Tag-Archive for ◊ Carboman ◊

08 Sep 2010 Location, Location, Location
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: HDR, Photos, Running, Running Routes  | Tags: ,  | 4 Comments

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 :) .

05 Sep 2010 Project A-Z: O for Optimism
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: A-Z, Photos, Projects, Running, Videos, iPhone  | Tags: ,  | 4 Comments

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

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.

05 Sep 2010 Quick Kill Tip: Dorsal Foot Pain
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: Injury, Running Shoes  | Tags:  | 4 Comments

All tied up

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.

03 Sep 2010 Press Release: Nike City 10K
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: Nike, Press Release, Race  | Tags:  | 2 Comments

Click on image to go to the event website

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 10th 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 31st 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 3rd 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

02 Sep 2010 Life’s Paradoxes
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: Photos, Rants, iPhone  | Tags: ,  | 6 Comments

Safe cat

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?

25 Aug 2010 1st K-Swiss RunnersMalaysia KLCC Runout
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: 5800, K-Swiss Running Club, RunnersMalaysia, Running  | Tags:  | 8 Comments

Another totally unrelated photo. This shot was made with the Nokia 5800 while caught in a jam recently. Wound down the car window and shot. Editing was made using the Camera+ iPhone app.

Yann Kai and I were part of the 10 runners who made up the first session of the K-Swiss RunnersMalaysia session. As it turned out, all were experienced runners. Even those fasting – KA and Syah – were there. So were Doris, Veron and friend, KK, Cheryl and ummm… 3 more new (at least to me) friends. Sorry I didn’t get your names. (Note: The 3 guys were David Ong, Raymond Wong and Andy Yap. Thanks KK!)

It was a little humid but I was glad to reap the benefits of the weekend long runs because otherwise I’d have crashed and burned from the rather brisk pace set. Gradually Yann Kai and KK pulled away and I was comfortable pacing with Cheryl at a sub-6 pace. I was pleased that I was able to maintain pace to the end.

This meet-up and run salvaged an otherwise crazy day which included 2 conference calls, 3 meetings and a sick son.

22 Aug 2010 2nd Dance With The Newton Course
Author: Jamie Pang |  Category: Photos, Running  | Tags:  | 6 Comments

A totally unrelated photo

A totally unrelated photo. It's one of my favorites captured using the cameraphone. The window frame neatly bisecting the outdoors (freedom) and indoor (imprisonment)

Sorry for the intermittent postings in the past week. So even when I’m about to keel over now from sleepiness, I felt that I need to put a post in. This morning started early at 4:15am but only because I was lucky. My acquaintance with a newly acquired clock was evidently still at an early stage and if not for my wife’s shuffling to the bathroom, I won’t have made the run this beautiful morning.

A beautiful day to me, speaking as a runner, means an overcast sky, heavy with moisture to the point of bursting. A strong breeze would be a bonus. It’s the hot and humid tropics anyway and such cool settings would certainly enhance a long run. We got off to a 5:09am start. Other than a glass of water at home before I drove out, there was no food intake. I wore my Nike hydration belt and that was it. Chin Chin, Poh Seng, Frank and I made up the quartet. Pace was comfortable steady and we only run into the Bukit Jalil around the 6K mark. They were a large posse, which was amazing. Yim and Karen were running among them too.

Other than a few packs of dogs, whom I showed who the real alpha male was, traffic was more lax than my first run with my TNF partner a couple of weeks back. At the Esso station where we had a brief stop, I picked up a bottle of Mountain Dew and  drink’s famed caffeine and sugar content delivered an almost instant kick. We finally managed to run the complete actual race route but not before having our resolve challenged, what with the endless and curvy climbs. I couldn’t resist picking up another bottle of Mountain Dew on the way back for another kick in the tired heinie. That sent me on the way to a faster last 4K – which was just about when it started to drizzle. Back at the car, conditions turned gusty and stormy. I quickly changed and made my way home. My Buckeyeoutdoors log told me that my Nimbus 11 has logged 327K. It’s still in excellent condition, fully justifying its steep price.

Showered and bathed Carbokid 2 before heading out with the family to check out a tuition center for Carbokid 1. Lunch was at the recently opened Empire Shopping Gallery, a rather upmarket retail establishment located just after Subang Parade. We were more curious about the place than anything. I was informed that the management was very selective of the tenants. McD, KFC and Pizza Hut was nowhere to be seen, and the nearest to those eateries were Kenny Rogers (not cheap certainly), and a few kopitiams. The rest were restaurants. All hopes for an affordable lunch was not lost as we bumped into Wan who clued us in to a gem of a place at the very top of the mall. Called Re:LeX, this little cafe occupies a corner in a large IT section of the mall. I’m no food critique but I like the herb covered roast chicken with a large serving of real mash potatoes. At RM13.90, it’s a no brainer. C1 had fish and chips (3 large portions of fish) and my wife nasi lemak with chicken rendang. All excellent. No government and service tax just sweetens the deal. I had no more room for the durian cake (RM10.80) unfortunately. So check the place out if you’re in the Subang area.

OK, I’m really pooped. Gonna go horizontal for awhile.

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