Brooks Run Happy Profile: Khoo Yit Kiat

Khoo Yit Kiat (KYK) is known as the 'Kenyalang' or 'Kenyan Kuning' within the KL running community. He is THAT famous!

I didn't know he was that famous until I joined his running group and every runner on the street would greet him along the way. ;)

Previously, Jamie did a mini interview on him (here) and I thought since it's been a while now, we'd better catch KYK for a quick update!

[I am also taking this opportunity to label this as a Dutamas Runners' Interview!]

1. You have been lying low for a while now and the last we saw you was running the half marathon at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2012. What’s up?

I can’t even remember what races I’ve done. I’ve been so busy at work plus getting married this year (well, we just had our wedding reception!). Anyways, my niggling left foot injury can’t seem to heal as well as I thought.

I'm putting on weight (I guess no one would believe me in this, but I have put on almost 7kg!). That’s explain why I cannot rush back into speed in my training, which I was able to do last time.

(photo credit to Lim Soon Chung)

2. You’ve been running since your high school heydays. Do you think you will ever get tired of running, and maybe venture into something else?

I don’t know. But I’ve seen my running friends still doing well over 50 years of age and I guess I will try to emulate them. Although it’s embarrassing to get beaten by a 50-year-old at times but it’s something we should look into as to why they can still perform well at that age.

Especially when you talk to the younger generation who keep giving excuses, “Oh, I'm too old too run”. I hope I can still run as long as I can.

It will be a privilege to do so, don’t you think?

3. What’s your favourite race distance – 5km, 10km, 21km or the full marathon at 42.195km, and why? 

I started my running days racing the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m and I’ve always love the speed endurance race. As I aged, a 10km-21km race seems to be the preference. But once in a while, I still love to test myself in the shorter distances. Speed thrills!

I still have not mastered the marathon race as well as I want. Hopefully I will get to train for another one soon, as it does take a proper program to take you through the distance in a respectful time.

4. What’s your favourite pre-race and post-race food? 

I eat as I please. No special pre or post race diet. I used to try out eating “Chu yok chap + fan” which means “mixed pork + rice”. I thought it worked well. Anyways, the only advice I have is don’t try anything out of the ordinary on pre-race day.

5. You’re the Captain of the Dutamas Runners group, which seem to have a passion for food. If you woke up one day to find that the Dutamas Runners have renamed themselves to Dutamas Eaters, what would you do: 

a. Tearfully leave the group and never look back; 
b. Delete the group and recreate a new one, guns ablazing; or 
c. Happily participate in the next nasi lemak and bah kut the gathering. 

Haha. I’ll choose d. None of the above!  

Hey you are crazy asking your captain this sort of question! You know it’s hard to keep the Dutamas Runners to focus on their running when each conversation seems to lead to food. Well, I am a culprit myself sending photos of food over whatsapp. 

Anyway, I hope I can find time to really focus on the group since there are many who are looking to improve on their running, and I hope I can pass on my knowledge and experience to those who need it. 

6. You own one or two pairs of Brooks shoes. What models are they and what’s your take on them? Have they served you well? 

2? I actually have 3! My first Brooks model was the Racer ST 3. It was one of those shoes that I was looking for, lightweight and a little bit of cushioning. I actually did my marathon personal best (PB) in the 2009 Melbourne Marathon. 

Since then I had Brooks Ghost 2 as a training shoe and the latest I bought was Brooks Racer ST 5. I did my 2012 Boston Marathon in that shoe. However, it was one of those race where I was ill-prepared. I did my personal worst timing of 4:30. I can’t blame the shoe, as I was just too busy at work, left foot injury still bothering me and also finding the motivation to train after a long injury lay-off is hard. 

But I am looking forward to be back on the road soon! 

7. Any wise words for the newbie runners out there? 

I don’t think this page will be enough. Anyways, the way I see it is that these days, newbies tend to run the distance too far too soon. You need time to get your legs accustomed to running on hard surface (as you hardly get to run on softer ground in KL, unlike in overseas). Also newbies tend to get influenced by their friends in doing longer distance that they are unprepared for. Preparation is the key in distance running plus consistency in training. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading his interview as much as I had fun (especially with question 5) coming up with the questions for him. Hehehe!

Run Happy with Brooks!

~*~*~*~*~*~

 Other profiles:

Jamie Pang
Me!
Steph
Ooi Wei Min

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 http://brooksmalaysia.com

The Most Beautiful Thing - 25km

In short, TMBT.


Saturday, 15th September 2012.

We woke up that morning to the sound of howling winds. The hubby and I looked at each other nervously as we tried to consume our breakfast of bananas, peanut butter sandwiches and Milo, as calmly as possible.

Please, I silently prayed. Don’t rain now and during my 25km run!

After a brisk walk from our homestay to the start area (our car was blocked, so we couldn’t drive out!) across from the Kundasang War Memorial, we hung around with familiar faces from KL while waiting for directions from the race organisers, Aman and Dr Sidhu.

With the power couple, Ray and Mich.

Squeezed into a group photo. (Photo credit to KC Leong)

Just passed 7am, we were ushered down into a gully for our flag off.

Thankfully the winds had stopped howling and the day was getting warmer.

725am and we were off.

(Photo credit to KC Leong)

The first km was a great warm up for everyone. Up and out of the gully and onto the road, it was a gentle downhill slope with the runners facing the one and only Mount Kinabalu.

If you were one of the participants behind, you would have come across a little kitten trying to run along together with everyone.

KC poses for YB Wong. (photo credit to YB Wong)

The second km brought us up a cement road and soon most of the participants stopped running and walked briskly up the slope instead.

At this point, Lawrence Law passed by. I said hi and wished him good luck for his 100km.

I also made small talk to a KK boy who had a pair of hard boiled eggs and bananas in his bag. (If you must know, I was trying to practice speaking like a KK girl. I've lost that slang since I've been in KL for 10 years now!)

It was a natural thing to do, briskly walking up the slopes and running as much as you can on flat ground and downhill. As and when we could, we would run but should we come to a slope, we’d quickly walk up as fast as possible.

My jacket fell off the straps of my hydration bag, probably at KM3.5 and someone picked it up and returned it to me. (Thank you, whoever you are!)

That was annoying.

My Nathan hydration bag was clearly too small to fit my jacket. I took a while to decide what to do with it before tying it around my waist. It wasn’t ideal, but there was no place else for it.

I was looking forward to seeing some cows at the Desa Dairy Farm as the route would bring us along its boundary but alas, I was disappointed.

The black and white cows were probably some place else, lazily chewing their grass.

Uphill!

Uphill again.

As you will notice, I am too slow for the hubby to run alongside. Phhbbbt.

Ooh, note the little markers on the the side!

Are we there yet?

She must have been thinking, "What's with all these people running past my house??"

I kept checking my watch from time to time and noted that we were pretty much on target (my target to be exact). Not too shabby, I thought to myself.

We arrived at WS1 in 2 hours and signed in, noting that we were the 26th and 27th person on the 25km list. As we filled our hydration bags, we discussed our strategy.

No, not a strategy to be the top 3 finishers but as I had set a target of 5 hours for myself and with people telling me that it was too ambitious, I was wondering whether it was possible to meet my targeted time.

 “Let’s try to aim for top 20,” the hubby suggested.

“OK,” I reluctantly agreed.

 “But it may be difficult for me, because I don’t think I can go that fast.” 

“OK then, let’s try to be 24th and 25th first,” He readjusted the goal.

 “Okayyyy,” I finally relented, still unsure whether it was possible.

And off we went, with renewed vigour.

Thankfully, my cough wasn't acting up. I wasn't suffering any cramps of any kind so that was a good sign as well. Perhaps those runs in FRIM over the weekends had helped, I mused.

The next 5km took us downhill for a moment and then up towards the Mount Kinabalu Golf Club. Huffing and puffing while walking briskly uphill was no joke, but with the villagers outside their homes cheering you on, there was no way you'd want to disappoint them by just walking slowly.

Might as well give them a show of sportsmanship and jog a bit!

  How can you not smile back to such a friendly face??

Couple picture with Mt Kinabalu in the background. (photo credit to YB Wong)
(Many thanks to Chae Yin and Seng Chor for our Nike caps. We love them!)

We were running on the roads and wondering where the trails were. Just as soon as we reached the top of the slope, we were directed into an avenue of pine trees.

Pine trees. Just like Salem High Country.

The golf course is somewhere on your ... left, if I'm not mistaken.

In the distance, that's Faizal from Terengganu (in red) and Wilson from Limbang, Sarawak (in black).

Soon we (or was it just me) met a man resting by the side of the trail. We asked him if he was OK. He slowly stood up, brushed the dust off his pants and said yes. He was OK but he felt that the air was too thin, so he was having difficulty in running at a comfortable pace.

He must have been running quite fast to be so far ahead of me to reach at that spot so early in the race!

The hubby suddenly disappeared, running ahead with my walking stick in hand. Not wanting to be left behind, I continue running.

I soon caught up with Faizal and Wilson, who were doing the 100km and 50km respectively. I'm not sure what did we talk about but I told Wilson that he sounded like a Sabahan

We ran past some people who were waving frantically at us. I waved back and teasingly asked one girl how far was it to the finish line.

She cheerfully replied that it was a long way more.

"Bulih kamu hantar saya balik ka?" I teased. (In my Sabahan slang, mind you!)
(Can you send me back?)

"Ehhhh, tidak bulih bahh!" She laughed.

(Ehhh, noooo!)

I eventually caught up with the hubby and we continued trudging along.

Just before we reached WS1 / WS3, we bumped into Cally who was about to start the 5km loop.

We checked in at WS3 (which is also WS1) and drank some water. We were now placed at 24th and 25th.

Oohh.
I couldn't recall overtaking anyone along the way but never mind, it was time to take this seriously and keep moving!

Puppy on guard at the water station. (photo credit to YB Wong)

Don't you just want to stop and play with it?

We were very eager not to waste any more time and to keep moving, but we just had to snap a picture of this adorable puppy. What a distraction!

With 10km left to go, I was nervous. At this time, I was secretly targeting to complete the race in 4 hours.

The hubby assured me that it was downhill all the way and we had a good chance of being top 20. I told him that HE had a good chance and not me, because ... I'm just not as strong as he is.

He agreed that he'll abandon run off on his own at KM20.

We hurried on, with more determination in our heads and running steps.

Huffed and puffed in the sun.

(photo credit to YB Wong)

Twenty minutes later we soon reached KM19.5 and we bade each other goodbye and good luck. The hubby scampered off, eager to catch up with the runners ahead while I continued on at my own pace.

I was determined not to be left too far behind so I kept talking to myself and made sure my legs were moving. 

I kept running and running, and would check on my watch at every km accomplished. 

Oh, another km completed! I congratulated myself. Keep moving!

I began to feel a discomfort at my right bunion and knew without a doubt that a blister was forming.

Nooooo, I silently muttered. No wayyyyy.

I did my best to ignore it.

I don't remember much about the last 5-7km of the race besides waving and smiling at a lot of villagers by the roadside.

I remember asking a group of young girls weren't they hot, standing in the sun the whole morning and they grinned happily and said no.

I remember running past a group of people and some of them were sitting at a verandah. I returned the ladies' waves and smiles who were standing beside the road, and as I was about to run past the verandah,  the folks burst into an applause.

I looked around, and behind me.

For me?

Abashed and not knowing what to do, I acknowledged their applause by waving and smiled in returned.

With the sun out in all its glory, I was parched. I sipped onto my hose but no water came out.

Puzzled, I thought maybe the hose had twisted inside my bag.

I sipped as hard as I could but still no water came out.

I continued moving on, not wanting to stop. I was using my stick more now, as it was a downhill slope. Balancing with my stick while running downhill made it easier to run faster.

I began to feel my left calf tightening.
 "Nooooo... no no no NO!" I was annoyed.

I checked my watch and saw that it was KM23.

No cramps, please, I begged. No effing cramps, please! 
Now is not the timeeeeee ... I wailed in my head.

I shook my leg several times to loosen it, as I continued pounding downhill. The tightness gradually went away after a few minutes.

I was relieved.

Eventually I decided to stop and rearrange my hydration pouch. I was sure I still had some water left.

So I checked.

No water.

Dismayed, I took out a soft sachet of Ribena I had in my bag and took a few tentative sips. With a few km to go, I knew I had to ration it out.

Bless Ribena!

Some goats were blocking my way as I came along.

I checked my time and was satisfied that I was doing fine. Not 4 hours, maybe but well, who knew?

It was a quiet run for me, with not many participants passing me by. For a moment I thought I was lost, but I wasn't.

I took the opportunity to run down as fast as I could, ignoring the blister near my right bunion.

After running down the gravel for almost 5km the road soon became flat and gradually began to incline again.

I stared at the long road in the distance ahead, in disbelief. It looked like 2km of uphill and I couldn't even see the finish line.

I asked two photographers on the left side of the road whether that it was THE road to take. They nodded and said yes.

Holy cow.

I started walking briskly instead.

Soon, a few men passed me by. It was annoying but I just couldn't push myself to jog uphill. I wanted some water.

I walked as fast as I could with the help of my stick, ignoring the blister and my parched throat.

I just kept walking and walking. Someone from the 100km category ran past me.

Just keep moving, don't stop, I said to myself.

I checked my watch and saw that it was 3:52 already.

Why was the finish line so far, I grumbled to myself.

Someone in a Toyota Hilux or something rumbled down the road and the driver told me that it was just 400m to go. I smiled and nodded thanks, not entirely believing him.

I'm sure it's another km to go, I snorted.

I told myself that I'd had better move quickly or I was not going to achieve a sub-4.

Since when was I looking at a sub-4? I asked myself.

Erm, since probably a few minutes ago.

I walked as fast as my chunky legs could carry me and finished the last of my Ribena.

Soon I saw a crowd standing in the middle of the road, marking the finish line for the 25km category.

They cheered as soon as they saw the runner ahead of me and myself. I was tempted to be a brat and rebelled by walking as slowly as possible (like a sulky teenager), but I shook myself out of it (as if anyone was going to care about my sulking!) and made a dash uphill towards the finish line.

Breathless, I signed in at 4:01:03 (according to my watch) to claim the 19th spot.

Top 20.

I made it!

I grinned and thanked them as they hung the medal and finisher necklace around my neck.

I walked into the shelter, my eyes searched for the hubby and I soon found him resting at the back of the shelter.

The look of surprise on his face when he spotted me almost made me chuckle. 

I don't think he was expecting me back so soon.

Heh.

Completed the 25km, yay!

He finished 10 minutes before me!

Bugger.
So lucky!

Nevertheless, we made it!

Yet all we could think about was:
1. Oh my legs... oh my poor tired legs!
2. How do the 50km / 100km people do it? Man, they're crazy!

See how far we had to run? (photo credit to YB Wong)

Two days after TMBT, we said to each other, "I think we could have done the 50km."

"Of COURSE we could! It's just a matter of how LONG it'll take us!"

Check out the elevation:

TMBT was definitely our race for the year. It was an awesome experience.

It was great to run with the other half again and talked, laughed and noticed things together. What started out as a slow and easy run with photography opportunity for us ended up as a competitive one. Oops.

~

Many thanks to the organisers, photographers along the way and the smiley friendly people I wave and met along the way!

It was good to be home!!

And thanks as well to the friendly participants who entertained my chatter. ;D

~
Other stories:
Running For The Wong Reason (hubby's!)
JIRI in Middle East
KC and the Sunshine Runners
Run Wild, Run Free

My pre-race thoughts can be found here.

* Apparently I was 5th female (1st Malaysian female) for my category. YAY! See pic here. :D :D :D

Brooks Glycerin 10 - Best Neutral Shoe 2012

 
Oooh.. Brooks' Glycerin 10 is awarded Best Neutral Shoe!

Apparently what convinced Running Network to award it the Best Neutral Shoes were simply three points: protection, plush comfort and great cushioning.






The first thing I noticed about the Glycerin 10 is its bright colour scheme.

For the men, they can choose either the red/black/silver or lime/black/white whereas the women can choose either the pink/silver or blue/silver/white pair.

 

From what I have seen of the shoes, they actually look pretty chunky. Nevertheless, from what I read, the key differences against its predecessor Glycerin 9 are:

• More cushioning added to the lateral side for a softer landing.
• It preserves the full midsole DNA cushioning from the Glycerin 9 - retaining the connected feel to the ground.
• Better arch support with the midfoot arch bridge hugging your foot for a smoother transition.

So, tons of cushioning hence the chunkiness? I wonder how it would feel in terms of the weight. Yet some runners have commented that these shoes are so comfortable that it's like walking on air/clouds - so soft, so cushioned and supportive.

Sounds like a dream to me!

  

The outer sole looks pretty chunky eh? But apparently it's flexible enough. At least I would think it's stable enough to give you that much needed support as you pound the roads. It's worth considering if you're looking for very good and wide stability, yet comfortably cushioned shoes when you run. (People with weak ankles, take note! ;D)

Some runners have also commented that these pair of shoes are good enough to avoid pain in their knees!

Some reviews:
halfmarathoners.com
phil.im
running shoes guru

By the way, do check out this site I found, it's really cute!!!

My thoughts? Cushioning effectiveness remains subjective as we all have different knees and sensitivity to the ground. But I'd consider heading to the store to test it out for its colour range, weight, cushioning and wide sole stability. 

Unless of course, Brooks decides to let me review them for free instead. ;D *hint*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Why not head out to your nearest Brooks' outlet right now and get yourself a pair? Bring your old pair of shoes for the RM150 rebate to buy your Glycerin 10 - you'll be paying just RM379 for this award winning shoe!

The rebate ENDS 30 SEPTEMBER 2012! For more details, just visit Brooks Malaysia at http://brooksmalaysia.com.

Brooks Run Happy Profile: Ooi Wei Min

I first met Wei Min at the Bareno 2011 event where we were waiting for our friends at the finish line, cheering the runners as they passed us by.

But the one thing which I will remember vividly is when I passed him by during the PJ Half Marathon 2011, I heard him singing his heart out to a Chinese song!

~

1. How long have you been running?

Started running in the gym around October 2008 to prepare  for 5km Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009. Started running seriously since September 15, 2009 till now.

2. Do you remember how many events you have taken part since then?

Can't really recall, but maybe around 30-40 races.

3. You recently completed the 25km The Most Beautiful Thing (TMBT) on 15th September 2012. Yay! How was it?

TMBT is not an easy race, the route is basically uphill or downhill, seldom do we encounter flat routes. The running was torturous especially after the 2^nd water station. It was all the way down with pebbled rocks, stones and mud. Furthermore, we began to feel hot. It made Dragon Back or the Newton route (Amah Hill) route look like child’s play. They do not have water station every 3km, don’t have medical personal spraying anti cramp every 3km. In fact, we were even warned during pre-race briefing that if we encounter cramp or blister, we will have to deal with it. 

Even so, it still gave me a great running experience. The weather was cooling and the view is just simply superb. There are no words that can be used to describe what I have seen. You have to be there to understand what I mean. The race really brings the best out of runners. During the race, I almost cramped 3 times. But every time, there are runners who'd automatically offer their anti-cramp gels. Even runners with cramping issues who were resting by the side of the road voluntarily offered me their gel. I really thank them. 

The locals were out cheering for us. I had a lot of fun throughout the race. I remember seeing a kid waving at us with split index and middle fingers around 3-5km before hitting finishing line. It somehow reminded me of Star Trek. So, i took my Experia Ray horizontally and show it to them saying: "I come in peace, I come in peace".  

The organizers somehow managed to make the runners feel honoured and proud of themselves for completing the race. Even though the race was over for more than 1 week, I can still remember the race as if it just happen yesterday. It is indeed a wonderful race.   

  

4. I noticed that you were wearing the Brooks Cascadia during the event. Did they treat you well?

To be honest, this is my first pair of trail shoes.  I don’t really know how to compare as there is nothing for me to compare against it. But I do feel that this shoe does give me a better grip compared to normal running shoes whether during the Orang Asli Trail Run, Nuang and FRIM training or TMBT. 

I bought the shoe since February this year and I've put a lot of mileage into these shoes especially while training for TMBT. It still looks good. I will be using it for coming Salomon X-Trail Run. 

5. OK, how many pairs of running shoes do you own? Did you choose them based on brand names, feel, colour, price, etc? 

As a runner, I believe in good quality shoes instead of the name (brand) because good quality shoes will help prevent injury. Injury for runners means no fun. For me feel/comfortable comes first, lasting (durability) second. Of course price also plays a role, but as long as the shoes are proven to be worth it, I don’t mind spending the money. Colour does play a role, but a minor one. 

Maybe because of wrong running posture, I went through a painful journey of shoe selection last year. I tried different brand of shoes but they either lasted less than 3 months or end up hurting my legs more. It burned a big hole in my wallet. I had no choice but to live with the situation. 

The situation continued until early this year, when Brooks did a clearance promotion. Under Manson Chew‘s (Brooks salesperson) personal assurance, I bought Trance 9 with doubts. To my surprise, it last for more than 6 months, outlasting another brand. Since then, I mainly use Brooks shoes. I currently have 4 pairs of shoes of which 3 of them are Brooks (2 running shoes, 1 trail shoes). 

6. What's the one event that you are looking forward to for 2012? Tell us how you're preparing for it.

Powerman 2012, as this is my first run cycle biathlon event. I am currently training with some of Lyn Runners. We will be doing the first simulation in Putrajaya on Saturday.

All the best for that, Wei Min!

And see you in the upcoming races. ;)

 Other profiles:

Jamie Pang
Me!
Steph

~

Don't forget, just 3 days left (including 30th September!) to the GO GREEN CAMPAIGN - get a new pair of Brooks shoes with a RM150 rebate from trading in your old pair of shoes, any shoes!

for more info: http://brooksmalaysia.com.

Brooks Run Happy Profile: Steph Chin

Brooks Run Happy Profiles is a short series of mini interviews of people who run with Brooks.


Meet my friend, Steph!

Steph is a bubbly girl who enjoys the outdoors from a little jog in the park to swimming with the fishes in the ocean. She believes in keeping fit and having a balanced lifestyle - all work and no play will is just oh so boring!

1. do you enjoy jogging/running?

of course! it's a great way to relief stress and keep the doctors away. and sometimes, just like most golfers do, i tend to get inspiration and fresh ideas in the midst of running too.

(And when are you joining the Dutamas Runners for a run again? ;D)

 

2. what was your favourite event and why.

you mean running right? :) 

ermm I think it has to be the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2010 where i participated in the 10km women open category. it was the most well organized and detailed running event ever! running the 10km felt like a breeze, not to mention the colourful pom pom girls kept me distracted as they were running together with the crowd.

3. is it easier to work out the body and sweat it our to watch what you eat?

i think there is no easier way and it should be a combination of both. i love my food (I'm malaysian!) and it's hard to give it up; I love the feeling after a good workout but the challenge has always been the motivating factor. Especially after a tiring day at work all I can think of is my bed instead of putting on my running shoes!

4. so show us what's your current pair of Brooks shoes. tell us what you think?

I have a pair of Brooks Ariel as I've been blessed with flat feet and bunions. It gives better stability and comfort, my pasts trainers could never last more than 2 years due to my protruding bunions, just imagine. Although Brooks Ariel is considerably heavier in weight, sprinting never felt easier :)

5. if you could organise a running event, what and how would it be?

err never thought of it haha but if i had to organize one, i would pick somewhere exotic like an island or a safari of sort :)

(Great idea!)

You can follow her blog right here.
~

Other BRH Profiles:

Jamie Pang
myself!

~
Don't forget! The Go Green Campaign ends this 30 September 2012!
If you haven't traded in your old shoes for the RM150 rebate for a new pair, you'd better hurry!

*Applicable for purchase of the Pure Project collection, Glycerin 10, Ghost 5, Ravenna 3, GTS12, Trance 11, Cascadia 7.

http://brooksmalaysia.com

A Quick Ride with GORun Ride

My earlier post is here. 

Wednesday, 19th September.

That night saw me taking my pair of Women's Skechers GORun Ride for a quick test. I only had time for a 30 minute workout as it was already past 10pm.

crazy eye-catching colours!

I had to first get used to the slight bump from the GOimpulse sensors by walking around in the shoes. Five minutes later, I was good to go.

oh it just saddens me to dirty up the clean white soles!

During my workout, I noted the following:

First km:

• my soles were getting warm. I fidgeted and hoped it would go away.
• nice and bouncy! *boing boing boing*

Second km:

• soles weren't that warm anymore, probably adjusted to it.
• I felt like I could fly, must be due to the bounce in the soles!
• I had the urge to go faster. *bOing*

Mini hill reps (170m x 10):

• the warmth went away. no longer felt it.
• still had that *boing boing boing* feeling! This is probably be due to the sensors which help to absorb some of the pounding.
• right foot began to feel just a wee bit uncomfortable, just below the bunion. 

Verdict: So far so good. No pain anywhere! ;)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, 22nd September

Wore them for a 5km training run around Tasik Titiwangsa with my colleagues this morning.

Do you know the catchy lines of Kelis' Milk Shake that goes something like this: 

"My milk shake brings all the boys to the yard, And they're like, It's better than yours, Damn right, it's better than yours"

Well, well, you should have seen me this morning. Almost all the guys (to be fair, there are only two girls at the training, myself included!) noticed my pair of Skechers from afar (it IS quite colourful) and surrounded me to admire my legs bright coloured shoes.

"Woahhhh, new shoes!"

"Wow, what brand is that?"

"Coooool!"

"Wow, that's really light, isn't it?"

"Wohhhh...."

"How much do they cost?"

I had to explain to them that they were looking at a pair of Skechers GORun Ride and yes, they're really, really light. In fact, they are as light as your packet of Kettle's crisps (it weighs 5 oz!) and it's really bouncy, and the women's pair retails at RM369 (or thereabouts, I can't remember!) and yes, they are as flexible Nike Free (Nike's Free seems to be everyone's yardstick for flexible shoes, by the way) ...

Yeah, I felt like the most popular girl in the park. ;D

Anyway, the park was wet this morning and most of the runners were very cautious not to slip and fall, myself included. The park was also filled to the brim with Maybank employees at one end of the park with some sort of event going on, while another part of the park saw to a Chinese school's cross country event, something like that.

We ran on wet pavement and roads, avoided puddles and people.

The boys teased me to be careful not to get my new shoes wet!

I was worried that the soles wouldn't grip properly but my worry was for naught. They gripped perfectly well on wet surface but no, I didn't splash into the deep puddles to test them further. ;D

Interestingly I pretty much seem to avoid heel strikes, no?

And don't ask me why, but I keep checking my soles after every run, just to check whether they're still in good shape! =P

A colleague remarked that he didn't believe that these shoes will be able to support his weight and another doubts the durability of this shoes. Hmmm, I said I'll let him know in due course.

My take on the shoes:

1. They are so light that they feel like a part of you. I just don't know how else to describe it.

2. I still love the bounce in the soles! The sensors clearly react very quickly to the ground, hence letting your feet fly off the ground much faster.

3. I still needed to adapt to the shoes during the first few minutes of walking in them (due to the GOimpulse pillars). But this time they adjusted quicker than the initial take.

4. No warm feeling. Or maybe I stopped noticing.

5. A wee bit of chafing below the right bunion.
(WHY?? All would be perfect if not for this! I must solve this!)

6. Calves felt a bit tired this time. Not too sure whether because they were aching 2 days ago after attempting to break in to my another new pair of shoes.
(Yes, I have 3 other pairs of shoes to break into and show them to you! Soon.)

Now I'm not sure whether I should wear them for my race this Tuesday. Hmmmm.


Verdict: Still loving them but need to resolve the chafing below the right bunion.

Shall we go for another run tomorrow?

P.S. Clocked another 5km with them on Sunday, 22nd September. A bit of chafing again, despite the anti-chafe gel and synthetic socks. Besides that, everything else is good.

I've decided to wear them for the KL Rat Race on Tuesday, 25 September!
(Edit: OK, I WORE them already!)

[Note: Many thanks to Skechers Malaysia for this lovely pair of shoes!]

Related posts:

Skechers GOrun Ride - First Take

Skechers GOrun Ride Ultra

Sarawak Laksa, Lucky Garden Bangsar

Kenny brought us to Lucky Garden, Bangsar to try Auntie Christina's Sarawak Laksa some time last month.

I introduced it to my sister who says it's only so-so, as she finds the one at Kedai Kopi Yee Fung, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu still the best.

I said that for me, Auntie Christina's one is probably the best one in KL and she agreed to that! ;)

I love the fact that the vermicelli is the coarse type, not like the finer ones usually served in KL. The soup is tasty and you have to admit that its presentation is pleasing to the eye.

The laksa is served in 3 sizes, small, medium or large. 

I took the hubby there last week and he enjoyed it. Some of my friends say that the soup is so little, in ratio to the noodles. Sure it does seem so at first glance, but a few mouthfuls later, you'll realise that you can't even finish the soup!

Other reviews:

Live @bout uLi~

Inspired Momx1

~~~~~~

Another place for Sarawak Laksa is at the 7th Mile Kitchen, Kelana Sentral Condominium.

Other reviews:

crazytomatoman

What Have I Got To Say - I actually bumped into her  there! ;)

Life Goes On

A word of advice, best to avoid peak hours as service can be rather slow. No joke.

Anticipation and Anxiety

It's Rat Race this afternoon and I'm a nervous wreck.

Tummy ache.

I can't remember the last time I felt this nervous, but maybe at the Fubon Taipei Marathon last year. I needed to achieve my sub-5 target.

Thank goodness I did. ;)

Nervous and worried.
It is the anticipation of a competitive run where I am competing with only myself, for a better time.

Three years ago it took me 28 minutes. Two years ago it took me 26mins. Last year I opted out due to a sprained ankle.

What will it be this year?

It is the anxiety of finishing slow and thereby affecting your team's performance.

It is the anxiety of disappointing the team as a whole when you know they're counting on you.

Wait, since when was I considered the fastest girl from my company when i never finish top ten in major events??

Gahhh.


I'm hiding in the office loo as I write this.

I Need To Freeze Time

I tried a muffin mix given to me by a friend and gosh, it turned out disastrous! I'm not sure if the muffin mix somehow omitted sugar (wasn't sure because there was no cooking directions on the package!) or the mix had expired.

I threw everything away because they tasted weird.

What a waste of my peanut butter! I added a dollop into each cup, you see, thinking hey, peanut butter and chocolate should go, innit?

I need a break.

In all honesty, I need to freeze time so I can organise myself properly and have enough time to clear up all the backlog in my life, for both personal and work issues.

Give me 48 hours, perhaps?

I cannot not run, because I need to keep my weight down and keep fit. Well, OK, I have races to train for as well.

I cannot work late because it isn't safe to stay back late at the office, especially when I park my car at Dataran Merdeka. It is also unfortunate (good and bad, I suppose) that I can't bring my work home as I need to refer to tons of physical files.

I can't just not sleep because sleep is important, right? Or I'd fall sick and that would make things worse.

I know, you're going tell me it's all about priority and time management etc but man, I suck at it.

I can't imagine how I'm going to rearrange everything else if I have kids in the future. I'd need a personal assistant to organise my life and do things for me!

~

Anyway, I was at the World of Sports at Paradigm Mall yesterday and I bumped into a few people.Yeah, I felt like my fame and popularity has increased by 0.005% since ... well, just recently.

My friend, CJ asked whether I was selling something. I had to laugh because sure I may be promoting Brooks' shoes (and Skechers soon) like crazy but no, I'm not an ambassador for Salomon products. I was just there to buy a pair of Salomon tights, CJ!

[Salomon, if you're reading this, I really love your tights! So if you need me to do a review for you, you can send me a pair or two and I'd be happy to indulge. Thanks! ;D]

Are you peeps shying away from me now, like how I try to shy away from aggressive sales people on the street? ;D

Out of the blue, someone asked me where my hubby was and it took me a moment to recognise the man who asked me this. Ah, okay. Michael!

=)

Yes, it takes such simple things (like socialising) as the above to make me smile and be happy. It's always nice to bump into friends and have a quick catch up or two. ;)

~

I really really really REALLY really want to write my TMBT race report but the  top part of my blog post sums up my current situation - no time to sort out so much stuff in a day! Arggghhh. I'm already trying to squeeze in enough sleep in a day yet I wake up lethargic every morning and then lug myself to work and then ...

Enough whining, woman.

Time to go to work.

Happy Monday, y'all!