tan, Jason and Lonerunner. Glad to see John was back to running races. This was his first race this year. Probably it will the the last as well - there were no more races in KL this year. A few bald mat salleh also showed up; figured out they were from Siemens. A few more familiar faces turned up; Ronnie, Justin Newton and MJ. Newton as looking for a pacer as his target was to run in less than 1 hr. Too bad, neither Jamie and I were suited for this task as we will be just taking it easy for this run.
A drizzle started at 7.00 am but fortunately it stopped before the race started at 7.30 am with the 10 km runners. I started running alongside Jamie and Casey (Penguin-x) at the back of the pack. We chatted along past the traffic light and tunnel. Along Bukit Tunku, I even had time to observe the surroundings and other runners.
There were distance markers every 1 km for the first 5 km. I reached the 5 km mark at 33 min. 10 seconds. Next was three uphill sections on the the Jln Duta. I put my head down, leaned forward to press onwards up the three hilly sections, After this I decided to increase my pace as an experiment for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, I slowed down to conserve energy for the last hill at the flyover.
Here I was running alongside a Malay guy (Kohar) . Chatted for a while. Found out he was a running enthusiast as he knew about the charity race at Cyberjaya in January 2005. I ran quite slowly up the flyover. After the flyover, I decided to step up the pace with Koha pacing beside me. I overtook about a dozen tired runners in the final stretch.
Reached the finishing line in 1 hr 07 min. 20 seconds . Saw Newton nearby. He had done a PR but missed dipping below 1 hr by 0.02 seconds; @^*(**!
Meet with the other runners for a group photo near the clock tower. Left Dataran Merdeka at 9.20 am.
Overall , it was a satisfying run as it was intended as preparation for the 21 km race next Sunday. I was able to gauge my current state of fitness (not very good). I should aim for a time of 2 hrs 15 minutes for the 21 km run next Sunday. It is doubtful if I would be able to run below 2 hrs next week.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Friday - Angel in the LRT
Yesteday's Friday morning was a busy time. I was going to FTAAA to collect the Siemens 10k running bibs and pay some bills. I rushed to finish urgent matters and left the office at 11.00 am to the KLCC LRT station. I stood by the door and at one of the station, a guy and girl stepped in. The girl stood just one foot away from me.
Let me describe her for my readers. She was about 5' 8" inches tall, age about 18-20 years old. Wearing a sleeveless white dress a with matching white colour shoes. She had a long soft slightly light brown hair (lightly dyed) . Well proportioned slim body, not too skinny but not too fat, just with a perfect proportion. White skin and extraordinarily smooth complexion - no blemish whatsoever , not a pimple mark , blackhead spots anywhere. As she was a wearing a sleeveless dress, I had a look at her arms too . It too was like her complexion with smooth and unblemished skin.
Some girls you looked with lust because of how they look, wear or because they radiate with sex appeal. But with this girl, there was none of that feeling. She was just so beautifully perfect that you would look at her as if you were looking at an angel (female that is). I think I have seen her once before in the LRT. Upclose on Friday, she was more amazingly beautiful.
Let me describe her for my readers. She was about 5' 8" inches tall, age about 18-20 years old. Wearing a sleeveless white dress a with matching white colour shoes. She had a long soft slightly light brown hair (lightly dyed) . Well proportioned slim body, not too skinny but not too fat, just with a perfect proportion. White skin and extraordinarily smooth complexion - no blemish whatsoever , not a pimple mark , blackhead spots anywhere. As she was a wearing a sleeveless dress, I had a look at her arms too . It too was like her complexion with smooth and unblemished skin.
Some girls you looked with lust because of how they look, wear or because they radiate with sex appeal. But with this girl, there was none of that feeling. She was just so beautifully perfect that you would look at her as if you were looking at an angel (female that is). I think I have seen her once before in the LRT. Upclose on Friday, she was more amazingly beautiful.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
My Visit to the Dentist
Sometime in the 80', I saw a movie called "Marathon Man" starring Dustin Hoffman. In the movie, a Nazi dentist (Dr. Szell) drilled into his teeth to force him to reveal some information. He started with one tooth and then offered instant relief in the form of clove oil. And then he moved on to drill more teeth with the good doctor taking much sadistic pleasure. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman was potrayed as a runner.
Today I finally made the appointment with the dentist. At first I asked my colleagues who were their dentist . The same dentist was recommended by two of them, so I tried to arrange for an appoinment but the schedule was full for the day. The earliest slot was tomorrow at 11.30 am. Thinking of the pain (but tolerable) I will go through tonight, I went to my regular dentist to set-up an appointment at 1.00 pm.
At 1.00 pm , I showed up at her clinic at Plaza Ampang. I lay down on the reclining chair and started to described the symptons. Basically I experienced intermittent dull pain in one of the molar. At night it gets worse while the pain receedes during the daytime. There was also increased pain when I chewed food on this molar.
The dentist an examination with a probe and pronounce the verdict "The decay have reached the nerves and causing pain". I mentioned that part of the molar had been chipped off in October last year. She looked again and said "The part where it was chipped off is difficult to clean and bacteria have moved down the side and caused decay".
She pronounced the conclusion " You have two choices ; etxtract the tooth or do a root canal" . I was a bit stunned as I was expecting a less drastic option of filling. Extraction ? The last time I had my tooth removed was in primary school. Back then, I still had back-up from a second set of adult teeth. Now if I had a tooth removed , it will be gone Forever.
Then I asked her about the root canal procedure. She took a large chart and explained the procedure. The procedure was to make a top opening, remove the nerve (pulp), clean and disinfect it and cap it with a temporary filling. A second appointment would remove the temporary filling and replace it with a permanent cap - a crown.
My decision was a not brainer - lose it or keep it. I opted for the root canal. The filling option was not really viable I thought. The most recent filling on the same tooth only lasted for 2 years. The previous fillings were made when there was no pain. Meaning there was no decay in the pulp. Another filling may only be a temporary measure and maybe not solve the problem permanently.
She injected painkiller into the gums. After 5 minutes, I felt numbness in the gums and left side of my face. She started work by drilling into the tooth. A series of syringes (later I found it was files) was inserted to remove the pulp. The files were followed by disinfectant solutions. The sequence of drilling, filing and disinfectant was repeated. After completion , an X-ray photo was taken. The final stage was the temporary filling. The whole procedure took 35 minutes. I did not feel any pain throughout the procedure.
Later at the reception counter, I made the second appointment for Monday next week. I paid RM 300 woth the balance RM 200 next week. She also gave antibiotics and painkiller pills. My whole left mouth and cheek was still numb. The numbness lasted until 5.30 pm (4-3 hrs).
At night the dull pain have dissapeared. I also did some research on root canal. I think made the right decision to have the root canal. Though I still wonder if a filling have worked as the pain (decay) was not that bad. But there is no going back now.
This morning , I cannot chew on the root canal tooth - it is still tender. Hopefully it will recover. So far there is post operative pain - I did not take the painkiller pills.
A thought did came to my mind after finding out about the permnanent effect of a root canal. The pulp contains blood vessels and tissues. These supply nutrients to the teeth to keep it alive and healthy. After a root canal, the teeth essentially is dead. It will be more brittle and prone to cracks and fracture hence
the cap (crown) after a root canal. The thought that came to my mind was : Now there is something dead in me; it sort of freak me out when I think about it. The tooth will still be there but it cannot be healed/repaired through the body's natural processes. This thought still bothers me.
Today I finally made the appointment with the dentist. At first I asked my colleagues who were their dentist . The same dentist was recommended by two of them, so I tried to arrange for an appoinment but the schedule was full for the day. The earliest slot was tomorrow at 11.30 am. Thinking of the pain (but tolerable) I will go through tonight, I went to my regular dentist to set-up an appointment at 1.00 pm.
At 1.00 pm , I showed up at her clinic at Plaza Ampang. I lay down on the reclining chair and started to described the symptons. Basically I experienced intermittent dull pain in one of the molar. At night it gets worse while the pain receedes during the daytime. There was also increased pain when I chewed food on this molar.
The dentist an examination with a probe and pronounce the verdict "The decay have reached the nerves and causing pain". I mentioned that part of the molar had been chipped off in October last year. She looked again and said "The part where it was chipped off is difficult to clean and bacteria have moved down the side and caused decay".
She pronounced the conclusion " You have two choices ; etxtract the tooth or do a root canal" . I was a bit stunned as I was expecting a less drastic option of filling. Extraction ? The last time I had my tooth removed was in primary school. Back then, I still had back-up from a second set of adult teeth. Now if I had a tooth removed , it will be gone Forever.
Then I asked her about the root canal procedure. She took a large chart and explained the procedure. The procedure was to make a top opening, remove the nerve (pulp), clean and disinfect it and cap it with a temporary filling. A second appointment would remove the temporary filling and replace it with a permanent cap - a crown.
My decision was a not brainer - lose it or keep it. I opted for the root canal. The filling option was not really viable I thought. The most recent filling on the same tooth only lasted for 2 years. The previous fillings were made when there was no pain. Meaning there was no decay in the pulp. Another filling may only be a temporary measure and maybe not solve the problem permanently.
She injected painkiller into the gums. After 5 minutes, I felt numbness in the gums and left side of my face. She started work by drilling into the tooth. A series of syringes (later I found it was files) was inserted to remove the pulp. The files were followed by disinfectant solutions. The sequence of drilling, filing and disinfectant was repeated. After completion , an X-ray photo was taken. The final stage was the temporary filling. The whole procedure took 35 minutes. I did not feel any pain throughout the procedure.
Later at the reception counter, I made the second appointment for Monday next week. I paid RM 300 woth the balance RM 200 next week. She also gave antibiotics and painkiller pills. My whole left mouth and cheek was still numb. The numbness lasted until 5.30 pm (4-3 hrs).
At night the dull pain have dissapeared. I also did some research on root canal. I think made the right decision to have the root canal. Though I still wonder if a filling have worked as the pain (decay) was not that bad. But there is no going back now.
This morning , I cannot chew on the root canal tooth - it is still tender. Hopefully it will recover. So far there is post operative pain - I did not take the painkiller pills.
A thought did came to my mind after finding out about the permnanent effect of a root canal. The pulp contains blood vessels and tissues. These supply nutrients to the teeth to keep it alive and healthy. After a root canal, the teeth essentially is dead. It will be more brittle and prone to cracks and fracture hence
the cap (crown) after a root canal. The thought that came to my mind was : Now there is something dead in me; it sort of freak me out when I think about it. The tooth will still be there but it cannot be healed/repaired through the body's natural processes. This thought still bothers me.
Monday, November 22, 2004
Payback Time
Last year in October 2004, I lost some of the filling in one of the molars. I should have gone to a dentist and have it fixed over the past one year. But I just couldn't bring myself to visit the dentist. The thought of having the drill working it's way down, grinding , grinding and grinding was too much. (Normally I go to see a dentist once every year).
Now it's payback time for delaying the trip to the dentist. On Sunday I started to have a dull pain in the affected molar. I decided to ignore it, hoping it will go away. Today, the pain gradually decreased until it dissapeared when I was running at 6.00 pm. So far so good.
Now as I sit here (10.30 pm) writing this blog, there is a dull, aching and pain from the said molar. No more postponement or excuses, tomorrow morning I'll be standing at the dentist clinic. For once, I will be looking forward to a trip to the dentist.
Now it's payback time for delaying the trip to the dentist. On Sunday I started to have a dull pain in the affected molar. I decided to ignore it, hoping it will go away. Today, the pain gradually decreased until it dissapeared when I was running at 6.00 pm. So far so good.
Now as I sit here (10.30 pm) writing this blog, there is a dull, aching and pain from the said molar. No more postponement or excuses, tomorrow morning I'll be standing at the dentist clinic. For once, I will be looking forward to a trip to the dentist.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Photos from Travel in Bali - August 2004
I decided to publish some the photos I took when I was in Bali for a holiday.
Hamstring Muscle Strain
Today is Sunday - I was planning a long run at Tasik Perdana at Shah Alam. Even managed to wake up at 6.00 am but just felt sleepy and went back to sleep. A second minor reason for not doing the LSD was my left hamstring has just recovered from strain.
On Friday evening, I managed to run 6 laps at KLCC park, distance 7. 8 km. Affer the run, I was limping slightly due to an aggravated hamstring strain. Two days rest have done the trick - it is almost OK. Don't want to ruin next week's training due to a repeating injury.
Last night I called Asia Hotel in Singapore to check my booking for the Singapore marathon. To my surprise they did not have my booking. I booked through their hotel website and had an e-mail confirmation. So they rebook the room again. The rate was slightly cheaper for a me (Malaysian passport), SGD 85 compared to SGD 100 via the Internet, so I forgave them.
Next week's training plan is to 3 days x 7.8 km, 1 x 6.5 km and 1 x 5.2 km. Saturday = rest. Sunday - Siemens charity run at Dataran Merdeka 10.7 km
On Friday evening, I managed to run 6 laps at KLCC park, distance 7. 8 km. Affer the run, I was limping slightly due to an aggravated hamstring strain. Two days rest have done the trick - it is almost OK. Don't want to ruin next week's training due to a repeating injury.
Last night I called Asia Hotel in Singapore to check my booking for the Singapore marathon. To my surprise they did not have my booking. I booked through their hotel website and had an e-mail confirmation. So they rebook the room again. The rate was slightly cheaper for a me (Malaysian passport), SGD 85 compared to SGD 100 via the Internet, so I forgave them.
Next week's training plan is to 3 days x 7.8 km, 1 x 6.5 km and 1 x 5.2 km. Saturday = rest. Sunday - Siemens charity run at Dataran Merdeka 10.7 km
Friday, November 19, 2004
Run at KLCC on Thursday
Fortunately it did not rain Thursday evening but it was blazing hot. So I waited until 6.00 pm before I walked to KLCC park. At the starting mark I saw Yong. I have not seen him for five weeks and was glad I could pace with him today. He looked to be in great shape. We started to run together. Again I had the same problem with my running form - movement was too stiff. The first lap pace was quite slow: 7 min 40 sec.
Came across Jamie and Newton on the second lap. I was doing OK running at the slow pace until the 3rd lap when I became tired and started to struggle a bit. At the 600m mark of 4th lap, I saw Ng doing his stretching exercises. My breathing started to become uneven at this point. Told Yong I would be stopping at this lap. He tried to encourage me to keep going but I've had enough. I stopped at the end of the 4th lap after 5.2 km. I did not make the target distance of 6.5 km. Felt quite tired after the run. Time for three laps : 23 min. 18 sec; average per lap: 7 min. 46 seconds.
So far, I have discern the following problems:-
Came across Jamie and Newton on the second lap. I was doing OK running at the slow pace until the 3rd lap when I became tired and started to struggle a bit. At the 600m mark of 4th lap, I saw Ng doing his stretching exercises. My breathing started to become uneven at this point. Told Yong I would be stopping at this lap. He tried to encourage me to keep going but I've had enough. I stopped at the end of the 4th lap after 5.2 km. I did not make the target distance of 6.5 km. Felt quite tired after the run. Time for three laps : 23 min. 18 sec; average per lap: 7 min. 46 seconds.
So far, I have discern the following problems:-
- Running form not very smooth due to stiff movement of arms and legs.
- Ocassional uneven breathing exercebated by poor running form.
- Possibly improper body poisture - boby leaning forward too much.
I have to work on and solve these problems over the next few days. My endurance has not yet recovered to what it was before the fasting month (Used to run 6-8 laps at 7 min. 10 sec). It will be a 4-6 weeks more before this will happen.
Today when I woke up with a strained left hamstring muscle but if the sunny weather still holds this evening, will run.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Hari Raya and Training for Singapore half marathon
Selamat Hari Raya and Deepavali to everyone.
Hari Raya Idil Fitri was on Sunday 14 November 2004.
This year's Hari Raya was a bit different from last year. This year I managed to visit four of my eight uncles aunties (50%). I have never managed to hit 100% rate as it would have taken two full days of visiting/travelling. Today I am back at work and blogging.
On the second day of Raya I went for my first "serious" training run at the Klang Stadium. I was a bit shocked at my bad performance. My running form was totally screwed up. I ran as though I had arthritis - felt stiff and was running stiffly. I was runing slow too - 2 min 20 seconds per 400 m lap. I ran 2 min. 05 per lap in October. After 9 laps, I stopped running.
On Wednesday I went to the Klang railway station to buy the train tickets to Singapore. The tickets (first class) costs Rm 168 for a return trip. I had earlier enquired about the shuttle air flights to Singapore. I was taken aback to learn the tickets costs RM 680. This was an outrageous price for a 35 minutes flight. A flight ticket to Bangkok which takes about 2-5 hrs only costs RM 900. See the difference ? Per km, the MAS flights to Singapore cost 5 times more than to Bangkok. The KL-Singapore shuttle flights are very profitable for MAS and is a virtually monopoly.
For the next two weeks, I plan to increase my daily mileage to 8 km. It's going to be tough but got to do it. Although the Singapore half marathon will be my 12th half marathon race without adequate training, it is just too hard to finish well. For a 10 km race I am not worried about the lack of mileage but for 21 km I am.
Hope it doesn't rain this evening - I want see how far I can run at KLCC park. My target is 6.5 km.
Hari Raya Idil Fitri was on Sunday 14 November 2004.
This year's Hari Raya was a bit different from last year. This year I managed to visit four of my eight uncles aunties (50%). I have never managed to hit 100% rate as it would have taken two full days of visiting/travelling. Today I am back at work and blogging.
On the second day of Raya I went for my first "serious" training run at the Klang Stadium. I was a bit shocked at my bad performance. My running form was totally screwed up. I ran as though I had arthritis - felt stiff and was running stiffly. I was runing slow too - 2 min 20 seconds per 400 m lap. I ran 2 min. 05 per lap in October. After 9 laps, I stopped running.
On Wednesday I went to the Klang railway station to buy the train tickets to Singapore. The tickets (first class) costs Rm 168 for a return trip. I had earlier enquired about the shuttle air flights to Singapore. I was taken aback to learn the tickets costs RM 680. This was an outrageous price for a 35 minutes flight. A flight ticket to Bangkok which takes about 2-5 hrs only costs RM 900. See the difference ? Per km, the MAS flights to Singapore cost 5 times more than to Bangkok. The KL-Singapore shuttle flights are very profitable for MAS and is a virtually monopoly.
For the next two weeks, I plan to increase my daily mileage to 8 km. It's going to be tough but got to do it. Although the Singapore half marathon will be my 12th half marathon race without adequate training, it is just too hard to finish well. For a 10 km race I am not worried about the lack of mileage but for 21 km I am.
Hope it doesn't rain this evening - I want see how far I can run at KLCC park. My target is 6.5 km.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Klang Pacer Club 19th Aniversary Run
I signed up for the Klang Pacer Club 19th Aniversary Run (7 km) five weeks ago and have been worried about it ever since. The reason? I have to run it during the fasting month. I had justifiable reasons to be anxious. My training during the fasting month has been pathetic; basically 2 km twice a week. On 7 November 2004 I had to run 7 km.
I am glad to say my worries turned out to misplaced. I started Sunday morning with a bun and mini chocolates (Snickers and Mars mini bar) . I decided to skip fasting for the day. Drove to Klang stadium reaching it at 7.00 am and noticed the club members were already warming up. The run started at 7.15 am with about 50 runners. Most were Chinese, there were six Indians and the sole Malay rep. - me.
The route started with an uphill run along the Sultan's palace. I ran behind three female runners for "motivation" purpose. After a while the pace was just too slow, so I overtook them. The next section was on the main road - nothing much here; I paced along with two other guys. At the various junctions, there were Klang Pacer members showing the correct turns.
The next section was on the roads in Taman Sri Andalas. I dropped off the two other guys who I was pacing with and latch on to another guy. I paced with him for about 2 km until we hit the final 1 km. The final 1 km was mainly an uphill run to a hill overlooking the Sultan's palace.
At 8.00 am, I reached the finishing line on top of the hill. Got the finisher medal and went for a drink. Food was plentiful for the runners - nasi lemak, mee goreng, sandwiches, fruits, jelly etc.
This run gave me confidence for the 21 km race in Singapore. Despite little training over the past 3 weeks, I was still in reasonably good shape. I completed the 7 km run in 44 minutes. This was equivalent to 63 min. for 10 km which I was sure I could do better as I only put in 80% effort for the anniversary run.
After Hari Raya, its 3 weeks of intensive training for the Singapore 21 km race.
I am glad to say my worries turned out to misplaced. I started Sunday morning with a bun and mini chocolates (Snickers and Mars mini bar) . I decided to skip fasting for the day. Drove to Klang stadium reaching it at 7.00 am and noticed the club members were already warming up. The run started at 7.15 am with about 50 runners. Most were Chinese, there were six Indians and the sole Malay rep. - me.
The route started with an uphill run along the Sultan's palace. I ran behind three female runners for "motivation" purpose. After a while the pace was just too slow, so I overtook them. The next section was on the main road - nothing much here; I paced along with two other guys. At the various junctions, there were Klang Pacer members showing the correct turns.
The next section was on the roads in Taman Sri Andalas. I dropped off the two other guys who I was pacing with and latch on to another guy. I paced with him for about 2 km until we hit the final 1 km. The final 1 km was mainly an uphill run to a hill overlooking the Sultan's palace.
At 8.00 am, I reached the finishing line on top of the hill. Got the finisher medal and went for a drink. Food was plentiful for the runners - nasi lemak, mee goreng, sandwiches, fruits, jelly etc.
This run gave me confidence for the 21 km race in Singapore. Despite little training over the past 3 weeks, I was still in reasonably good shape. I completed the 7 km run in 44 minutes. This was equivalent to 63 min. for 10 km which I was sure I could do better as I only put in 80% effort for the anniversary run.
After Hari Raya, its 3 weeks of intensive training for the Singapore 21 km race.
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