Great Eastern Pacesetters 30km 2008
This year's edition had an additional race - a 10km event for Great Eastern staff, agents and suppliers only as this year is the 100th anniversary for the company. This was a huge undertaking for the organizing committee, as there were almost 800 participants for the 10km, and with about 1,550 registered for the 30km/20km, we had more than 2,000 participants on race day, a record for the Club. Another record was the 120 volunteers that we had helping out to make the event a successful one; a truly unique aspect of this club. It is hard to describe what it feels like to be the race director with so many hardworking volunteers, but it is certainly a wonderful and uniquely pleasant experience I have not had before and one that is unforgettable. Thank you one and all!!

Fortunately we believe that the 10km race is a one-off event, and next year we can concentrate on the 30km/20km events. I am glad that we went through this exercise, as it brought up some issues that need to be addressed before we can undertake events that have more than 2,000 participants. We are always learning and taking steps to improve, as we should always be prepared for the future. The opportunity to have a quality event that has 5,000 or even 10,000 runners is a possibility.

Malakoff 25km
We have been fortunate that Malakoff, a leading power supply company, has approached the club to organize two races for them in 2008. One will be held in Johore Bahru on 24th August and one in Penang on 21st December. At the time of printing, we have not been able to confirm that the venues are available, but from our initial inquiries, we are quite confident that they will be.

The distance of 25km was chosen as the title sponsor (who is also the event owner) wanted something unique, and something for the serious road runners from Malaysia and overseas. This event will have only one distance and the usual six categories. We are initially setting a target of 600 participants per race, but we hope that we can reach 1,000 for these two inaugural races, and then build up from there. The future objective will be to have a high percentage of foreign runners participating, and thus we can have "sports tourism" which will benefit the country.

Great Eastern Great Relay, Alor Setar - Singapore
For its 100th year anniversary, Great Eastern had decided that among its many events for this year, it wanted an extraordinary event. This would be a road relay from its northern-most branch (Alor Setar) to its headquarters in Singapore (arriving on 26th August, its anniversary date), via most of its branches in Malaysia (west coast peninsular only) and its Malaysian headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

We are truly honoured that they have chosen the club to organize this event for them. We believe no one has done a relay of such distance (about 1,055km) in this country before. The route requires some fine tuning, as the relay will be stopping by some charity homes on the way south. So the distance may even be more than that.

The relay will consist of about 5-10 runners at one time running a distance of about 5km, before handing over the baton to the next group of runners. Inside the baton will be messages from the various branch managers that will be handed over to the CEO at the Singapore headquarters.
The runners will come from Great Eastern staff, agents and suppliers. This event may even go into the Malaysian Guinness Book of Records.

Timing Chip System
One of the issues that we discovered at this year's Great Eastern Pacesetters 30km is that if we have more than 2,000 runners, our current system of electronic timing with computers is close to its limit of efficiency. Perhaps it is time that the Club looks into the purchase of a timing chip system. With the addition of the two Malakoff races this year, and with the current 30km, 15km and 10km events, we have at least 5 road races a year organized by the club.

Rising Costs
The time has also come for the club to consider raising the entry fees for its events. Costs have gone up, and there is always the danger of sponsors moving away and reducing their sponsorship due to changing corporate strategies. I do expect the knee-jerk reaction will be of horror and indignation, and a lot of grumbling and complaints. However, if one looks at the situation clearly, logically and without prejudice, the current fees are quite low as compared to regional races, taking into consideration the quality of the materials and services provided. We should not be compared with races giving cheap t-shirts, no breakfast, no water on the route, etc. We should be judged on what we deliver, and that does not come cheap.

Of course, in tandem with the entry fee increase we should also improve on the services we provide. Hence, the idea of a chip timing system should be seriously considered by the new executive committee, and I hope they will get the blessings of the members in this venture should they decide to go ahead with it.

Stepping Down as the President of PACM
At last year's annual dinner, in my speech, I said that I will step down this year due to my work commitments, and I have not changed my mind. Fortunately I am not a politician who can flip-flop!

As per the constitution I still have to remain in the Exco for one more term as the immediate past president to advise and hand over the duties. At the same time I have to slowly hand over the organizing of the club's events to the new Exco. Whatever happens I still will be involved in the organizing of the events for as long as I am wanted. It will take a few years before I can completely hand over to someone from the club.

I have served as a committee member for one year, hon. secretary for seven years, then back as committee member for four years and finally as president for three years, and will serve one year as immediate past president. A total of 16 years, and the club will be 25 years old next year. I have earned the right to take a rest. It has been wonderful years with the ups and downs, and I have no regrets serving the club, and I will continue to assist the club in a limited capacity in the years to come.

Thank you for being there when we needed you.

Setting the Pace Together

Munning Jamaludin
President
March 2008

WAN TRUE PACESETTER'S TALE

Running Into Your Senior Years

I have been running for more than 30 years since I left school in 1976 and as such it is no big deal that I continue to run as a routine. I am pushing 51 and would qualify as senior citizen in a few years time when I turn 55. I plan to run for many years to come and have no intention to slow down. I consider myself to be a moderate runner; I do not do the extreme as compared to many fellow Club members that I know.

Old School Mates
During 2 recent meetings with 2 separate sets of school mates, I noticed some very distinct telltale signs of aging among my school mates. While most of us are turning grey or getting bald due to genetic reasons and aging, I can't help but observed the very distinct difference between those who are physically active and those who are not. The fittest looking individual in our group is Yong Lee Ming, a tour leader in group tours to some of the off the beaten tracks around the world. The nature of

his business is such that he is always on the move, and this accounts for his good physique. Two-thirds of us who have some form of regular exercise program are still looking fit while the remaining one third who do not exercise are showing in their flabbiness, rounded in the middle and sagging flesh around their face and arms. About 10 to 15 years ago when we met, I did not observe those differences. My conclusion is simple: it is their sedentary lifestyle that contributes to the less than complimentary physique.

Singapore Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew
We should draw inspirations from Singapore Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew who is now 84. In his recent interview on how he copes with aging, it is interesting to note that he started to run when he was 53 (back in 1976), after giving up golf. He used to smoke a lot and was a beer drinker till he lost his voice in his speeches. After a trip to Kuching when he felt awful, he decided to quit smoking as it was destroying his voice and he couldn't campaign with his voice gone. It was his daughter who gave him a book on aerobics and he started to give a try on running. He found that running is more efficient in time as compared to golf. He also swims actively since then. He also emphasizes on the need to have post-retirement challenges; mental challenges, otherwise we die young. You can get the full-length interview in several websites via Google. Just type in Lee Kuan Yew Retirement. It is a good read and very inspiring.

Getting Started, Learn to Walk before You Run
I have read equal number of articles that condemn running, saying that it would get you into knee injuries, back injuries and all. While I would agree that every physical activity would have a certain degree of risk against benefits, we would have to weigh the benefits against the possible risk. If you could understand the risk adequately and manage them, you stand to benefit from running. There are enough studies to back this up.
If you are someone with no life threatening critical illness, you could start an exercise program by just walking; more appropriately brisk walking. You have to cultivate a liking to get off the couch and devote 30 to 45 minutes each day to some form of exercise. Just go for half hour brisk walk as a start, wearing a good pair of walking shoes or running shoes. If your ultimate aim is to run, don't bother to buy walking shoes, buy a pair of running shoes. This half hour walking regime is to set in motion a habit, a healthy habit like brushing your teeth before you sleep. You could do it anytime of the day but in Malaysia due to our hot weather, mornings and evenings are preferred. You could walk by yourself but it would be better you get a friend or two to walk together. Walking your dog could be an alternative as both of you need the exercise. You could walk in your neighborhood, the parks or even the air-conditioned malls. After a month or two regular walking, you would find that you can sleep better, eat better and become more energetic. Visit these useful websites on walking for more information: www.thewalkingsite.com, www.powerwalking.com, www.walkinghealthy.com, and www.racewalking.com .

You can now go to the next phase of the program, the walk cum run program. Find a suitable route of between 1.5 to 4km, near your house or in the park, preferably an area without traffic. Break up the route into blocks of 200 to 400m, aim to jog slowly for 200m, then brisk walk 200m to complete the route of between 1.5km to 4km. The distance you may wish to cover is up to you, 2 to 4km is fine. Do this on an alternate day and on your non-jogging days, go for a walk. Every 2 weeks, increase your jogging portion and reduce your walking portion, for example 250m jog and 150m brisk walk, then repeat. The distance need not be exact, just estimates or you could use lamp posts as your guide. Jog at a pace you can talk. We call it the talking test: if you jog and cannot find the breath to talk, you are running too fast for your capability. If you are consistent enough, usually after 3 months, you could jog the whole distance of 2 to 4km non-stop. You now have attained a certain level of fitness, stamina that most senior citizens do not have. Welcome to the world of the master runners, you are over 50 and you can run 4km non-stop. You notice I did not mention time much, as I would rather you do not bother yourself too much about the time, except the exercise duration of half hour to 45 minutes as a yardstick to prevent overdoing things. A slow runner could run one km in 8 minutes, slower than that we would classify as walking pace. A 10 minutes per km walking pace is fine for seniors, please don't go for a stroll. You could go to these two websites on beginner workouts: the Cool Running web site www.coolrunning.com and the Runners' World web site www.runnersworld.com .

If you wish to go a bit more sophisticated, you could get a heart rate monitor. You could get an entry level watch with heart rate monitor from RM150. It is a normal digital watch which comes with a separate strap to wear around the chest. The wrist watch picks up the signals and the heart rate is displayed on the watch as you walk or jog. Try not to go beyond 80% of your maximum heart rate. Maximum heart rate is measured by subtracting your age from 220. If you are 60, your maximum heart rate is 160 (220 - 160). Therefore, you may want to keep your heart rate not exceeding 130. Normal humans have a heart rate of 70 (adult males) and 75 (adult females) at rest.

Joints Pain, Weight Control & Sensible Food Consumption
I notice a significant number of elderly individuals have joints pain, especially in their legs and this has prevented them from being more active. Sometimes I can see the problem right away: they are overweight. It is sort of a chicken and egg situation, the heavier you are, the more likely you get knee pain due to too much weight asserted on the knee and feet. You need to diet and exercise to reduce your weight. On the other hand, the heavier you are, you are more reluctant to move yourself and the couch is your best friend, let alone running. I believe it is all in the mind, if you are determined enough to do something, it can be done over time. We start by regulating our food intake, both the quantum and mix and start a moderate exercise program by brisk walking. Take a longer term approach and don't rush as rushing it may result in injury. There is no sustainable weight control program without regulating your food consumption. It is especially important as the seniors' metabolism reduces as they age. I think most of us understand the general rule of thumb: avoid sweet drinks, deserts, deep fried food, too much carbohydrates and fats. It is challenging as Malaysia is a food heaven. Try to eat a balance of fruits, vegetables, protein and some whole grains. An occasional indulgence is fine, just don't make it a habit.

We also need to manage our joints, especially the knees and consider taking food supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate. These are food supplements and I have been using it for the last 6 years with very positive results. Oral glucosamine is commonly used for treatment of osteoarthritis. As glucosamine is a precursor for glycosaminoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are a major component of joint cartilage, supplemental glucosamine may help to rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis. Its use as a therapy for osteoarthritis appears safe, but there is conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness, despite the positive results evidenced in several prospective controlled clinical trials (Source - Wikipedia). You can read more about it from other authors via Google search on the subject.

Senior Role Models
Having spent the last 10 years active with PACM, I have observed a number of senior runners and their lifestyle. There are 3 individuals I got to know better than the rest so I shall use them as case studies: Francis Cheng (72), Hooi Siew Weng (71) and Teresa Goh (66). Francis Cheng and Hooi Siew Weng were with me in the PACM Executive Committee at one time and I am in Teresa Goh's circle of social runners for our Sunday runs with PACM members.

All three individuals started running near or after the age of 50 with the intention of keeping fit. Running marathons was not their original intention but having joined a club like PACM, you do get hooked when many of the members eat and breathe marathons. Slowly but surely you got into this circle of individuals from all walks of life, enjoying their runs, taking part in road races and going places. The comradeship is great in a club like PACM, and these senior citizens have more time to travel and incorporate in their runs into these holidays. These 3 seniors have done various runs around the country and in neighboring countries like Singapore and Thailand. They have also gone to Europe, Australia and United States for their dosage of marathons.

Teresa Goh started social running at the age of 56, then started training with PACM in 2002 and ran her first marathon at the Penang International Bridge Run 2002 at the age of 61. She lost 22 pounds in one year, training for various competitive runs. She is flatfooted but this has not prevented her from being competitive. When not competing in events, she runs with the PACM on most Sundays at Taman Tasik Perdana. She receives constant encouragement from her two sons who are active in sports, one of whom plays rugby for Selangor (extracted from StarMetro, 5 June 2002)

Hooi Siew Weng started running at the age of 47 twenty four year ago as he was attracted by the running vest given by the organizer of the PJ Half Marathon. He has a harrowing experience in that run as he was new to road races. However, the race had created such an impact on him and running has since become his passion. Through the years he has run more than 30 marathons in different countries. Since he retired many years ago, running is his favorite pastime. "A runner needs only a good pair of shoes. I don't need any opponent. It is just me against the clock. I don't look for podium finishes. I am more interested in completing the race. For me that's an achievement" He is also active in mountain climbing and has conquered more than 10 mountains above 7,000 feet. He has climbed Annapurna base camp, Kala Pattar and Thorung La Circuit in Nepal. Like Teresa, he also runs each Sunday with PACM members. (extracted from StarMetro, 13 December 2004)

Francis Cheng, very much like Teresa & Hooi, started running late, in his fifties. He is still active managing his printing business, a great feat for his age. Each year he tries to do one to three overseas marathons, his last was the ING New York City Marathon in November 2007. He has also done the Sydney, Gold Coast, Berlin, Florida and Hawaii Marathon. Francis is just passionate about running and traveling. (extracted from StarMetro, 23 October 2007)

Join Us To Walk or Run.
I would like to stress that a fulfilling life can be better achieved if you enjoy good health. While certain critical illnesses cannot be totally avoided, we can improve our quality of life with better health by exercising. Having a group to exercise with will also build up comradeship that is vital in the golden years. Those of you who are keen to get started could join me every Saturday at 7.30am, Bukit Aman Car-park, Jalan Tangling where we conduct a beginners' running program, my community service. Visit my website below for details.

Wan Yew Leong
20 February 2008
wanyewleong@gmail.com
(web site: www.runnersmalaysia.com.my)

Breaking The Singapore Marathon Jinx
By Ngae KH

For the elite and fast runners, finishing a marathon in 3 hours plus is "biasa" (normal). However, to us ordinary weekend runners, finishing a marathon below 4 hours is always a dream. We would be so happy just to hit 3 hr 59 min 59 sec (a lawyer's definition of sub-four!). We would try and try for years. Some (especially those who are now called 'uncle' and "auntie") give up trying after a while and others, including yours truly soldier on. Sub-four marathon seems so illusive. We train and train and still our marathon finishing time seem to hover just above 4 hours, usually missing by just minutes. One friend missed by seconds!

The Singapore International Marathon (SIM) seems to be a jinx on many of us. Since coming back to serious running in 2003, I never missed SIM. It is world-class organization at our doorstep. Always top quality race management, fantastic atmosphere, fuss-free morning start. Just go to the starting line and run. No old fashioned 3-portioned reporting cards ala FTAAA (what is the purpose of that card really??). No white-bush-jacket-officials telling us where to go and how to wear our race no. Nice DJ/music at start, organized supporters/bands all along the route; drinks, bananas, PowerGel; and soooooo many mobile toilets. It is hard to find fault with SIM…… EXCEPT that in SIM, I always seem to cramp towards the end, both in 2003 and 2004. It happens to many my friends too. The consensus was and still is we are used to training on rolling hills in KL where we alternate muscle groups while going up and down hills. Singapore is pancake flat. You use the same set of muscles for the whole run. And SIM always starts at 6am in the past, you end up in the hot sun and humid seaside air which many of us blame as contributory cause for the cramp.

Serious carbo loading ... Tiger beer, nothing less!

So a sub-four marathon seemed even more elusive in Singapore. In 2003 I did my first Singapore run and had my first experience with cramp. I clocked 4 hours 30 minutes. I trained harder in 2004, targeting to hit sub-four in Singapore. At the 2004 SIM, I was on target for sub-four until 35 km and thereafter I cramped badly at the last 2 km and I finished in 4 hours 9 mins. I almost had it and it slipped away….

I managed to hit my first sub-four marathon in KL in 2005 with a finishing time of 3.57. I declared to myself and my friends then: "OK, once is enough". I was going to slow down and not attempt this sub-four business anymore. I slowed down in 2005 and even walked the SIM with a finishing time of 5 hr 30 min. I was also into hill climbing and jungle trekking.

Then in 2006 I got involved with triathlons and hit high gear. I became passionate at it. I had to train hard in swim, bike and run to prepare for the Langkawi Ironman Triathlon in 2007. I also decided to do the Sahara Ultramarathon in 2007. I used SIM 2006 as part of my endurance training for the Sahara Ultramarathon, carrying the 18kg backpack and trekking poles and finished in 7 hours 12 mins. I completed both Langkawi Ironman Triathlon and Sahara Ultramarathon in early 2007 without too much problems. I also started improving on my triathlon finishing time.

In June 2007 I tried to run a good marathon in Penang but finished disappointingly at 4 hours 9 min. I then made up my mind to try harder in Singapore. In the Lumut Powerman race (12k run/64k bike/10k run) which was 3 weeks before the Singapore Marathon, I did my 11k run in 49 minutes but cramped and was slowed down in the 10k run. So going into Singapore Marathon 2007, I was a bit concerned. I realized that I had not been doing marathon specific training but I hoped the triathlons and Ironman race I did would help me in Singpaore.

I did a 32km run two weeks before SIM. The last weekend before SIM, I went to Kampong Pandan track and did 12 X 200 tempo run under instructions from KK Oon.

All these years I had been taking the Pacesetters bus to Singapore but this time around, I got a ride in Wan Yew Leong's car. It cut the traveling time and we reached Singpore well before 3pm. After collecting our race kits at Suntec City we checked into Peninsular Hotel.

If only Chan Wing Kai's photography skill could show the pain in my legs...

In the evening, I met up with several friends (Wan Yew Leong, Bruce Woon, Chai, Jason Thiang and Dr Tan) at a simple coffee shop just around the corner from Peninsular Hotel. It was not air-conditioned and had many metal tables and plastic chairs outside. Not a usual swanky Singapore joint. I always find the coffee shop a comfortable place to be at. We met there so that we could wait for Mrs. Wan who went to the church. I had fishball noodle. Dr. Tan started the beer coming. Jason said he was supposed to be managing the Pacesetters teams. Should he be caught drinking the evening before the race? Hmmmm… Bruce was doing his 42nd marathon. Amazing fella! Wan was out to get his personal best in Singapore half (and he did it). Chai was just taking it easy. We had about 3 to 4 beers each, except my roommate Chai the smart one, who had soft drink. Mrs. Wan came in time from the church to "rescue" every one from the beers. I retired early at about 9.30pm, a little groggy from the beer. But it helped me snore through the night.

I got up at 4am to get ready for the run. I decided to use my black rubber shoes bought at RM3.90 and currently sold at RM5.50. With the large number of runners, I wanted to start in the sub-four hour pen to have a headstart. I would be in big crowd and risk being stepped on if I went barefoot in the dark. So I wore the shoes. I was prepared to ditch them if I don't feel good. I went alone to the start line, did some stretching and went into the sub-four hour pen. I was focused and confident. A girl standing next to me told me she was running the marathon for the first time and the longest she had done was 15 km!

At just after 5.30am, the race started. It was a crowded start and everyone was pushing through the narrow chute. After about 100m, the path widened and I went on comfortably. At the bend one guy tripped over a cone and fell. A few of us paused but he got up and continued. I took care not to trip on the cones in the dark.

Friends told me that they now have official pacers in SIM. I saw 2 pacers with red vests with the timing of 3:45 printed on them. I overtook these 2 pacers at the 10km mark and I was doing about 5 min pace. I was to regret this later at 35km when the two pacers overtook me and went ahead at a steady pace.

At around 15km, Tan Wah Seng (running barefoot as usual) and his friend came from behind. We talked for a while and he said I should be able to do within 4 hours if I maintained the pace. He felt he could not do it that day. After about 2 km, I went ahead.

Just before 20km we went into the East Coast Park. The cycling paths which we ran on were very much wider compared to previously. It used to be narrow and sometimes one had to almost step off the path to be able to pass someone who slowed down.

At 20km, my time was 1 hr 40 min (my target time was 1 hr 50 min). I was so happy to have the 10 minutes margin at 20km. I was feeling great. I was so focused that I was not looking at anyone. After the U-turn, whenever I hear someone calling on the other side, I just raised my hand to acknowledge. Friends later asked me why I did not look at them when they called. No offence to them; it was me and my watch. After the 26km mark I collected and consumed my PowerGel. I was feeling light and good.

The next marker was 30km and my time was 2 hours 38 min (my target time was 2 hr 45 min). The safety margin had dropped to about 7 minutes but it was still a safe margin. I had slowed down over the last 10 km but I still felt confident.

Then the cramp happened. At around 35km mark, the 2 pacers for 3 hr 45 min overtook me. I tried to pace with them. That was when the cramp hit my right calf. I realized that I had to manage the cramp or throw the good 35km away like in 2004. At 35km, it was 3hr 8 min. Seven more km at 6 min pace would take another 42 minutes to finish. I should still finish comfortably within 4 hours. I took another packet of PowerGel.

I slowed to a jog. Then I saw a pro-looking African lady runner in front. She was wearing a vest showing the four Standard Chartered Bank Marathons and she was doing a limping jog. It must be a bad day for her. She stopped to take deep heat cream from the helpers to apply on her calves. I followed her example and I felt comfortable enough to walk for a while. I took another packet of gel and restarted the run. The cramp came and went as I tried to maintain a jog.

Chai, Ngae, Wan and Clara at the hotel after the run

Negative thoughts started creeping into the head: "Hey I have pushed too hard. I may collapse and end up with an expensive hospital bill in Singapore Dollars. I have not done marathon specific training. I have too much beer. I can always come back and try again…"

I had to almost punch my head to get rid of these negative thoughts. I started motivating myself: Hey Jamie Pang called me ultramarathoner extraordinanaire. I cannot let such a nice name down!! Simon Cross (the super crazy Englishman) messaged me (before he left to do the Ironman race in Western Australia on same day) to beat his Bangkok Marathon time of 4 hours 09 mins done the previous weekend. He did it really easy after a long bike ride the day before). I told him then I should be able to. What the heck am I thinking of here? Don't throw away a good run so far!!!" (Incidentally Simon got his best Ironman finishing time in Western Australia in 10 hours 56 min. Incredible!)

I told my body : "Please let the cramp go away. Give me pain instead! I can take it." The cramp actually went away but then my quads started to hurt like crazy - awful pain! I got what I asked for, haha! At 40km, it was 3 hours 40 mins. Just 2 more km at 7 min. pace. I kept telling myself: "I can still do it."

The last 2 km was really painful. I was just trying not to slow down to a walk and yet try to keep the pain manageable. Finally, the last bend came into sight. I could hear the cheers, the DJ and the music at the finishing! The timer showed 3 hours 55 mins plus. It was just another 200 metres more. Nothing is going to take away my second sub-four now. I summoned all my strength and went on anaerobic mode. I told myself to better my previous PB of 3 hours 57 mins. And I crossed at 3 hours 56 mins 04 secs!
Did I manage the pace well? I really cannot tell. I wanted to hedge against the cramp (which I expected) so I went fast (for my standard) on the first 30km. I had about 7 minutes margin at 30km. What if I just kept pace with the 3.45 pacers. Could I have done better? I don't know. What if I followed them and I still cramped? I would unlikely have managed the sub-four finish.

I collected the medal and finisher tee (for my little girl). Drank tons of water and 100-PLUS (the no gas variety!). Went to hotel and had a long soak in the hot tub and then went for brunch. We left Singapore at about 12 noon. Bye-bye Singapore…

Reaching For Greater Heights
By Nor Juliana Ali

I ran my first towerthon on 3rd February this year. I had initially signed up for the individual category for the KL Towerthon but when I heard there was going to be a Team Category, I decided to be a member of the Subang Jaya Team. The Subang Jaya Team was headed by Captain and Manager Jason Thiang and I had a bunch of wacky, fun-loving team-mates, namely Esmen, Suye and Freddie, all from Subang.

We had no centralised training with fellow team-mates so we trained on our own. I trained with the stairs in my university once, then got to train at KL Tower itself on three other occasions as the stairs were opened for a few days before race day. My dear friend Nezz happened to work at KL Tower and she was very kind and helpful in assisting participants who wanted to train, making sure they had the ventilation functioning (for the stairs) so that we would not suffocate! I trained alone the first 2 times and the third time with Goh and Dino. I was feeling nervous actually. The training I had for Towerthon wasn't anything near vigorous; fortunately I had some form of training from my Great Eastern 30/20km and the KLIM circuit run. I planned not to push myself too hard at the start so that I can last.

Juliana making her way up the stairs

It rained a bit on race day but stopped just before the Women Open category was gunned off at 9.15am. The starting stretch running uphill was a steep one. I ran steadily and as I passed the stage area towards the escalator, I went a bit faster. Then the stairs climbing began. I took 2 steps at a time and I could feel my muscles burning and I was already panting. There were several water stations but I didn't drink much because I knew I couldn't afford to gulp that much, especially when fighting a vertical race! The officials passed us the bottle of water but didn't help to remove the cap! It would have saved us precious time if they did. The floor was wet and slippery because some runners just cooled off themselves by pouring water on their heads or bodies, while some just threw the bottles on the floor without closing the caps. Dangerous if you are not careful!

The kind of traffic you get in this kind of race reminds me of that during the Penang Bridge Marathon. The part of the bridge where 10k runners make the u turn. Firstly there were no separate lanes on the bridge causing full and half marathoners having to slow down when they are at their top speed, waste time and energy zigzagging through the crowd. An analogy of this scenario is just the opposite to that of the ambulance on the road where people realize that the ambulance is coming and they would give way; but at the Penang Bridge Marathon, some runners would prefer to stay on their lanes waiting for oncoming runners to either crash into them or get a free yelling of "Excuse me! Excuse me!!" into their ears. But for the towerthon, runners could'nt spare the energy to ask people to step aside. It was either you slip between the railing and the runner in front of you (and under their arms if they were holding the railing) or gently push them aside. That was it. I didn't bother to step aside for fast runners, but some were much bigger than I and I had no choice but step aside myself! I didn't want to end up wrestling with angry runners!

Juliana (right) and her team-mates

I passed Fong (national rower), Ros (PowerBar team elite) and a few other familiar faces. They were pretty close to each other. My team-mate Suye was left behind but I didn't wait for her because the accumulated time for all team members would determine our placing for the team category.

I had planned to run faster towards the end, but then the floor and the railings were so slippery that I didn't dare to as I depended on the railings to give me an extra push. At this point my hands came in handy, especially towards the end. At T20, I was crawling like no tomorrow and it helped me go up faster! TH03 - finally!! Nezz was standing in front of the fire exit door, and she started yelling my name the moment she saw me. Wow! Team captain Jason was there yelling as well, eagerly waiting for me and Suye!

I went to return the time chip to get the RM20 deposit back, then went down with the rest of the team. Results for top 20 for each category were already out when we came down. I found out that I was a mere 7 seconds behind Stephanie Chok, and was placed 15th. My timing was 20:44 min.

Winners: We did it!

Organization wise, the KL Towerthon still has a lot of room for improvement. We can't have runners slipping and falling even before they start the climb, can we? For my maiden Towerthon, the training paid off. Overall, I was satisfied and happy that I finished the race, and winning 3rd place for team category! To Nezz, Goh , Dino, Jason, and all my team mates, thank you for the motivation and support. Hopefully next year we could repeat the fun outing. I had never experienced a race as chaotic but fun as this one!

Chin Woo Biathlon 2007
A Nostalgic Event with Clara
By Wan Yew Leong

Brief History of Chin Woo
Many of you may not be familiar with the name Chin Woo, it sounds rather Chinese. Chin Woo means "Excel in Martial Art". The founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association is Hou Yuanjia who together with a few others founded the school in Shanghai on July 7, 1910. Hou is a legendary Chinese martial artist who challenged foreign fighters in highly publicized events, restoring pride and nationalism to China at a time when Western Imperialism and Japanese manipulation were eroding the country. After his death, the movement expanded and today there is a string of martial art schools across the several countries with Chinese communities. His belief is that martial art should not have differentiation in schools or clans but should be universal with the objective of strengthening the body. You could read about this great association in the World Chin Woo Federation web site www.chinwoo.com, the official source to World Chin Woo organizations.

If you are from my era, you would recall the 1972 movie "Fist of Fury", where Bruce Lee played the role of Hou Yuanjia's fictional student, Chen Jen. If you are much younger, you would recall the 2006 movie "Fearless" starring Jet Li, who played Hou Yuanjia himself. However, the plot of this show differs greatly from the actual life of Hou Yuanjia to the extent that Hou's descendants came out to file injunction against the movie.

Swimmers waiting to start

Of Memories and Courtship at Chin Woo
Chin Woo Stadium has been around for many years in Kuala Lumpur. As I grew up within one km from Chin Woo Stadium in Jalan Hang Jebat, I spent my childhood days loitering around the vicinity. It was in 1981 when I was working with an accounting firm, Coopers & Lybrand that I join Chin Woo as a life member. That year our Inter-Office Games was in Penang. Our Penang Office included swimming as one of the events and I was tasked with forming the Kuala Lumpur Office swimming team. As Chin Woo Stadium was very centralized, I got the team to train in Chin Woo during the evenings. After several training sessions, our team went to Penang for the competition and we were soundly beaten by the Penang team led by our boss from Penang, Ong Eng Kooi, a former Malaysian swimmer. Ong is the father of Katerina Ong and Jeffrey Ong, both became national swimmers later. In 1981, Jeffrey Ong was just a little boy cheering his father on as he out-swam his opponents 20 years younger than him.

Included in Coopers & Lybrand Kuala Lumpur swimming team was a twenty years old young lady by the name of Clara Bong. After the swimming competition, I asked Clara if she was still keen to swim and we continued to swim every Saturday evening at Chin Woo Stadium. At this juncture of the story, you should hum a lovely theme song from one of those romantic movies; a Teresa Teng song would be fine. The Hakka Restaurant used to operate at

Chin Woo Stadium, served good Hakka food and excellent steamboats. It was our favorite restaurant during our courting days. Fate has it that I married Clara in 1987 and since then we did not go back to Chin Woo Stadium as we had moved to Subang Jaya. We continued to swim each week at Lake View Club and later Holiday Villa in Subang Jaya. Nowadays, we swim every Friday evening at Holiday Villa and we have our second daughter, Rachel (age 18) as company, aka lamp-post.

Chin Woo Biathlon
I took part in the 2004 and 2006 event. On both occasions, I asked Clara to join me but she did not as she was not very keen in competing. When the 2007 event was a month away, I asked again and this time she agreed to take part. In the last one year she has improved on her running as she was playing active netball for 3 teams, Subang Jaya Medical Center, Sime Darby and her Church team. At 46, she is still the top shooter in her team and her performance very consistent. She runs about 3 evenings a week at Subang Ria, after work to build on her stamina. She plays netball on Saturday and Sunday evening at MPSJ Stadium. In November 2007, she got onto the rostrum for the first time during the KRI 12km in Ipoh, 8th placing in 1:11:59. In December 2007, she ran her best 10km run with a time of 1:03:12 at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.

The Chin Woo Biathlon is an entry level event for multi-sports. It is meant to give participants a feel of how it is like to do 2 sports in the same morning. This is where being an all-rounder helps; can swim and run reasonably well. I knew Clara did not need any special training for the biathlon of 800m swim and 7km run. That morning on 16 December 2007, we arrived at Chin Woo Stadium at 7.00am and the first impression Clara got was "the place has not changed at all". As the number of participants is restricted to 100, we got our bibs and T-shirts very quickly. We got down to the pool area and look at the list and saw Carmen Leong's name on the women veteran category. I told Clara that she could only hope to get second in the same category with me. As Jason Thiang needs to look after his son, Edwin who was competing in the Boys Under 12, I saw to the needs of both Clara and Sook Ying. Clara started off too fast and struggled at the first few laps before she got her breathing right. Upon completing her 16 laps, her change-over was quick as she took little time to put on her running shoes. After she ran off, the lanes of the men veterans were announced. Jason & I got to our lanes and we prepared for our swim.

Wan running up the steep slope to finishing line

I knew my swim will be among the slowest as I did breast stroke, my preferred stroke all the way. My changeover was also very slow as I am not used to slipping into the shoes, I need to tie my shoe laces properly. However, this year I feel stronger during the run. I knew I was in good run shape after completing my 21km in the Singapore Marathon in 2:02:50, my best recoded time in my 5 consecutive years running in Singapore since 2003. The 7km run would take us from Chin Woo Stadium, go round the Merdeka Stadium to Jalan Maharajalela, then onto Jalan Hang Tuah fronting Victoria Institution and SMJK Jalan Hang Tuah, both of which were my Alma Mater for my secondary and primary education respectively. We then turned into Jalan Hang Jebat where Stadium Negara is situated and repeated the loop 2 more times before running up the hill to Chin Woo Stadium. Clara was there to welcome me at the finish and she told me she got second. Edwin Thiang came in second too, Jason Thiang third and Sook Ying third in their respective categories.

I did not get onto the rostrum but improved on my overall time, 1:01:14
(20:56 swim & 40:18 run) as compared 1:04:3 in 2006 (21:44 swim & 42:19 run )

PACM Winners
At least 8 PACM members that I knew got onto the rostrum of 24 top 3 placing. I could have missed some names as I do not know them all. They were:

Note : For the boys under 12, the swim is 300m and run is 2km. As for the adults, the swim is 800m and run is 7km.

Looking Ahead
I believe this event could be a little larger, up to 150 participants as it would mean we have 4 waves instead of the current 3. Usually, the problem would come when we have an extremely slow swimmer hogging the pool and would delay the start of the next wave. There should be a cut-off time to finish the swim to enable the next wave to start; otherwise this event could not increase its capacity. In triathlons or Ironman events, such a practice is normal. I look forward to the 2008 event; perhaps I could convince my daughter Rachel to take part. I also need to thank at least 5 PACM members who were part of the Organizing Committee or as volunteers. They are Don Khor, Lester Thum, Siew Chee Ming, Jenny Lim and Nancy Lai.

Khon Kaen Adventure
By Lim Pueh Tian

The Khon Kaen International Marathon trip was planned in April 2007 since I managed to book free air tickets from Air Asia. So I had 9 long months to plan for this trip, and I had plenty of time to research about the Khon Kaen city. I roped in my regular running friends, Amelia, Chooi Lin and Yew Ting. Too bad Yew Ting couldn't make it due to work commitments.

We reached Bangkok on a Friday night around seven o'clock. It was a pleasant flight, complete with sunset view from the plane.

At the grand Wat Nongwang. A good view of Khon Kaen city and Bung Kaen Nakhon Lake can be seen from the 9-tiered balcony that surrounds the outside of the Temple.

Our adventure began after we boarded an airport taxi to Nakhonchai Air Bus Station near Chatuchak. It was quite a ride. The taxi was so old that I could have sworn it coughed and wheezed when it moved along the highway. When we reached the toll, to our horror the taxi stalled and refused to start for a moment! And the slow moving traffic at the so-called "highway" didn't help at all. I think our driver was cursing and swearing but we could not understand Thai. He managed to restart the engine but proceeded cautiously.

The car stalled as many as 10 times throughout the journey. My heart skipped a beat whenever that happened. We were so afraid that we would miss our connecting bus to Khon Kaen. Finally, we made it to the bus station with ample time to catch our bus. Next time, I would insist on a new taxi from the airport.

The trip to Khon Kaen took 7 hours but we were pampered in luxury. It was like flying first class, complete with "air hostess" to cater to your need.

We reached Khon Kean early in the morning. We got lost while looking for our hotel. Apparently English is not that widely understood in this part of Thailand, compared to Bangkok. So, we had to rely on sign language some-times.

Meet Khun Udom Maspong (2nd from right) from Ayuthaya Province, Thailand. He is 79 years old and has completed 97 marathons and looking forward to do his 100. His wife (centre) is his loyal cheerleader!

We went to Khon Kaen University (KKU) to collect our race kit. We hired a tuk tuk and it cost us 60 Baht per ride. The race kit collection for the foreign runners were in a mess. They couldn't find our numbers and had to reassign us with new numbers and chips. That took them a couple of hours. Very inefficient. And by the time we got our bibs, we were placed under the VIP category. How we get "upgraded" to VIP was beyond me.

We had some time to check out the marathon expo and dropped by at the Asian Runner Magazine booth. We chatted awhile with the Editor in Chief Steph Cox. I actually met her last year at the Laguna Phuket Marathon. She would be doing her third marathon the next morning.

We were surprised to learn that a free city tour was being offered at the expo. Wow! Without hesitating we signed up with Thailand Tourism Authority (TAT) immediately. The tour was scheduled to start at 2:00pm.

I was really impressed by the Thai hospitality. Not only did we get a free tour, we were presented with refreshment and a souvenir each. The tour took us to some famous temples in Khon Kean and the museum. I love the museum, very well maintained and informative. During the tour we also meet some new runner friends including a sweet golden couple from Ayuthiya. See picture.

We went back to the hotel after we got our bib sorted out. Of course we had a very good Thai massage followed by a great dinner at the local mall before retiring for the night. The next morning, we took the free shuttle van provided by the hotel to the run site. The weather was cool and nice. I didn't have high expectations of myself. As long as I complete within 3 hours, I would be satisfied.

It rained at the start of the half marathon. I wasn't too worried because my camera is waterproof. So, I could still click away even when it drizzled. However the road was too dark to get good pictures.

Pacesetters Amelia Ang, Ay Ping, Chooi Lin and Pueh Tian

I found that the route for half marathon was not a scenic one. There was nothing much to see, compared to the Thai Temple Run I joined a couple of years ago. All we saw was shoplots, houses and barren land. I suppose the full marathoners might get to see more.

Anyway, I managed to keep my spirits high with a little help from the tireless cheerleaders by the roadside. They danced, cheered and waved flags. They made the run more bearable. Kop Khun Krub (Thank you in Thai)!

The water station was adequate, serving iced cold water and also isotonic drink. Distance markers were present at every km. Traffic control was excellent - they closed one half of the highway for runners!

When I reached the finishing line, I was told that they ran out of medals for the half marathon and gave me a marathon medal instead. I was quite apprehensive to accept that as I didn't quite earn that medal. However, after waiting for a while a new batch of half marathon medals was delivered and I got what I deserved.
After getting my medal, I raided the food area and tucked into sweet juicy watermelon and some other Thai dishes. The dishes were made fresh at the site! I was so impressed. It looked more like a food fair than a marathon event.

I enjoyed myself very much in Khon Kaen. I would like to thank Amelia, Chooi Lin, Gerald and AP Tan for being there. It is nice to see some familiar faces in a foreign land. I love running in Thailand. My next plan is to do the River Kwai Half Marathon, anybody wanna run with me?

Marathon or Food fair?

Some interesting facts about Khon Kaen:

o Khon Kaen, in the North East of Thailand, is the cultural, educational and administrative centre of the Isan region.

o Khon Kaen is also the commercial and political centre of North Eastern Thailand, and is well known for the silk produced.

o Khon Kaen is the home of celebrity tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan.

For those who are interested in going for the Khon Kaen Marathon next year, here are a few tips:

1. There are no taxis in Khon Kaen. You can hire a tuk tuk instead. Bargain if you must. A one way trip from Khon Kaen town centre to KKU (start point) should be less than 100 baht.

2. Travel in luxury without burning a hole in your pocket to Khon Kaen. We travelled with Nakhonchai Air first class coach. It was really like flying first class. It cost slightly more than 1000baht for a return trip. We were pampered with massage chair, food and drinks, individual TV screen with movies and games console. The trip takes about 7 hours from Bangkok.

3. There was a FREE tour organised by Thai Tourism Authority at the marathon expo. Not sure if they have it next year but it is worth checking out. They took us to two temples including Wat Nong Wang and the museum. Refreshment included. Thank you TAT!

4. Go early to collect your racekit. This year, it was a messy affair for foreign entries. I hope they improve next year.

Permaisuri Area Group Annual Dinner
By Michele Tan

Due to my erratic work schedule, this was to be one of the rare ten-course dinners I would indulge in for sometime since I started working at a call centre. Anyway, I would have very likely given the Permaisuri Area Group Annual Dinner a miss due to the rather steep price charged per person (RM70) if not for a dear runner known as Ah Fatt, who helped pay part of it for me. I was promised that the meal was going to be a blast - seafood, meat and booze, amidst karaoke sessions.

Dinner was at a place called 'Jun Kee Restaurant' located in Taman Midah in Cheras. I rushed there by cab after freshening up at home, which is ironic, since I frequently run past the restaurant on my way to Taman Permaisuri anyway.

Phoon surrounded by beauties

Our Permaisuri area group leader, Phoon Yoke Heng, had booked an entire air-conditioned room with five tables just for the event. And it was bustling with laughter and energy by the time I arrived at close to 8pm.

It was so amazing to see people whom you normally socialise with in their running attire, now wearing "formal clothes" and looking so different. Most of the aunties present were dolled up gorgeously. It felt kind of strange initially.

There were about 10 persons to a table, and a bottle of good French Burgundy assigned to each table. For the teetotallers, Chinese tea and water was served. On my left sat Audrey, Phoon's wife. It has been about 5 years since I last saw her, and she looked as young as ever! It was amazing that she could still recognise me after all these years! On my right were Agnes and Janet, a very fit runner and mother working in a law firm, whose college-going son also tagged along for the dinner.

For entertainment, we had a wonderful aunty singer from Permaisuri! If I am not mistaken, she's close to 60 years old but still looks pretty young, and she sang to the lyrics of some old-time Chinese karaoke songs while we dug in. Although the arrangement of the speakers and overall sound system was bad, we were not bothered as the food served was quite tasty.

Women runners bonding

It was almost 10pm by the time everyone struggled to finish up their portion of the dessert. Extra Chinese pancakes and buns in the shape of rats from other tables were sent over to me, the girl with a sweet tooth. I managed to down two glasses of Burgundy, and one and a half cans of good old Carlsberg. Somehow, alcohol has this effect of keeping me awake, a great help as it was already 2 hours past my bedtime. Everyone was quite amazed that I could drink, but the uncles were delighted with this, and we frequently clanked our glasses (or cans) in cheers.

A cyclist uncle came all the way from Petaling Jaya just to join us for the event. He and the others led the way to the karaoke session. Everyone, especially the visibly pink-cheeked uncles, happily sang to age-old and 'out of this writer's era' kind of songs. The karaoke was stopped half way as a runner, Ang, brought a CD containing compilations of photos taken from runs held in 2007, ending with the often-talked-about Singapore Marathon, and everyone's individual timings. As Ang had just come from work, he was delighted that I offered him some rat buns and fried pancakes.

Great food!

I chatted with the aunties and got to know most of them better. I complimented an aunty on her blouse and in return I got to know the location of a very popular but well hidden boutique that sells the kind of clothes that I might like. I had been trying for ages to locate this China Doll shop in Hartamas, and now I got it.

The karaoke session continued till a quarter past 11. I managed to somehow excuse myself and got an uncle called Liew to fetch me home before my curfew time was up. I had a great time socialising with the uncles and aunties but Cinderella had to get home!

Shanghai International Marathon - A new experience
By PK Chan

Crossing the finishing line of the recent Singapore Marathon on 3rd December 2007 with the slowest timing of my twelve full marathons completed so far was by no means disappointing for me. The reason is that I accomplished my first back-to-back following the "Toray Shanghai International Marathon" held on the 25th Nov, 2007. Clearly, I had not fully recovered within one week of the Shanghai run which was my priority.

The decision to take part in the Shanghai marathon was initially at the invitation of a group of keen Pacesetters marathoners who also planned to trek up Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), touted as one of the most scenic hills in China. However, owing to last minute cancellations, I decided to go alone for both.

PK Chan next to marathon poster

Networking Helps
I was fortunate to get to know a local Chinese, Xia Yanfei, a trekking enthusiast whom I met during my trekking trip in Yunnan, China about 2 years ago. He was an active member of a running club in Shanghai and he helped me register as one of their team members; hence I benefited in paying lower entry fees of RMP40 (about RM20) as against US$40 payable by foreign participants. He also assisted in paying on my behalf RMP100 deposit for the timing chip. As an appreciation for all his help, I presented to his running club our Pacesetters' vest which was signed by about 30 of our club members.

I thought it unique that regardless of nationality, all participants of full and half marathons registering for the Shanghai Marathon must provide a health certificate signed by a registered hospital certifying physical fitness to run the race. Furthermore, there was no age category for the run which means there was only one category covering each gender group and hence no Veteran or Senior Veteran category for me.

The Shanghai Marathon took place in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai which is also the largest financial centre in China. The race was organized by the China Athletic Sports Association and the Shanghai City Sports Federation under the sponsorship of Toray Industries Japan. It was recognized by the State General Administration of Sports as one of China's four major international marathons, the other three being Beijing, Dalian and Xiamen.

I arrived in Shanghai a few days earlier to avail the opportunity to trek up to Huangshang with some friends from Wuxi, where my company has set up a new operation. The Yellow Mountain is about 7 hours drive north west of Shanghai. Upon return, I checked into a hotel located at the upper floors of the shopping mall along the famous Nanjing pedestrian road.

Running promotes friendship

Colourful Start
On race day, I met up with my fellow Chinese 'club members' at one of the underground train stations nearby before we proceeded to the starting point at the Century Plaza. The pedestrian street was already jam-packed with almost 20,000 participants including 4,000+ full marathoners and more than 6,000 going for the half distance, whilst the rest took part in the non-competitive 5 km health run. The early morning temperature was about 10 deg. C and hence I put on a pair of gloves and the vest over a T-shirt. This was good advice by an experienced fellow Pacesetter as I it was able to protect me from the piercing cold wind at some points of the run, despite the sunny weather. The starting area was immersed in a carnival atmosphere amidst a sea of colours. Tai Chi and 'Kung Fu" groups were there to perform while Chinese music was in full blast. Both the full and half marathon runners were flagged off at 7.30 am. The route took us to the busy centre of the city where most of the roads were closed for this occasion. There were many well organized cheering teams along the route and the runners never felt lonely. It was pleasant to see many senior citizens who came out in full force and dressed up in their most colorful traditional costumes to cheer whilst beating the drums and playing all kinds of musical instruments. Lion dance groups were also in performance. Hardly any stretch was without the locals lining along both sides of the roads enthusiastically shouting the motivating words "Jia-you! Jia-you!", literally meaning 'run with Extra Oil' !

Refreshment was served every 5 km, with bananas and biscuits distributed at some stations but no free issue of Power Gel which is normally given when running both the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore Marathons.

Very special supporters cheering the runners

No finisher medals?!
It got much warmer as we ran along the elevated highways out of the city towards the finishing point at Minhang Stadium. Each finisher was 'garlanded' with a beach tower when crossing the finishing line. There was NO finisher medal but a results certificate showing chip time and clock time was issued as soon as the bib number was presented at one of the counters. Those who finished below 5 hrs 30 minutes were presented a beautiful Mizuno sports bag. Yours truly completed the race in 4:29:06 (Chip time), which was an improvement on previous few races including the Bangkok Marathon.

I later learnt that two other Pacesetters members also took part in the run - they are Seow Peng and Mohan. Seow Peng used to work in Shanghai and had run in the previous year whilst Mohan had just completed a number of marathons in consecutive Sundays before coming here. I did not get to meet them on that day not just because of the huge crowd, but rather that both are faster runners! Both Seow Pheng and Mohan achieved their personal best in Shanghai.

On the whole, the Shanghai Marathon was a new experience for me and an enjoyable one too.

Q & A on Sports Injuries
By Dr William Chan

Dear Doctor,

First of all, thank you for answering our queries on sports injuries.

I have been running over 20 years, still competitive and is now in my mid 40s. I had been running full marathons but now focus on half marathons and 10km runs. My problem is that I have been facing cramps in most of my 21km races despite clocking in enough mileage, most weekends to Sri Hartamas! I have a hyperactive thyroid but am under medication and under control. My cramps normally surface at 15km or above.

What should I do or eat to reduce incidences of cramps in future races?

Daniel Tan

ANSWER

In response to many members who have asked for advice on muscle cramps sustained while running in marathons (please also read Ngae KH's article on Breaking The Singapore Marathon Jinx on page 8) and other distances, I have decided to address this problem in an article touching on this topic.

Muscle Cramps in Marathon
At one marathon that I took part in, I saw some runners having to walk back after experiencing muscles cramps. Some were seen stretching their muscles on the roadside. A few were seen rubbing and massaging their legs with medicated oil and ointment to relieve their muscle cramps. I have also experienced muscle cramps many times during and after my long runs.
Muscle cramps are involuntary muscle contractions which can be extremely painful when they occur during a run or a match. When you have a muscle cramp in your lower hamstring, calf or quadriceps you may not be able to walk. You may have to lie down on the ground because of the pain.

So why does this happen during a run or in sports? Well, it may be due to many factors. Your body could be lacking in electrolytes like sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, or some other minerals. Most people attribute their cramps to a lack of salt, which is not a common cause. Most of us have plenty of salt in our diet. Cramps in runners are usually due to dehydration and heat illnesses. Our body can lose up to 2 litres of water per hour in our hot weather. When you run or exercise, your body generates heat from your muscular activities. When the body becomes too hot, it can result in heat cramps.

Muscle fatigue or muscle running low in glycogen which is the energy source, can cause cramps. You can also suffer from cramps because your socks are too tight. Tight socks may decrease blood flow to your calves, which in turn might cause cramps in your muscles. Regular training in sports or runs can lead to tight muscles which can predispose the muscles to cramps during your run. The muscles that are prone to cramps are your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

Why do muscle cramps occur?

o Heat illness
o Dehydration
o Muscle fatigue
o Tight muscles
o Overuse muscles
o Low electrolytes & minerals
o Low salt
o Illnesses
o Tight socks

How to avoid muscle cramps

1. Maintain a well balanced diet.
2. Take a multi-vitamin with mineral everyday if you train and run regularly.
3. Drink one 500ml bottle of water 30 to 60 minutes prior to your run.
4. Drink half a 500ml bottle of water or a can of isotonic drink 10 minutes prior to your run.
5. Drink at every drinking station during the run. Stop and drink 2 cups of water or a can of isotonic drink. Most isotonic
and sports drinks have carbohydrates and electrolytes which help to replace electrolyte loss due to sweating.
6. Stretch before and after each run.
7. Sports massage helps to relieve tight and sore muscles.
8. Avoid running with an empty stomach. Try to eat your breakfast before the run.
9. Take Powerbar or Powergel which contain carbohydrates and electrolytes for your long distance run.

How to treat muscle cramps

1. Stretch the muscle that is cramped.
2. Use a cold spray or an ice sponge on the muscle.
3. Gently massage the cramped muscle.
4. Drink 2 cups of water or isotonic drink.
5. Once your cramp has subsided you may be able to keep running. Stop and stretch the muscle when you feel the cramp is coming.
6. Loosen your socks during the run. If your socks are tight, replace them.

Dr William Chan