Friday, June 28, 2013

SCKLM 2013 : SCORE 2013 Sports Exhibition

HEAD TO SCORE 2013 FOR ALL YOUR SPORTS & OUTDOOR NEEDS AND FUN TODAY!

Kuala Lumpur, 27 JUNE 2013 – Wish to play a sport or an outdoor activity but you worry about the current haze problem? Well you won’t miss any sporting fun this weekend - come join the Sports, Competition, Outdoor, Recreation Expo (SCORE 2013) from today till 30^th June at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). The event offers 100 booths showcasing new sports gears, exhilarating competitions and activities!

As the premier one-stop resource for all things sports, SCORE 2013 covers Football & Other Ball Sports, Racquet Sports, Water Sports, Martial Arts & Boxing, Paintball, Extreme Sports, Cycling & Mountain Biking, Hiking, Camping, Golfing, Indoor Games, Gadgets and Technology, Exercise and Gym Equipment, Health & Fitness, and Sports Nutrition & Medicine – all professionally presented through 100 booths. The event is expected to welcome 60,000 local and international visitors throughout the exhibition period.

SCORE 2013 is dedicated to sports and fitness enthusiasts, adventure seekers or outdoor activity lovers. The event offers exciting activities from various disciplines through competitions, demonstrations, clinics and workshops. These include:

GT5 – visitors will be given a chance to drive and drift like a pro at this car simulator activity.
Plane simulators – no more dreaming - experience the exhilaration of flying in the plane simulators during the exhibition.
Archery for all - experience dynamic and challenging archery activities, where this head-to-head, knockout style competition would get ones adrenaline pumping.
Paintball shooting gallery by Legion– an activity that’s great where you can pound your way through the line of scrimmage the way you would.
Mini Viper Challenge – a challenge course filled with man-made obstacles such as the tyre, cargo net crawl, monkey bar and ice plunge that will challenge both the heart and spirit
Mini Golf Putting – play the Malaysia 1^st indoor miniature golf course which is perfect for any young or young-at-heart golf lovers.
Camping skills workshop – where nature lovers and adventurers can learn the professional camping tips and skills from Explorer Outfitters
Martial Arts Demonstrations

Supported by Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, SCORE 2013 is the first ever sports expo in town that integrates a wide variety of sports and recreation activities under one roof. The event has gathered a range of fantastic deals of sports and recreational apparels, services and activity packages for every sports enthusiast. More than 100 brands such as 2XU, Skins, Adidas eyewear, Nike running shoes, Breathe Apparel, Soleus, Columbia, Explorer Outfitters, Air Venture, GNC, Bootcamp, Fitness First and many other vendors are participating in the expo, where visitors can view and feel the latest and advanced sports products & services.

Other than these, there will also be great discounts, lucky draws and contests for visitors throughout the expo period. Admission is free and the expo is open to public from 10.00am till 9.00pm at PWTC till 30th June.

For more information, please log on to www.score.my, or follow our Facebook at www.facebook.com/scorexp or Twitter twitter.com/scorexp

SCKLM 2013 : Postponed to September 29, 2013

It finally happened. The haze has caused SCKLM to be postponed. With reading exceeding 150ppm over the past four days, this postponement is unavoidable and perhaps best done in the interest of most runners. I believe the organiser has taken a very brave stand. This is "Force Majeure" or by politician lingo - "Act of God". Having said that, you now have up to 8 weeks to train for SCKLM 2013. Now, you just ran out of excuse not to train and prepare properly for the race.

This also meant my tapering this week ends and training will resume proportionate to the good weather (air is clearing up). With Fasting month coming, consider to work your training around this period. For the Muslim friends, this reminds me of my Ironman preparation between 2007 to 2010 where the race happens after Chinese New Year - so, yes, no celebration for me during those years and it is a choice and sacrifice I had to make for my own personal venture.

Official media statement will be posted once I get it.

Meanwhile - stay safe, train harder.
-----
Update : 9:30am June 27, 2013

STANDARD CHARTERED KL MARATHON 2013 POSTPONED

27 June 2013

Organisers announce new date, 29 September 2013

The organisers of Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2013 officially made the decision today to postpone the Marathon that was initially scheduled for 30 June 2013 in the interest of public health. The decision was made with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, co-organiser Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur and title sponsor, Standard Chartered Bank.

After discussions with the local authorities including Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Department of Environment (DOE) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the organisers and partners of the event came to a difficult decision to postpone the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2013 to 29 September 2013.

YB Khairy Jamaluddin, the Minister of Youth and Sports has concurred with the decision to postpone the event due to the current haze situation, given the potential detrimental health hazards posed to more than 33,000 participants of the Marathon.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor, YBhg Datuk Seri Haji Ahmad Phesal Talib reinforced the decision to set the Marathon to a more conducive time and date due to the unexpected circumstance. “The Standard Chartered KL Marathon is a key event for Kuala Lumpur, and I’m supportive of it being held in better weather condition. We want the participants to enjoy their run along the streets of Kuala Lumpur,” he added.

Rainer Biemans, the Project Director of Standard Chartered KL Marathon further explained why such a tough decision was made, “The main factor of the postponement is due to the haze situation in the city. The Air Pollutant Index (API) which scaled to a hazardous level earlier in the week is yet to show strong improvement. We regret any inconveniences caused but we place our runners’ health and safety above all else. The team worked very hard to get everything in place and we share the runners’ disappointment. With a new date to look forward to, we hope that all runners will take this opportunity to continue training and be even more mentally prepared to run and finish a good race. We look forward to seeing all of you in September.”

Title sponsor, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Osman Morad supported the decision and said, “As much as we would like to proceed with the Marathon, we will not compromise on public health. We have rescheduled the Marathon based on the city’s calendar and on the advice of the authorities. I look forward to it taking place in September with keen anticipation.”

Race Entry Pack Collection will however proceed as scheduled on 27 to 29 June at PWTC for runners residing in W.P. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. For runners that are not from W.P. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor may collect their race-entry packs on the week leading to 29 September where the organisers will set up a small scale Race Entry Pack Collection only for these outstation and overseas runners.

Organisers encourage participants to regularly visit the Standard Chartered KL Marathon official website at www.kl-marathon.com and facebook.com/scklmarathon for updates.

Review : DX.com Handguard For Motorbike

I was surfing DX.Com - Deal Extreme and chance upon SKU#190823 which is a handguard for motorbike. I purchased it and it was delivered within 3 weeks to me.

How it arrived. Actual condition had the packaging folded at the edge due to postal handling. Photo from DX.com.

Apart from aesthetic, the handguard purpose are to:

protection against objects such as unidentified flying objects such as stone flying off trucks;
Accident caused by activation of brake lever as I hit into an object, like a car side mirror during traffic jam; and
Hitting trees or branches should i take this bike into the trails.

The handguard are made from ABS plastic and without any metal insert. Some bikers might prefer the more solid metal handguard for enhanced safety especially riding in fast trail. For myself that uses the bike mainly for commuting and within speed limit, having this simple handguard were more than sufficient for my need.

Installation

The product came with sufficient mounting accessories to lock the handguard into place of a typical supermoto or motard handlebar. The installation is easy and takes less than 15minutes once you can find the spot to clamp the handguard on.

Received it as it was

My bike, as I found out, came with a non-hollow handlebar and it has a nut welded onto the handlebar end. I have no choice but to reuse the original screw and not use the longer thicker screws with the sharp-pointed mounting that came with this handguard. Not an issue as the whole purpose is to secure the handguard to the bar end.

How it was installed at the bar end

Then you need to find a place to clamp the other end. As the bike came with a riser bar, there are sufficient place to mount it. However, due to the angle of mounting, you will need to flex the clamp end to insert the other screw and nut.

Right under the riser's cross bar

Then it is just a matter of tightening the screws at both end and adjustment to your personal liking. Installed, the handguard provide a "cocoon" for your hand to protect from potential objects you will encounter on the road while moving.

Here are some photos of the installed handguard. I must say it changed the outlook of the bike totally.

Covered

Front right view covering the brake lever

Side view of the right handlebar, protecting the brake lever

Side view Left Handlebar covering and protecting the clutch lever

Front view of the left handguard.

If you are interested to get this for your scrambler, supermoto or motard, go over to DX.Com - Deal Extreme and search for SKU#190823. This handguard is USD15.00 including normal postage that will take up to three weeks.

Complete!

This review is done as part of the DX.com review program. Items are purchased from the website and I am to provide honest opinion of the purchase (made online). I have been buying from DX.com for the past three years with good experience.

Save Bukit Kiara : TRAKS Maintainence Day at Bukit Kiara

Awesome day out at TRAKS On Sunday June 23, 2013. A group of volunteers gathered at the 4-Way of Bukit Kiara (Tarmac) at 8am despite the haze surrounding Klang Valley to "give back" to Bukit Kiara.

Do Your Part If You Use The Trail

Work mainly concentrate on cleaning the trails off dead leaves (by raking), repairing of ruts caused by mountain bikers that drag their brakes (which in return, show inability to actually control their descent or bike), damages caused by Mother Nature such as freak storm that bring down trees and maintenance and re-building of drainage/runoff/berm (we call it water bar) that re-direct surface water off the trail.

Penghulu Scott giving the Dos- and Don'ts.

Have Rakes Will Travel (into the trails)

The TRAKS Day

Bukit Kiara is under tremendous pressure in recent times due to the developments and developers eyeing this piece of prime green lung. Most developers want it to build an "eco-friendly" development which more often than not, will contribute to the destruction of the green lung itself. Evidence could be seen until today from the erection of the "Great Wall of Kiara" fencing and the destruction of forest near Desa Kiaramas where forest were cleared to build bungalows.
Bukit Kiara were hand-built to world standard of trail building. Working around existing path without incurring more damages than it should, it is evident that the trail needed maintenance over time.

Everyone got down and dirty

Armed with simple tools such as Parang, Cangkul, shovel and rakes, the volunteers divided into groups to clean up, maintain and repair the trails in Bukit Kiara. The team managed to work on:

2K Loop
4K Loop
Snake&Ladder
Twin Peaks

I managed to get myself to join this time around and used this excuse to "cross train" with a week leading to SCKLM. Running in the trail lend some respite from the haze as the air in the jungle were definitely better with the greens helping to filter some of the smogs. I decided to join the team that works on Twin Peaks - as this is my favourite portion for Maximum Heart Rate (HRMax) action. 2km worth of uphill climb helped me to build the stamina and strength I have today. It's time to pay tribute to this section.

Digging for Gold

I was handed a rake by the volunteer perhaps because I have the word "Domestic" written on my forehead. While others built Water Bar and re-create the drainage, I raked-away.

An easier task actually

Drainage at the side of the trail that was clogged were cleared by mean of using Cangkul and shovel. It is a laborious task and takes some knowledge and judgement to know/understand where the water will flow. These TRAKS day actually serve as a good exposure to general public to know and appreciate how a proper trail is maintained.

Mountain Bikers giving back.

The water bar were mostly rebuilt due to damages and neglect. It requires moving of soil from other location (not from the trail) to fill up and compact. The photos below show how it's done.

Identifying the damaged Water Bar

repacking soil onto the damaged portion

Compacting by stepping and using the Cangkul. No, we did not bury anything (or anyone) there.

Then we get one of us to ride over the water bar to see if the soil hold up, this one, passed the specs. Photo from TRAKS

A total of 5 Water Bars were re-built/repaired on that day along Twin Peaks. Each taking close to 30minutes but made faster with the Twin Peaks group splitting into three sub-group.
As for myself, I spend the hours literally sweeping the trail off dead leaves and debris. Another volunteer went up and down Twin Peaks to collect paper trails left by hashers. He collected no less than three big plastic bags of them just along this 2km trail. Now, if only fellow hashers can join TRAKS day!

This is just one of the smaller bag

I've learnt that day that it takes a lot of humility to do what everyone did. Many people passed us by. Some by walking and some by mountain biking. None however, stopped or offered to help

Hi, I am Rake Lim. Photo fro TRAKS

From this experience, I found out that at a constant rate of raking, it is possible to cover up to 1.5km of the trail in 2hours. That is from the trail head to Tokong. The biggest task was to find a spot to put the dead leaves and debris and to be careful when lifting them up as I spotted a few centipedes among the leaves.

Before

After

This outing has allowed me to be more appreciative of the work put in by the people that were truly passionate about Bukit Kiara. I do not believe anyone from the current administrative will be interested enough to learn about trail maintainece as it does not bring in any revenue. It is often easier to just contract it out - or built concrete drain to sort the problems out. The only problem it seems, is that the concrete drains built at a portion of the (destroyed) trail has been destroyed by Mother Nature herself! These concrete drains are not made to blend in with Mother Nature, and you would had thought the "learned administrators" would know better ;-)

This was covered with dead leaves before we worked on it

Thank you to those that came and helped. For those of you saw us doing the work last Sunday, do consider next time to stop and help with the trail maintenance. You will learn to appreciate the whole experience of riding, walking or even running here in Bukit Kiara more!
Further Read
Click here for TRAKS' report for this event and more photos.

You can "Follow" TRAKS on Twitter here or
"Like" them on Facebook here or
"Follow" them on Tumblr here
I will leave you with a video done by Fakawi to show what and how the TRAKS day worked!

Read about TRAKS helping to build "Sahabat Trail" at Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF)

If you want to know more about KDCF, my write up is here

Performing Fasting Healthily #HealthyPuasa

Some of you on Twitter might come to know me as (one of the many) @Twt_Malaysia curator that has shared tips about eating well, healthy, clean and exercising about a month ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience sharing what I am passionate about. Naturally, the request for opinions and advices trickles in.
Recently, a request came in for suggestion on a healthier way to fast. As the Muslim (in Malaysia particularly) will be fasting soon (about 2 weeks time), a few tweeps got together and shared a few tips on fasting - in a healthier way.
Why Fast?
Fasting are usually done as a religious obligation. Muslims practices 30-days of fasting during the Ramadan month. Catholics does it for ~~a month~~ 40days (thanks Adella!) during Lent. Hindus does it often, some on weekly (a day) basis. Buddishism teaches moderation and monks usually refrain from eating after lunch (usually eating one meal day only). Sikhs also does it for about 28 days.
Apart from fasting being religious-linked, the act actually has a lot of merits. The known benefits are:

Allowing the digestive system to rest
Detoxification as organs such as kidney and liver doesn't work hard
Reduces and control blood sugar level and thus, reduces insulin resistance
Encourage fats to be used as primary fuel and improve your lipid profile
*Studies has shown it helps with cancer recovery and even cardiovascular diseases
Known to reduce inflammatory responses such as allergy to food and possibly treatment of gout
Help with blood pressure control with a steadier metabolic rates. Our BP increases after meals usually
Helps with addiction to alcohol and nicotine. Fasting period is a good place to start giving up these vices
encourage self-control over food and regulate eating habits.

*Footnote on cancer. Updated June 24, 2013. Brian mentioned that there is no strong clinical studies with regards to "fasting and cancer recovery". However, taking food rich in Omega-3 and anti-oxidants (think good oil rich in Vitamin E). Cancer patients recovering are also encourage to take in richer protien diet to compensate for "muscle-wasting" due to cancer treatment.

Fasting might not work for everyone. Some precautions to be taken would be:

People with peptic ulcer or other gastrointestinal issues must approach fasting carefully. While the system rest, the secretion of digestive acid continues.
Could dehydrate the body - reduce physical activities and give the body a break as well
People with known cardiac problem, nursing, pregnant women, renal and liver problems are advised not to fast, or approach it with caution.

The pros of fasting out-numbered the cons. There is a good reason to fast. One can always practice intermittent fasting (IF) i.e. taking a day off from food or predetermined hours in a day of a week. Many ways to do it, and not just bounded by religion.
Doing It Healthily

Contributing credit to Brian Lian and GingkoBilobar. Both are practicing Nutritionist and Dietitian respectively

You can find the conversation and tips on Twitter using the hashtag #HealthyPuasa (not case sensitive). As promised, this is what the one day worth of sharing by Brian, Fauzee and Dr. Yoong.
Breaking Fast
Essentially, healthy fasting is no different from healthy eating. Consuming real food and eating in moderation. A body that is undergoing fast and has no food or limited liquid intake will reacts differently when food is introduced. When you break fast, one of the first to fire up is the insulin level as it anticipate blood sugar to increase when food are taken. For this matter it is wise to:

avoid sweet things such as cordial drinks, soft drinks or anything sweet. Plain water is the best, though some electrolyte drinks can be acceptable
avoid sweet food such as sweet or sugar dense food such as dates or kurma that has been soaked/preserved in sugar.
avoid overeating. Moderation and stick to a serving of food. Your body would not be able to process more than 200kcal/hour and eating a normal meal of up to 700kcal allows the body to process it in 4hours - which is the typical digestion period.
avoid signing up for buffet. Your stomach is only that big. Do not waste money on buffet.
avoid forcing food down the throat just because you fast the whole day

One of the favorite during the fasting month is the Kurma or date. While this fruit is already sweet (naturally), the act of preserving it requires sugar and that is where the pitfall of the cheaper kurma having added sugar will spike the insulin level.

Choose wisely and read the ingredients and label. The good/better kurma typically has lower sugar content (as carbohydrate and sugar) while the cheaper variants has higher energy value (calorie dense). For diabetics, it is NOT RECOMMENDED to break fast with kurma. It is high GI and a sudden glycaemic influx will raise high blood sugar level. If you must, go for the Kurma on stalks or those fresh kurma.

Eat in moderation and the intention of breaking fast (religion perspective) is just to provide some energy(at Breaking fast aka Mahgrib - Thanks Salina H for helping to make it clearer), for Terawih and before the main meal after Isyak. Do correct me if i am wrong. This is based on my own personal experience living in a boarding school and having a very good mixture of friends of all races.

The common mistakes many make when breaking fast is eating too fast and too much. Chew your food and eat slowly. It will send the signal to the brain that you are satiated and prevent overeating. If you can, do try t avoid the mega-breaking fast offered by every single eateries and fast food restaurant - it actually defeat the whole purpose of fasting.

Another point to note is that the metabolic rate will be high during daytime and slow down at night. This is important as eating more at breaking fast will inevitably causes the body to store the extra unused calories as fat. Eating beyond your bedtime contributes to obesity.

As much as possible eat food low in GI value. Low GI food are typically whole unprocessed or less processed food. Avoid fast food laden with oil and fats. Avoid overly starchy food.

As dehydration could be an issue during the fasting month, it is suggested that an isotonic drink may be allowed to make up the loss electrolytes. Choose a good isotonic drink that has the balance electrolyte profile instead one that only has sodium chloride, or "table salt".

Preparation for Fasting In The Morning

The breakfast, or Sahur, or the last meal before fasting commence is important to ensure sustained energy and nutrition throughout the day. Some people skip Sahur by justifying it with a very late meal past bedtime (extended supper?) so they could sleep a bit longer. Unless you have medical condition that does not allow you to have a "normal" sahur including throwing up food due to habit or known/unknown medical condition, do make sure your Sahur, or the last meal before fasting consist of:

Complex carbohydrate. They are typically low in GI value and take longer to digest. In return it releases energy slowly and sustainably.
With rice being staple diet for Malaysians, it is recommended that brown rice to be used to replace white rice. Other items worth your sahur would be rolled oats and multigrain bread.
If you love milk, go for full cream or fresh milk. The fat in these milk is good for you and known to help lower GI value of the food you take. Make sense as milk fats takes time to be digested, thus helping to digest the food you eat slower.
Take adequate fruits and vegetables. Load up on nuts and legumes. They are high in fiber and low in GI
Choose lean cut meat instead of fat meat.
Protein help satiation, what it meant is it makes you full.
Avoid caffeine (read : Coffee or tea) as it's diuretic and will dehydrate you. If you must, compensate the liquid with the same amount of caffeinated drinks you took. 1 Cup of coffee with 1 cup of water.
Avoid processed cereals - they are high in GI and will digest fast, making you hungry faster.

Exercising During Fasting

It might be a wise choice to tone down the exercises regime during fasting. With the body deprived of energy by mid afternoon, it might not be a good choice to exercise too long of a duration. You can perform exercises in moderation such as a brisk walk or a jog. Heavier exercises such as at more intense effort could be demerital.

Update June 24, 2013. For those observing religious fasting, a good time to exercise would be right before breaking fast (an hour before) and/or right after Ishak prayers. I've written about "Running On Empty" and it could be a good place to start training on no-food or minimal food.

If you must exercise :

Limit to maximum of 45minutes of brisk walk or jog. This should cover the distance of about 3 to 4km.
Consider stretching exercises such as Yoga. These movement helps to lengthen the muscles and aid in recovery or pain management
If you must lift weight, practice common sense and do not over strain
do not ever, ever use exercise during fasting month as an excuse to eat more at breaking fast
or for that matter, never ever exercise to eat
Swimming is a good option, provided the fasting you are undertaking allows you to ingest a bit of water. This is religion-centric

Fasting is actually a good opportunity to allow the body to rest, recover and rebuild. Most athletes over train and over strain their body without realising. If the fasting is done as part of a religious obligation, taking time off could be good for the body and soul.

Lastly, to quote the contributors, fasting by itself is not difficult. The most difficult part is actually making the healthy choices when it comes to food.

Happy fasting!

27th Kinabalu Climbathon 2013

The race is back and the by popular demand, include the race to the summit. However, you would have to qualify (previously) to race the Summit Race. Kinabalu Climbathon 2013 will see the inclusion of two format races.

SUMMIT RACE

Will be held on 19^th October 2013. The race course will start from Kinabalu Park entrance, to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu (4,095.2 m) then down to Masilau and finishing at Kundasang town. This race course is 33 Km long running on 15 Km of tarmac road and 18 Km of forest trails with the rock face at the summit. These category only accepts 110 elite men and 40 elite women and open to qualified runners with the following qualification:

Runners that has completed in any of the past Climbathon within the time starting from year 2008.
Completed in their countries official mountain race (with proof of results).
Recommended (in writing) by their country’s national mountain race / athletic body or any other organisation that the Climbathon organiser recognises or approves of.

ADVENTURE RACE

Will be held on 20^th October 2013. The race course will start from Kinabalu Park entrance, to Layang-Layang Hut (half way up Mt. Kinabalu 2760.3 m) then down to Masilau and finishing at Kundasang town. This race course is 23 Km long running on 15 Km of tarmac road and 8 Km of forest trails. This category is open to all men and women age 18 years and above, men veteran age 40 years and above, women veteran age 35 years and above.

Click for larger view or see it here

I have joined this race twice in 2010 and 2011. I took a sabbatical in 2012 as the format of the race changed with the exclusion of the race to the summit. Nevertheless, the trail route via Mesilau is not easy and challenging as well. You can read my account during the 2012 Sabah Adventure Challenge Day 1 which ran from Mesilau to Timpohon Gate as part of the race route. You can expect climbs and more climbs whichever route you take.

Don't roll backwards

For more information, head over to http://www.climbathon.my/

If you decide to go, it will be a good time to start booking your flights and lodging in Kota Kinabalu. My blogs has all the details for suggestion. Do check for more information.

Cheating In Malaysia Sports Scene

Over the years of being involved in sports and races, I always have the impression that many does it to challenge themselves. My first encounter with the cheating competitor happened about 7 or 8 years back when a senior veteran racer was caught cheating by cycling one loop less by race official. Apparently, it wasn't the first time he did it and subsequently, he disappear from the racing scene after being banned and/or out of embarrassment.

Then we have a lady that really did made herself known among the racing community by doing the same thing in most races she enters - with the most recent one in Batu Caves Tanggathon. Other racers lodged complains but the organiser did nothing. She is a podium winner most of the time.

Then, yesterday morning, I received an email from a fellow runner on his observation of one individual that (I would like to add : ALLEGEDLY) cheat organisers and runners. His antic were apparently known among his friends and he has openly claimed it in his own Facebook timeline.

Below is the fellow runner, that made the observation email to me (and maybe to a few others as well). I have removed the name of the person, his race number and even the color of racing shirt he was wearing and will not show any photos. I wish I could present it as how i received the email, but i would like to provide some benefit of doubt.

I have gotten advices from a fellow friend that are practicing lawyer and he had warned me about possible litigation if this is proven untrue. Again, let me put on record, and as you can read it here, unless the person stated in this email "feel the heat", there is absolutely no reason for him to react if he did not cheat.

In fact, I am and will publish (if he wish) his reasoning if he choose to contact me.

Start of Email:

I’ve been thinking of highlighting this issues since last year , but am just not sure who is the right person to write to.

There’s a really unhealthy scenarios that’s been going on in the Running Scene at the moment that never thought / even crossed my mind that a Reasonable Man have the pride to do this. I WAS TOLD BY A FRIEND , and after close monitoring , I witnessed it by myself .

It’s a very simple case :

People are cheating the organizers and took the advantage and making profit out of it and even can announce it in FB ( TO HIS CIRCLE OF FRIENDS )

This is how it goes .

Name :

1. Name : XXX XXX

Facebook Name : YYY YYY ( I’m sure you knew this guy ) NOT a good runner , especially in Long Distance , as he can’t even run for a 8KM . Manage to do only the Sprint Category in Powerman . Not a thriathlete too..

2. Modus Operandi :-

Tactic 1 :

He registered for the Lowest Distance ( like I said he can’t even run 21KM) so most of the time opt for 10KM Race

Ex : SCKLM 2012 : Registered for 10KM Run , received original Bib Number for 10KM Distance – so he will start with the 10KM Runners , ( usually he will hide his bib under his shirt ) no issue huh ? wait . MOST OF HIS PICTURES , you hardly can’ t see his bib !

But , before the finishing line when the Runners merged , he will change the Bib to a FM Bib – SAME Color WITH OTHERS FM RUNNERS , but believe it or not , theNumber either doesn’t exist or it’s his fren’s number ..

How he get the FM Bib ? he SCANNED it !!!!! Trust me , all his friend knew his work and he can sell fake Bibs to others too.. No wonder at times we faced not enough water etc.. if we have Fake Runners in the Run.

**Look at SCKLM12 Pic – the one regs K1-1XXX8 ( 10KM Run ) – wears it clearly. Then at the fInishing line ( in XXX tshirt – CHANGE TO A1XX6 ( FM Bib ) – Hide it under the Tshirt

**PBIM 12 – A03XX – looks at his BIB – hide under the shirt & compared with the original bib from the guy next to him ? this is 100m to the finishing line.

Why he did it ?

Because :

Wanted not only the Medal , but the Goody Bags & most important THE FINISHER TEE …so that he can sell the Tee’s at the office & also to all his fren’s who never did a FM , but wants to wear a FM Finisher Tee shirt . ( there are people who has no PRIDE in buying this )

Tactic 2.

Not only cheated the Organizer by fake BIB , he will have the bib insert in Plastic , so that he can collect the goody bags ( or the wife will go for the second round ) as when we tick the Bib for the first time , we tick on the Plastic , so he can go again and again and collect the goody bags. Checkout his pic – all his bib will be in Plastics

I attached herewith a few pics , he ran with a FM Bib , I caught him twice , SCKLM12 and PBIM 12 – you can check the name on the bib ..

He also used shortcut during Multi Purpose Ran , MILO Run ( even for 8KM ) and other runs.. For both run he collected goody bags more than one. It’s even uploaded in his FB .

The Latest “ Also he Ran 7km in the latest Mizuno , half way wore the bib after both distance runner merge before the Finishing line – so he finished as a 16KM Runners. Pictures attached .

I just feel that’s its not fair , others have all their pain to cross the finishing line , whereas they are people using FAKE BIB in the run and went back with a FM Finisher Tee.

End Of Email

While there are a few moments of conspiracy theory in the email, it could be differences in opinion between the writer and the alledged cheater. I try to be as objective as possible. Looking at the photos, it did look legit and the writer did shown that he has taken the effort to check and observe before emailing me. One of the most damning evidence was how the alledged cheater wore a 10km race bib at the start and finished with a Full Marathon race bib at the end. This is in the same race mind you and was photographed by the usual event volunteer photographer.

For my own curiousity and to help myself verify what I read, I did a bit of checking myself. I ran his name on the SCKLM 2012 results page and the recent Mizuno 2013 run - I could not locate his name in any category, including the allegedly registered 10K race for SCKLM 2012, meaning, if he indeed did register, he definitely did not finish the race, but why? I would very much hope and wish my name/bib/race record at 10, 21, 30 and 42km are well documented. For him, there is no record, and why the extra effort on TWO numbers?

The other races would require me to enter his IC number, which I do not have, and can't verify the status. So, do practice some level of objectivity when you read the above email sent to me.

I went to the Facebook page but because we are not connected, I only see limited photos and could not verify some of the claims above; or are they removed since the allegation against him has came to his knowledge?

Suffice to say I WILL lose my respect for this person cheating if the allegations are true. He looked like a nice guy and perhaps even a motivator/inspirer based on the races he enters and his size that will make people to respect him.

Perhaps, luckily, I actually do not know him other than seeing him before with some acquaintances (which by the way, belong to a local group). This person ( that allegedly cheats) share 62 "mutual friends" with me. I wonder if these mutual friends are aware of this happening.

Maybe they do, and they see no harm in doing this. (?)

Same reason I am against "bib trading". By selling and buying bibs not registered under your name will cause many issues and this is also considered as cheating. Perhaps this chap was running with a "legit" bib that belongs to a friend. I could not prove if this person "scanned and trade" bibs, but the writer did mentioned it was blatantly displayed and known amongst his friends (in Facebook)

Again, if this allegation is true, then it is really sad to see non-podium winner, everday Joe, cheat and the whole idea is to collect the t-shirts and goody bags, and even sell those t-shirts to those that are interested (or want to claim to had run a 42km race). Why?

Remember, the (legit) participants registered and paid up are subsidizing these cheaters' while the organisers are suffering some losses due to this practice.

So, where do you, as an individual, stand in this?

And, do you know him? Maybe some of you do.

Having said that, if the alledgation is indeed true, and whoever reads it saw it fits into the person, or the person himself know this is about him - doesn't it show a certain degree of...truth?

Have a good day. Mine is pretty "blah" knowing about this today.

SCKLM 2013 : DBC Physiotherapy Centre

Standard Chartered KL Marathon Announces Collaboration with Document Based Care (DBC) Physiotherapy Centre to Provide Care and Advice to Runners

Kuala Lumpur, 17^thJune 2013 – Standard Chartered KL Marathon announces its collaboration with Document Based Care (DBC) Physiotherapy Centre, in an effort to reinforce the importance of health and safety of their 33,000 runners. DBC Physiotherapy Centre will be providing pre and post-race physiotherapy treatment to help runners rehabilitate from any injuries and also to provide them with the appropriate treatment to reduce the risk of injury.

Rainer Biemans, Project Director of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2013 said, “The health and safety of the runners have always been our priority. We recognise DBC’s experience in providing extensive training and rehabilitation equipment. We will be working with DBC Physiotherapy Centre for the very first time and we are very excited with the services DBC will be providing during the Marathon”.

DBC provides pre-race assessment; where runners will undertake a full and thorough assessment targeted particularly at the legs and lower back, to ascertain potential problems like flexibility, control, stability, strength and alignment that may lead to injury. The pre-race assessment enable runners to have a better understanding of what their physical problems are so that they are aware of their body. And with the treatment provided by DBC, it helps to further improve running performance and ultimately, a better run time.

For this year’s Marathon, dedicated physiotherapy areas will be located at the runners’ welfare tent to further strengthen health measures during the race. Runners will be given the opportunity to have an extensive check-up on any injuries that may develop from the exertions of the Marathon. DBC Physiotherapy Centre will also be providing diagnosis and advice on the injuries sustained and post-race recovery strategies to educate the runners on how the injury can be treated and most importantly, to avoid further problems that may arise after running the race.

“We are pleased to be a part of one of the largest sporting events in the country. DBC has five clinics in Malaysia and sports medicine is an emerging market with great visibility here. We are also the official supplier to Liverpool Football Club and have around 100 clinics outside Finland. This inaugural collaboration with Standard Chartered KL Marathon will be a good platform for us to showcase our expertise in sporting activities through supporting the health, safety, and welfare of the runners”, said Wee Hock Kee, CEO of DBC Physiotherapy Centre Malaysia.

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon is once again made possible by title sponsor Standard Chartered Bank in partnership with the event owner and organiser Dirigo Events, co-organiser Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.