Annie for Boston Project

Hammer Nutrition, as partners and sponsors to Team 2ndskin have pledged support for Team Athlete Annie's Boston Marathon 2015 dream. Annie will be putting in her registration for a slot in Boston Marathon 2015, based on her best full marathon timing and luck will decide if she fulfills her dream (and the dream of Team 2ndskin) to stand on the start line in Boston come April 20th 2015.

Team 2ndskin will be setting up a Hammer Nutrition Booth at the FRIM Trail Run kit collection day next weekend 20th September, Saturday from 0930hrs to 1500hrs. 

Hammer Nutrition in full support of Annie for Boston Project, has pledged to channel the profits of all sales from the booth towards Annie's expenses for this project.

The Hammer Booth is open to all, participants of FRIM Trail Run and non participants alike and we bid you to come over and support this initiative and see one of our own regular runner in the Malaysian running community achieve her dream. 

For Ironman Langkawi participants, this would be the best time to drop by and replenish your fuel needs as we will be stocking all race day essentials from Gels, to Solids and Endurolytes. Speak to us to get some fuelling advices too!

We wish Annie all the best, and we hope to see you on 20th September!

Melaka Marathon 2014 : Annie Yee

The marathon event turned out to leave a bitter taste in my mouth and something which I don’t know where should I start writing from… (Well, let me start from a good and enjoyable writing)

When the day my running mates aka my boyfriend, Jin Kuang persuaded me to sign up for this marathon, I had a bad feeling that something is going to go wrong in this race. At the same time, it coincided with the same day with another tower run which I had registered earlier. Nonetheless, to test my own lost confidence since Penang Bridge International marathon and my episode of falling down from my bike, I guessed this was the right timing for me to test myself. The quote of “DOWN BUT NOT OUT” popped out in my head when I clicked on the Malaysian women open category to register myself. 

Upon reaching Melaka, we went to collect our bibs as well as our friends’ bibs. It was a chaotic situation there. We were informed to wait while the crews went to take M size tees for us. Ultimately, the person in charged told us she has lost our friends’ bib in the recycle bags and probably other crew members have taken the bags away. Without wasting time, we asked for replacement but were told that they did not have extra chip and asked for our permission if they could just give us the bib number without the timing. How could this happen?! We sorted out the solution after that anyway.

There were a lot of familiar faces around the collection. I wouldn’t have known that the starting time of each category differed by 10 mins if Yum Kim Kok didn’t inform me. Great thanks to him! Apart from him, I bumped into Weng Woo from KL, Alvin from Klang and some runners who I haven’t met for some while.

Jin  Kuang and I walked to our place of accommodation which was located just few meters from the starting point, Hotel Sixty Six at Jalan Melaka Raya 3. The hotel is strategically located as surroundings are convenient stores (7-11, 24hours Marts), restaurants (Station One, Hailam Kopitiam, Ah Hui Bak Kut Theh) and banks. My boyfriend suggested the food for best carbo-loading would be as follows and I agreed that because I have been craving for spaghetti since long long time ago!!!

That night we tried to get an early sleep but there was a lot of noise and activity going on outside the hotel as it was a Saturday night.

I woke up right after the alarm rang. We prepared our gears and met our buddies. We met more and more familiar faces at the starting line. Not forget to thank Lee Lee's homemade muffins and her big smile did really soothe my nervous feeling. We wished every runner good luck and waited and waited..............17 mins past 4 in the morning and we were supposedly to start at 4:00 am. Runners started to make a commotion and the emcee just neglected the complains and kept on talking. Each sentence from the speaker sounded like lullaby to me, I wasn't focus on what he was saying. While seeking for the moon and praying hard, I heard was, " 3..2..1...."

REMARKS: As seen in above diagram, the last part of the marathon is so complicated....

I was running with moderate pace, around 4:40-4:50 km/hour. It was very humid and I could feel the heat was burning up my body. We went through some small streets and turned left and turned right which I didn’t know where I was heading to. There was a lady in front of me stopped for several times to ask for the direction while we passed by the seaside (I guess). There were a lot of cyclists dating hanging around and sitting on the bench looking at us passing by. “It is 4am in the morning, what are they doing at this time, aren’t they supposed to sleep at home instead of hanging out here?” Feeling uneasy, I followed the lady, trying to catch up with her. Still, I couldn’t make it. At 3.5km, I reached the first water station. But the board was written 5km. I assumed this marathon was going to be under distance.

I was running with a weak will, my mind kept telling me to stop and walk. Fighting with the devil, I chose to continue but with slow pace and counting each kilometer I passed through. I came to a roundabout at 15km and the lady stopped and doubted. I shouted at her to turn right.  When I ran towards the 20km water station, from far I saw the familiar face, Chooi Hooi standing there, had his hand on his waist. I pushed myself and he told me he had been there for the last 4 minutes waiting for me. Thanks God!

We started to pace each other up to a slightly steep slope and it was pitch dark. There was a tiny rat ran across the road and I was almost walking. I told him to ignore me if he wanted to go faster. Instead, he told me to hold on and there was left 7 water stations to go. I held the water bottle so tightly. I guess he saw it and asked me to throw away in order to run faster. We ran and saw Choy (sub3 runner) ahead of us and we sped off to pass him. Gradually, around 27km, Chooi Hooi slowed down and I ran alone....I ate my first Hammer Gel at 27.5km water station and one tablet of Endurolyte.

Once I ran down the slope, I turned around to see if Chooi Hooi had catched up with me but he did not. Choy’s strides were getting nearer and I thought he wanted to pace me but in fact no. He ran faster and faster...I passed by buildings on my left and right but the area was quiet. Suddenly, I felt my right butt was touched. One motorbike with two riders, in brown complexion flew off.

“Shall I shout?” I couldn’t recall. The immediate action I did was to run on the grassy side away from the road. A bus rumbled past me. I just kept on running with small strides. There was a guy 50 metres ahead of me. I ran besides him and talked to him. He came from Johor and he told me he wanted to speed after we reached a T-Junction. I saw Loh Choi Fern, known as Yuan Yu Fang’s apprentice was walking. She became aware that we were coming and she ran off. I tried to catch up with her but she was fast. Few hundred metres, she walked again.

I encouraged her when I ran besides her and had a chit-chat there. Her pace was slower, so I remained my pace and ran off.

Upon reaching the Melaka Raya street, I walked. It was almost 35 km. I was exhausted mentally. I took out another Hammer Gel and gorged it down. Left two water stations, Annie Go! Annie Go!!!I didn’t know when a motorbike appeared from out of nowhere leading me and I saw the finishing line. I thought I was going to there, instead of that, the motorcyclist brought me left-right-left junction till I stopped. My Garmin have shown 42.2km yet he led me astray and he even asked the police for direction. OMG!!

With 42.6km, finally I ran up the slope and to the finishing line.

Photo from Tey Eng Tiong. Thank you Sir!

A rank 9th tag was given by an Indian lady and I followed her instruction to a booth to claim my finishing tee and medal in a red plastic bag. The standard of the event was nowhere near international standard in my opinion~ I was looking around my boyfriend and asked around but no one saw him. I got nervous and worried that he didn’t not finish his marathon or he ran on the wrong route. At the same time, Chooi Hooi was back and I told him about that. He was really exhausted. We rested for a short while and walked back to the hotel to refresh ourselves. Thank God my boyfriend called just after I reached the hotel and he was in a rage and described how he ended up in police patrol car which was following the last participant of 21km. 

Everything was a mess. Even the prize ceremony happened in a chaotic situation. We were told that there was no Malaysian category anymore and many winners gathered beside the stage to find out the final decision. After all the VIP went off, only they gave the prizes for the Malaysian category

In summary, 8th of June 2014, I had a very bad experience which I don’t wish to mention anymore and lessons learnt. 

1. Ain’t going to support local and small marathons anymore. (my opinion)

2. Bring pepper spray along during training, especially for ladies.

3. Study the route in details before the race.

Last but not least, I am really grateful for the sponsorship, and my team members’ support and a lot of friends’ concerns. 2ndskintee has never disappointed me, never experienced chaffing and blisters .Kraftfitcompression pants has protected my recurring knee pain and Skechers Gorun Speed is my first choice for racing. Lastly, the Hammer Nutrition products, Perpetuem before racing, Gels and Endurolytes tablets during racing increased my energy level. This is undeniable. Of course, my advise to all still is train hard for a marathon! 

Borneo International Marathon 2014 Race Report : Deo

Somehow, Borneo International Marathon has been a must-do marathon for me. 2014’s edition marked my 4th marathon in BIM since 2011. It has been a great place to run a marathon despite the complaints on the hot weather and the high humidity level, except for year 2012 when the full marathon start time was shifted to 3am, an hour earlier than usual, the weather was all so pleasant and many runners I know had good timing that year. The week heading into the race, many friends in KK have been alerting on the hot weather there and although I prayed hard for the weather to be ok during the race weekend, it didn’t happen. Even when I touched down in KK International Airport at around 8.30pm the night before the race, I could already feel the high humidity and it remain throughout the race. Nevertheless, BIM has been a good marathon venue for me. I never came back from BIM without something to prove, timing wise. 

Twice, in 2011 and 2012, that I registered my PB there. The 2012 race was also when I got so close to coming under 4 hours (4:02) which made me to realize that I was actually capable of running a marathon under four hours (which I did in the next race in Hatyai). As for last year, the race was postponed to September due to the General Election in May. Although I didn’t get another PB, I recorded a BIM course PB. So for 2014, I was hoping for another good takeaway, either a PB or a course PB. To be frank, I didn’t worry much about the humidity or hot weather as I reckoned that I would finish the race by 7am and the weather is still bearable that time. I was more worried with the amount of rest/sleep that I would get before the race. As my Malindo Air flight, which I booked in September 2013, was changed from 1.15pm to 4.45pm (and later delayed to5.30pm), I only arrived in KKIA at around 8.30pm. Checked in at the nearby hotel and quickly headed for dinner. As soon as I settled prepping the race gears and essentials, I forced myself to sleep and only dozed off maybe around 10.30pm, only to wake up again at 1am to get ready for the race.

For the race, I wore Team 2ndSkin t-shirt in Vaporlite material, long Kraftfit compression bottom, Wrightsock socks, Skechers GOrun Ultra, 2-pocket waterproof waist pouch (similar with the Salomon waist pouch given out during Salomon X-Trail Run but a lot cheaper) bought in Bike Elementz, Garmin 910XT. For my nutrition, I had four Hammer gel, three caps of Hammer perpetuem solids, three caps of Hammer Fizz and six caps of Hammer anti-fatigue tablets.

Took a cab to Stadium Likas and quickly collected my race number and pack. Thankfully the organizer had set-up a late race pack collection counter for latecomers like myself. Met some familiar faces at the stadium, said hi, exchanged few words, took some photos before I headed to the track to do some warm ups. It was so humid that I was sweating profusely even only after a slow jog for about 400m around the track. 
At around 2.45pm we were told to head out from the stadium where the start line would be. This was a change from previous races where the start was inside the stadium. However, the route for this year’s marathon was in general similar as last year’s except the 30km u-turn point that was a bit farther up, which I think to cater the under-distance route last year. This also means, the two killer hills (or I called the heartbreaker hills) in UMS awaits runners at around KM21

The full marathon route: Likas Stadium flag off - Head south towards city centre via Tanjung Lipat Coastal Highway towards Lorong Dewan. Proceed along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, then turn left towards Karamusing Complex via Jalan Bukit Nenas into a slight gradient uphill towards Bukit Nenas roundabout. Proceed down to Tuaran Road, then turn left into Jalan Punat Tanah pass the Likas Stadium and head north towards Tanjung Lipat Coastal Highway. Proceed towards Tun Mustapha Tower then turn right on the roundabout towards University Malaysia Sabah (UMS). Turn left into UMS main entrance where runners will face a hill challenge. Run the loop in UMS before exiting via the main entrance again. Turn left towards 1Borneo Hypermall and Jalan Sulaman, U-turn at Indah Permai Roundabout and head back south retracing the route along Jalan Sulaman. Wave 1Borneo Hypermall, UMS, Tun Mustapha Tower, Tanjung Lipat goodbye. Smile and run to a strong finish at Likas Stadium.

The race started at 3am sharp. There were obviously more full marathon runners toeing at the star line this year than the postponed race last year. The final result published in the website showed that there were a total of 698 full marathon finishers. I started quite at the front, to save much time in not having to zigzag around the slower runners. I started cautiously, didn’t go too fast like in the 2XU Marathon previously. It was evident from my Garmin splits where I never ran under 5-minute average pace at all. My average pace hovered around 5:01 to 5:05 up until KM29 but ‘disaster’ struck me earlier than that, which I’ll talk about it later. There were not much problems with my run early in the race. 
I hydrated well (taking sips of Hammer Fizz which I was carrying in a 350ml bottle). There were water stations serving 100Plus and water which I did not stop at until the one just before the exit from UMS KM24. I was also taking Hammer Gel every 9km, Hammer Perpetuem Solids every 10km and Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps every hour starting from the second hour. 10km done in 50 minutes and 20 seconds and that got us back to the Stadium Likas area. And I was on track for a PB if I could maintain similar pace throughout the race. At around KM18.5, we made ourselves into UMS where the heartbreaker hills await us. The first one came just after KM19. The elevation goes from 16m to 54m rise in 1km run and there was a signage along the route stating a 10% gradient. Last year, I walked up after reaching the halfway of the climb. But this year, I ran all the way up but at a very slow pace of5:38. It was also the start of the disaster to my pace onwards where my average pace tumbled one second for every one or two kilometers. I was running all alone in the UMS, could not see anyone in front of me or anyone behind me. Aside from the three water stations in UMS that have the volunteers cheering the runners, the rest of the route was almost quiet and lonely. That did not help my run and motivation. Less than a kilometer from the downhill slope of the first heartbreaker hill, the second one await us. Although a little less steeper, 30m rise in 1km run, I could not take the second beating anymore. I took my first walk break halfway up the slope and took the opportunity to put another cap and a half of Hammer Fizz into my already-empty water bottle before filling up with water at the next water station. 
I exited UMS at KM24, beaten by the heartbreaker hills, with a timing of 2 hours and 4 minutes. By then, I knew another PB is slipping from my hand as I could not run any faster5:20 pace. All I was gunning from there onwards was a course PB which is something better than the 3 hours 57 minutes I did last year. The long stretch from UMS all the way to the u-turn point at KM 29 near the BCCM Sepangar Church was mentally challenging, al it has always been, with rolling elevation and boring sights. The only things that I could enjoy was seeing faster runners coming from the opposite direction as they headed to the finish line. I tried to count how many runners were in front of me but after counting around 20 runners, I lost count. After the u-turn, it got more livelier as now I could see more runners (those behind me) making their ways on opposite direction. Arrived at KM30 in 2 hours and 36 minutes, which mean I would have about 80 minutes for the last 12km for a course PB, which is something doable. 

Closing in to the finishing line. [photo by Glen NF]

En route to the finish line, I stopped at every water station, while using that as an opportunity to have walk breaks. I kept pouring my head with water as the sun started to shine on us and the humidity started to go up. It was a long way home, I told myself, while kept moving at a decent pace of sub 6 minutes. Arrived back in front of UMS at KM34.5 whereby we were joined with the half marathoners, those going on home stretch or those still heading their ways towards UMS direction. KM37 was where I got back to Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen (the coastal stretch) and it was already 3 hours 17 minutes into the race. Although the end is nearer, it was still another 5km++ to go and it didn’t get any easier. 

With ample time to finish the race with a course PB, I reckoned that I shall get myself moving on a 6-minute pace at least, for me to finish under 3 hours and 50 minutes. That was what I did exactly. Although the pace for the last three kilometers was slow (I even wanted to just walk in the last couple of kilometers), I arrived back at the finish line inside Stadium Likas just under 3 hours and 50 minutes. The course was a little over distance (42.52km) but it is better than being under distance previously. I am glad to be able to complete my 4th BIM with a course record, almost eight minutes faster than last year, and extend my sub 4-hour marathon to eight marathons so far. 

Annie Yee en route to her winning performance in the Half Marathon category. [photo by Glen NF]

While I was quite struggling to achieve this feat, my fellow team mate, Annie Yee cruised to win the women’s open half marathon category in a respectable timing of 1 hour 39 minutes. Congrats Annie! 

Annie on the podium.

It has been a good race for both of us :-)

Overall, it was a great event, organized by people who understand marathons and marathoners. Although I heard grouses that some water stations were running out of water, this should not take away the hard works that the organizer has put in to keep this marathon alive. Some also complaints about the hot weather and there were suggestions for the marathon to start one hour earlier at 2am, I think that is unnecessary and the hot and humid weather was something that makes BIM a unique event! 

For my race details on Garmin Connect, click here

What it is like to be in Team 2ndSkin - Annie Yee

Being in member of 2ndskin family not only grows me up in running, I have grown up in my life. I know a guy named Chan Jun Shen who was very popular (yet still very famous now). A wrong click “accept” in Facebook brought this friendship extended to joining into 2ndskin.

In this family, we have variety of sport-men ranging from runner to ultra-man and ironman.  Let’s talk about the most competent leader, Eugene Teoh. In 2ndskin, he is like a big tree who gives shades to us, protecting us from harm and guiding us. Reminiscing back to the past, his genuine guidance and advices made me move on in my life when I was in dilemma. It is hard to find someone who is supportive of you and you can feel comfortable to talk to when you have secrets. Apart from this, he is the man who finds sponsorships for supporting our team, BRAVO TO HIM!!!

Every member in 2ndskin plays unique roles whom you will be surprised when you know how determined, diligent and how much of effort and commitment they put in sports and family as well, especially Eugene and Tri-Stupe. They have always played the roles to be a caring husband, good daddy, hardworking workers and competitive sportmen. Tell me, how many people are able to balance it? Time management and to differentiate the priority are the values we need to learn from these two guys.

Being in this family, I feel warmed and contented. Last year, year 2013 in Women International Marathon, my team planned from the beginning, where is the best distance to support the runners/ when is the best time/quantity of Hammer Nutrition/location of set up the booth etc. Just because I was going to join this race, they have decided to give a hand to other participants and supported the event be merrier. We whatsapp days and nights to discuss this. J It was a sweet memory for me in this race. Their presence enlightened me and I achieved a remarkable result

MWM2013

Then, last year I had my first time birthday celebrating with my team members. We had a small party in Eugene’s house and everyone gathered there. I was touched when I knew Jun Shen purposely spent time with us and right after that he had to drive back to Lumut in the middle of night. The commitment he gave to this family taught me to be better person. The responsibility he holds as a sport-man and a military officer has never disappointed anyone.

December babies

Recently, we gathered together to have photo shoot. We had to try and re-try till our professional photographer, Mr funny Jason to nod his head saying okay! From the early morning till the sun shone brightly in the sky, we did each single shot again and again. Nobody complaint about the scorching sun, about the irritating mosquitoes’ bites, about the grumbling of the stomach. If I were the 3 years back Annie, I would probably be the one who threw tantrum to our Jason, complaining about the situation we experienced and most probably my face would have looked like the L for whole day. Instead, we made fun and laughed non-stop. Sometimes, all of us focused in the small lenses. It was cute to see this.

Who is that girl in the photo?

Fortunately, god blesses me and brings me into this team with these wonderful members. Not only to meet these good people, I am lucky to get sponsored by Skechers Malaysia, Hammer Nutrition, Kraftfit compression wear, Garmin, Spyder Phillipines, GetActive, Bike Elementz and 2ndskin!

Run Like Never Before

We are not the top runners or top in the list, but the spirit of we have in the team moves us, be a brighter and achieving the dreams which of us looking for. Being in this team, I do really changed from a pessimistic person to a better person.

Team! Thank you!!!
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Ed - we wish Annie a lot of luck and good tidings as she moves out of the comfort of her home to a new location for a brand new career north of Malaysia. Now we have another reason to head north for races and gathering. 
ps -  yes, we noticed you shedding some tears as we ended the photo session last weekend. This is not goodbye and we will see you again. 

Understanding and Treating Common Running Injuries - Annie Yee

Injuries are a common occurrence for athletes, more so for weekend warriors. Team athlete Annie was plagued by injuries during the 2013 running season where she was well below her best form. Here, she guides us through some common injuries faced by runners, which would be a good reference especially for beginners. Acceptance (of injury) is indeed the first step to recovery. Thanks Annie for sharing!

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Last year was an unlucky year for me. I had my serious injury for almost 6 months due to the ignorance of my injury and ego of myself. Lessons learnt and I, now learning to be more respectful to the injury and do my own research to find out each injury, symptoms, treatments to understand more about the injuries when I couldn't run during the period of suffering.

Annie In Action during PNM 2013. Thanks Victor for the pic.

Listed below are the common running injuries which I summarized for the comprehension of runners especially for beginners. Always remember, DON’T BE DISAPPOINTED when you are injured and can’t go out running. However, to be more specific and to know the root cause of each injury, I have always suggested runners to spend some time to meet up with a rehab specialist to understand your own body. Our partnership with GetActive provides us that outlet to learn more and how to handle injuries when it occurs. GetActive are certified rehabilitation trainers and specialists.

• Blisters -Small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin, typically caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Blisters are very common among the runners when unsuitable shoes or socks; and
• Chafing – Repetitive friction and it is generated through skin to skin contact. General, female runners always have chafing if they are not wearing proper sport bras or inner thigh. Whereas male runners have always chafing on their nipples. Examples of chaffing:

Nipples Chaffing  - Image from Internet. Source not available

Chaffing from sports bra/strap - Image from Internet. Source not available

Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) strap chaffing - Image from Health-Remedy.com

It is not surprised to see runners bleed during races. This could be due to the wear they are wearing. Or, you find out your armpit, inner thigh, area around the chest have red, painful marks and the pain exaggerated when you take shower.  ~~~Ouuch!!!~~

The Usual Suspects (of running injuries)

Then, comes to running injury of our most treasured legs! I summarised some common injuries that we have normally heard from runners or when you browsed in Facebook, you will realised runners post some terms such as ITBS, shin splits and etc.

·         Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) - A syndrome characterised by pain or discomfort seemingly originating from the contact of the posterior surface of the patella (back of the kneecap) with the femur (thigh bone).

·         Achilles Tendinitis - The Achilles tendon connects the two major calf muscles to the back of the heel. Under too much stress, the tendon tightens and becomes irritated. This symptom happens if dramatically in increasing mileages.

I have heard quite some runners faced this problem when they increase in speed works and hill training:

·         Iliotibial Band Syndrome  (IBTS) – This is the one of the common injury suffered by runners whereby cause lateral knee pain in runners. ITBS symptoms range from a stinging sensation just above the knee joint, to swelling or thickening of the tissue in the area where the band moves over the femur. The stinging sensation just above the knee joint is felt on the outside of the knee or along the entire length of the iliotibial band. Pain may not occur immediately during activity, but may intensify over time. Pain is most commonly felt when the foot strikes the ground, and pain might persist after activity.

·         Plantar Fasciitis -Small tears or inflammation of the tendons and ligaments that run from your heel to your toes. This is due to the pronation and supination.

This is one of the injury that always suffered by runners:

·         Shin Splints - Refers to medial tibial stress syndrome, an achy pain that results when small tears occur in the muscles around your tibia (shin bone). Increasing activity, intensity, and duration too quickly leads to shin splints because the tendons and muscles are unable to absorb the impact of the shock force as they become fatigued.

Fixing Injuries Pragmatically

When you have symptoms which mentioned above, it is always advisable to rest or you will end up make the injuries even severe. (Don’t be like stubborn Annie). There are some basic treatments which I found were really useful. I am not sure these treatments are useful for some runners but I would suggest doing as:

1. RICE. Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.
REST – Totally no running during this period. Or else, you will end up with disappointment and inevitable pain. I was very down when I tried during my injury period. I was very stubborn and not listened to my friends’ advices. Finally, it exaggerated the pain.

ICE – Apply ice on the area you feel pain as many times as you can. The easiest way is to cover ices with handkerchief and massage the area. This is definitely useful. During my injury period, I applied ice once I get back from working, when reading story books, when talking to phone etc.

COMPRESSION – Don’t be lazy to wear compression when you’re sleeping. It really makes a big difference after overnight.  This can be explained by compression wear helps improve venous return and oxygenation back to muscles. Apart from this, it does really relieve pain from muscle stiffness and soreness. I used to wear compression wear during working. It aids for individuals who have problem of edema. For those of you who would like to try out compression wear, Kraftfit (available on www.2ndskin.asia) make very good compression outfits at a very affordable price point. Worth trying!

ELEVATE - Place your feet up higher when sitting or laying down. Elevation the sore part allow blood to flow back easier and aid the recovery and lessen the pain. 

2. Spend time to consult sport therapist – You name it, there are so many sport therapists all over Malaysia. Human tend to be lazy and think the pain will be reduced sooner. It is always advisable instead of wasting time of waiting time than meeting up a sport therapist.

3. Alter to other aerobic exercises – If you feel the pain is unbearable, why don’t go for swimming or cycling? Okay, if you don’t have a bike or a swimming pool nearby, let’s you-tube and follow some aerobic dances or yoga.

4. Add in strength training and conditioning. Muscle imbalance effects your run. Do more, run more, finish stronger.

In nutshell, please TAKE TIME OFF if you have injuries. We are not running just for the short term but for the rest of our lives. :)

GRILLED AND SERVED - TEAM PRINCIPAL EUGENE

Team 2ndskin was formally established in Dec 2012 and it has been a whirlwind year for the team as we close in on our first 12 months as a unit. Along the way, we have interviewed all the team athletes one by one for you to get to know them better. As we draw a close to our first year and head on down towards 2014, let’s have a heart-to-heart chat with Team 2ndskin Principal Eugene and see what he has to say about the team….

Good morning, Eugene. We normally start off our athlete profile with some background. Let’s do the same for you. Tell us your story.

Good morning! I’m not sure exactly where to start, but here goes. I have a loving wife and 2 beautiful daughters who I come home to every day. I hold a 9-6 job in a dynamic and fast-paced industry that keeps me on my toes all the time. Being ambitious and fueled by passion, I run the 2ndskin brand together with my awesome buddy Jason and at the same time, I’m a strategic partner/owner in a retail brick & mortar bike store. If that wasn’t enough to fill my plate, I’m also the Team Principal of Team 2ndskin, a group of committed and passionate athletes who have become like family to me. I also indulge in quite a bit of running and cycling (more out of passion and fitness rather than competition) and I strive to keep myself fit as much as I can.

And we keep hearing excuses from people who say they don’t have time to exercise! How do you juggle your time with all your commitments?

I live on 2 principles - Prioritizing and Multi-tasking. My brain only gets to sleep when I sleep. I plan my day and what I need to accomplish when I go for my early morning runs/rides. Most of the time, I brain-storm business strategies or team directions during my workouts. I do the same on my drive to work, during lunch hour and on my drive home. Its mentally exhausting, but I love what I do, so it keeps me going.

At home, we don’t have any domestic help, so I take my fair share of household chores and squeeze in the family time. There’s honestly not much I can fit into 24 hours a day, so I make do and prioritize. It has worked so far for me.

Fitness is a way of life

You say you enjoy running and cycling. Tell us more about that. Have you been running / cycling all your life?

No I’ve not. It has been a pretty recent indulgence. I won’t go so far as to say that I have been an athletic person from young, I was always a bit on the chubbier side (for a better term!) all my life. I did represent my school in handball and was always active in intra-school sports. Most people don’t know this, but I ran my first half marathon at PBIM in 1995 at the age of 16. My passion in life has always been football and I played some competitive football during my university years. However, in 2003 and 2005 I injured my knee playing football and I underwent surgery twice to my left knee, a major one too (reconstruction of the ACL). After the 2^nd surgery, the orthopedic surgeon advised me to give up multi-directional movement sports (football, squash, tennis, badminton, etc). After rehabilitation, I decided to take up running and cycling for fitness and I have not looked back since.

All Team 2ndskin members are very strong athletes in their individual ways. Do you feel that as the Team Principal, you need to be on par or better than them in their sport, to gain their respect?

I think it’s a misconception that the team leader needs to be better than the team members in terms of skill or capacity. I know I’m not better than any one of them (If I am, then they’d better buck up! LOL). My role is a strategic one. I plan, formalize and strategize what the team should do and achieve. I look at things in a high-level manner and I try my best to give the best to the team and try to make their achievements recognizable. I work with partners and sponsors and create engagement for the team. I know the team respects me for what I do and that is enough for me to carry this through. All said and done, I have to walk the talk too, so I definitely cannot lag too far behind in terms of training and competition, so I put in my fair share of training as well. I also take a lot of advice from the team athletes when it comes to training and nutrition and I must say it has served me very well!

The world is your playground. Have fun!

There’s a good mix of gender and age in the team. Did that come along naturally, or was that planned?

You can say that it was naturally planned. Haha.

My intention from the start when the plan to formalize Team 2ndskin took place was to have a group of people, who could reach out to the community and this group of athletes has to be easily embraced by the public. All of Team 2ndskin athletes have a story to tell; their backgrounds are diverse and their experiences different and their strengths individual. Put them together though, they are the Super Six.

That was the high-level mould. Delving deeper, we definitely needed several seasoned athletes and those who have experience on their side, to guide the younger athletes and upcoming ones. Therefore, it was practical to have a mix of younger team members with lots of potential to tap on, and seasoned team members who have lots of experience to learn from. Our youngest athlete is only 24 this year and our oldest is 36, so with an age gap of only 12 years, we’re not really experiencing the generation gap and the synergy within the team is very very good. I try to play a role as a mentor to the younger team members as well, and they know that they can come to me for guidance as well as advice in all aspects of life, not just sports.

In the last 12 months, do you think Team 2ndskin has progressed in the manner that you had envisioned it to?

Honestly, I think we have come a long way in the last 12 months. We have exceeded my initial expectations for the team, but we’re definitely not resting on our laurels. More and more people are recognizing the team now and that is a good thing. Since the start of the year, we have had increasing numbers of people who have asked the team for advice, tips and generally opinion on running, nutrition and gear and we welcome all queries and approach without any restrictions. We will endeavour to provide as accurate information to the best of our experience and knowledge at all times.

Look at Ee-Van, he is always sharing information, training tips and advice without restriction. People should value him for his efforts. Roy is a 2x stroke survivor who has gone on to finish a 160km ultra. How many ‘clean’ medical history runners can claim to have done 160km? Chan juggles heavy responsibility and commitment as a Navy Officer and keeps himself in tip-top condition year in year out. Annie is a role model for women in running and her achievements speak for itself. Steven is the most humble person I know, who has bags of experience behind him. He has done what others only dream of and has lots to share. Irene lives the life where many of us do not dare. She is putting her passion in sports ahead of her studies and she is committed to her dream to turn professional one day. My vision is to have this team of outstanding individuals inspire people to live a healthy and active lifestyle and that juggling a full time job, family commitments and passion for sports is very achievable.

This year we have accomplished several good initiatives. Project CARES was a success for both beneficiaries, Dignity For Children Foundation and NASAM. We will definitely continue with this for 2014 and hopefully beyond. We had an opportunity for direct engagement with runners at our support station at MWM as well as a fitness talk we conducted that was organized by Garmin Malaysia. Both were also well received and that was very encouraging.

2014 will be very challenging. Internally within the team, 2013 has been a bar that has been set to a level that we will want to surpass. Fingers crossed, we will.

Very encouraging indeed! Am sure it would not have been possible without support. Tell us about Team 2ndskin sponsors and partners. How has the relationship been with them?

I am very grateful to our 3 main sponsors for 2013, Skechers Malaysia, Hammer Nutrition (Global Aerotech) and Garmin Malaysia (AECO Technologies) for believing in us and supporting us 110% all the time. When Team 2ndskin started out in Dec 2012, we were “nobodies”, so to speak. Skechers, Hammer and Garmin are all giants in their respective industry, with a long history of outstanding products, but they took the time to listen to us and they believed in our team vision and plan. Throughout the year, they have been behind us all the way and have never put pressure or unreasonable expectations on the team. Midway through 2013, we hooked up with a local setup, Kraftfit Compression who are also a bunch of passionate sports people and live the same dreams and visions as us. We are also proud to be associated with Kraftfit and hope to help them establish themselves as a brand to be reckoned with in the future.

I am lucky to come into contact with the people behind Skechers, Hammer, Garmin and Kraftfit in Malaysia, both on a working as well as personal level as they are some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. I take this opportunity to thank all Team 2ndskin sponsors for 2013 for the supply of excellent products and support as well as being a pillar of strength for the last 12 months.

Will they still be supporting Team 2ndskin for 2014?

Wouldn’t you like to know! For now, I’m keeping all potential partnerships and sponsorships for the team for 2014 under wraps. None of the team athletes know about next year’s plans yet so don’t even think about trying to pry information from them! I will definitely make an announcement come end Dec when we launch the 2014 plan.

Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.

Guess we will just have to wait for that! So what are your plans for Team 2ndskin for 2014?

I’m definitely looking at a higher level of engagement with the sports community for 2014, especially with beginners and those who have just started running / cycling / fitness as a lifestyle. The plan is to have several community programs organized by Team 2ndskin that will help beginners to the sport embrace the lifestyle and continue the momentum. This is definitely one of the ways the team can give a little back to the community. I have done something similar on a personal level and smaller scale with a group of runners who do 10km and were stepping up to the 21km distance. They have been very receptive and appreciative of advice and guidance I have given to them and I would like to take that to a larger level with the community, via Team 2ndskin.

On a more individual level with the team athletes, I am looking at assisting them to reach their potential and to achieve the goals they have set for themselves in 2014. There will be more one-to-one sessions that I will have to see which areas that I can help them with to the best of my capacity.

It looks like exciting times ahead in store for the team. What about yourself? What are your plans for 2014 outside of Team 2ndskin?

Yes it is! I am very excited for 2014 to kick off for Team 2ndskin and I believe the team will embrace the challenges ahead in a positive manner.

On a personal front, I would definitely like to spend more quality time with my family, take more breaks and smell the roses a little bit more. I also hope that 2ndskin as a brand keeps growing and will reach further shores and gain more prominence. I can definitely tell you that I have a big surprise in store for 2014, but it is too early to say anything right now. Will definitely share the news when the time is right!

Thank you very much for taking time out for this. Before we end this chat, is there anything else you want to share or say?

One last thing…. Jason, EV, Annie, Chan, Roy, Steven and Irene; I am very proud to know all of you and what you continuously do inspire me. Thank you all for being a part of this team. It is definitely my honour to walk down this road with each and every one of you. Let’s make 2014 memorable!

2XU Run Race Report by Tri Stupe

With Annie

We all love race reports. Team 2ndSkin has raced in many races and the team's schedule can be viewed in this part of the website here. Some of our team mate has their own blogs and it is only natural that some cross-postings happen between here and theirs. Today, it is Ee-Van aka Tri Stupe's entry on the recently concluded 2XU run at Bukit Tunku area. Himself and Annie Yee raced and Annie came up 5th in the Women Category. Congrats Annie! Well done Stupe on the good timing for the 15km run (1:11:45)

Here is his race report

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2XU 15km 2013 Race Report

...Many would had thought it was the ONLY hill, as after all, Bukit Tunku can't be that brutal, right? All i can say is that the 2XU run provided me what I usually do on Sunday...Hillwork. I was really happy as beyond KM8 was hills after hills after hills...[click here to read the full entry]

Thank you Kenny Foo Photography

Annie Yee : Medibank Melbourne Marathon 2013 Race Report

Today is Our Team Athlete Annie Yee's Graduation Day. What better way than to commemorate her graduation with her recent Personal Best Marathon timing set in Melbourne Marathon?

We wish Annie all the best in her future races (and career). This is one inspirational woman. This is her road to a 3:34:51 Marathon. Awesome.

Annie and her friend on their Graduation. Photo from Annie's Facebook

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Annie Yee : My Marvelous Melbourne Marathon 

Medibank Melbourne Marathon 2013 with a slogan of Anything is Possible.

For a 23 years old girl who has just stepped into working world less than 2 months, running a marathon in Australia is definitely “Something is Impossible”. Running a marathon in MELBOURNE is like my dream comes true!!!

By the time I arrived at Melbourne, it was 1145am. My friends and I headed to the Expo to retrieve our bib numbers. It was a big expo where there a lot of popular partners were taking part. I was proud to see the Malaysia Women Marathon booth was there as well.

Everyone was excited yet looking forward for the marathon. After having my favourite dinner, Lasagne and a plateful of salad, we walked back to our hotel nearby and prepared to rest. A set Kraftfit compression wear, 2ndskin team tee, a pair of Skechers GoSpeed, two Hammer gels and a pair of gloves lay on my bed. Having looking at them, I felt excited and nervous.

Alarm rang at 4.00 in the morning. A muffin and a cup white coffee as usual my breakfast, seven of us set off to the destination. I drank a bottle of Perpetuem in the mini van while on the way to the Melbourne Cricket Ground( MCG ) where the marathon starting line. Upon reaching the MCG, it was crowded with Caucasians and only few Asian looks. It was very different from Tokyo marathon which I joined last night. Runners here wore very simple, a vest and a short. Most of them were wearing long sleeve vest. My friends and I asked for direction to the starting line and we past through a pedestrian bridge. There were quite a number of vans. Only I realized that the vans were actually the mobile toilets!! Amazing that it was very clean!

We chit-chatted and warmed up to make ourselves to be warm. I was freezing cold. I was jumping up and down to make myself warm. Gradually, runners flood the starting area. I bumped into one Penang runner and another KL runner at opposite side. Runners greeted each other and sent good luck to each other. Supporters were as many as the runners. My heart was pumping and praying that I could make my personal best without any injury. I tried not to think of my pain on my right leg.

3...2....1......Here we were, I ran along with other runners. I was very excited once heard the pistol bang as we were running in a gang. Unlike Malaysia marathons, here, there were crowd of runners. I tried not to look at my watch and followed the 3:20 pacers. As usual, I loved seeing people back, leg, how their movements so that to distract myself. Without knowing that, my Garmin 910 buzzed to show 5km.

By the time I ran past Lakeside Drive, the sun was raising but the breeze made me goose bumps. There were footsteps as the horses coming from behind. Just in few second, a pacer with a flag stated 3:20 with a herd of “horses” past by me. They were chit-chatting while running. It was just too fast and too furious. I was curious why runners in front of you pointed to a direction. Before knowing what the reason is, I realized there was a bump. Runners ahead were trying to hint the runners behind them to be cautious.

I was looking for Malaysian runners who ran opposite direction of me to distract myself from thinking of coldness but I couldn’t spot any of them. We ran along the Bay street where the river was just besides us. I checked my Garmin and surprised to see my pace at this 13-20km was around 4:50mins/km. It was faster than I expected. At 25km, we ran into a bush and made a U-turn to housing areas. Residents and spectators were very supportive and some of them were standing there just to pass us the sugars and sweets.

Upon reaching 30.0km, I knew my laziness attacked me again. I ate my first Hammer Chocolate gel before a water station. My pace gradually became slower to 5:02mins/km. Struggling to finish line, I kept on telling myself, must be strong despite of the calf pain. We ran along the walking path of St Kilda Road where the road had been closed exclusive for participants. Yet, the spectators were very supportive. I felt motivated by their yells and shouting.

I jogged a while and started to run starting from 34km. I lost to the devil again. My pace dropped to 5:35mins/km when ran along the Domain Road. Left 8km, gambateh Annie!!!I was talking to myself at that moment. It was too hard for me, for someone who did not have LSD. I tried to focus and kept on telling myself the goal I needed to achieve in this marathon. There was one Asian guy walked in front of me. He was the second runner I saw in this marathon who walked.  Rain drizzled around 38km with chill breeze freshened my mind. Though my pace had dropped to 5:35 mins/km, I gained my last energy to finish my 42.2km. Finally, I reached the stadium. We had to pass by a 400m lane to the finishing line. The digital time showed 3:33:XX. I sprinted……….and 3:34:51!!

I was over excited to know that I can run a sub335! A unique medal, Gatorade drinks and an apple were provided for every runner. Pouring rain made the weather even chiller. I was shivering and trembling. After 20mins of waiting, I met my friends eventually. We talked in the mini van while waiting others to finish. I enjoyed my Hammer Recoverite while sharing the experiences.

I was grateful that my calf was ‘obedient’. It was a minor pain in this 42.2km journey yet I survived. My aim to be sub330 has to be on hold.  I will be to run harder, smarter and be determined! 

Sweet

Lessons to be learnt.

1. It is essential to train ourselves LSD before running a marathon. It was suffering physically and mentally as lack of preparation.

2. Equip ourselves to adapt different weather in order to obtain the best timing.

3. Sleep well, rest adequately.

4. Don’t think too much. Be confident of yourself!

In my point of view, for a beginner who want to try 42.2km, the points I did mention is what I am still doing it.

 

3:34:51. Legit.