Sunday, February 15, 2015

TKCOGA Walk-A-Run Race Report

Putrajaya, 15th February 2015 Malay Girls College (MGC), now known as Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) Old Girls Association organized a fun-filled, family event on Sunday,

February 15th 2015 from 7am at Kompleks Sukan Air, Presinct 6, Putrajaya.

The Wife to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Yang Amat Berbahagia Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, a TKC alumni herself, graced the event as the patron of the TKC Walk-a-Run Carnival alongside the Youth and Sports Minister,

Yang Berhormat Encik Khairy Jamaluddin.

The carnival aims to raise RM 2,000,000 in stages for the benefit of athletic and sports development facilities in the newly relocated school in Bandar Enstek,

Nilai.

The first stage of the fundraising aim to raise RM 500,000 towards the #TKCfieldproject. The Carnival’s main attraction is a 5km run or walk, with participants encouraged to be dressed to the nines! There are also other activities at the carnival site, including a Bouncy Castle for the children, and aerobics, zumba, poco-poco and insanity fitness for the adults.

YAB Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah danced the poco-poco alongside YB Khairy,

she then cheered on from the sidelines while YB Khairy went one-on-one with Encik Mohd Farid Isham (nicknamed Cat) for the KJ Challenge, where Encik Cat beat YB Khairy 3-2 and won an iPad Air.

All donations from the KJ Challenge go towards the #TKCfieldproject.

The VVIPs were accompanied by the MGC/TKC OGA committee throughout the event; Tan Sri Datuk Dr Rafiah Salim, President MGC/TKC OGA, Pn Mariam Tun Sulaiman, Deputy President MGC/TKC OGA, Datuk Hafsah Hashim, Vice President Agama & Education MGC/TKC OGA, and Datin Norhizan Ibrahim Vice President Social & Welfare MGC/TKC OGA.

The Race Director for the MGC/TKC Walk-a-Run Carnival is

Pn Nik Lini Hayati Nik Kazim (Pn Lini Kazim), who is also the current Best

Malaysian Female Triathlete at Ironman Langkawi 2014.

From MGC in Bukit Damansara to TKC in Bukit Merbah and now the new school in Bandar Enstek, the college has been both a school and a home for many

bright young ladies who then went forth to become prominent figures in various fields both locally and internationally. TKC prides itself in being excellent academically, there are also potential athletes among the girls that require proper

athletic and sports facilities to train in and it is through this carnival that the

MGC / TKC OGA hopes to raise adequate funds. The new school has yet to have a Sports Day since moving to Bandar Enstek in 2012. The MGC/TKC OGA hopes that this fundraiser will be a success to ensure a return of Sports Day to the TKC school grounds.

Click Here to Like my FB and See the Photos!

The main supporter for the event includes UEM with the co-organisers

Perbadanan Putrajaya and MGC/TKC OGA. A full list of winners and sponsors areprovided below:

Fastest Male (Open)

1. David Mutai

2. Paul Kimani

3. Edan Syah

Fastest Malaysian

1. Edan Syah

2. Vadiveloo

3. Riki

Fastest Female (Open)

1. Dorcas Jebotif Tarus

2. Loh Chooi Fern

3. Mayumi

Fastest Team (Open)

1. Pacemakers Malaysia

2. Spartan

3. ACAC Team 1

Fastest TKC Girls

1. Alyssa Sofea Ahmad Zaharil (Form 3)

2. Nur Alyssa Nadia (Form 4)

3. Nur Fauzana Munawar (Form 4)

Best Costume (Individual)

1. Amelia Ang Peck Har (dressed as a Butterfly)

2. Abmin (dressed as an Egyptian)

3. Aleximon (dressed as a student)

Best Costume (Team)

1. Flintstone

2. Spartan

3. Legion

Most “Likes” Received for Selfie

1. Elisakamarul (30 likes)

2. Mieraazhar (12 likes)

3. Merlin_mahajud (10 likes)

Most “Likes” Received for Wefie

1. Shaxu_8 #Merantau9600 (23 likes)

2. tcerfudgy #hotmama (9 likes)

3. nadihilafs #snowwhite&7dwarfs (8 likes)

Sponsors List:

Organized by: MGC/TKC OGA

Supported by: Perbadanan Putrajaya

Sponsors:

UEM SME Bank Allianz SME Corp Boustead Dutch Lady PLUS Agro Bank PNB

Bouncetopia DRIVE Lifeline ID Running Malaysia Dinastia Jati Moola

Doof QSR Tesco Athlete’s Circle Ecoride Insanity Fitness Milo Northport Hyrax OilTenaga System Consultancy JCorp FiberG

The official Facebook account for the event is:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/TKC-Walk-a-Run-Carnival/

The official website for the event is: http://tkccarnival.wix.com/tkcwalkaruncarnival

The official instagram account for the event is: @tkccarnival

Click Here to Like my FB and See the Photos!

International Rembau Century Ride 2015 Race Report

My first race for 2015 and it was the Rembau Century Ride 2015. With lesser exposure and time allowed riding on the road due to work and safety concerns, rides like these are a good opportunity to "go out and sweat". Add the purchase of a new TT bike, it's only fair that I let the bike have some fun as well.

The registration was completed late last year and the race kit collection was completed a week before the race. it was very well coordinated with the organiser ready to provide all the information needed. With no plans for staying over at Seremban for the ride, I car pooled with Hin Toong and drove down at 4.30am in the morning of the race. Prior to this, an arrangement to be part of the Old Putera (OP) team was done and I can't say no to camaraderie and some OP-styled banters. We arrived at the RV point (location not to be reviewed for national security reasons) which was close to the starting point - about 1.5km away.

Thank you OP Syed Azlan for the pic

The funny thing about Rembau Century Ride is we do not ride into Rembau or passed it, but rather, we ride around it. I guessed the novelty about this is that the current Sports and Youth Minister, En. Khairy Jamaludin is the MP for Rembau, and he will be officiating the ride. Kudos to him for coming on time and walked (without bodyguard) amongst the riders to the front podium to flag us off. I guess there is where his charms lie being a public figure and still not very arrogant about it.

Some of the OPs that took part. Thanks OP Syed Azlan for the pic.

The ride started with me being at the back of the pack. I've always jittery riding in a big group as there will always be chances of crashes when one of two lapse concentration while riding in the peloton. As I am very much training alone, I felt more comfortable to ride solo or with a friend or two which I am comfortable with. The ride started without much delay and just 2km into the ride, a rider was seen on the road side, believed to had slided under the uneven road. I was pacing with a few friends until circa KM20 when the cable tie holding my torpedo bottle (strapped to the stem and my TT handlebar) snapped. I have two choices, finish up the Hammer HEED and don't use it for hydration in this race OR find a quick solution to secure the bottle and still use this. The first option wasn't viable as I do not want to waste the HEED, so I went hunting for strings to secure the bracket. I found it by a road side stall selling fresh produce.

Somewhere at KM24, Ayer Kuning

Crude as it seen, but it did the job for the remaining of the ride with no issues. have to make mental note to bring additional cable tie to fix anything loose next time around.

After the ride, back home

As the ride went into the 30km mark, immediately after the turn off towards Linggi at Kampung Kundur, headwind and crosswind started to blow with the participants. As with all wind, I would had thought this is momentary and would subside within the next 2 to 3 km. However, it seems that the wind refused to go off. I begin to notice many immediately in front of me slowing down as they were fighting headwind. Even myself in the aero position was having a struggling with the oncoming wind. With the deep dish (100mm back and 80mm front), I was being pushed left and right due to the crosswind. It continues all the way until CP1 circa KM45 - and it continues pretty much the whole way. The crosswind and headwind became the highlight of the race.
Below is my take on Nutrition (fuel and hydration), bike setup and actual effort riding the race.
Nutrition
The rest of the race was pretty uneventful. What i aimed to achieve in the ride was to fine tune my hydration, fuel and electrolytes. I started the race with 3 bottles of Hammer HEED, each 750ml and with 2.5 scoops of HEED, providing up to 800kcal for up to 3hours of ride.
I timed my fuel at 45-50minutes interval with each time a pack of Hammer Gel (each 90kcal), and this provide me up to 200kcal of fuel every 45-50minutes in combination with the HEED. Going by the guidance of 1/3 of your kcal consumption, I got it spot on.

prepared 7 packs of gel, consumed 4 only.

The tummy wasn't bloated and I did not have any instances of bonking, or near bonking - no simple sugar were consumed = no sugar spike = no sugar crash = no bonk. I supplement the fuel with 2x Endurolytes and 1xAnti Fatigue (precious as I am running out of these, even whole country!). In addition to these, I took 1 banana from CP2 and decided that a sip of gassy electrolyte soda given out were too sweet/gassy for my linking. I am glad I skipped that! I now believe I've gotten my fuelling plan very near to what I need and will perhaps include 1 Perpetuem tablet (30kcal each) per hour as insurance.
As for hydration, I stick to the planned 750ml/hour and top up with water at CP2 and CP4. In all, I consumed close to 2.5liters of liquid and a pee-stop confirmed I was well hydrated with the urine color to be pale yellow.
Bike setup
This is the longest I've taken the Boardman AiR9.8 TT for a ride. With the recent upgraded seat to ISM Prologue, changes to the aeropad from old aircon pad to Fizik aero-gel, I did not have any issue with any aches during and after the ride. Correct sizing and fitting as advised by Hee Hong Cycle, I now appreciate the money I've spent on the new frame. Compared to the Ironman races I've done with the older oversized Ordu (I still misses her sexy curves), the Boardman were heaven and hell in comparison when it comes to comfort and power transfer.

I felt pro. Thanks Ray Lee for the capture.

I brought along one tubular and two CO2 catridges in case of puncture. Total weight without rider was approximately close to 13kg (bike alone about 9kg). I am now 71.5kg and still looking for the best power-to-weight ratio for sustained effort. The Boardman AiR TT is a very very stiff and responsive bike. There was a few times that I gave the bike a "go". Picking up from my Garmin Connect ride details and looking at the few "speed spike", assisted by average of 2m drop in descent (which you won't feel over a 1km distance, as an example), I went from 38.7km/h to 56km/h within 900m distance at the expense of heart rate spike of about 13bpm (140 to 153). Elevation differences were about 4m in the 900m. This Boardman AiR 9.8TT is a speed machine and it seems I am the hindrance for the bike to go even faster! Time to upgrade the crank perhaps for better efficiency?

How hard did I work
With the Garmin 920xt paired with the heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor, I had a very good information of my effort in data form. Of course if I had a power meter, I would had been more efficient with the ride. The ride was done 95% using the 53 crank (large crank) and only dropped to the smaller 39 when the headwind get really nasty. My spinning cadence was average of 79rpm and it was near my typical training cadence as well. I now really appreciate the amount of time I spent on the trainer to relearn muscle memory. My average HR were 138bpm or about 74% of my max HR 186bpm). From Garmin Training Effect (TE) perspective, it was a 2.8TE effort, which translate to my Zone 3 Tempo pace (Joe Friel for cycling based on my LTHR of 150bpm) - hardly pushing and comfortably "hard".
Why is this important? As an endurance athlete that does Swim, Bike and Run, it is important to be able train myself to be efficient with body fuel usage and muscle stress and loading.

HammerOn. Thanks Ray Lee!

Full Garmin Connect Data

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/687241773

Race Pros and Cons

Pros

- very well organised from registration to race day itself. Organiser should be commended for the super fast open communication on my queries.

- Nice route for a 160km easy ride. Flat route made challenging due to the headwind and crosswind (is it always that windy in the inland of Negeri Sembilan???)

- Kudos to the organiser for engaging the Polis, Fire Department and volunteers that manned 80% of junctions and intersections. The 10% were on very less traffic area and pose no concern for the riders. The next 10%, see below.

Cons

- While the water stations were sufficient, the last water station circa KM130 ran dry of water and food. Slower rider may have to buy their own at petrol stations or grocery stores.

- Section at Tanjung Ipoh were highly trafficked. Cars zooming very closely and this was where the dangers lie. I was almost sideswipe as one car pulled too close for comfort. I managed to avoid crashing due to experience and knowing how my bike behave. Otherwise, it may turn ugly. This 10% section or approximate 20km that runs from Tampin to last water station was very busy with traffic. Even the local say this road turns into a highway on weekend.

- Lunch served could had been better thought off - simple buns and ice cold water would be a big win instead of the rice box or noodles that was served as they have high chances of going bad under the hot morning/afternoon.

- There was no finishing experience. For those crossing the line in their first Century Ride...there was no fanfare, no one to greet you and no one to tell you where to go.

Thank You

To my team, 2ndSkin and the collaborators Garmin Malaysia, Hammer Nutrition Malaysia, Kraftfit, Lifeline-ID and Skechers (I was wearing a socks from Skechers), thank you, and to Hee Hong Cycle for the Boardman AiR 9.8 TT support too.

Gratitude to the Old Putera Team of cyclists and supporters for doing the internal coordination and flawless support, the organising committee and all volunteers that has made the race a good experience.

And thank you for the awesome headwind and crosswind, that added color to the ride!

Press Release : TKC Walk-a-Run Carnival

Kuala Lumpur, 27 January 2015 - Malay Girl College (MGC) or now known as Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC) Old Girls Association will.be organising a fun-filled, family event on Sunday, February 15, 2015 from 7am at Complex Sukan Air, Precinct 6, Putrajaya. First Lady, Yang Amat Berbahagia Dating Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor will grace the event as the patron of MGC/TKC alongside with Youth and Sports Minister, Yang Amat Berhormat Encik Khairy Jamaluddin on that day.

The Carnival aims to raise RM500,000.00 for the benefit of athletic and sports development facilitiesnin the newly relocated school in Bandar Enstek, Nilai. The Carnival Main attraction is a costume 5km run or walk, and there are also other activities ongoingnatbthw carnival site, including Bouncy Castle for the children, and aerobics, zumba, and insanity fitness for the adults. Prizes will be given to the fastest runner by their respective categories. In addition to that, best dressed participant will also be rewarded based on "selfies" and "defies" uploads which will be actively monitored by social media during the event day.

Starting out as Malay Girls College in Bukit Damansara to TKC in Bukit Merbah and now the new school in Bandar Enstek, the college has been both a school and a home for many bright young ladies who then went forth to be a prominent figures in various fields both locally and internationally. TKC prides itself in being excellent academically, there are also potential athletes among the girls that require proper athletic and sports facilities to train in and it is through this carnival MGC/TKC hopes to raise adequate funds.

The main supporter for the event is Perbandaran Putrajaya and Gold Sponsor is UEM.

Other sponsors are Lifeline-ID, Doof Industries, Running Malaysia, Athlete's Circle, SMECorp, Tesco, Plus, Insanity Fitness, Fiber G, Bouncetopia, Allianz, Johor Corporation, Nestle, Hyrax Oil, Moola, Dinastia Jati, Drink M7 and B Dec Resources.

For registration details :

Registration starts : 01 Dec 2014 to 31 Jan 2015

Online Registration : Click here to register

Entry info & cost:

Registration fee: RM50

Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya 2015 Early Bird Ending Soon

Ironman 70.3 Malaysia will continue to take place this year in Putrajaya, the Administrative Capital of Malaysia. For a brief highlight and race report of the inaugrual race in 2014, click here to read about it, including the Swim, Bike and Run route.

If you have been dabbling in olympic distance triathlon and looking forward or thinking of getting yourself wet with half Iron distance, this will be a good venue and race for your debut.

2014 Athlete Check In

The discounted early bird is ending on January 31, 2015 and if you have the intention to sign up, do so soon!

Event Name: IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya

Date: Sunday, 5 April 2015

Time: 7AM

Venue: Millennium Monument Putrajaya Lake, Precinct 2, Putrajaya

Course: Swim - 1.9KM / Bike - 90KM / Run - 21.1KM

Prize Money: Top 5 winners for Pro Athlete Category. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies for Age Group Categories and teams.

IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Qualifying Race: 30 qualifying slots to the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria

General Entries: Individual and Team

Minimum Age: All athletes must be 18 years of age or older on race day

Individual Fees: USD265 (Regular Entry before 31 January 2015), USD295 (Late Entry after 31 January 2015)

Team Entry Fees: USD320 (Regular Entry before 31 January 2015), USD360 (Late Entry after 31 January 2015)

* Entry Fees are subject to 6% Malaysia GST + 6% Active Administration Fee

To register, please click here.

Contact: malaysia@ironman.com

For more information, visit www.ironmanputrajaya.com

Check out the 2014 IRONMAN 70.3 Putrajaya Highlights Clip:

See you there!

Xterra Malaysia 2015 To Be Held In Langkawi Island

Xterra Malaysia is back this year and will take place in the Island of Langkawi. Slotted to happen between May 1 to May 3 (Labor Day weekend), it will boast a combination of Sprint distance, Olympic distance and Trail run. There will be something for everyone.

2015 Race Format per Xterra Malaysia website

World Series Triathlon

The World Series triathlon returns to Malaysia for 2015 over the weekend of 1st to 3rd May 2015!

We will be offering both the World Championship Triathlon and a Sprint distance triathlon so that all XTERRA warriors will have the chance to compete.

Championship Triathlon

The Championship Distance Triathlon is the flagship XTERRA race, the chance to become a true XTERRA Warrior. The winner for each age group will be offereda slot in the lineup for the 2015 World Championships.

Distances -

Our exact distances will only be released nearer the time once we have

confirmed our courses. Distances for the Championship Triathlon are roughly as follows -

SWIM - 1.5km BIKE - 32km RUN - 11km

Sprint Triathlon

The Sprint Triathlon is exactly what it says on the tin, a shorter version of our

Championship Triathlon. Racing is still just as competitive and you can still earn yourself the title of an XTERRA Warrior!

Distances -

Our exact distances will only be released nearer the time once we have confirmed our courses. Distances for the Championship Triathlon are roughly as follows -

SWIM - 750m BIKE - 16km RUN - 5.5km

Trail Runs

Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about our XTERRA Trail runs for 2015!

Whether you're a hardcore trail runner or just looking for an easy way to warm down after your triathlon or you're just starting to explore the beautiful world of trail running then make sure you're there.

Our trail runs promise to be even more impressive for 2015 and will be the

perfect way to end your XTERRA Malaysia weekend.

Distances will include:- 5km, 11km and 21km.

Registration And Entry Fee

The organiser has set a very affordable EARLY BIRD entry fee from RM80 to bundle (all full distance races in) of RM470. This is made possible as the races are spread over 2-days with the triathlon happening on May 2 and trail run on May 3. For full package and entry fee, click here. Be reminded that early bird registration ends January 31, 2015.

Travelling to Langkawi

Malaysia Airlines is currently offering a very cheap flight, all inclusive from Rm130 return between Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Langkawi and back if you travel between April 30 and return May 3 or May 4.

Rooms or hotel in Langkawi is not too expensive if you choose right. Food and logistic arrangement is easy as well which adds to the whole experience of travelling within the country for a local race.

For Foreign warriors, the current exchange rates is favourable for international travel to Malaysia and would be an added advantage.

And if you did not know yet, the Xterra Malaysia in Langkawi will be the closing race for the Xterra Asian Tour! Below is the press release from EnduranceSportsWire.com

*Stay tuned to this blog for more updates on Xterra Malaysia

Malaysia To Host XTERRA Asian Tour Finale

Honolulu, HI – TEAM Unlimited, owners and producers of the XTERRA World Tour, has united its championship triathlons in Asia to create the XTERRA Asian Tour and will crown series champions at the season finale in Langkawi, Malaysia this May.

The five majors in the 2015 XTERRA Asian Tour are XTERRA Philippines on February 8 in Albay, XTERRA Saipan on March 28 in the Northern Marianas, XTERRA Guam on April 11 in Piti, the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship on April 18 in New South Wales, Australia, and XTERRA Malaysia – which will double as the XTERRA Asian Tour Championship race – on May 2 in Langkawi. (Note: The XTERRA Japan Championship in Hokkaido on August 29 will serve as the first race of the 2016 XTERRA Asian Tour.)

The top 15 amateur, Asian-elite, and professional racers at each event will earn points, with double points being offered at the finale in Malaysia. Racers will count their best three scores to determine champions in each division.

“Creating a point series for the XTERRA Asian Tour just like we’ve done in the U.S. and Europe provides us the opportunity to reward the amateur athletes in the region, and the international pros who travel to several events with more prize money and recognition,” said XTERRA World Tour managing director Dave Nicholas.

The XTERRA Asian Tour will award a prize bonus of $10,000 USD to the top five pro men and women in the final standings ($2,000 for 1st, $1,500-2nd, $800-3rd, $400-4th, $300-5th).

In all, more than $100,000 in prize money for pros will be awarded on the XTERRA Asian Tour. There are $15,000 USD payouts at the Philippines, Saipan, Guam, and Malaysia races, and $50,000 AUD awarded at the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship in Australia, plus the 10K bonus to the series’ top performers.

There is also a new athlete classification being introduced for the Tour – the “Asian elite” division – enabling fast age group athletes from the region to race against each other.

For further details on the 2015 XTERRA Asian Tour visit www.xterraasia.com, and for more on the XTERRA Asian Tour Championship in Malaysia visit www.xterramy.com, supported by Malaysia Major Event.

Do It Like A Man : Cut Mango

Life experiences tell me that cutting a mango are often messy. The slicing of the skin to be as thin as possible, then holding a bare soft mango flesh that are sticky to further cut them. You often lose much flesh either to the seed or removed when you cut the skin.

This is how I am doing it after learning from the internet. It is a no brainer and "why I did not thought of his earlier" moments...

Check the link in my Youtube here.

Lifehack : Cutting Mango By Tristupe