2004 January - February

President's Column | Announcements | Articles | Youth Activities '04

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Reviewing the Year
On Thursday, 5th February, I received a mail from Munning stating that he will be in Vietnam part of the next week and he had to bring forward the deadline in order to meet my deadline that the Footloose is released on 22nd February 2004 along with the Audited Accounts. This timing was awkward as I had to be at an off-site budget meeting with my bank. As this is my column prior to the AGM when members have the opportunity to decide on the composition of the Exco, I feel I ought to review the performance of the club in the last 11 months and offer some food for thought for the next Exco.

Our club is very much guided by our two main objectives of:
1. Promoting grass root athletic activities
2. Events Management

In grass root activities, the most recent example that comes to my mind is our KLIM Peer Support Program. We stand out among all the athletic clubs preparing for this coming KLIM 2004 as we may be the only club with a systematic Peer Support Program and it is very well attended. On the morning of 8th February, about 176 runners took part in our 30km Practice Run and we were able to get more than 150 members to take part in the KLIM 2004 full marathon. I am particularly proud that we were able to get volunteers to come in as early as 4.30am in the morning to facilitate the run by manning the five drinks stations. The camaraderie spirit and passion are beyond description.

Last year our running trips to Singapore, Hatyai, Kuantan, Penang and Pulau Pangkor are well organized and well participated. Such trips have helped to forge a better relationship and friendship among the members and it has even given the opportunity for our children to know one another. The previous day, I was commenting to my work colleagues in the bank that I had not seen their children before and in PACM I know the names of the children of a number of the members. Running does indeed give us a bonding that we may not even experience in our respective work place. While promoting tough events like the marathon or half marathon we did not forget members who are the fun runners. We have our Brooks’ Bonding Breakfast Run, Fathers’ Day Breakfast Run, Lantern Party Run, the Track Meet, the Kampar Orang Asli Trip and the Meet the New Members Breakfast Run. Viviene Kartsounis pointed out very clearly that our club has a very strong family element in our activities. We feel very strongly that this should be our focus moving forward.

On the event management objective, we added one event to our name; the Nike Pacesetters 15km in addition to the adidas FTAAA Pacesetters 4 x 3km Road Relay. We learnt a lot from managing these two events. These two events met with our objective of having a few niche events in our name and by organizing these events, we were able to co-brand with the big names like Nike and adidas. On top of it, we make a small profit from our venture, thus further developing our third source of income after membership and direct sponsorship. As our team is made up entirely of volunteers, we see we only have room for one more event; it would be another niche event – The Pacesetters 30km. We are talking to a potential sponsor to be the title sponsor and if it could materialize, it would happen in October 2004 or January 2005.

For the several years that I could recall, we always have our AGM in March, with this year’s AGM on 20th March 2004. It is indeed a feat as it means that the accounts have to be drawn up early, arrange for audit and sent out with the AGM package on 22nd February 2004 to give adequate statutory notice to the members. Despite an increase in the level of activities with the events accounting and numerous petty sales, Ken Kan has done a good job getting the accounts prepared in accordance with the most conservative accounting practices. As the outgoing Exco will be handing over to the new Exco on 20th March 2004, I have make it a point to ensure that all debts at Balance Sheet date are collected and all bills owing paid for. Such a discipline would ensure the new Exco has a clean take-over and not having the baggage of managing the accounts of the previous year. Poor accounting is one of the main reasons for clubs to collapse as any delay in issuance of the audited accounts would naturally draw suspicion on the Exco.

I would like to thank my 10 elected Exco members, the group leaders, the captains and coaches for helping me to manage this club that I have devoted most of my leisure time for the last four years as President. I will leave the next Exco to reaffirm the appointed positions or to make changes to it. As I have promised during my AGM Dinner speech, I am running a negative split time in managing the club. I am already getting a little tired but I would complete my run as all committed long distance runners would do.

Some Thoughts for the next Exco
I have been giving some thoughts on what further improvements that would build our club even stronger and better. I have the following suggestions for the next Exco to focus on :

1. Our Area Group System has done well with the main Area Groups leading the way. However, we can see a disparity in size with the newer and smaller area groups like Klang, Sabak Bernam, Penang, Lembah Kiara and Taman Bukit Jalil. We need to focus on how to help these groups grow to reach a comparable level with the main area groups. I have directed Gasing Hill Group to support Lembah Kiara and Permaisuri Group to support Taman Bukit Jalil.

2. We need a dedicated individual/team to focus on membership drive/retention. Our recruitment is impressive for the last three years (1,018) but the loss of members is also large (588). We believe there are a few reasons and we need to find out and try to address the issues. In my bank we term this as “customer retention”. At the moment we send out reminder notices one month before expiry and one more reminder one month before deletion. We may have to do more than that.

3. Our website is now the top website in Malaysia on “running club, Malaysia” under the Google search engine. To complement (2) above and the events like Nike 15km, we need to build in a payment system whereby members or the public could register and pay online. As our receipts are small in value, we would need to work with a service provider to support this function as the banks may not be interested due to the small value in the transactions.

4. We would need to play our role to push for well organized road races in the country as the quality of the road races has not improved over the years. The quality of races across both our northern and southern borders in Thailand and Singapore have shown glaringly the need to improve. We have already seen the impact with the lower attendances in several Klang Valley road races; especially in the adult groups. As runners we have a vested interest in having quality races in our own backyard. At the macro level, quality races would lead to better participation among locals (sports for all) and would pave the way for sports tourism. To illustrate the point, a high percentage of the runners in the Honolulu Marathon are not from Hawaii!

Nil Kamal
On the fourth day of the Chinese New Year about 10 PACM members visited Nil Kamal at his home. He is now on a wheel chair and unable to speak clearly. His mind is still alert and can recognize all the visitors and still hear clearly. We handed over a cheque of RM6,431 to reimburse his medical expenses. Our total collection as at 31st December 2003 is RM6,477, donated by 31 members; one donation even came in all the way from New Zealand. We thank all the donors for their generous donations. In the meantime we pray for Nil Kamal ……….

Wan Yew Leong - 8th February 2004 | wanyl@alliancebg.com.my

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E-Bulletin
We have sent out our first three editions of the e-bulletin on 21st September 2003, 26th November 2003 and 21st January 2004 respectively to more than 300 members. We notice we have a number of defunct email addresses or over quota as the members did not clear their mail. The objective of the e-bulletin is to complement the Footloose as a source of latest information on coming events. We shape the contents as we go along. At the moment, we have 316 members or 30% of our members with email addresses. We believe the actual percentage is higher as some may not have notified us through the renewal process. If you have an email address but did not receive the e-bulletin in September, please notify Munning Jamaludin, ceimj@pc.jaring.my quoting your name, PACM No and your email address.

Purchase of New Balance Products
Stream Enterprise (M) Sdn Bhd via their New Balance specialist shop at Bukit Bintang offers 30% discount on New Balance products at their outlet in Bukit Bintang Plaza (LGF 007, Lower Ground Floor, Tel:03-2148 9671). Please produce your membership card for identification.

Purchase of Brooks’ Products
We have arranged for Brooks to issue Loyalty Cards to all our members. The Loyalty Cards holders shall be entitled to 30% discount for Brooks’ products in designated outlets. If you did not receive your Brooks Card, please notify Jenny Lee, our Secretary.

Purchase of adidas Products
adidas is offering 40% discount on their products, except sunglasses and watches at their new outlet at;

· My.running.shop at Lot T046 3rd Floor, Mid Valley Megamall (Te/fax – 2283-5878) Please produce your membership card for identification.

P/S – adidas has made further refinements to their rules; you may buy up to RM3,000 worth of products a year. The two previous outlets, KLCC and KL Sentral do not offer discount from 1st January 2004. This further refinement of the rules is to facilitate better service and control.

Purchase of NIKE Products
NIKE is offering 30% discount on all NIKE products (except promotional items) from 1st to 7th March 2004 only at :

· NIKE Factory Outlet Store at Wisma Conplant, Subang (12noon to 9pm, Monday to Sunday except Public Holidays)

Sale of Power Bar & Gel
The club has been appointed an official stockist for Power Bars. We are selling at 15% discount from the approved retail price (Protein Plus Bar at RM7.60, Energy Bar at RM6.00 and Gel at RM4.60). As these are items with expiry date, only Jimmy Tong and Phoon YH are keeping them. We would normally bring them to sell after our Sunday runs. Area Groups may order them via Jimmy.

Renewal Notice – We have 217 Members with their membership expiring on December 2003. The renewal notices have been sent out individually in December 2003 and you should have received them. You are requested to renew your membership with your respective group leaders or direct to the club by mail. Members with their membership expiring December 2003 would have their Footloose discontinued after March 2004 if renewal is not received by then. It is not necessary to send your existing card for renewal.

Card Replacement
Members who lost their cards or want a new card during renewal instead of a renewal sticker label are required to pay RM5 for a new card.

New Membership Cards
There are several members that we have not produced their new cards because we have not received their photographs. Please send your photographs with your name and PACM number written at the back of the photograph to Jenny Lee, 3-8-1, Phase 5, Pantai HillPark, Jalan Pantai Dalam, 59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Club’s Socks
We have limited stock of the club’s socks (men and women) for sale at RM6 per pair. The quality is comparable to the popular brands made from spandex material. They are available from Ken, Phoon, Jimmy and Lai Huat.

Nike Pacesetters 15km Shorts
A small quantity of the white shorts is still available at RM10 per piece (marked down price). Stock is with Sonny Ng/Ken.

Club’s 2003 Yellow T-shirt
The club’s yellow T-shirt for 2003 is for sale at RM12 per piece. Limited stock left, with Sonny Ng and Jimmy. We would like to see all PACM members wearing the club yellow T-shirt after the run and during prize giving.

Club’s 2003 Vest
The vest is bright yellow in color from Brooks (Dupont material) and retail at RM25. Limited stock left.

Water Bottle Belt
We have ordered 200 pieces of bright yellow color water bottle belt with the club’s logo (to fit 500 ml water bottle) to enable you to run up to 15km without worrying about dehydration. Cost RM13 per piece, available from Jimmy.

Advertisement in the Footloose
In order to earn some income for the club, we are soliciting advertisements for the Footloose. Our rates are;

· Cost of production plus RM160 – full page color

· RM200 – full page black and white

· RM120 – half page black & white

For advertisers who advertise a full page, they shall be given one opportunity to market their products during our functions such as breakfast runs. Interested advertisers may contact the editor. (The club reserves the right to reject any advertisement without disclosing the reasons) Those interested, please contact our Editor Munning Jamaludin (7982 8757 office) or Ms Lee Kim Ying at the same office.

Photographs for Sale
Chan Wing Kai has been taking photographs of the club’s activities and members during races. These photographs are available for sale at RM1.00 each for 4R size. Please contact Chan to view the photos and to order from him, or your Area Group Leaders if you are picking any photos from the Footloose. Chan can be contacted at 012- 399 0766.

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ARTICLES
KL International Marathon Peer Support Program | About Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia | Running Barefoot | Singapore Marathon Feedback | Powerman 2003 |

KL International Marathon – 29th Feb 04
A Peer Support Program by Pacesetters Athletic Club, Malaysia

By the time this issue of the Footloose is released (22nd Feb 04), the KLIM is just one week away; we await the final arrival of the big day. After two successful 30km Practice Runs attended by 160 and 176 runners on 11th Jan 04 and 8th Feb 04 respectively, you are well trained and ready. About 150 PACM members have registered for the KLIM 42km categories. The final count would be released on 22nd February 2004 in our press release. A handful more would have entered without our knowledge. Another 100 have entered for the under distance events. Our contingent is probably the largest out of the total entries of about 250 at press time (8th Feb 04). If you do not already know, there are a few administrative matters I need to notify PACM members.

adidas Running Vests & Shorts
If you still are not aware about it, adidas is sponsoring 150 sets of running vests/shorts for PACM members running in the KLIM 04 42km categories. We have communicated this news via our E-bulletin on 21st January 2004. The two conditions to satisfy are :

1. Have a valid PACM membership expiring June 2004 or later
2. Must wear the adidas vests/shorts for the KLIM 2004

We shall be distributing the vests/shorts on 22nd February 2004 at Bukit Aman Car-park from 8.00am to 9.30am. Please come in person to collect it as it would ensure you get the correct size and also allow time for you to get used to the new vest/shorts. As for those who missed the collection and have signed up for the run via the club, it would be distributed along with the bibs via the group leaders from 26th Feb 2004. If you have registered on your own and we are not aware of it, please contact me immediately quoting your KLIM bib number to collect the vests/shorts (subject to availability of stock). We will not issue any vests/ shorts after the KLIM 2004

Collection of Bibs etc
Via your group leaders from 26th Feb 04 (Thursday)

Club Group Photograph
All full marathon runners (wearing the adidas vests/shorts) are to gather in front of the clock tower at the starting point at 4.40am, 29th Feb 04 for a group photograph before you check into the barricade area.

Acknowledgement
We would like to express our thanks to all those who have assisted in making our Peer Support Program a success; the sponsors adidas, Powerbar, Milo and 100PLUS. The media, Star Metro and Sin Chew Jit Poh helped to publicize the program. The volunteers waking up at 4.00am to man the refreshment stations (Jimmy Tong, Sonny Ng, Jenny Leong, Lawrence Leong, Wong Ha Moi, Phylis Loke, Jamie Phang, Grace Lee, Eric Chan, Uncle SH Tan, Phua, Jamie Pang, Keshab Kumar, Mrs Kelvin Ng with her three Do Re Mi, Agnes Chin and Foo Sook Ying). We also thank the speakers Dr. William Chan, Krishnan Karuppan and Jaen Ang for their enlightening talks to the runners.

Wan Yew Leong – 8th February 2004

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Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia by Viviene Kartsounis

The aim of this article is to initiate interaction and form a link between two running clubs found on two different continents. The Sydney Striders Running Club, Australia, and the Pacesetters Athletic Club, Malaysia. Having now been a member of both clubs I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to start the legs rolling and encourage the international participation at local runs and races in both countries .

My family and I are originally from South Africa and we immigrated to Australia in March 2002. We initially left South Africa in 1995, and then lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for just over six years before our final move to Australia. We have settled very easily into Sydney and feel very at home with the similar southern hemisphere lifestyle that Australia has to offer. Running has always been a part of my life in between taking time off to have a couple of children, and it has proved a valuable way to make good friends in new places. My first encounter with the Striders Running Club was joining the very social Wednesday 5.30am Acron Oval Bush running group. This was a good introduction to the club and I soon found myself participating in other Strider events and feeling quite a home with the other runners. I was amazed at how many South African runners there are in Sydney. I officially joined Striders in April 2003 and continue to enjoy what it has to offer.

Malaysia, as you know, is just north of the equator and there is never any reprieve from the heat and humidity at that latitude, and there are only two seasons, the wet and the dry. It is difficult to start any new exercise program in that weather, but this is where my serious running began. After running in a few local races I joined the Pacesetters Athletic Club Malaysia, which is based in K.L., and I have never looked back. Running with that club changed my life. Although it took a few years to acclimatize, even running at 4.30am does not alleviate the humidity and thirst along the way. The one good thing about running there is that you can get in a very long dark early morning run all year round as the daylight hours are constant with roughly twelve hours of sunshine from 7am to 7pm. There is also never any excuse to stay in bed due to the cold!

Pacesetters was formed in 1984 after the first Kuala Lumpur International Marathon by a group of friends interested in sharing information on training and competing in long distance running. With its 20th anniversary this year the club now has a current membership of 1129 (as at Dec 03), ranging from children to senior citizens. It is a very family orientated club offering a wide variety of training for all the different age groups. The training offered includes a beginners group, triathlon training, track training (youth and adult), fellowship runs, group area runs, bush runs, breakfast runs and then the long Sunday runs. There are also a number of medical practitioners associated with the club who can be contacted for advice or a consultancy. The club is also very involved in the local racing calendar and they host a number of racing events throughout the year. Specifically, Pacesetters Athletic Club would like to invite Sydney Striders to two of its events: the adidas FTAAA Pacesetters 4 x 3km Road Relay on 25th April 2004 and the Nike Pacesetters 15km on 23rd May 2004. If the Striders do not send a full team of four, and you wish to participate in the relay event, the Pacesetters will slot you into one of their local teams of equal ability. Both these races are in Kuala Lumpur and are well worth the trip. Anyone in for the challenge?

The Pacesetters website is www.pacesetters.com.my so do take the time to look through it. Mr. Wan Yew Leong, the current club president, is a very committed and dynamic leader who has pushed the club forward in leaps and bounds. In consultation with him and Stephen Jackson we decided to form a link between the Sydney Striders Running Club and the Pacesetters Athletic Club, similar to that of the link with our sister club in Boston, U.S.A. Fortunately Malaysia is only eight flying hours away, with little jet-lag and we hope that there can be some physical interaction of members between the two clubs on a regular basis.

The Footloose is the Pacesetters bi-monthly publication, named after a popular song of the time, and its contents are very similar to the Blister. It can also be found on the website. It starts with The President’s Column and is followed by articles from members, race results, the racing calendar and any other relevant information. The racing calendar can provide you with all the races for the year should you wish to start planning your running holiday early. For the past year I have written an article for each issue of the Footloose, and so the Pacesetter members are well aware of the Sydney Striders Running Club, its website and all that the club has to offer, and we have already had one Malaysian visitor to Sydney in November 2003. We hope to see more of them here in the future. Hopefully this article will inspire Sydney Striders to plan a holiday in Malaysia, incorporating a Pacesetters run or race into their itinerary.

Kuala Lumpur is a fascinating and exciting city to visit and the Pacesetter members are very friendly and would assist any Strider visiting their city in any way they can. Although the Pacesetters Club is based in Kuala Lumpur, they also have Area Group contacts in other major centres in Malaysia namely Kuantan, Klang and Penang. Kuantan is a lovely town on the Malaysian east coast, and the island of Penang is well worth visiting for a holiday, especially if one can include a race or two. There is the very exciting Penang Bridge Race, 22.2km, on the first Sunday in June every year, an event not to be missed. I have participated in many of the local runs and can give you the inside information before planning your trip.

Any Strider requiring further information on visiting or running in Malaysia can contact me via email at kartsounis@iprimus.com.au I can provide information not only running, but also good holiday destinations with a bit of snorkelling or a climb up Mount Kinabalu! So if you are in doubt as to where to go for your next holiday, consider sunny Malaysia. The weather is always hot, the people friendly and the food excellent, not to mention the favourable exchange rate. If I can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me, as I know the Pacesetter members well and can put you in direct contact with the relevant person there. I look forward to hearing from you.

So jot down in your calendar the adidas FTAAA Pacesetters 4 x 3km Road Relay on 25th April 2004 and the Nike Pacesetters 15km on 23rd May 2004. An experience not to be missed.

Viviene Kartsounis

Editor: The above article was written by Viviene for the Blister, the newsletter of the Sydney Striders Running Club, Australia.

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Running Barefoot by KC Leong
I used to blame the running shoes whenever my body aches after the runs. After all, the poor shoes are not able to defend themselves. Maybe my shoes are not good enough to provide the cushioning necessary to reduce the impact when running. Maybe I should buy more expensive running shoes. My perception changed when I met a barefoot runner while doing the 20km training run together.

Hello, Hello
When I reached the Bukit Aman car park on Sunday morning, 1st February, at 5.30am, the crowd was slightly smaller than usual. I believe it was the Hari Raya Haji holidays and that might explain why some of the Pacesetters runners were away. After parking my car, I headed to the usual starting area. I saw there were only four runners doing the stretching exercises. While greeting them “Good Morning”, I saw one barefoot runner. I have this funny habit of after greeting the runners, I would then look at their feet and observe what shoes they are wearing. It is somewhat like in sword fighting movies, the fighters tend to look at the other parties to see how they equip themselves with their weapons.

Through introduction, the barefoot runner is called Mr. Tan WS. He is from the Kuantan Area Group of the Pacesetters. Apart from meeting the Kuala Lumpur Pacesetters members and enjoying the training run in the beautiful vicinity of Bukit Tunku, the other mission was to purchase the running gears from the Vice President, Mr. Jimmy Tong, for the Kuantan runners. I realized that joining a Sunday training run is really a fantastic idea to get to know other Pacesetters members when we are in a foreign land. Since we all share the common interest, we can readily get connected with other Pacesetters runners.

Since Mr. Tan is not familiar with the terrain here, I volunteered to be his guide. At 6am, more Pacesetters runners were gathered at the starting area. The atmosphere at that moment was cheerful with every one talking to one another as though they were long lost friends.

At 6.07am, we started the training run. This time, I was running without Penguin-2, who is out of action due to a leg injury. He fell into a big drain when he was chased by a huge bulldog during his morning training run. As for Penguin-6 and other members of the Penguin group, they were doing a 26km mock run the same morning to get familiar with the KLIM actual route.

How he does it
While running, I had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Tan who ran barefooted. Running barefoot means he was not wearing socks or shoes on his feet. His running posture was efficient. He ran swiftly and his speed was slightly faster than the other runners in the pack. He told me that he has four Marathons under his belt – running barefoot. What an achievement! In order to keep pace with him, I ran slightly faster than my intended Marathon pace. Since this is only a 20km training run, I should not be worrying too much about muscle cramps due to running too fast too early.

What would you ask when you have the opportunity to run with a barefoot runner? Yes, how could he do it? As Mr. Tan explained, during the forward stride, he has to land on the front portion of the foot and not the heel to absorb the impact. His footstep is so silent that you can even hear a pin dropping. Over time, this posture of running would develop very strong carve muscles for completing extended mileage. The landing technique is just the opposite of a runner with shoes. We have been told to land on the heel so that the shoes can absorb the impact.

There is a saying something like: “We always complain of no shoes until we see someone with no foot!” As for me, I always complain that my 3-year old adidas shoes do not provide the best cushioning until I saw Mr. Tan’s barefoot running. Obviously, the presence of barefoot runners is bad for sports companies. They spend millions to produce high-tech running shoes and to promote the importance of proper footwear to cushion the impact when running. The influence from barefoot runners is that other runners might be contented with the cheaper brand of running shoes or delay changing to new shoes. After all, barefoot can also finish a Marathon!

Returning Journey
Upon reaching the Sri Hartamas Petronas petrol station at 7am, to my surprise, it was closed this morning. Then I realized that it was a Hari Raya Haji holiday. My original plan of purchasing drinking water from the petrol station was affected. As for the backup plan to purchase water from the WaterStation it also failed because I needed a container to buy the water. Luckily, Mr. Tan offered his water that he carried all the way from the starting point, and I used his plastic bottle to purchase the water at the WaterStation.

Since Mr. Tan is new here, I wanted to show him a different flavor of the terrain. Instead of going back by the same route that we came from, where there will be too much down hill run, I wanted to show Mr. Tan the toughness of the Double Hill route. But at the 15km mark, I knew that I could not match his speed to lead him via a different route. I was looking for another runner to take the lead, and I met Miss Nancy at the Government office blocks. After inquiring, I discovered that she was going back by the same way that we came. Just as we passed the turning into the Laman Tunku, I saw two runners doing the 10km run on the Double Hill route. With that, I suggested to Mr. Tan that we could try another way to go back to the Bukit Aman car park.

Whenever there was an uphill ascend, Mr. Tan would be at least 100 meters ahead of me. His energy level is just like the famous Mustang car packed with 200-horse power under the bonnet as in the movie, “2 Fast 2 Furious”. Somehow, I would use the uphill moments to walk as in the Jeff Galloway’s run/walk method. And I have to speed during the downhill portions to narrow the gap. After passing the Jalan Tunku small roundabout, Mr. Tan greeted a Pacesetters runner with a young son cycling and the wife trailing behind him. To my surprise, the runner was Mr. Lok, the Team Leader from Subang Jaya, whom I had not met but just communicated with via e-mail a few days ago.

At the last 100 meters to the finishing line, I saw Mr. Tan pick up steam. Immediately, I engaged on the 100-meter dash mode in hot pursuit of him in order to keep up the pace. Nevertheless, he was faster. This is the first time in my life running with a barefoot runner for 20km. We clocked in 1 hour 50 minutes, not counting the pit stop at the Petronas station.

By KC Leong

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Singapore Marathon 2003 Feedback by Jamie Pang

Hi Mr Wan, Munning

• Great atmosphere overall
  
• The ECP and Marina Promenade stretches were the most scenic and shady
  
• Porta-toilets were just sufficient therefore if the number of runners increase next year, this will have to be increased appropriately as well

• Marathon Expo was a disappointment. I expected some talks on tips and advice on how to run (perhaps even some route elevation profiling). The exhibitors were also quite few and they accepted only cash. For foreign runners who only arrived 1 day before race day, they've already missed out on the various clinics and the complementary podiatry session, and so had only the expo to look forward to
  
• Starting time should definitely be moved to 5am or 5.30am. Other categories can be flagged off later in staggered format
  
• More supporters needed from 33K onwards. These are the tough miles in the marathon and midpackers need all the support they can get
  
• Massage tent is quite congested and the size should be made larger. And no proper queuing system leading up to the chip surrender booth (with many finishers confused and crowding the tables) and massage section. Many runners also had to sit on the wet ground
  
• The baggage trucks should be moved nearer to the massage tent so that finishers need not walk too far to collect their bags and then back to the finishing line to cheer the other runners
  
• Sportade bottles were a chore to open, especially with wet and sweaty hands. Gatorade next year perhaps?

Jamie Pang

President's reply: Congratulations! Definitely amongst the best marathon in the region. However, not entirely without flaws. We would be taking stock of the feedback from our members and write to the organizer; it is an event we want to support and constructively we want them to correct the flaws. I be there again next year! It is interesting to see how they are going to cope with 15,000 runners.

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Powerman Malaysia 2003 by Jason Thiang
I would like to congratulate the two relay teams who had achieved good result in the recent Powerman Malaysia on 12th Oct.03 in Putrajaya.

The team members are: -

A) Mixed Relay - Chong Yoke Fong, Chan Yew Wah & R. Nanchappan (2nd. placing, total time = 2:58:35)
B) Men's Relay - Melvin Lawrence, Lee Wai Yuan & Ong Chin (4th. placing, total time = 2:50:14)

I would also like to thank our President, Mr. Wan Yew Leong for supporting the Club's debut in the multi-discipline sport.

This year (2003) Powerman Malaysia attracted more than 300 participants including the local favorites, and also overseas elite competitors. Local hero Shahrom Abdullah, was the 1st. Malaysian to complete the grueling Powerman Zofingen 2003 World Cup final in Switzerland, covering distances of a 10 km run, 150km bike and followed by a 30km run.

The Powerman Malaysia requires a participant to run 10km, cycle 60km and finally run another 10km. The team Relay may consist of 2 or 3 participants. I noticed that many Pacesetters members took part in the recent Powerman Malaysia 2003 event either in the individual or the team relay. Everyone participates for different reasons and at different capacities. Winning comes in many forms, a handful are aiming to be the champion, some may be gearing for the top positions and cash price but the majority are doing for "Powerman Finisher". Congratulations to all "winners".

For those members who are interested, the Malakoff Malaysia Duathlon Series (MMDS) is a series of 3 "warm up" events that lead up to the Powerman Malaysia. MMDS, is a run-bike-run format, has a shorter distance as compared to the Powerman. In addition there is also a Malakoff University Duathlon Series (MUDS). This is a mini series which has only 1/3 distance as compared to the Powerman. One can take it as the entry level for the journey to the Powerman. You can log into the official website to find out more about the event.

Happy training and have fun.

Jason Thiang - Subang Jaya

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YOUTH ACTIVITIES 2004
Background
PACM started as an adult running club. In the initial days there were a few youth members. However, a handful of youth and children are visible mainly just to tag along with the parents in events like breakfast runs. In June 2000 the club tried to initiate a youth group by starting a youth training program. The targets then were simple; to have a 100-member youth base that will enable the youth to function as a club within the club. At that time we had 37 youth members and to expand it to 100 by December 2000 seemed attainable. It did not happen and after 4 months the weekly youth program at Kampung Pandan had to be discontinued due to the lack of response.

We did not give up but took a step backwards to the drawing board. We initiated amendments to the club’s rules and expanded the definition of youth membership from 16 to 18 to widen our base. We restarted the youth program in May 2001 with the help of Viviene Kartsounis, KK Oon and Carina Tan. This time round the response was better and more sustainable as the coaches carried out the training session 50 weeks in a year (breaking for Hari Raya and Chinese New Year only). Capitalizing on the good response, a second session was started at MPSJ, USJ 5 Subang Jaya in February 2002. The MPSJ Group is coached by Manisekaren and George Lim. The MPSJ Group grew strongly as the location is heavily populated and the time is more conducive for the youth. Since then the Subang Group has been using the MPSJ Stadium as their meeting place during Sunday evenings. A third group has been started at Selayang Stadium in May 2003 but we understand the consistency is affected by the frequent booking of the stadium for football.

Club Within A Club
After these initiatives, the youth membership grew rapidly and as at December 2003, we have 194 members under the age of 18. We have another 40 between 18 and 24 (college going age) with such a sizeable member base, we feel it is time for the youth to have their own leaders to manage themselves. For the past two years the club has a budget allocated for the youth activities but due to the lack of leadership among the youth group, most of the budget was not used. Therefore, we target to have two youth captains to lead the youth activities for 2004 onwards. An election was called and on 14th December 2003 at MPSJ Stadium the following were elected as captains :

Boys’ Captain: Kiritharan S/O Sivanesan, Age 21, 03-56357839-H, Email: Kiritharan_pacesetters@yahoo.co.uk

Boys’ Vice-captain: Lu Wit Chin, Age 19, 012-9624683, Email: tt_lu@hotmail.com
Girls’ Captain: Lim Xiao Min, Age 15, 03-80247591 (H)
Girls’ Vice-captain: Hong Chiew Nee, Age 15, 03-5634 1923 (H), Email: ch1c_3v@hotmail.com

With the exception of Kiritharan, all the above are still students. During this meeting we also took the opportunity to present one pair of Nike shoes to our two outstanding youth members; Lim Chern Han and Suhaiyu Balqis bte Ismail. Both Chern Han and Suhaiyu have done well in the MSS Selangor and MSS KL Athletic Meet. We thank Nike Sales Sdn Bhd for their contribution.

Activities in 2004
We would like to see our youth taking part in the state athletic meets like the FTAAA All Comers Meet, FT and Selangor Youth/Senior Meet. While most youth like to focus on the sprints and relays, we would also like to see our participation in longer distance events, like the adidas FTAAA Pacesetters 4 x 3km Road Relay. For the dates of the events, please refer to the race calendar. We hope 2004 would see active youth participation in local races, both track and roads. Those interested to join the youth team can contact the respective captains above. We would dedicate a page in our website and the bi-monthly Footloose on youth activities from now on.

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adidas FTAAA Pacesetters 4 x 3km Road Relay Trial
The above event is scheduled on 25th April 2004 to be held at Majlis Sukan Negara Stadium at Bukit Jalil. As practiced last year, we would like to hold time trials as the basis to select the club’s teams. This time trial would give us the opportunity to identify new members who are capable runners that we may not be aware of. There are a total of 8 categories :

1. Girls Under 15
   
2. Girls Under 18
   
3. Women (18 to 35)
   
4. Women Veteran (Above 35)
   
5. Boys Under 15
   
6. Boys Under 18
   
7. Men (18 to 35)
   
8. Men Veteran (Above 35)

Depending on the response and quality of the time recorded, the club would sponsor one to three teams in each of the categories. The date, time and venue of the trials are as follows:

Kampung Pandan Sports Complex
7.00am to 8.30am (Saturdays) | 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th March and 3rd April.
Persons-in-Charge:
KK Oon (019-389 1918)
Carina Tan (012-313 3717)
Wan Yew Leong (019-356 9031)

MPSJ Stadium
5.30pm to 7.00pm (Sundays) | 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th March and 4th April.
Persons-in-Charge:
Jason Thiang (012-211 6280)
Jenny Lim (016-608 7517)
Manisekaren (012-408 1465)
Kiritharan (5635 7839)
Lu Wit Chin (012-962 4683)
Lim Xiao Ming (8024 7591)
Hong Chiew Nee (5634 1923)