Run. Denim. Butterfly.

Life's Simple Pleasures #1

2012-02-02T14:50:00.003+08:00

I am currently addicted to these:

Magnum Chocolate Truffle

and

Chatime's Lychee Pearl Black Tea

Pic taken from here

Sinful but superduper yummy!!! And I don't mind having these two at the same time... Hah!

Note to self: I should start my training soon :P

Oh, the other night I had my one and only lou sang and CNY dinner with my friends from COBC... And here's what I got from my fortune cookie:

I guess there's no harm on changing my perspectives when it comes to the matter of the heart?

Maybe :)

Life Lessons #8

2012-01-30T16:50:00.001+08:00

Taken from imgfave on Tumblr

Happy Monday everyone! :)

Happy New Year :)

2012-01-26T12:33:00.002+08:00

Ni hao!!!

Hope that it's not too late to wish these to my Chinese friends and readers out there :)

May the dragon year brings peace, love, good fortune and prosperity to you and your loved ones always...

Gong Xi Fa Cai! :)

Xoxo,

Ms Road Runner

Featured :)

2012-01-19T14:54:00.002+08:00

Thanks to the Teh Tarik Drinker, my running friend and fellow blogger Abang Yim and I were featured in his blog :)

You can read the full article here @ http://www.tehtarikmemoirs.com/2012/01/teh-tarik-reads-run-denim-butterfly-and.html

ANDDD... The best part is, he's giving away ONE runningskirts of my choice to one of you lucky ladies out there ;) I also want one, can ar Teh Tarik Drinker? :P

All you have to do is:
a. Leave a comment on MY LATEST POST on what you think of my blog or accomplishments
b. Don't forget to mention that the TEHTARIKDRINKER sent you here
c. Best comment will be chosen

And for my male readers out there, if you want to win a limited edition running tee, all you have to do is visit Abang Yim's blog and do as per the above's instructions.

You have until end of this month (31 January) to comment away! ;)

Thanks again Mr Teh Tarik Drinker for featuring and mentioning my lil' blog!

And hope to see you soon at one of the races here! :)

I Want To Run

2012-01-18T14:49:00.000+08:00

My only 'serious' running picture :P

Taken at Nike We Run KL last year by Aiman

If you read one of the earliest posts in this blog, I started running on the treadmill at the gym as part of my fitness regime during my student days... And started entering races back in May 2008 :)

So here are tips based on my experience so far in running (that I could think of) for you noobs out there who want to try out this no-worries type of workout ;)

1. Looking for the perfect running shoes
Thanks to the running craze here in Malaysia, there are so many stores here that you can check out and find the perfect pair for your lovely feet. Here are a couple of stores for you to survey around:

a. Running Lab - Tropicana City Mall
b. adidas - Go to the outlet in The Gardens or Pavilion, more choices. For women, you can check out its standalone store at The Curve
c. Asics - Pavilion
d. Brooks - The Curve
e. Nike - Mid Valley or Pavilion
f. New Balance - The Gardens
g. 2XU - The Gardens
h. Athlete's Circle - Jaya One

Do check your foot type at the store so that the salesperson can recommend suitable options for you. You can also do it on your own by clicking the link here.

Test out the shoes. Run around the store if you have to. I usually do that ;)

Don't be afraid to ask questions to the person who's attending to you...

The cost of a pair of running shoes are ranged between RM250 - RM500. Make sure you shop and 'run' around before deciding on your perfect pair :)

I am ADDICTED to running shoes... And it's funny how I get excited over them than a pair of heels these days ;)

My babies so far... Haha :P

Missing in the picture is my new trail running shoes which I've yet to debut ;)

2. Wear comfortable running gear
Most of the stores that I've listed above have a section dedicated to running... Personally, I wear my running tops mostly from Nike because I am comfortable with the material ;) And sometimes I wear the running singlets that were give by the races that I've participated in so far... When I'm training, I usually wear my running shorts by adidas because they have a zipper at the back to keep my keys or money... Loved them!

If you're serious about running later on, then I'd suggest for you to get running tights (eg: 2XU/Skins) and get a sport watch (eg Polar/Garmin/Suunto/Timex)... I am currently using Garmin's Forerunner 610 and he's my best friend ;) You can read here about the watch reviewed by none other than a fellow runner and my friend, Idola ;)

3. Let's run!
Now that you've your shoes and gears, you're all set to run! Here are a couple of places for you to start warming up you legs:

a. Lembah Kiara Park, Taman Tun - one of my fave parks!
b. KLCC Park
c. Desa Park City
d. Lake Gardens
e. Taman Metropolitan Kepong
f. FRIM, Kepong

Make sure that you hydrate yourself before the run... I would normally drink about 2 glasses of water and eat a banana or a toast half an hour before I start my workout... Walk for one loop first for your warm up... And then gradually jog yourself through the park... If you can't maintain your jog, then do a walk-jog-walk-jog technique... Start with 1km on your first day... Find a friend or partner or relative to accompany you for your first few runs... It helps to have someone by your side when you are working out :)

My running friends and I - taken during my last LSD of the year in 2011 :)

And then gradually increase your mileage (up to 5km) as you get comfortable with your shoes... And when you're ready, try to attempt a 5km run...

When I started running back in the gym, I targeted my run on the treadmill to be between 30 -45mins, irregardless of the distance and pace... So distance or time, it's up to you on how you want to run ;)

Do read here if you want a detailed schedule for your first few weeks of running...

TWO important points:

a. Slab yourself all over with sunscreen when you're out running during the day (your skin needs to be protected!)

b. Please make sure that you stretch your legs before AND after the run... It is super important to do so to reduce muscle soreness and prevent any injury... I pretty much do these stretches demonstrated in this article before and especially after a run...

4. Signing up for races
When you legs are happily running around and you want to join in the fun and crowd at races here, then please do so :) You can check out below on the races that are happening here in Malaysia:

a. Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia - http://www.pacesetters.com.my/events/index10.htm
b. RunWitMe blog - http://runwitme.blogspot.com/
c. Runners Malaysia - http://www.runnersmalaysia.com.my/events/index.htm

The typical and minimum distance for a race here in Malaysia is 10km... However, if you feel that 10km is too much to handle for a start, there are races that include 5km or 7km fun run (like last year's NTV7 Feel Good Run or Standard Chartered KL Marathon) :)

I can say that I've met most of my awesome running friends through races... Our favourite session of the day after completing a race is none other than camwhoring!!! And A LOT of it ;P

So, I am looking forward to meet and make new ones for 2012 :)

And there you have it... A somewhat basic guide for you peeps out there to running, courtesy of Ms Road Runner :)

Run happy! Do ask me away if you've anything ok? :)

The Accidental First Race @ Mizuno Wave Run

2012-01-16T12:59:00.000+08:00

The plan was not to register for any race for the first two months of the year...

And obviously the plan failed completely :P

My running friends: Izuan, Azu and Azim and I decided to sign up and join the race at the last minute... And mind you, this race was going to be my third run of the year... Told you I was taking my time :P

Since it was also my first time running at this event in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), I wasn't expecting anything but just to enjoy the run and the route :) Plus I only had an hour worth of nap before driving down to UPM at 530am!

Before leaving the stadium

Pic credits to Tey

We were flagged off at 7am... The weather was kind to us runners :) When it comes to runs organised by the Pacesetters Club, you will know that the route will be pretty interesting ;) And indeed it was! Loved the scenic route and the last 1km hill of the 10km route that gave our legs an extra workout before coming back to the stadium ;)

I have to say that the Pacesetters Club did an amazing job for organising the race yesterday... I especially like the running from-and-back-to the stadium... Felt like a real athlete ;) So thank you Mr President, Rustam and his team for a memorable day for the runners yesterday :)

And Alhamdulillah, crossed the finish line with a PB of 58 mins 21 secs :) And also helped a friend to achieve her first sub-1 hour too and met so many running friends that I haven't seen for a while... So those two were my highlights from the race :)

Apprentice and I - We were Yin and Yang ;)

Congrats for finally achieving your sub-1 in your new adios... Another Adizero convert ;)

With Mr President - Thank you again and looking forward for the next race! :)

With Rosey - finally a pic with you since our last one was in Gold Coast!

Looking forward to more runs and pictures with you this year! ♥

With Izyan - Congrats for getting your sub-1!

Had fun running with you at the last 1km! :)

Sub-1 runners ;)

Congrats to Azim for getting an a-we-so-me timing of 55 mins ;)

Congrats to Idola for your time of 53 mins (not his PB but still so fast!) ;P

Fave (jumping) shot of the day by Mr Tey :)
We had fun!!!

So I guess that my legs are all warmed up to run again ;)

Giving Back

2012-01-13T19:14:00.002+08:00

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia -

I love this video that was shared by one of my good running friends :)

And this is what I'm planning to do throughout this year, hopefully :)

To give back, even if it's just a small contribution...

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

Report Card is Out!

2012-01-11T12:35:00.003+08:00

Well, by Dailymile that is... Hehe

No runs were logged in May as it was my resting month from the operation ;)

As you can see, it took me a while to really get myself running last year :P

But hey, here's to many, many more runs and (fewer) races this year ;)

14 Days

2012-01-10T21:24:00.001+08:00

Yeap... I didn't run for the past 14 days...

I was telling myself that I should be doing other workouts than just running for this month...

And that's what I did ;)

I played futsal with my usual gang, did core exercises and pilates at home...

And yesterday, I broke my 'not-running' spell...

I mean, who am I kidding right? The legs felt super itchy to run again and couldn't stand the fact that they are 'resting' for that period of time... *Drama* :P

So yeah, I did my first 5km of the year with a new running partner last night... Woot woot!!! :)

Still trying to look for other types of workout to add variety and to spice up my so-called healthy life program ;)

Maybe I should dance or rock-climb? What do you think?

Suggestions are welcomed :)

RunFest Cyberjaya

2012-01-06T15:35:00.002+08:00

Oh by the way, if any of you are taking part at the awesome RunFest Cyberjaya this Sunday,

Do drop by our booth, G-Stop at the Street Market :)

Both Shanaz and I will be selling off brand new/pre-loved items such as books and clothes and proceeds will be donated to charities that are closest to our hearts respectively :)

So, bring extra cash ok? ;)

And there'll be performances by Projek Disko Baldi, Azmyl Yunor, Nadhira, SSK and Daren Junior as well so I'm going to foresee a super fun and awesome day this Sunday at Cyberjaya :)

Also, if you have used running shoes, you can donate them at RunFest!

Check out http://runfest.my for more information...

Hope to see all of you there! :)

Make Every Move Count

2012-01-06T15:13:00.000+08:00

First ad-day of the year! :)

I admire all of these women featured in this video...

And their bodies... Smokin' hot!!!

Note to self: Must work out :P

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

20 New Year’s Resolutions For 20-Somethings

2012-01-03T13:05:00.000+08:00

Just had to share this write-up taken from here...

I thought it's relatable and hilarious at the same time! LOL!

Thanks Pui San for sharing this on Facebook :)

Before you status update, Tweet, Tumble or Instagram, pause and say to yourself, “is it entirely necessary that I share this morsel of thought with my entire social network?”and if the answer is not, “yes, I absolutely must,” then step away from the Internet.
Know which candidate you’re going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election, and know why.
Enough with the 14-day juice cleanses. If you want to lose a little weight quickly, eat less and exercise like crazy. If you want to lose a lot of weight slowly, do whatever Jennifer Hudson did.
If you really like the person you’re hooking up with and would like them to be your boyfriend/ girlfriend, find a way to tell them, and hope for the best. If you don’t and wouldn’t, stop.
Find a way to save approximately 300 dollars and spend it on a flight to see a friend or family member who lives far away.
Please stop liking the Kardashians, all of them. It’s not helping anyone, least of all the Kardashians.
Spend less than or equal to the money you earn each month.
Wear clothes that fit you, especially to work.
Call someone on the phone at least once a week, and speak to him or her for at least ten minutes.
Start preparing now to get over the fact that Facebook is probably going to change again in six months. You’re not going to deactivate your account. You don’t know how.
Wait 30 seconds before you look up a fact you can’t remember on your phone, and try to remember it using your brain. This is what the olden days were like.
Replace one terrible reality show you’re currently watching with one wonderful scripted show currently available on television. Swap suggestion: Real Housewives of Anywhere for HBO’s Enlightened.
Try that food you think you don’t like but have never actually tried, unless it’s brussels sprouts. They really don’t need any more attention.
Cut one person out of your life who you truly do not like and add one person who you truly do. Note: not on Facebook, on Earth.
If you’re still blacking out regularly, you should stop.
Volunteer once over the next 90 days. You’ll feel really good about it, and probably end up volunteering again over the next 275.
Tell someone who you love that you love them on a more regular basis. To their face, not in a text.
Back up your entire online life onto an external hard drive, especially your photos.
Crap or get off the pot. This applies to whatever thing you’re not doing that you should just sack up and do already.
And in the eternal words of Tom Haverford, “TREAT YO SELF!”

Happy 2012! :)

2012-01-02T19:06:00.001+08:00

"Because that's what New Year's is all about: getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about 'what if' and start embracing what would be. So when that ball drops at midnight - and it will drop - let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long."

- Claire Morgan from New Year's Eve movie -

Hope it's not too late to wish all of you here...

To my friends and readers out there, here's to another year of new beginnings, new hopes, chasing and realising dreams, finding happiness and love :)

Bring it on twenty-twelve!!! :D

Highlights of 2011: #5 My 'Babies'

2011-12-31T12:48:00.001+08:00

Another year of 'running away' - accomplished ;)

A year filled with PBs, awesome running friends and memories that'll last forever :)

Looking forward to what's store for twenty.twelve! :)

Highlights (and Lowlight) of 2011: #4 Friends

2011-12-28T14:32:00.000+08:00

This year, the Gs have become closer... Like a family :)

And my running friends' circle has expanded as well...

The awesome peeps that I've met this year :)

Also, not to forget my penyeris, oprah ladies and the solos for their unconditional support and love throughout the year...

♥

Thank you guys and girlies for making this year oh-so-much-fun for me! :)

This year also, I would have never thought that I will be losing a very dear friend of mine, Allahyarham Kharis...

From left to right: Back in April at Village Park and After the Men's Health/Shape Night Run in July

We knew each other through Dailymile and we finally met in person at last year's Newton 25km Challenge Run... And became close friends up until his last day here on earth... Even though our friendship lasted for only about 2 years or so, it felt as though we both have known each other for a very long time, with our daily BB conversations and occasional meet-ups or drinks to talk about life, relationships, running and just about everything... Yeap, he was a confidant, but also a genuine-cum-true friend...

And for that, I will always be forever grateful to have known such a beautiful person... Will always remember you cunning advises on life :) Hope you're doing well on the other side of the world, my friend...

The Gs and I still talk about you... We miss you... Al-Fatihah...

Here's to making new friends and treasuring every moment with all of my superfriends from all walks of life in 2012! :)

Highlights of 2011 - #3 Traveling

2011-12-27T23:45:00.000+08:00

When you have so much time to yourself, you might as well make full use of it right? *wink*

And that's what I did this year :)

City of Love, Paris :)

From left to right: In the bus passing through the famous The Louvre

At the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower with my partner in crime + our finisher medals ;)

Having the best hot chocolate at Angelina

Land Down Under ;)

From left to right: Quality time with my big brother... Do we lookalike? ;)

With Surfers Paradise as the background

With one of my besties in Melbie :)

America!

Top left: With Senorita and Captain at Huey's 24/7 Diner near our hotel in NYC

Top right: With Captain at Portland, Maine

Bottom left: Inside the famous cupcake store in Washington DC

Bottom right: With the supposedly Apollo 18 as the background at NASA Johnson Space Centre, Houston

You can click at the pictures above to view them properly :)

Of course I did not forget to travel back here di Negaraku :) You can click here to read about my getaway at one of the most beautiful islands here :)

Blessed and grateful for being able to travel and 'cuti-cuti' to a number of places this year :D

Can't wait for my trip(s) next year, insyaAllah!

And one with my beloved parents too :)

Highlights of 2011 - #2 Three Continents

2011-12-22T12:32:00.000+08:00

Yeah I know that I kind of overdid myself this year :P

But I guess if you have the opportunity to do so & super supportive parents to back you up, why not right? :)

Carrying my Malaysian flag proudly before crossing the finish line in Paris, Gold Coast and New York City respectively :)

Alhamdulillah, for this year I've been blessed and given the opportunity to travel and complete these marathons:

1) Birthday marathon (Paris de Marathon)

2) A post-surgery marathon (Gold Coast Airport Marathon)

3) First World Marathon Majors (ING New York City Marathon)

And managed to PB at all of the marathons... Alhamdulillah for that too! :)

(KA, if you're reading this, I am still waiting for you to wash my car from my Gold Coast achievement! :P)

I don't think I'll be able to 'runaway' like this again, but then again you'll never know ;) Nevertheless, I had so much fun running and traveling at the same time this year, since it was my first time to both Paris and New York City... Such beautiful cities and priceless experiences :)

Definitely a running year to remember :)

Looking forward to what's in store for me in 2012 too!

And yeah yeah... I'll try and complete one marathon here in KL soon ok?

(The keyword is 'try') :P

Shit Girls Say #2

2011-12-21T15:14:00.000+08:00

The second episode is here!!!

My fave lines were:

1) "I'm just like (followed by a long sigh)............" :P

2) "I can't believe I ate all that!"

Reminded me so much of Apprentice G :P

Happy Wednesday everyone! :)

Highlights of 2011 - #1 The Gs

2011-12-20T16:05:00.001+08:00

We had such a BLAST dressing up for races this year...

Not only that, our friendships with each other have blossomed and I'm so blessed and grateful to have you (running) girls in my life... Thank you all for the laughs and the smiles... ♥

From Runaway Schoolgirls - Tribute to King Of Pop - Military Queens - Polka Dotties - Devils - Pirates = LOTS OF FUN!!! :D

Definitely one of the highlights for this year in my books :)

What's in store for us in twenty-twelve?

More awesome costumes!!! :D

XOXOs,
The Gs

Ahoy Mates @ Malakoff Run KL ;)

2011-12-19T14:22:00.000+08:00

This race was pretty much a finale for most of my running friends (myself included)... And of course, the Gs and I dressed for the occasion since we wanted to complete our running year respectively with a bang ;)

I slept for only 2 hours on Saturday night due to the fact that my tummy was feeling uneasy and my eyes just didn't want to shut! So, I knew that I was going to suffer at this run with its superhilly route... Blimey!

Since it was my last race of the year, I decided to take it easy and paced with my fellow Apprentice G throughout the run... And we bumped into a couple of our running friends during the run, especially during the times when we brisk-walked at the torturous hill at the Beringin (Damansara Heights) loop... Nevertheless, it was a perfect weather yesterday morning for us runners that braved through the hills :)

We both completed the 12km run as per our targeted time - 1 hr 15 mins!!! And we're in the top 50 for our category! Mighty Arrr!!! ;)

Didn't run with the eye-patch of course - if not, I'll probably cause a chaos at the route ;P

And yeah, we did cause a stir at the event, especially AFTER the run... Trust the Gs to inject fun and colour ;)

With Santa's helpers and Christmas Trees ;)

With Pacesetters Club's Mr President...

Thank you for the awesome race! :)

Senorita and I...

From futsal mates to pirate mates ;)

Someone from the media was interested in us ;)

Pic credits to Aiman

With me hearties...

Where's our Jack Sparrows? Hehe

Pic credits to Idola

It was definitely the perfect ending for the Gs... We had so much FUN FUN FUN up dressing up for races this year! :D

Can't wait for what's in store for all of us in twenty.twelve... With more awesome costumes ;)

Just wait and see :)

Life Lessons #7

2011-12-15T17:45:00.001+08:00

Taken from imgfave on Tumblr

Trying different things in life, a definite yes...

But always, always stay true to yourself...

And if you change, change for the better... :)

Shit Girls Say #1

2011-12-13T21:32:00.002+08:00

I was laughing so hard when I watched the clip below!!!

I can't wait for the upcoming episodes for this! It's friggin' hilarious and brilliant!!!

And I am pretty sure that all of us ladies can relate to all of the lines and the facial impressions... Don't even try to deny it! ;P

Hope everyone had a good Tuesday! :)

Tribute #2

2011-12-09T14:32:00.001+08:00

Life's a yard of green grass

Life is good. Really? I’m probably going through what feels like the longest marathon run of my life for the past few months. I’m in no hurry to get to the finish line though. I know I’m built for endurance and perseverance. I try to act cool when it calls for me to flip in normal circumstances. I seem to think I have enough options to choose from when in reality, they’re all quite vague. Ok, can I be more vague than this? I’ll try to be specific but not detailed. Whatever that means.

I was intrigued by a friend’s blog post recently. She wrote on the subject of which side of grass is greener. A profound write-up that was gathered by her own experiences and perhaps others whom she know. Honest and real. So let’s put it into perspective then. We all have our own yards, with ‘green grass’ and separated by fences. We then seem to think ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’? So we put in more effort to work our own yards to make the grass greener. Does it work? Of course not! Because the ‘grass is always greener on the other side!’. Precisely my point. Grass is green. There is no two way about it. It’s how you look after it that counts.

On my side of the yard, at least. There seem to be a lot of people who comes to visit. Some of them got invited. Most of them invited themselves. Some thread their steps gently. While some will trample all over the grass. All this contributes to the extra effort to maintain the yard. Sometimes we are willing and duly share the chore to take care of the grass so it always looks nice. Although sometimes we have our idle days and put off the work to another day. It’s still green though. Just not too nice to look at. Sometimes we procrastinate too long which makes tidying up a pain in the ass. There are so many things piling up on top of each other in the yard that it makes it difficult to even see the green grass. In extreme cases, we just don’t want to bother anymore and hope that the mess will clear by itself or move to other yards which we think are greener.

It’s your yard. You either have it for your own or you share it. The mess that was created may come from you and from others but you still have to take care of it. Your yard will become what you shape it to be. You decide how you water and mow the grass. You determine who you invite to come into your yard. You select who stays and who leaves. It’s difficult to see beneath the mess sometimes if you don’t choose to look for it. Sometimes you get invited to the other side of the fence. A short visit into someone else’s yard and you find it better. It looked a lot similar to what you had before. You look back at your own yard from the other side and think how did it get to that condition? You ask yourself, do you still want to work on it? It’s hard work. It’ll be easier to work on the new yard. For now. As it eventually will grow and taking care of it will take more effort. The answer lies within you.

I believe that we all need to take peeks into the other side of the fence every now and then. There’s no competition really. Just a reality check. Your yard needs you as much as you need it. I never left my yard, I think. It may have come across my mind a few times. Thinking what I may have missed or missed on the other side of the fence. It’s actually neither of that. Infact, I have made lovely friends from my short excursions. I would like to thank them for inviting me in so that I’m reminded of my own yard.

My yard needs to be taken care of right now and I’m taking it each day at a time. This could be trying times indeed. I have been through this season but it feels a bit more challenging at the moment. It’s just not me alone in the yard now. It’s about the ones whom I truly love and care for. I’m built for this, definitely. I just need to clear the path to see the finish route. It believe it will come soon. I choose to do so.

So tell me. Do you still think the grass is greener on this side?

A beautifully written post on life and getting a reality check...

One of my faves by arwah... You're in our thoughts everyday, my dear friend... :)

Have a good weekend everyone :)

A Beautiful Mess

2011-12-08T07:51:00.000+08:00

Such a beautiful track this is...

My fave by Jason Mraz...

Can't help but feeling that life is a beautiful mess at this moment...

A mixed bag of emotions, all jumbled up...

Not quite sure what to make out of it...

Oh well, it's probably just a phase :)

Devilicious Gs @ Nike We Run KL 10km

2011-11-29T22:37:00.000+08:00

Who needs Batman when you can have four devilicious Gs? ;)

Pic credits to Idola

It was my first race upon returning from the States and this event was my third 10km race...

This was Nike's second running event... The first one was held last year on the day that I proudly called myself a marathoner in Melbourne, 10/10/10...

And because I've heard rave reviews from the last year's race, I decided to join in and be part of the massive 'red' runners this year ;)

It was also my first race running with a new pacer this time around, Deo ;)

I was chasing for the sub-1 hour finish and am stoked to have crossed the line just below the 1 hour mark!!! :D :D :D

I'd say that this event is so far the best organised 10km race that I've ever participated in... From the reasonably priced fees, to the adequate water stations with volunteers and organised race village on the day itself...

Oh, and I loved the exceptionally rolling route!!! Kudos to the organisers and Nike for throwing us the runners a big fun party on Sunday! :)

I shall let the pictures speak for this post ;)

Another round of making this a fun run for the Gs...

Yeap we were the red devils (not Man U yeah :P) ;)

Pic credits to Missy

Dashing towards the finish line...

Pic credits to Aiman

Thanks to my pacer, 59 mins and accomplished my mission!

Could've done better but I'll take that time for now ;)

Yayyyy!!! Thanks again Deo for putting up with me especially at the last 2km of the race :)

With Idola...

He's so photogenic kan ;)

Pic credits to Idola

Skirts galore with Herr G!

Pic credits to Missy

Trying to notty-fy our Mr Reindeer ;P

The Gs interrogating Deo to see if he wants to be a part of the crew ;P
Pic credits to Idola

It was supposed to be his next race with us...

Arwah signed up for the race at my place a day before the adidas KOTR's race with Missy...

My very good friend, Mizi ran on behalf of arwah...

You did him proud, G...

We still miss you... Al-Fatihah

One more race to go and then I am d-o-n-e for the year! :)

Captain G's NYC Marathon Experience

2011-11-29T08:23:00.001+08:00

My partner-in-crime and travelling buddy when I was in the States, Captain G aka Shanaz is featured as a guest blogger in Idola G's blog, penning down on her recent marathon experience in New York City but of course :)

Click on the links below to read about her awesome journey:

Part 1 - The Decision and Training: http://jurnalari.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-november-6-2011-3-close-friends.html

Part 2 - Being in New York: http://jurnalari.blogspot.com/2011/11/shanaz-running-new-york-part-2.html

Part 3 - NYC Marathon (my fave!): http://jurnalari.blogspot.com/2011/11/shanaz-running-new-york-part-3.html

You did a great job at blogging, Captain! :)

And congratulations again on your sub-4:15!!! Looking forward to our 'next' adventure in 2012 :D

Mucho love xx

(Idola, I'm giving free publicity to your blog, you should consider doing the same thing.. Hahahaha :P)

The Day after the Marathon and Reflections

2011-11-24T10:03:00.001+08:00

Apparently, it was a tradition for all of the marathon finishers to proudly wear, walk, and parade the medal on the streets of New York City...

And that's exactly what we did on the next day :) Even with our 'busted' legs :P

My pretty necklace of the day :)

Breakfast at one of our fave places, Le Pain Quotidien

On the way to Top of the Rock...

With the gorgeous Central Park as the backdrop :)

Because we had to celebrate the American style ;)

Dinner time ;)

And to end our NYC trip, of course we had to make an epic one... And so we did :D

One of the best concerts I've ever gone to!!!

I think our medals had a blast too on that day... Hehe ;)

It was a perfect post-marathon day for us... Strangers on the street came up to us and congratulated us for completing the marathon... Bumped into runners that did the same thing, we exchanged smiles at each other on the street with an unspoken understanding that we braved through the 5 boros the day before and the medal's probably one of if not the best thing that has happened for this year :)

I think if we were to do this in KL, people would think that there's seriously something wrong with us :P

Now, I don't normally do this... But I thought a self-reflection about the whole marathon experience would probably do me good whenever I look back later on... And of course I wouldn't mind sharing it here with all of you :) So here goes...

What went right:
The training... I completely agree that you need sufficient training in order to achieve your desired time goal in a marathon... As I was saying, I've never trained properly for a marathon except for this one... And it helps to have a training buddy who shares the same passion as you too :)

The speedwork did wonders to my legs... And when I was running the first 30km, I felt like I could go on and on with the unexpected pace that I was running at...

Oh, and before I started training for the marathon, I used to loathe running through the hills... Whenever I see one from afar, I'll start to get demotivated and immediately switched to brisk walking mode to go through them... But thanks to my training, I can proudly say, bring the hills on because the legs are loving it! :)

And as per my previous post, the combination of feeling happy and the amazing atmosphere were definitely the two factors that helped me PB-ed this awesome marathon on that day :)

What went wrong:
I think looking back, there was a pinch of regret as I felt that I didn't push myself during my last 10km of the marathon... After I crossed the finish line, I thought to myself that I could've gotten a slightly better timing have I not been walking too much... But a PB is indeed a PB... And there's always a next marathon to smash a PB right? ;)

Also, the fact that my Garmin went hay-wired during the race... I became too worried and kept on checking on my watch and the mile markers to see whether I was on target with my time goal... But either than that, I am super grateful that my legs were fine (except for my cramped left leg between 35 - 40km of the route) throughout the race... Alhamdulillah for that :)

What could've been improved:
I think more speedwork and strength sessions for the legs would've helped during my training period...

Also, I should've ran outside more instead of on the happymill... I think my dailymile friends can conclude that happymill was my superbestie during the training period... Hehe... Time was always a factor for me when it comes to running during weekdays... Maybe next time, I'll try to go out more and run at parks instead :)

And it wouldn't hurt to have a man by your side, supporting you throughout your journey ;P

So there you have it, my NYC Marathon journey, jotted down in words (and in 3 parts! hehe) and written straight from the heart with no regrets :)

Follow your dreams, have faith and believe in each one of them, and they will come true eventually...

I know that one of mine did :)

iRan New York City :)

2011-11-15T00:32:00.001+08:00

I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive,

I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise,
To fly :)
(From the song Fly by Nicky Minaj feat. Rihanna)

When I found out that Captain and Señorita was going to join me for the trip, I was really ecstatic because I'd have two awesome running buddies to share my amazing experience with... And the fact that Captain and I made plans to travel together in the States for three weeks (New York - Boston - Washington - Houston), I knew that this trip was going to be definitely fun and unforgettable :)

As per my previous post, we flew in a week before the marathon itself to get ourselves adjusted to the time (13 hours difference from KL!), to acclimate and to have a few final runs in NYC... Buses were already decorated with Asics' motivational messages for the marathon, posters in cafes were up inviting runners to dine at their place, and posters were scattered around the city... When we had our first run in Central Park, it was already 'decorated' with banners and posters, and that the organisers were working on the finish gantry area... And that runners from all over the world have started swarming the park throughout the week... Yeap, the marathon vibes were in the air already :)

One of the tour buses...
Pic credits to Señorita

We carboloaded here the night before the marathon ;)

At one of the metro stations' entrance...

Central Park...

I was really anxious for the entire week, and especially the day before the marathon itself... With friends and family posting messages on Facebook, Twitter or BB to achieve a new PB, how can you not right?! Haha! All of the possible 'what-ifs' popped into my mind... Thank God Captain understood what I was going through because she felt the same way too... Come to think of it, it was just plain silly to put such pressure on myself... I kept telling myself that even if I didn't get my PB, I'll be okay but I guess I was just trying to be in denial about it :P But one thing is for sure, I was pretty proud of myself to see how I've improved mentally and physically from the training :)

In Lululemon Athletica store, Woodbury Common...

The marathon day finally came and it was a testament to myself to see whether what I've been training for the past 3 months were good enough for me or not to finish strong within my desired time goal :)

With the recent passing of my beloved friend, TSB, I dedicated this marathon to him as he was eagerly excited when I told him that I got in back in April and gave me encouragements throughout my training til the day that he left us.... So this one was for you and you were in my thoughts throughout the marathon :')

Tribute sticker was pasted at the back of my running top
Pic credits to Captain

We woke up at 5am to get ready at the hotel... Captain was running for Autism Speaks so she had to leave early to catch a bus with the other runners from the group... An hour later, I left the hotel with Señorita (who was running for Shoe4Africa) in a cab to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and catch our ferry...

Nervous already!!!

Once we got to the island, we took the bus that was provided for the runners to the starting point of the race - the Verazzano-Narrows bridge... The three of us were flagged off at 1040am... Mind you, it was still a very cold and chilly morning... So, camwhoring was a must for the three of us before we separated into our respective coral and wave no ;)

The G girls posing proudly with our Malaysian flag :)

I donated my sweater just before entering the starting point... They blasted out New York New York by the legendary Frank Sinatra for us after we were flagged off... So, we danced and sang before we started running and entered the bridge since we were going to run NYC 'right through the very heart of it'... A good way to ignite our running spirits eh? ;)

There were 5 boros that we had to go through - Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and finally Manhattan... All of which we had to pass their insanely elevated bridges respectively from one boro to another... Here's the beautiful but torturing course map ;P

You can checkout the map clearer by clicking here

The legs had a good workout alright from the elevations ;P

You can click here for a larger view

The first 2 miles were quite challenging for me as I had to run my way through the massive sea of runners and kept up with my pace... And the fact that my Garmin went hay-wired because I was running at the lower deck of the bridge... Hence, from the beginning of the race, I had to rely on the mile markers and my time on my Garmin to gauge whether I was on the right track for a sub-4:30 or not... And I was praying hard that I wouldn't get any more 'surprises' or mishaps during the race...

When I entered Brooklyn, I was overwhelmed with the supports from the crowds.... It was a huge street party, with the all kinds of music blasting from the stereos, performances by bands and percussionists, and the super loud cheers from the supporters, I smiled widely while running in this boro... Definitely the best boro to run in! :)

One happy runner I am ;)

Halfway to go!

Spot me ;)

I made sure that I posed for the cameras whenever I see them... Hehe

I ran past Queens and it was also filled with supporters that were mostly looking for their spouse, husband, wife, family members or friend respectively... I somehow wished that I did have at least one supporter to cheer me on at that point... Hehe...

The toughest bridge for me was definitely Queensboro Bridge... It seemed never-ending for us and I laughed at the end of the bridge to see a couple of banners that said, "If you think the last 10 miles are easier, then welcome to easier"... 16 remaining clicks were definitely not easier in my books! ;p

First Avenue, Manhattan was filled with thousands of supporters on both sides of the street and I felt like a rockstar here as this was the area where my name was called by a no of supporters/volunteers and it felt awesome to be high-fiving them :)

The Bronx was definitely a favourite for me too - with hip hop and soul music and performances by the musicians, a sign from the crowd that says 'You're the shit', what's not to love about the Bronx? ;) Definitely my kind of hood... Hehe... I pretty much danced my way through this awesome boro :)

I was pretty consistent with my pace, which was between 5:45 to 6 min/km until I reached the 35th km... I was grateful that I didn't feel the wall, but my left leg started to cramp up at the last bridge that we had to go through... So, I stopped by the side of the bridge to quickly stretch my legs here... Also, my big toe nails were still suffering from TNF, and I was praying hard that they would still remain intact as they were 'throbbing' as well... *Drama* :P

Hence, the last leg of the race at Fifth Avenue before entering Central Park (the finish line) in Manhattan was challenging for me, as I switched to run-walk-run mode for the next 5km... Plus, I had a few mins to kill knowing the fact that I was well on track with my timing... Lazy :P

Except for this one...

Caught by the camera :P

The encouraging words and posters from the supporters really did help me get through the last 3km of the race... So when I finally entered Central Park, I gave my all and ran my heart out to the finish line with my Malaysian flag :)

Felt euphoric to be crossing the line :)

And Alhamdulillah, all of the training, sacrifices and investments were paid off on that glorious day as I completed the biggest marathon in the world with a whopping PB of 4 hrs 23 mins 39 secs!!! My first attempt and I nailed it!!! :D :D :D

I was overwhelmed that I almost cried after crossing the line, but at the same time I felt like puking because I sprinted like a crazy girl before that... So much that a few of the volunteers asked me if I needed medical attention... So crying did not take place :p

And these were my splits from the awesome marathon :)

I got 'lazy' between 30 -40km... Hehe

I felt completely overjoyed when I was running the marathon... With the amazing atmospheres from all of the 5 boros, it was a day of celebration for us the runners... The city came to life on that day and the people really know how to throw big parties for us :) There were many things that came through my mind when I was running too... I had my moments of reflection in life too (so deep right :P)

And to achieve what I've set out to achieve from the beginning, nothing beats personal glory and gratification :) I can't wait to share this amazing story one day with my kids, insyaAllah :)

Sub-4:30 marathoners - Check!!! :D :D :D

To Captain, I had a blast training with you for the past 3 months or so... We've strengthened our friendship through what we've shared and learned from each other, and that wasn't just through running... And you've proved that with perseverance and practice (oh, and no social life :P), magic can happen and a sub-4:15 is doable ;) Hehe... You did super awesome... I'm so happy for you and that I'm proud to be part of your journey :)

With our roses respectively from a guy called Pakwe (not mine!)...

The deal was that if three of us PB-ed, we would get one rose each..

And so we did :)
Pic credits to Captain

To Señorita, you finally did it! A sub-5 in your belt now and you smashed your PB by friggin' 42 mins! Fantastic! An awesome way to celebrate your birthday in advance right? :) You did me proud girlfriend (ala Bronx accent)! ;)

(My Oscar speech again :P) To all of my friends that have been endlessly supportive and for not wanting to strangle me every time I mention about NYC previously, you can all breathe a sigh of relief now :p Though I might be talking about it back at home for the next one month as I'll be carrying my medal in my bag too... Haha :P But thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your kind, inspiring and positive words, be it via face-to-face, this blog, Facebook, BB or Twitter... Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have such amazing friends :)

I also would like to give a special shout-out to my fellow Gs, Idola and Apprentice, for staying up so late back at home, tracked our progresses and updated them on our Facebook pages while we were running the streets of New York until the three of us crossed the finish line respectively... So grateful to have you both as our Gs *hugs* :)

Would I run New York again? Heck yeah!!! Well, one day and if money permits again insyaAllah :) I highly recommend all of my running friends to run NYC... Definitely an experience of a lifetime :)

So, 1 marathon major down... What's next? *wink*

Maybe having a man in my life should be my next target... LOL!!! Just sayin' ;p

Next: The Day After the Marathon ;)

(Note: I am still waiting for my pictures from Brigthroom, the official photography for the marathon... The ones I've shared were taken from the website... Will upload once I've them)

New York City - The Road to Realising the Dream

2011-11-14T10:41:00.001+08:00

Taken in Niketown Store, NYC :)

Hello everyone! :)

I am still here in the States... I figured that since I'm at my last destination before heading back home and that I've time at the moment, I'd like to share about my NYC experience in a few parts... Because it deserves to be in that manner and that I have so much to tell!!! Hehe ;)

So, let's start with my training regime for the past 3 months leading up to the day of the marathon... When I found out that Captain was going to join me in NYC, I was super excited and grateful at the same time... This was because she was an awesome companion back in April when we both went to Paris for my birthday marathon and that I was going to share my dream this year with her again :)

So, we both decided to train together this time around for the marathon... This was the first time that I actually had a proper training regime and that I was actually training for a marathon 3 months prior to an event! :p On the last 4 marathons that I've done, the longest training that I've done so far was one and half months before the race that was the Paris one... Talk about discipline :p

Of course, I had a goal in my mind for NYC, and that was to attempt and complete the race in less than 4 and half hours... I have two sub-5 and two sub-5:30 in my belt... So, a sweet sub-4:30 would be a perfect present for my last marathon of the year... Hence, I told myself that I was going to really train for it, rain or shine... And the fact that I was going to invest a lot by coming all the way to the Big Apple, I had to make this a worthwhile trip no? :)

So, captain and I started our training during the fasting month... We dedicated our Tuesdays for our speedwork and strength workouts, Thursdays for marathon pace runs, and the weekends for our LSD runs... The other working days were dedicated to easy runs that would accumulate to 60-70km in total per week... And there were also races that we took part in October (adidas King of the Road, The North Face 100 and New Balance Real Run which was both in Singapore) as part of our training...

After our first LSD during the Ramadan month in Putrajaya :)

Military ratus ;)

Pic credits to Missy

Before leaving Singapore :)

Pic credits to Captain

The last LSD before flying off to NYC

At the end of October, I was happy and lil' proud of myself that I've trained well... Here's a snapshot from my dailymile on my training:

100 miles+ for the month of October... A first for me :)

And of course we ran in Central Park just to acclimate ourselves to the supercold weather...

Our 2nd run...

The day before the marathon - our last 5km run...

I have to say that it wasn't easy for the both of us due to the fact that we had to be super committed and discipline with our program - and that meant sacrificing our social (yes, I do have a life!) or family gatherings and handle the banters and dissatisfaction from 'non-runnning' friends at the same time... You gotta be in our (running) shoes to understand people! ;)

And of course, there were days where I just didn't want to run, but I had to force myself (with positive thoughts!) and that captain was around to push and motivate me to do so :)

Nevertheless, our close running friends were very supportive throughout our training months... And not to mention, my super understanding parents and closest friends... Alhamdulillah and supermad ❤ for them :)

And just like the first pic in this post: Nothing worthwhile was ever easy; and I am glad that I followed the program and pulled it through :D

Next: iRan New York City :)

ING New York City Marathon

2011-11-07T22:08:00.001+08:00

It was my dream to run the prestigious and biggest marathon in the world this year...

And to PB by 24 mins and complete the race in less than 4 hrs 30 mins?!!

Superduper stoked!!! :D :D :D

Alhamdulillah... I can't believe that I did it!!!

Will update soon on my best marathon experience here soon...

Now, time to reward myself here! :)

Super Starstruck :)

2011-11-05T16:10:00.000+08:00

The girls and I went to pick-up our bibs and shopped like crazy at the expo after that...

But the highlight of the day was definitely meeting these 2 inspiring and running legends :)

With Mr 800 himself - Bart Yasso :D

One of the greatest ultramarathoners - Dean Karnazes y'all!!! :D

Less than 30 hours to go for me here...

*Nervous*

Empire State of Mind :)

2011-11-03T10:37:00.002+08:00

A BIG hello from the Big Apple :)

It's a surreal feeling to be here, since I grew up watching movies that featured New York city... Such a vibrant and colourful city this is!

My girls (Shanaz and I) are here and it has been a fun journey for the three of us here being tourists ;)

Here are some of the pictures that I'd like to share since I got here :)

Moments after arriving at JFK - Times Square baby!!!

Captain and I :)

Spotted: Captain, Senorita and Princess during their first run here at Central Park (ala Gossip Girl) ;)

Supergorgeous park!!!

The props and signage are up around the park :)

Visited the Lady Liberty today :)

Pic credits to Shanaz

Words cannot describe how happy but nervous I am to be here!

More updates soon!

T-3!!! :D :D :D

Start Spreading the News :)

2011-10-29T11:33:00.001+08:00

After months and days of counting down, I am finally going to leave home tomorrow morning for Big Apple...

I would like to thank all of my friends and my readers here for supporting me throughout my training with your encouragements and positive words... Allah knows how deeply grateful I am to have all of you in my life... Alhamdulillah and may God bless you always....

My parents are definitely my backbone... I wake up every morning and thank Allah for blessing me with loving and understanding parents... Not easy to let them see their first daughter 'running' away to the other side of the world... ;)

Superexcited from the inspirational video... Can't believe that I'm this superclose to running my dream marathon... I hope that I'll do well... Amin... :)

I will be away for awhile... Taking a break after the marathon... Maybe you'll hear from me when I'm there insyaAllah...

Pray for my Gs (Shanaz and Selly) and I to have a safe journey and an awesome trip... :)

T-8: I'm going to be a part of it, New York New York!!! :D :D :D

Tribute #1

2011-10-24T11:33:00.001+08:00

"Most of us get high aiming for a faster marathon while gunning for that top level spot in our corporate day job. For some of us, we move along at our own pace and sometimes still struggling to find relevance in what we do. There is a place for everyone in Paradise as someone commented on my Facebook status. But more importantly - you have to strive to sleep enough, eat well, workout more, work smart and Godwilling you'll be healthier and happier. And that is not an overrated phrase either."

- The late Kharis Idris @ TSB -

Taken from his blog here...

Thought of sharing excerpts from his blog before it gets lost or disappeared... He used to excitedly tell me his latest post before it gets published and shared to everyone...

The All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup yesterday... He must be smiling :)

Ladies - This One's For You ;)

2011-10-21T17:53:00.000+08:00

Haven't shared an ad for quite sometime now...

Came across this TVC that was shared by a friend on Facebook...

And I thought that it'll be such a clever and motivating way to encourage us ladies to exercise ;)

I wouldn't mind staying on the bike for hours... Haha!

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

New Balance Real Run Singapore

2011-10-19T20:21:00.002+08:00

With only less than 3 hours of sleep and still feeling supertired from TNF50km, the Gs and I contemplated whether to run our 10km recovery run or not... But since it was just a few days after Azu aka Apprentice's birthday, we thought of dedicating and also run with her since it was going to be her first Singapore run... So thoughtful kan Apprentice even though you're like you-know-what... :P

And it was also my first time running a back-to-back races on a weekend! ;)

We woke up at 430am (yawn), got ready and left to the Changi Exhibition Centre... Mind you, this was the same venue for the infamous Sundown Marathon that I ran my first 10km event 3 years ago...

The Gs and I in polka dotty running skirts ;)

Pic credits to Selly

We were flagged off at 7am... I wanted to take it easy for this run since I was feeling pretty sleepy and tired... But at the same time I just couldn't wait to cross the line (again!)... Oh, the drama I have with myself :P

They didn't call it Real Run for nothing alright! Served me right for not checking out the website on the course.. It was actually a 2km run on the trail, 1.5km run on the sand, and 6.5km run on the road!!! As if running through the woods the previous day was not enough! :P

I was happy that I hit the 5km in 30 mins and managed to catch up with Izuan before entering the beach... I'd say that this was the hardest part of the run... I pretty much had to zig-zag myself at this point as I wanted leave the beach! :P

Another roasting session...

Look how I was frowning while running... Haha

Pic credits to Runevent Shots

By the time we left the beach it was really hot and I just sped my way to the finish line because I couldn't stand the heat and was stoked to have completed my recovery run in 1 hr 56 secs :D :D :D (Official PB since my first and only 10km event was 1 hr 21 mins)

With the other recovery runners...

Superb la you guys and my Gs!!! :D :D :D

Captain completed in sub 1 hour, Apprentice in 1 hr 5 mins and Senorita in 1 hr 15 mins!
My G girls are just on fire! ;)
Pic credits to Selly

My sweet medals from SG this year...

It was a superhectic day for both Captain and I as we had to rush straight from LCCT immediately after touching down from SG to Shangri-La to attend our running friend's wedding reception...

Both of us changed into our outfits in the carpark within 5 mins!

Not bad right? Hehe
Hope there wasn't any CCTV nearby!!! :P

So, there you have it!!! My last race before my dream marathon for the year, the NYC Marathon :)

Will be leaving in 10 days time with Captain G... Oh emmm geeee!!! *Superanxious but excited* Need to start packing soon!!!

Next: ING New York City Marathon :D :D :D

The Merciless Sun @ The North Face 100 Singapore

2011-10-18T16:02:00.000+08:00

After hearing good reviews about the event last year from my running friends, I decided to take part in the 50km mixed duo... I had troubles at first looking for a partner for this event, but thank God for my fellow Glory-glory G aka Idola, Izuan as he decided to be my partner...

Basically, as a team, each of us would have to complete the 25km trail course that has been set from the MacRitchie Resevoir Park...

You can click here for a bigger view of the map

With my still-in-a-daze condition, the will and heart to run for the event was just not there... But I knew that he would've wanted me to complete this run since I've talked to him about it previously... And that it would be one of my last events before flying off to the NYC :) So mileage was needed for the week...

Thanks to my Senorita G aka Selly, the Gs and I bunked over at her place for the weekend...

I am not sure on who's idea to start this category at 10am, but when we got to the park around 9am, it was blazing hot already... And all of us knew that it was going to be a long and 'roasting' session under the sun...

Team InYourFace reporting for TNF 50km duo duty! ;)

Team InYourFace, Thundercatz and Crazy Scorpios!

Pic credits to Izuan

See how bright and sunny the day was!!!

We were flagged off about 10 mins after we weigh in our hydration bags respectively... I was running with Izuan at an easy pace for the first 7km of the route... But somehow my partner looked not-so-good at our first water station... So decided to pace with him until we bumped into Selly and Agus (Team Crazy Scorpios) again before reaching to the second water station at km15...

Still looking sane here at the first water station...

Pic credits to Sidyz See

At this point, we've been running for almost 3 hours and we were really shocked by the fact that this particular station ran out of friggin' WATER!!! You could have imagined our and other participants' frustrations here... The most essential thing needed in a race (especially a trail run) was finished!!! We found out afterwards that it was long gone even when Shanaz and Irwan (Team Thurdercatz) arrived at the water station much earlier on! Not good at all, organisers considering the amount of fees that we had to fork out for this race!!! Thank God for the water tap that was available at the toilet just after the station...

At this point, Team Crazy Scorpios and Team InYourFace decided to swap partners and I ran with Agus for the last 10km of the route, while Selly (God bless you babe!) stayed back and pace with Izuan who wasn't looking good at all... Thanks to Agus, we managed to head back and complete the race in less than 4 hrs 30mins!!!

Wanted to cross the line badly...

Sorry Agus for leaving you (well not that far :P) behind!

Pic credits to Shanaz

See my reaction?!! ;)

Pic credits to Shanaz

Team Thundercats: Captain completed the race in 3 hrs 41 mins while Herr completed the race in 4 hrs 6 mins! Awesome team! :)

Pic credits to Shanaz

My partner Izuan and Selly completed the race in 4 hrs 36 mins!

Look at their faces :)

Pic credits to Shanaz

With Azu aka Apprentice, our cheerleader and photographer for the day :)

Besides the water issue, confusing signage along the route and the hot scorching sun, I was happy to see all kinds of food that the organisers prepared for us after crossing the line... The tummy was happy :)

Also, BIG Congratulations to the 100km Duo teams: Dzul and Cynthia, Yim and Karen (they both went back to KL and ran the Putrajaya Night Marathon on the same day!!! Major salute!!!) Deo and Ray, Ijam and Ian, Kash and Syah, Frank and Jeff, & Izat and partner!!! You guys are so much nuttier than us!!! ;P

The trails were beautiful... I had so much fun running, walking and hiking through it... Maybe FRIM isn't that bad afterall then, even though my skin was 'boiled' and 'deep fried' on that day and that I think my big toes are suffering or 'dying' slowly at the moment :P

The hard earned medal...

This one's for you TSB... Thank you for the inspirations.. You were definitely in my thoughts throughout the run...

Would I do this event again? Heck yeah!!! Maybe I will upgrade myself to the 100km duo instead for the next year's one... Partner me anyone? ;)

Next: Recovery Run @ The New Balance Real Run Singapore

Overwhelmed

2011-10-17T14:03:00.001+08:00

In the past 4 days, I have been feeling:

.Sad about the loss of a great friend.

.Exhausted from the back-to-back runs in Singapore (which I will blog next!) over the weekend.

.Happy for a running friend on his wedding day (Congrats Hafeez & Shereen!).

.Grateful for my supportive friends and also the lovely company that I've had in Singapore to distract my mind (Thank you for the laughs and smiles Gs).

.Tired from the lack of sleep.

My body is screaming for a decent body massage now...

I really can't wait for the next 2 weeks to go by quickly... It's just too much for me at the moment...

T-20 days!!!

Farewell Mr Bolehman...

2011-10-14T00:55:00.000+08:00

"Surely we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return." (Sura Al-Baqara)

Yesterday, the running/triathlon/social media/PR/advertising/blogging community here was shocked to have lost a friend by the name of Tuan Senang Besar @ TSB...

I lost a truly great friend by the name of Kharis Idris...

You have touched so many lives and hearts and I am grateful to be one of them...

Thank you for being an incredible friend and for being one of the best men that I've known in my life...

May Allah bless your soul always and ditempatkan di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman insyaAllah...

You will be greatly missed...

Al - Fatihah...

A Running Movement With A Difference :)

2011-10-12T13:15:00.000+08:00

I'm so excited that my friends at runfool are organising this superawesome runfest!!! :D

This is going to be an epic day filled with lots of fun and smiles for all of us runners here!!!

So come and join us :D

Who Says You Can't Run Even When You're 9 Months Pregnant?!

2011-10-11T13:08:00.000+08:00

Personally, I wouldn't think about running when I'm in my final trimester... But crazy mad RESPECT for Amber Miller for doing accomplishing such feat at last Sunday's Chicago Marathon!!! :)

Here's her story:

Pic credits to abc News image

Amber Miller found completing the Chicago Marathon on Sunday a laborious feat — that's because she went into labour shortly after crossing the finish line and gave birth to a daughter hours later.

From her hospital bed, Miller, of DuPage County in Illinois, told the Daily Herald she took on the 42.2-kilometre challenge because her doctor said she could run half the race and then walk the rest of the way.

Miller, who was 38 weeks and five days into her pregnancy, told the newspaper she felt "something" as she crossed the finish line in less than 6½ hours, at around 3:30 p.m. local time.

"A few minutes after I crossed through the finish chute, the contractions were coming a little stronger than I was used to," she told the Daily Herald on the phone from her hospital bed. "That’s when I figured out what was going on."

Miller said she would feel contractions while running during both her pregnancies.
But after the marathon Sunday, the contractions were more regular, so she stopped and grabbed a sandwich and then went to the hospital.

"It was the longest day of my life," she said.

Her daughter, June, was born after two hours and 18 minutes of labour, weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.

Defending champion Liliya Shobukhova of Russia captured the women's portion of the race featuring 45,000 runners in 2:18:20. Her time is the fastest for a woman in the world this year.

*The article was taken from here

Forgiveness

2011-10-10T15:31:00.001+08:00

" Pray for those who hurt you. Pray for those who do not accept you. Love them for the sake of God. Pray that they realize their wrongs before they face their Lord. Pray that no one ever has to go through the same thing you did at the hands of this person. Love your oppressor for the sake of God, because love is the only emotion that is strong enough to penetrate a hardened heart, but know it will take time. Perhaps years, but you will be a better person because you chose to take the higher route: Forgiveness."

Taken from SuhaibWebb.com

Shared by ultramummy Kash :)

Happy Monday everyone! :)

Connect the Dots

2011-10-06T09:22:00.002+08:00

Truly inspiring... One of the best speeches I've heard and made a difference in my life...

Thank you for sharing the world with your visions and your superawesome inventions...

Rest in Peace, Mr Steve Jobs

You will definitely be missed!

Song of the Week

2011-10-05T11:08:00.002+08:00

A good song to hear to while running too! :)

Now, if only I can find 'you' ;P

Military Queens of the Road @ adidas KOTR 2011 ;)

2011-10-03T11:56:00.001+08:00

Whoa... Just realised that it has been 2 months since I've participated in a running event here in KL! Hehe...

Yesterday, the Gs and our other running friends ran the anticipated running event by adidas... I took part in the 16.8km race... The 4 of us (Azu, Shanaz, Selly and I) decided to coordinate our outfits again! ;)

Waterguns would've completed our outfits ;)
Oh, and would've worn an adidas top if they did sell a plain black running vest ;P

With less than 4 hours of sleep the night before and still feeling very tired from the previous runs on my happymill, I decided to just run happy and be satisfied if I were to complete the run within 1 hour 50 mins..

The 16.8km category was flagged off at 645am and the route shows no mercy right from the beginning!!! The NPE highway (Sunway - Jalan Templar - Sunway) was like a friggin' rollercoaster ride for the legs!!! I was running with Shanaz, Nik and Irwan at first... Since we started at the back, we had to zig zag and maneuver ourselves at the first 4km of the route... I started losing the trio after the 4km marker because my left foot got cramped up and ran solo from then onwards... Too fast for my legs to keep up with them :P

Alhamdulillah, the weather was nice and cloudy... But that didn't stop me from sweating profusely while going through the elevations! The only setback during the run was the fact that the drinks at the water stations were not cold (room temperature... ugh!)... Oh, and it wasn't a scenic route at all of course! Definitely had to entertain my mind... :P

Bumped into a couple of my running friends while happily running... Decided to run faster than my usual pace at the last 2.8km... By the time I completed the race, I was completely drenched in sweat!!! Even my friends were laughing to see how one tiny small girl could sweat so much! Hehe...

Before crossing the finish line.. Hehe..

Pic credits to Tey

I completed the race in 1 hour 42 mins (unofficial time)... Woot woot!!! :D :D :D

And I am stoked to have managed to clock in my highest weekly mileage ever last week too!!! Double :D :D :D

The G queens ;)

Marlin, next time you must have the same skirt(s) as all of us :P

The Jejakas aka Js ;)

It was definitely an organised event... The fact that we had the highway to ourselves for the entire morning was uber cool! And I superlike the finisher medal! And the Gs definitely had lots of fun yesterday since it has been a while since all of us ran together in a race! :)

Pic credits to Zukhairi

And I debuted my new Miss Starry and did 'her' proud on her first race... Yayyyy!!! She's so lucky that I'll be taking her to New York!!! Grateful to have these shoes... You know who you are... :)

Happy queens! :)
Pic credits to Marlin

Congratulations to all of the kings and queens of the road yesterday! :)

T-34 days!!! *Nervous*

Next: The North Face 50km Mixed Duo, Singapore

Life Lessons #6

2011-09-28T12:36:00.001+08:00

Taken from imgfave on Tumblr

BIG Congratulations!!!

2011-09-27T11:23:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, two of my very good friends ran the historic Berlin Marathon...

Hence, this post is dedicated to the both of them :)

My fellow penyeri, Nyna is a sub 5:30 marathoner now!

Another PB for her!!! Woot woot!!! :D

My oprah lady, Rosey completed the marathon even with her knee injury...

Managed to BBM her while she was running... So proud of you rosey!!! :D

Also congrats to Alvin, Jeff and Viki for completing the marathon! :)

The awesome medal...

All of the pics above were taken from Rosey's FB

The three of us had a mission this year and that was to run one of the 5 World Marathon Majors... And Alhamdulillah, both of them have accomplished that...

And it's going to be my turn supersoon...

Oh, the anxiety!!! *Drama* :P

Quote of the Day...

2011-09-26T12:54:00.001+08:00

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognising and appreciating what we do have."

- Frederick Keonig -

Happy Monday everyone! :)

T-41 days!!!

Date a Girl Who Runs ;)

2011-09-20T12:06:00.001+08:00

"Date a girl who runs. Date a girl who chooses to move than to let the world pass her by. She will cover the roads with you while talking about the mundane to the profound without gasping for air. She will notice and appreciate the little things: the extra cushioning of her shoes, the softness of the pavement vs concrete, or how much cooler it is to run 30 minutes earlier in summer.

She loves to sweat, and the sore legs, and, of course, the hefty breakfast along with the good conversations that follow each run. Always have a cold, wet towel in the cooler waiting for her. Surprise her with her favorite post-recovery drink, low fat chocolate milk, and if she runs an extra 5km, spike it with her favorite coffee from Starbucks. In her simple joys, you will find an abundance of happiness."

A well-written piece that all of us running ladies can or would want to relate to... :)

And guys, please take note! :P

You can read the full entry by this awesome running blogger/mum here :)

A Perfect Getaway

2011-09-19T11:35:00.001+08:00

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

One of my things to do for the year was accomplished over the weekend....

I shall let the beautiful pictures speak for itself... :)

Hehe :P

The awesome company for the getaway :)

Pic credits to Nivin...

The beautiful island...

Pic credits to Shanaz

I will definitely come back to the island with a man next time... *wink*

Now, back to running! :P

The Countdown Has Begun...

2011-09-14T12:54:00.001+08:00

53 days to go until Race Day...

Alhamdulillah, I managed to clock in a total of 94km during the fasting month... *Patting myself on the back* ;)

Need to focus and be a tad more discipline when it comes to clocking my mileage every week from now on... (Trying to sound serious :P) Even with all of the yummy raya food... Hehe...

I am so thankful that my parents, family and dear friends have been very supportive of my trainings so far and truly understanding for missing out on past or present get-togethers or functions...

I admit that there are times where all I want to do is just anything but running... But, I figured that I am this close to running one of my dream marathons... I should be grateful to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity to do so... :)

And I am!!!

So I guess it's fair to say that you gotta sacrifice a lil' in order to get what you want right? :)

Can't wait! :)

Question of the day...

2011-09-05T12:25:00.002+08:00

Happy Monday everyone! :)

Here's one thing that I would like to ask my readers and friends out there:

"How do you open up your heart and let yourself FEEL the presence of love again when you have conditioned yourself to block any emotions that might loom from within?"

Will it be through:

Time?

Forgiveness?

Hope?

Optimism?

Please share your thoughts on this... Because I am still trying to figure out the answer to this... :)

I do wish that there's a Dummies book for this :P

Eid Mubarak :)

2011-09-03T15:11:00.002+08:00

Dearest all,

I know this post is about a week late, but better late than never ;)

Wishing all of my Muslim friends and readers:

SELAMAT HARI RAYA, MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN

May you find success, happiness and love insyaAllah in the path(s) chosen for you by Allah... Amin :)

Stay safe and have an awesome celebration! :)

XOXO,

MS ROAD RUNNER + FAMILY

Run Like You've Never Run Before

2011-08-12T16:20:00.000+08:00

The weekend is almost here!!! :D

Well, I'm going to share with you an ad campaign done by Nike in 2007... The 'Addicted' campaign was done to promote the newly launched Nike+ with iPod nano back then to motivate athletes through the software...

And the TVCs was awesomely executed because it was all about the inside the head of a runner... And I'm pretty sure all of us runners can relate to the thoughts narrated in the TVCs below:

Another TVC done by the current world's marathon record holder for women, the superfast Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25):

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

Running during the Ramadhan month...

2011-08-10T15:53:00.000+08:00

It has been a week since I've embraced the holy month... So far everything is doing alhamdulillah well...

The challenge during this month is trying to fit in my running schedule... But I'm sure that when there's a will, anything is possible right... :)

With NYC just 12 weeks away, I know that I do have to train this month... So right now, these are what I've been practicing for the past week and hopefully will continue to do so for the remaining 3 weeks...

1) Sahur
a. I usually drink about 3 glasses of water and eat 3 pieces of dates..
b. Or a glass of water would be enough for me...
c. If not, I usually have my superearly sahur immediately after my running session at night...

2) Iftar (Break fast)
a. I eat in moderation and try not to gobble all of the yummy food that my mom have prepared... Hehe.. More protein and less carbohydrates for me during weekdays...
b. I hydrate myself with at least 3-4 glasses of water...
c. I eat whatever I want on Sunday... ;)

3) Running
a. I usually run after my terawikh prayers, which is between 10 - 1030pm, and I always make sure that I've a friend to run with...
b) I drink a half bottle of Gatorade and have a snack (nuts or fruits) before running...
c) Running Spots:
i. Desa Park City is the favourite spot due to the visible street lights and the presence of the security guards at night around the area... One loop is about 2.1km...
ii. Last week, the Gs and I ran at Mont Kiara... It was a nice hilly route but there were traffic so the air wasn't so nice to breathe in... There are other areas that I've yet to try, such as Damansara Heights and Taman Tun... Maybe I'll check it out this week... Not that easy to find a place to run here at night though... When running along the roads, make sure that you've a running guy friend to accompany you yeah?

I hope that it'll be useful to some of you out there... :)

Life Lessons #5

2011-08-04T00:53:00.001+08:00

Just to coincide with the holy month... :)

Taken from imgfave on Tumblr

Ramadhan Mubarak

2011-08-01T15:41:00.003+08:00

TO ALL OF MY MUSLIM FRIENDS AND READERS,

SALAM RAMADHAN TO ALL OF YOU...

MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU WITH HIS GUIDANCE, PEACE AND PROSPERITY DURING THIS HOLY MONTH INSYALLAH... :)

XOXO,

MS ROAD RUNNER + FAMILY

A Tribute to MJ @ Men's Health/Shape Night Run :)

2011-08-01T01:10:00.006+08:00

For my Muslim running friends and I, this run was going to be our last race before the holy Ramadhan month begins...

So my girls and I, the Gs, decided to play dress-up again for the 2nd time... And this time around, I coined the idea of dressing up as our late and legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson... His birthday was supposed to be next month on the 29th of August... So, we wanted to pay a tribute to him at the run... :)

It was my 2nd time running at this event... The first time, which was 3 years ago and also the first one by these magazines, I was recovering from my back pain and ran for the first time after almost a year of recovering and resting... The medals were given out to the top 75 finishers if I'm not mistaken at that time... So, the target was to just finish the race... This time around, I thought I might as well try my luck and get one since this is the only event that I haven't gotten myself one... This year, they were giving out 100 medals for my category... *Kiasu me* :P

The race was flagged off at 820pm by none other than the President of Perbadanan Putrajaya, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman who's also my favourite uncle... :) I managed to run up to him and quickly say hi before dashing off... ;) I started running with Apprentice G aka Azu at the first 2km of the route and somehow we kind of lost each other along the way... I was contemplating with myself during the run whether or not to chase for the medal and finish within the qualifying time... At one point, I didn't even bother because I couldn't stand the heat and forgot to bring my GU gel... But then, I decided to just run happy and give it a shot... With a lil' help from Ribena pastilles that I was carrying in my pocket... ;)

Before the finish line.. Had to hold to the hat during the run and only wore it to pose for the paparazzi ;)

Pic credits to Tey

Almost puked at the finish line...But, I was happy when they gave me a placing card...

#80 in the Women's Open category in 1 hour 16 mins babyyyy!!! :D :D :D

Superhappy that I've finally conquered this race... Of course with our outfits, we wasted no time to do our fave thing after running... Enjoy... ;)

With Izuan and Azu... This pic was taken before the run actually ;)

Izuan finished in 1 hour 7 mins... My idol always! ;)

Azu finished in 1 hour 24 mins... Don't worry my apprentice, you'll conquer more races and have nicer medals after this insyaAllah... :)

Pic credits to Tey

Shanaz and I...

She finished in 1 hour 9 mins (#38)!!! Oooowww!!! :D

Pic credits to Shanaz

With another skirter, KA... I'm still waiting for you to wash my car... ;)

Marlin, another MJ girl, finished in 1 hour 10 mins (#40)!!! Hee-hee!!! :D

Pic credits to Shanaz

With Nik... Good to see you again!

He was pacing with Shanaz... You're so going to be my pacer after this! ;P

Did one of MJ's famous poses ;P

With part of my running family here... :)

Karen (in pink running skirt) is one of the 'champions' for the Running for Orang Asli cause... A noble cause that is dear to her heart... A superfast and hot running mama she is too! :D

Pic credits to Shanaz

It was a superhot night at Putrajaya for the runners... The distance was accurate according to my toy, the Forerunner 610... ;) The emcees were entertaining throughout the night... Although, there were a couple of let-downs at this event... Firstly, the water stations didn't have enough volunteers, the runners had to wait for the cups to be filled with water... Second, they didn't provide any isotonic drinks or sponges at the water stations... For a big-scale event like this, the organisers should know that isotonic drinks are essential when running in KL due to the extreme hot weather that we've been experiencing lately... And the fact that the runners had to push each other to grab small cups of Gatorade after crossing the finish line, it was an ugly sight... Must buck-up next year dear organisers!!! ;)

But at the end of the night, my friends and I had lots of fun at this race... And to look 'different' among the 6000 runners, we definitely did rock the night away... ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN ADVANCE TO YOU, MJ...

It has been 2 years since you've left us... Rest in peace...This one's for you...

♥,

The Gs :)

The After Hours Athlete

2011-07-29T13:25:00.002+08:00

It is a title that most of us have and most probably aren't even aware of.... *wink*

Why? Because this campaign done by Puma last year was dedicated to the playfulness in after hours sports - such as pool, bowling, playing arcade games... Sports that we didn't really have to train but have one outcome - fun!!!

So, we are all naturally athletes in our own respective ways... :)

You can check out the superfun website here

My fave after hours sport at the moment is pool... Getting better at it now since the last time I played was when back in high school... Hehe... What's yours?

Have a good weekend everyone... To my running gfriends that will be running tomorrow night at Men's Health/Shape Night Run, hope to see you there...

There's a surprise from my friends and I... Will blog about it after tomorrow's race... Hee-heee!!! ;)

The Hill Were Alive @ Seremban Half Marathon...

2011-07-25T14:50:00.004+08:00

I was humming to the Sound of Music song when I went through the hills yesterday... :P

I did one mistake that I think every runner should not do a day before a run - Never go for a massage or try anything new!!! When Shanaz and I arrived at our hotel, Royal Bintang Resort & Spa, which was a 10-min or less from the starting point, we decided to pamper ourselves at the spa while waiting for dinner time... And I had a blissful time at the spa since the last time I went for one was in March... But it was also my first time going for a massage a day before a race... Mistake oh mistake...

Shanaz, Azu and I woke up at about 5:20am to get ready and walked with Irwan and his friends to the starting line... We were flagged off at 6:45am... Irwan and I decided to pace with each other again for this run.... Yayyy! :)

My legs felt alright at the first km of the route... But then, out of nowhere, my legs started 'feeling' very heavy... And I have never experienced this before... It was as though I had to force by lifting them for the next 5km or so... I was cursing at myself for being so clever for going for that massage when I could have just gone for a scrub session only... Served me right! :P

And the first hill that we encountered didn't help at all... The 'heaviness' died off after 7km and I was ecstatic and decided to run a lil faster than my usual pace... But I pretty much brisk walked through all of the 3 or 4 hills that we had to go through yesterday... Lazy... Hehe... Note to self: Need to run at hilly route after this... No more brisk walking after this!!!

This time around, both Irwan and I exchanged very few words throughout the entire route, unlike the one at the recent GCAM... :P We both wanted to qualify and get the medal for our categories respectively... Mind you, they were only giving out 30 medals for my category and 150 medals for his category!!!

I was so happy when we were running along with the school kids that were joyfully walking... Because I know that we were at our last 2km of the route... So brisk walked at the hill and decided to sprint and run all the way to the finish line!

This is me (snapped by Aiman) posing towards the finish line... :P

Both Irwan and I completed the half marathon in 2 hours 10 mins!!! And it's a smashing new PB for me by 11 mins!!! Woot woot!!! :D :D :D

Another achievement in the bag! :)

The best part was, when I got my placing card, I couldn't believe that I was placed at #14... I was really stoked!!! And I just found out after we left Seremban that they were given cash prizes for the top 20 finishers... But, the cheque is on its way into my piggy bank... :D

It was also nice to see familiar faces at this race... Of course, what is a race without camwhoring moments... ;)

Irwan and I... He completed with a placing of 101st in his category...

I was so good this time around right with no complains or shrugging... ;P

The G girls were awesome! ;)

Shanaz completed her half in 2 hours 2 mins... A PB and finished 5th in the category!!! Woot woot!!!

Azu completed her half in 2 hours 20 mins... A 13-min improvement from her maiden one!!! Awesome!!!

With the yellow boys... Gediks nya! ;P

International marathoners y'all! :P

I was wearing the Melbourne Marathon running jersey, Yim was wearing from his recent marathon in Pattaya, and superfast mama Karen was wearing hers from Tokyo... ;)

The skirters were making waves in Seremban... Woot woot!

With my sub-2 hour idol... Awesome la Izuan! ;)

It was a fresh route for Shanaz, Azu, Izuan and I since all of us have never tried running for the event before this... And it was an excuse for us to leave KL and to have our first road trip together... ;)

The only thing that I have an issue with in this race which is a common issue here is that the water stations were insufficient... I think they were only about 3 water stations and 3 sponging stations... And the paper cups that they provided were super tiny!!!

Oh, and I was happy and satisfied with the pace that I was running at... An average of 6:14 per km yo!!! Even though my legs are experiencing a new level of pain today, I guess I can try and go faster than the pace and maintain it for a new PB in New York insyaAllah... ;)

The Gs had an awesome time in Seremban! :)

Next: Shape Night Run this Saturday night... Last run before the holy Ramadhan month... :)

Celebrity Marathoners :)

2011-07-22T16:13:00.005+08:00

I thought of sharing a number of Hollywood celebrities or athletes (non-running specialists) that have completed a marathon respectively today to get my readers inspired and try running for one (for the virgins)... :)

Ryan Reynolds completed the New York Marathon 2008 in awesome time of 3:50:22

Whoa!!!

I wonder if he's running again this year? I wanna hug those biceps... Mmmmm :P

Megatalk show queen Oprah Winfrey completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:29:20

I shall beat your time soon Oprah! :P

Katie Holmes completed the New York Marathon 2007 in 5:29:58

Awesome Mrs Cruise! :)

Sean Combs aka Diddy completed the New York City Marathon 2003 in 4:14:54

Major WHOAAAA!!!

Ryan Reynold's ex, Alanis Morissette, completed the NYC Marathon 2009 in 4:28:45

Not bad at all Mrs Jagged Little Pill ;)

Next to her, Mr Fight Clubber Edward Norton, completed the same marathon in 3:48:01

Superb!!!

Shia LaBeouf completed the LA Marathon 2010 in 4:35:31

Not bad Mr Witwicky!

Flea, bassist of Red Hot Chili Peppers completed the LA Marathon 2011 in 3:52:49

And this was his first attempt!!!

Mr Nasty Chef aka Gordon Ramsay completed the London Marathon 2008 in 3:45:41

I think he might have cursed a lot during the marathon to achieve such an awesome timing! :P

Last but not least:

Mr Funnyman Will Ferrell completed the Boston Marathon 2006 in 3:56:12

I am pretty sure all of you didn't think that he could even run 5km!!! :P

(Note: All of the pictures were taken from various sites at Google Images)

Unbelievably amazing right?!!! If they can squeeze in and accomplish a marathon in between their super busy schedules respectively, I am pretty sure that all of you out there can... ;)

Have a happy running weekend to everyone! Oh, and good luck to everyone that will be participating in Rexona Men Adventure Challenge, Seremban Half Marathon, Orange Run and Port Dickson International Triathlon this weekend! I'll be in Seremban y'all to do my last half marathon before the puasa month... :)

Oh, and it's never to late to run a marathon... Just like this supercool grandma here... :)

She ran her first marathon when she was a cool 86!!!

Taken from Runner's World June 2011 Edition

A New Addition to the Family ;)

2011-07-20T13:15:00.001+08:00

I didn't know what to reward myself from my recent achievement at Gold Coast Airport Marathon...

Until I saw this...

I've been looking all over for you!!! :D

Ms DS Trainer 16 by Asics ;)

By the way, the famous Running Lab store in Singapore (which I've blogged about last year during my Sundown Marathon trip here) has opened its store here in Malaysia!!! Happy happy dancing me!!! :)

The store is located at Ground Floor in Tropicana City Mall... And that's where I got my shoes from... ;) You can check out their Facebook page by clicking here...

Mr Tempo is now complete ;)

So now I have 2 pairs of running shoes dedicated to my marathons (like I'm doing a marathon every other week :P) and LSDs...

Can't wait to train my legs in you, Miss DS 16... ;)

Japan are FIFA Women's World Cup Champions!!!

2011-07-18T14:11:00.003+08:00

Pic credits to Getty Images

Taken from here

That's right!!! Woot woot!!! :D

They beat the world's no 1 (and hottest) team, USA 3-1 for their maiden title after a penalty shootout, following a grueling 2-2 draw game...

First time ever for an Asian team to be winning this awesome cup!!! Woohooo!!!

You can read the full article by clicking here at FIFA.com...

And check out the highlights from yesterday's awesome game at Frankfurt:

GO ASIA!!! :D :D :D

A New PB @ Gold Coast Airport Marathon :D

2011-07-11T15:33:00.002+08:00

Hello my wonderful readers and friends!!! Did you all miss me? :P

Arrived safely back at home yesterday morning... It was a super-rushy trip for me since I spent 4 days in Gold Coast and 5 days in Melbourne catching up with friends and family over there...

This is my 2nd time running a marathon in Australia... I decided to join the GCAM at the very last minute because my dadaa gave both my sister and I the green light to visit my brother earlier last month, and of course I had to squeeze in a marathon during the break... ;P

With only 3 weeks to train for this, I tried my best to clock in as many kms that I could with the super limited time... Thank God for the 2 running events last month too!

A few days before leaving for Australia, my friend and fellow G member, Irwan and I were talking about the marathon and we decided to run together and pace each other for this since we both wanted a PB... Oh by the way, Irwan won his ticket to the marathon simply by blogging about his marathon experience in London through a blogging contest by Air Asia... You can read about his experience by clicking here... ;)

Though it was a wishful thinking at that time due to my trainings, I thought that it would be nice to have someone to run with for the entire 42km route... :)

Pre-race day:

Decided to meet up with Irwan at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre since he was having his lunch over there with the Air Asia team...

Picked up my bib and shopped a lil' at the expo... ;)

Race-day:

Only slept about 4 hours the night before... Oh, the anxiety! Hehe... And decided to get ready and took the shuttle bus which was about 100m walk from the apartment to get to the race venue...

A sea of runners with the beautiful background :)

Half marathoners started their run at 6am... It was a cold morning indeed... I noticed that this event has a lot of Japanese participants from the tour groups and the tents that I saw at the venue... Must be because of the weather and the 'beachy' factor... ;)

Our marathon run started at 7am, so I had about an hour or so to camwhore at the venue with Irwan and friends... ;)

With my pacer who was running as one of the Air Asia team members ;)

Photo credits to Mohan

With Rosey, Irwan and Nyna...

Finally running a FM together ♥

With KK and his famous tights ;)

Photo credits to KK

The first 10km was quite a breeze for the both of us, as we were both running at a 6:20 - 6:30 per km pace... Clocked in at 1:09 on our 10km marker and 2:15 on our 20km marker...

We even had time to stop and get our pics taken by the Marathon-Photos team and our friends who were cheering as well on our first 20km of the run... :)

Photo credits to Sab + Zaki

Us kicking and alive still ;P

Photo credits to Mohan

The weather seemed to be having PMS on that day... The sun started to glare at us between km 22 - 26km (I think)... And then it was cold - hot - chilly - windy and then back to being cold... We were pretty much experiencing four seasons on that day... :P

The real test was after crossing the 30km marker... I started feeling super hungry and my legs were feeling very tired... Served me right for wanting to run a marathon without enough training... :P Thank God for Irwan as he kept pushing and motivating me on our last 12km of the route... Some of his (garang) lines were:
1) At the water station: "2 gulps and then we go!" (Of course I had more than 2 :P)
2) While running: "Stop looking at the watch! Don't bother about PB, just finish the race!" (Garang right? :P)
3) While walking: "30 seconds...20 seconds... 10 seconds... OK let's run now!" (Sometimes I didn't listen to this :P)

The idea of chasing a new PB seemed impossible at this time and all I wanted to do was to cross the finish line... PB or no PB... But, at our 40km marker, a video of Irwan's message on getting a new PB that he recorded at the expo the day before was shown and that really 'kicked' me inside to give all that I've got at the last 2km of the route... And of course, the Jalur Gemilang was proudly carried by both of us respectively towards the finish line... :)

Both Irwan and I made sure that we will always pose for the cameras...

And by far, this is the marathon where I have so many pics from the official photographers...

A total of 24 pics! Haha! :P

Both Irwan and I crossed the line with a new PB of 4 hours and 47 mins!!! That's about 6 mins earlier than my previous record at Paris de Marathon... :D :D :D

With the supernice medal + finisher tee :)

This jap dude was running the marathon carrying and playing the trombone...

Super MAD respect to him!

With Baba, Irwan and Nyna :)

Baba PB-ed her half marathon here... Awesome!

And Nyna PB-ed as well for her 4th FM... Well done to you my fellow penyeri!

Hugs to you both! :)

Both Nyna and I walked hand-in-hand with Rosey at the last 300m of her marathon :)

Rosey was still suffering from her knee injury and just recovered from a flu...

Kudos to you for finishing your 4th FM Rosey! *Hugs*

Met this random jap guy and he decided to sign-up and run his first FM a week before the event and he wore those black loafers to complete it in 5 hours 17 mins!!! Respect!!!

It was definitely a super organised event... Water stations were more than adequately enough (every 1km yo!), the streets belonged to us runners on that day, the volunteers and cheerers were unbelievably supportive and that it was like a party for us at the end of the race with performances and music blaring out of the speakers... And that's what a marathon event should be... :)

And HUGE thanks to Irwan for being an awesome (but sometimes stern :P) and supportive pacer, my jalan2 partner and my carboloading partner in Gold Coast... Treating you to a meal soon ok? ;)

Congratulations to all of the runners and my friends for completing the marathon!!! :)

So, that's my last FM before my NYC marathon... Which is less than 4 months away... Going to celebrate and spoil myself back here in KL this week before training again for NYC... Anyone wants to spoil me as well? ;P

And I'm thinking of doing a marathon at each state in Australia now... Sydney or Perth perhaps for next year? ;)

Going Down Under ;)

2011-07-01T01:13:00.003+08:00

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go!!! :D

Wait a minute... I'm in another continent already! :p

Left KL earlier this afternoon and have safely arrived in Melbourne...

Will be flying to Gold Coast on Saturday morning from here...

I will update the blog from time to time since I can borrow my look alike brother's lappy here..

Hoping that my legs and body will behave this Sunday insyaAllah... :)

Looking forward to run at Gold Coast, eat, sleep and eat some more for the next 9 days of my trip... :D

Have a good weekend everyone and have fun to those who are running at NTV7's Feel Good Run and Ipoh International Run this Sunday! :)

Run With Me :)

2011-06-29T16:13:00.000+08:00

I haven't packed for my Melbourne and Gold Coast getaway!!!

And I have 4 more days till my fourth FM... I'm really nervous about this one because I don't think I've trained enough for it... But you know what? I hope that I'll cross the finish line in one piece (drama! :P) insyaAllah and with lots of smile of course, PB or no PB... :)

Oh, and guess what? If you want to give me words of encouragement while I'm running at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, you actually can! :)

See the video below to see how it works:

Like, how super duper awesome this application is right for us runners and our supporters??!! :D

So, do run with me and leave me messages for me to finish the marathon!!! :)

Who know, I might get nice souvenirs for each and every one of you! ;)

The Funnest Run @ Standard Chartered KL Marathon :D

2011-06-27T15:52:00.003+08:00

Yeap, that should sum up my experience of running for the biggest event here in KL yesterday morning... :)

This year, my running friends and I decided to make it an event to remember by being costume runners!!! And our theme was:

Running away from skool girls ;)

Shanaz, Azu and I decided to match our outfits by wearing RunningSkirts, ties and nametags respectively...

My name was Princess G ;)

(G stands for 'Gediks' because it is our running family's name... Hehe)

Alex and his Xtramilers came to support us this time :)

Shanaz (Captain G), Azuria (Apprentice G), Marlin (Missy G) and I were running the half marathon category and the intention was for us to run and pace together since it was Azu's maiden 21km... The route was same as last year's one... And I decided to carry my Sony camera this time around to snap pictures...

But of course that didn't happen... :P Shanaz and Marlin disappeared from our radar after the 8.5km marker... Thank God a friend of mine, Izary, who was also doing his first HM ran with us... And because of him, we camwhored along the remaining 11km route... ;)

Here are a couple of the pics during our run:

At the start of Jalan Tun Razak

The tiny us at Jalan Bukit Bintang

Fueling up on Powergel for our last 3km next to KLCC and the Twin Towers :)

I had such a blast running and pacing with Azu and Izary... And I have to say that Azu will definitely remember her maiden HM because I 'alerted' her on the photographers along the route... Hehe... Hence, more pictures were taken by our friends and kind strangers such as these pics:

Us at the start of Jalan Bukit Bintang

Pic credits to Luyen

Before turning to Jalan Ampang

Pic credits to Malaysia Runners Network

We both decided to hold our hands together and run our hearts out at the last 1km...

Sweet eyy? ;)

Azu and I, crossing the line and of course posing for the cameras ;)

We both completed the 21.1km in 2 hours and 33 mins (*will update the timing here once the official results are out!)...

Princess G with her first HM finisher medal for the year! :)

With Izary and Azu with their first HM finisher medals respectively

Yayyyy to us and that I was really happy to witness the 'devirginalisation' of my two running friends, Azu and Izary as well... :P Congratulations to you both and I am so proud of you! Here's to many more half marathons and perhaps a full one soon! ;)

And special thanks to Izary for taking our pics and buying us 100plus at the petrol station when were superthirsty... :)

Of course, with our skool outfits, we just had to camwhore a lot after running... ;)

Marlin and Shanaz completed their HM together 10 mins earlier than us... So much for running together, huh Captain? :P

Pic credits to Marlin

A massive congrats to my fellow G, Izuan aka Glory2 G for completing your second FM with a superb timing of 4 hours 29 mins!

We're so proud of you!!! :D

Our dream one day ;)

With KK who was the 5:30 pacer for FM...

Congrats to my fellow Wildcat, Selly aka Senorita G for completing your 3rd FM with a PB of 5 hours 40 mins! :)

The G girls are now complete!!! My fave pic of us girlies... :D

Pic credits to Selly

Our other running friends in costumes:

Karen was the Bumblebee Queen ;)

Mawar and Ijam ran their FM together as bride and groom... How cute! :)

With Irwan aka Herr (Mister) G who was sporting in RunningSkirts as well ;)

He was being an awesome runner and pacer to one of the FMVs (Full Marathon Virgins), Yani...

Both of them crossed the line at 6 hours 26 mins...

Well done Irwan and welcome to the club Yani! :)

Overall, I would say that the event was a successful one, despite the fact that the traffic control may need to be improved a lil' bit more since we runners were inhaling those CO2 along the busiest streets like Jalan Cheras or Jalan Sultan Ismail... Water stations were sufficient, sponges were provided (though it would've helped us if they were cold :P), the volunteers and the policemen on duty were awesome to make sure that no runner gets hit... :P

Though, I do wish that the KLites are more supportive when it comes to the running events here... Guess it'll take time before they actually treat one of these as a festival or a party, just like in Paris... :)

But this year's event is definitely a memorable one due to the fact that my running family has tremendously expanded for the past 1 year or so... :)

♥ ♥ ♥

We had a blast!!! :D

Pic credits to Tey

Here's to more running friends and more costumes to run in after this!!! :D

Next: My 4th Full Marathon @ Gold Coast Airport Marathon *gasp*

For Me, Gatorade Always Wins!

2011-06-24T16:13:00.004+08:00

Since today's an ad day and I usually share running ads, I want to divert a little bit today and share a series of creative and amazing ads done by my favourite drink whenever I need to replenish myself before or after a run :)

This campaign was executed early last year by DDB in Dubai and I think the art direction was nicely done and the vibrant colours that were used in these ads were so 'fresh'... :)

Nice right? :)

My fave flavour is the purple coloured one, the one that was previously endorsed by Tiger Woods ;P

There are a number of (crazy) running friends that I would like to give a shout-out to as they will be battling their mind, soul and legs respectively to conquer the streets of Singapore by running the Sundown Ultramarathon tomorrow night... A hundred freaking kilometers everyone!!! (If you think I am nuts with running, they're like superworse than me! :P)

So, to my fellow RBUs: Yim, Pui San, Ray Ray, Kak Kash, and Zack... I wish all of you the very best and I shall wait for each and one of your post-ultrarace report next week... You guys are totally awesome and superhumans!!! :D

And to the rest of us that'll be conquering the streets of KL this Sunday morning, make sure you've plenty of rest, carboload sufficiently (my fave part before any race!), and get ready to rock & roll!!!

I'll see you all this Sunday morning... Oh, and don't forget to smile at the cameras! :)

Have a good weekend everyone!

Runners in the Media (Part 2) :)

2011-06-23T17:07:00.000+08:00

In conjunction with the upcoming Standard Chartered KL Marathon, a number of us runners have been appearing in the media...

So, here's the 2nd edition from the last week's post :)

Shanaz and I in Berita Harian last Wednesday :)

Both of us had to run at the KLCC Park for the photographer to take those shots ;)

Click here to read the full article

And we were featured on the Quickie show at 8TV last week... Shanaz's dad managed to record this for us :)

The quickest interview that we've ever done! ;)

Another friend of ours, Mr Syahril Kamaruddin was featured in these 2 write-ups as well:

On MSN Sports Malaysia website... Click here to read the full article

See the difference?!!! He's like a Malay supermodel now ;)

(Syah, you owe me a meal for saying that! :P)

Another article featured in Berita Harian - Click here to read the full article...

T-3 days till the biggest running event in my country!!!

I am super excited!!! :D

The XtraMile Charity Run

2011-06-22T11:35:00.000+08:00

I was down with a low BP and ore throat for the past 2 days... Hence the late post on my experience as one of the official pacers for the Xtramile Charity Run last Saturday morning... :)

I shall depict the amazing run through the pictures that I've obtained and camwhored throughout the entire morning of course ;)

Shanaz, Irwan and I as the official pacers from Kelana Jaya LRT's checkpoint

My sweet running friends that decided to run with us :)

Photo credits to Izuan

With the superstar, Syah ;)

Our super Xtramiler, Alex at the checkpoint

The Gs goofing around at one of the rest stops ;)

We ran from Kelana Jaya - Damansara Jaya - Tropicana - Kota Damansara - Taman Tun... And we did 18 clicks in total on that morning :)

Almost reaching the final checkpoint for Taman Tun...

Can you spot me? :P

Yeah yeah, we love the camera :P

The Gs with Alex before his remaining 22km :)

Thanks Tey for the pics above! :)

After the run, we went for breakfast and walked about 2-3km to recover our legs... Well actually we walked back to Shanaz's place... :P

We rested, showered and then went to StART society's house in Petaling Jaya to witness the man of the moment completing his ultramarathon... :)

The champion himself..

Cute kids were walking/running with him at his last 2km of his 100km journey...

We are proud to be the Xtramilers with you Alex! :)

Congratulations and super well done to Alex for challenging yourself to complete the 100km for a supernoble cause... You are truly an inspiration to all of us runners here.... :)

LOVE/Hate Running

2011-06-17T16:13:00.000+08:00

I am pretty sure that most of us runners have a love-and-hate relationship with running...

Sometimes, all you wanna do is lace up those shoes and run like there's no tomorrow... Even when you're tied up with your busy schedule... You'll squeeze a time just to give your legs the time of their 'lives'... ;)

Other days, you just feel like your bed is your best friend... And you'll have to 'justify' through your excuses for not running...:P

I have a plenty of episodes when it comes to my relationship with running... But I'm loving it at the moment since I'm up and running again! :D

Which is why I'm going to share a series of TVCs done by New Balance in 2008 for their "LOVE/Hate" running campaign that I am pretty sure you runners out there could relate to:

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

PS: Shanaz, Irwan and I will be the pacers at 3:15am for Alex's epic 100km ultramarathon... We'll be running with him from LRT Kelana Jaya all the way to Taman Tun... Do join us if you're up for a sweaty session in the wee hours with us... Oh, and don't forget to pledge at www.xtramile.info ;)

A Truly Inspiring Story :)

2011-06-16T15:54:00.000+08:00

This is a story for all of us amateur runners... :)

I mighty salute this marathoner... His dedication towards running is beyond amazing... A total mileage of 600km a month? Supercrazy! I'll be happy if I get between 50 -70km in a month... ;p

I guess when you have the discipline, determination, will, faith and of course love for what you're trying to achieve, then anything is possible... :)

Taken from http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/06/14/yuki-kawauchi-citizen-marathon-runner/:

When Yuki Kawauchi broke the tape as third overall and the first Japanese finisher at the Tokyo Marathon in February, the 24-year-old stood out from the crowd.

Not for his lean 5’7, 130 lb distance runner physique, not because he collapsed and was taken to the medical tent, and not even because his stellar time of 2:08:37 won him a chance to run on the Japanese men’s marathon team at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships’ Marathon in Daegu, Korea, later this year. Mr. Kawauchi stood out because unlike most elite-level runners in Japan, who’re backed by a corporation, he’s an amateur in the full sense of the word. Dubbed the “Citizen Runner” in the next day’s local headlines, he works a regular job a full five days a week and pays his own expenses.

The key to his success? Working hard, being in excellent condition, but above all having fun. “Working hard for the sake of working hard won’t lead to results. You have to be careful of injury, train efficiently, and remember that you are training because you love to run. I think that an athlete discovers the joy of track when he or she is able to stay injury-free and perform in ways that the athlete wants to.” Until now, almost all elite Japanese runners have been on a corporate-based team. Corporate athletes are employees, but spend most of their day training for corporate championship races and “ekidens,” or distance relays, where they run wearing corporate colors—a system similar to American colleges giving scholarships to student athletes.

But Mr. Kawauchi does not sport a company singlet. Instead, as a civil servant at Saitama prefectural government, Mr. Kawauchi does office work for Kasukabe Night School. He pays the expenses for his training, which he says can add up to 1 million yen (just under $12,500) per year, out of his own pocket, and he will use his paid-leave to compete in the big race in the fall. He works a regular 8-9 hour day from Monday through Friday—12:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. during the school year, and from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. when school is not in session.

His running career started early in his home area of Tokyo at first grade, with his parents’ encouragement. After early years of practice with his mother, he ran for his junior high and high school track teams, like many avid Japanese youngsters, putting in hours and hours of training after school throughout the year. But after that, he carved out a path of his own. He had to. Mr. Kawauchi’s performance in high school was hindered by injury: He didn’t make a college team. Adding to that injury, his father died in an accident his senior year in high school. Still, he didn’t give up his love for the sport, running for Gakushuin University as a walk-on. But he says his performance was less than stellar. “I didn’t get enthusiastic recruit reviews from corporate teams, and my coach told me, ‘It’s going to be hard to make a living through running.’ So I decided to pursue my other dream of promoting the region I live in.”

Naturally, Mr. Kawauchi is crunched for time, and cannot train three times a day like many runners on corporate teams. He only runs 600 km (about 373 miles) a month—about half of what corporate runners put in. But Mr. Kawauchi does what he can with the resources he has. He designs his training based on what he found to work for him—a combination of training elements he used in secondary school and college. A typical week includes one speed workout, one 35 to 45km (22 to 28 miles) long run, and a trail run in the mountains. On other days, he runs between 75-100 minutes.

While he admits that he sometimes wishes he had more time to devote to training, he says “the limit on time forces me to train efficiently and increases my motivation for my weekend training.” Mr. Kawauchi says aspiring runners should keep their perspectives broad. “Instead of thinking you have to be either a corporate runner or quit, I want young runners to figure out what works for them, and work hard.” As for shorter-range ambitions, Mr. Kawauchi’s goals for the Worlds are to finish among the top eight overall, and stimulate interest in the Japanese running community. And so how do you win a marathon? Mr. Kawauchi believes that the key is “how much physical and emotional resilience you can leave in you until it’s time to push.”

I guess to qualify a Boston Marathon is achievable then? ;)

The XtraMile Charity Run

2011-06-14T11:40:00.001+08:00

Alex and I at Superbad Energizer Night Race in April...

This Friday - Saturday (17 - 18 June), my running friends and I will be joining Alex at one of the checkpoints for his mission to complete an ultramarathon for a noble cause... 100km to be exact!!!

The XtraMiler himself will 'donate' his legs to StART Society to raise RM100,000 for the Music and Dance programme...

Alex will start running on 17 June (Friday) at 6pm and will aim to complete the ultramarathon on 18 June (Saturday) at 10am... He will be running at these areas: Putrajaya - Puchong - Sunway - USJ - Suabng Jaya - Kelana Jaya - SS2 - Damansara Jaya - Damansara Utama - Bandar Utama - Taman Tun Dr Ismail - Mont Kiara/Hartamas - Damansara Heights/Bangsar and will end the his 100km at StART Society in Petaling Jaya... *Pengsan*

Both Shanaz and I will be the pacers with a few runners as well from LRT Kelana Jaya checkpoint at about 3am (Saturday) and will run with Alex for about 18 clicks until 7-Eleven Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi at Taman Tun Dr Ismail... So, do join us if you want to have a late night run and chat session with us! :)

This will be my first time running for a charity... And I am happy to be a part of this cause... I have pledged to the cause because I love children and arts... And it breaks my heart whenever I hear stories about underprivileged kids...

And that I think it's about time that I give something back through my passion... And I hope that there will be many more runs like these for me to be a part of in the near future insyaAllah... :)

So, please pledge, join and/or cheer us for the run... Even an RM10 will make a difference to these lovely children (every RM10 is equivalent to 10 meters)...

You can read more about the cause at www.xtramile.info or check out the Facebook page here.

I promise you, there'll be lots of happy moments and pictures throughout the night and morning! :)

Runners in the Media (Part 1) :)

2011-06-13T11:58:00.003+08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Another article featuring both Shanaz and I today in Harian Metro :)

Centre spread y'all!!!
Click here to read the full article :)

But wait a minute, we're not the only ones that have been featured in the media...

Two of our running friends have been appearing in the media scene as well:

A good running friend of mine, Irwan featured in Berita Harian earlier last month :)
Click here to read the full article...

He was also featured on NTV7's The Breakfast Show a few weeks ago:

Syah (in black) was featured in The Sun... Inspiring story...
Click here to read the full article...
And he's a blogger too! Check out his blog here...

He was also featured on 8TV's Quickie... Funny this was that he didn't inform any of his running friends... Buy hey, thanks to a lil' birdie on Facebook, we did find out about it Mr Syah ;)

All of us will be running at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon...

Please come and say hello to us if you see us there in 2 weeks time yeah? :)

I Run Paris :)

2011-06-10T12:55:00.001+08:00

Today, I will be sharing with you a campaign that was done by Nike in 2010 to encourage the Parisian people to run...

And hey, I did run Paris!!! ;)

Here are the print ads that depicted the fun journey of 3 people running through the streets of Paris at night:

And here's the TVC:

Which reminds me, I need to unleash myself and run since I only have 3 weeks plus till my 4th full marathon!!!

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

Life Lessons #4

2011-06-07T16:51:00.001+08:00

Just a lil' reminder to all of you out there and myself as well... :)

Count your blessings, good and bad... :)
Taken from imgfave on Tumblr

By the way, both Shanaz and myself will appear tomorrow morning on "Hello on Two", at 7:15-ish am on TV2 to talk about the upcoming Standard Chartered KL Marathon and of course, running... :D

Do catch us on TV if you're up at that time yeah... If not, you'll just have to wait for my entry on our 2nd TV appearance... ;)

I've Got Soul But I'm Not A Soldier

2011-06-03T17:24:00.000+08:00

It's ad day today! :)

And today's ad is taken from Nike's "Courage" campaign that was done in 2008, which celebrates athletes in the sporting scene, for having the courage and redefine the impossible in what they do best... :)

This TVC was released during the 2008 Beijing Olympics:

The legendary Steve Prefontaine was also featured in this video :)

Awesome backing track by The Killers!!! :)

So, have the courage and dare yourself to do something out of the ordinary... Challenge yourself... You'll never know where the road will lead you to...

Life's too short to be worrying... The sky's the limit! :)

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

Keyword: Running

2011-06-03T10:51:00.000+08:00

If you can see my dailymile widget on the right side, it has finally been updated!!!

Wheeee!!!

I finally laced up my running shoes and went for a run for the first time on Wednesday evening at the park after a month and a half of resting and waiting for my wound to heal... And it felt so good to be running again since I've done quite a damage to the body from all of the food that I've been consuming... Hehe...

And guess what?!!! I decided to sign-up and run my 4th full marathon at the Sunshine State of my 2nd 'village'...

Woot woot!!!

This is to And I only have 30 days to train for this... Slowly but surely I know that I can do it... PB or not... :)

Looks like the treadmill and the parks will be my best friends!!!

I am SOOOOOOOOO back with a vengeance babyyy!!! :D :D :D

I Run So That I Can Eat

2011-06-01T12:55:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah, I was given the privilege to be interviewed by The Sun over the weekend on my passion and the upcoming Standard Chartered KL Marathon...

It was my first time ever to talk to a journalist about my love of running...

I have to thank the team from the PR agency who's in-charge of the upcoming Standard Chartered KL Marathon for 'lobbying' both Shanaz and I to appear in a daily newspaper after our TV interview... :)

And here's the result :)

The Sun newspaper featuring yours truly today :D

A bit embarrassed that this picture was selected to accompany the article :P

You can click on the image for a larger view...

Note: I didn't run the full marathon last year, but I will do it next year... Hehe... Oh, and that I train with the dedicated instructors and recruits at Chief's Original Bootcamp in Bandar Utama to prepare myself for any runs or marathons... ;)

I'm sooooooo going to frame the hard copy of this article! :D

THE Proposals

2011-05-30T17:25:00.008+08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I think all of you should check out this superduper epic yet sweet proposal that was done by this American guy:

Awwwwww!!! I am sure all of you girls out there (including myself) would love to be in her shoes right? ;)

I guess he really loves his girl a lot to do this eyyy... :)

Here's another one for my running friends out there:

See, you can even propose before completing your marathon... ;)

So guys, please take note and be creative when you propose to your girl yeah? After all, she's going to be your everything for the rest of your life after that... ;)

The Voice

2011-05-26T10:48:00.002+08:00

Move over American Idol, we have a new singing competition in town!!!

Yeap, I am currently addicted to this new reality talent show and have been watching the clips via YouTube...

The Voice is adapted from the similar competition format of The Voice of Holland... The judges are Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Sheldon (country singer)...

The series consists of three phases: a blind audition, a battle phase, and live perfomance shows. The judges will have to choose teams of contestants through a blind audition process...

Here's one of my fave blind auditions:

The judges are hilarious!!!

Then the team of singers will be mentored and developed by their respective coach and go through the second stage, the battle phase - the coaches will choose two of their team members battle against each other by singing the same song, and the coach will choose which member to advance:

Then the remaining contestants will battle in third and final stage, live performances, where the TV viewers get to vote until one team member remains for each coach and the final four will compete in the finale...

It is still at the second stage for this entertaining show...

Go YouTube the clips... I highly recommend them! :D

Keyword: Terrified

2011-05-24T14:07:00.002+08:00

I have been putting the ''keyword' subject above as my status on my BlackBerry Messenger for the past two months or so... So every week, I'll describe how I really feel in one word...

I thought it'll be 'cool' to include this exercise of mine in this blog every week as well... Hehe...

So this week's word is Terrified...

I don't really like to pen so much about my personal life here because I think it should be kept as private as possible due to my past experience(s)... But I guess that it won't hurt to vent out once in a while... ;)

So terrified about what? Well pretty much about 'opening my heart' to someone new...

The last relationship took a toll on me emotionally, mentally and physically, and ever since then I have been completely 'shutting' myself from the opposite sex... Yes, I have been meeting new people for the past 6 months, but the idea of starting all over and being emotionally involved again with someone new scares the heck out of me... And I have doing a pretty good job at building my guards up so far... Because the last thing that I want is to get hurt... again...

I know I contradict myself sometimes... I mean I do miss having someone significant in my life, someone with whom I can share my life, my dreams, my passions and of course my love with... But at the same time, I am terrified to go through the cycle again... Thinking about all of the "what-ifs"... And being disappointed... Maybe I am just thinking or over-analysing things at the moment...

But I know sooner or later, I would have to fight with these 'demons' inside of me... And the 'wall' must come down eventually... I have to be brave enough again to take my chances on love... After all, the show must go on right? :)

Plus I have so much ♥♥♥ inside of me to share with someone... Haha :P

PS: Can't help but to hum and sing along to this song below for this week's 'emotion' ;)

Wedding Wishes :)

2011-05-23T12:34:00.000+08:00

" True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself. It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations; it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart." - Honore de Balzac -

A special 'Selamat Pengantin Baru' shoutout to one of the nicest and supportive couples that I've known:

The beautiful bride and groom, Izrin and Ali of Our Rearview Mirror :)

They tied the knot last Thursday night... Like FINALLY!!! :P

Even though I've only known you two lovebirds for about 2 years++ now, I am glad to see how our friendship have blossomed and how we've become good friends eventually...

I wish you both a lifetime of happiness filled with lots of love and laughter in your marriage and to have an awesome journey as hubby and wifey... :D

I still owe you both a wedding gift! ;P

The Day I Got Bella-fied :)

2011-05-20T12:44:00.001+08:00

Shanaz and I were asked about a week ago to talk about the upcoming Standard Chartered KL Marathon and running on Bella show, and both of us agreed to it thinking that it was going to pre-recorded...

But we found out a few days before the show that it was actually a LIVE talk show!!!

So, you could imagine the nerves and 'jitters' that we both had in the morning before coming live on air...

The set at the studio...

30 mins before the show....

Wearing the SCKLM tee....

After the cameras started rolling, we both started to settle in and got comfortable with our seats and talked like there's no tomorrow... Hehe...

There were blur and funny moments but I think we did quite alright considering that this is our first ever appearance together on TV... :)

Shots during the interview:

Shot by one of our running friends, Izuan :)

Another shot taken by my sister :)

Of course, we were also lucky to be interviewed by one of the gorgeous ladies in Malaysia that made us feel 'at home' on the set:

Daphne Iking with her 2 guests ;)

I would like to thank Rainer Biemens of Golazo for giving both Shanaz and I this rare opportunity to appear on TV yesterday morning... :)

And of course, my friends for being supportive yesterday with the tweets and kind messages on my Facebook...

You can watch us here at: tonton-home-channels-ntv7-bella-episode 115 - Bella - Episode 115

OR:

By the way, if you haven't registered for Standard Chartered KL Marathon, please do so.... Registration ends in 2 weeks time (31 May) and it's definitely going to be a massive party for us runners!!! Well, at least for my friends and I... ;)

So, come and join us!!! :)

Hmmm... Thinking of what's next in store for us then... ;)

Have a good weekend everyone! :D

Ciao Bella :)

2011-05-18T15:41:00.001+08:00

If you readers are at home or have TV at work, do catch Shanaz and I tomorrow morning on ntv7...

We are going to be featured tomorrow on:

Yeap... We are going to be interviewed by one of the gorgeous ladies above on Bella talk show TOMORROW morning!!!

Both of us are going to talk about the upcoming Standard Chartered KL Marathon...

And of course, running from our perspectives! :D

I am supernervous for tomorrow as it will be my first live interview ever on TV!!!

But insyaAllah, things will turn out good and breezy since I'll be talking about one of the things that I am passionate about in my life :)

Will definitely blog about this exciting experience...

So, wish us luck and watch us at 11:30am! ;)

Quote of the day...

2011-05-18T00:23:00.002+08:00

" Love is not a sprint, it's a marathon. A relentless pursuit that only ends when she falls into your arms. Or hits you with the pepper spray."

- "Howard Wolowitz" -

From:

The Big Bang Theory

One of my fave TV sitcoms at the moment... Utterly entertaining and hilarious show this is!!! The show is brilliantly written, funny and educational at the same time, with all of the scientific facts being thrown at the viewers for every episode...

And who says that you can't relate marathon to any other aspect of your life eyy? :P

Free Yourself

2011-05-14T14:51:00.000+08:00

Happy Saturday everyone!

Going to share this new ad for Nike Free that celebrates everyday athletes and their movements respectively, be it a marathoner or a dancer... :)

So tempted to get these new Nike Frees... But I guess I'll have to wait since I have to be on saving mode now... ;)

So free yourself and do you best move in whatever you do...

Have an awesome weekend everyone! :)

Nike + Paint With Your Feet

2011-05-11T15:14:00.000+08:00

A cousin of mine shared this on my Facebook last week and I think this is such a supergreat initiative by Nike for their fans...

Plus I would definitely want one to be hanged up in my room if I ever have the chance to create this artwork... :)

Article and images were taken from here:

For the launch of the Nike Free Run+ 2 City Pack series, YesYesNo was invited to develop software that would allow runners to create dynamic paintings with their feet using their Nike+ GPS run data. During the two day workshop at Nike headquarters, we invited the participants to record their runs and then using our custom software we imported the metrics from their run, to create visuals based on the speed, consistency and unique style of each person's run.

Using the software the participants were able to play with the mapping and adjust the composition of their run which was then outputted as a high resolution print for them to take home. We also worked with the Innovation Lab at Nike to laser etch the runner's name, the distance they ran and their run path onto a custom fabricated shoe box, which contained a pair of the 'City Pack' shoes from their city of origin.

Check this out y'all:

Denim Wishlist #2

2011-05-10T15:53:00.000+08:00

Oh wow, I just realised that I haven't been writing much about my fave pieve of clothing...

Guess I was too engrossed in my running world... Hehe...

Anyways, here's another pair that I'd love to add:

J Brand's Battled Houlihan Cargo Pants

Worn by the gorgeous Charlize Theron here :)

I should start having a list on the jeans (and other yummy goodies) that I should get when I'm in NY later this year.. ;)

But most importantly, a trust fund first... :P

On a side note, my wound's taking its time to heal at the moment, so I guess I can only start working out by end of this month...

Hopefully I'll have enough time to train for my half mary at KL Marathon next month... :)

Life Lessons #3

2011-05-03T01:52:00.001+08:00

Taken from Imgfave at Tumblr

A self-reminder to myself... And to all of my lovely readers... :)

Only YOU have the choice to live your life to its fullest in this world and make the best out of it...

Don't ever let someone or anything stand in your way to be the person that you're meant to be... Only God can do so... So, don't forget Him and be the best servant in any possible way to Him...

So, don't settle... Create, challenge, take control and fulfill your destiny... Because you're worth it (ala L'Oreal's ad *wink*) :)

Happy Tuesday everyone! :)

Euphoric State of Mind :D

2011-04-28T12:07:00.002+08:00

Can somebody please pinch or slap me (again!) please??!!!

"I'm going to make it by any means,

I got a pocketful of dreams..."

- Taken from the song Empire State of Mind (Part 2) by Alicia Keys -

(continue singing) --> Baby I'm going to NEW YORK!!!!!!! :D :D :D

The results were out earlier this morning and I am one of the 30,000 superlucky runners from the lottery that will be running at this year's NYC Marathon baby!!!!!!

(I was jumping and screaming so hard that I think I have to go for a dressing change today instead of tomorrow :P)

Only God knows how badly I wanted to run for this epic event... And maybe a couple of my friends since I've been raving about the marathon to them... Hehe...

And it feels so surreal at this moment...

To know that my prayers have been answered... Alhamdulillah and syukur to Him...

Dreams do come true... If you wish, hope, and have superfaith in them... And I am definitely living one the BEST dreams right now...

This has got to be the BEST birthday month EVER for me!!!!! :D :D :D

Now, I need to figure out on how in the world am I going to find moolah for this trip... :P

Strangers, Again...

2011-04-25T13:53:00.002+08:00

Happy Monday everyone!

A friend of mine on Facebook shared this video and I am pretty sure that all of us can relate to all of the stages when it comes to your current or past personal relationships (except for the ones who are happily married of course!)... :)

Thought this video was executed brilliantly...

In my honest opinion(s), I believe that it takes two to tango... And that no matter what, good or bad, it takes two to keep the relationship alive and working, no matter which stage you're at... You don't take things for granted just because you're familiar with each other's traits, behaviour and the relationship itself...

And that anyone can be 'THE ONE', it is just the matter of whether two people wants each other to be that and really work on it... If not, then you're back to being strangers again... Things or promises that you've said to each other will just be mere words...

But yeah, it gets pretty tiring and sad when one relationship ends... The fact that you have to start all over and repeat the cycle again, it seems like a never-ending process... Been there for a number of times already...

But that doesn't mean that you're supposed to stop believing in love and find your 'king or queen of your heart' right? :)

I am happy with where I am at this moment, but you know what, it'll be nice to share your dreams, passions or even achievements with someone significant in your life at the end of the day...

But one can only hope and keep on trying that one day, my happier days will come insyaAllah...

In the mean time, I'm utterly grateful for being blessed with loving family and friends... :)

(I have too much time now since I'm still recuperating at home hence the post... :P)

Dream :)

2011-04-22T17:50:00.001+08:00

Happy Friday peeps! :)

Well, I'm going to share a video instead of an ad today...

This video was done in 2008 by Brooks and it captures the fantasy of a perfect...

Yeap, you got it... run :)

Definitely a dream... But running from Boston all the way to Beijing... That's just purely suicidal... Hehe :P

Hope you'll enjoy this video as I did... And have an awesome weekend everyone! :)

And to my running friends, run happy and dare to dream... :)

The BEST Birthday Gift Ever!!! :D

2011-04-20T16:59:00.006+08:00

Disclaimer: This is going to be a superlong entry... It deserves to be one... ;)

Yeap... That pretty much summed up my trip... :)

This is definitely one of my running stories that I'll tell to my future children one day, InsyaAllah.. :)

Shanaz and I flew into Paris separately on Thursday night... But managed to catch each other at the baggage claim area at Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris... So off we went to the hotel to check-in but the room wasn't ready.. So we walked along the city and had our late breakfast...

We decided to go to the running expo to pick-up our bibs and check out the scene of course... Mind you, we were still feeling 'fresh' from the 13-hour flight... :P

Our 'autographs' on the Asics wall... ;)

It was definitely the best expo that I've ever been to!!! Runners' haven it was... After picking up our bibs, we checked out the entire expo and managed to cover the expo in almost 3 hours!!! Phewwss... It was an eye-opener to see so many brands that we've never heard off back at home... And they even had an area to showcase booths for upcoming runs or marathons...

Running accessories... Choices!!! ;)

One day, you'll be added into the collection ;)

Leaflets on upcoming runs or marathons...
You can come and see me if you want to take a look at them :)

The goodie bag...

Didn't really splurge at the expo... I was saving up my Euros for my post-marathon and birthday treat... ;)

Goodies purchased at the expo :)

We started carbo-loading and dessert-loading from day #1... Hehe...

One of the best chocolat eclairs I've ever tasted! :)

The night before the marathon, we were still feeling tired from the jet-lag, and decided to carbo-load - the room service style... ;)

Race (and Birth) Day :)

Both of us woke up at 5am and were lazing around till about 6am... Got our gears ready and left our hotel at about 7am to take the metro to the venue...

Birthday outfit was slightly different from this pic...

Birthday girl with her tiara... On the way to the metro ;)

If you read my previous post, I discovered this awful and painful bump while flying to Amsterdam... And the bump was still large and painful on race-day... I even contemplated with myself whether to run or not the day before my birthday... I bb-ed my doctor friend and she was telling me it could either be a cyst or an abscess and advised me to take painkillers and get it checked once I'm back in KL...

But of course, me being the stubborn Arian decided to just run with the bump.. Afterall, I came too far to be missing out on a birthday marathon... ;)

The metro was packed with runners at that time and we both felt so tiny in the metro... The weather was breezing cold that morning... But it didn't last for long though...

Of course we had to camwhore before the marathon since it was starting at 8:45am (2:45pm Malaysian time)... It was like running after lunch time!!! Hehe...

In front of the Arc de Triomphe

Shanaz and I...

Shanaz was whistled at a couple of times for braving the cold weather that morning in that sexy running skirt ;)

Teams Gediks from Malaisie represent! ;)

It took us about 15 mins to depart and cross the starting line...

The route: From the Champs Élysées Avenue to Foch Avenue running through Bastille, Nation, Vincennes, les Tuileries…

You can click here for the bigger picture of the route...

The first 5km was quite chaotic due to the massive runners that were trying to pick up their pace respectively... I even tripped a runner at this point... :S

But loved the every 5km water station as not only they provided water, but we were given oranges, bananas, raisins and even sugar cubes for us runners to load-up... Talk about generosity and appreciating the runners! :)

I was running with one of the 4:30 pacers for the first 10km of the race... I was stoked when I was doing a 6:32 pace/km... But somehow, the pacer decided to pick up his pace and zoomed off after that... Well, one can only dream to finish in sub 4:30... Hehe... One day insyaAllah... ;) So decided to follow the sub-5 timing band that was on my left arm...

Had to adjust my tiara whenever I spotted the photographers ;)

My legs were extra 'semangat' that day and I was so happy that I PB-ed for my 21.1km - 2hrs 16mins baby!!! :D :D :D And that I was about 13-15 mins above the timing that was written for the sub-5 hour finish on the band..

I started feeling the pain from the bump after the 30km marker, and the sun was already shining down on us and I didn't even wear any sunblock because I THOUGHT that it was going to be a cool and chilly day... It was already 24 degrees by this time and I kept telling myself that maybe sub-5 wasn't possible because the pain was throbbing... And that I started slowing down from this point onwards...

Smile for the camera even when you're in pain ;)

I called up my very dear running friend, Rosey from this point onwards... She was 'pushing' me to get it over and done with within 5 hours... When I reached the 35km marker, I have been running for 4 hours already... And called Rosey again for her to push me again... Sweet kan? Hehe...

Finally, we were given Powerade just before the 40km marker... And decided to chew some of the GU chomps... And at this very moment, I was in superpain and I was thinking about my family and friends back at home... I even imagined that I was being 'pushed and chased' by my running friends... Yes, I had to occupy the mind... ;)

And I decided to ignore the pain, run with all my heart and didn't look back... All the way to the finish line...

I was being quite patriotic on that day, so I took out my Malaysian flag and ran with it at my last 100m... I did a jumping pose at the end but not sure why the photographers didn't catch the pose... Hehe...

Captured my Maindru photographers: Before the emotional tears... Hehe... *Drama*

I was emotionally crying the moment after I crossed the finish line... Simply because:

1. I DID IT!!! I became a sub-5 marathoner!!! 4hrs 53mins 26 secs was the official time!!! :D :D :D

'Khadeeja' was 'burnt' from the hot and dry weather... Hehe...

2. It was my birthday and I was wishing that my family was there with me... Called my parents immediately after crossing the finish line and cried even more when they told me that they were really proud of me... :)

3. I was suffering from the painful abscess bump...

4. I was feeling the intense pressure to complete the marathon under 5 hours and I achieved it!!! FYI - I smashed my PB in Melbourne by a whooping 26mins!!! Alhamdulillah... :)

5. It was the best marathon that I've ever experienced so far and I was extremely overwhelmed... :)

Pics after the emotional marathon:

My partner in Paris...

Shanaz PB-ed at 4hrs 37mins... Superawesome and congrats babe!!!

I think we did make Malaisie proud on that day kan? ;)

Wearing the new tee from Chief's Original Bootcamp...

The grueling sessions that I've had in March contributed to my achievement on my birthday... :)

The marathon was like a festival for the peeps in Paris... For the entire 42.195km, there were orchestras, bands, cheerleaders and people cheering on us runners... We even had good looking firemen to cheer, support and hosing us down with water along the route... Talk about superb motivation for us running girls... Hehe... ;)

Hot or what?!! ;)

I was in awe of the overwhelming support from the crowd... There were even kids calling me 'Princess' when I was running because of the tiara... Double awe... :)

With our finisher tees and medals in front of the Arc de Triomphe...

And we did the craziest thing EVER the day after the marathon:

Us at the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower...

We took the wrong queue and took the stairs all the way up to the 2nd floor of the tower!!!

Legs were definitely 'recovered' on that day :P

Of course, Shanaz and I had to splurge ourselves with these later that day as well:

Yayyyy for pretty bags!!! ;)

Every moment of the trip (especially the marathon) was just simply worth remembering and treasured for...

I was blessed to have supporting family and friends throughout the journey... Major Alhamdulillah for that... :)

Shanaz was an awesome companion throughout the trip... We hit it off instantly from day 1 of the trip... So, I guess our KK trip will be so much fun as well kan (though I will just be a cheerleader)? ;)

So, there you go... This definitely tops my birthday celebration so far in my 28 years of living in this world... :)

Closer looks at the finisher tee and medal :)

Carrying around the medal in my handbag for the entire month! ;)

Perhaps, in the next 6 or 7 years and when my birthday falls on a Sunday again, I will be a sub 3:30 marathoner and qualify for the Boston Marathon?

One can only hope and dream that it will come true... :)

Pain is Temporary...

2011-04-19T19:22:00.000+08:00

"If you suffer, Thank God! -- It is a sure sign that you are alive."

- Elbert Hubbard -

How cute is that quote? Hehe...

I had to undergo a surgery yesterday to remove an 11-day-old abscess just below my tummy... It has been there since my day one in Paris...

(If you don't know what is an abscess, click here to know more...)

Alhamdulillah, the surgery went well but the heartbreaking part is that I can't run or work out for the next one month or so due to the deep and open wound from the surgery... *Supercry*

So, no Borneo International Marathon for me next weekend... I will be a cheerleader though since I've already paid for the flight tix + accommodation... ;)

And since I'll be on leave from work for the next one week or so, I will definitely update this blog of mine with my super outdated entry on Paris Marathon and the superhorrible Energizer Night Race...

So, stay tuned! :)

Energizer Night Race...

2011-04-15T16:26:00.000+08:00

Happy Friday peeps! :)

I'm still contemplating about running 21km tomorrow night... Still feeling the tiredness and the jetlag from the trip at the moment...

But running or not, I will be there tomorrow night at the Sepang International Circuit to meet and support my running friends... And if you're there, do drop by and say hi to me...

My friend, KK and I will be celebrating our birthdays together tomorrow night at the race and there'll be cupcakes and drinks after the run... :)

KK (in the middle), Rozmi and I at the OATR 2 weeks ago...

So if you're nice enough... It will be one cupcake for you... :P

Have a good weekend everyone! :)

Bonjour :)

2011-04-14T18:02:00.001+08:00

Alhamdulillah, I am home again...

I've had one of the best and magical 5 days in my entire life...

And it was all thanks to the beautiful City of Love... :)

And what's more important, I turned 28 by becoming a sub-5 marathoner on my birthday!!!

(Running) Dreams do really come true :D

I will update supersoon with my marathon experience once the jetlag has resided... :P

Je n'oublierai jamais, Paris... :)

Au Revoir :)

2011-04-07T20:35:00.000+08:00

The day has finally arrived for me to leave KL and fly solo to the City of Love...

With my partner-in-crime... Paris is definitely that way ;)

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your endless support, words of encouragement and advance birthday wishes...

I am also truly grateful to have such amazing friends in my life... You know who you are... :)

InsyaAllah, my getaway will be a paisible (smooth) one filled with lots of fun...

Oh, and I can't wait to stuff myself with some of these yummylicious food over there:

Pics taken from Google

I will try to update le blog if time/place permits in Par-ee...

And who knows... Maybe a sub-5 is possible :)

Au revoir everyone for now and have a great weekend! :D

Très excité!!!

2011-04-05T13:52:00.000+08:00

Oh my gee.... I can't believe that my birthday marathon is happening in 5 days time!!!

I have a number of things to settle here before leaving for Paris super duper soon...

It is going to be a crazy and tiring week for me... But..

I AM SUPERBLY ANXIOUS BUT EXCITED!!!

Pic credits to Tey...

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! :D :D :D