Everyone Is No. 1

How come human can be so strong and inspiring at times? And each time I raced, I can see the existence of such courageous people.

I am so touched by this music video by Andy Lau that I have to share it. This video has shown how human courage can overcome the odds.

As for me, I am fortunate enough to be given a good physic to run. Running is almost natural to me. Although I am not the fastest, I could finish a race without much complication. I am in CHARGE. Having said this, I am sure not everybody is as blessed as me.

I confessed that actually I don’t really know how it really feels to be disabled from the things I wanted to do. In races I see many participants that looks unfit and not physically ready to run but yet they ran.

At the Standard Chartered 42km marathon recently, I see many people toiled and tortured themselves just to prove that they can do it. To these people, I would like to honour them with my greatest respect. Sometimes I wonder if I would be running if I am in their shoes.

Everyone is No 1. The main thing in running is not to challenge others but ourselves. If we can conquer the odds, we will be No. 1 regardless of whatever timing or position. And we must be happy to use our ability when we have it because we will never know when it will be taken away from us.




HAPPY RUNNING

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I fall in love with running again and again and again…….

(This post was also featured in Kota Kemuning Pacers' Blog)

I am passionate about running and has been running since my childhood days. I used to be a regular face at Bukit China, Melaka. At that time, no such thing as “Marathon”. Just running for fun. No goal, No Target.

My first time running a race was in my 1st year in varsity. 8km from Kajang to UKM campus. Sounds “kacang”. But after 2km, “Punctured”. Why? Started with a 100M dash! But managed to finished 8th. Not too bad.

Seeing my ability, my friends introduced me to “MARATHON”. OK OK, lets give it a try. First race, Penang International Marathon. 42km. No joke! Result was -6 hours of gruesome torture. This experience was the wake up call to “what is running all about?” It really helps you to understand your own body’s limit.

Later, being in the working world. I started to race with “The Rats” and guess what? I developed a double chin and one big pack on my belly. Always feels heavy and sluggish. One day, a lady colleague trashed me 9-0 in a squash game.

Honeymoon years over. Enough! Enough! Started training again. Met a few “kaki-lari ” friends and never stop ever since. Ran 16 races a year, and a few triathlon races to my record. Got very fit and sporty. This meteoric comeback won’t be easy if I did not experience a marathon before.

Now, at 45, just woke up from a little nap. I slowed down again few years back due to lack of running friends. Thanks to my running pal Ray. With his companion, I started to race again.

Knowing how important friends are in preserving the “running fire”, we mooted the idea of setting up a run club in Kota Kemuning. With the support and active participation from our wives, we started to blog about running, plan running activities and encourage newbies to take up running. Now we could see more and more runners in our Kota Kemuning Pacers Club.

One advice to running people out there. NEVER STOP RUNNING. Only slow down if time doesn’t permit but don’t stop completely. Once you stop, you need lots of will power to get back to where you were before.

And…..

When running, I put up a smiling face to everyone that I come across. I greet them with a sincere heart. I observe my surroundings. I enjoy my sweat and feel my energy. With all this feeling in harmony, I hope to be able to run a long,long,long……. Way.

HAPPY RUNNING.

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Runner's Tales - The Inspiration

It is 2am on a Thursday morning. I am still awake. For the past two Thursdays, I have been awake till 4am. So why is it so? I just ran 36km few hours back (Wednesday Nite Run) together with KK Pacers’ friends.

Having registered for SCKLIM 2009 42km, I have done the darnedest thing by running 4 hours non-stop. Don’t you think it’s crazy?

Any experienced runner would understand why I can’t sleep that night. It had to do with that feel good hormone that generates in my body after 4 hours of extreme workout which is called “endorphins’. It is more potent than “Kopi Kapal-Api”. “Betul-betul Kaw”. How I wish I could be ejaculated to the moon like the ad shown on TV.

My legs were extremely soared and being in a aircond room, I was lying down in the most comfortable position. My legs were heavy and being so comfy I was like a log lodging firmly to the ground.

I told myself, This time is different. I will sleep. I have been telling myself to sleep since 12pm and I am still awake. My mind became more and more active as I started to think about my runs. I started to think about my old running days. Memories kept flashing and it is like an old tale being played on video. I can clearly visualize what I am thinking about.

Couldn’t risk this sudden inspiration slipping away, I got up from my comfort and headed for my laptop. My first story that night was “Humour on Race Day” which became my first posting. There are many other tales that were playing in my mind that night and I know that I have to start blogging to tell all of them.

Actually, blogging is an in thing now. Many people speak their mind through blogging. My wife has her own running blog and she encouraged me to have mine too. I kept telling her that I have nothing to write. I can’t be recording the runs that I participate, the timing, the position. etc..etc.. It would be boring. Nobody would want to know. But now it’s different. I have 15 years of running experiences that I feel I could share with my fellow running friends especially those who joined KK Pacers recently.

My tales are real. They are revelations of my observation and thought about running experiences. And based on this theme I will continue to write. Be it “tales of yesteryears” or “tales on new experiences”.

Welcome to the “Runner’s Tales”

HAPPY RUNNING

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Medal, Medals and MORE MEDALS!

Irony but it’s true. Runners go for medals and I have lots of them. Each time when I received a medal, the feeling is “ I deserved it”. I believed this is what other runners felt.

In any track and field events, only the best 3 gets a medal.

In marathon races, the story is different. It is a race of the masses. Everybody feels that they are capable and strong. They are racing not with each other but rather themselves. That is why organizers now gave finisher medals to every runners to honour their effort.

10 years back, there’s no such thing as finisher medals. You really have to fight to win it. Races like Penang Bridge Run offers up to 500 medals. PJ Half – 300 medals. These two organisers were known to be the most generous during that time. The rest mostly offers 100 medals or less depending on the category. So, to win a medal during that time is really, really, really motivating.

There’s one race, if I am not mistaken at Port Dickson where runners struggled to grab medals from the organizers. It was chaotic. This happens when the organizer did not hand the medal immediately to runners when they came in. After awhile, everyone seems to be claiming that they are the rightful one. When the organizers finally brought a bag of medals out, guess what? I believe you could visualise. See how valuable MEDALS is to runners.

There are also cases whereby medal was obtained the unrightful way. As for me, I would never do that. I have to earn it. Only once I got a 3rd. placing medal not through my effort but from a top runner friend from Subang. I did not ask for it. Out of the blue, he just hand it to me. I said no but looking at his sincere gesture, I accepted it finally.

To my friend Yasan, I salute you. Maybe you might have forgotten, but I still remembered, and always will! That is one great motivation to me.

How I wish I could emulate your generosity, but who would want my no placing medals?

HAPPY RUNNING !

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