Zero Hour

Urgh, I can't sleep. Too nervous. Jimmy is sleeping in the room next door already, we've packed our gear for tomorrow. Nothing more that we can do now...

Just released a whole lot of suppressed thoughts and feelings just now. I'm not sure if that will help for the run tomorrow but I hope it does. Thanks for everything, Pengu :)

And just to summarise The Running List:

1) To witness something truly majestic (from The Bucket List)
2) To help a complete stranger for a common good (from The Bucket List)
3) To make a complete stranger smile
4) To run the entire 42.195km together, without stopping (well, except at water stations)
5) Enjoy the scenery along the 42km, enjoy the morning breeze, enjoy every step that you have taken, enjoy the cheers from the supporting crowds, enjoy the company of your running partner, and most importantly enjoy this very marathon that you guys have put in so much effort without any stress or worries :) (from Kai Rou)
6) To overcome all 42.195km injury free (from Eu Jhin)
7) To give free hugs to any of the runners and make 5 new friends during the run (from Shi Hoay)
8) To smack Roderick on the head and kick his ass if he stops. (from yours truly)

I guess I'll be stopping here.

This is ray mun and jimmy signing out for the last time before the marathon starts. Thank you everyone - good night and good luck.

Cheers,
jimmy and ray mun

T Minus - 10 hours

Just got back from Dataran Merdeka! Went there to collect our Race Packs, and the place was packed! The normal turning into Dataran Merdeka was already closed and traffic was cordoned off to the back entrance of Dataran Merdeka. And I was scammed into paying RM5 in parking fees -.-

Ish.

Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad.

To be honest, I thought that the place would have been even more packed. It was already noon and the sun was up. The field was relatively empty but my first impression of this year's organisation was good! There were simple, idiot proof signages and booths all around for the convenience of the runners.


And good news: the haze doesn't look too bad. I could see KL Tower in the distance. Hopefully the weather will be good tomorrow as well.

Whee!

One thought came across my mind as I was queuing up to collect the Race Packs - I can't help but feel in awe with respect (or rather, intimidation) for all the other runners who were collecting their Race Packs, regardless of which events they will be taking part in. Young or old, professional or amateurs, they were all there.


And at such a time, you can't help but feel unprepared for what's to come.

T minus 10 hours.

T Minus - 24 hours

Just some last minute updates:

Jimmy has left for his hometown, Banting for the night. He has passed me his Registration Confirmation Slip, which I will use to collect our Race Pack tomorrow morning at Dataran Merdeka. I heard that there was a mad rush for the Race Pack collection on Friday. Will be going there much earlier, at about 10am, to queue up. And because of this, we gotta postpone our plans to visit SHELTER 2 and SHELTER 3 to the following weekend. I have collected some materials to pass to them (toys and clothes). Hopefully, our schedule will be more permitting next weekend.

Back to running, we have both officially started tapering down. No more running till Marathon Day. In total, we did about 20KM each this week while emphasising on another important aspect for the marathon - carbo loading! Finally, we can eat without feeling guilty...

Jimmy has gotten free supply of Power Bar Gel to be used on Marathon Day. As for Saturday night, Jimmy will be bunking over at my place before making a move to Dataran Merdeka on Sunday morning, 4am. Original plan was for us to hit the decks by 8pm Saturday night, but we're opting to sleep at 10pm instead. Dinner plans :).

On a sadder note, Jackie - my close friend and mentor who is now studying in the University of Queensland injured his Achilles tendon about a week ago. He will be taking part in the Full Marathon event for the 2009 Gold Coast Airport Marathon in Brisbane, Australia in exactly one week's time. His injury looks quite bad but he has vowed to complete the marathon, by all means possible. Jackie is running for charity as well - he and his university colleagues (about 101 of them) are running in the Full Marathon category to raise awareness on cancer. They too have raised up to AUD9000 as part of their charity event. Let's all pray that he recovers soon enough and completes the marathon well. Get well soon, Jack.

Urgh, having problems sleeping right now. Nerves.

That's about all for now.

Cheers,
ray mun

The Wall

I've been watching this video ever since it was released about 3 months ago. Even by watching the video alone, I was exhausted. And now in 3 days' time, we'll be running this entire route.

Pfft, nothing much that can be done right now.

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Have you heard of the term, "Hitting The Wall" ? It is a term used by endurance athletes when the body's glycogen levels are depleted from all that aerobic exercise, where the body has no choice but to burn fats for fuel instead. And here is where the problem starts.

The thing about the human body is that, if there's a certain body function that is not used often, the human body does not develop it. Just like us human beings, our body prefers to stay within it's comfort zone, by metabolising glucose and gylcogen, not only because it is abundant but because it's easy to be metabolised. We prefer to do things that are within our comfort zones because it gives us a sense of security. Unfortunately, whenever we bump into a crisis, most of us crumble under the pressure.

Similarly, the body crashes when the glycogen and glucose stores in the body is depleted, when it is forced to metabolise fats instead. Fat metabolism is complicated, tedious and time consuming. And because of this, the body is deprived of glucose for a certain period of time. This is when you 'hit The Wall'. According to athletes who hit The Wall, it is akin to 'having a ton of bricks dropped on your shoulders in a split second'. It comes quick and silently without you knowing it. Most athletes experience this when they hit the 35KM mark in a marathon or after about 4 hours or so of prolonged exercise. The muscles begin to cramp up and every subsequent step feels like you are trudging through knee-deep mud. Even the most well trained of professional athletes hit The Wall and when they do, they have a choice - to succumb or to fight back.

Heck, I have so much respect for The Wall that I'm typing it using upper case.

This is where all these months of training are essential. By volumising our runs and training under less than ideal conditions such as running under the afternoon sun and in the haze, we can push our bodies to the limits, in hopes that we can withstand the onset of The Wall for as long as possible. Even if we eventually hit The Wall, one's mental strength comes into play, where the notion of "Mind Over Matter" is truly put to test.

So why am I going on and on about The Wall?

The Wall does not exist only to endurance athletes, but to every single one of us. In life, we are bound to come up against difficulties, true every day difficulties in life. Endless difficulties which drags us to our knees, assaults us mentally and physically before finally telling us to give up and retreat. Difficulties which test our spirit and character as human beings.

Some of us persevere and weather the storm. They live to fight another day, growing in confidence with each passing victory. Unfortunately, many more are succumb to defeat or worse, choose to not even try.

Never. Ever. Give. Up.

Regardless of what happens this Sunday, if we ever do hit The Wall, I can assure you that Jimmy and myself will fight through it. Just like Terry Fox did every single day he ran his Marathon of Hope. Or on a lighter note, just like Simon Pegg did in Run Fatboy Run. We'll pull through, by hook or by crook.

And that is a promise.

Why Do I Run?

I have been planning this entry ever since the blog was created and I'm glad that I can finally publish it now. A little more long winded than Jimmy's, but here goes:

Why do you run?

I think this has been a question that I've been asking everyone since my Infinity Milers heydays. I think for the record, I have to say that it was Jimmy who seeded people's minds with this question, not me. I remember that it was our 3rd Infinity Milers training back in September 2007, barely a month after enrolling into the International Medical University (IMU), when we were divided into groups of 8 for our evening run. I wasn't under Jimmy for that training session, but his words remain close to my heart. Apparently, after training Jimmy took his juniors to a quiet corner of Taman Komanwel for a small debriefing session, in which he began asking his juniors individually on why they ran.

I can still remember the most memorable answer, which came from Jian Ming who said: "I run to change myself". And truth be told, I still respect him till this day for his reply.

So why do I run?

To be honest, for the better half of my 21 years of life, I was never a runner. I was never meant to run. As a kid, I was over-protected by my parents, kept indoors most of the time with fishing being my only true outdoor activity. I loved it so much that I could hardly wait for weekends, where my dad would take me out. And thus, my love for the outdoors and Nature grew.

However by 5, my parents noticed that I was clumsily tripping over my own feet whenever I ran. A check with a podiatrist confirmed that I was bowl-legged. I had to wear a set of leg brace whenever I sleep at night to correct the growth of my legs as I grew. I found it difficult to walk properly as my toes were perpetually pointing inwards. In fact, they still are as we speak, more so whenever my foot kicks off the ground with every step.

Look at my left foot. Urgh!

To make matters more complicated, I am also flat-footed. The arch on my foot is nearly non-existent and I used to get chronic foot pains whenever I run back in high school. I was running with this pain until just middle of last year, when I started using orthotics and proper Full Motion Support shoes to support my arch.

At the same time, my parents noticed that I develop breathing difficulties easily whenever I’m running around at the playground. Subsequent check ups at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital soon confirmed that I was mildly asthmatic and I had to use an inhaler in kindergarten and for the first year of my primary school life. This also meant more protection and fewer activities. Thank goodness, my asthma did not progress any further.

I can still vividly remember during one of my first visits to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, where I was waiting for my mother who was working there. She was punching out after her full day shift together with other nurses when two fairly senior nurses approached me.

One said, "Eh, how come this boy is soooooo fat?"
The other replied, "No lah, he's not fat. He just has WORMS in his stomach!"

Ouch.

And yes, hate to say it but I was overweight during my childhood days, all the way till lower secondary. "You're not fat, you just have big bones", that was what my mom used to say. I had difficulties finding clothes for my size and in school; I could hardly excel in many sports. I loved football but hated the exertion. I joined Taekwondo to help get me in shape, but with little effect.

(So don't blame me if I keep on insisting on losing weight. Lol)

You see, you can have a million and one factors going against you but all you need is only one to keep you going. When you are truly passionate about what you do, nothing can stop you. It's the same we can say about life, right?

I first took up running seriously once I enrolled into the IMU in late 2007. Or rather, once I joined Infinity Milers. Jimmy, who was the then President, was a true inspiration. He taught me how to run and more importantly, he taught me why to run. From those who know me well, you know how much I like to relate with you about stories of life, on how running is so much similar to life in general and on selflessness, the ability to put aside one’s needs for the sake of others. I learnt all this from Jimmy and he set a real benchmark for us when he eventually stepped down from the club. In fact, I still do approach him for advice and opinions, whenever in doubt because of his sheer wealth of knowledge and experience.

As an individual, I have so much respect for Jimmy that I don’t think I can run against him, in let’s say IMUCUP. It’s unthinkable; to compete with an athlete of his level and to go against your ‘teacher’. And that is why I have decided to run with him for the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon. I felt the need to return to my grassroots, and to run 42.195km, something which I thought was sheer impossible when I first started running, with the person who has taught and inspired me so much.


Lately though, I feel that he’s been under a lot of pressure. It’s not easy dealing with family responsibilities, MAPCU and volleyball training, his research and his boyfriend duties, while juggling the prospect of running an entire Full Marathon come June 28th. His commitment to his responsibilities has further strengthened my resolve to run the race, and to run the race well.

Do I have any idols when it comes to running? No, I don’t. But I do have role models and they are Jimmy and Roderick. As much as Roderick drives you up the wall at times, you gotta love his enthusiasm, intensity and mental discipline when it comes to running and mountain climbing. If there’s one person who’ll go to the ends of the world to achieve something, no matter how impossible it sounds, that person would be Roderick. With one exception, so long he sees the purpose in it. He was the first person to seed the idea of running a Full Marathon into me back in February 2009 and we’ve never looked back ever since. It’s refreshing to have someone who is as passionate as you are when it comes to running and climbing as a best friend and also as a fierce competitor. For the better part of my time in IMU, I see Roderick as the standard I should achieve, if not better. Always have and always will be.

Kung Fu Cantum Badan!

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I run for many reasons, and with time I find that no two reasons are the same.

Last year’s Relay For Life organized by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia on May 31st 2008 was probably my biggest breakthrough. I find it necessary for emotions to be part of running, and it was certainly present that day. It doesn’t help…when a close family member and one of your closest college friends were both stricken with cancer. I made a pledge with my fellow university mates that at all times, at least one of us would be running on the track. On a more personal note, I wanted to do it for them. And for the next 16 hours it happened, the 10 of us taking turns running around the racing track with a baton which we pass on to the next runner whenever we got tired. We did the same at this year’s Relay For Life without me running, and I hope that this can be an IMU tradition in subsequent years.


I run to discipline myself, mentally and physically. The human body is weak, but the mind – even weaker. I enjoy most of my runs but not runs or training sessions when I have to pace a faster runner. But I find the exertion and competition necessary. That is because most of the time, we run within our capabilities and that is why we don’t excel. As I run more often and at more competitive speeds, I find it easier to discipline the body when the mind is up for it. Same when it comes to concentrating on your studies, upholding a promise or climbing a mountain with endless uphills – your mind calls the shots, not your body. But before the body can answer unconditionally to the mind, discipline of the mind needs to be built and that is why I run.

On hindsight, I would say that I ran to live up to the expectations that others have on me. It’s something that I absolutely dislike but was necessary considering the circumstances. To be more specific, I’m talking about my Infinity Milers days. To be honest, I was intimidated by the prospect of taking over the club from Jimmy. I only started serious running when I joined the club and to take over the reins of the club really stacked a lot of pressure on me. Or rather, I pressurized myself. As president, the need to lead by example is important and that means becoming a better runner without losing the spirit of Infinity Milers within me. I was often embarrassed when faster runners turn up for training and I end up trailing them. If the leader is incapable of setting an example to the rest, the integrity of the club and everything we preach will be under fire. However, with timely advice given by Jimmy and Roderick, I began to accept myself for who I am. I started believing that the only expectations that I had to live up to were the expectations that were set by my committee and me. And with that, running became enjoyable once again. Looking back at things, I can’t stress any more the importance of loving what you’re doing and to do them without any form of outside pressure to perform.

On a more serious note, I run (and climb) to find peace within. Be it whether memories of my past arise or present matters trouble me, I run. My past is something I’m not too proud of and often enough, I find it catching up with me. I run not to escape from it or to deny what has happened but to recollect my thoughts and to put things into perspective once again. I normally don’t enjoy these kind of runs – they’re long, quiet and I often do it alone. However, it offers me the peace of mind to come up with a solution to my troubles.

Not always, but often enough.

Sometime, the only thing you need is Hope.

Preparing for the marathon has been tedious, with months of training and countless hours of running. This is where motivation is necessary. All great runners, from Haile Gebrselassie to Sebastian Coe, share a common trait – they are all highly motivated. What distinguishes them from lesser runners like yours truly is that they are highly motivated to win. Winning isn’t something I think of at all. In fact, I nearly lost my love for running in July 2008, in preparation for the MAPCU Road Relay and Track and Field events because winning was so important. Too important for it’s own good, that I was so disillusioned on why I ran. It was all or nothing – if you didn’t win your event, everything else is meaningless.

But safe to say, my motivation for the marathon was clear and has been clear ever since I signed up with Jimmy. I wanted to Run For A Cause. You see, I could spare the hassles of raising funds, setting up this blog and managing the Facebook group for the past 3 months or so by just paying the RM50 participation fees to run in the Full Marathon event. However, I knew that to get through the entire 42.195km, I can never run the race for myself. I had to run it for a purpose higher than myself. You can never be selfish when you run. And that is why I decided to run on behalf of SHELTER Home For Children.

Before every extended run, I will always spare some time for myself, to remind myself why I’m running today. I think of the children at SHELTER, even more vividly ever since I visited SHELTER 1. People always tell me that I’m heaping up too much pressure on myself, especially during the 3 weeks which I was out injured, but how can you not feel so when pulling out or not performing at your best means disappointing the children at SHELTER? Maybe it’s wrong or selfish for me to feel that the entire SHELTER is banking on me to complete the race, in which failure to do so would mean failure for them as well but this is what keeps me going and it sure will not change.

My other motivation? It has been the real driving force behind my endeavors and I keep it very closely to my heart, something so secret that no one knows about it. I intend to keep it that way till the time is right.

So yes, that is my story. And I believe everyone out there have a story of their own. And because of this, you are special. If there is something you truly love, anything and everything is possible. Pour your heart and soul into it and you will never be disappointed with what you can achieve. When the odds are against you, don’t back off. Just rise to the occasion.

With that all said and done, let me truly ask you now – Why Do You Run?

The Running List

Have you watched this movie called The Bucket List?


It tells of two elderly men of either ends of the social hierarchy - Edward Cole (played by Jack Nicholson), a billionaire who made his fortune of America's costly health services and Carter Chambers (played by Morgan Freeman) who is a middle class mechanic from New York. Their similarities? Both of them have been diagnosed with end stage cancer, leaving them with little under a year to live.

After ending up in the same hospital room, undergoing their respective treatments, they decided to set up a Bucket List - a list of things to be done together before they literally 'kick the bucket'. And so, began a story of self rediscovery. From skydiving to going for a lion safari to climbing the Great Pyramid, their bucket list sounds as absurd as it can be.

In time, as both Cole and Chambers began fulfilling the tasks on their Bucket List, they began to reflect on life - their decisions, their mistakes and their hopes to set things right. Their pursuit to finish the Bucket List comes to a grinding halt when Chambers discovers that the cancer has spread to his brain, leaving him with no choice but to undergo a brain surgery which eventually led to his death. Cole enters remission and duly fulfills the final few tasks of their Bucket List.

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I have to say, this movie is certainly worth watching. The combination of an interesting concept plus the Freeman and Nicholson tag team, two of Hollywood's most seasoned actors make this movie highly thought provoking and inspiring.

And that is why we are bringing you..."The Running List"!

Taddaaaaa~~!

Instead of a list of things to be done before one passes on to the Afterworld, this is a list of things to be achieved before and on June 28th 2009 - the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2009. With plenty of time to think, to act and to witness, the entire 42.195km and the days prior to it is akin to one's 'journey' through 'life'. In this sense, this is why The Running List will be just like The Bucket List.

Okay, I have not spoken to Jimmy about The Running List yet, but I'm sure he's sporting and enthusiastic enough to take part in our little project. So, to kick things off, I shall start The Running List by listing down a few tasks that were listed on The Bucket List:

The Running List:
1) To witness something truly majestic (from The Bucket List)
2) To help a complete stranger for a common good (from The Bucket List)
3) To make a complete stranger smile
4) To run the entire 42.195km without stopping (well, except at water stations)
5) ....

I'm running out of ideas! Any suggestions guys? :)

Down but not Out.

The past 3 weeks have been a real daze. It all started out on May 17th when Jimmy, Roderick and myself did a 20km well-paced run from Bukit Aman to Sri Hartamas and back. The overall mood at the camp was good - our pacing and breathing was good and we finished it well within 2 hours. That was what we call as an 'extended run' - a run of substantial distance conducted once a week, aside from one's normal daily training.

Among runners, the general idea is that after every weekly extended run, one must rest and recuperate the following day, with little or no strenuous activities done. The problem was the little issue of the New Balance Pacesetters 15KM Run, which was held on the following day at Lake Gardens.

I guess, here's where my immaturity as a runner kicked in. I totally attacked the road race, hitting the infamous Double Hills of Bukit Tunku as I tried to score a better timing, ignoring the fact that I already did 20KM the previous day.

Only after the race ended, it hit me. The pain started off from the sole of the foot, which radiates to the ankle with gradual exertion. It became even worst the following day as I ended up limping my way around university. The pain eventually disappeared, but resurfaced the following Sunday after a light run. I only did 8KM. And that was the nature of the pain - just like a mouse which reappears and disappears every now and then.

I think for a sportsperson, getting injured is one of, if not THE MOST frustrating aspects in life. Everything grinds to a halt - weeks of training goes down the drain while the task of restarting training is arduous to even think about. Mentally, you are always occupied with questions of doubt and hope. You become so occupied with the questions, that I felt that it was even worst than the injury itself!

When will I recover? Or will you even recover?

I don't feel any pain now. Should I try running? But what if I aggravate it?

And worse: What if I have to pull out from the marathon?

I admit, I sunk rock bottom 2 weekends after I got the injury, as I limped around the MSN Track in Bukit Jalil. It was the National Cancer Society of Malaysia's Relay For Life and all I was doing was resting while the other runners zoomed by. I should be hitting 30KM this week but I am INJURED! Sigh. I admit, I was this close to deciding on taking painkillers to last me through training and the marathon itself. I even considered...taking steroid shots?

I was losing the plot, seriously.

I think this is where support is impervious. From Miss T's constant persuasion throughout the night and Miss C's supportive SMSes to my batch mate's emphatic queries, their mere pressence helped drill some sense into this thick skull of mine.

But what struck me the most was Kelvin. He was there during Relay For Life, who constantly offered me priceless advice and words of persuasion. His approach was simple - always look at the bigger picture. It was something I claim to preach but yet, in the context of the marathon, it was something I failed so miserably in.

Forget about 4 hours and 45 minutes. Just take your time to finish it, it is your FIRST marathon!
Rest your leg, no use aggravating it and end up not being able to run for the rest of your life!
And you're putting pressure on yourself. Just enjoy the run!

Knowing Kelvin is a real blessing. Without his advices and words of support, who knows what I would have gotten myself into. He provided me what I always aspire to achieve - wisdom and experience. Not bad for a complete stranger you met by chance at a public toilet in Sungai Buloh barely 2 months ago.

Thank you so much Kelvin :)

Eventually, I visited Dr. Aston's Sports Clinic, as sports clinic recommended to be by Chanel. By the end of my 1 hour appointment with Dr. Aston, he found out that one of the peroneal tendons in my left foot is now loosely attached and is rubbing against the ankle bone, which was the source of the pain and discomfort.

Ouch.

I was taught to tape my left foot, to maintain the arch without impeding it's action plus use orthotics in my shoes to relieve the pain. And contrary to what everyone else has been telling me, Dr. Aston actually advised me to run that very evening itself. :D

As days go by, I could feel the self confidence returning. I started off with a slow 5KM jog, picking up the pace the following day with a 8KM run before finally revisiting the Double Hills of Bukit Tunku today in a 16KM extended run. Everything seems fine once again. Let's keep it that way!

Food for thought, though. A friend of mine sprained her ankle just yesterday in preparation for this weekend's Setia Alam Klang Pacers Half Marathon. It's going to be her first Half Marathon, she has been training consistently for it and more importantly, she promised to run the race with her close friends. She's so determined to run it, that she's even gotten painkillers from the pharmacist in case the pain gets any worse during race day.

As a close friend, I can't help but warn her AGAINST running. But then again, I was (or am still partially) in her position. I was all ready to do what she's going to do, if ever the pain returns before June 28th arrives.

So do I even have a right to tell her what to do?