Long Lost Run

It was a good run at Putrajaya Night Marathon, 6th Feb 2010. My category half marathon started at 8.30pm. As expected, it was a humid night without breeze. Wern Tien and I completed the run together with 2 hours 18 minutes, abit out of our target but that didn't not matter because our aim was to complete with injury free. My sister did her first half marathon with 2 hours 34 minutes.

I started the run with 8min/km pace because I encountered a little stitch at my lower abs. Poor Wern Tien have to keep this slow pace with me for first few kilometers. I could only started to feel my body fully warmed up and in action at 6km. Slowly picked up my pace and there was where hilly course started. I love hill running, but I don't know since when I could do so good at hill. We took 1 hour 05 minutes to reach 10km, I could feel my pace was picking up consistently and I was hoping not too much or else I would running out of gas very soon.

My legs were doing fine, but my stamina wasn't catching up so smooth. It was obviously dropped of performace at 15km. Praise God, it wasn't the sign of hitting the wall, but just a bit tiring. So I tried to breath deeply and changed some styles to ease the body condition and knee strees. 6km, 5km, 4km to go... I started counting down and hoped to finish as soon as possible, but yet I must maintain a sustainable pace in order to finish strong.

When we came to 4km to go, which about reaching the PM building, I was about to cry out because it was so suffer to keep the pace yet I didn't want to be left behind. My full concentration was at my body condition instead of anyone else in front or behind us. I was so glad that there was a refreshment station at last 2km, I stretched my hand and hoped for a volunteer to hand me a cup of water, and he did a very good job. Here the second wind has come. I started to increase my pace untill finish.

The whole journey is about to counter a kilometer by kilometer. So close to defeating enemy one after another. While you think you've defeated many of them, yet there are more to come and your energy keep losing. So what actually make you stay motivated and strong? Everyone has his/her own stratergy, most important is, Never Give Up!

Thanks Wern Tien to sacrifice his personal best and marked his 'personal worst'. Congratulations to those who completed their first half! After all, it is just a run, but the run has taught you some lessons and perhaps brought you some funs. And it was so good to see my running friends on the course!

Running is My Passion

I was trying to recall how many running workouts did I do in the past few months at down under? I think... not more than 10 in New Zealand, and not more than 10 in Australia. So you and me laughing out loud because I said 'Running is My Passion'.

But I need to tell you again, and again, I Love Running, no matter what! Because, it took lots of courage to take up running again after fitness level dropped to zero. Still remember those days where you couldn't really run for 2km? And you started huffing and puffing after 10 minutes run? I had to face these situation again when I had not been running for weeks or months. We all know that this is disappointing and it needs lots of courage to overcome this obstacle.

I was glad that my running journey has been up and down, so I learned how to manage my progress, eat the correct food, self motivation, etc.

I could feel my stamina was terrible, I was huff and puff after a 5km run with 6''30/km pace. It was disappointing, but I knew with few more trials, it would be a past.

So I did again same workout, 5km, same pace but I felt better without much huff and puff.

Next time, I tried again with longer distance, slower pace without huff and puff, and few more times I could run with confidence.

When the weather was too hot in Australia, 40 degree celsius, I could only do strenght workouts to strenghten my core muscles. It helps alot in my next training.

I monitored my training, in term of physical, breathing, posture and diet. When I found my knee has a little bit uncomfortable, Glucosamine & Fish Oil was added to my supplements. Till then, my longest running workout was 10.5km with 6min/km pace. I did twice 7km tempo run with 5''35/km pace, they were good. Although the performance was far more worse than my previous workouts during my peak time.

Patience is what I need to catch back my fitness; Passion is the one that drive me this far, again and again from foot hill to peak, from peak to foot hill, and again and again... One without passion will stop at foot hill after coming down from peak.

So, run with your heart, not your legs.

See you at Putrajaya Night Marathon, half marathon and to be finished in 2.15.

Home Sweet Home

In the past 7 months, although it was not a great journey, but I'm glad that I was there, and now I'm back.

7 months at Down Under, New Zealand and Australia. I had experienced the weather as cold as -5 degree celsius and as hot as 42 degree celsius. I had experienced rain, shine, hail and snow. I had met nice people and disgusting people. I had stayed in a 30-bed mixed dorms with cockroaches and in my steady tiny blue tent. I had experienced worry about tomorrow's bread. I had seen the most beautiful sky, clean and refreshing air. Most important, I found a beloved man on the journey. He guided me through, be with me, comforted me, lifted me up while I was down.

Praise God I found Jesus on the journey.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to All!
May the past sweep by wind, and you, go on... with full of strength.

Be healthy always, let caring, love and joy around you and pass around.
God bless always.

Blessful Days

Although the job has been tough, but I was blessed, and now I was placed under the shed to pack capsicums, chilli and eggplants and no longer work outdoor under the heat with flies around doing picking. The most important thing, I'm working with a really good employer who protect us from the harmful contractor that we were working for before.

It was a dramatic incident, in fact it is really scary. I never know that I had been working for a man who was put in jail for 3 years due to aggressive rape! And this man is so violent and talk aggressively. I'm so glad that I left there and came to a safe place.

Thank God that we are safe although our money was cheated by the terrible man. I believe, he will fall one day with no mercy.

Working at the Farm

Picking capsicum and chili. It is hard work. Please bless the person who pick it or pack it whenever u eat the capsicum or chili.

Malaysia Blast

I got to see this news from an Australian paper and classed it as 'Malaysia Blast'.

English at work is weird
Malaysia's deputy education minister has said that speaking English in the workplace is "weird" and harmful to the culture and identity.

Mohd Puad Zakashi said employees in the private sector used English 99 per cent of the time and should switch to Bahasa Malaysia in order to show pride in the national language, the New Straits Times reported.

Little Wishes

"I wish to stay at a place without flies."

"I wish to taste Coke."

"I wish to have a dress."

These little wishes seem like will only be coming from a poor little girl living in Africa. No, these are my 'little wishes' in Australia.