About Weekend Runner

Ainaa Samsudin // Athlete Wannabe // Ultramarathon Finisher // Occasional Traveler // FurMommy to a Kitty // Corporate Ladder Climber

5 reasons why you should join a trail run

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Weekend Runner

After a few months taking some time off from running and exploring a new interest in crossfit, I am now back with a more consistent running schedule! Lately I’ve been more interested with trail running, and the most recent trail run that I participated was King of Kampung Kemensah in the 18km category. I had a good time running off-road, and here are 5 reasons why you participate in a trail run too:

My hijab is as cheerful as the race day vibes. It feels good to be back!

1)Less participants, less bottleneck and congestion

To avoid over-crowding the single lanes in the trail, organizers usually limit participants to less than 1000 in total
Parking is easy, because there are less cars too
Due to the small number of participants, it is easier for organizers to manage the welfare of participants, which means there is always an abundance of food!

2)Running is more challenging

There are various terrains that you can expect, such as muddy, sandy, or rocky. It takes time to get used to balancing and running on uneven surfaces.
It is more humid in the forest. This will also attract bugs such as mosquitoes and leaches.
Cuts and bruises are all part of the trail run package. Just think of them as souvenirs and battle scars from the event, embrace them and be proud of them!

3)It takes you to beautiful places

Such as this:
And this:
But if this view does not convince you to join a trail run, I don’t know what will:

4)You will appreciate nature

You will never take clean air for granted again
Take notice of the interesting leaves, foliage, and bugs surrounding you. Everything is beautiful in their own way!
Sometimes you just have to accept whatever Mother Nature throws at you. The weather can be unpredictable – it’s better to be over-prepared with the right equipment.
Most organizers are now implementing BYOB – Bring Your Own Bottle. Trails are cleaner thanks to this new rule, and I fully support this move.

5)You will learn to respect the distance

Running 21km on the road is not the same as 21km in the trails. Therefore, trail running requires a different training strategy than road races.
Elevation is always a part of trail running. Get used to running uphill, climbing the stairs, and strengthening your quads and glutes.

The 19.8km “half marathon”

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Weekend Runner

Malaysia Women Marathon (MWM), it feels good to be back! Since this is one of the few women-only running events in Malaysia, I would like to give my full support and hopefully, make a difference in the female community. This year I decided to run in the half marathon category instead (last year I did the full marathon).

Here are 3 highlights of the running event:

1.Race kit collection venue

I loved the venue of the race kit collection (Acapella Hotel) because parking and location was convenient, not to mention it was fully air-conditioned too! Plus there were forums, talks, and discussions on-going at the main stage, which were very informative and educational. Here are some of the pictures out and about the REPC:

Dropped by Nashata's booth to check out the new EZ skirt

REPC will not be complete if I did not drop by Nashata’s booth to check out the new EZ skirt!

A familiar face that requires no introduction

Bumped into familiar face that requires no introduction

Unfortunately, the organizers forgot to print my official pacer’s bib number despite him already registering a few weeks prior to this event.This resulted in a very unprofessional-looking bib number with his details hastily scribbled using a marker pen:

2.Route

Just like last year, the route was ‘hilly’ as ever, but I was prepared for it. With the help of my official pacer, we were on track to break my PB. He helped me keep my focus, and pushed me when necessary.

Unfortunately, the half marathon distance did not even reach 20km. I don’t feel like I deserve this medal. Perhaps the organizers should replace the “21KM” engraving on the back with “19.8KM” instead:

3. Overall vibe and atmosphere of the event

Today, the ladies ran the show while the men took the supporting role as pacers.There was certainly so much love for the ladies. Go get ’em PBs and podiums, girl!

I would like to send some love to the cheer squad for spreading some positive vibes through the posters at KM17 the last few kilometers was certainly the hardest. (All cheer squad photos are courtesy of Kyserun Krew):

My first CrossFit Open Games 2017 Experience

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Weekend Runner

Last Saturday I unleashed my inner beast mode and did my very first CrossFit Open Games even though I have not registered for it. It was crazy brutal – I have been doing CrossFit for almost 8 months, yet this was the first time I was unable to finish a WOD (Work out of the Day). I knew this was something I had to do every week. So without much hesitation, I immediately signed up, paid the US$10 fees, and uploaded my score to https://games.crossfit.com.

What is CrossFit Open Games?

A typical CrossFit class will consist of 3 components: Warm Up, Strength/Technique, and Workout of the Day or WOD (this is the highlight of every class). Usually, it is up to the coach to determine what WOD will it be. But for CrossFit games, a WOD will be announced via the CrossFit Games website. The WOD announced must be completed within Friday until Monday, 5pm Pacific Time. Then, participants will upload their scores on the website and their coaches will verify as judges. The best part is anyone can participate! If they could not do the Rx (more advanced techniques and heavier weights), then they can do the Scaled version, which was what I did. Everyone is encouraged to do to the best of their abilities.

I can’t do a pull up. I can’t do double unders…and the list goes on. But I registered anyways. *all photo credits in this post goes to Fuelprime Crossfit

Why did I do it?
1. I have always been curious about how do I fare against other athletes. Based on the scores that I have to submit weekly, I know where I stand.
2. Running all the time can be boring and mundane. Yet, I needed an outlet to feel competitive, so I turned to CrossFit Games.
3. Peer pressure – Thanks to my CrossFit gym buddies, I wanted to be a part of the hype too!

What was the WOD that I had to complete?

WOD 17.1

This WOD is capped at 20 minutes. For female (scaled), I used a 10kg dumbbell, 20-inch box and I could step up on the box instead of jumping.

How did I fare in the end?

My score. I could not complete the last 15 step up over box burpees.

My ranking on the Leaderboard

I rank 27 out of 50 for Female Malaysian athletes in the scaled category as of 8.44pm, Malaysian time. I am sure more scores are being uploaded and verified as we are speaking.
Conclusion: I love how this CrossFit Open Games is inclusive, regardless of their level of experience. Everyone is encouraged to try and submit their scores. I’ve seen videos of 85 year old grandmothers doing dumbbell snatches and a one-legged amputee doing box jumps. So no more excuses! I am nervous yet excited for next week’s WOD!

These crazy people made me do it!

Hiking essentials

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Weekend Runner

I run and work out more often than I hike, hence, I have never called myself as a “hiker”. Occasionally, I do enjoy being disconnected and off the grid for a few hours, and I find that Gunung Nuang is one of my favourite places to “escape” (it feels like a quick holiday!). As beginner, I learnt the hard way about some of the items that you must have. Based on my limited knowledge, I think that this list is very basic, yet I am still finding a balance between packing light and being prepared. Let me know what you think, and I’ll add on more to the list!

Disclaimer: This list is only suitable for day trips, not for overnight stays.

Until next week,

The Weekender Runner and Newbie Hiker.

Travelling essentials

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Weekend Runner

Scratching your head over packing for traveling? This post is for you!

Scratching your head over packing for travelling? This post is for you!

Besides working out, I wear my activewear from Nashata to almost everywhere – while running errands, buying groceries, lounging at home, and most importantly, while travelling. They are practical, modest, functional, and you have to admit, with their flattering cut I feel good wearing most of Nashata’s outfit. Almost all of Nashata’s range of products make good travelling outfits, but after experimenting a few pieces on short and long haul flights for vacations of various purposes, I have short-listed 4 of my favourite that I simply cannot leave home without:

Riada Sweatpants
Sibaha Modest Swimsuit
Heather Hoodie
Backpack

I hope that this will be helpful for ladies who are always on-the-go and wants to find practical solutions for their holiday outfits. Do you have any favourite products from Nashata that you just cannot live without?

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Weekend Runner

A few weeks ago, we were fortunate to have Jason Robinson during our regular Tuesday night runs with Kyserun Krew. Jason Robinson from Mont Kiara Running Club (MKRC) is a well-known ultra running figure in the local community who won 1^st place in TMMT 2016 100km and 4^th place in TMBT 2016 100km. He shared his experience and a few training tips, stating that his regular training grounds are Kiara Park Trail and occasionally Gunung Nuang.

Last Sunday, just like most running Sundays, I was excited to participate in an event called Conquer the Trails @ Kiara Trail Run 2017. With Jason Robinson’s tips still fresh in my mind, I was excited to run through the same training grounds as an ultramarathoner! I was unable to verify if this was the same route taken by MKRC, but while running they looked pretty confident and they know where they are going so I guess they are familiar with this route. The total elevation gained with the 13km course was around 530 – 550m (depending on your GPS watch), so if you are training for an ultramarathon, repeat the loop several times so get enough mileage and total elevation gained.

Never too bright or pink for the trails. A little bit too optimistic for what lies ahead I guess?

And as for me, I have only ran on the road portion of this park during my Tuesday night runs or on weekends. The trails, on the other hand, is a total uncharted territory for me. Elevation is no stranger in any trail run, however, this time I allowed it to get the best of me. I had to stop in the middle of my climb to catch my breath – a sign that I need to work on my endurance and stamina again. I admit that since this is the first trail run of the year, I have not set foot in any trails for quite some time. I forgot how it felt to be agile yet nimble while running in the trail – my feet were clumsy and my movements were too calculative. All of these cost precious time, so it took me 3 hours 31 minutes to complete the route, with a sinking feeling that I knew I could do better.

Not my best race but I’ll be back!

This trail run serves as a hard reminder that I need to train more off-road to build again the skills, stamina, and endurance that was lost during my off-season for the past few months. It looks like I have some serious catching-up to do, so expect more trail runs for the next few months!

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner

I love this BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) concept at any trail run. Look at how clean this water station is!

Run. Eat. Repeat!

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Weekend Runner

If there’s anything that I love more than running or working out is food. Combine those 2 things together, you get a marathon that is worth repeating year after year! Twincity Marathon is unique because it is a big-scaled running event that has an abundance of food (the only event that I have experienced lots and lots of food are ultramarathons because there are not many participants). On top of that, it also provides prayer facilities at several water stations that is well-planned for both fast and slow runners.

Our big family of runners and pacers

I decided to participate again in this year’s half marathon category. Last year, I went as a “ghost” runner in the same category (run without a bib, no medal at the finishing line waiting for you, and pray you don’t get caught!) so I did not have the privilege and luxury of time to enjoy the generous spread of food at several water stations. However, I still had a great experience so it was worth paying and registering instead of participating as a “ghost” again.

Me after crossing the finishing line last year. Run at your own risk, “ghost” runners.

Except for the inconveniences during the bib collection (the Men’s 21km bib were not ready on time), Twincity Marathon was certainly an event not to be missed. Besides the food and the thoughtful prayer facilities, it is also a relatively flat route with minimal elevation. It would have been a great opportunity for me to set another PB, however I admit I did not train enough prior to this event but mainly, I was distracted by so much food. Blame it on my short attention span!

Do you expect me to choose between running and eating?

Do you expect me to choose between running and nasi lemak?

Can you make mine with those swirly leafs on top with extra foam?

After all of that good food, you need dessert at the end to top it all off. This is Malaysian ice cream by the way, with frozen pink syrup and condensed milk.

Even more food at the finishing line! Wait, there was a finishing line? I forgot that this was a running event, not a feast

For once, I was not really disappointed about not hitting any PB or target. I might have not been able to perform my best for that day, but I still had a good time because I really enjoyed myself. I would do this run all over again next year, and I hope that the organizers keep up the fun vibe for this event!

Too much sugar and ice cream, girls?

A familiar face that requires no introduction. So glad to be seeing you back in running events, buddy!

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.

The Local Runcation

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Weekend Runner

Everyone loves a vacation, especially when there is some running involved. To officially start the 2017 running season, I took part in AIA Vitality’s Men’s Health Women’s Health (MHWH) Night Run in Johor, running in the 21km category.

MHWH Night Run is no stranger to those who are already familiar with the Malaysian race calender. In fact, I have ran in the same event but in a different location and edition . However, for 2016’s edition, the MHWH Night Run Penang-Putrajaya-Johor series is special because it is sponsored by AIA Vitality. In line with their aspirations to encourage a healthy lifestyle, AIA Vitality have kicked off a series of night runs since 2016 starting from Penang and later to Putrajaya. Unfortunately, due to my travelling schedule I was unable to attend both previous events at Penang and Putrajaya so I was glad that I was able to make it this time.

Under AIA Vitality, the scale of the event has increased tremendously. With the large number of participants, we were glad that we were allowed to post our race kits straight to our doorstep. Another significant improvement was the distance. If my memory serves me right, the longest distance for the previous edition was only 12km, but this year it has expanded to include 21km as well. The best part of this event was that there were also pacers to help you hit your PB or your target!

Pacers in any event for half marathon distance is always a good idea

Despite participating in a few night runs for the past few years, this is my first time running a half marathon at night time. In fact, most of my night training are usually less than 10km. However, with adequate rest and proper food (very challenging since you are on a runcation – you’re too excited to rest and eat properly) I don’t think it will affect your performance.

So to prepare myself for the night run, I took about 1 hour nap before heading out to the race village. We arrived quite early so there were plenty of opportunity to mingle around with other running crews and meet new faces. Some of them also happen to be pacers for the event, so there was a good mix of various age, gender, and experience range for the pacers.

I tried to follow the 2:20 hour pacer and kept up for as long as I could. Eventually, my pace dropped and I felt a slight disappointment when I could not even catch up with the 2:30 hour pacers. In the end, I completed my half marathon in 2 hours and 37 minutes. Looks like there is no PB renewal this time L

Despite not being able to achieve my sub 2:30 target, running in Johor has been a wonderful experience. The crowd was supportive, the atmosphere was positive, and the event was smooth. This event has certainly set the bar high for the next MHWH Night Run edition, and I hope in the future the event will be bigger and better.

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.

My kind of New Year Celebration

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Weekend Runner

Other than an occasional 5-10km runs, I have been taking time off from long distance running. I just needed to give my feet some rest and explore other interests (and fell in love with Crossfit along the way, it will be a permanent part of my cross-trainings). So today, armed with a fresh and festive New Year spirit, I decided to take on a very ambitious route with a few friends to kick start my 2017 running schedule: Gombak – Genting Sempah – Gombak, which I affectionately call as the mini-Route68 Challenge. What better way to celebrate the New Year than to do some LSD, right?

Route 68 Challenge is an ultra marathon that starts from Gombak to Genting Sempah, and then all the way up to Bentong, Janda Baik, Bukit Tinggi, etc. The mini-Route68 that I ran today (Gombak – Genting Sempah – Gombak) was only 34km. It is also a popular training route not just for runners, but for cyclist as well due to it’s elevation and winding roads. As early as 7am, the parking lot at the base of the route was already filled with people. There are not many vehicles along this route because there is a new highway to go to Genting Sempah, plus there are plenty of trees and wide open views. But running alone is not recommended as there are monkeys and dogs along the way. Plus, it is a self-support route – there are no petrol stations, toilets, or shops along the way. It is better to have at least a partner to run with you just in case you need additional food or water.

I did not take much photos along the way, but the route looks just the same as this Google photo. Lush greenery along the way, it was indeed a very beautiful route.

As a first timer on that route, I did not set very high expectations; I just wanted to complete 34km in under 5 hours. Unfortunately, we exceeded the target by about 30 minutes. It was raining all the way until we get to the Genting Sempah, and there was no shelter. Luckily, there was no thunderstorm so we were determined to complete the whole mini-Route68. We took about 2 hours 30 mins going up the 17km from Gombak, then stopped to refuel and dry up at Genting Sempah R&R. As I have not ran more than 10km for a really long time, I had to resort to run-walk-run-walk even when going downhill. I seriously need to build up my endurance and stamina again for some long distance events coming up!

Elevation profile, taken from the official Route 68 website. We did not run until 50km though.

While running, I was imagining the actual Route 68 Challenge which will take place in April 2017. Will I have the guts to register for that event, given my not-so-stellar performance at today’s LSD training?

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner

“Jaguh kampung”*

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Weekend Runner

*for my non-Malaysian readers, “jaguh kampung” can be loosely translated as a homeground winner

When was the last time you get to know your own community? Some prefer to mingle through volunteering, such as through recycling programmes or “gotong royong”. Others like to invite their neighbours over during festivities. For me, I like to get to know my community doing what I love the most: running. Last Sunday I decided to join a 10K run around my neighbourhood in a small-scale event. What better way to know my neighbours than to run with them? There was no fancy sponsors and organizers – it was supported by the Residence Association and the local city council (MBSA), with prizes and goodies mostly contributed by neighbourhood shops and local businesses.

As it was a simple event, there were not many participants. From my rough estimation, there were less than 100 women for all categories: 10km, 7km, and 3km. There were also 3 Kenyans only (no point trying to outrun them, my short Asian feet will never be able to keep up!). The route was also my regular running route – I knew every turn, elevation, and landmark by heart. Based on these parameters, I concluded that my chances to finish in the top 5 for the Open Women category was pretty high.

Very early in the race (at about 1km) I was overtaken by the Kenyans. I let them take the lead, for I know I will not be able to match their 4:00 – 5:00min/km pace. As you might have read from my previous running posts, I am not a fast runner. I maintained my regular pace of 6:30 – 7:00min/km for the first half of the race, however I was leading among the women after the Kenyans and about 20 male participants. I can see a few other female runners just right behind me a few hundred meters away. They eventually dropped out and started to walk. After securing that no female runner could overtake me, I got comfortable and complacent, so my pace slowed to about 7:30-8:00min/km. I cruised away until the finishing line and finished in 2^nd place for the 10km Open Women category.

From right: The Champion, The Runner Up, and The Second Runner Up

Despite the small-scale event, it was surprisingly well-organized. With the exception of a few hiccups during the bib and t-shirt collection, the event went smoothly. They did not compromise on safety; police, RELA, and the ambulance were patrolling along the route. The direction and distance markers were clear, and at every water station there were enough water and even bananas. I wished that there were timing chips and the medal design could be improved, but since the registration was pretty cheap at RM45, the price point matches the quality of the event.

I was happy that I managed to finish in 2nd place but I was more happy when I see participants having fun and enjoying themselves while getting to know each other in this event. In conclusion, we should always support our local community and contribute back in whatever way we can, no matter how small the event might sound or how insignificant our efforts might be.

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.

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Author Archives: Weekend Runner

About Weekend Runner

5 reasons why you should join a trail run

The 19.8km “half marathon”

My first CrossFit Open Games 2017 Experience

Hiking essentials

Travelling essentials

Riada Sweatpants

Sibaha Modest Swimsuit

Heather Hoodie

Backpack

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn

Run. Eat. Repeat!

The Local Runcation

My kind of New Year Celebration

“Jaguh kampung”*