Run : Moving (Final Quarter 2024)

I know, I missed writing too.

The hardest part about not writing here is the lack of clarity about my state of being because I usually used this channel to sit, take a breather, and focus on putting words on the page. I intended to really craft what I wanted to share, even behind all the filtered words (I usually know what I'm talking about behind what I talked about). Hah, the double meanings are intentionally there to make me remember "where I was" when I was writing it down. But since I stopped doing so for 3 months, I didn't even have the discipline to write in my own journal - because no one was there to remind me of the commitment kan. 

So, yeah. 

I took note of the moving commitment, sure, a lot of things changed since I stopped writing, but the moving commitment was still there through it all - to manage my stress, sadness, and anxiety. It kinda worked, I didn't have any incidents, and I wasn't spiraling. So, if you are going through a hard phase, please, move, pick your weapon, and go fight your shadow. 

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September:

• Walk - 5,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk - 5 km in a day ✔
• Walk - 10,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk - 10 km in a day ✔
• Walk - 16,000 steps in a day ✔
• Run - 3 km ✔
• Run - 5 km ✔
• Run - 7 km ✔
• Ride bicycle - 10km ✔
• Rope Skipping - 100x ✔
• Practice Yoga - 15 mins ✔
• Practice Yoga - 30 mins ✔
• Meditation - 10 mins ✔
• Meditation - 20 mins ✔

Accumulated steps: 192,750 steps

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October:

• Walk - 20,000 steps in a day ✔

Accumulated steps: 234,376 steps

Note: I've developed a blister on my left toe due to the crammed shoes and walking a lot more than usual. Then, I had a hard time walking because it was uncomfortably painful.

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November:

• Run - Ultron Run 12 km (running event) ✔

Accumulated steps: 214,147 steps

Note: I wanted a solid 5 k run where I just ran and did not walk. I was not aiming for a personal best; I just wanted to have fun finishing up a 12k run by the end of the month. So by the end of Nov, I did feel confident with my 5k run, and I started working full-time as well, so I didn't have much time to train extensively like I planned (I stopped running 10 days before the run).

The Ultron Run 12k, 30th Nov 2024 : My last running event was in 2017 before I had Sofi, so this event meant a lot to me. The training was done in the gym only, I didn't even have time to train outside in the wild, I just had to make do with everything that I had. Booked it in September, and trained whenever I could. The impressive thing I could do in this run was to know exactly how long I'd run, even without checking on the tracking. I told my brother that we reached our 5k and when he asked how I knew, I said to him that I knew my body well enough and that I trained for a 5k (I checked the phone afterward to prove a point and it was right). Soon after, I knew every km we reached because I could tell how long I had run through it all. It was surprising for me as well.

The special: In this run, I did not listen to any music, only focused on my breath and my run. I treated this run as a closure for the phase I was stuck in for a while, and I'm hoping that I proved myself and everyone else wrong - for having all the doubts and anxiety, in thinking that I couldn't do it, in thinking that I'm physically "weak and feeble" person, that I wasn't strong enough to get through this. I dedicated this run to the person I was 2 years ago when I opened the portal to the unknown. 

Well, I made it out baby. 

Yes, I did, and I did it alone.

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December:

It has been mostly a slow month. After the Ultron Run, I had my slow healing phase (for a week), and then I went to a group yoga and sound bath healing session the next weekend. I did not push to run right after; there was nothing I was training for, kan. Then, there was a phase when I started running again whenever I could. I do a run and a digital bike ride back to back. I struggled with managing my stress in December because of the many decisions I have had to make lately. I hate it, I hate that I am struggling. Langsung tak best. 

So I run, and I run some more sampai sore. I am so proud of myself for pushing myself forward, for all the runs, and for making efforts - every single time. I will get through the hard times, and hard times will come again for sure, and I will go through that as well. With God's will, InsyaAllah.

Will probably update the summary on the 31st Dec, kalau rajin. Kalau tak rajin, here's up until 25/12/24:

For that, I'm wrapping up the year 2024 and I see you again in 2025 🌸

Run : Moving

I lied, I said I'd reintroduce moving in my life. 

But I not only walked, I also ran and rode a bicycle, did yoga and meditation, rope skipping, and tried weight training. Anything I could do to move my body, especially when I didn't feel like it - every time I contemplate whether I should move or not, I just turn off my mind and get ready because I don't trust my brain to choose.

For self-validation, I screenshot my awards from Fitness because they are beautifully designed, and I closed so many rings this month (+ you can turn the 3D medal back and forth to see the engraved date you when achieved it) :

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In September:

• Walk - 5,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk - 5 km ✔
• Walk - 10,000 steps in a day ✔
• Walk - 10 km ✔
• Walk - 16,000 steps in a day ✔
• Run - 3 km ✔
• Run - 5 km ✔
• Run - 7 km ✔
• Ride bicycle - 10km ✔
• Rope Skipping - 100x ✔
• Practice Yoga - 15 mins ✔
• Practice Yoga - 30 mins ✔
• Meditation - 10 mins ✔
• Meditation - 20 mins ✔

Accumulated steps: 192,750 steps

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Physical Body:

I used the 'fancy' weighing scale at my sister's house and found out details about my body - I am practically underweight, with only 5% fat - that's around 2kg of fat in my body (can you imagine how flat I am without fats as a woman? ok don't imagine it then). No wonder I was always cold and feeble and fragile. 

My skeletal muscle is in perfect condition, but my muscle percentage is quite low - so I need to focus on getting physically stronger because I'm done with people forcing me to eat. I'm not anorexic, I'm just a bit too mellow in the heart, it will get better one day when it is ready, but I can't force it to not feel, kan? It is just something that comes in a package. At this point, it is just an annoyance when people only ask me whether I eat. So I focus on getting stronger and fitter, the healthy weight gain will come slowly as I workout. In the past, I did gain weight when I started to actively run. 

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The gym is less than 100 steps from my house, so I have no excuse not to go, even on rainy days. Even on school holidays when I can't walk as much, I tried other methods to move. I only rested when I got my period because I was often light-headed during this phase and needed some TLC, good food, and rest. I even surprised myself by running a 5k non-stop (but on a treadmill). I didn't think I could do it, but my body seems to remember how it works. And the physical pain of running is what I crave. The body remembers. The good thing is I had no other option but to refuel for energy and recovery. I was constantly hungry, so I had to eat.

And I realized this maybe the route I had to take to heal. 

I did this before, and it worked the last time. Hopefully, it will work this time, too.

I'll take as much time as needed and build as much muscle as needed.

So, cheers to that.

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I'll move as much as God gives me the will and good health to continue.

So, let's pray for that, in abundance.

Plus, I needed a new playlist, this feels too last year. 

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That's to wrap up this year's post, and I'll be on hiatus now.

Take care and have a nice end of 2024, see you next year. 

Keep reading and stay moving.

Run - Some Running Accessories

It's been more than 5 years since my last running event, so I had to buy some stuff to prepare for my half-marathon. 

The Shoes

Late-late-late.

I ordered new shoes to replace my overworn shoes 6-weeks before my half marathon. I chose *almost the same shoes as before but a more recent version, from Al-Ikhsan. It was posted the next day, and I received it within 3 days. 

It's the Nike Flex Run 11 (Al-Ikhsan got 20% off). I didn't want to take too much time in picking up shoes, so I just chose the one that worked for me. This is my 3rd time buying almost exactly the same pair of shoes in the past 5 years - I think I have a problem with always sticking with one thing that works for me. 

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My current shoes My Now-Old Shoes:

I think I got it as a present in 2021 from my sister to replace the one that I bought in 2017:

So she basically just bought a new one to replace the old ones, almost the same design (Nike Flex 9). With normal wear, it lasted up to 3 years (I didn't run that much but I use it for any outdoor activities). The sole is now pretty worn down and it gets slippery. Now that it's rainy season again, I think I need to be prepared for wet paths.  

Look at those over-worn shoes, much loved and appreciated. It now fits nicely to my feet (like a comfy sweater) but it is slippery now it gets dangerous when used. I can Marie-Kondoed it later now that it served its function to the very last ♥♥♥ 

I hope 5-weeks is enough to "break in" the new shoes and adapt. 

(૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭ ganbatte~

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Military Tag

I also custom-ordered a military tag from Malaysia Military Tag. On this tag, there is some basic important info about me and also an emergency contact behind the tag. So if anything happens during a running practice alone, a running event, or during my travels, I hope this will be useful. I watched too much of Grey's Anatomy to know the importance of some sort of reliable identification, I don't want to be a Jane Doe.

It is stainless steel, so it should be able to deal with so much sweats :F I also ordered a small keychain version with my name + number and inserted it in my bag in case it went missing.

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I also bought a running pouch because the zipper on my old one was broken and can't be fixed anymore. Also probably want to try wearing a hat to see whether I can deal with sunlight better when I practice. Other than that, everything else is just my everyday stuff:

Run - A Week of Running Challenge

I have another 103 days left before my next half marathon. I stopped running for a while after the running event got canceled (and I booked another run in Oct). It rained so much lately that it's making me hard to plan anything. I think my last run was in May so I want to start training again to catch up.

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The only free time I have (in July-Aug) is after I send Sofi to her kindergarten in the morning on weekdays. So I'm planning on going running straight away after dropping her off. The sun might be a little too strong for my eyes and I'll probably have a migraine afterward, but let's try at least a 3 km morning run a day for a week. If I can do that, I think I'll just continue the routine throughout July and Aug. 

There are 3 challenges: the boredom of running in my area, the dogs, and the bright sunlight (+rainy days). 

But I have no other options, plus this is the only chance I have to run daily until Aug. 

A week's challenge :

• Monday: 2 km running + 5.5 km walking (no energy)
• Tuesday: 3 km running + 5 km walking (cold morning, early dawn rain, started my day with honey to boost my morning run) 
• Wednesday: Public holiday. No running, it rained the whole day
• Thursday: 2 km walking. No morning run as well, it rained the whole morning :F
• Friday: 3 km running + 4.5 km walking

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A concerning note: my weight has been slowly declining over the past 6 months - I haven't even started training yet. Early this year, it was probably around 52 kg and today I checked it is 49.1 kg slowly reaching 48 kg. It's either the weighing machine is not accurate anymore or I'm really losing weight. It's a concern because I'm already quite thin, if my weight is less than 47 kg then I'll be underweight again and will look a bit unhealthy (plus, I can't no longer donate blood). I'm not even trying to lose weight. I hope there is nothing serious behind this. 

Run - Canceled Event but Exchanged with a Better One

 

1) I haven't run since the neck-shoulder incident. But soon after I started training again.

2) The Malaysia Night Race that I registered for (and the half-marathon training that I am preparing my body for, is officially canceled). They said it is postponed due to unavoidable reasons, but they are returning the money to us back, so it is officially canceled. Suddenly, I felt a huge relief because I stopped running around 2 weeks ago and the event is less than 50 days away:

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3) But don't worry, the universe comes prepared. The original Putrajaya Night Marathon is now on. This is the first half-marathon event that I entered in 2016, and this should be my run this year. I don't like the running shirt, the finisher shirt, or the medal - but I'm joining. I'll have extra 2 months to train so hopefully I'll be better prepared. I just want to train for a half marathon this year, just to put myself in this uncomfortable phase so that I don't focus on sitting in the hole for too long. 

I don't want to find my inner warrior, I want to find my inner peace:

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4) My Move ring: I tried my best to complete at least a 2 km walk every day. Really hard to keep it consistent or even move throughout the day. Now we walk to send Sofi to kindergarten in the morning and sometimes I pick her up after school too, so it's easier to complete the ring, just need to add a walking habit to our daily routine:

14/6

Woke up to the early morning rain & a mild headache from yesterday's heat.

🖤

Run - Running Again after Almost 5 Years (but during Ramadhan + heatwave)

Personally, I don't suggest anyone starts running for the first time during Ramadhan (plus during one of the hottest seasons in Malaysia)  - it's demotivating. But I'm not new to running and I used to run during the fasting season, so I hope, this would be okay for my body.

This is what my training calendar looked like in April :

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First week :

I started my first week of training based on my female monthly phases because I read that we have different bodies than men and I need to put that into account. During the menstrual phase, I started with low-intensity exercise, so I did around 20-30 mins of yoga stretches daily on those bad crampy days. Honestly, I didn't feel like doing anything. 

Please read more on exercises based on your menstrual cycle.

Here I compiled for you :

I think it is helpful because the female body reacts differently to our fluctuating hormones: for example, during luteal & menstrual phases, I am prone to migraine, fatigue, and cramps. It is also a bit demotivating because I usually don't want to go anywhere (due to the fatigue, bloatedness & cramps). So based on the cycle itself, we should only do simple low-intensity exercises such as pilates, yoga, and walking to accommodate the bad weeks. 

Work with your body, not against it. 

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Second week :

• First jog: I tried my first run after 5 years ±, it was supposed to be a 3 km light jog but Sofi insisted on tagging along on her bike then after 2 km she was tired and cranky, so I had to just walk afterward to push her bicycle back to the car. So roughly 2 km of jogging and another 4 km of walking were achieved that day. Love that I walked 10,001 steps on that day :

• There were missed days when I didn't have a chance to go out because I took care of Sofi at home, but I managed to at least get my minimum walking distance reached while pickup up Sofi from daycare or a home workout. 
• I started running during one of the hottest heatwave seasons - so it is a bit tough but the heart needs what it needs. On Thursday, I managed to run for 3 km starting at 6.30 pm and accumulated another 4 km of walking distance. I finished the entire track and decided that I needed to make another new music playlist so I could take turns listening to a different playlist. Also, that day was really hot, and my breathing felt dense and heavy - I mostly drank water after berbuka and didn't feel like eating that much. No migraine.
• I also noticed that I am feeling extra hungry on the fasting days since I started running and I don't think I can fuel up my body enough because the eating window during Ramadhan is small. I usually don't feel like eating most of the time. So this might affect my energy and recovery process. But that's okay, Ramadhan is almost over and this is a one-month experiment.      
• Body-ache wise was still manageable. It was not too bad considering I haven't exercised for a while. I managed to run for 3 km non-stop on Thursday and it was still fine on Saturday. So I hope it is recovering fast & well. 
• I think the first running week went well. It was a bit too hot and too hungry, but I managed. 
• Total Run : 8 km + Walk : 16 km

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Third week :

• I hardly had time to go out and run this week - it's balik kampung time !
• Checkpoint: Ran in Raub and walked alongside the Pahang River in Pekan
• Raya weekend in Pahang  
• Total Run : 3 km + Walk : 15 km

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Fourth week :

• It was still travel and raya week. So I hardly have time to run.
• I also did blood donation at AEON, I saw their notification on IG and went there straight away. I donated a whole pack of blood and put myself on rest for 3 days
• I had migraines because it's my PMS week (as expected)
• My brother and I registered for a half marathon in 100 days' time: Putrajaya Night Race 2023
• So this would be my resting week and the new cycle begins !

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I think the first month of training went well, considering I started during fasting month and Raya season. I hope I can improve the training momentum next month, now that we signed up for a half-marathon.

Run : Running Phase 2

I'm jumping on a running track again after 5 years of running hiatus. 

I started running in 2012 and I stopped running in 2018 (after I got pregnant). There was a phase when I ran so much in a year and there was a phase when I slow down on running because I can't get pregnant. I don't know whether it was scientifically related, but I finally got pregnant with Sofi in 2018. (Yelah, tukang urut mokmekmokmek saying I shouldn't run that much if I'm trying to conceive but I was skeptical). Dah la underweight. I actually got pregnant after my 1st 'sengkak' session after a while and during that time the massage therapist said my 'peranakan dah jatuh ni, awak aktif sangat'. Then 2 months after the session, I got pregnant with Sofi, Wallahu A'lam.

In 2012, I started running because I was preparing for my 30s. I was 25 and I felt like it was a perfect number to start running. Now roughly 10 years later, I already reached 36, I think I should continue my old mission to keep on running. I really want to do a long walk and hike soon, so I think running would be a good exercise to prepare for that.

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I still have some issues with running :

1. The issue with having low blood pressure. 

I am more prone to feeling dizzy and light-headedness. I always feel like I was going to pass out when I run too fast. My go-to running pace is slow or fast-walking. I also limit my run, the farthest run I did was a half-marathon, twice and I think it works for me. Even when I'm running, I can't suddenly stop, tie my own shoelaces and continue running straight away. Normal bp: Ranging around 120/80, mine is usually below 110/70, sometimes even lower than 100/65. That's why a high-intensity exercise like HIIT training isn't suitable for me, byk moment nak black out esp kalau ada tunduk then bgn.

To deal with this: Limit my running pace, I read that to help raise my bp, I can drink a cup of coffee in the morning. Extra salt would help too. But I've been having low bp for as long as I can remember and feeling lightheadedness or fatigue are a norm for me. 

2. The issue with running in daylight.

I am also prone to migraine and headaches. It took a while to connect these two: sun/bright light + run = migraine. So when I go longer run (more than 10km), I usually develop migraine: like someone hitting on the back of my skull, and additional nausea on top. After I connected these two, then I stopped running in daylight and entered night run (in events). But then migraine can be triggered by so many things. So it is hard to really pinpoint on solely one thing. I did a night half marathon once then I also got a migraine that night. Long run = migraine? 

To deal with this: Run at night or at the gym.

3. The issue with running in a crowd.

I love the solitude of running, so running in events with a crowd doesn't excite me that much. So I prefer running alone with my music.

Anyway, I will add low/moderate intensity exercises to match my health condition: weight training, yoga, long walk, or hiking. My aim has always been a constant fitness activity turned into a habit, I don't have any mountain to conquer. Lagipun I use running as some sort of therapeutic activity. 

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How to run again after 5 years hiatus?

1. Do mild yoga stretches/weight training a week before to prepare your body - ✓
2. Update your playlist - ✓
3. Start with a short run (around 3 km) - ✓
4. Follow a training schedule - ✓
5. Nerd up and record your journey - ✓

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Running Playlist:

I updated my running track because I'm starting a phase 2 running journey. 

The start song is Worthless by d4vd because when you start running after a while you will feel bad and rasa macam rempeyek tengik, but the end song is Dawn by Dario Marianelli & Jean-Yves Thibaudet as a sign of new hope. It's an hour playlist, by the time you enter The Album Leaf, that's the cue that it's another 10 mins+ or so, and you can start to slow down. 

Happy running!

Image credit : Ave Calvar

Run : Running Tracks & Parks near KL area

Other than running tracks in your own home area, you can try going out to some parks or running tracks :

Here is a list of running trails that you can try:

1. Taman Rekreasi Bukit Jalil
Crowd: Crowded on weekends and 5-7 pm on weekdays

Distance : 3 - 8km 

Level: Vary - it got normal tracks for beginners and hard ones for bigger tracks and hilly

Public transportation: None

Night: Open until 8pm

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2. Bukit Komenwel Bukit Jalil
Crowd: Crowded on weekends and 5-7pm on weekdays

Distance: Vary, 2 - 5km

Level: Vary, flat and hilly

Public transportation : LRT Sri Petaling & Bukit Jalil

Night: Closed

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3. KLCC Park
Crowd: Very crowded - all the time

Distance: 1.3km per loop, marking tracks for every 100m

Level: Easy, synthetic rubber pavement

Public transportation : LRT KLCC , MRT Persiaran KLCC (Putrajaya Line)

Night: Open until 10pm, well-lit, security guards

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4. Taman Tasik Titiwangsa
Crowd: Crowded on weekends and 5-7pm on weekdays

Distance: 2.5km per loop

Level: Easy, flat track

Public transportation: MRT Titiwangsa

Night: Open until 10pm

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5. Taman Tasik Perdana ( Botanical Garden )
Crowd: Normal, crowded on weekends

Distance: Vary, the park is huge

Level: Vary - Stairs, hills, flats

Public transportation : MRT Muzium Negara, LRT KL Sentral

Night: Closed

You need to cross the small road, towards the museum. There is a pathway between of MRT construction side and the museum that lead to the small entrance to the park :

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6. Putrajaya 
Crowd: Not so crowded except on event days and weekends

Distance: Putrajaya is huge, fewer cars, and you can try new routes every time

Level: Vary, open road, mostly flat sometimes hilly

Public Transportation: No trains, just bus

Night: It's an open road, quite calm 

Paths to try: Putrajaya Botanical Garden, Taman Saujana Hijau, Putrajaya Wetland, Taman Putra Perdana, Taman Canseri, Taman Wawasan, Taman Empangan

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7. Taman Pemaisuri, Cheras

Crowd: Normal, crowded on weekends 

Distance: Vary, the park is huge

Level: Vary - Stairs, hills, flats

Public transportation: LRT Cheras, but you need to walk 15 mins more

Night: Not quite sure

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8. Perdana Lake, Cyberjaya

Crowd: Normal, crowded on weekends near the playground

Level: Easy - Flat

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9. Desa Park City

Crowd: Normal, crowded on weekends

Distance: 2.2km loop

Level: Easy - flat

Night: Open

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10. Taman Botani Negara, Shah Alam

Distance: Vary (Short 5km, Medium 10 km, Long - over 15 km)

Level: Moderate - Hilly

Night: Closed

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11. Kepong Metropolitan Park

Distance: 3.8km loop

Level: Easy - moderate

Night: Closed

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Hiking or Trail :

1. Bukit Kiara Park, KL

Distance: Vary

Level: Vary - several kinds of trails: Mont Kiara entrance or TTDI entrance

The trail to try: Bukit Kiara Loop (8.7 km) - moderate

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2. Taman Tugu 

Distance: Vary, the park is huge

Level: Vary - several kinds of trails

Trails to try: Green-Yellow Trail (2.7 km), Nursery Trail (1.3km), Orange Trail (1.1km)

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3. Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve Trail / Taman Eko Rimba

Distance: 1.8km, easy route

Level: Easy (bamboo canopy walk), Vary - several kinds of trails

Trails to try: Bamboo Walk (can bring kids)

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Cycle : Cycling Paths in Putrajaya

I actually stopped running since my last half-marathon last year and so we started cycling in Putrajaya. We cycled several times on Obike and also OFO, because I'm not interested in investing on a new machine. Usually I used Obike because I've deposited money on the app early this year and I keep on using my points instead of paying, but I tried OFO bicycle last weekend and I think I'm switching to the new and shiny bicycles instead :F Most Obike bicycles in Putrajaya are in pretty bad shape (because they started earlier than OFO), so I had no choice but to try the other app.

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New cycling path (Path 3) - around 7 km : 

We like to try new cycling paths in Putrajaya, because the city is huge !

Last weekend we tried another new path and I'm quite happy with our new finding.

On this path, we found at least 4 lookout points, where we can go to the middle of the lake to take photos. There were several bird islands and I'm really happy to have found such beauty in the middle of the lake. We stopped several times in this journey.

We also found an abandoned exercise park, a lot of paths in the middle of upgrading process (so some of the places are nice, some were in pretty bad shape), 2 wooden bridges (that we didn't cross on our bike), and the entrance to Alamanda ! (from the cinema entrance). We also came across Taman Warisan Pertanian (I want to go there next time) and the house of the Deputy Prime Minister. 

We started around 5.30 pm, and I really love how silent the path was. 

No one was around compared to Path 2.

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This is the map for our new path last weekend (Path 3)  :

Pro : 

• Not so many people on this path, quite calm
• Several look-out points & wooden bridges across the lake
• Bird islands ❤ !
• A lot of trees 
• You can stop by at Alamanda 
• A bit hilly here-and-there

Cons :

• You can use this path during day-time only 
• They are currently improving the path ways, so there a lot of construction sites

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Path 2 - around 10km : 

We've been using this path for many times since new year, I already brought my siblings twice here during weekends as well. 

We always use this path in the morning. After several times, we decided to explore other paths in Putrajaya.

Pro : 

• Crowd : Medium
• Some paths - A lot of people jogging, cycling, and doing aerobics , some paths : calmer & less people around.
• One whole perfect cycling path around the whole island
• My favorite area is around the Taman Wawasan's path
• A lot of super-fancy houses to 'cuci mata'

Cons :

• You can use this path during day-time only 
• A bit hot, less trees in some paths

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Path 1 - Around 9km :

This is the most basic cycling path, I think I used this path many times for jogging and cycling. It is easy, flat, but a lot of people and cars (I hate cars) and you can cycle at night.

Pro : 

• Crowd : A lot of people and cars
• Easy-peasy, flat road 
• Suitable for a relaxing night activity

Cons :

• You can use this path during night + day-time
• Buildings and more buildings, less green
• Boring

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There are so many other cycling paths that are waiting to be explored, 

I've already planned for several more explorations ❤

I will update this post whenever I use a new path.

Run : My 2nd Half Marathon with Minimal Training

Last weekend I ran my second half marathon and Af ran his first half marathon ! (read my last year's first half marathon here) :D

We hardly run these days - because honestly I'm a bit bored of running. I can't run when the sun is up because I always get headache afterwards, so I had to run at night and usually at night I want to do my works + watch my series after a long day of working :F

If you aren't familiar with running, a half-marathon is a 21km run (half from the full marathon, 42km - the length of the town of Marathon to Athens). 

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Is it possible to run a half marathon with a minimal training ? :

I actually started my training just less than 2 months before our run. I did yoga stretches, strength training and weight lifting at home. We only managed to run a 5km training for 7 times before our half marathon. So we didn't trained for a long endurance run and the last 15km relay run we did was in April. With our training, it looked like we were training for a 10km run instead of 21km :F

So I was worried sick, I even wanted to call it off (because I started to go to the toilet 3 times that day - and wanted to use that as an excuse). But Af wanted to try his first 21km, and I was going to be there to support "his firsts", so we did.

To answer my question, yes, almost anyone can finish a half marathon (it is possible of course) but whether you'll get to run the whole way, or probably walk half of the run, it all depends on you and your body. If you are curious to whether you can run a half marathon and want to try it, well you should - especially if you already tried 5km, 10km and 15km. I urge you to try a 21km run :D

Preparation :

We each brought 2 sachet of fruity energy gel to eat during our run and we shared 1 sachet (half-half), 1/2 hour before our run. We also ate lunch 6 hours before our run and didn't eat anything for dinner. Didn't go for carbo-load, just ate rice as we do everyday. 

Weather :

It was a calm night, not so windy in Cyberjaya compared to Putrajaya at night (because we've been running every night for that same week).  

The route :

Less hills compared to Putrajaya. I think, it was quite an easy-ride for me because there wasn't as much hills than my first half marathon. First timers should run in Cyberjaya ! But the environment is a bit boring, just darkness or random buildings or construction sites. Here's the map :

The run :

KM 1-10 : It was a slow paced run (I always run slowly : pace 8-9), nothing to prove here. I've always been a slow runner. I stopped at every water station and shared the water with Af so that I won't be drinking too much and feeling bloated. Af left me so many times, but I managed to chase him afterwards.

KM 10 - 18 : I started my 20-20 counts, count to 20 for running, count to 20 for fast walking (this works for people who don't train much :D so you don't stop and walk). I ate my energy gel every 1/2 hour after hour 1 1/2. We got a banana at one of the station, but I just hold on to it (I didn't want to go to the toilet while running). 

KM 18 - 21 : I left Af, I still use my 20-20 counts. My body was still fine, my feet was aching. The whole run felt like a super-long walk in the park (maybe because I didn't really pushed to run fast). Af arrived around 10 minutes after me :D He was a bit moody and pukey and gloomy - just like me when I did my first half marathon. I ate my free ice-cream and pumpkin soup. And I felt good.

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Result : 

Inofficial Time : 3 hours 18 minutes

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Things I learned from my 2nd half marathon :

• It is possible to run a half marathon with minimal training :p
• Eating an energy gel 1/2 hour before the run kinda help a bit, but it left me feeling suuuuuper hungry during the whole run. My stomach was growling. 
• I hated the portable toilet, so I try my best to avoid going to the toilet :F (girls, you would understand). But I stopped at every water station and I drank the water, thank God I still didn't feel like I have to use the toilet for those 3 1/2 hours. 
• The aftermath happened on the 2nd day after the run. 

Aftermath :

The worst day is usually the 2nd day after any run. I walked to the pasar that day like a pregnant lady. On the 3rd day, I still can't run (I tried jogging in the house and it didn't felt good), so I just did minimal weight lifting. On the 4th day, you can start running again :) Oh, and I even got my period 3 days early after the run (I usually have a problem with getting my period on time) but not this time.

The running & finisher's shirt :
The running shirt is bright orange with an ugly looking HUGE semi fire-fighter + man at work's illustration at the back of the shirt. We both agree to donate the shirt after this. But the finisher's shirt is a decent one (thank God) :

The running shoe :
Oh. I'm still using my black + white POWER running shoes that I've been using for running since last year after the Bromo run. If you are worried you don't have super-expensive running shoes to run for a half-marathon, no worries guys, I survived with my running shoes by Power (the price was less than RM 80). You can definitely run with anything you have. Imagine Pheidippides running from Marathon to Athens - he definitely didn't wear a running shoes :)

Am I going to do this again ?

Yes, of course.  

Run : 50km Rimba Alam Relay Run (not)

In February I registered for a 52.5km relay run in Putrajaya (with Af). 

The main reason I felt like 52.5km relay run is possible : we had to take turn to run in the laps, passing baton, every lap is 3.75km run mainly flats unused roads in Taman Rimba Alam and 2 up-hills (one long uphill run when we just started and one climbing path before we ended each lap). That looked reasonable kan? 

But it wasn't - if you didn't train for the running and climbing :F

The whole 4 laps over 7 laps that I did was simply awful - for the first time in my running experience, everything felt wrong. Each of us ran :

• 4/7 laps
• 15/25 km 
• in 5 hours 
• Total : 30/52.5 km per team  

Here's my excuses :

1. Since we moved back to my old apartment and started living with my family - we hardly have time to work-out. I think I stopped in January (it started well, I was running every week - and then we just stopped for 3 months).
2. February was fast and March was even faster. The Japan trip, the booths, the restocking items at Salt x Paper, the freelance works, everything was too fast to catchup. So I didn't run.
3. We didn't trained for it, let just say that for the past 3 months, I've been slacking off. No training at all even though I registered for the 50km relay run.
4. On the running day, I wasn't feeling well. Even after the first laps - I already knew that the run felt different. My stomach was aching, I felt nauseous throughout the whole run (which was an insane feeling - I assure you). I never felt like this ever before in any of my runs. 
5. So because I wasn't feeling good inside. I didn't eat - I just drank (water+Revive). No breakfast, no short snacks. Just empty stomach for 16 hours, since we had dinner the night before.
6. It was really hot day (before the heavy rain) - my eyes aren't so good with the sun's glare (it gives me a really bad headache like a strong pounding in the back of my eyes). If you been following my blog for years, you must have noticed this constant sun's headache of mine. THIS will take over my whole day, so I've decided that from now on I will only enter night run.
7. I can't, I just can't.

So, after the 4th laps - I decided to quit. It was already 5 hours and Af was continuing his 4th laps, so I texted him and said that I can't continue. I felt awful, nauseous and my body wasn't cooperating. I was having shivers because of my stomach ache and imagining I had to run another 3 more laps.. O.O Af said okay, I searched for the organizer and told him about my condition, and we quit the run.

We returned the baton and ankle bib, drank a gallon, and went back home. 

After a big lunch, we slept for the whole afternoon. When I woke us just before 7pm, my head was pounding so loud I couldn't stand. I felt like throwing up because everything turned around crazily in my head, but we had to go out for Af's birthday dinner with the family. I didn't even ordered any foods because I didn't feel well - just ate bits of everyone's food :D

Aftermath :

The next day, on Sunday was still awful. It was the aftermath of a trail run, so our body ached. But, my family was moving out and the lorry came - it was the day to help them move out! :F We had to help, nothing felt good. All the muscles in the body sores - sneezing was awful (because of the muscle along my stomach sore), bending down (my back), moving items (my shoulder & hands), walking up & down the stairs (my thigh, knee, ankles). That took the whole Sunday off, and by night I had to clean the apartment a bit (just the hall and the kitchen). We arrived home back after sending my little sister, at 11pm. Our weekend ended with exhaustion and muscle sores all over.

Monday - We both took a day off from work =.=

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Extra :

I never quit a run, so this felt like a little failure. But having to push myself to run for 4 laps, in heat and unwell body as much as I could - did feel like a little achievement. It wasn't a great running experience for me, but at least I tried. There are around 10 teams that didn't finished the 50km run including us, while all 100km Ultra runners finished their course :F  

Anyway, I already registered for a half marathon night marathon in Cyberjaya (next 5 months) and still waiting for another night marathon in Putrajaya (maybe in the next 7 months). So I need to start my training when I recover from this run :F

Things I learned from this event :

• Go training every single week
• Train for uphill run (please)
• Don't do endurance run without any food intake
• No more long run under sun

Run : My First Half-Marathon & All the Firsts

Happy year for my aim to keep healthy throughout the year :

• I ran over 343km, almost reaching my upgraded goal of reaching 365km this year.
• I did my first international run in Bromo, Indonesia
• I did my first trail run in Bromo as well
• I ran my first 21km - half marathon 

Trying to keep running every week is still hard. But I'm trying to at least run during the weekend. I think by far, this is year that I had so many injuries : muscle strain along the shoulder and the neck for 2 weeks, left knee injury that lasted for 2 months because of the wrong squatting technique and on-going right ankle injury that happened 2 weeks ago. Compared to all the previous years I spent on outdoor activities, this years I am not so lucky with my condition. But I survived ! :D

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How I decided on running a half-marathon when I already told myself that I won't do it?

I became so used to running 10km in my weekly training that I feel like I want to try 21km. The thing about running 10km in the weekend, after awhile, my body got used to the same pace and boring paths that I try to explore in so many different ways. I usually spend around 1 hour 20 minutes in each weekly training while Af went on doing his parkour training. So it gets a bit lonely sometimes. In each session : 5 times around the pond, 5 times up the training hill, 5 times down the training hill, 5 x 2 times zig-zag alongside of the stairs, and finishing around the pond. It became a boring repetition.

So I decided to try something new. I wanted to feel the exhaustion and the thrill and disappointment and sweats and muscle pain that I used to feel. I registered for the half-marathon at Putrajaya Night Marathon, and asked my brother to join as well.

The training :
I started one and a half month before the event. I managed to run around 100km in the past 3 months before my 21 KM half marathon. It was just a normal training mostly on weekends because I get so busy in the weekdays there's no time to go for a run. That's all, nothing special. Just weekly run. 2 weeks before the run I stopped my running because I had several injuries and muscles pain that won't go away : alongside the neck and shoulder, and my right ankle. I wanted to give my body a full rest and faster recovery lah konon. 

I tried Salon Pas patches, I tried putting cold packs, I tried daily simple stretches, nothing seemed to work. Like all my injuries, I had to let time heals and rest.

Preparation :
I bought 2 sachets of fruity energy gel - one for me and one for my brother *for RM 7. For whatever it was, the energy gel should give you some some energy for your run. It actually works just like eating a banana - but I thought that the organizer will then pass us some bananas, might as well keep something for plan B when my energy drains out.

Here is the map :

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Weather :
It started with a light rain, everything got soaky before we even started running.
So the wet feeling in our shoe all through the running was real =.=
But the night weather was great, I wanted to try my first long endurance run at night compared to in the hot daylight because I hated the sun and I don't want any sun-burn :D

Here is an image before we started running, all soaky and wet because of the rain + a photobomber behind us *hello! :

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The run :
I divided my run into 3 parts :

Hour 1 : I survived on water and 100 plus, I sipped water at every stations because I don't know how I'm going to pull thing off and how long I might take. My rough estimation was around 3 hours+ for my first 21km. The first hour was okay, I did this many times.

Hour 2 : KM 14
I ate the energy gel every 15 minutes, after 2 hours of running. 1 sipped at a time, so it lasted for an hour. The second hour was also okay, because my pace is slow constant pace I don't think I had anything much in mind. I managed to keep on my jogging pace all through 2 hours+ of running. I parted with my brother in KM 13 when he started having muscle cramps every few minutes.

Hour 3 : KM 19
I kept the banana from the organizer until my third hour, and later I ate it every 15 minutes. The banana lasted for 1 more hour. After the third hour, I had nothing else but water stations. The pain started after KM 16, that's when my body seemed to shout and scream to stop. All joints on my legs were in pain and I started asking why did I registered for this in the first place ? I forgot what happened in KM 17 - 21, because all I remembered was I keep telling my body to keep on my jogging pace. Ish ish, why laa kan.

Then I reached the finishing line after 3 hours : 31 minutes, it was a bit surreal. I was groggy, I saw my brother whom reached the line 11 minutes before me : I wonder when did he passed me? But everything afterwards was all moody and pukey and I-just-want-to-sit-and-not-talk state. All pictures taken afterwards was not voluntarily taken and I can't even smile.

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Result :

Number : 573/770

Official Time : 3 hours 31 minutes 

*Just 11 minutes away from my brother

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Things I learned from my first 21 km :

• Training and practices are important. 
• Carbo-load should start 5 days before the run
• After some time, music isn't something I want to listen to. Just-complete-silence and the sound of footsteps.
• Yes, it was painful after it reached certain distance. But it isn't too bad afterwards.
• Man, I still love running.

After math :

On that Sunday after the night of running 21km - I opened a booth at Etsy Made Local for the whole day. Right after Sunday, I went to work like usual. On Monday at work I walked funny, all muscles in my body were in pain. But it took around 3 days to recover. By that next weekend, I went on my weekly training back again.

Am I going to do this again? 

Are you kidding? For all the sweats and pain and ridiculous state of mind ? 

Or course I'm going to do this again :D