The Case For Triathlon

1. The Ironman Langkawi 2018 will be held on 14 November 2018. I've done it in 2016 and it was one of the best times I've ever had. After the race, I tried to rationalize  my obsession with the race. In the end, I couldn't. The cost factor and the time it takes to train for the race was a strong case against doing an Ironman. But if I had the resources to do an Ironman, would I do it? What made me do it in the first place?

2. Since 2016, Ironman Langkawi has evolved. The 2017 edition saw the 70.3 + full distance held together. And in 2018, interested participants can pay the entrance fee in 3 months installments. And there was also a limited 24 hour flash sale where you get  further discounts prior to the normal early bird rates.

3. It's quite capitalistic (if not already) if you ask me. Nothing wrong with that. People can do whatever with their money and businesses can smell money making opportunities. In the Ironman case, the organizers truly capitalize the irrational choice theory here.

4.  They know triathletes are the obsessive/determined/irrational kind. You then market the Ironman to suit the narrative/image of a triathlete: disciplined, full of sacrifice and ultimately finishing the Ironman to encapsulate all of that. Put in some marketing gimmicks and motivational slogans and the seed is planted. Marketing 101.

5. The slogans I must say is quite powerful: "you will do this", "swim 2.4, bike 180, run 42.2 brag for the rest of your life", "anything is possible". I bought into it. That was the whole point. The need to do the ironman was to identify myself as a triathlete and as a person (to me at least). Damn, I know it's quite vain, but still.  I do somewhat feel complete and contend after doing one so it validates that I was just in it for the title.

6. I bought into the whole Ironman thing probably because I found Ironman before I found triathlon. I swim and bike because I wanted to do an Ironman. Running and all the marketing gimmicks fits the reflection I had of myself at the time. And that provided fertile ground for the Ironman seed to be planted.

7. Back to the question at hand. Am I going to do an Ironman if I had the resources?. The answer is yes. Even though the rational side of me strongly opposed to the idea, the sport of triathlon (including Ironman) has given me a lot. It's a sport with plenty of memorable highlights. Here are probably my top 10 highlights of a triathlon:

• Bike racking - you rolled in your bike like thousands other triathletes with butterflies in your stomach. Racked your bike and hope it'll be in the same condition as you left it.
• 1 minute before swim start - at the beach / or pontoon knowing that it's going to be a long day full of uncertainties. Love that pre-race feeling. And more butterflies.
• First 5 minute of swim start - things get real and you realize you're actually doing it. I sometime smile and feel grateful to have the chance to be doing what most children love. To play in the ocean.
• T1 - when you sighted land. Heart racing and you just can't wait to get out of the water.
• Drafting - the joy of maintaining a faster speed and riding with fellow competitors. Taking turns pulling and cracking jokes.
• Nutrition on the go - Felt like a true triathlete drinking and eating while on a bike. Not to mention the joy of grabbing a water bottle on the go.
• T2 - like in T1, the joy of finally to be in a straight up position and seeing some supporters/friends/family.
• Running in pain - some enjoy it I think. I do.
• Dousing water - On a hot day, it's heaven. Especially iced water.
• Music / MC at Finish - The finish is usually about taking care of business cause you enter normality again. I actually have that relieved feeling when I hear music or the MC like < 100 meters to the finish.

8. As I now turn my focus to running, the quote below hit me hard:

“The longer and farther I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind--a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.”

― Scott Jurek, Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness


9. In the end, running or triathlon, it's about how it makes you feel. Running couldn't make me feel the way triathlon makes me feel, vice versa. I probably had my best memories  more at Pd triathlon than Ironman, but Ironman opened the ultrarunning door and that to me is priceless. Only in triathlon racing can I reach that state of mind. Because It's rare that you practice/train all three discipline in one go. I would love to be in that state of mind again.

Roadmap

16 just held such better days,  days when I feel so alive, couldn't wait to get outside (Adam's song, Blink 182) Happy 2017! #trailrunning #dirtoverasphalt #chasingvert

A photo posted by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Dec 31, 2016 at 9:42pm PST

Judging by the Ironman training, I've made an error in judgement by skipping base training. Base is the most difficult and most important phase. During base you have to go slow and its counter intuitive to go slow since naturally you want to go fast. Patience and faith is needed in base training. Most of my reading lead me to believe the base portion is the main phase of a training plan and hopefully I can perform them right. I also think the base phase is the right time to train to gauge speed and effort without garmin. I can also listen to music and explore new routes since I'm not tied up to any specific workout. It's simply just ... run.

Plan is to periodize to peak for SCKLM (planning for a sub 4 or a PB) in May and complete some ultras and one last big race nearing end of 2017. Most ultras especially those sought after races occur after syawal so it's also something I have to look into. Went for a standard 4 week macro cycle. 1 peak, 2 level and a recovery week. Will take it easy in June during Ramadhan and sort of re-start again after.

Decided to focus on a base of maybe around 3 months of easy runs, some elevation and strength training. I try not to be too fancy about it. If I can stay consistent running with an average of +-60km per week with +-1000 m of elevation, I'm set. Increase by 10% per week every 3rd week. Won't care about speed. Also rest/recovery every 4th week and if needed. Try not to push things too much. Also a marker workout to track fitness progress every recovery week.

Basically, at a micro level, a week in base is a combo of long run (trail/road), a medium run and the rest just easy runs. Week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturdays. This is so I can get the long run out of the way early and just fill the rest of the week with a recovery, strength, speed and threshold workout when those phases arrives. I learned that I usually had to skip my long runs due to a missed weekend. This way, I can re arrange my long runs to the next weekend and the mileage will still be considered in the same training week. Have to see how that'll turn out and adjust.

Then of course I have to balance mileage and speed/threshold workouts as SCKLM gets closer. A good taper and finally race.

I came to realize that its not that complicated, but it can be. The ironman training certainly provided some indication of what personally works and doesn't. This time I just want to be a bit flexible but have a plan to guide so that I have something to aim for every week.

Few rules:

1) Staying consistent by excecuting safe run combos. No hard day followed by another hard day. Hard means long or tough sessions.
2) Recovery: 1 day per week (no running/cross training), 1 week per month (go easy and reduce mileage to 70% from previous)
3) Be Specific: Go long, go vert, go on trails, go long on vert trails.
4) Stop/cross train when injured
5) Minimum 1 strength /core session
6) Do drills and strides on easy days
7) Split long days if needed

I'm also not going to update progress every week like I did during Ironman 2016. Maybe a monthly summary would suffice. We'll see.

Here we go.

2017

In 2016 I committed to record and write about stuff especially tracking progress. Its cool to look back at those moments in writing. So I'm gonna continue. If it's important then it's worthwhile to record them.

It's now 2017 and sporting wise, 2016 was relatively a great year. I won't go into details cause it's something that'll take ages to write about.

The highlights for 1st half of 2016 would be PBing my Half Ironman and Powerman. Started the year by having a strcutured training regiment but didn't strictly follow the program or monitor my progress much. I guess I was on the steep section of the learning curve where significant improvements were gained by not doing a lot. Got 2nd place in a trail run at Kemensah and almost a sub 2 at Nilai Marathon. Ran and enjoyed more trails.

In the 2nd half of 2016, committed to a training plan. Didn't follow 100% but felt the need to objectively assess how much work was done. So I closely track the metrics and developed a simple monitoring system with MS excel. I also felt it was important to log how I feel or feelings I had when training or whatever observation I had at that time. Race wise, learned a lot blowing up in races and a sub 2 half marathon followed by a 7th place finish in the Mantin Hill 2 Hill run capped of a great "racing season" for the 2nd half of 2016.

Then, the big and final race of 2016, Ironman Langkawi. The race that anchors everything. In the space of 2 weeks leading to Ironman Langkawi, my grandfather passed away and my wife gave birth to a baby girl days later. My head wasn't in its right place and training didn't go as planned but I accepted all of these circumstances. I finished the race and I think the effort that was put in matched the result. The race itself wasn't the highlight and I forgotten much about the details of the race. But the training, the preparation for the Ironman was probably the best thing that has ever happened because I learned a lot. Training for Ironman revealed a lot. The main thing I learned was about scheduling and being extra careful with time. With 3 sport to train for, time is of the essence.

There were also highlights personally and professionally, things outside sports such as the trip with buddies/family to Tasik Kenyir, vacations etc that was pretty awesome as well. But those memories are reserved/saved just for me.

Right. Now that 2016 is all done and dusted, it's time to line up a new project for 2017. It has to be epic by my standard. It has to be long, impossible (almost) to do without training and most of all fun. I also have to consider the financial damage it will cost me.

Trail running in the contrasting city of #putrajaya. Amidst all the development lies a nice gravel trail which goes around lakes and beautiful natural landscapes. Music, run and exploring new routes. Good fun.  #dirtoverasphalt #trailrunning

A photo posted by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Dec 8, 2016 at 6:11pm PST

Looking back at 2016, I was always curious when running on trails especially those really long ones. Trail running was a sort of escapism from the Ironman routine and I always wonder why haven't I done it sooner. It seems that there's a whole segment of endurance junkies who ran more than the typical marathon distance. I thought running 42km was crazy. Try 100 - 200km. That's nuts. But I was curious. There was an element of uncertainty, a challenge to overcome and an epic race to sort of hold everything together in a structured way. Trail running puts two things I love together, being outdoors and running. It was not harder or easier than a road race but it's unique. The longer trail races or ultramarathons demand similar things as any endurance event i.e solid preparation, the right gear, nutrition and race day strategies.

The difference would be that, elevation is something that's factored in trail races or ultramarathon. In an Ironman, a hill is a specific point on a course where participants have to go through at some point in the race. In trail racing or ultras, it is the course. The hill/mountains and the whole natural topography is the race course. Which makes for a far more scenic run. It's quite lonely sometimes too. Quiet, peaceful. You can walk without feeling guilty or wimpy because the terrain won't let you run no matter how strong you are.

The top 10 finish in 2016's trail races also sort of strengthen that feeling of wanting to go out and run/race in the wild and to train to become a better trail runner. So immediately after Ironman I signed up for my first ultra in February 2017. A 50km/ 12 hour run at Gunung Nuang. Its a 5 X 10km loop and is perfect if I ever decided to drop out or anything LOL. Have started pre-training, recon some courses to train at and developed a plan that'll guide me towards that epic ultra race near the end of 2017, whatever race that'll turn out to be. As far as triathlon is concerned, it'll supplement my run training and I'll treat it as cross training. Currently not looking forward/planning to do any tris in 2017. I won't say I'm done with multisport as I started with triathlons and always enjoyed doing them. But, it's financially consuming and takes a lot of time. Those factors had huge bearing on my decision to pause triathlon/multisport.

2017 means challenging not only how far or fast I can go, but also how high (elevation) I can go. I've started obsessing about it and I guess it'll be the theme for 2017. It's not as complicated as the Ironman but the challenge could be similar or even greater.

It looks to be exciting if everything goes to plan. Also have some other non sport personal goal to address but that's another story.

Rest,Relax,Recover,Review,Reflect,Repeat

*Suppose to be posted before Ramadhan

Post race: I was just happy to finish with my family there. I thought i finished sub 6 only to learn i exceeded 9 seconds. I raced as planned and left no stones go unturned. As far as Ironman Langkawi 2016 is concerned, I am starting my favourite part of a training block - time on feet and saddle: base training! To all athletes, congrats and recover well... #immy2016 #im703putrajaya

A photo posted by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Apr 3, 2016 at 8:04pm PDT

I haven't really come up with a training plan for the IMMY2016 race. I do have kind of structure as a guide based on previous 70.3 training plan. The one thing I'm most worried about is slipping away from the training routine I've gotten used to for the past 20 weeks prior to putrajaya 70.3. This include swimming during lunch, weekly gyms, long bikes and runs and rest day. Currently i try to stick to the daily routine but without any real structure. This means I don't worry about intensity and time. I try to use the 70.3 distances, paces and times for my workout.

18km of being out in the forest and running, crossing streams, hiking up hills with like minded people. The event was minimalist but functional. Nothing especially fancy but it tick all the boxes of a good organized race. This is a great event and I'll be signing up next year. Good job teampacat. #kokk #dirtoverasphalt #trailrunningmalaysia #trailrun Photo credit - Aku, Wong (FB)

A photo posted by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on May 23, 2016 at 4:41pm PDT

I also take the opportunity to try new things which was not incorporated in my training before. This include strength workouts and long slow distance runs. Went for trail run more made running interesting again. Very important if you wish to go long since the monotony of long run can sometime makes you lose focus and less enjoyable.

Trail running/hiking up to nuang summit. Had loads of fun. But took a lot out of me. Rest time. #trailrun #trailrunningmalaysia #gunungnuang #chasingvert

A photo posted by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Jun 5, 2016 at 3:27am PDT

All of this will influence how i structure my training plans. Having a 70.3 training plan made me realied that sustainability is key in ensuring consistent, specific and progressive training plan.

The experince of having a structured training plan for IM 70.3 Putrajaya 2016 saved me lots of guessing while coming up with the IM Langkawi training plan. The plan is just a guide and the most important thing is execution. Worth noting, when planning, be honest and flexible. Have space for other things in life as well. Training should be part of your life not on top of it. #immy2016 #ironmanlangkawi2016 #ironmantri #ironmantraining #triathlonmalaysia #triathlon #triathlete

A photo posted by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Jun 6, 2016 at 2:15am PDT

songs

I was in a band. It is now defunct. But it was great while it lasted. I was the designated drummer. I could play the guitar but was not talented enough.

Anyway, nothing beats going into a studio and just jam. It's like you're in a different world all of a sudden. While the outside view this bunch of people as jokers posing as weezer we, at least me, really feel like we were weezer. Or whoever band that we were covering.

Anyway, songs trigger memory.

That's why I'm listing songs/lyrics that will definetely remind me of the member of #teamhafdzuan

1. Hadzim Faeiq

Creed - with arms wide open

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I close my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything

With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything ...oh yeah
With arms wide open..wide open

[Guitar Break]

If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open...

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

I'll show you everything..oh yeah
With arms wide open....wide open 

*The ones in red will see me sing with man tears streaming down my face.

Why this song?

It's just a powerful, promising, brave song that really describe exactly how a father wants his boy to be. Brave and ready to take whatever bullshit the world has to offer.


2. Hadfina Farwizah

John Mayer - Daughter

I know a girl,
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change

And I've done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

CHORUS
Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Oh, you see that skin?
It's the same she's been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she's left, cleaning up the mess he made

CHORUS
Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong and boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without warmth from
A woman's good, good heart

On behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world

CHORUS
Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
So mothers, be good to your daughters too
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Why this song?

 

 It's scary when it comes to daughters as most father are clueless. And will be even more so when they grow up. Well that's how hollywod movies potrays the situation.

really sums it up. Even though we are clueless most or all of the time, at least , I hope, I'll be the weight of her world forever.

3. Farah

 

U2 - All I want is you

You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want your story to remain untold.
All the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you.

You say you'll give me a highway with no-one on it
Treasure, just to look upon it
All the riches in the night.

You say you'll give me eyes in the moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest.
All the promises we make, from the cradle to the grave
When all I need is you.

You say you want your love to work out right
To last with me through the night.

You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold
Your story to remain untold
Your love not to grow cold.
All the promises we break, from the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you.
 

Why?

Even bono dedicated this to her wife. A bit morbid using the word grave but that's how reality is. This song has the eternity feel to it. with broken and kept promises the important thing is well "you".

 

 This is how i interpret these songs and how they relate to those important to me. 

 

Hell, i could be way off.

 

 

anyway, I got some other song for other settings. Songs does not only trigger my memory of people but also events etc. Will put some more on that.

 

So these songs will definetely be in my playlists forever as will my memory of #teamhafdzuan.

reconnect

Malaysia won yesterday. I haven't posted in a while. Might as well start again.

after reading older posts i think it is worth the time to jot down some important notes with rgards to life, triathlon, people, arsenal etc.

some older post does look stupid .. but unlike photos, jotting down means i can remember my state of mind during that particular time. .. .. even if it does look stupid...

experience .. is felt and memorized by the brain... worth more than any good picture...

try it ... try triathlon ...

"...i think for the start of 2010 i was suppose to blog something about what i wanted to do and how i never managed to do it .. how i wanted to do stuff for 2010 which will only be hot air come 2011 ..."

better late than never ...

my new found interest in triathlon

triathlon is just like travelling ... msut have distance .... stamina ...

output ?

whole lotta fun ... personally ... experiencing something new is the only reason i think makes people grow ... just like babies ... every day is a new sensation .. new experience .. first steps ... first everything ... and that's why babies i guess .. is always smiling ...i have a lot of routines in my life ... but when it comes to races .. i alwasy feel fresh ... always something new to learn ..to experience ...maybe i'm an adrenaline junkie ...maybe ..

distance for me doesn't necessarily mean the race distance .. of course to some it's overwhelming .. but it can't be done .. with my head firmly gripping to that principal ... i'm going to prove to myself that it can be done ...the distance is also the years/journey it takes to finally land me at Langkawi for a full ironman ...

and stamina .. is to finish it off ..not to blow up half way ... give up half way ... but to arrive to that destination ,....where you see yourself when you started .. begin with the end in mind ...


starting it?

I must thanks Fox Mulder for me being in triathlon ... he introduced me into this business ...he was wearing this really cool timex watch with the "indiglo" feature on x-files... and i really wanted this watch because i wanted to be cool like fox mulder ...and i finally got a timex (years later and a current model).. and it has this little ironman logo on it (under the timex wording)... timex is the offical timekeeper for IM....

fig1: my wife bought me this watch .. life changer ...thanks dear ..

With that watch ... i was obssesed about chrono-ing evertyhing ... how much time i spent from home to the office ..how long do i have to shit before i'm late to work ... how long for a person to order mcdonalds ... and of course how fast i can finish the serdang course which was only 6 km - my longest running distance then ...unfortunately ..the watch is currently under repair .. (never ask a watchshop that doesn;t sell timex to change you the battery .. the next thing you know .. your watch is filled with water .. idiot!)

after that .. i have purpose to running ... i wanted to a) run non-stop b) maintain or break my personal best .. before i know it ... 6 km became fun .. running thru sri serdang . .watching kids coming back from school ... thru the pasar malam ... watching factory workers coming off work ... bangla's and people watching me like i'm running away from something .. the UPM chicks ...but honestly serdang is a great course to run.. a lot of things to see ...and the time keeps getting better ... so gradually i increased the distance .. but the course have to be interesting .. luckily my new housing area has scenic routes also ...

now ... i manage to finish 20k non-stop (almost half-marathon) ... and it felt good .... to be able to finish something i thought would be impossible ...

but i didn;t want to just be a runner ... i wanted to do triathlon ...

fig 2: my first 10 k ... felt good afterwards .. and automatically hooked on running races...

then come the swim ...

swimming is the discipline i enjoy the most .. training or racing .. it's basically swimming man .. it by default fun ... but triathlon swimming is difficult ... 3.8km ... open water ....i know doing 1 hour per week in the pool would not cut it .. so i decided to step it up ... but how .. efficient swimming requires technique ... who is going to teach me that ..?

answer: dave scott .. with good clips on you tube .. has a lot of tips and drills to perfect the art of triathlon swimming ... for the first 3 months i became obssesed with swimming ... hitting the pool averaging 4 times per week ... spending around 6 hours per week correcting my techniques... and at home .. i watched re-runs of countless swimming tips downloaded from you tube and practice in front of the mirror where and there were time i have to convince my wife i'm not nuts ..i'm just looking at my stroke baby...without a proper teacher to guide and correct my faults... i have only myself to count on ... i also spend a lot of time at the pool watching proper swimmer doing their stuff and learning fthru that as well ...

and now i manage to swim 2k non-stop ...practice does makes perfect ...

fig 3: body marking prior to my first open water swim at desaru (500 m) .. survived ..

2 out of 3 ... i told my self if i can swim up to 1 km .. i would buy i bike .. because i can compete in a sprint triathlon consisting of 500m swim ... 20k bike .. and 5 km run ... and after i completed my first 1 km at the pool .. i called up kadir and alin .. for some bike tips .. which bike to buy with my limited budget ... and i bouth a merida 901 .... around RM2k ... it's ok i guess ... it got me through races ...

i still don;t feel physically comfortable compared to running/swimming when training on the bike .. until now ... for me .. the bike portion of the triathlon is the time to fuel up for the run ... but 180 km man .. i really can't just ride through that distance .. i must practice so i would not struggle as much or even worse drop out... so that's what i'm gonna do ... after the DPA 6 months .. gonna get me an aerobar ... upgrade a few components ... and ask dave scott for some bike tips ... via you tube of course ...

and with help from some interseting routes suggested by kadir .. i can hopefully enjoy cycling ...

fig 4: cycling at powerman 09... that smile says it all "40 km ...i'm screwed dawg"

with that .. i can conclude that ... triathlon serves up my hormones quite well ...

it has the adrenanline factor, distances, challenges ... and most importantly it provides me with new experiences and a whole lotta FUN ...

and all the things that people say about how practice makes perfect ... to be patient .. basically work to get what you want...

.... it is true

... i mean ... of course it's true la.... but to literally realizing those captions .. it's an awesome mind boggling feeling.... i figured if i incorporate it in whatever i do and keep the faith ....with time.. it will come to me ...

annex1 : results 2009 - personal best

1. 1ok run - 50 minutes - top 100 out of 400 runners
2. 20k run - 1 hour 50 minutes - top 50 out of 400 runners
3. powerman 09 sprint- top 20 out of 200 participants
4. triathlon 09 sprint - top 20 out of 40 participants

annex2 : targets 2010 (conservative) - you will do this .. i hope

1. 30 k / half marathon (marathon - unlikely due to DPA)
2. olympic distance triathlon
3. half-ironman
4. be able to ride for >120km (bagan lalang or PD)
5. be able to ride to pedas
6. 4 km swim .. pool pun ok la ..
7. wife to join in some fun run races

DPA

I'm off to INTAN mont kiara this monday for 7 months for what should be .. based on those who previously underwent the course ... annoying. But there would be some fun modules sandwiched between the 7 months. The duration was suppose to be for 6 months but due to ramadhan they extended it to 7 months ... hari raya man .. must go back ...

That's why i'm at the office on my day off ... packing up some stuff ... just to check if i left anything behind. .... the thing that i'm glad to leave behind is work of course :)

Obviously i'm gonna miss my little unit ... hadzim faeiq and my wife .. hadzim faeiq for sure ... but my wife so much so because to be honest i'm heavily dependent on her .. she prepares most of my stuff . .arranges a lot of stuff ... important to little things ... and not to have that would be a great adjustment ... either i'm too lazy or she's just good at taking care of me ... the latter would make me look better ...

well ... i guess ... that's life ... my life ...

swim, bike, run - YOU WILL DO IT

ran my 2nd 10k run on sunday. the 2nd run was ok since i'm running with new shoes. last time, i was running with my nike free and let me tell you .. there is little support on the muscles and at times it hurts .. causing me to fatigue even quicker ...

i think for swimming ... i got a good hang on the whole stroke thing ... did a pyramid scheme which gave me time to rest without compromising the effort needed to finish the distance ... good thing i found it on the internet ... very good tip .. ... so i manage to do 30 laps ... and i felt ok afterwards ... so that's like 1.5 k ... so i guess ... that's quite ok ... i see no point trying to do 1.5k non-stop now .. maybe later when my stroke count is reduced .. and i move more or less like a fish ...

i hate to bike ... but i just have to ... when i see this big hills ... i know it will hurt ... i hate it when the gears slipped ... and the fear of a punctured tyre ...

been running and swimming for the past year and a half ... i think .. and just started cycling ... i'm doing my first duathlon in july .. and then my first tri (sprint) in august ..

next year's target ... hopefully i can finish a half marathon and a full olympic tri .. maybe if i'm confident enough .. i'll try the 70.3 (half IM) ...

i sure wish i have some one on the same mission as mine ..

this is just the beginning ...

leave your old self behind ...

run - run+bike - swim+bike+run

multisport sure cost a lot of money though ...

HNY09

HNY09

And to Arief and Jamaliah .. congrats ...

it's the new year .. time to list down those resolutions .. ..

but to tell you the truth ....

some things are better left like it is ....
lover, family and friends ..

Blog: Lying to myself has never been this easy

the 4 of us : me, kadir, pet and arip.

**what's new

allen iverson swithced teams, we can switch phone lines, i'm married, switched job. nothing much happening.

the current most recent thing i could remember is the cameron trip.

why on earth did we decided to climb irau. 5 hrs up and down with the last 3 hours in pitch black.

too much man vs wild i tell you.

wafi got himself a new truck. which is the coolest thing ever. the idea of being on the back of a truck while travelling to a unique destination at night under the moon is sooo kewl.

but for now, i only manage to experience being on the back of his truck covered in mud, tired, wet and all in a big ol plastic bag.

kewl

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO FARAH!

I live my life walking down this street
I meet the faces of the people I see
All the time I see your reflection

It's okay to feel alone
It's okay to be alone
All the time I see your reflection

Cause when I'm with you
It seems so easy

My best days are with you
They are so easy


Yeah, I don't like giving up
Cause giving up is easy
And I'll see you again
Just tell me where you'll meet me

When I'm with you
It seems so easy

My best days are with you
They are so easy

MAtta Fair

THe matta fair held recently at PWTC was really an eye opener ....

People in malaysia loves to travel! That's great!

I think thousands went to find a sweet deal that would take them to their chosen destination ... !!!

matta fair = PC fair .... with all the flyers being handed out ... and people bargaining .... asking about the packages ....

but package holiday with fixed agenda is probably not suitable for those who enjoy backpacking / budget travelling style ...

those who enjoy the unpredictability of arranging and doing everything themselves ...can also benefit from the fair since they can estimate on how much to spend and stuff ...

for me ... it was my first time .. but we (frh & me) will try and go to all the fair and have a pretty good idea of where to go next ... and maybe plan our leaves and money and shit ...

finish Malaysia & SE asia ... good enough ....

NEXT :

MATTA FAIR KUALA LUMPUR 2008
Date	: 10 - 12 Oct 2008
Venue	: PWTC, Kuala Lumpur

jesus look-a-like

ok .. typical starter in every blog .. here goes ..

it's been a while since i updated my blog ...

pe~gi~la~ma~ti ..? aaaaa`aaaaaa ..

i wanted to update the langkawi trip .. but .. lomo still not developed yet ...i guess putting pictures is better than writing some long telenovela about d trip ..

eits ...

mind boggling .... awesome .. tight .. you should have been there!

and i got this picture with eits .. THE WHOLE FUCKING BAND!!!

they were nice enough to pause and pose ...... YOU GUYS ARE AWEsOME foursome>>

you can read their review by loggin in to yahoo.com and search for eits in KL. I dont have time to review the gig .. the only review i have is that ....." the billboard is cool"

&

"when greet death started, i almost wet myself"

ella

the latest rip-off version of epitome by ella .. was not cool .. at all ..

at least change the drum lines ...

and the ending ...

the whole song waS ripped off ...

hahaha ...

imitation is the greatest form of compliment ...

have a break .. have kit kat

i thinks its due time that we all take break and go somewhere ...

look at something else for a change ..

follow a different route ...

slack around ...

take pictures ..

look at stuff
.. people ..

but where?

yes!!!! & no.

Thierry henry finally made a move to barcelona after years of courting and chasing from the catalan side.

as an arsenal fan .. we all will miss him and no worry ... in arsene we trust!

but i think the psychological value that henry brings into the team is probably the hardest thing to replace. especially being captain and all.

scoring.

shit ...

how to win if can not score maaa?

island

do you think its worth it to damage your body for the sake of having fun ...?

i do ... only if the damage is minimal ...

i'm talking about going somewhere where your mind and body is pushed to the limits ... i'm not talking about snooker .... i;m talking about taking up new challenges ..i'm sure it'll be fun .. if not very painful ...

got milk?