One could argue that the element that makes the run wonderful is the state of mind. However since how good or lousy we feel is the result of our mind, that argument is moot. We then look outside ourselves, factors beyond our control to explain what makes a run outstanding. Timing aside, it’s the company of friends during my runs. So does the weather. Another factor is the location of the run. Although limited, I’ve ran in some pretty inspiring settings. Ones that immediately come to mind include my labouring up Bukit Tinggi last year, the River Jungle Marathon course, crossing the Penang Bridge (back in my school days when it wasn’t that barricaded), and a village in the outskirts of Bangkok. Even the rolling hills of the Newton course provided some degree of wonderment when the handful of us ventured deep enough yesterday to emerge at Equine Park Sri Kembangan! Then there was the NYC Marathon course and Central Park.

During the recent weekend getaway to Port Dickson, the settings were just about right for an easy 10K along the coastal road. The downer was the scene was too distractingly beautiful where we stayed that I spent my time shooting than lacing up. My stay was too short in any case and the kids needed to be minded. It’s the same with photography, sometimes the location just inspires you to go out and shoot. In PD, you can say that photography won .

Explaining his wares - coffee press and teapots

One of the most colorful features of the local wet markets in this country is the presence of street vendors. selling anything from pots and pans, all-in-one chopper, wonder mops and brooms to rattan baskets. One requisite to be a vendor is to have the gift of the gab, the ability to just talk… convincingly. When the session starts, there’ll usually be a crowd but I’ve not hung around long to gauge the number of sales.

This mop cleans everything!

The products are usually not bad actually and they usually work according to the vendors’ claims and promises. The customer however, is advised not to lay too much hope on the durability of the purchase. Despite the proliferation of hypermarts like Tesco, Giant, Carrefour and other supermarkets in the country, there’s always be a spot for these vendors in the markets.

I find myself looking forward to more long runs. Not because it’s only a month and a half to the ultra. I love the feeling it gives me. I don’t know how to put it but things always seem to be better after a weekend 13-15 miler. There’s a certain optimism and contentment to be experienced. The family would just have woken up by the time I reach home, and other than getting their 8-hour sleep, that’s what they’ve only accomplished. To be sure, I’d love to have that 8-hour pillow time too but the weekend is already 5 days too short. One can’t spend their precious time sleeping! So by 9am, with 13 miles (or more) tucked away, showered and ready to take on whatever duties there are for the weekend definitely sets you off for a great day, until at least 8pm when the Monday dread starts to creep in.

The long runs empower me. Rest can come later.

Photo courtesy of Frank

Note: Together with 15 other friends, I had a nice 28K run on the Newton Challenge route this morning. Incidentally there was another group of about 20 runners who started from another location. The Bukit Jalil-Puncak Jalil-Lestari Perdana areas felt more like Hartamas this morning! It will be my last run there until the actual race end of this month. Weather was superb and it drizzled much of the return. Although we started together I ended covering the last 10K alone. My left foot was painful the final 10K probably due to a wrong choice of shoes. A bright spot was my first use of the BV Calf Compression sleeve. BV is sponsoring me with the sleeve and it will be put to good use from now on. Let me tell you this – it really works. My calves were spared the post-race fatigue and if not for the foot discomfort, it would have been a perfect run for me. Feel free to share the video – hopefully it brings more newcomers to the sport. Crediting and linking back to this website is all I ask.

All tied up

I get questions from runners about discomfort and soreness on the top (dorsal) of the foot where the shoe lacing is. The problem is usually due to either or both of these common reasons:

Lacing technique.
90% of people will lace their footwear using the criss-crossed method and some of them will experience the discomfort mentioned above. This could be due to overly tight laces putting pressure on the top of the foot. As a result, the extensor tendons are inflammed. The solution? Try re-lacing your shoes from the criss-crossed style to the parallel style. You’ll notice an immediate relief on that area of your foot. The photo above shows you the difference between both techniques – the left shoe is on parallel lacing.

Shoe fit.
If re-lacing doesn’t work for you, perhaps you’ll need to re-evaluate if the shoe fitting is correct for you. It could be a size too small or the cut too narrow. Try out different sizes or alternative brands on your next visit to the running store. Some brands have certain fit characteristics and over time, you’ll know which ones fit you well. Remember, we’re all built differently.

So the next time you notice discomfort recheck your shoe lacing and fit. If all else fails, a visit to your podiatrist may be beneficial. You’d also want to check out other probable causes from this website or this one.

Click on image to go to the event website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NIKE CITY 10K KUALA LUMPUR

Nike Commits to Growing Running Community in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 September 2010 – Nike Malaysia recently kicked off registration for the inaugural Nike City 10K Kuala Lumpur, a unique celebration of sport that will see young runners racing through the streets of Kuala Lumpur on 10^th October 2010 in their bid to be crowned champions of the city.

With the aim of inculcating the passion for running amongst the youth of today, the Nike City 10K has targeted 10,000 runners for the race with more than 6,000 of those runners falling in the Under-25 category. Nike’s commitment to growing the young running community in Malaysia is underscored by the organization of the race that will take place in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city centre.

Race registrants can opt for a 5km or 10km route when signing up for the city race and will be guaranteed of a premium race experience with engaging performances positioned in key zones along both race routes to motivate and energize runners.

The Nike City 10K will be hosted by 22 countries across the globe, with Malaysia and Singapore carrying the banner for South East Asia. In addition to the physical race, both cities will be pitting their runners in an inter-city race that will see Malaysian runners lace up against their Singaporean counterparts to clock kilometers for their city now till 31^st Oct 2010 using the Nike+ Sportband.

The intense rivalry between both cities will serve to spur Malaysian runners to commit their kilometers for national pride and for the chance to win USD30, 000 for local charity Hope Malaysia whilst Singapore will run for the Singapore Children’s Society.

“The Nike City 10K highlights Nike’s commitment to the sport of running with the sole aim of providing runners with an unparalleled running experience that combines music, entertainment and a little bit of rivalry with the Kuala Lumpur vs Singapore challenge. Our hope is to see more young runners embrace running and commit to challenging themselves or their friends through the expanding the online running community that is Nike+,” said Menaha Nadaraja, Country Marketing Manager, Nike Malaysia.

The physical race will take place in both cities in the month of October.  The Nike City 10K flags off in Kuala Lumpur on 10th October and Singapore’s race is slated for 24 October 2010.

Registration for the Nike City 10K is currently open and runners can sign up for either the Open category (Men / Women) or Under 25 category (Men / Women). Young runners can also sign up for the School category, which is open to students from secondary schools, colleges and universities. The registration fee is RM10 (for runners 24 years and below) and RM50 (for runners 25 years and above) and this includes a Nike City 10K race t-shirt with a pre-printed number bib and a finisher’s award for all participants who complete the race.

Race registrants who sign up for the Nike City 10K will enjoy a 50% discount on the Nike+ SportBand and this enables them to take part in the inter-city Kuala Lumpur vs Singapore online challenge on www.nikerunning.com.my. Nike+ SportBand is a runner’s link to the world’s largest running club with almost 2 million members globally, where you can log and review runs, get training advice, challenge friends and more.

To help young runners understand and embrace the sport of running, Nike Malaysia will be organizing a series of training runs for young runners to train together for the Nike City 10K Kuala Lumpur. Training run sessions will be help from 18 September to 3^rd October 2010 at select destinations. Participation is free and runners who sign up for the sessions will get to trial the latest Nike running products and gain access to running tips from experts.

For more information on Nike City 10K Kuala Lumpur, please log on to www.nikerunning.com.my.

###

NIKE, Inc.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit nikebiz.com.

For media enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact:

Menaha Nadaraja
Country Marketing Manager
Nike Malaysia
+603 7711 6856
Email: menaha.nadaraja@nike.com

Syahrul Amri
Group Account Director
Milk PR Sdn, Bhd.
Mobile  : +6012 3058829
Tel       : +603 20948915
Email    : amri.rahim@milkpr.com.my

I’m not much of a car person but every once in awhile a nice set of wheels catches my attention. Such was the case when I returned from lunch today and spotted across the road a parked futuristic-looking one. Imagine my surprise to discover that the beauty was actually a Honda Civic, bearing a very unusual number plate. Snapped a few shots, processed them in the lift to my office and uploaded them when I got home.

I really like the rear

I dug around and learned that the model of Civic was the 2009 European version. Now how the heck did it end up on our shores? And what kind of plate numbers was that? If you know, do let me know.

Safe cat

Scenario 1

1. You take a day off work to rest, chill out, spend time with the neglected family.
2. You return to office the very next day (having actually worked from home half your vacation day) to 191 emails which snowballed to over 240 by lunch time.
   Paradox: Taking vacations are stressful and will generate even more stress.

Scenario 2

1. You make sure that every piece of communication at work is in “black and white”. Which is one of the reasons why there are emails exchanged for everything, from “Thank yous” to emails starting off as “This is confirm our conversation…”
2. Emails are supposed to make work easier and faster. Before the advent of email at work, there was the telephone. Whether or not a person can type faster than he can speak is debatable but with the email outdoing the phone in terms of usage in the corporate world, office workers seem to think so.
   Paradox: The more advance we are, the less we trust and dislike calling people on the telephone.
   Bonus: Instead of making live easier, technology is being wrongly implemented resulting in more stressful lives.

Scenario 3

1. You spot a disused fire-proof cabinet at an open area and walk up to it. In the process you surprised a cat which leapt away.
2. The scene is right for a photo and you compose the shot.
3. The very same cat returned and dashed across the frame and you instinctively mashed the shutter button.
   Paradox: The iPhone, which is first and foremost well…a phone, is a very very responsive camera.
   Bonus: The iPhone, which is first and foremost well…a phone, is also very capable at photo editing.

Do you have other examples to share?