Wow... Wow...WOW~!.... That was all I can say during last week's "We Run KL 10K 2012". It was an amazing experience and very educational on my part; NOT as a runner that is. ;)
I've never got to register for the run nor did I actually planned to in the first place. I missed last year too but I manage to do it on the first ever Nike KL 10K. It has always been my plan to work "behind-the-scenes" of a run as a volunteer. It's good to sometimes take a break from competitive running and cheer on for friends who are participating. So when Kenny asked me whether I was alright to assist him for the setup at the startpoint on race day; I was all on board.
Our morning started pretty early around 9am. It has been raining cats and dogs for days and Padang Merbok was damp and soggy. But the setup was well planned and the work has been going on non-stop. As for me and Kenny, we are in charge for the setup at the start point at Jalan Ampang. We cycled from Padang Merbok all the way to Saloma (where the start point is) and arrived about 9.30am. Our work is about to commence from 10am onwards.
Arrived at Jalan Ampang. All set up and ready to go!
As many would know (especially the frequent clubbers at Zouk), Jalan Amapang is pretty a long stretch. We had to start erecting up stages, banners, tents and etc on this entire road; starting from the British Council all the way down to the traffic light crossroad at Renaissance Hotel. That is LONG!
We only had the full road closure from 2pm onwards, so we gotta work real quick. Like Speedy Gonzales quick. Then, the dreaded weather..... At sharp 10am when we were suppose to start hanging up the banners, that dreaded rain started. The downpour lasted for at least 5 hours and it was heavy for most of it. BUT the show must go on!
Massive effort even during the rain.
Kenny is supervising the backdrop for the main stage.
The main stage is up!
Since we do not have the complete road closure by 2pm, doing all these is a massive undertaking. For a moment I thought I was a little overwhelmed. We were all wet even under our fragile, skimpy raincoats. The first 4 hours was really a challenge.
Come by 2pm, the rain slowed down a bit but not showing signs of stopping. But at least we had 3/4 of the road closure done. Everyone was frantically setting up but all is well organized. At least I still haven't been showing signs of cracking under pressure. I was jokingly telling Kenny, that probably this rain is a real challenge to prep for future event setups.
We only had 2 hours to completely finish up everything before the first runners arrive. So entering Speedy Gonzales Mode 2!
Road closure done. Barricades up!
A quick pose at the main stage first.
With Sharon; also a volunteer on that day.
Till today, I still couldn't believe how fast we were moving the last 2 hours. Kenny's brilliant organization and leadership sure pulled us through. The main stage, the main arch, the barricades, the tents, the banners, everything done within that time frame; UNDER the rain! Of course since the both of us are on bikes, it was pretty quick and efficient for us to move around the entire stretch of Jalan Ampang quickly to supervise things from one end to the other.
And when the first wave of runners came, the rain has stopped. By then, we were 95% complete and putting up the finishing touches. Everything was in order.
The volunteers were also in position ready to greet the massive strong force of 15,000 runners.
Sharon, Lum Oldman and gang are ready to go.
All done, just in time.
Please head to startline.
Although we were done with the setup, we were not winding down yet. We still had to dismantle everything as soon as the last runner has passed the starting point. So we relaxed a little (well, technically Kenny did not as he still needs to coordinate with the organizers on the music, cue of gun off and etc). I cycled around assisting as much as I can and meeting up with a few friends along the way. I'm pretty surprised that most of the participants were lost and ended up at Avenue K or Jalan Yap Kwan Seng. Had to guide them to the start point but hey, I ain't complaining. It's good to help. I would appreciate it if I was lost too.
View from start point.
Everyone say hi!
A once in a lifetime shot. Look at that massive crowd!
Emcees for the day. JJ & Ean.
All awaiting in anticipation.
It's always a great honour to see Uncle Oli.
As the gun off time (5.30pm) was closing, the crowd just got massive by the minute. It was really an overwhelming sight. Usually when I'm participating for a running event, I'm usually too psyched up to notice what was going on. But now viewing it from behind the scenes, it's just incredible (and a little intimidating). I really feel like a tiny ant. Organizing such a big event is such a massive undertaking.
Without yakking too much, below is a video I captured from our setup, the gun off and the concert for the night. Sorry, I didn't manage to capture Mizz Niza's performance. I was treading through with bike over the mud.
When the gun was off, it took about almost 15 minutes until the last runner ran through the start arch. It's really a sight to be behold. 15,000 runners running through is just so jaw dropping. Yes, my jaws dropped literally.
Once the last runner past through, it was no time to relax as we needed to clear the street ASAP. Enter Speedy Gonzales Mode 3. All our entire morning and noon hard work had to be taken down. And by Kenny's record, it was the fastest he has done. In less than 30 minutes, we cleared 3/4 of the setup. That was incredibly fast. The staging, arch, barricades and everything was cleared in a jiffy. A real great team work from everyone.
Everything cleared in a jiffy. Record speed time too!
When we almost done, Kenny and I still need to head back to Padang Merbok to see how the rest of the team are doing at the end point aka. The Main Stage. Along the way, we cheered on for the runners who were just coming down from Akleh.
All running to head back to Padang Merbok.
A great support cheer team.
Riding back was an adventure on it's own. Padang Merbok was muddy. It's like Salomon X-Trail all over again. Again I see runners looked panicky. I mean what is wrong of getting a little dirty. Jeez... some people are just too pampered. I would had happily crossed the mud and say it was an unforgettable experience to end a run.
I tread along my bike through the mud, not caring that I was gonna be wet and dirty again. At least, now I can say my MTB has gone down dirty.
Kenny and I parked our bikes and headed off to the festivities. Along the way, we met alot of our fellow runners and friends. Some were the usual pros and some were first time runner (first virgin runs). Thumbs up to you all!
With Jason Loh, 4th placing category below 25 Mens.
The music pumping the night away!
With 2nd place winner Veteran Men, Jean Pierre Lautredoux. See ya at DPC 2012!
The ever loving couple, Kenny & Winnie.
Jean Pierre receiving his prize.
I just love this sandwich sign. Just brilliant.
All in all, it was a great event and definitely an eye opening and incredible experience for me. Although I was tired from the whole thing, I was glad that I was part of it. I'm sure by now most of us had heard of the fiasco that happened that night, but I'm not gonna go there. I'm here to talk about happy things.
Seeing it as a regular runner, I believe the event was a success. Perhaps a little over-the-top with the outdoor concert but then again it's something special. I'm sure the 10,000 youngsters were delighted with the taste of real live entertainment. Not many high school kids can brag they have been to an outdoor party with a live set of DJs and celebrity singers to entertain them. Dammit, you guys are so lucky! I didn't even have that when I was 15.
The party ended at 9pm sharp but we still had loads to clean up. Kenny's team and I retired about 11.30pm. I was still glad to see some more friends working as volunteers clearing up. After our goodbyes, it was time to go home.
I went home with a smile on my face. Tired, but I'm happy. :)
Well, as you all know I've been slacking a bit in training. Was trying to pick things up a little before PNM (oh gosh why oh why did I signed up 21km!) but there is always something up when I wanna go for a run. I need to prioritize my stuff. So when note came that Great Eastern is organizing a Live Great Running Clinic, I just signed up for it cause I really need a motivation push.
The event took place at Taylor's University Sunway campus and it was limited to only 200 participants (first come first serve basis). Invitations were sent to all who signed up for the upcoming Great Eastern Live Great Run 2012.
The site of the running clinic.
The registration.
The morning started with a glitch. We were all given the directions to get to the location but was not informed that there were 2 entrances. When I drove there and arrived about 7am, there was a major clogged up of cars (other runners) at the locked gate with no other signage. I got off and asked some of the drivers if they were attending the running clinic and was wondering if we were at the right campus. Not a good start for the morning. We were all frantically searching and reading through our emails on our phones to make sure until a guard came over and told us about the other entrance. Thank goodness!
The beautiful waterfront inside the campus.
Thinking we were late, we hurried to the other entrance which took another 2km drive. Upon arrival, the organizing team was just setting up! So much for the rushing. After registering, I just took a stroll around the campus grounds to chill. Taylor's is really a huge state of the art campus with a beautiful waterfront. A great place to study; but with a hefty price tag for their course studies. Oh, the price of education....
Hello Goosey!
The event officially started at about 8.15am. The sun was already up and it was getting a bit hot. After some short introductions, I was expecting at least some form of run of at least 5km or so. We were introduced to 2 coaches and their teams. I forgotten their names but one is with PDRM and the other is a national SEA games athlete (no mention in what sport).
The warm up was a little too long for my liking which took about 30 minutes and there were loads of talking. I mean LOADS! I'm beginning to feel that this running clinic is really targeted at beginners rather than season runners and I was right. I could hear from the back some of the season ones were complaining.
The introduction at the running clinic.
After all the talking, we finally started our run. FINALLY! But because there was no mentioned of route, we just had to follow the coach from the back which moved at a "blazing speed" of 6:30-7:00 pace. Really slow and the sun is really beginning to hurt my eyes. From start point, we moved around the waterfront, carpark and around the campus. Before you know it, we were back at our startpoint again! The whole route was just a miserable 500M route. I'm speechless and I didn't even break a sweat.
End of rote, 500M only. :P
Then we were taught about circuit training and cool down exercises. That itself took another 1 hour. It was quickly followed by a quick Q&A session.
Cool down stretching demo.
Q&A session.
With all the outdoor activities done, I was a little tired cause the whole thing took a little too long. Sometimes I wonder why I ain't sleeping in on a Sunday morning knowing very well I was sleep deprived for the entire week.
But still I stayed on as I was more keen towards the last program which was a talk by 2 podiatrist; namely Stella Chai and Johan Steenkamp. We were provided some snacks and ushered into one of the larger lecture halls for the talk.
Blast from the past!
It was like stepping back in time. I suddenly felt like a college student walking into the hall. Although I didn't have such a large hall back when I was studying but this was quite an experience. Back in my days, our hall sitting arrangement was a little "bohemian" and nothing too formulated and rigid. Konon-lah I was a student of the Arts...
Stella talks about Minimalist and Barefoot Running.
The talk was a brief but very straight to the point. Both podiatrists covered topics from running gaits, correct running techniques, injuries and etc. The usual stuff you usually hear. But what they also covered was about minimalist and barefoot running which was pretty interesting.
Correct shoe fitting.
What's a low lock and a high lock. The explanation of shoe lace tying.
Stella & Johan answering some questions from the audience.
The event ended sharp at 11AM and we exited with a goodie bag each. Overall it was a good event and I did learn quite a bit from it. It was a great program from Great Eastern and hoping next time it would cater for slightly season runners.
The Marathon Shop recently hosted a forum for all participants who are participating for the event next year. Of course those who are not joining are welcomed as well ; people like moi. I actually found this out on the day itself from Brother Kahwai and I wouldn't want to miss the chance to learn from the experts. Namely Karen Loh, Yim Heng Fatt and Jeff Ooi. The panel of speakers are invited to share about their experience and journey from the event they participated this year. Although I won't be participating this event anytime soon but at least I would love to hear about what Ultra-Marathon is all about.
The forum was a full house event and by gosh; it was packed. I feel so tiny among my sifus.
A impromptu sharing with Karen Loh aka Karen Mok before the forum started.
It was a full house! Well, I couldn't get up to take a pic when it was packed.
The Managing Director of The Marathon Shop, James Wong started the ball rolling with a welcome speech and introduced the new Garmin Fenix.
Managing Director of The Marathon Shop, James Wong.
The new Garmin Fenix is a new GPS watch from Garmin; targeted more towards adventurous activities like hiking and mountain climbing. Despite being a different category from the usual Forerunner series, it's still capable of capturing your run pace and do many other stuff as well; making a very good all round GPS watch. Did I mentioned that it's one handsome piece of watch too? Hint...hint...
James explaining about the features of Garmin Fenix.
Panel of speakers from left : Karen Loh, Yim Heng Fatt and Jeff Ooi.
Next up were the panel of speakers sharing about their experience from the race. Without me yakking too much, below is a video of them sharing about it. First I have to apolagise that I've only manage to record the first half of their talk as my battery went dead. I hope Real Ho was able to capture the entire session on his camera. They pretty much covered everything from training, what to expect from the race, nutrition, etc.
The coveted trophy won by Yim.
The bronze award is awarded to participants who finish the 100KM Trail Race in less than 24 hours. Yim finished it in less than 23 hours.
Many topics were covered and the forum was an interactive one.
Aleximon fascinated with the folding cup given to all participants.
Yim talking about the bag tag to be given during CP 5 (Check Point).
A group photo with the host from The Marathon Shop.
The forum ended with a quick Q&A session. It was indeed a very insightful sharing for me as well for the others. Albeit I may not be joining an Ultra-Marathon soon, it's good to at least understand the whole process and preparation of the race. I kinda feel inspired but let me deal with my mileage run first. I just kinda got out from my sabbatical. :P
Glycerin, oh Glycerin. I've always had this strange obsession with you the first time I set my eyes on you. Well, mainly because I need a better cushioning shoe to cater for my heavy duty runs and my full marathons. Although I'm quite loyal to my GTS11, as time goes by I realised that I change my running style a bit needed a little extra cushioning for those heavy pounds on the road. But also I needed something light and not too bulky.
Brooks Glycerin 8. My lovely trainers won Runner's World Editor's Choice Award.
I was introduced to the Glycerin 8 previously and slowly transition to a more neutral and cushioning shoe. This was done in prep before my virgin full marathon at Sundown Singapore and Standard Chartered KL Marathon this year. Although it looks bulky, but in reality it's very light and it really gives the sensation of "floating".
OK, you won't fly. That I can guarantee.
Putting my Gly 8 to the test. Virgin Full Marathon in hard pouring rain at Sundown Singapore 2012.
During Sundown when I wore it for my first virgin Full Marathon, it carried me through a quite unforgiving route with the additional thunder storm thrown in. Generally, I was all wet till I finally crossed the finish line. But the shoes still coped well and zero blisters!
Float all the way to the finish line at SCKLM 2012. Photo courtesy of Wong Yi Bin.
Then in less than a month, I embarked on SCKLM Full Marathon with my trustee Gly 8 and again the "flotation" thing happen again. Sometimes I feel like I'm not wearing anything at all.
Oh...that horsey dance at KOTR 2012. Photo courtesy of Victor & Elaine.
I usually reserve my Glycerin for competitive, long distance runs after that. I still wore them for LSD training and it still kinda looked brand new. I still find it surprisingly light for its size and the shoes always make me do funny things with it. I just had to try them out if it sustained the "Horsey Dance Test" and yes, it has passed it when I've had it tested in the last KOTR.
On the technical side, Brooks Glycerin series is ranked as a premium shoe at it's neutral shoe category. What makes it so light is it's Biomogo Midsole and Brooks DNA. Hence, why I feel so comfortable in them. The energy return from these technologies are undeniable as you could feel them as you run with them.
Well, you have to try it to know it.
Glycerin 10 awarded "
The Best Neutral Shoe" by Running Network for Fall 2012
So when news broke out that the Brooks Glycerin 10 was launching, I got giddy and excited as usual. Finally when the shoes came in stores, I had to try it and give it a comparison with my Gly 8. It's definitely a different feel without sacrificing the built and weight. But one thing for sure, it's more plushier! It's like a pillow wrapped around your feet. It's also now Full DNA vs. the partial DNA in previous models; giving it even more cushioning and responsive energy return with every step.
It's no wonder it was awarded "The Best Neutral Shoe" by Running Network for Fall 2012.
I still itching to get a pair. Well there is 3 more days to think about it and don't forget about the Brooks Malaysia RM150 rebate that will be ending on the 30th September 2012.
