SUPERsports.

My previous post, I blah blah about my career, but let's move on from that. Today, I wanna talk about one of my many hobbies - sports.

I am no runner, no swimmer by birth. I was borned into a short family. Not that my parents are hobbits, but mum & dad ain't that tall. The only one thing that mum said when I was pulled out from her womb is that - I was TOTALLY Bald. She concluded that I may be a good swimmer when I grow up because I was born aerodynamic. She took back those words after spotting my first strand of hair at age 2.

So, being short and plump, I had no obvious potential. Dad could only praise me for being super diligent and hardworking in sports :P (what!??!?!). I can practice whole day-whole night cause I know if I don't, I can never beat those tall, strong girls. I performed pretty well in  swimming at MASUM (University Games) at age 23, and found out that I can backstroke quite well (never liked backstroke when I was younger). I am now running my own small swimming business whereby my niche is teaching kids and ladies.


Running wasn't in my blood til I was 18. From swimming, my coach was determined that there's still an "age group" for old swimmers like me (18 is veteran already when it comes to swimming): it's called Triathlon. My swim coach and his gang of Ipoh Roadrunners were avid triathletes thus introducing me to the sport. Actually, my first ever long distance run was during sport trials at high school where I ran err.....200 m track and panted like a fucked up puppy. At that time I simply thought that if I could swim well, I could run well. Well, duh! Didn't realised they weren't the same set of muscles used in running and swimming (I don't like studying human anatomy). So started learning and practice running. My first REAL long-distance running, 10km, was at Ipoh RoadRunner's run. From then, I progress to triathlon and biathlons by waking up 5am in the morning to swim and run at Ipoh Swimming Club almost every other day (I was 19 years old). I remembered winning a pair of Brooks running shoes after being in podium position for a small biathlon event.

Swimming took over my life and life was all about swimming. I forgot all about running but not until I entered university and was being ragged by seniors to run the WHOLE of UPM campus. And guess what, I came out top of the pack. Actually, I have a very good stamina, and not because I can run fast. In 2009, I entered my first 10km run at SCKL after several years of hiatus. I have a log book of all my runs. Not only scuba diving has log book, ok? 

My log. Running races since 2009:
1. Standard Chartered KL Marathon - 10km - 26 June 2009 <--- first LDR after 6 yrs hiatus
2. Energizer Night Race - 10km - 27 March 2010
3. New Balance Pacesetters  -15km - 16 May 2010
4. Standard Chartered KL Marathon - 21km - 27 June 2010
5. Ipoh International Marathon - 21km - 18 July 2010 <--- hometown run!
6. Penang Bridge Marathon - 21km - 21 Nov 2010 <--- Super-duper Thunderstorm and got sick after that.
7. Malakoff - 12km run - 19 Dec 2010 <--- Killer hill almost at the end of the route. Gila
8. Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon - 21km - 20 Feb 2011 <--- first ever International run - super-duper cold (11 degrees)!
9. Menara KL Towerthon - 2058 steps (24 floors) - 7 May 2011 <--- I did super well. Name at first page of the results page.
10. New Balance Pacesetters - 15km - 5 June 2011
11. Standard Chartered KL Marathon - 21km - 26 June 2011
12. Centro Run, Klang - 12 km - 23 July 2011
13. 7th Pacemaker Relay (PAR) - 14 Aug 2011
14. Siemens Run - 10 km - 25 Sept 2011 <--- worst ever 10km run. Ran super slow and dunno why.
15. Adidas KING of the Road - 16.8km - 2 Oct 2011
16. PJ Half Marathon - 21km - 20 Oct 2011<--- super hot sun. I got super headache after that.
17. Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore - 42.2km - 4 Dec 2011 <--- broke my FM virginity
18. Malakoff - 12km run - 18 Dec 2011

Me in Pink cotton Victoria Secret shorts. First run after 6 years of hiatus - SCKL 2009.

Penang Bridge Marathon 2010 - Super heavy thunderstorm during the run cause me to get high fever after that.

Race pack collection at Victoria Park, Hong Kong

Running through Hong Kong Island. If Singapore was super-crowded, then Hong Kong's run was super-DUPER crowded and super COLD. So can't complain much abt Singapore, yeh.

New Balance Pacesetters 15km 2010, Putrajaya

Hey, ECP, I am going to challenge you again next year! FMV at Singapore 20111204

What's next for me in running? I have yet to plan any races for 2012. Nil. Zero. This is because I am giving running a short hiatus. I am concentrating on major runs, and not to participate in too many minor runs which may cause me to get jaded. If you know me well enough, I get jaded with things pretty fast. By choosing a few races to enter I want to ensure I don't lose the excitement in running or try not to do anything TOO MUCH. I tak nak jadi muak.

Possibly, the Sundown Marathon at Singapore (May 2012) is next. My running coach @Teh Boon King said that I might be facing the challenging ECP again (cause Singapore so small, sure use ECP wan, where else?). But deep down inside me, I feel like facing ECP once again to challenge myself and make a comeback this May.

SUPERB life!

THE GREAT SINGAPORE SAIL!

It's the GREAT Sg. (sungai?) SALE!

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/index.jsp 

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/394710/heavy_rains_cause_severe_flooding_along_orchard_road.html

Heard that Hermes store was affected by the flood.

I want to be at Ground Zero itself... looking for any Hermes bag, just in case there's one floating on Orchard Road!!

Yes, yes...there it is!!!

Jakun diving (macam kat Tasik Chini)!? Tak pernah tengok banjir ke?

(Disclaimer: no offence, but maybe this guy was abt to save someone. good samaritan) 

"Wake me up when September ends" - GreenDay

One of my fav song by Greenday. I think it's about time - my inaugural first post for the month of September. I really have been 'sleeping', so today is time to wake up.

There's so much to blog about, but there were certain things that struck me as interesting and worth mentioning:

Kanye West....bullied my no.1 female idol: Taylor Swift. I don't adore Taylor Swift as a person nor her songs. I just adore her curled-hair. And totally love her silver toga gown she wore at the VMAs. But Kanye was totally disrespectful to just barge up there and disrupt her acceptance speech! I feel for Taylor. She, as was everyone else, was appalled by what Kanye did. Good thing many ppl booed. Not even his fans condone his act. Nope, not any thousand apologies could render forgiveness for that act.

Nevermind what happened; it did happened. But what was the cue that made that mad-man go up to just speak his mind at the wrong time. Maybe he's just Gemini, and that's my theory. Very typical behaviour of male-gemini. He has the same birth date as I: 8th June; that's why I think I know why he loves the attention so much and at the same time being reckless about it.

This September began with my OWN (yes, my own) swimming classes. I've got many students who are willing to brave thru' the strict management of my apartment just to be my faithful followers. They showed passion in swimming and that's why I love teaching all of 'em. Now, I have a good many followers in my new religion of swimming. How faithful!! What do you think of the name (of my so-called future swim business): *"DIP DEEP"

*Nope, not just yet. Cause I can't pay for the rent of the pool just yet.

I would have to thank my dearest friend *Jonie for this opportunity. I was always afraid of water-rafting because:

1. I love my body;

2. Though I might have some permanent head damage, I need the head and what's in it;

3. Honestly, I am a little height phobic, that's why I don't go on roller coasters or solero shot (ever again);

4. I love my fingers: All of my digits are designed for scientific research, write, type and Facebooking;

5. I might have to redo my manicure.

6. Kiasi!

But the trip in Ulu Slim has awaken some amount of confidence, and with such crazy friends (or some said I was the only crazy one*) to raft along, I am hoping for the next trip....say at KKB, yah?!

*Jonie, you were sooo composed during rafting! But nope, I'll never ever Kiteboard (try convincing me again).

Maybe I should stick to swimming and running. But some say, I might just die in a car crash, or get knock by a car while running our Malaysian roads......instead. Kiasi is not an excuse.

As Jonie would have said: Trudge on.

Are you smarter than a Year 5 swimmer?

Everyone knows how bad my spoken Mandarin is. My cantonese was improved by speaking to Aikido dudes. My Mandarin has also improve MUCH since I started teaching swimming since 2++ years back. And what the hell...most of the words are translated for me by my 6 to 11-year-old students during swimming lessons. My MANDARIN ... aha ...see below on how those kids taught me how to speak new vocabs:

English = Mandarin (contoh ayat: "said by me")


1. Straight = che (contoh ayat: "Wah lau, please la, for God's grace if you don't want to drown, che your hands!)."


2. Bengkok = wan (contoh ayat: "Your hands, please la, don't wannnn; Ni yau sze arrr?? (you wanna die arr)"


3. Push down = aann or ing (??) (contoh ayat: "Wei, I will die, not you, if you aann my hands down."


4. Swimming = yu yong (contoh ayat: Wei, why the chubby boy never come yu chui today?? (Hokkein vocab already! :P)


5. Mouth open and blow! = (man, I thought this is the most explicit of all). Some kids literally translated this phrase for me! Innocent...


6. Open = kai (contoh ayat = "Wei, for breast-stroke, your legs are supposed to kai big big like a circle and then push hard ....!!" (Hope their mothers can explain to them when they get home).


Broken also my England after speaking to my students. Still, some parents forced me to speak broken English with their kids. And again, I wonder if they understood the rest of my rojak sentence; I don't even want to know what 'DROWNING' is in Mandarin, in case those gazing parents accuse me of spreading the negativity of death (wait, didn't I said the word 'die' all this time?!).

Because of the multiple languages Malaysians speak, don't you just love being the Malaysia?? But I don't want to spread a new religion in the pool. And maybe that's why most of the time I swim alone. :)