Penang Bridge International Marathon 2003 ; my run on 6th June 2003

The very first 

        6th June 2003 was the date of my very first marathon, in Penang Island. I had trained a total of 1 and a half years of waking up early, forcing myself in many cases, to get up, get my toiletries done, donned my running gear and out the door by the unearthly time of 5.15 am or so. I would drive about 2 km to a quiet place near my house where the roads were wide, brightly lit and plenty of trees. And the houses, they were massive, each one a mansion set back easily some 50 to 100 m from the main road. Yes, the road I am referring to is Nassim Road. 

       After 1 and a half years of training, conditioning my body to bear with the pounding of first 5km, then 8 km, then 10 km, then 14 km continuously. Over the months of rigorous training and following religiously a training 'schedule' from the Runners World magazine, I felt that I could progress even longer distances. So, next in line was 20 km runs on weekends, and about 3 months from the actual race, I did a couple of 30 kms over 2 weekends. Man, I was so fit then, as compared to now, more fat than fit !

      Finally the date had come and I signed up for my first ever marathon, the Penang Bridge International marathon 2003. It was sponsored then by the New Straits Times paper, and I had to fly a couple of days before the actual race and collect my race pack and read and understand the indemnification process (in the event of any injury or death, the organizers were never at fault ; this is standard procedure. Every extreme sportsman will have to go through this procedure, they will have to undertake that they are fit enough, they have trained enough and so on and so on.

     I remember Saturday was basically a nothing day for me, collected my race pack and chilled and fed myself pasta for most of the day. Pasta gives the runners some additional energy during the exertion. I had not learnt about power gels and hand packs etc, so was basically a newbie from start to end. The reporting time to the start point at the University Tenaga Malaysia (UTM) was an unearthly hour of 2 am on Sunday 6th June.

       The course was basically 2 laps of the bridge each about 13.5 km long, or 27 km. The rest of the route was from the University, through the stretch of Gelugor facing the sea and all the way to a turning point and back to the University. We started at 4 am, and I was I recall at the back of the pack with the regular Penang Runners Club. They were seasoned veterans who ran like me many many kms every week and month. When we crossed the start line i recall it was very dark, very noisy with loudspeakers blaring hot disco music. After the first 1 or 2 km, our noisy bunch who had started with my fanfare quieted down and we took to focussing on our hard 40 km run remaining. 

      Somewhere along the start of the bridge I picked up speed and looked at the runners I was passing or who was passing me. They were mainly Asian with the odd Caucasion who normally was a really hard core long distance runner. The sound of the lapping water as we ran silently across the bridge still resonates with me. It was a surreal feeling. 

     Then around the 15 km mark, shouts from people ahead and behind me and I looked across the divider, the first runners were making their way back ! The first 3 were African and they were cruising like gazelles. People were cheering the leading pack and I felt the hair on my arms and legs rise. It was another unbelievable sight. Human beings who seemed ethereal, or superhuman.

     There were few waterpoints, and I only drank every 5km only after the 20 km mark. This is the trait of a beginner runner, overconfident that I could hack the entire 42 km with not stopping for water. That was sheer stupidity. By around the 30 km mark, I was in trouble, I had aimed for a sub 5 hours marathon, but I knew my body was starting to ache, especially the hamstrings. 

    I recall I was struggling and there was this kind lady runner who helped me pass the time. We were around the same pace and at 32 km, started talking just to take away the aches and pain. I remember, she was kind enough to even stop her run and wait for me while I paused to stretch my fast cramping muschles. So the last 10 km were a hodgepodge of run walk talk, walk run all the way till the end point.

    There were some oddballs, there was this guy who was dressed in T shirt and jeans and he was running. I thought, that is a 'killer'. How to keep comfortable in tight jeans ?  There was another obviously Japanese runner who was huffing and puffing and muttering to himself Nihon - "Go" !  all the way. 

      Anyway, I finally made the finish line with my newly minted acquaintence, at 5 hours 32 minutes. I recall after that, I took my medal and slunk with a couple of bottles of water and sat under the shade of a large tree and basically 'stoned'. It was blazing hot 9 plus Sunday morning and I had completed my first marathon - overseas - with these wonderful memories.

    I never got to introduce myself to the acquaintence and I went back to my hotel to shower and {gasp) hobble to the shopping centre next door for lunch and some air conditoned comfort !

    Truly memorable first marsthon for me.       

 

My very first marathon in 2003 - what started it ??

The Lat (Malaysian Cartoonist) Motif on the Front of the First Marathon Medal 

          I am one of those weird guys who can readily say that "I gave up golf to run to marathons". Its like the activities are being done in life in reverse order. Hence, the quaint quote above. 

         When I graduated from the University (NUS) in the late '80s, like most of my cohort and friends, I first started working for a multi-national company (for almost 7 years) and then started my own family (in 1994) and subsequently my own business. The trend then in the heady '90s, everyone or most everyone I knew had some interest in the sport of golf, which though it was viewed as an 'old man's sport' it suddenly became transformed and hip when the phenomenon Tiger Woods,who was in his early 20s. burst into the scene in the mid '90s. Overnight golf was 'cool' and there were literally thousands of new converts converging to the many newly build driving ranges and whacking their balls with unmatched beginner zeal.  

        So there I was with my full Scorpion set, Lynx driver and membership to the SAFRA Resort and Golf Club and I was spending time with my then partners at the driving range, and golf greens all over the region. 

        I vividly remember my very first game more than 20 years ago when I had been adept at using my 7 iron (ha ha!) and played my first game of 18 holes at the Thailand Panya Park just on the outskirts of Bangkok.I had to swing my first ever club in front of almost 20 people, our flight of 4 plus 5 caddies and another flight of almost 10 people waiting for us to finish. I  almost died of stagefright !!!  The thought of missing the ball completely and experiencing a "whish !" airstroke would have made me die of embarrassment ! Very fortunately I managed to hit 150 yards or so, so I had 'beginners luck' that day ! 

        Fast forward to around the year 2000, and I had played close to 100 games on the greens in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, USA and Australia. I was fed up with the following 3 aspects of the game :

a) Up and down unpredictability of my game even though I had the services of a pro for

    several months. Some days I played brilliantly and others I was a total zero.

b) The full 18 holes normally took 4 hours or so, and the preparation and coordination with  flight mates especially after work - which was impossible for working types meant that I would have to sacrifice at least half a day or more (Saturday) on weekends meant precious time away from my young boys then, so it was not practical.      

c) The myriad of equipment I had to keep in my car boot which was never ending, ranging  from clubs, shoes, attire, sunscreen, caps, tees, balls and the sunglasses. 

        After 10 odd years of the game and obtaining my PC and handicap of 24, I decided to look for alternative sports which was more in line with my limited time, and outdoor interests. So, I thought long and hard and said, "what about training for a marathon ?". 

       So in late 2000, I put down my clubs and started running. I was a pretty good runner in my school days, one could say a 'late bloomer'. I searched around for a good motivator and chanced upon the fabulous magazine called Runners World. It was a treasure trove of information providing fantastic tips such as choosing the type of pronator I was (I am a supinator), the type of shoes I would ultimately choose (for me I am totally satisfied with the BEST EVER SHOE for me, the ASICS Kayano ; I have 20 odd pairs over the years). 

       So there I was, starting from late 2000 and I was religiously training, waking up early mornings at 4.30 am (No joke it was a hobby which turned into a passion) and I first started with 5 km, then 10km and then longer runs of 14 km. Over the course of almost 2 years I had improved my body conditioning and in the process lost about 8 - 9 kg ; so by the time I was ready for my first marathon in June 2003, I must have weighed about a skinny (by my overweight standards) 67 kg. 

    The time management factor was excellent for me. I would wake up at 4.30 or 4.45am around 4 times on weekdays, put on my running shoes, and head out the door by 5.00 am. I would drive to the nearby Nassim Road and Dalvey Estate Road and would register runs of distances of 4 km (Nassim loop) or 5 km (Dalvey Estate Loop). I would be back by 7.00 am just in time for breakfast, and my wife and kids would be just awakening. 

     The endorphin rush (natural body's chemicals which give a person who has done long duration exercises) to my body is the best natural effect I could possibly get. The colours of the sky and things all around me seemed so vibrant, I was in a 'purple patch' kind of mood where everything including the meaning of life seemed quite understandable. This endorphin rush would last me the whole day and until the next, if I ran for at least 10 kms.

     

      The only downside, was that I was 'running on empty' or running on an empty stomach so early and pushing my body that I ran the risk of gastricitis. Fortunately the relaxing effect and the endorphin rush ensured that I had practically zero sleep, or stress related illnesses ever since I took up competitive running.  

     Running for me was and still is to me - life -. 

     In early 2003, after running about 3 half marathons and 2 10 kms, I decided to try for my first full marathon. It was the Penang Bridge Marathon and organised by the then sponsor New Straits Times.

     Would I be able to complete it ? Was my training sufficient, would I fall injured ?

     

  

  

St Andrew's Class of '78 ('O' Levels) gathering at Cricket Club 6 June 2017

L to R 

Andrew Lee, Syed Faisal Alsagoff, Apparoo Surendran,Gurdeep Singh,Pang Seng Meng,Tan Keh Eng Kent, Yours Truly.

     I am very pleased and satisfied to announce that my primary schoolmates have reconnected over the last 5 and now, we are about 160 strong, all linked by social media. It is timely that we reconnect after almost 40 years since leaving secondary 4 when we were just 16 and after the General Cambridge Examination 'O' (ordinary) levels from our alma mater, Saint Andrews School.

     Thanks to the efforts of 2 'brothers in petty crime' , Chew Ping Nan and A. Surendran, we as a cohort have come out and made efforts to come together to share a drink, meal and most satisfyingly relive our memories of a fun-filled childhood and teenagehood, marked by 

a) detention class - for late comers like Gurdeep Singh

b) football at noon - before the start of class

c) chalk throwing fights

d) Caning - for all manner of petty crime from failing tests repeatedly, not handing up 

    homework  

e) our pathetic attempts at CCAs (co-curricular activities) - Scouts, NCC (National Cadet       Corps and NPCC  (National Police Cadet Corps) 

f) visiting each other's homes - my place was a meeting place after school in Primary 5. 

     Studying was the last  things to come to our minds, yes, our 'boys' were a bright and somewhat ouf-of-control bunch. There were alot of 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' moments but that was what made our childhood and teenage years all the more memorable. The 60s and early to mid 70s were marked by political stability in Singapore, most people were from poor backgrounds, there was a scarcity of jobs, the Confrontation etc. All these did not figure at all on our young minds. 

    We thought the world revolved around ourselves and our friends. Now 40 years on, we are in our midlives (some say nearing the end) and while we will have some success, setbacks and jobs lost, businesses closed, families raised, marriages come and gone, parents gone, and health a bit dodgy - when we meet, well we are back to 16 years of age - even for a fleeting few hours.

    We have lost four friends last year, their loss really saddened us, and I can't for the life of me consider that making more money or closing any deal more important or more meaningful than meeting and helping out my 'brus' (South African slang for bro). Most of us who meet are business owners, and we try to help each other out whenever we can. 

     We will meet again late September when we get together at our old schoold grounds, then we would all have hit 55 years of age - a milestone in the 'old days' where people retired and started gardening or doing dogbody work (I learnt that word recently). 

     The flame keeps on burning brightly ever, Saints ! Up and On !!! 

Paclov Stelar - some serious Swing Moves

How Does One Define Success ??

Picture taken from 'Entertainment Daily'

     This endearing picture above shows a little boy standing on the beach, with his hands clenched on a fistful of sand and staring determinedly at the photo-taker. He has a look of determination on his face, which says "come what may, I will overcome".

     Well, it is only partly true, in my book. Having been running a business as well as raising a family, for almost 20 years, we should all look at ourselves and define, what is success actually ?  I recall playing the game called  "Careers" or  "The Game of Life" whereby the playing board represents Life and one goes out to achieve a total of 60 units of either  a) Fame (celebrity)   b) Money (tycoon) or c) Love (Hard to define this person, but I guess someone who is in Love).  If only life were that simple.

      Money, for almost everyone on this planet, with the exception for a few lucky souls like Royal families, and scions of billionaires, is very important of course. But there are many people who have worked and slogged and made a pile and find that at the end of life, a certain emptiness. A lack of creating a footprint for others to follow. So while Money is important, but the endless pursuit of wealth will leave one devoid of empathy, or concern for one's fellow man.  I find these never ending pursuits of the so called 5 Cs quite disturbing in our rich and plentiful Singapore. For those who are not familiar, the 5 "C"s young people strive to achieve are a) Condo b) Car  c) Country Club d) Career and e) Cash

       All these have to do with material things.  Young and not so young people strive to drive the latest sports car or status car offerings, while the women carry the latest designer handbags and sport the 3 karat diamond rings. They may offer satisfaction, but only for a short while, before the yearning for something bigger or better or flashier. So making a lot of money is not Success.

       How about Fame, well some people want to be seen with the stars and crave attention. See all the famous Hollywood, Bollywood, JPop, KPop and HK stars. They make alot of money, have all the attention BUT have no private life. They have major crises, take drugs, gamble, have affairs and are afflicted with all or even worse problems than us 'nobodies'. So, Fame is also not Success.

      Love, ah, Love is always the one true emotion. Yes, one can have alot of Love, but can we get by with giving Love to our loved ones and live on fresh air, love and music ?  Dream on !  Love is an emotion, so we all have the capacity to give and receive Love. So Love by itself is not Success.

       So what does one do to achieve Success ?? First lets try to define Success.

      In my humble opinion, first look critically at your own life. Identify what you want to change for yourself. It may be trying to improve your standard of living, your car or apartment, or even taking more holidays. Once you have identified and managed to achieve them, STOP. Look around you, there are many many more millions of people worse off than you. Why go on and on the merry-go-round of endless upgrading form HDB flat, to Condominium to House, to MASSIVE DEBT ?

 GAINING OF MATERIAL THINGS IN LIFE IS NOT SUCCESS, ITS MEANINGLESS !!

      SUCCESS in LIFE is TAKING THE PURPOSEFUL JOURNEY. 

      IT HAS NO END POINT.

           Living a purposeful life helping one's family, community, friends or religion without a thought for one's situation is a Success story in itself. But before one can start doing that, he must be financially secure and have relevant income streams so that Money and Family stability are not compromised. Here is where, everyone deviates or does not agree upon. What is Financial Stability ?? $10,000 ? $100,000 ? $ 1 Million ? $ 10 Million ? That magic number depends on one's personal sense of comfort. A hypothetical example, take Mr. A : " I am 45, I have a flat, my kids have finished school and I take public transport to work. Wife is a good cook and we dine out at restaurants once a month. I have saved $ 100,000 for my next 5 years and can start to do some community work or help out in my Church outreach. Its time I gave back after having taken from others all these years. "

     Very noble. I salute these people. These are the true Success stories in this dog-eat-dog world.

      So, in the end, the church,temple and mosque helpers will say, "Doesn't matter. God will provide"  However, in many  circumstances, but there are many hard luck stories who have fallen by the wayside in the pursuit of the wrong goals and have relentlessly used or adopted these mannerisms in their daily life. I list them down, these are the 7 Deadly Sins.

1. Lust
2. Greed
3. Sloth   (Laziness)
4. Anger
5. Gluttony
6. Hatred
7. Envy

So in short, I would define Success in one's own sphere of life, as being able to do what he/she wants, growing in character, and ultimately in helping others without much thought of one's well being. To get to that point, one needs to take stock of one's own life and be SATISFIED with whatever he already has, and not be green with envy that the neighbour has gotten a new and bigger car than him, or is going for holidays every 3 months while he has to slog just to pay the bills.

To achieve success, one has to have these traits or acquire these attitudes :

a)  Dogged Determination to reach the goal   40%
b)  Resilience in bad times   30%
c)  Vision to dream where he wants to be 30%

Seize the Day my friends. Life is there for Living. Don't Moan or worse Bad Mouth others. Be a Winner and Doer not a Whiner and Drop Outer.

Seize the Day 

(first printed on this Blog in 2011 - worth a reprint) 

Sugar Intake must be halved - BBC Report (2014) ; I reprint BBC reprint on WHO Guidelines.

People will be advised to halve the amount of sugar in their diet, under new World Health Organization guidance.

The recommended sugar intake will stay at below 10% of total calorie intake a day, with 5% the target, says the WHO.

The suggested limits apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates.

UK campaigners say it is a "tragedy" that the WHO has taken 10 years to think about changing its advice.

The recommendation that sugar should account for no more than 10% of the calories in the diet, was passed in 2002.

It works out at about 50g a day for an adult of normal weight, said the WHO.

It is a tragedy that it has taken 10 years for the WHO to think about changing their recommendation on sugar

Katharine Jenner, Action for Sugar

However, a number of experts now think 10% is too high, amid rising obesity levels around the world.

Announcing the new draft measures, the WHO said in a statement: "WHO's current recommendation, from 2002, is that sugars should make up less than 10% of total energy intake per day.

"The new draft guideline also proposes that sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake per day.

"It further suggests that a reduction to below 5% of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits."

Dr Francesco Branca, WHO's nutrition director, told a news conference that the 10% target was a "strong recommendation" while the 5% target was "conditional", based on current evidence.

"We should aim for 5% if we can," he added.

Facts about sugar

• Evidence shows most adults and children in the UK eat more sugar than is recommended as part of a healthy balanced diet
• Food and drinks that have a lot of added sugar contain calories, but often have few other nutrients
• Sugary foods and drinks can also cause tooth decay, especially eaten between meals
• Sugar found naturally in whole fruit is less likely to cause tooth decay than juices or blends because the sugar is contained within the body of the fruit
• Source: NHS Choices

Q&A: How much sugar should we eat?

Five foods surprisingly high in sugar

The plans will now go for public consultation, with firm recommendations expected this summer.

Public Health England said its scientific advisory committee on nutrition was reviewing evidence on sugar in the UK diet.

Director of Nutrition and Diet, Alison Tedstone, said: "Our surveys show that the UK population should reduce their sugar intake as average intake for adults is 11.6% and for children is 15.2%, which is above the current UK recommendation of 10%. "

Campaign group, Action for Sugar, said it was pressing for 5% to become the firm recommendation.

Nutritionist, Katharine Jenner, said: "It is a tragedy that it has taken 10 years for the WHO to think about changing their recommendation on sugar, which will have had astronomic implications on the millions affected by obesity and type 2 diabetes the world over. "

The WHO guidelines are based on a review of scientific evidence on the health impact of sugar, including damage to teeth and the effect on obesity.

The obesity study, published last year in the BMJ, found while sugar did not directly cause obesity, those who consumed a lot of it, particularly in sweetened drinks, tended to put on weight as sugary food did not make them feel full.

A review of the link between sugar intake and tooth decay, carried out by UK researchers, found cases of tooth decay were lower when sugar made up less than 10% of daily calories.

Australian Aboriginal Art - Fertility Scene in the Desert

                  Josie Packard's masterpiece sits in my living room, taking pride of place  

   In 2002, during a visit to Sydney's The Rocks, my wife and I found this very outstanding piece of aboriginal art. It depicts a scared ritual, called the aboriginal mating ritual. It is seem from above, and the U designs represent each person sitting down, her legs forming a 'U'. The long sticks represent the holy sticks of the village elder. 

    The art is special because it is done by the artist Josie Packard, who is illiterate. Her signature is a palm print in ink on the reverse of the canvas and there are not brush strokes. There are literally thousands of dot imprints using several dotting tools, hence everything seen is circular. I can imagine her painstainkingly dotting the pieces and using different colours to symbolise the parts of the painting. The fertility ritual is probably carried out somewhere in the Outback (sparse land near the desert) during special occasions.

    The artwork never loses its appeal to me and the people who visit our humble abode.   

Keep me Crazy ; Lyric Video of a super cool band

Time for a visit to S. Korea

Catching Clams at Si Joung City 

After almost 6 years, I long for a visit to Seoul. We have business dealings with a manufacturer based in SiJoung City, near the coast to the west of Seoul. S. Korea is mainly homogenous but the Korean friends I have made are very good people, going out of their way to help me and my colleagues.

So I want to make this trip to catch up on old friends and new ones. Keep you posted ! 

Party on the West Coast

High Altitude Training in the Gym

Scientific studies have shown that the normal body reacts negatively to lack of oxygen in the air. However, well conditioned athletes are being trained in rooms or chambers called Hypoxic rooms and chambers to enhance their bodies physiology and ability to perform in low oxygen conditions. The reasoning is that the human body requires oxygen to perform cardio-respiratory functions such as walking, running, canoeing strokes and all kinds of muscle movement.

My experience is that at 3000 m oxygen level (16%), my body feels like I am burning off 30 % more energy to maintain the same speed of running. So, in effect, my body is improving its physio-kinetic ability and becoming more productive to produce the same output (running speed) for lesser ambient (16%) atmosphere. Hence over time in this special environment, my body will adapt to the reduced oxygen and perform. The longer time I am exposed to this environment, 16% will be the 'new normal' and I will be able to run at a good speed like I used to run when I am at ambient sea level conditions or 20.9% oxygen.

Once the air is set or returned to normal, meaning O2 is 20.9 %. My body will feel it is supercharged and full of energy. Its as if the parachute / backpack which was open on my back has been cut loose. Hence my running speed will be phenomenal.

This is the theory the sports scientists employ to manage, monitor and condition their elite athletes. Its called Hypoxic condiitoning. My company installs such systems worldwide and we are doing projects from Middle East, to Singapore to Australia.   

The future belongs to science. The legitimacy is established by the sporting bodies. So more and more countries will employ such modern techniques to attain sporting glory, trophies and medals for their countries. My business is to provide such equipment to meet those goals. The playing field has never been so exciting. 

Che Part 2

      This is the second part of the Che Guevara Movie Che. Born Ernestito Guevara from an upper middle class family, "Che" refers to the formal name title like 'Mister' of any Argentinian during introductions. He was also referred to the title of 'Commandante' as the overall Commander of the Cuban Revolution. 

     This second parter shows how after the overthrow of the Batista Government, Che 'disappeared'. Watch the show and enjoy. 

     I do not own the rights of any part of the movie. 

Tiong Bahru Yong Tau Fu

                                   S$ 5 dollars for 1 bowl ; Coffee is an extra $1.50 


Today, I ventured to the far end of Tiong Bahru (if the Market is considered the Center), at the corner of  Eng Hoon Street  and Kim Tian Road lies a shophouse. At night, it converts into a drinking pub and the young millennials, Western expats and locals all converge for their nightly 'fix'. Tiong Bahru Yong Tao Fu costs S$ 5 a bowl and since I do like Yong Tao Fu, I tried one.

The main bowl consisted of 8 pieces of dao fu (bead curd cakes collectively) in a bowl of soup. The bee hoon or rice vermicelli was lathered in a red gravy cum sauce and the last was a generous dash of oyster sauce. The whole setup was garnished with some chopped spring onions and fried shallots.

My verdict, pretty delicious on the whole. The vermicelli was springy and tasty, I guess there was some oil in the bowl, the red sauce was sweet and the taste of chili was not too spicy.

The yong tao fu  fish balls were savoury, as were the tao fu which was bean curd wrap over fish cake and the soup was also savoury tasting of not too sour spicy flavour.


Food   :  4.8 out  of 5 

Service :  4.0 out of 5 (the lady boss was very polite and efficient)

Ambience : Roadside walkway cool 5 out of 5

Presentation : 4.0 out of 5  

Overall Rating : 4.5 out of 5        - Excellent !  

Shitoryu Kata - Kururun Fa