A Week of no internet connection or blog update. Here is a self-portrait of me.
Miss me or not? :D
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Visiting South Kalimantan Indonesia
I will be travelling to South Kalimantan (or KalSel as they are known by most people). I have never been there and i am scheduled to be visiting estates and Palm Oil Mills within the area. Little is known about what to expect even with the Joint Venture (JV) partners. We will be there to conduct a feasibility study to built a plant that will process and produce renewable energy bio-oil.
I have not written about my current vocation. I will save that for another blog entry. It has been a very rewarding three months working here and going up a very really steep learning curve. Suffice to say, I am trained as an Engineer and now, practising as one. So, "Yay!" to that ;-)
Kalimantan Selatan
Here is a little bit about KalSel and the places that i will be visiting. To get to KalSel, one has a choice of flying in via two points which is the Banjarmasin (the KalSel capital) or from Balikpapan (which is at Kalimantan Timur). Due to the proximity of where I will be going, flying in via Balikpapan would be the best choice.
My working trip will bring me to two of the largest Regency which are Tanah Bumbu and Kotabaru. Each of these district has approximately 300,000 people and is at least three times the size of Singapore, as a comparison.
The distance of the Palm Oil estates and Mills I will be going from Balikpapan is approximately 400km or about 300km from Banjarmasin. There is one direct flight from Kuala Lumpur via Airasia to Balikpapan (as the town is an Oil & Gas hub in Kalimantan) and it will take approximately 3hours non-stop. Flying via Banjarmasin potentially takes longer as one would need to get to Jakarta as transit point and will stretch the travelling to close to 7hours total.
Either way it is chosen, it will take between 7hours to 9hours of travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Batulicin.
Travelling (on the road) time will be a pain in the butt, literally. I was told that from Sepinggan (International Airport of Balikpapan) to the Balikpapan jetty will take an hour. It will then take two hours to cross the Balikpapan Bay. From there, it will be another solid 6hours on the road to our destination. That is an approximate of 8hours in the van/car according to local knowledge. I am not really looking forward to the road trip.
There will be another two colleagues from my office coming along for this Feasibility Study. The JV partner will be attended by five personnel, which will also act as our host while we are there. Preparation for this trip started from Day 2 i joined this new office. It has been 3months since with postponement of the trip from February to March due to a few unavoidable factors.
Visa and Travel Permit Application
One of the major roadblock is to obtain a Multiple Entry Business Visa. Many friends are wondering why i need to have a working visa to Indonesia. I guess because most of the time, when Indonesia is mentioned, we often refer to the City Jakarta, the holiday Island Bali, the Shopping Paradise Bandung or the more predictable tourists cities in Indonesia. To simply put it, no one goes to KalSel unless you know what you want to do there.
The process of obtaining the Visa starts with obtaining the permission and letter from the sponsor company (typically an Indonesia entity) which will then be used by us to apply for the Visa at the embassy. I give credit to the Embassy of Indonesia in Malaysia over a very through instruction to obtain a Visa. Basically, if you read and follow them, you will get your Visa with not much issue. Just be reminded that the application starts at 8am and they will accept daily, up to 120 application or until 1pm, whichever comes first. Missing either one of the timeline will cause you to return the next day for the application. Go early and get the paperwork done -typically within 2hours. Payment is RM375 for one year and must be paid on the spot during application. You get the visa the next day and it is stuck onto your passport page.
The next step is to submit the Visa back to the Immigration in KalSel to obtain a travel permit. It is needed and just lets say that the Kalimantan, very much like in Irian Jaya and Sulawesi, has its own set of law and regulation. Best to just ensure all documentation is complete.
Foreign Currency
Indonesia Rupiah is greatly inflated. The exchange rate today (March 15) for MYR1.00 to IDR stands at IDR3,000. No guess that i became instant Millionaire with just one currency exchange.
Have to reserve IDR150,000 per person for immigration/airport tax upon exiting Sepinggan International Airport at Balikpapan. The rest are very much for the team (me and colleague) usage as we will not know how things will be like until we are there.
Creature Comfort
Nothing much is known except that we will be staying in the Mess within the estate and mills. I will go prepared with some insect repellent and also basic toiletries, expecting the worse. As the Sponsor company is a big corporation in Indonesia, i am not expecting shack-like lodging and at the same time, i am not expecting anything close to 2-star accommodation. Perhaps, it will be good to be back to basic again, very much like how i stayed for 3 nights during Sabah Adventure Challenge in Tambunan.
I am also not sure if there will be any Internet connection. If there are, expect some updates on this blog on the adventure there. Else, next week will be with minimal updates. I will be in meetings and visitation most of the time and will grasp any opportunity to update as i go along. Do drop by this blog from time to time to check the blog out.
Until then, wish me best of luck. This trip should be interesting and it is a mixed feeling kind-of-thing not knowing what to expect. Packing starts, tonight.
 |
| Taken from here |
Kalimantan Selatan
Here is a little bit about KalSel and the places that i will be visiting. To get to KalSel, one has a choice of flying in via two points which is the Banjarmasin (the KalSel capital) or from Balikpapan (which is at Kalimantan Timur). Due to the proximity of where I will be going, flying in via Balikpapan would be the best choice.
 |
| Balikpapan Almost 400km away from where i need to go. Pic from here |
 |
| Kotabaru Regency. Image from Wikipedia |
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| Tanah Bumbu Regency. Image from Wikipedia |
Either way it is chosen, it will take between 7hours to 9hours of travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Batulicin.
 |
| Thats an approximate 6hours on GoogleMap, and we know that is, really, the best approximate not taking into consideration of other factors. Image using GoogleMap |
There will be another two colleagues from my office coming along for this Feasibility Study. The JV partner will be attended by five personnel, which will also act as our host while we are there. Preparation for this trip started from Day 2 i joined this new office. It has been 3months since with postponement of the trip from February to March due to a few unavoidable factors.
Visa and Travel Permit Application
One of the major roadblock is to obtain a Multiple Entry Business Visa. Many friends are wondering why i need to have a working visa to Indonesia. I guess because most of the time, when Indonesia is mentioned, we often refer to the City Jakarta, the holiday Island Bali, the Shopping Paradise Bandung or the more predictable tourists cities in Indonesia. To simply put it, no one goes to KalSel unless you know what you want to do there.
 |
| Application with specific Red background photo. Pic from my Instagram |
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| Tadaa! |
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| Now i am Valid. Picture from my Instagram |
Indonesia Rupiah is greatly inflated. The exchange rate today (March 15) for MYR1.00 to IDR stands at IDR3,000. No guess that i became instant Millionaire with just one currency exchange.
 |
| Why would someone wants the currency to be so inflated? Photo from my Instagram |
Creature Comfort
Nothing much is known except that we will be staying in the Mess within the estate and mills. I will go prepared with some insect repellent and also basic toiletries, expecting the worse. As the Sponsor company is a big corporation in Indonesia, i am not expecting shack-like lodging and at the same time, i am not expecting anything close to 2-star accommodation. Perhaps, it will be good to be back to basic again, very much like how i stayed for 3 nights during Sabah Adventure Challenge in Tambunan.
 |
| Good enough. No complains. |
Until then, wish me best of luck. This trip should be interesting and it is a mixed feeling kind-of-thing not knowing what to expect. Packing starts, tonight.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Changing Of Voting Address Part 3
After the first two attempt here and here, I finally gotten a reply that is more than the usual cut and paste reply from Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya.
This time around, they are asking for my Borang A or Form A, which denotes the application to change address. This further confirm my fear that the worker at Pos Malaysia did not submit my application as she should. This meant that they have not resolved my issue and i felt a little bit disappointed as this is taking longer than it should for a simple address change.
I will allow for this email communication to go through before i start emailing to the addresses below:
DATUK KAMARUDDIN BIN MOHAMED BARIA
setiausaha@spr.gov.my
His PA: juli@spr.gov.my
Chairman's PA: radziah@spr.gov.my
Biro Pengaduan Awamhttp://www.pcb.gov.my/bpaweb.php?lang=E
Their DG: Dato' Tam Weng Wah
tam@pcb.gov.my
Boss of all bosses
sidek@pmo.gov.my
My desperation to change my voting address is because i want to exercise my right as a citizen to decide the future of my family and my kids. Many of us do not realise the potential we have when we vote. The photo below explains it all.
This time around, they are asking for my Borang A or Form A, which denotes the application to change address. This further confirm my fear that the worker at Pos Malaysia did not submit my application as she should. This meant that they have not resolved my issue and i felt a little bit disappointed as this is taking longer than it should for a simple address change.
DATUK KAMARUDDIN BIN MOHAMED BARIA
setiausaha@spr.gov.my
His PA: juli@spr.gov.my
Chairman's PA: radziah@spr.gov.my
Biro Pengaduan Awamhttp://www.pcb.gov.my/bpaweb.php?lang=E
Their DG: Dato' Tam Weng Wah
tam@pcb.gov.my
Boss of all bosses
sidek@pmo.gov.my
My desperation to change my voting address is because i want to exercise my right as a citizen to decide the future of my family and my kids. Many of us do not realise the potential we have when we vote. The photo below explains it all.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
What You Don't Know About Supplement
Today's blog entry aim to debunk some of the myth known to people that are seeking better fitness and better nutrition via intake of supplements. I wish to state my point that nothing beats natural food.
Here are some myths that are often used by marketing companies (and product) companies to part you with your money by promising you ""better this and that if you take what we sell.
I have fallen victim to these marketing as well. But now wiser, here are some of the more usual tricks that they use to make you feel that you need it.
While writing this article, i decided to go with the flow and think of the most absurd supplement i could think off, then run a google search to see if they exist. What follows below shocked me and who would actually thought of all these advertisement and supplement concoction!
Superb Packaging, it must work!
We are all visual creatures. Often sight of a half naked torso with great body is good enough to convince buyers to commit to something they don't need. Sometimes, devoid of photos, words such as "BEST", "POTENT", "GREAT"", "FANTASTIC", "NATURAL" will instantly grab your attention and make you need the supplement even though it won't do anything for you.
This updated packaging has new formula
It always intrigue me how changing of the packaging to reflect a product refresh will instantly also provide more potency at the "same good old formula you can trust". The new packaging for the item below has the ability to decrease bone fracture by 29%. Wow! Really? Must be the color in the packaging then!
Studies shown it works. It will, believe us!
Human are very vulnerable. It takes only a little bit of convincing and they are all bought over. How not to when the certain supplement are "highly researched" by Dr. So and So and "after many years of research" has proven to work. Why? Don't believe? I have researched all these farce for years!
Cheap thing no good, good thing no cheap
The Chinese typically believes in these. Do you know that food such as Shark Fins and Abalone has no nutritional value whatsoever? How about Geoduck? Or even Sea cucumber! You know for sure when they promises you the sky such as "cure for cancer" and "to make your joint lubricated again", you just have to stay away.
By the way, stevia extract is nothing but sugar and it's usage is well known with nothing really special about it. Google Maca Powder and Butea Superba to know what you are taking. Perhaps there are joy dying happy - after all, it is classified as Food by the Ministry of Health and has a few universities backing the "research". ;-)
Here are some myths that are often used by marketing companies (and product) companies to part you with your money by promising you ""better this and that if you take what we sell.
I have fallen victim to these marketing as well. But now wiser, here are some of the more usual tricks that they use to make you feel that you need it.
While writing this article, i decided to go with the flow and think of the most absurd supplement i could think off, then run a google search to see if they exist. What follows below shocked me and who would actually thought of all these advertisement and supplement concoction!
Superb Packaging, it must work!
We are all visual creatures. Often sight of a half naked torso with great body is good enough to convince buyers to commit to something they don't need. Sometimes, devoid of photos, words such as "BEST", "POTENT", "GREAT"", "FANTASTIC", "NATURAL" will instantly grab your attention and make you need the supplement even though it won't do anything for you.
 |
| Brand removed to protect writer from lawsuit ;-) |
It always intrigue me how changing of the packaging to reflect a product refresh will instantly also provide more potency at the "same good old formula you can trust". The new packaging for the item below has the ability to decrease bone fracture by 29%. Wow! Really? Must be the color in the packaging then!
 |
| Look closely, both are 500mg with Vitamin D. Perhaps the flip opening adds to less incidences of fractures. |
Human are very vulnerable. It takes only a little bit of convincing and they are all bought over. How not to when the certain supplement are "highly researched" by Dr. So and So and "after many years of research" has proven to work. Why? Don't believe? I have researched all these farce for years!
 |
| Wow, more easily available even, must be damn good! |
The Chinese typically believes in these. Do you know that food such as Shark Fins and Abalone has no nutritional value whatsoever? How about Geoduck? Or even Sea cucumber! You know for sure when they promises you the sky such as "cure for cancer" and "to make your joint lubricated again", you just have to stay away.
 |
| Err....0.5grams of sea cucumber? For what? |
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| Shark fin 4??? When the Buying Stops, the Killing Stops. |
The salesperson say it is damn good!
You always get those super pesky product sales person walking up to you introducing their new most potent product that could cure almost everything and all problems you have. Then you look at them where they have acne problem while trying to sell you a skin supplement or a fat person selling you fat loss formula. Worse is when it combines both the salesperson that is obese with acne problem and tell you this supplement will cure all your problems. Suggest that you start running away, even more so if Oprah's face was on the page.
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| All in 7 days. I bet it took 7 years to research this as well |
These are made from Natural Ingredients!
Believe it when i say most supplement are made from synthetic lab derived materials. Natural ingredients are just simply too expensive to produce and most supplement has filler put in (usually flour) to make up the volume. Then most will claim that their ingredient are all naturally derived. Lets not forget that items such as gelatin (very usual as capsule) and even silicon dioxide (used as filler) are included into your "natural supplement". I bet the naturally available supplement will definitely bring you to new heights in your quest for a healthy living.
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| Click for larger pic and read the label. Magnesium Stearate is used as tablet lubrication so you swallow it easier. Natural too as they are produced around the bathtub when you take hot shower in hard water. |
We got government approval to sell them
I will let the photo below express what i want to say. Seriously, i am lost for words on this one. Human are sucker. Just convince them that the supplement will make them Superman in bed, they will pay top dollars for them. I wonder how many take the one below and succeed.
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| Most important it is HALAL. :Þ |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Fitness Facts You Should Know
I have a little bit of time to kill and i thought sharing these few and often misunderstood facts. Being an active person myself and has written many (countless) entries in this blog on nutrition, training, injuries and some peep into my private life, we are only human and often have questions that can't be answered or get mis-informed by other perceived to be more "knowledgeable" friends. We often make mistakes, but we learn from them. Here are some of mine.
I Want A 6-Pack
Every men worth their salt wants a 6-packs. It is a manly thing and no thanks to how the Greek shows how some of the God and how they are portrayed in myth does not help. While the incidences of Men-with-6-packs were more prevalent in the late 60's compared to the late 90's, they can be attributed to one simple reason - Refined food.
Rockstar with 6-packs? Well, back in the 60's Flower Power period, where cracks and heroins were easily available and a "lifestyle", it suppresses the appetite and provide "energy", until the drugs wear off.
With more food sources available and life made more sedentary, obtaining a Greek-God like body requires not only regular exercises, but have compulsory life-long commitment in the form of a sensible low fat diet. No amount of 6-packs will show up unless someone either start burning the fats off their body (typically, a close to 10% body fat or a single digit fat percentile would be ideal) or they can starve themselves out.
There is no exercise that can target the fats around the waist, or what the gym-goer believes as "spot-reduction". There is no slimming centre that can do that too. Your body do not know which part of your body to "take the fat and burn". Muscle grow as they are overloaded and overstressed. Want your 6-pack?
Do it the hard way - Diet and exercise (cardio highly recommended to burn fat).
I Want To Exercise To Burn Calories To Lose Weight
Many of us exercise to burn the calories so that we can eat what we love after that. I have been down that path. Being Malaysian, we all love our food. I used to lift weights. Growing to a massive size (by my standard) and topping at 90kg. I used to walk around with a 17inch biceps and a 46inch chest (but it was actually a manboobs) and i justify myself eating 3000kcal a day because i am at my "bulking" phase.
Weight lifting only burns 20% to 30% of calorie values when compared to a brisk 7km/h walk or a slow jog. That meant, for every hour spent lifting weights in the Gym, you will only burn at most 250kcal as compared to 600kcal! And most "gym-goer" would give all sort of reasons to load up on their protein shakes! No wonder many people think they are a hunk of meat, but they are just a pot or fat walking.
Losing weight is not just about exercising, it is about eating the right food that will stoke your metabolism and provide enough energy and nutritional values to fuel the body. Exercising helps in ensuring that the body stays in tip top condition (optimal health) so we can do more, longer!
I Want To Eat Less Carb and More Protein
Protein Diet, Low-Carb Diet, Dukan Diet even the Blood Type Diet has been known the world over, tried and tested by celebrities and often copied and made the author rich via selling of books. But how much of them are true? Most of the diet has one thing in common - eating sensibly and knowing your calories intake. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Many medical practitioner consider low carb to be an unhealthy diet. The evil in the carb is not the carb itself but the availability of good carbs. Most of our carbs are highly processed food such as white flour, white rice, over-refined carbs, soda water, processed fruit juices. So if your idea of a low carb diet is to cut away all these highly refined carbs, then it is alright and you will see results. However, if your idea of low carb meant cutting away items that has carbs in them, don't. Take more GOOD carbs (yes, there are such things!) such as whole grains, whole seeds, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Not only they are mostly low in Glycemic Index (GI) value, but they are rich in fiber and contains essential oil that the body could not produce.
As for high protein to build muscle? Well, that is also not entirely true. A budding sport person would require up to 1.5g protein per kg of body (lean) weight (on a very high side). So, assuming i am 69kg at 10% fat, that would meant my lean body mass requires maximum of 95grams of protein to build muscle per day. How to get 95grams of protein? This knowledge below might be useful
My advice would be to stop and skip any diet you are doing, just revamp the food that you eat. I did and it is rewarding me big time. Not only i am more conscious of the food i take, more natural and whole food provides me adequate energy with spares.
Running Wears Out My Knee
Studies has shown that there is no correlation between running and knee wear between runners and non-runners. In fact, runners could possibly have higher bone density reading (and can survive a fall better) apart from more cartilage mobility compared to non-runners. Case in point., my mum has regenerative knees and has went for a knee surgery. She is a non-runner.
I some times was asked about these as well and i am often lost for words simply because i do not know how to answer them. Knee damage is not via running, but more of resulting from bad posture and bad positioning when mobile. Many knee injuries are caused by ligament injuries and also damage to soft tissues. You will be more likely get knee injury from playing sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, martial art and other contact sports due to the sudden and abrupt changes in speed, position and landing while in motion. You can get knee injury too if you are not careful when starting a new fitness regime as your body would not be fully conditioned before you attempt something more significant.
Hope you enjoyed this sharing. As usual, if useful, share it in your Facebook, Twitter and/or blog!
I Want A 6-Pack
Every men worth their salt wants a 6-packs. It is a manly thing and no thanks to how the Greek shows how some of the God and how they are portrayed in myth does not help. While the incidences of Men-with-6-packs were more prevalent in the late 60's compared to the late 90's, they can be attributed to one simple reason - Refined food.
Rockstar with 6-packs? Well, back in the 60's Flower Power period, where cracks and heroins were easily available and a "lifestyle", it suppresses the appetite and provide "energy", until the drugs wear off.
 |
| Self-Destructive Behaviour. Artise name witheld |
There is no exercise that can target the fats around the waist, or what the gym-goer believes as "spot-reduction". There is no slimming centre that can do that too. Your body do not know which part of your body to "take the fat and burn". Muscle grow as they are overloaded and overstressed. Want your 6-pack?
Do it the hard way - Diet and exercise (cardio highly recommended to burn fat).
I Want To Exercise To Burn Calories To Lose Weight
Many of us exercise to burn the calories so that we can eat what we love after that. I have been down that path. Being Malaysian, we all love our food. I used to lift weights. Growing to a massive size (by my standard) and topping at 90kg. I used to walk around with a 17inch biceps and a 46inch chest (but it was actually a manboobs) and i justify myself eating 3000kcal a day because i am at my "bulking" phase.
Weight lifting only burns 20% to 30% of calorie values when compared to a brisk 7km/h walk or a slow jog. That meant, for every hour spent lifting weights in the Gym, you will only burn at most 250kcal as compared to 600kcal! And most "gym-goer" would give all sort of reasons to load up on their protein shakes! No wonder many people think they are a hunk of meat, but they are just a pot or fat walking.
Losing weight is not just about exercising, it is about eating the right food that will stoke your metabolism and provide enough energy and nutritional values to fuel the body. Exercising helps in ensuring that the body stays in tip top condition (optimal health) so we can do more, longer!
 |
| Macca. Idol. Image taken from Here |
Protein Diet, Low-Carb Diet, Dukan Diet even the Blood Type Diet has been known the world over, tried and tested by celebrities and often copied and made the author rich via selling of books. But how much of them are true? Most of the diet has one thing in common - eating sensibly and knowing your calories intake. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out. Many medical practitioner consider low carb to be an unhealthy diet. The evil in the carb is not the carb itself but the availability of good carbs. Most of our carbs are highly processed food such as white flour, white rice, over-refined carbs, soda water, processed fruit juices. So if your idea of a low carb diet is to cut away all these highly refined carbs, then it is alright and you will see results. However, if your idea of low carb meant cutting away items that has carbs in them, don't. Take more GOOD carbs (yes, there are such things!) such as whole grains, whole seeds, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Not only they are mostly low in Glycemic Index (GI) value, but they are rich in fiber and contains essential oil that the body could not produce.
As for high protein to build muscle? Well, that is also not entirely true. A budding sport person would require up to 1.5g protein per kg of body (lean) weight (on a very high side). So, assuming i am 69kg at 10% fat, that would meant my lean body mass requires maximum of 95grams of protein to build muscle per day. How to get 95grams of protein? This knowledge below might be useful
- EGG 6 grams per EACH
- LEAN MEAT, FISH, POULTRY 25-30 grams per 3 1/2 OZ.
- TOFU 20 grams per CUP- 8OZ.
- MILK 8-9 grams per CUP-8OZ.
- YOGURT 8-10 grams per CUP-8OZ.
- CHEDDAR/JACK 7 grams per OZ.
- COTTAGE CHEESE 28 grams per CUP
- NUTS AND SEEDS 2-3 grams per TABLESPOON
- RICE, COOKED 5 grams per CUP
- OATMEAL, COOKED 5 grams per CUP
- WHEAT GERM, TOASTED 8 grams per 1/4 CUP
- BREAD 2-11 grams per SLICE CHECK THE LABEL
- POTATO, BAKED WITH SKIN, MEDIUM 5 grams
- MOST FRUITS 1 gram per FRUIT
- VEGETABLES 1-3 grams per 1/2 CUP
My advice would be to stop and skip any diet you are doing, just revamp the food that you eat. I did and it is rewarding me big time. Not only i am more conscious of the food i take, more natural and whole food provides me adequate energy with spares.
 |
| Whole Carbs - Winner. Image taken from Here |
Studies has shown that there is no correlation between running and knee wear between runners and non-runners. In fact, runners could possibly have higher bone density reading (and can survive a fall better) apart from more cartilage mobility compared to non-runners. Case in point., my mum has regenerative knees and has went for a knee surgery. She is a non-runner.
I some times was asked about these as well and i am often lost for words simply because i do not know how to answer them. Knee damage is not via running, but more of resulting from bad posture and bad positioning when mobile. Many knee injuries are caused by ligament injuries and also damage to soft tissues. You will be more likely get knee injury from playing sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, martial art and other contact sports due to the sudden and abrupt changes in speed, position and landing while in motion. You can get knee injury too if you are not careful when starting a new fitness regime as your body would not be fully conditioned before you attempt something more significant.
 |
| More on Knee Injuries Here |
Monday, March 12, 2012
Brooks 21km Run Report
Stadium Bukit Jalil. I have not entered this stadium since it was built for Commonwealth Game in 1998. At most, drive through it, but never went inside. Yesterday, i had the privilege to not only enter the Stadium, but ran on the expensive rubber turf as well!
Myself, wifey and Phui Tin carpooled to Bukit Jalil and we reached there about 5am. Parking was easy at that hour as most people would had tried to park further away for easier exit. Myself not being familiar with the place just parked at the next place available. After all, we are there to run, so parking a bit away is not a big issue. But we found out we were parked right where it is nearest upon exiting! How is that for blessing?Oh ya, parking was free in Carpark C!
With 30minutes to gun off, the crowd started to swell and we bumped into many familiar faces. It is always nice to see running friends out on a Sunday morning for a run!
The race gun off at 5:37, which was 7minutes off schedule. It took us 3minutes to clear the start line. The amount of people running 21km was massive. In fact, up till KM18, i was still running with the same group of people that was moving at the same pace as i am!
The organisation by the Bukit Jalil Running Club was fantastic. If there is one improvement to be made, it would be the litter bins at the water station. There were simply not enough of plastic bag around and cups were thrown everywhere on the road. Malaysian runners, though slightly more matured, has not embraced the spirit of cleanliness. Maybe the organiser should try emulating Hong Kong Ultra 100km by giving a disposable/foldable cup to each participant - no cup, no drink!
Apart from that, the route was good. There were actually more downhills than uphills. The climb were short and adequate enough to work the heart. The downhill allow for a long active recovery. It was a very comfortable to be holding a 6:00 pace for most of the way. Wifey was leading me most of the time. We even managed a cool 3:20 pace for about 1km on one stretch!
The given race vest was very see through and it doesn't absorb sweat at all. It will wick the sweat off almost immediately and this will cause the sweat to drip down on the shorts, run down the legs and subsequently, wet the shoes. While that is really not a complain, i must learn to wear full length socks and not the 3/4 type as there are too little material to absorb the sweat.
The running route passes along mainroad, next to highway and even in housing area. The race started with the runner looping around Bukit Jalil Sports Complexes and passing through Astro and KL-Seremban highway. Apart from drivers that was just too impatient at the Astro-KLSeremban slip road, traffic control was good. However, there is a lot of room for improvement (such as placing marshals at correct places rather than they grouping together at one spot).
We then ran along or under the MEX highway, passing by IMU before turning into Taman Gembira (Happy Garden) and at the fringe of OUG and United Garden. That part of the run was almost downhill all the way and provided a lot of recovery opportunity. The route then brought us running parallel to the MEX highway and that was at KM17 that i lost wifey. I had some issue (no excuse given, as pain is temporary) and had to keep adjusting myself to lessen the discomfort of the Sciatica that made a sudden visit after so long. Carrying on the final 5km was pretty much a "ignore the pain" kinda thing.
The route then loop back to the same IMU route and towards the Bukit Jalil Golf&Country Club, runings pass those condominiums built (and now owned) for Commonwealth games. Weather was great and there was no complain. Along the way, i bumped into an amputee doing the 10km run. Immediately it reminded me of Bro Shariff from Singapore otherwise known as Singapore Blade Runner (SBR). This young man certainly showed those with two legs how to do it! Well done bro! I wish you well!
Eventually, the final 1km brought the runner back to the Bukit Jalil Stadium via entrance C.
I finished my race in 2:40(gun time) and i supposed my net time would be about 2:36. It wasn't the best timing, but under the circumstances that made me lost my momentum, i was pretty happy. More so when wifey scored another personal best for 21km. She came in at estimated 2:29(gun time) which might produce 2:25 net time. The total distance was actually more than 21km. I recorded 22.19km on my GPS and 22.4km on my Polar. So, wifey's actual PB is much lower! Well done!
As we crossed the finish line, i noticed that runners were all jamming up at the counter that give up the finisher goody bag. It was pretty messy with (what i noticed) some runners taking more than their fair share. I guess the people manning the counter sort of give up when Malaysians forgot their manners again. I was made to understand that there were sufficient finisher goody bags for all! Suggestion would be for the bags/medal to be given once the runner cross the finishing line. That way, only real finisher gets them! Make the runner work for it!
The goody bag has the finisher medal, bottle of Cool Rhino water and a shoe bag from BJRC. Got to be one of the most useful goody bag that was given in a long long time. best of all, no useless brochures! Thank you BJRC, Brooks and all sponsors!
Race Summary
Pros - Great route. Good organisation. Water station sufficient. Commendable traffic control. Great venue.
Cons - Insufficient litter bins for water stations. Ugly Malaysian drivers and runners. Chaotic finish goodies bag collection.
Better - Tau Foo Far at finish. OMG! It was super smooth and i had mine without sugar but with red bean dessert added in! Superb!
Personal Statistic - HRMax at 94% with HRave at 85%. Average pace was 7:15. Fastest pace was 3:20. The route was over distanced by about 1km to 1.2km. My GPS traced 22.19km in total. GOOD for personal mileage! Total kcal burnt to be estimated 1640kcal.
Do You Know That - The Malaysia Airline (MAS) CEO, AJ Yahya ran with you. He clocked an unofficial 2:17 over the 22km distance. Well done Boss Man!
Post Update March 12, 2012 12:00
Official Results is out. Click here to check
Myself, wifey and Phui Tin carpooled to Bukit Jalil and we reached there about 5am. Parking was easy at that hour as most people would had tried to park further away for easier exit. Myself not being familiar with the place just parked at the next place available. After all, we are there to run, so parking a bit away is not a big issue. But we found out we were parked right where it is nearest upon exiting! How is that for blessing?Oh ya, parking was free in Carpark C!
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| Reen. She got Norman, my childhood buddy to run! Power of love! |
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| Training partner for me and wifey for the next 3 marathons |
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| Caught Hadi! |
The organisation by the Bukit Jalil Running Club was fantastic. If there is one improvement to be made, it would be the litter bins at the water station. There were simply not enough of plastic bag around and cups were thrown everywhere on the road. Malaysian runners, though slightly more matured, has not embraced the spirit of cleanliness. Maybe the organiser should try emulating Hong Kong Ultra 100km by giving a disposable/foldable cup to each participant - no cup, no drink!
Apart from that, the route was good. There were actually more downhills than uphills. The climb were short and adequate enough to work the heart. The downhill allow for a long active recovery. It was a very comfortable to be holding a 6:00 pace for most of the way. Wifey was leading me most of the time. We even managed a cool 3:20 pace for about 1km on one stretch!
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| Run profile. The ascent was 705m and descent was 698m. |
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| Looked like i will be maintining this haircut for some time. Note the running vest. So shiny! Thank you Doc Pui San for the pic! |
We then ran along or under the MEX highway, passing by IMU before turning into Taman Gembira (Happy Garden) and at the fringe of OUG and United Garden. That part of the run was almost downhill all the way and provided a lot of recovery opportunity. The route then brought us running parallel to the MEX highway and that was at KM17 that i lost wifey. I had some issue (no excuse given, as pain is temporary) and had to keep adjusting myself to lessen the discomfort of the Sciatica that made a sudden visit after so long. Carrying on the final 5km was pretty much a "ignore the pain" kinda thing.
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| Inspiration! Photo from my Instagram |
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| Yay! Finished! Can you see how see through the running vest were? You can see the sithloutte of my manboobs and tummy...Thanks Pat Ee for the pic! |
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| Err...which way to go? |
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| Woohoo! For once, a useful Goodies Bag! Photo from my Instagram |
Pros - Great route. Good organisation. Water station sufficient. Commendable traffic control. Great venue.
Cons - Insufficient litter bins for water stations. Ugly Malaysian drivers and runners. Chaotic finish goodies bag collection.
Better - Tau Foo Far at finish. OMG! It was super smooth and i had mine without sugar but with red bean dessert added in! Superb!
Personal Statistic - HRMax at 94% with HRave at 85%. Average pace was 7:15. Fastest pace was 3:20. The route was over distanced by about 1km to 1.2km. My GPS traced 22.19km in total. GOOD for personal mileage! Total kcal burnt to be estimated 1640kcal.
Do You Know That - The Malaysia Airline (MAS) CEO, AJ Yahya ran with you. He clocked an unofficial 2:17 over the 22km distance. Well done Boss Man!
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| Yummeh! Estimated to be 450kcal! Sorry...can't help it! |
Official Results is out. Click here to check
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Saturday 10km MaxHR Run
Was short for time and took every single opportunity to run and clock in some decent mileage. When time s a factor especially when you have a family, you do what you can and all you can to balance the time spent on training and time spent with family.
This morning, I ran from Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI) Park and it was supposed to be a 7km run up till Royal Selangor Club (RSC) and back to TTDI.
I pushed from the start at 64bpm (heart rate) and it climbed up to 164bpm by the time i touched the first 1.2km up the hill towards KLGCC (the road that runs parallel to the road up Kiara)
The HR maintained within the 90% effort as i hammered the route to KLGCC at 5:15-5:30pace. There was no letting up and my intention was to go as fast and as strong as i could. No doubt i can start to feel the saliva starting to accumulate that the lower part of my mouth and will spill out as i roll my head to the pounding of the feet on the ground.
With a lot of effort, i cleared the first 2.5km in 11minutes. That got to be the best feeling. 2.5km distance is up to the junction that turns down to RSC, or go straight towards Sime Darby Convention Centre (SDCC). I decided to see what is in store towards SDCC.
What lies ahead is 300meters of uphill and 400meters of downhill until you reach the junction that joins with Sprint highway. took a breather there (count of 5) and push off back again. The 400m of uphill climb was torturous, but i ensure the pace did not dip below 7:15.
Quick check on my HRM and it shows 168bpm. Great! With a short downhill towards KLGCC entrance, it is time to pick the pace up again. 5:45 all the way.
I decided to run up Kiara Hill. A short 1.2km uphill. Decided to push as much and as strong as i could. It wasn't a pretty sight with the hyperventilating and effort being generated. Reached the top of the hill a the crossroad and noticed the HR to be coming down from 175bpm. At that stage, i was already at my 95%. WOW!
A quick breather (again to the count of 5) and i darted down the hill and back to the car at the TTDI park.
Came home, washed the HR strap and checked the watch. I managed to cover about 9.8km in 1:08. Big effort with the run as i thought it took me close to 1:30 due to the hills along the route. Elevation gain should be close to 280m over the 5km (one way route). And when i press to see my heart effort. I was shocked to see i busted the 200bpm mark at 203bpm and logged in a 110% effort.
I never realised i have my youth of 17 years old again! Tomorrow is the Brooks 21km. I have been given the blessing by wifey to run as fast as i could tomorrow. I guess she found the excuse to leave me further behind and she follow some guys with tighter ass.
This morning, I ran from Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI) Park and it was supposed to be a 7km run up till Royal Selangor Club (RSC) and back to TTDI.
I pushed from the start at 64bpm (heart rate) and it climbed up to 164bpm by the time i touched the first 1.2km up the hill towards KLGCC (the road that runs parallel to the road up Kiara)
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| Sperm Loop |
With a lot of effort, i cleared the first 2.5km in 11minutes. That got to be the best feeling. 2.5km distance is up to the junction that turns down to RSC, or go straight towards Sime Darby Convention Centre (SDCC). I decided to see what is in store towards SDCC.
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| Instead of turning left for Sperm Loop, go STRAIGHT |
Quick check on my HRM and it shows 168bpm. Great! With a short downhill towards KLGCC entrance, it is time to pick the pace up again. 5:45 all the way.
I decided to run up Kiara Hill. A short 1.2km uphill. Decided to push as much and as strong as i could. It wasn't a pretty sight with the hyperventilating and effort being generated. Reached the top of the hill a the crossroad and noticed the HR to be coming down from 175bpm. At that stage, i was already at my 95%. WOW!
A quick breather (again to the count of 5) and i darted down the hill and back to the car at the TTDI park.
Came home, washed the HR strap and checked the watch. I managed to cover about 9.8km in 1:08. Big effort with the run as i thought it took me close to 1:30 due to the hills along the route. Elevation gain should be close to 280m over the 5km (one way route). And when i press to see my heart effort. I was shocked to see i busted the 200bpm mark at 203bpm and logged in a 110% effort.
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| WOW! |
Friday, March 09, 2012
Running For Orang Asli : April 28,2012
There will be two category which is the 12-15km route (RM35 and for adults only, and a 3km (RM10 for children >5 years and limited spaces for safety purposes)
Registration will be at The Marathon Shop and the organiser hope to get it up and running by Friday (i.e. today). Else, please continue to visit the website or come to this blog for update.
This year, the purpose of the run would be:
1. For Kg Batu 14, Jalan Bentong Lama, a piece of the OA land is being cultivated to be a showcase of OA houses and huts for community centers exemplifying the lifestyle and culture of OA. The intention for this center is to create an eco tourism business for the villagers as extra income whilst maintaining their heritage. This is a sustainable project that the Running for Orang Asli group would like to assist. Reasons to which why they are yet to a obtain government grants will be made known in the event.
2. For Kg Batu 16, Jalan Bentong Lama, this event is created to give an avenue for them to earn extra income by providing the venue for the run, volunteers as marshalls and guides, and for cooking some OA dishes. The OA too would prefer to work for their income rather than be always dependant on donations.
Click the photo, or right click and save as...the photo below for a full larger view of the flyer for the event. Come and support the event for a good cause. Get to know you neighbour and fellow Malaysians!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
15 Easy Ways To Portion Healthily
I hope this article finds all of you in good health. This week's
blog entry has been focusing on food portion and caloric values. While it is
often easy to forget how much we are eating and end up eating way more than we
should, steps or suggestion to lessen or normalise the portion has to be in
place.
Below
are some tips i picked up online and tried in real life that could possibly
work (and it did for me). Remember, my
motivation to do this is to
just fuel the body with enough calorie per day as a sedentary lifestyle
(sitting in office) with exercises on weekends doesn't warrant even a 2000kcal
diet. Read the previous postings to know how easy it is to bust the 2000kcal in
just two meals. Henceforth, here are the 15 Ways that you can experiment
to see what works for you.
Easily done at home:
1. Use smaller
dishes at meals - it allow the a
subjective view on the size you are eating. Normal serving on big plate will
look you took little and normal serving on a small plate will make them look
full. We are all visual creatures.
2. Serve food in
correct portions - read
my entry here for guidance.
3. Keep leftovers in
separated portion-controlled amounts -
this is especially true if you overcooked your pastas or stew and do not want
to dispose them off. By portioning them correctly, you will less likely to heat
up the whole pot of leftover and eat them in one sitting. You take what is
correctly portion, each time
4. Never eat out of
the bag or packaging - love
nibbling on those Potato chips? One serving is typically 15 chips (or 25grams)
and oh boy, those drinks sure goes well with those chips!
5. Don't keep plates
of food on the table as you will end up taking more - Same goes with sitting too long on
the table. Case in point when Bandit and Aman came over to my home for coffee
and the sate was just too good for me to resist...
Eating Out:
1. Ask for half or smaller portions -
sound silly, but believe me when i actually ask for less noodles when i have my
lunch outside. I pay the same price, but at least i do not need to run 5km to
burn it off.
2. Portion your food
when served - The typical western
dinner will consist of a main meal (usually meat), with salad, corn and chips.
They are usually enough for two servings. We sit down and gobble one down in
one serving. After all, they are paid for. Bring along a container and put away
some - or there is no reason to be shy to ask for a separate plate and request
the restaurant to pack the other half away.
3.If you have starter or dessert, share! - Sharing is caring. You wouldn't want
your partner to overeat, don't you?
4. Skip those drinks - and settle for plain ice water. A
sweetened drink such as fruit juice (no fruit juice is as pure as those made at
home) and bottomless cola packs calories without you realising. A can of cola
sets you back 140kcal, that is two eggs down your system effortlessly!
5. Control those
condiments - Those dressings and
sauces sure look good and make your food taste better. Remember that each items
you add on, including tomato ketchup or chili sauce, has oil and sugar added
into the food. Some people are known to immerse their food into these sauces
and swallow up to twice the calories than intended.
Grocery made easy
1. Always read the
label - it contains all the
needed information on nutrition, serving size and ingredient. No better place
to start. If the items that make the food is more difficult to pronounce than Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,
skip.
2. Beware of
packaging that are smaller - Smaller serving sizes do not gives you
the real portion you need. You will end up justifying that you only had THREE
SMALL ones and that could had been equal to 2 large ones.
3. Ice Cream - Do not eat them out from the carton
or container. You will finish them off. Remember, one BULB SIZE is a serving!
4. Choose lean meat
- Meats such as beef and mutton
are available as "weight watcher" lean meat in more expensive
supermarket such as Jaya Grocer or Village Grocer. You will end up paying about
20% to 30% more than normal variant, but they are worth it. Remember, a gram of
fat gives you 9kcal. Every gram you skim reduces 9kcal. Now, you can have that
3oz (or a deck card size) of meat without feeling too guilty!
5. Go green! - Vegetables of all sorts are very low
in calories. The general indication calls for a tennis ball serving, which you
can have at least two before your stomach tells you enough is enough. Eat your
greens!
And here is an extra tips (i know i say 15 Easy ways, but this one has no portion pre-requisite in them) is to CHEW your food. Your brain takes up to 20minutes to register that you are full. Gobbling down your food will only lead to overeating. Chewing not only uses up more energy but they also will help your digestive system to process the food better. You will have less incidences of heartburn or indigestion, plus you get to taste that food in your mouth longer and enjoy it. If you are a big fan of soup, drink them slowly too. A bowl of Cream of Mushroom has more calories than a serving of meat. This is due to the ingredient used. Sipping slowly will surely allow your stomach to adjust to the "filling up" process and by the time you get to your main meal, that "small" serving (that is correctly proportion) doesn't look small anymore!
If you think these tips
are good, please share them!
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Herbs Infused Dory Fish With Hummus
There was two slices of Dory fillet left in the fridge and we were planning what to eat for dinner. It became an inevitable choice especially when eating out is not the main option nowadays. Dory fish is not an exotic fish. It is not expensive and they are often caught in big amount by fisherman. Dory fish are known to be deep sea fish and they are often sold filleted. Main reason is that they are ugly fish to see on the table.
Dory fish is super low in calorie, being an almost fat free fish (it has a compressed flat profile) with 100gram scoring 100kcal only. The flesh is white and has little flavour - which explain why they are used mainly for commercial food such as those available in fast food such as fish burger or fish&chips.
Here is my suggested marinade to get a bit more flavour into the fish. People usually eat fish with Tar Tar sauce, but i decided on something slightly healthier and provide some carbs as well and made my own hummus (if it qualifies as such) from chickpeas.
What You Need:
Dory Fish and Marinate
Dory fillet - one slice per person. Typically about 6 inch long and about half inch thick. Roughly 100grams/slice.
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Approximately 1 teaspoon of black pepper (grinded), enough to sparingly coat the fish. More if you like spicier.
Herbs - dry such as rosemary, thyme. You can buy them cheap from baking shop.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Leave the fish and the marinade for at least 4 hours in the fridge. The herbs and balsamic vinegar will be absorbed into the fish. Sadly, i deleted that photo i taken of the marinate and the fish.
Hummus
60grams or one handful of chickpea, drained
1 tablespoon of Olive oil
1 teaspoon of Mustard seeds (optional)
A dash or squeeze of lemon (i use lemon extract)
Before you grill or pan-sear the fish, i would suggest that you prepare the hummus first. The usual way of doing this would be using a food processor, which i decided to just use a fork as the amount i am making is enough for one serving. As the peas will be dry when you mash them up, i use a spoon of olive oil to moisten them up. For a bit of texture and pungent-ness, i throw in a teaspoon of whole mustard seeds. Lemon juice was optional. I put it in as the original hummus recipe actually calls for lemon juice (and tahini or sesame paste).
Mix the hummus up really good to become a smooth paste. Leave it aside and start cooking the dory fillet. It will look like this with the mustard seed peeping out from the paste.
Fish cooks faster than meat and care must be taken not to overcook fish or you will destroy the protein content in it. Dory fish, as per describe, has little fat and you might over dry the fish if you cooked it too long. Pan sear on medium heat or grill at low heat. I used the grill (non-stick) to prepare the fish.
Let the fish cooked for 1 to 1.5 minutes on each side and flip over twice, for a total cooking time of 6 minutes. As the fillet are usually about 1/2 inch thick, it will cook fast. Avoid overcooking or it will flake.
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| Who would had wanted to eat this??? Photo from TripAdvisor.com |
Here is my suggested marinade to get a bit more flavour into the fish. People usually eat fish with Tar Tar sauce, but i decided on something slightly healthier and provide some carbs as well and made my own hummus (if it qualifies as such) from chickpeas.
What You Need:
Dory Fish and Marinate
Dory fillet - one slice per person. Typically about 6 inch long and about half inch thick. Roughly 100grams/slice.
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Approximately 1 teaspoon of black pepper (grinded), enough to sparingly coat the fish. More if you like spicier.
Herbs - dry such as rosemary, thyme. You can buy them cheap from baking shop.
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Leave the fish and the marinade for at least 4 hours in the fridge. The herbs and balsamic vinegar will be absorbed into the fish. Sadly, i deleted that photo i taken of the marinate and the fish.
Hummus
60grams or one handful of chickpea, drained
1 tablespoon of Olive oil
1 teaspoon of Mustard seeds (optional)
A dash or squeeze of lemon (i use lemon extract)
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| Chickpea or Kacang Kuda. One handful or the size of tennis ball is about 60grams |
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| Hand powered food processor |
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| It is sweet, creamy, slightly sourish with mustard seed bursting into flavour as you bite into them. |
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| Marinate sizzling on the hot pan |
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| Nicely done. Herbs and balsamic vinegar on the fillet. Hummus is at the back |
So, what how much does this cost, calorie wise? With some learnt and experienced judgement, each serving (one fillet with half scope of hummus) works out to be about 300kcal. As olive oil was used pretty much, the majority of the calories will come from this good oil. A check with MyFitnessPal shows i was almost accurate.
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| Missed out mustard seed which sets back about another 15kcal. |
At 550kcal for two serving, one slice with hummus would be about 250kcal! I would say this is certainly diet friendly! A serving will provide about 25grams of protein (21 from fish and balance from chickpea), 5grams carbohydrate (all from chickpea), 16gram fat (15g from olive oil, 1 from fish), 0.5gram sodium and about 2grams fiber (chickpea).
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| Juicy, savoury and healthy! |
In fact, if you are hungry, two serving of this is just equivalent to a bowl of Curry Mee - definitely a healthier choice (The fish) for weight watcher!
Hope you enjoyed this!
Update: March 7, 2012 Afternoon
Be careful when buying Dory fish. They are mostly farmed fish in unsuitable condition for human consumption. Try buying Dory from Euro country (as they have stricter control on chemical usage). Dory is a generic name for a type of white fish. Dory in this region are widely farmed in Vietnam and they are often sold as fillet to fast food or fish restaurant. They are also sold as Ikan Pangas and widely available in hypermarket and also at wet market.
Back in 2008, there were concerns about how these were farmed. Lets just say that these fish, much like how the local farm cat fishes, receive the same treatment and food such as innards and waste to fatten them up. Do a search and be an informed consumer.
As for us at home, we will eat this sparingly. The above recipe can be used with Salmon and also Cod too. The variation of fishes is limitless.
Update: March 7, 2012 Afternoon
Be careful when buying Dory fish. They are mostly farmed fish in unsuitable condition for human consumption. Try buying Dory from Euro country (as they have stricter control on chemical usage). Dory is a generic name for a type of white fish. Dory in this region are widely farmed in Vietnam and they are often sold as fillet to fast food or fish restaurant. They are also sold as Ikan Pangas and widely available in hypermarket and also at wet market.
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| Ikan Pangas. Photo taken here |
As for us at home, we will eat this sparingly. The above recipe can be used with Salmon and also Cod too. The variation of fishes is limitless.
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