Siemens Run 2006

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Dataran Merdeka: Those white tents at the background are the base stations for the Siemens Charity Run.
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The pretty gals of Pacesetters Club.
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A group of Pacesetters runners started their 30km training at 8am. According to Carmen, this is to simulate the actual condition of ending late when running KLIM.
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This cute little girl actually asked me which newspaper she can view her photos. So I gave her my weblog address instead... :-)
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Yeah, the ideal location for cheering runners passing by.
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By KC
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Training for KLIM 2006

Once again, we gather around to train for the next marathon – Kuala Lumpur International Marathon (KLIM) on 5 March 2006. Running in this marathon has the home ground advantage: the domestic course and hill terrain; the familiar weather and cheering fans. We have slightly less than three months to train (as per original schedule), which is quite appropriate in order to have another smooth run on race day.

I realized that Singapore marathon in December was always affected by the raining seasons whereas KLIM in March is always interrupted by the festive seasons: Christmas, Year-end and Chinese New Year celebrations. Especially with Chinese New Year celebration, training could be affected with Yum Seng from first day till Day-15. I hope we can still run in straight line and our legs would not wobble too much when training during that time.

For those who have done Singapore full Marathon on 4 December 2005, this KLIM will be an extension of another extraordinary feat – aim to run faster with better timing which was not able to fulfil in Singapore due to hot and humid weather conditions. Nevertheless, if the timing is still worst than in Singapore, then one factor is fairly obvious: could be not enough training runs and not because of weather.

For Pacesetters runners, maybe it would be a better idea to submit your registration forms via the Club to facilitate distribution of sponsored running apparels, if any, for full marathon category. Since I started running full marathon in 2004, I have received Adidas sponsored vests and shorts for two consecutive years. In 2004, however, my joy was short-lived when I received the vest and shorts of odd sizes.

Suggested training runs:

January 2006
01 = 20km training run (or Der Pacemakers’ 20km race)
07 = Ambank Circuit Run #2 at Lake Gardens for 20km, or
08 = 20km training run
15 = Siemen Run 10km
22 = 30km Great Eastern Run
29 = Chinese New Year holidays and Yum Seng

February
05 = 20km training run
12 = 30km training run
18 = Amank Circuit Run #3 at Lake Gardens for 30km, or
19 = 20km training run
26 = 20km training run

March
05 = Kuala Lumpur International Marathon

Note:

1. Starting Time:
20km training run starts at 6am.
30km training run starts at 5.30am.

2. Starting Venue: Bukit Aman car park.

3. Week days: do own training four times a week ranging from 5km to 10km daily.

By KC

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100 MILES RUN: A Day of Extremes

Note by KC:

For those who run 10km or half marathon, what is stopping you from running a full marathon? For those who run full marathon, do you think that running 42 km is very far? Wait till you hear other runners running in ultra-marathon. Just like the Chinese saying: there is always another mountain higher than the current one.

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After crossing the finishing line of the 10km running races organized by FTAAA, Meng would say, “Come on! Let us challenge the 21km race next time.” But I said, “I am too tired at the finishing line and I think I would not have the ability to do another 10km.” The same suggestion and reply were repeated many times. That was in 2003. Prior to that, we have been running 10km races for almost five years!

At that time, running a full marathon was something an unachievable feat to me. The distance of a full marathon is 42 km or 26 miles (1 mile is 1.6 kilometers). Today, this is history. I have run five full marathons since 2004 whereas Meng has done five in 2004; five in 2005 plus one Ultra-marathon and one 24-hour Walk at Genting. According to Meng, this is a natural progression of advancement and we should not just stop at the same level of achievement.

Compare to ultra-marathon, running a single marathon is kiddy stuff. A 100-mile ultra-marathon is equivalent to running four marathons back-to-back, amidst very tough terrain. You think running a full marathon is tough? Then read on ….

Extracted from the book Ultra-marathon Man
By Dean Karnazes

Unbelievable. It didn't seem humanly possible to run 100 miles nonstop, let alone 100 miles through the moun­tains. That's nearly four marathons without rest. To qualify for the Western States, you must complete a fifty-mile race in less than nine hours. Like the Boston Marathon, the Western States only accepts the elite.

The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run didn't start as a run at all; its inception can be traced to a long ­distance horse race, the Tevis Cup, 100 miles through the mountains on horseback. But in 1974, a man named Gordy Ainsleigh changed everything. Gordy had trained relentlessly with his horse for a year, and, as legend has it, just prior to the event his horse came up lame.

Crushed, but undeterred, Gordy announced that he would still be competing in the 100-mile race, only with­out his horse.

This did more than raise a few eyebrows. It was com­plete lunacy. But on August 3, 1974, a bare-chested Gordy Ainsleigh took his place at the starting line of the Tevis Cup alongside a row of horses. Apparently right before the race began, one of his friends was overheard asking him whether he wanted a ham sandwich or a feed bag. Another bystander purportedly asked a race official if the event was reserved exclusively for animals. To which the official replied, "He is an animal."

Amazingly, 23 hours and 42 minutes later, out from the trailhead popped Gordy. He was some­what incoherent and despondent, but still shuffling forward. With a will of iron, he'd covered the entire 100 miles on foot. He even managed to beat a few of the horses.

It was this astonishing accomplishment that ushered in the modern era of ultra-endurance trail running.

Endurance is a relative term. Some might think a marathon, at 26.2 miles, with its two to five hours of continuous pounding to the body, is the ultimate test of human endurance. Hills make the undertaking all the more demanding; the Boston Marathon, for example, includes the infamous “Heartbreak Hill" a climb of 280 vertical feet. That's nearly the length of a football field straight up into the air. It's the vertical equivalent of climbing one quarter of the way to the top of the Empire State Building. Heartbreak Hill can be a demoralizing obstacle that forces many runners into submission, and they walk.

For an ultra-elite group of athletes, however, a single-marathon is child's play. The challenges these individu­als seek are beyond comprehension, bordering on psy­chotic. They participate in endeavors so physically demanding that some have perished in the act.

Near the top of the intensity scale is the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. It involves a total ele­vation change of 38,000 feet, climbing the equivalent of over fifty football fields straight up into the air. That would be like climbing the entire distance to the top of the Empire State Building and back down again—fifteen times! It means climbing and descending Heartbreak Hill not once, not twice, but fifty-six times. For a com­parison of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and the Boston Marathon, check out the chart below.

The Western States is run on rugged single-track mountain trails with harrowing drop-offs and unpre­dictable terrain. It crosses snow and ice fields, de­scends into murderously hot valleys, fords numerous bridgeless rivers, and offers little in the way of food, water, or medical support along the way. Of those who successfully complete the event—and sometimes fewer than half of the invited athletes do—it typi­cally means twenty-five to thirty hours of continuous running.

Outside magazine once called the Western States the "toughest endurance event in the world." To complete it, your mental resolve must be indomitable. You've got to bundle up self-doubt and fear and stuff them in your shoe, cutting loose your rational mind as your body is pushed to inconceivable levels of endurance. To com­plete the Western States, you must transform yourself into a human machine.

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New Year's Eve Fireworks Display

To view fireworks photos taken by KC, please click here.
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The Y2K
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This New Year countdown has a special meaning to me. In my previous New Year countdown, I was involved in the Y2K computer programs bug-fixing project in year 2000. It was a mere coincidence and convenience that the office at Menera TR, Jalan Ampang, was about 500 meters away from KLCC.

At the stroke of midnight, our hearts beat faster controlling the strike of program bugs. For the revellers, their hearts would similarly beat faster as the entire KLCC area was lighted up with a brilliant burst of fireworks to usher in the New Year – the celebrations which brought them there.

The Urge

After buying the Nikon D50 SLR camera on 17 December 2005, I thought that it would be timely to try it out on fireworks photography. With the compact camera, I knew it was difficult to capture the spectacular effect of the fireworks.

On Friday 30 December afternoon, my colleagues and I had our lunch at Alamanda Shopping Complex in Putrajaya. I asked the Information Center whether there would be any New Year’ eve celebration and fireworks display. According to the brochure, the festivities would start at 8.30pm with concert featuring such artistes as GerhanaSkaCinta, Jay Jay, Mirwana, SitiSarah, but did not mention about the countdown followed by a fireworks display. I was most glad to confirm that the fireworks display would be included.

The Preparation

Passing by Almanda, I could see that the stage for concert was already been set up. Further up another piece of vacant land, I could see some barrels that looked similar to the launching pad for fireworks. I was excited. On the way back to office after lunch, I planned out the route so that I could have fast exit after the countdown.

Immediately after work on Saturday 31 December, I rushed to buy an extra camera battery that cost me RM 200. Running out of batter charge in the midst of action would be anti-climax. One of the main activities in the afternoon was to get familiar with various functions of the camera by checking with the camera manual. Of course, I have also asked Jason Lee, who is good in photography, as to what shutter-speed and aperture setting were ideal for fireworks photography shots.

The Scene

I went to Putrajaya with another friend at 10pm. There was a roadblock conducted by police that caused a one kilometer traffic jam. I parked my car by the side of a 3-lane road in the direction to exit Putrajaya.

When we reached there, the concert was already well underway. There were hundreds of thousands people at the open space enjoying the outdoor concert performed by the local artistes. The revellers here were disciplined people but the mood was upbeat. Most of them came to the occasion with their family members and friends to enjoy a peaceful evening watching the performance and to wait for the grand moment.

We walked to the waterfront of Alamanda enjoying the view of water fountain and I was busy taking photographs.

At 11.30pm, we walked to a location next to a road where there was more open space. Seeing there was a concrete man-hole cover, I set up my tripod in order to have a firmed ground. At that moment, the traffic condition was very bad though there was not much honking around. I was waiting for the moment to come.

The Fireworks

At the stroke of midnight, I could hear the countdown from the concert microphone. There were no wild actions such as letting their hair down, dancing and shouting as they ushered in the New Year. I could not hear clearly about the people joining in the countdown as I was getting ready with the camera. “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1” and the fireworks went off.

Immediately, I was tensed. Since the fireworks were shot in the sky with different heights and different locations, I had a hard time adjusting the vertical and horizontal swing of the tripod while controlling the camera. The bursts of fireworks at the start were smaller. Towards the end, the bursts and the fire trails were louder and intense.

The grand finale showed a few loud bursts with flames interwoven with one another and I felt I was submerged myself in the world of wonderland. After an exciting and spectacular array of fireworks display, good times only lasted for about five minutes. The crowd gave a roar sensing the end of the fireworks display. It was really a spectacular sight worth all the effort to be there.

Immediately, we left the scene amidst a massive traffic jam. We walked to the car which was about 500 meters away and then drove away within minutes.

The Results

I could not contain my excitement and at 1.30am, I uploaded the photos into my PC and started to admire them. I was quite satisfied with the results considering that it was my first time taking fireworks photography. However, there were still rooms for improvement and I need to consult the photography friends to improve on my skills.

A few of the well taken photos showed the bursts of fireworks with nucleus brightly lighted up radiating streaks of red, yellow, blue or green flames against the cool dark night sky. There were many different patterns: birds, spiky sphere, ghostly figures, etc. Of course, there were many unsuccessful shots which I could not catch them.

Reading the Star newspaper on 1 January 2006, I could see that the fireworks display at the KLCC in Kuala Lumpur was much more magnificent. Well, I shall gather a few photography friends to be at KLCC next year to usher in the New Year for 2007.

By KC

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Youth & the Year Ahead

2005 will soon draw to a close. It has been an eventful year for me participating in running, trekking and biking; I hope you have the same experiences too.

Moving forward, let us renew our commitment and enthusiasm to strive harder in outdoor quest and also in our career.

Wishing you a challenging and happy year ahead.

Below is my favourite inspirational passage and I would like to share it with you. It can really inspire and charge me up whenever I do not have the “oommp” in my endeavour; I hope it has the same profound effect on you too.

I first read this passage below in the September 1990 edition of Reader's Digest. I like it so much that I cut it out and keep it. After 15 years, on 2 January 2005, I decided to type into a softcopy document and share with my friends via emails. One of my friends was so touched and energized with the message that he replied excitedly: "YEAH...Let us die young at …". Then I realized that it was only the second day of 2005. It was really inappropriate for me sending the passage that provoked him to mention "die" at the start of a new year – did not sound auspicious. Nevertheless, I survive 2005 with much vigour.

So, I think it is appropriate to publish it at the end of the year.

Cheers,
KCxxx :-))



Youth

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.

Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.

When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20; but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80. (From Reader’s Digest - September 1990)

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A Glimpse of Photography

Stockie and Lye Hock are friends whom we share common interest in camera. I can not, at this moment, say "share common interest in photography" as I am not up to the standard yet. My skill is only up to point-and-shoot type covering running events. Let me show you what serious photography means.

Stockie's Photography Works

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Please click here to go to Stockie's weblog.

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It is ironic that the photos taken by Stockie (a nickname) were of razor-sharp, vivid and vibrant in colour even though the subject was in a distance. But the profile photo on him is blurred. I was trying very hard to see whether we can recognize him from that blur photo. Was he holding a handphone?

I guess his friend who took his photo could be an apprentice. Similarly, when guys go to the barber shop for haircut, if they are two barbers in the shop – one with neat and nice haircut, and the other one is of lousy haircut – who would you chose? Answer: select the barber with the lousy haircut as the master is not easily visible.

When I first received an email reply from Stockie, adding on to the confusion of this subject matter was the following line of technical specification:

Nikon D50 AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED, AF 50mm f/1.8D, Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro, Sigma MACRO 105mm F2.8 EX DG, SB600.

Looks like I need to spend time to decipher what these means. Apparently, every letter has its special meaning and also means much superior – come with higher capital outlay – than another one. For example: AF, S, DX, G, ED where AF stands for Auto Focus, etc. On initial reading of the camera manual, Nikon would publish that certain letter (or the absence of it) is compatible (or not compatible) with certain type of camera bodies. Hmm… not that simple after all.

Lye Hock's Photography Works

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Please click here to go to Lye Hock's weblog.

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His profile photo is even much more stylish -- we can only see his shadow.

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Under the Moonlight

After I have bought my Yashica SLR camera long time ago, I went back hometown one day to see that there was one type of flower planted by my parents started to blossom at midnight. The flower is white and the name is sounded like “kheng” flower. According to what I heard, when it blossoms, it would bring good luck to the family.

On that night, it was a coincidence that the full month was high up in the sky. By the light of the full moon, I could see the flowers in a silvery varnish. It was a rare moment of serenity and I found myself mesmerized by the full moon illuminating the flowers. So I took out my camera, lay flat on the ground below the flower with the moon as backdrop and started clicking away. I remembered too that one of my neighbours who was attracted by the camera flashes igniting the neighbourhood, was showing concern of my weird action.


By KC

Celebrating Life - Siemens Run 2006

Siemens Malaysia, in the sporting arena, organized the first Siemens Run in 2004 to propagate healthy living among Malaysian. With the previous success, the Siemens 10km Run is back again on 15 January 2006 at Dataran Merdeka.

Besides from encouraging Malaysians in the sport of road-racing, the run is also for charitable purposes, as the proceeds would be donated to the Pediatric Cancer Ward of University of Malaya Medical Center and the Rotary Club Kuala Lumpur DiRaja.

The Siemens Run has a special meaning to our group because it was the first 10km race after knowing Chantelle, MC, Janet and Sook Yuen in October 2004.

On race day, I would try out my new toy, Nikon D50 SLR camera, by capturing the runners in action – the expression and emotion on triumph, joy, determination, despair, agony, etc.

For those fast runners, this could be another arena for you to reinforce your standings. So, let us support this event for a good cause. As you can see in the photo below, our famous guy, TeyET, was so touched about this event.

Details of the race:
Date: Sunday, 15 January 2006
Time: 7.30am
Venue: Datara Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur
Fee: RM 10-00, RM5-00, RM3-00.
Distance: 10km, 7km, 2km.

Closing date of application: 11 January 2006
Website: www.Siemensrun.com.my
Telephone: 03-7660 9611
Email: mailto:siemenrun2006@totalsportsasia.com

Supported by: FTAAA
Sponsors: Milo, 100 Plus, etc.