Tag Archives: AIA vitality

Just when you think you can’t get enough of hilly routes…

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His & Hers – Me in Ultra Top while our 2:10 pacer is in Luke Top

When Sis Eliza (founder of Nashata.com) asked me if I would like to join Men’s Health Women’s Health (MHWH) Night Run 2017, I said YES in a heartbeat. I joined the 12km category this time, compared to 21km at the Johor edition because I had plans to run PJ Half Marathon the following morning (Kids, don’t try this back-to-back event thingy at home!) but however, that plan did not materialize because I had a family event.

This is not my first MHWH event. I have been a fan of this event since 2015, and it has expanded ever since. Why MHWH Night Run is one of my favourite running event:

  • Generous contests and giveaway. AIA Vitality and MHWH chanelled plenty of free slots through various groups and organizations, and luckily Nashata was one of them.
  • Exhibition seem to be one of the highlight of the event. Plenty of lounging spots for supporters to just chill and enjoy the night. There were plenty of food trucks too
  • I love the fun, party-like vibe to the event. Meriah!
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Pacers need to fuel up too! Image courtesy of Kyserun Krew

I had no ambitions to renew my personal best (PB) once the organizers announced that they changed the venue to MARDI Maeps. I had experiences running there previously, and it is known for the rolling hills compared to their original route at Putrajaya. Hence, my aim was to just keep going and don’t give in the the hills – just run to enjoy the view, and that’s precisely what I did.

For example:

Enjoying the view #1

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I did not detour to see what they had inside, but the cute statues did catch my eyes

Enjoying the view #2

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The half marathoners had to go in a loop twice, hence this screen was very useful to keep count if they have completed the second loop

And the rest was too dark to be captured. I knew MARDI Maeps has some pretty calming countryside views in the day; you can see horses running around and some cows grazing. However since it was night time and insufficient lighting even the roads became hard to see. Oh well, at least I can’t properly see the rolling hills ahead of me until I started to ascend it.

When I reached the finishing line at around 10pm the crowd was still buzzing and there was no signs of slowing down. We tried several food trucks however I was already exhausted from running, I did not walk around the exhibition area. Eventually, it was time to go back. I went home with a full belly and only good memories about this event, and hope to run for another MHWH event again in the future.

Ending the night by bumping into a familiar face

Ending the night by bumping into a familiar face

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An event will be incomplete without a group photo with them

Short vs Long Run. Which works for you?

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Ever wonder if short or long run is better for you? After a weekend of long runs, and many months of short runs prior to that, here are my findings:

  1. Short runs are good to improve speed
    Frequent short runs are good. Go intense if you want to be fueled by carbs, but go easy if you want to be fueled by fat. Balance your running schedule between running fast and going easy. Running fast or intensely  puts stress on your muscles, but in a good way as it pushes you to improve. Running at easy pace is relaxing on your muscles – much needed in your routine
  2. Push to your limits at long runs occasionally
    You get to improve endurance at long runs. Try run within good heart rates and balance between improving timing and distance. To me, both short and long runs must go hand in hand.
  3. Let your body recover well
    Short or long, fast or slow, make sure your body recovers well. Your body needs to rest and take time off. Here’s a recovery plan for half and full marathon. Let your muscles heal and energy restored.

MY STORY OF LONG RUNS BACK TO BACK

My week ended with much sore and pain after a 12 km and 21 km run back to back. I am a recreational runner who runs for fitness. I hardly go for competitive races for various reasons, but last weekend I did two long distance runs.

Normally, I would run 5 km on average 5 times a week as my focus the past months was to improve speed. Three days before the back to back long runs, I trained and ran 12 km within 1 hr 17 mins. I was happy with the speed but not happy with the after effect on my knee. I felt acute pain on right knee.

When I was running fast and injured my knee after

When I was running fast and injured right knee after.

I rested for 3 days and went to the 12 km and 21 km weekend runs with least expectations – not being able to run at all.  l didn’t want to miss MHWH Night Run by AIA Vitality 12km run at MAEPS so I tried my luck, joined the crowd and started running slowly.

Surprisingly, there was no pain. So, I kept running and increased speed along the way. I finished with no injury at 01:39:02, and felt I should prepare for the PJ Half Marathon, the morning after. At the PJ Half Marathon, I ran slowly the first 5 km and increased speed as I felt no pain on my knee. But the hills, especially along the last 3 km were killers. My pelvic started to become stiff and I was not able to run faster. I completed 21 km within official time 2:43:50. Not my personal best, but thankful for sure!

Elevation Nightmare PJ Half Marathon

My pace & elevation at PJ Half Marathon 2017

The soreness and pain went away quickly and I now realised I should have a better training plan that combines short and long runs to avoid injuries and to improve performance and endurance. No last minute long distance training after this.

All well and done, my knees are fine. Now, here are some captured moment!

  1. MHWH Night Run by AIA Vitality  : 22nd July 2017
MHWH Night Run by AIA Vitality Pacers

MHWH Night Run by AIA Vitality  21km Pacers

Nadia Noi the 21km Pacer

With Nadia Noi the 21km Pacer

After 12km MHWH Night Run 2017

It was Nuha’s first 12km run.

2. PJ Half Marathon : 23rd July 2017

Intan Suraya after a back to back 21km, 12km and 21km runs

Amazing Intan Suraya ran 21km, 12km and 21km runs over the weekend!

More than 4000 half marathon runners

More than 4000 half marathon runners waiting for flagoff

Nashata Runners

WIth Intan Siza – the Nashata Runner. Picture by ActionPixMalaysia

Looking forward to improve training and run better at my next half marathon! A mix of both short and long runs that is!

WIN & Run the MHWH Night Run by AIA Vitality!

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runLess hot + night fresh air + burns fat = Satisfaction.

Just exactly what people are looking forward for a fun exercise. Lucky Night Run by AIA Vitality never ends. Here’s what they offers to you this 22nd July @ Putrajaya. More information and updates about the run can be found here.

You can WIN Prizes easily by participating in MY BEST RUNNING ATTIRE CONTEST

Men's Health Women's Health Night Run by AIA Vitality

Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality

We are giving away 2 * 12km running tickets for you & 2 * Raazgloves & 2 * Nashata Tote Bags  worth RM236. How can you win these prizes? It is easy, really :

  • Simply post a creative photo or video of you running in your best running attire on facebook or instagram, and share with us why you love it. Tag your friends who would be interested to run with you at the MHWH Night Run should you win the prizes.
  • Don’t forget to add these hashtags so that we could find you #myBestRunningAttire #AIAVitality and #nashataChallenge in your caption
  • Competition ends 4th June and we will contact winners 5th June. You will then have 2 days to register for the run.

This year, the run has more categories for a wholesome  family-run that includes the young runners. There is a 700 meter run for children ages 7-11 years and we can expect to see young ones dashing in these categories.

The age limit of the running events is 18 and above that consists of three categories. For true runners you can join the competitive run (12km and 21km), while for the beginners who’s interested in running just for a start, you can join the fun run (5km) and 3km run for 12-16 years old.

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MHWH Night Run by AIAI Vitality Shirt and Medal

MHWH Night Run by AIAI Vitality Shirt and Medal

The #nashatarunners had great running experiences at previous MHWH Night Runs. We have paced and participated the runs in Penang, Putrajaya and Johor over the years and below are the reviews:

BLAST from the past:

Amie will be pacing again this year! (on the right) Good luck for your exams Nahsuhah (on the left)

Amie will be pacing again this year! (on the right) Good luck on your exams Nahsuhah (on the left). Nahsuhah, a meds student in Sarawak will be missing the run this time.

WHY NIGHT RUN?

  •  Night run offers a different running experience, be it temperature, humidity and heat level. If you want to experience a different running atmosphere, try night run as you would be running together with a group of people instead of alone
  • You can appreciate darkness and the beauty of the sky and sound of nocturnal animals while  running at night
  • Running at night keeps you away from UV rays. Over exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer and damage your eyes. So if you plan to run for long hours and sensitive to the sun, night runs may work for you.

Some Night Running Tips :

So wait no more and share and Join MY BEST RUNNING ATTIRE CONTEST and win those prizes

The Local Runcation

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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.

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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!

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AIAVitalityNightRun2017JB-DDY_2009-PhotobyAllIsAmazingPacers 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.

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Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.

Pacer duty done…..with less drama!

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It’s a wrap! Alhamdullilah, I was given a great opportunity to be one of the pacers for all the series in Men’s Health Women’s Health 21km Night Run which held in Penang, Putrajaya and the last one in Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru last week. And it was pretty awesome!

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Team Pacers 😉

I was the pacer for 2 hours 30 minutes for Penang edition, 2 hours 20 minutes for Putrajaya edition and last one at Puteri Harbour last week, it was 2 hours and 10 minutes. Do read about my previous experience being pacer here → https://blog.nashata.com/?p=6389.

Since this was my third time become a pacer, alhamdullilah everything went well and of course gain more confident and less drama..hehe..

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For slimming effect, cross your legs when people taking your pic..hehehe 🙂

Oh ya, this is my first time running in Johor and of course I’m the one who’s running with widest smile. And the Nashata sisters ran too. Yayy!

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Nashata sisters finished modestly after running and of course still look beautiful as always! heeee

Alhamdullilah, we ‘re given the opportunity to be interviewed by NTV 7 before the event started.

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Overall, the water stations and traffic were well organised, we maintained our pace around 6.00 to 6.15 min/km to finish in 2 hours and 10 minutes. If you always train yourself to run sub 6.00min/km, you can go for sub 2 hours for half marathon 😉

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My favourite moment that night,is when my all- time- favourite running idol, best known as Malaysian’s Fastest Marathoner 2016, paced me for 500m before reached finishing line! Yes, Edan paced me towards finishing line!  And it feel like I’m running on the red carpet with flowers showering my way towards the dais..heee..And after that we accidentally met back at the nearby shop,..and here is our photo together 😉 Yayy, thanks Edan! Hope to meet you again in the future, insyaALLAH.

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Edan is very inspiring and determined. I wish one day I could be like him too, aminnn.

mirziamov.ru/mfo-online/zaim-zaimer.htmlHow do I trained?

It has been a while, since last December 2016, I had a break from any events due to busy schedule with classes and exams. But, I never miss my usual training every evening to maintain my stamina and momentum. I run at least 10 km with average pace 5.45min /km ,4 times in a week, and other 3 days I run at my easy pace,..and do daily planks as my daily routine.

The secret is,..set your goal, aim..and train for it! Get rid of any excuses that will disrupt your goal, be confidence and persistent to what you want to achieve. The utmost important is..always believe that you can do it. When your mind believed it, your body will achieve it. InsyaALLAH.

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“Believe you can and you’re halfway there”

How do I eat? 

I do eat like other people but the different is I know what i am eating and I care about it. I never miss my meals. I eat carbs for lunch and dinner. I always take bananas and half boiled eggs every morning and after running for energy and muscle recovery. Don’t skip your meal and don’t overeat.

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And yes! I had char kueh teow for my post running treat..and it’s yummeh!

Till then, we’ll meet again, keep fit and be inspired! ?

AIA Malaysia Presents the Largest Night Run Series

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Can’t have enough for just one run? Well, big surprise for you!

Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality offers you three night runs in Penang, Putrajaya and Johor. Here we are announcing you the running events details.

The age limit of the running events is 18 and above that consists of three categories. For true runners you can join the competitive run (12km and 21km), while for the beginners who’s interested in running just for a start, you can join the fun run (5km).

 

  • You can appreciate darkness and the beauty of the sky and sound of nocturnal animals while  running at night

Why Night Run?

  •  Night run offers a different running experience, be it temperature, humidity and heat level. If you want to experience a different running atmosphere, try night run as you would be running together with a group of people instead of alone
  • You can appreciate darkness and the beauty of the sky and sound of nocturnal animals while  running at night
  • Running at night keeps you away from UV rays. Over exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer and damage your eyes. So if you plan to run for long hours and sensitive to the sun, night runs may work for you.

Review & Tips for Night Run

 

Below is the summary of the events.

Event Summary

 

First Night Run – 2nd April 2016 Penang (Saturday)

Second Night Run – 30 July 2016 Putrajaya (Saturday)

Third Night Run – 7 January 2017 Johor (Saturday)

 

Date: April 2, 2016

Starting point: Queensbay Mall

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Date: July 30, 2016

Starting point: Dataran Putrajaya, Presint 3

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Date: January 7, 2017

Starting point: To be announced

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RACE KITS

Race kit consists of runners T-Shirt, a number bib attached with timing chip, safety pins and race guides (if any).

The theme color for the Penang, Putrajaya & Johor Night Runs are orange, red and blue respectively.

Runners who do complete all three runs will also be rewarded with a unique “trifecta” medal – a three-in-one medal that clips together – as a special memento to commemorate the experience and achievement.

MHWH Medal

 

Quickly register before the registration close for the all the three locations. The run in Penang will be held on 2 April 2016. The flag-off will be at 8pm and the starting point will be at Queensbay Mall in George Town, Penang.

Running Shirt

So, what are you waiting for? Register here now!