Why the Malaysia ? Women ? Marathon is so Special

Posted on March 5, 2017 by eliza noordin

Whenever MWM is around the corner, I get both excited and agitated; excited to meet the runners and customers, and agitated because I wanted to run but uncertain if I could. I have to balance between spending time with my customers and running, both of which I enjoy.

Veteran Runner Intan Suraya finished her 10th full marathon strong. She never fails to run the marathon at MWM

Back to why the MWM is so special. It is beyond running. It is about enriching women to grow. This year, there were a two-day workshop plus a dialogue session on the 3rd and 4th March respectively, followed by the run on the 5th March. Here are the three things that happened at the MWM 2017. Be prepared to view loads of pictures. They tell the stories better ?

1. The Workshop & Dialogues
Women Empowerment Workshop, supported by Gorgeous Geeks on 3rd March (Friday)
About 50 ladies from Pusat Wanita Berdaya (PWB) Selangor attended the session on online marketing, personal branding and organic and halal cosmetic industry. Pusat Wanita Berdaya is a platform to encourage women of local communities to be actively involved in community works and also business related to empower their family economic background. Julia Koh, Azrina Naimuddin and I got to share our experiences. It was a good session; many took pictures of our sharing. If you are keen to know what I have shared, you can download my deck here. Details of the workshop can be found here.

Ladies from Gorgeous Geek ; Alecia Heng, Julia Koh & I

Attentive ladies from Pusat Budaya Wanita Selangor

Lyana and Farah – my running adik-adik TKCOGA just know how to have fun!

Women Dialogue Session on Gender Equality on 4th March (Saturday)
A panel of women and a man shared their thoughts about gender equality, by YB Zuraida Kamaruddin, Pn. Hajjah Noraida Yusof, Anas Alam Faizli and Freda Liu, moderated by Hazleen Aziz. Then many of us wrote & signed our pledges on the Wall of Gender Equality. My other half was supposed to sign with me, but he was away… so I signed for both.

Signing our Pledge on the Wall of Gender Equality

“We are equal but not the same” by Ritz & Eliza

To me, we both have equal rights but the rights are not the same. Our abilities are not the same either.

The ladies behind the MWM : YB Dr. Daroyah & Pn Noorul

Among the ever-supportive ladies behind MWM : YB Dr. Daroyah & Pn Noorul

2. The Expo

The expo coincided with the Race Kit collection days. It was where the sponsors like Nashata offer great bargains for runners. I have to applaud the staffs at Accapella Hotel Shah Alam for providing great hospitality. They were helpful and generous – offering good assistance at all times.

We released a few new products at our booth and many cool running items were marked down – so that the runners get value for money. Next time, we will get a bigger booth for a better shopping experience for you ladies. Thank you so much for your patience. ?

The girls who worked worked tirelessly the past 3 days – Sarah & Nazura

3. The Run
I wanted to run but agitated because I knew I would be tired prior to the race. I needed enough sleep, rest and well-hydrated to run. My plan to run from 42km, got knocked down to 21km and after setting up Nashata booth at 545am, I felt like trying my luck to run the 10km. So ask if I could run and got lucky. I was so delighted to get a bib to run. So off I went running at 630am from Stadium Shah Alam. It was a good day, a hilly route, and I have no complains except Alhamdulillah.

Lydia Hasim & I after 10km Run. We were overtaking each other and later finished together. Lydia is one of the first Malaysian duo who cycled Across Sahara last month, recognised by the Malaysia Book of Record

Rezeki on a Sunday morning. My Garmin watch was my timing chip. Finished within 1:07:38 +- 10 secs.

Happy to see Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir

#RunHappy. Vanida Imran, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir & Ivy Josiah ran happy with friends

Fara Fauzana & running fans

Maslina Muhamad & Azlina Abdullah looking great after their 21km run

Siti all drenched after the run

Alecia Heng & family ran the 6km category

The running Gorgeous Geek – Alecia Heng brought her family to run the 6km category

Dr Sarah Shamsuddin the Running Doctor wears Nashata leggings, skirt & sports hijab

Dashing Dr Sarah Shamsuddin, the MWM Running Doctor wears Nashata leggings, skirt & sports hijab

Runners have most creative POSES. This by Maslina Muhamad

Emmy is always in Sporting events with her children. Such a sporting supportive Mom. She wears Nashata Azza Toplectic

Karen Loh - The strong lady behind 5 consecutive years of MWM

Last but not least, Karen Loh – The strong classy lady behind 5 consecutive years of MWM. ??

There were more things to enjoy at the MWM like the flyyoga and children’s run. Check out Aina theweekendrunner’s post for her side of the story. She ran the 21 km half marathon.

If you missed this year’s MWM, try not to miss it in 2018. MWM 2017 is a wrap with Alhamdulillah. See you next year, InsyaAllah.

Get Ready for WOW RUN Malaysia

Posted on October 15, 2015 by eliza noordin

WOW Run is around the corner and we hope you are all set to have loads of fun! For a smooth and exciting experience, kindly go through the info provided below.

Date: 25 Oktober 2015 (Sunday)

Time: 06:45am – 9:30am
Venue: Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), Cyberjaya

AGENDA

6:45am : Warm Up
7:00 am : Flag Off by Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir
7:30 am : Zumba by Aida Mohd
8:15 am : Fitness Challenges & Prize Giving
8:30 am : Women Empowerment Dialogue Session on Leadership at Bunga Raya Auditorium MDeC
9:30 am : End

Here are the updates!

1. RACEKIT

Your racekit will be shipped to you 19 October onwards via POSLAJU. It takes 1 or 2 working days to reach you.
Please update your shipping address to ensure someone can receive your pack.
The running BIB will be on your shirt. Please run in the running shirt on that day to ensure you get to collect your medal at finishing line.
Only finishers running in the WOW RUN tee will get the medal.
We will provide you event layout and agenda in the race kit
ALL REGISTERED participants will get a SPECIAL hand balloon.
Please pick it up from the Food Counter after Warm Up Session

2. LOCATIONS

Event Venue

Multimedia Development Corporation
Address : 2360, Persiaran APEC, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor
GPS Location
Latitude : 2.9224, Longtitude : 101.659
Here’s the directions on Waze.

Mosque

Masjid Raja Haji Fi Sabilillah
It is located along Persiaran Semarak Api, Cyberjaya.
Here’s the direction on Waze
Surau @ Balai Bomba & Penyelamat, Cyberjaya
It is located along Persiaran Apec, Cyberjaya.
Here is the direction on Waze

3. PARKING

There are four areas we suggest you to park at:

Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) Internal Parking Area.
Our venue sponsor, the Multimedia Development Corporation will allow parking within their compound if you arrive before 6:40 am. After which, you need to park at other designated areas.
If you park at this area, due to safety, we will only allow you to leave after 8:15 am; when all runners have reached finish line.
Cottage Drive
Take immediate left after you pass MDeC building to get into the Cottage Drive. You will see KFC, Nandos Chicken, Pizza Hut and PappaRich along this road.
Jalan Teknokrat 6
Jalan Impact

4. EVENT LAYOUT

Drop Bag Area
Open from 6:30am – 9:30am
Food Counter
Open from 7:30am – 9:30am. You can enjoy your food at the eating area. It is a nice lawn by the fish pond.
Zumba Area
Don’t forget to run fast to Zumba on time. It starts from 7:30am – 8:15am
Any girls can join the zumba. No registration is required.
Medic / Ambulans
Paramedic & ambulans will be stations at event site, while one paramedic at water station
Medal Collection
Medal Collection is at the counter next to Bunga Raya Auditorium. You need to enter MDeC building to go to the Auditorium.
Only registered runners who finish the run are entitled for medal.
Photobooth
There is a photobooth close to the sponsors area. Get all the fun & exciting shots here!
Open from 7:30am – 9:30am
Sponsors Area
Open from 7:30am – 9:30am
Women Dialogue Session by Gorgeous Geeks
Starts at 8:30 am – 9:30am
Speakers Area
This is for holding area for Women Dialogue Speakers
MDeC Parking
You can only park in this area if you arrive before 6:40am.
If you park at this area, due to safety, we will only allow you to leave after 8:15 am when all runners have reached finish line
Toilets
There are 3 toilet areas in MDeC building.

WOW Run Floor Plan

5. THE ROUTE

The run/walk starts and finishes at MDeC.
The water station is at the bus stop, right after SM Seri Puteri.
One paramedic will be at the water station
For safety,
- Please keep left while running at all times
- You are encouraged to run on the running path by the road
- We will mobilize sweepers to pick up last runners along the route 8:30 am onward
- There will be many marshalls on bike and foot to support you. If you need any assistance, just let them know.
Enjoy the run and do take a lot of pictures.
Use #WOWRUNMY when you share pictures so that we can find you. More info on Prizes Section below.

6. PRIZES

Prizes for Challenges
After ZUMBA, we are going to throw a challenge to all ladies
1. Longest Plank
2. Highest # of Burpees
3. Highest # of Push Ups
The winner for each challenge will get a month FREE membership at the CURVES worth RM547.

Prizes for RunWithInsta Competition: #WOWRUNMY
1. Most creative photo
2. Most funny photo
3. Run strong photoMake sure you use hashtag #WOWRUNMY when you share photos on instagram.
Competition starts 6:45am till 8:15am.
The winner of each category gets a pack of Personal Care Products from Good Virtues worth RM216

7. WOMEN DIALOGUE SESSION : Leadership by Gorgeous Geeks

We have put together an WOW-some WOMEN for you from diverse background. COME, JOIN US and CONVERSE

This session is limited to 50 pax only. Secure your seats HERE NOW!
Time : 8:30 am – 9:30 am
Venue : Bunga Raya Auditorium, MDeC
Speakers
- Dato Ng Wan Peng – COO, MDeC
- Karen Loh – Founder, Malaysia Women Marathon
- Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir – Woman Activist
- Anne Abraham – Advocate and Supporter for Women Leadership Development (TBC)
Moderator : Nadiah Tan Abdullah , HR Director, Experian Malaysia

8. A WELLNESS RUN

We run & exercise for a better health, and your wellness is important to us.

We are expecting a good weather on that day, but should the air quality index is unhealthy; i.e, API reading for Putrajaya on http://apims.doe.gov.my/v2/ is above 100 on running day (as of 1 am 25th October), the run will be cancelled. However, zumba will be moved indoor & the women empowerment dialogue session will continue as scheduled. You can pick up the goodie bags and medal at MDeC on event day from 7:30am – 9:30am.
The run will continue should the API reading is below 100, and we encourage all runners to bring and wear mask if the API is between 50 and 100.
Should it rain, WOW RUN shall continue.

If you have any questions, please email wowrunmy@nashata.com
See you soon!

Exciting options for Women in Tech : TechFemme 2015 Malaysia

Posted on October 1, 2015 by eliza noordin

When Alecia Heng called and asked if I could represent her on behalf of Gorgeous Geeks at TechFemme 2015, Taylors University, I was lucky to be available, so I said yes. That was the first time I heard about TechFemme, and little did I know it was a forum by Microsoft to excite students to choose tech as career.

The panel I was part of was hosted by beautiful Ms Azlin, who used to intern at Microsoft Malaysia. The other lady panelists were Azizah Ali from Microsoft and Nadhirah Yusoff, a Malaysia serial tech entrepreneur. Azizah Ali built Microsoft Brunei, now holding leadership role at Microsoft, while Nadhirah owns 5 companies and a mother of six. I was of course not at the same level as these successful women, but happy to share some of my geeky experience, the fun and joy being in tech.

There was a good audience of about 200 people, a mix of girls and boys from various universities in Malaysia.

Here are my responses to some of the questions:

What did you want to be when you were young? And what changed? What is your typical day at work?
I wanted to be a dancer. It changed as I realised there were not many career options for a dancer, although I was really keen to fusionize Malay & Modern dance.
At the same time, during childhood, I found joy in programming when I started learning Basic at 11. I was supposed to study Computer Science after SPM but changed to Electrical Engineering department along the way and specialized in embedded systems. I studied Social Science during high school where I learned commerce, accounting and add math. I was not a Pure Science student.
Today, my day at work is about making my customers happy and building modest sportswear.
Why do you think young women don’t want to join tech industry? What is your Solution?
I think it is probably because they think it is a men’s world. Perhaps it is to certain extend when you see more men in tech. But I never see myself as a woman when I was working as a software developer at Intel or when I was at Microsoft. I look at my male colleagues as work mates and they treat me like another colleague. To me, at work, I am just another person on the job and I never look at my role at work from gender perspective. I think it helps as when you have such thinking hat on, you will automatically blend in well with others at work. So build your skills and expertise in your job and industry and there is where you will earn respect and trust from peers.
Not many women hold senior positions in an Tech Company, tell us, how did you climb the career ladder and advanced yourself to the position you are in today?
I do not believe in ladder, but rather in building myself. I believe in leading without a title. I have worked in many companies and my interest and skills in tech have helped me progress and be the person I am today. I have acquired many skills on the job, mainly because of my passion. I want to build products, make customers happy and build a company that generates more jobs and more and more export. There is so much to do, so much to learn. After Microsoft, I joined a local venture capital company and my experience at Teak Capital was invaluable. I advance myself by building skills, keeping abreast with trends and tech, being with young people and understanding customers’ needs. I suggest graduating techies to follow news on tech and industries of your concerned on twitter and social network. It is also good to have mentors in fields you are interested in and learn from them.
Refer to the crowd, what do you want these young women to do and make a change?
The upcoming IT graduates are at the best stage of tech industry, where they have many options in tech. They can choose to specialise in User Experience, Computer Graphic and Design, Animation, E-Commerce, Digital marketing, other than the usual programming stuff. Some of these jobs suit women well. Take User Experience (UX) for example, Marissa Meyers the current CEO of Yahoo is a UX expert. Ai Ching, the co-founder of Piktochart has the eye for building graphical tools that offers flattering features and user experience. So, stay hungry, stay humble & never give up your talent. Stay in the workforce and continue working no matter what. I have quit jobs several times to suit my family and personal needs, but I never left the industry. Find ways to pursue your career, even though they are non-conventional.

I ended with a quote by Oprah Winfrey “You can have it all but not all at once”
Indeed.. as it definitely applies to me!

Many thanks to the organising team and sponsor for having such session. I thought of sharing the session after my meet with Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir. She mentioned that it does not help when career women do not admit that having a career is NOT easy. It is difficult and looking back and based on my current situation, yes, has not been easy. It is surely not a traditional route for me. I have to keep learning, have a lot of faith in myself in order to take bold steps that are suitable for myself.

So to all tech ladies who are about to embark into the workforce, you life is about to begin, and it is full of excitement and choices.

WOW RUN Malaysia : T-58 Days

Posted on August 28, 2015 by eliza noordin

Run with Sisterhood 25^th October 2015

Kuala Lumpur, 4 August, 2015 – On the 25^th October 2015, women from all walks of life will come together and run, zumba and have conversations on leadership in Cyberjaya. Organised and co-sponsored by Nashata, the run is supported by Gorgeous Geeks, Malaysia Women Marathon and Women’s Aid Organisation.

6 Countries, Same Day, Same Time

On the 25^th October, 7am, runners from six countries will run 5km together.

Originated from Singapore by Muzdalifah Anuar in 2014 with 1,000 woman runners, the WOW RUN, this year expands to five countries that includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine, Australia and the United States of America. When she started the run in 2014, her goal was to promote fitness in Islam.

This year the run is theme #embracewomenhood, Muzdalifah is spreading the love of active lifestyle with other sisters across the globe with the spirit of sisterhood. The run aims to garner and motivate women to lead an active lifestyle together united as sisters in the spirit and vigor of sisterhood, and not as separate nations.

ALL COLORS, ALL CULTURES united by SISTERHOOD

In Malaysia, the run will be officiated by Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir. Marina is notable for voicing women’s rights in Malaysia.

According to a study by UK Medical Journal, half of women in Malaysia are overweight or obese, and another study on Obesity Journal states that in Malaysia obesity levels were highest among adults 40–59 years old.

Eda Fuzi, the race director in Malaysia, was once obese and now she runs marathon and ultra-marathons to keep fit. She urges women to pick up running to keep fit as it is the most convenient and easiest sporting activity. “You can run anywhere, anytime as long as you have your running attire and shoes,” says Eda. “Running is for everyone, and because of that, we are bringing together women groups to bring the WOW RUN message across,” she added.

To add more energy into WOW RUN, Aida Mohd, a Zumba instructor will lead the runners through a 30 minutes workout. Also a part-time newscaster, Aida says Zumba is incredibly fun and it is a work out for the body, mind and soul.

Girls can have fun and expand horizon at the WOW RUN. While cooling down after a good workout, listen to aspiring women discussing leadership. Alecia Heng, the President of Gorgeous Geek is putting together a panelist of women leaders to talk about leadership in their respective fields. Among the panelist and host are Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood, Nadiah Tan Abdullah and Karen Loh. Alecia says although it was reported on the Malaysia Economic Monitor November 2012 that over 50 percent of all women received a university degree or higher, only 30% women are at senior management level. Women can make it to the top and these fit ladies will share with you how.
Nashata was one of the inaugural sponsor for WOW RUN 2014 in Singapore and this year runners will get again the modest running attire designed by Nashata.

All these exciting activities are at the happening at Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), in Cyberjaya. Other sponsors for the run include Good Virtues Co, Biogrow, Tamek, Curves, Cyberview as well as MDeC.

For more information and to register visit bitly.com/WOWRUN2015MY. There is a corporate rate of RM50. The run is for women age 12 and above but the men are welcomed to come and cheer. Registration closes on the 30^th September 2015.

WOW RUN 2015 Malaysia Updates – Medal & Sponsors

Posted on June 26, 2015 by eliza noordin

The WOW Run is 4 months away and it is getting more and more exciting as we are working hard to put together All Girls Fun Stuff for you. You can refer to our earlier post about the run if you missed it.

So, here are a few updates!

Finisher Medal

Our in-house designer came out with this intricate design for the WOW RUN and here’s the final design. It would look perfect on your grey running tee don’t you think?

Running Tee – Short Sleeves Options

We received requests for short sleeves, so now we are offering that option. If you would like a short sleeves shirt, you can register here

If you choose the original long sleeves design, you can still register here instead

Supporting Women Communities

The WOW Run Malaysia is supported by Gorgeous Geeks and the Malaysia Women Marathon.
Together, we are putting together Women Empowerment topics for all our sisters. More info coming soon.

Nashata

Empowering Active Lifestyle

Tag Archives: gorgeous geeks