Selangor Marathon 2020 Race Review

It is Visit Sepang 2020 and Visit Malaysia 2020, so I decided to play tourist at the Selangor Marathon! Sepang is where the international airports are and it is well-known as a logistic hub in Malaysia. Sepang is a district in the state of Selangor.

The Selangor Marathon 2020 is the first of its kind, organised by Comrades Team Ventures. Although new, the race is organised by a reputable and experienced organiser. If you want to have a good race experience, it is important to know the historical background of the organiser.

I signed up for the half marathon, 21km. I was specially interested to register longer distances because the start and end time are before dawn. Therefore, if you plan your pace and train well, you can finish the run and just in time for Fajr / Subuh prayers at the race site. Furthermore, it would be my first time running in Sepang.

Race Review

The race was held by the fringe of the Sepang Circuit on the 22nd and 23rd of February. Just to be clear, no activity was done in the circuit area. There were a few categories : 42km, 21km, 10km, 5km and kids dash that brought together about six thousand runners who laced up and ran. The start time for 42km was at 1:30am, followed by 21km at 4:30am, 10km at 7am (flag off delayed though) and 5km at 730am.

Here are collective views from the half marathon runners :

  • Race kit 
    ? – Well-managed. Race kit collection was held at MAGIC, Cyberjaya on 21st and 22nd of February. It was simple and well organised.
  • Baggage Drop
    ? – Well-managed within the race village
  • Toilets
    ? – Ample along the route
  • Medical & Paramedics
    ?  I only saw the tent at the Race Village, not on the route. Probably it was just too dark or I was just too focused looking at the starry night.
  • Road & route management
    ? Overall good. There wasn’t much elevation – pretty much flat. There were some dark area with no street lights. The good thing was that the roads were smooth and well surfaced. No potholes or uneven roads unlike the ones in the city.  Runners MUST wear head lamp or/and blinkers when running in the dark. It should be a mandatory item and I feel organisers should remind runners to wear when the race is at night or early morning. Certain street lights may just fail on you on the race day and you don’t want to get injured. The runners were running in parallel with the plane at certain parts of the route. Now, I know how it feels running next to planes taking off and landing right next to you – SUPER SLOW.
  • Water Station, Sponges and Muscle Spray
    ? – Well-prepared throughout the run. Coconut water was provided at some stations.
  • Traffic Control
    ?  I felt safe throughout the run. There were ample volunteers and traffic policemen at main junctions. There were not many traffic on the route as it was very early in the morning.
  • Medal and Finisher Collection Area
    ? – Collection was superb, fast and well-managed. As I passed the last check point and the finish line, I received a medal and continued to queue for the shirt. Just named my size, and they gave me one. Design of the medal and finisher item was simple and I always like it simple!

    Selangor Marathon Medal & finisher tee for 21km finishers

    Selangor Marathon Medal – Red and Yellow

  • Refreshment 
    ? Unlimited food at the event village. Just pick as many nasi lemak, cendol, bananas, buns and water as you want. There is no limit. I find this super cool and relevant because each and everyone of us has a different appetite, calorie intake and running distance. So, take what fills you up.
  • Surau
    ?  
    Since the start time for the full and half marathon was early, many manage to finish their runs and pray at the race village. A few late runners had to pray at the water station.
  • Running Participation
    ?  Healthy number of runners. These numbers are taken from results.checkpointspot.asia indicating those who ran, registration may be more.

    • 42km : 916 runners
    • 21km : 1,565 runners
    • 10km : 742 runners
    • 5km : 1,600 runners
    • Kids Dash : 87

      Intan Suraya and Farhati Tajudin, Finishers of Full Marathon ?

      Intan Suraya and Farhati Tajudin, Lady Finishers of Full Marathon ?

  • International Participants
    ?  Due to the COVID19 and travel restrictions, I didn’t see many foreigners. Just a few Indonesian runners at the half marathon. I was glad the organiser decided to proceed with the run as many were looking forward to it and the threat was not much in the month of February.
  • Race Village
    ? Nice and friendly environment. Finishers would sit around, get foot massages, rest, eat their nasi lemak and catch up with friends until it got hotter. Every runners looked happy and cheerful refilling milo from the milo truck. There was ample finisher items and refreshments for everyone!

    Nashata Booth @ the Race Village

I enjoyed the run that day, mostly because of the beautiful starry night skies. The sky was so clear that I could see countless twinkling stars every time I look up. It was a cool morning as well.

Tips untuk Larian UiTM Ultra 2020 – #HillsareMadeforToughLeg

Date : 1 -2 Feb 2020

Venue : Stadium UiTM Shah Alam

Distance : 52 km, 84 km, 104 km

Kategori : 52 km (Women Vateran)

 

This is the Vol. 4 for this event.  But it is the 1st time for me to join.  Dari vol. 2 nak cuba, sebab nak rasa lari di tempat saya ambil degree dulu, tapi keadaan tak mengizinkan. Actually, this year pun  tak dapat nak register sebab faktor masa. But last-minute, a week before the event one of my friends have an emergency issue, she can’t make it. Luckily It’s possible to transfer the bib, so I can change my name to the event system. 

Terus terang, saya memang tak cukup training, millage collect past few months pun tak banyak. Paling jauh saya berlari bulan Januari itu pun 20km saja.  Cuma sepanjang Januari hingga ke hari event saya ada join BiiB challange, iaitu setiap hari tanpa miss walau sehari saya perlu berlari 2 km. Itu saja persediaan yang ada. The only I had is the spirit and confidence plus a few experience, sebelum ni saya pernah juga join event  50km.

Saya baca banyak review tentang event ni, and they said this event was well organized.  Patutlah event ni semakin besar dan ramai. Konsep larian ialah looping, 1 loop = 5.2km.  So untuk kategori saya, I have to run 10 loops within the cut of times 10 hours. Kalau ikut teori matematik, 1 loop berlari dalam masa 1 jam, itu memang cukup-cukup masa COT. 

Route :

picture credit UiTM Ultra, Runner’s Guide

 

Flag of untuk kategori 52km ialah pada 1 Februari jam 10 malam. Untuk loop yang pertama saya easy run belajar route, tengok jalan ada lubang or not, tengok keadaan jalan, tengok timing mat, cari di mana toilet dan sekeliling. Starting dari Padang Kawad terus ke Kolej Aggerik, Pusat Kesihatan,  Fakulti Engineering, dan sehingga di cabaran pertama bila di Bukit Tonggek dan waktu ni saya rasa kaki  saya melekat di jalan. It’s seriously  tonggek. This hill was killing me, how can I walk here for 10 loops?  Hahaha… Than, lepas azab di Bukit Tonggek, jalan terus menurun bukit sehinggalah jumpa cabaran berbukit kedua, di Kolej Seroja terus ke Fakulti Art & Design, Menara, dan PTAR.  Kira-kira 1km lebih juga laluan bukit disini. Laluan bukitnya yang agak panjang.  Terus ke Fakuti Sains Gunaan, Kolej Perindu, Pusat Sukan dan terus ke starting point semula.  

This is Bukit Tonggek. You can imagine the hills by just looking how they walk.  Picture by Pixel Asimo

Second challenge, Bukit Seroja. Picture credit Pixel Asimo

Water Station (WS) :

Sebab loop cuma 5.2km, jadi ada 2 saja WS.  WS1 di starting line dan WS2 lebih kurang dalam 2km di Bukit Tonggek, Konsep minuman kat sini you all kena bawa cawan/ botol sendiri / Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) bawa 2 bottles , satu letak di WS 1 dan  1 lagi di WS2. Bottle/ cup di marked guna number bib. So senang you all nak cari. 

Water Station & Rest area Picture credit Pixel Asimo

Baguslah konsep yang macam ni, kurangkan kos dan environment friendly. Food & drinks semua sangat mewah. Air coke, kopi ice, nescafe ice, sirap, 100 plus. Food pun banyak sangat, ada cekodok, sandwich, bubur dan sup dan banyak lagi sampai saya tak tau nak makan apa, saya cuma makan pisang dan watermelon sebab senang nak kunyah dan telan. 🙂

Di WS ni ada sediakan kerusi, boleh lah kalau you all nak rehat-rehat. Tapi kerusi ni juga boleh makan diri kalau tak ada sebab jangan duduk tau, bahaya!

My Strategy and tips

As i said before, saya  memang tak cukup millage untuk training game ni.  Dapat bib seminggu before event. Jadi apa yang saya buat ialah :

Seminggu sebelum game :

  • Saya berlari sehari 3km je, slow-slow layan angin pagi
  • Plank seminit 5 kali sehari
  • 90 x squart
  • 100 x 5kali sehari jumping jacks
  • 90 x burpess 
  • Makan minum macam biasa avoid yang pedas

Event day (tips macam mana nak kejar COT)

  • Masa 1st loop saya  lari untuk  tengok route, tengok jalan kalau ada berlubang berbatu, tengok part mana bukit, turun bukit yang flat, kat mana toilet, timing mat dan segala nya yang boleh nampak.
  • Bila dah tau, saya  atur strategy 🙂 naik bukit fast walk, turun bukit dan flat kena lari.  Jangan rehat terlalu lama di WS, minum dan sambung lari. My aimed, 1 loop mesti lari dalam masa 40-50 minute, so that saya ada buffer time, If anything happened, saya masih boleh kejar COT.  Bila dah loop ke 5, saya stop makan energy bar dan ambil Natura shot. Alhamdulillah, kenyang dan sangat berkesan.
  • Jangan duduk! Kalau kaki cramp streching, kalau penat berlari, jalan.  Mengantuk? Memang akan rasa mengantuk sebab waktu tidur kan, ambil coffee, makan gula2 kopiko. Jangan tidur! sebab  game ni you all yang pilih, so kena lah berkorban waktu tidur, tak mau rasa susah, jangan sign up event ni.. your choice! 
  • Listen to your body! Badan kita semua tak sama, you control your mind and body.  Kalau rasa tak sihat, stop dan jumpa medic!

Alhamdulillah, strategy saya ni berjaya untuk saya dapat habiskan game ni dalam masa 8jam 17 minit dan dapat no 7 kategori Women Vateran.  My personal best so far. Yeayy!!! Bangga sangat dengan diri sendiri! 

e-certificate

Overall  event ni sangat baik.  Semua cukup, medical, marshall, peronda Uitm pun selalu round, air dan makanan cukup, ada tempat massage, surau, toilet, dan bagagge area, tempat rehat, parking space pun besar.  Nak pacak khemah, bentang tikar semua boleh. Seronok dapat jumpa kawan-kawan yang datang support, ramai juga yang bawa family “berkampung” .  

 

Special award for top 10

 

Medal for all categories

Terbaik event ni walau route sangat mencabar, mungkin saya akan kembali beraksi di lain kategori. Who knows.. :). Good job & well done kepada organizer & crew!

I am running in Hooda Ellipse Sports Hijab, non-flipping, and secure hijab.  With Ultra Top I, breathable, fast dry and super comfy. Leggings – High Waist Fitness, soft and stretchable. All you can get at nashata.com

 

 

 

 

Canyoning or canyoneering at Kawasan Falls

Cebu Island is a picturesque land that is surrounded by heaps of beautiful green mountains.  My trip to Cebu Island was definitely a remarkable and enchanting trip for me, most of the adventure activities progressed were the attributes that stamped a check on my ‘ Life to do list ‘. It felt like my life is complete, I managed to accomplish my wish list with ease !

Canyoning at Kawasan Falls

On the 21st of December 2019, around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, my family and I made our way out from the hotel. We were ready for our canyoning or canyoneering activity at Badian,  Kawasan Falls. Canyoning offers you a mixed of different activities going though canyons by walking, sliding, climbing up and down rocks and going through caves and jumping over waterfalls.  Before leaving, we were equipped with safety tools such as the life vest and helmet. Then, we got on two motorcycles to the place. For your information, three people were on each motorcycle. Next, yes, you might be wondering, is Kawasan Falls  attached to the canyoning starting area ? Well, absolutely. Kawasan Falls is the last fall that you encounter when you canyoning at Badian.

Pathway to the canyoning start point

The canyoning starting point is way on top of the hill, and to get down to the sky- blue river to start the journey, we were given two choices. First, to walk 1 kilometer on a hilly pathway till we reach start point, with no porter included. Second, to ride a 1 kilometer zip line to the checkpoint with additional fees.

For the sake of the adventure, we decided to take the first option, which was to walk with a distance of 1 kilometer to the start point. It was not that challenging, however if you carry a heavy load of goods, I recommend you to prepare a lighter weight bag, the back pain can be stingy. As a reminder, if you want to take beautiful pictures and countless videos of throughout the journey, I decisively advice you to bring your own waterproof camera, or GoPro. It will be a total life saver for you! You should tie the camera/GoPro with an empty plastic water bottle to ensure the camera does not sink or be easily lost. Every group includes an instructor/guide whom will be responsible for your well-being and safety. That also involves securing your belongings and assist in photography and videography. That way, there would be no difficulties in snapping your memorable photos there, in addition the guides are incredibly talented at taking photos and videos. The whole package is extremely reasonable as you get to comfortably experience the canyoning adventure while not worrying about the camerawork. Other than that, you must wear aqua shoes through out the activity, the rocks are slippery and covered with fungus.

The cave-like stones

During the briefing session, our guide explained about the falls and adviced us to consistently wear all the safety tools given such as the safety helmet and life vest. There were 7 activities in total throughout the whole canyoning adventure, consisted waterfall jumps of heights ranging from 4 meters to 14 meters and sliding down natural waterslides. If you are acrophobic, hakuna matata! The jumps are not compulsory. All activities are fully bound up to your own free will. However, if you decided not to jump, i must say, it would be a wasteful.

Upon jumping the first few cliffs, my anxiety level gradually arisen. The cold, glacial, chilly river water was really enjoyable. The river was partially covered by huge, beautiful cave-like stones up above, in that way, the temperature down below was cold. Some sunlight managed to penetrate the small gaps of the caves but most of the time it was chilly.

Iman hijab and black ultra top

I was wearing Nashata black ultra top and Nashata black iman hijab. If you are a hijabi, and require comfortable and suitable sports attire for this activity, i highly recommend you to consider  Nashata Products. If you are not a hijabi, rest assured, there are still so many fashionable and sporty products from Nashata  that you can take a peep at ! 😀

During the 4th jump, it was for 7 meters high. It may not sound that frightening but it was actually spine-tingling. The blood curling moment made me hold the line. It took me almost a good 10 minutes for me to finally muster all my courage and took that one inch leap into the midst of air. As my body splashed in the chilly water, a sharp pain started throbbing around my upper back leg area or scientifically called the biceps femoris. It felt more like a cramp but simultaneously felt like a harsh slap. But after a few seconds, the pain faded away, so it was all good. After this tremendous jump, I knew it was going to be way harder for the next few jumps. I expected it to be more challenging for the next jump, so I was mentally ready.

After all the fret and jitters, the moment finally arrived, we reached the 10 meter jump. It was the second last jump, so i knew the adventure was already coming to and end. It was around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Since the sun sets early in Moalboal, the guide adviced us to speed up. For your information, the sun sets at around 6 o’clock in the evening. There were no lights at night, although there were small stalls selling barbecue meat and some other snacks. That jump was the only “run and jump” type of a jump. At that hour, many people were already at that end of their expedition, therefore the place was slightly crowded, however still manageable. After witnessing a few of the other tourists and guides doing the jump, I managed to pull out the brave inner-self and finish the jump without hesitation. I must say, when jumping, the gravity pull force seemed 10 times stronger. It felt like someone was pulling you down, but of course that was just the gravity. When i hit the water surface, i felt the same cramp slap pain on both of my back legs. But this time, it was more intense, the pain started to sting. For a moment there after landing, I could not move my body, I was stiff. The guide quickly asked me to swim aside to let other people proceed with their jumps. Subsequently, I had to force my arms to push the water against the current and swim to the sides. The water current was amazingly strong.

The beautiful blue river water

 

Nevertheless, the stream was the most enchanting scenery ever. It was quite an eyeful. The turquoise, serene balletic streams of water shot me in the state of tranquility. In my opinion, even the best quality camera was not capable of capturing the astonishing sight. I had to snap the beautiful scenery with my own eyes and embed it in my memories. The water was so blue, it was like swimming in a fantasy water park. The compound was also upgraded with a man-made water slide by the small falls. It was simply amazing. The environment was also magnificently maintained.

In addition, there was also a tree rope jumping just like a tarzan, except you fall into a pool. Yes, the one with the long rope tied up to the tree trunks. The rope jump was extremely safe and fun. Basically you would just have to hang on to the rope, bend your knees throughout the jump and let go when you reach the middle zone. The guide warned us to not return back to the starting point once you had already reach the middle zone, this is simply because there is a high chance you would scrape your knee or injure yourself when you hit the starting rock. Frankly, you should just finish what you have started in one go.

 

Moving on with the journey, we reached the last stop, the final jump. It was an intense 14 meter jump. Some of the people ought to skip the last jump because they had enough of the cramp and adrenaline shock. Initially, I too wanted to skip the last jump, but after a long thought, I changed my mind. I knew I would regret the moment, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Where else could I find a majestic river like this? When would i be able to do this again? All those thoughts flushed my brain and subsequently, I decided to take the last jump. The last jump was on top of a fall, yes, right on top. It still gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I recall that moment. I stood on the roots of a huge tree, just a leap away from flying in the air. It was incredibly spooky. With the strong force of the waterfall, whooshing and splashing cold water like a giant creepy octopus, I closed my eyes and held onto my life vest as tight as i could. As soon as I made that jump, my throat voice started to squeak. It sounded like a mouse in the video. As usual, the pain was stinging. It hurt so bad this time, droplets of tears started forming from my eyes. Luckily, there was nobody in line, so i got some time for myself to endure the throbbing pain. After that, i swam to the side and reunite with my family.

 

Kawasan Falls

Considering we finished all the jumps, we finally made it to the last fall, Kawasan Falls. The falls was so pretty but half of it was marked as a restricted area. The guide explained that it was too deep, and there were a number of death cases due to that fall, because the depth was to deep and it was difficult to recover the person’s body. It was kind of scary after he explained that to us. At that stage, there were many stalls and benches. Most of the people who do not wish to do the canyoning would probably just pay an entree fee of about 100 pesos ( if I am not mistaken) from the entrance down below and enjoy that fall. However, I must say that I was grateful to have joined the canyoning from up above, it was more worthy and beneficial, we got to explore more gorgeous rivers and even managed to play  with the man-made entertainments. It was worthwhile.

 

It was around 6 o’clock in the evening when we came out from the park. The 6000 pesos family package also included a complete dinner meal by the beach, we even managed to witness the beautiful sunset by the sea. We got to the restaurant by a tricycle which was also included in the package. The ride only took approximately 5 minutes from the Kawasan Falls entrance to the restaurant.

Scrumptious foods

The food prepared included delicious prawns and a dozen hot mouthwatering spring rolls. You can also order add-on dishes but of course along with some additional fees. After that, we took another 5 minute walk back to our hotel. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that the canyoning activity was totally worth it, i had a jolly time although it was very an extreme sport. I decisively recommend that tourists should do the canyoning venture rather than directly going to the Kawasan Falls. In conjunction with that, the weather factors are crucial in determining the entry of any tourists. It rained on that night, so the next day, the staffs had to close the park due to slippery and dangerous sites.

Green rocks at Kawasan Falls making the colors of the water turquoise green.

For some extra guidelines, during any falls or jumps, do ensure that you cross hold your vest and jump with maintaining a straight leg posture, this is to guarantee no injuries. Never try to attempt a cannon ball posture because this would only slap your lower leg with more pressure and leaves you with non-stop pounding of pain and discomfort. You should also bring a waterproof bag, and place your mobile phones and other gadgets in an air-tight plastic bag. Please note, that every tourist behooves personal belongings to assure that there are no loses or any possible damage.

Sports Hijab for Young Teens and Adolescence

Sports Hijab for Young Teens and Adolescence
Get RM30 Cash Back & Get Active

 

Cyberjaya, Friday, 24 January 2020 – Nashata in its efforts to promote and encourage the younger generation to be more comfortable and active in sports, is giving RM30 cash back for customers who purchase Nashata Junior products at Nashata.com throughout Feb 2020. The cash back is valid at Nashata.com until April 2020.

Cash Back Voucher

After six years of empowering modest women to enjoy their active lifestyles, now Nashata introduces Nashata Junior that extends a new range of sports hijabs specially designed for girls. This is to support girls ages 10 to 16 years old to be more energetic and active adolescents.

 

The first three releases of Nashata Junior are for performance sports, and versatile in design and use : Hooda Ellipse Junior Sports Hijab, Hooda Fishtail Sports Hijab and Crop Toplectic Junior. They are designed for girls ages ten to sixteen and suitable for track and field, swimming, water sports and court sports like basketball, netball, volleyball and futsal. They are made of breathable and lightweight fabric weighing from 90 gram – 120 gram depending on the design and sizes.

 

The Hooda Sports Hijab range is the signature of Nashata’s products since its release for adults in 2016. Till today, it is well-received by athletes and fit hijabis due to its innovative non-flipping, long and secure designs.  While Crop Toplectic is a two-in-one long sleeves sports top with head-gear attached, suitable to be worn under school or team’s short sleeves or sleeveless t-shirt. A favourite of many competitive runners, with the Crop Toplectic, you do not need to wear separate pieces of arm sleeves and sports hijab. The seamless concept and design just work well with any outer shirts. The price range for Nashata Junior products are from RM59 – RM79.

 

“There is no one sports hijab that can fit all types of sports activities and dressing preferences. Some hijab wearers prefer their headscarf tucked in and some prefer wide and long chest coverage. We have been researching and testing sports hijab for growing up girls close to a year now by working with teachers at Islamic schools and parents in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore and find these three designs offer comfort and versatility for them, and approved by parents and teachers,” said Eliza Noordin, the founder of Nashata.

 

Late last year, Nashata produced a custom-made sportswear, that includes the Hooda Fishtail Sports Hijab for an annual girls’ camp for a school in Melbourne. The students fully dressed in Nashata performed archery, rafting, rope gliding and performed team building activities. The organizer from the school shared that the outfits were perfect. The outfits got wet and dried quickly although the day was cloudy with intermittent drizzles.

Arissa Batrisyia is the Nashata’s first Junior model. A versatile athlete since early age, now at 10 years old, she is active in running, taekwando, swimming and football.  She represents her school at Majlis Sukan Sekolah Daerah (MSSD) Track & Field, competes in more than ten national level taekwando competitions since 2018 and represents her school for Air Asia KL Junior League. Arissa is also a part of the Mini Squad team at the Swimming Academy, Bukit Jalil since she was five.

Arissa Swimming in Hooda Fishtail Sports Hijab

 

Arissa was discovered through a competition held by Nashata in August last year. There were many athletic and talented contestants ages seven to ten took part in Nashata Kids’ competition. Other than Arissa, the other three shortlisted contestants were artistic gymnast Elif Filza Nur Shaffik, multi-sports athlete Mishel Zaiti Mohd Salehin and rhythmic gymnast Puteri Nur Sufia Schasya Mohamad Fahmi.  Five judges comprising from sports model, fitness trainers, physical education teacher and modest activewear designer from Singapore, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America casted their votes independently based on poses, sports skills, accolades and self-confidence and Arissa won the competition based on the highest score.

 

“Before I was known as Nashata kid model in November 2019, I am already using Nashata Hooda Ellipse sports hijab for MSSD track & field in Feb 2019, and football tournament. I have been wearing it for my training. I like wearing Nashata sports hijab because it’s not flapping while I am running,” shared Arissa who also feedbacks on design to Nashata team.

Stay Energetic with Nashata Junior

A fit mom raises a fit family, indeed. A mother’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and the education level of the mother are among two of the three factors that predict obesity on an adolescence. The research by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute also indicated that a child’s BMI, especially from age 6-7 years onwards is one of the factors that predict whether a healthy weight child will be overweight or obese. Therefore, it is important for parents to support a child’s sports interests by spending more time, energy and money to train, compete and maintaining good eating habits.

 

“I personally own a few items from Nashata and my favourite one, if I have to choose one, would be the Hooda Sports Hijab. Despite wearing loose swimwear, I feel more confident and modest when wearing this vest hijab on top of the swimming gear for any water activities,” said Arissa’s mother, Puan Asni Che Abd Aziz who is a lawyer and an active mother too.

 

In supporting young hijabis to Get Active, improve sports performance and to enjoy activities comfortably, Nashata not only giving back RM30 for purchases of Nashata Junior products but also will include tops, pants and swimwear in March 2020.

 

 

For more information and updates on Nashata, please visit:

Facebook     : https://www.facebook.com/nashatadotcom

Twitter          : http://twitter.com/nashatadotcom

Youtube       : https://www.youtube.com/user/nashatadotcom

Instagram    :https://www.instagram.com/nashatadotcom/
                        https://www.instagram.com/nashatastore/

Website        : https://shop.nashata.com/en/

### End ###

About Nashata (nashata.com)

Nashata is the world’s no. 1 modest activewear for women. The philosophy behind Nashata designs evolves around giving comfort, choice and confidence.

Nashata designs, produces and sells a wide range enduring and functional activewear. This includes hijabs, tops, bottoms, swimwear and various innovative original designs to accommodate modest women and teenager’s active lifestyle.

The products of Nashata are designed and tested by active ladies since 2013. The people at Nashata pick the best quality and suitable fabric to produce classic and environmentally conscious active wears.

Release issued on behalf of Nashata Lifestyle Sdn. Bhd.

For more information, please contact Intan Suraya at intansuraya@nashata.com +6012-3112489.

Press material and pictures downloadable @ http://bit.ly/2vbgm20

 

Leg Sleeves for Compression and Recovery

Athletes, runners and sports enthusiasts, we are offering you a dual-function leg sleeves, suitable for men and women. Released on 5th January at nashata.com, these sleeves offer you compression effect and recovery use.  They can provide extra care of the calf and shin by reducing muscle vibration while working out and improve recovery by icing them with cold pack or ice.

1. Compression

The leg sleeves offers compression effects that stabilizes the calf and shin, hence reduce muscle vibration and manage pain and injury. They are comfortable and suitable for high intensity work out such as running marathon, trail running, cycling and hiking.

2. Recovery

Applying cold compression or ice for your leg can help reduce swelling, which also may help muscles to recover faster. Cold compression on injured or swollen areas help reduce the inflammatory process.

Nashata leg sleeve has a built-in pocket on one side  to insert cold pack or ice cubes. The benefits of the product is that it allows you to move about as it remains stationary on your leg. In this way, you are able to carry out your activity perfectly while the product ices your leg. Hence, you can rest and sleep with the cold pack or ice intact on shin or calf for night recovery.

Built-in pocket for ice cubes or ice pack

Ice cubes in pocket

Ice pack in pocket

Usually, you would find yourself stuck in a difficult situation during injuries and ought to stop at medic stations during races and get paramedics to ice your leg or calf, or ice your leg immediately after your workout. However, with Nashata Leg Sleeves, you can provide the icing effect for yourself without troubling yourself or others.

3. Features

  • comfortable and suitable for high intensity work out
  • built-in pocket on one side of each sleeve to insert cold pack or ice cubes
  • unisex
  • free size, comes in a pair
  • color : black
  • length : 12.5 in or 32 cm each
  • made of highly stretchable and breathable fabric
  • fabric : spandex and mesh

4. Get creative

We received an interesting feedback by customers who use the built-in pocket on the sleeves to put money, ID and energy gel. Basically, you have extra pockets on your leg.

A review by  Ikmal Abdul Jabar, hockey coach, runner and President of the Malaysian Stroller Running Community

“Just put them on and the grip feels good on your legs. They don’t feel hot, in fact they are really comfortable. Oh yes, it has a function for recovery, because there is a compartment to put ice pack. If you don’t have an ice pack, you can put ice cubes to treat shin splint pain. If you have calf cramp, just turn the sleeves backwards to cool your calf. During my bicycle ride, I used the compartment to put my IC and money.  So far so good, I am happy with this performance calf compression.”

You can get a pair for RM59/SGD20 only at Nashata.com or Nashata Cyberjaya store!

Larian Hari Keputeraan Sultan Nazrin Shah 2019 – “Raya Runners”

Assalamualaikum

Hari Ahad lepas (17/11/2019) saya berlari di acara Larian Hari Keputeraan Sultan Nazrin Shah (LHKSNS) Kuala Kangsar, Perak.  Acara ini edisi ke 5 LHKSNS dan untuk saya ini adalah tahun ke 3 berturut saya sertai.  Acara yang ditunggu-tunggu oleh runners, sebabnya ia ibarat hari raya bagi kami semua. Apabila pendaftaran dibuka, hanya mengambil masa 2  jam sahaja dan slot telah ‘sold out’, walaupun pada tahun ini penyertaan untuk semua kategori ditambah dengan total keseluruhan 6000 slot.  Macam goreng pisang panas! Kenapa? Sebab ia ada tarikannya tersendiri! Memang seronok!

Waktu ambil race kit di Dewan Jubli Perak, jam 6.30 petang masih ramai, rata-rata yang datang dari luar Kuala Kangsar.

Gambar kenangan selepas ambil race kit. Depan saya ramai lagi yang beratur untuk ambil gambar disini.

Waktu saya beratur, Tuanku Zara juga berada di dewan. Cantiknya Tuanku Zara!

Pagi itu saya terus ke starting line, sangat mudah bagi saya sebab Masjid berdepan dengan Dewan Jubli Perak, mudah nak solat subuh.

Saya dalam kategori 15km wanita vateran, starting point di Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Kangsar pada jam 7.00 pagi.  Penyertaan pada tahun ini sangat meriah kerana ramai runners datang dengan berbagai jenis pakaian, termasuk saya sendiri.

Flag of 15km oleh Sultan Nazrin Shah

Larian pada hari tu, saya cuma nak berlari santai, jumpa kawan-kawan, dan bergambar saja.  Kami berlari di kawasan kampung, seronok bila berlari dapat jumpa dengan orang kampung yang bersorak, di jamu dengan kuih tradisional.  Selain itu kami boleh berhenti untuk sama-sama main congkak, batu seremban, ada live band untuk hiburan kami semua.  Orang kg Kuala Kangsar sangat awesome! Ini bukan race! Ini larian hari raya!

Photoshoot di tengah jalan pun boleh!

Route yang mendamaikan 🙂

Kita stop main batu seremban dulu 🙂

 

Geng afro – photo by Zul Ramly

Geng pajamas – photo by Kin K Yum

Kami berlari di kawasan bendang.  Untuk saya yang duduk KL ni, nak tengok sawah bendang ni memang setahun sekali je. Ya Allah! dah jakun sangant rupanya. Masa hari tu sawah bendang jadi tempat photoshoot.  Meriah!

Saya berpakaian baju melayu, bergambar di bendang. 🙂

Di km10 saat yang paling kami tunggu,trademark LHKSNS ialah dapat minum air kelapa free!!! #satukepalasatukelapa, seronokkan, bila penat berlari, dengan hari yang semakin panas dapat basahkan tekak dengan air kelapa muda.

 

Sisterhood is powerful, minum air kelapa bersama-sama. Photo by Fieza Ahmad.

Di Dataran Lembah pula, seperti berpesta, kami dihiburkan dengan lagu joget, ada kumpulan tarian dan sesiapa boleh menari bersama.  Kami juga di jamu dengan air dan kuih muih, makanlah seberapa banyak.

Kuih muih yang dijamu untuk peserta. Photo by As_Ayub

4km ke Finish Line, berlari santai-santai, suasana di bandar yang agak sibuk dengan kenderaaan, namun keselamatan kami semua masih di jaga dengan baik. Polis dan Rela sangat-sangat memebantu dan sportingnya orang Kuala Kangsar!

Farhati & Farhani with finisher medal.

Finisher Medal. Cantik!

Suasana berlari yang macam ni, memang saya tak pernah dapat rasai dimana-mana, cuma di sini.  Dengan yuran penyertaan cuma RM35, berbaloi dengan rasa kepuasan berlarii disini! Sebab itu, saya tak akan ketinggalan untuk sertai setiap tahun.  Jumpa lagi LHKSNS 2020.

Yayasan TM Tower Run with the power of USA Potatoes

Assalamualaikum.

Pada hari Ahad lepas, 10 November, saya menyertai Yayasan TM Tower Run di Menara TM, Bangsar.  Konsep acara ini adalah peserta perlu menaiki tangga hingga ke tingkat 54  iaitu sebanyak 1296 anak tangga dengan ketinggian 200 meter.

 

Acara bermula seawal  jam 6 pagi dengan ucapan pembukaan, doa dan nyanyian lagu Negaraku.  Peserta di lepaskan seawal jam 7 pagi. Terdapat enam (6) kategori – Terbuka Lelaki (berumur 18 tahun ke atas), Terbuka Wanita (berumur 18 tahun ke atas), Veteran Lelaki (berumur 40 tahun ke atas) , Veteran Wanita (berumur 40 tahun ke atas), kakitangan TM Lelaki dan TM kakitangan Wanita. Semua pelari di lepaskan secara individu dengan selang masa lima (5) saat manakala untuk pelari elit, selang masa 15 saat.

Lokasi yang sangat convenience.  Saya pergi ke race site menaiki LRT laluan Kelana Jaya dan berhenti di Station Kerinchi.  Dari situ, saya berjalan lebih kurang 3 minit untuk ke race site.  Seawal jam 8.30 pagi saya sampai dan  terus saya menuju ke booth yang berada di situ.

U.S Purple Potatoes with Blueberry Boost Shake U.S Purple Potatoes with Blueberry Boost Shake, and the meshed potatoes  was very delicious, perfect for pre-run or pre- workout breakfast.

Terima kasih kepada USA Potatoes salah satu penaja event pada hari itu dengan  beri free flow minuman dan meshed potatoes with gravy  secara percuma untuk semua peserta. Sedap and yeayy!!!

Saya menyertai dalam kategori Women Vateran dan dilepaskan pada  jam 9.40 pagi  Saya sangat teruja kerana ini adalah kali kedua saya menyertai larian menara, larian menara pertama saya adalah KL Towerthon di Menara KL pada tahun 2011.

Larian bermula dari dalam Menara TM, i just walk slow and easy. Ada 2 water station disediakan dengan air mineral dan isotonik.

They are so energetic, maybe they take energy drink and the meshed potatoes before the race. 🙂

Di Setiap tingkat, volunteer beri kata-kata semangat dan bersorak, hilang sikit rasa penat saya.  Saya dapat tamatkan acara dengan catatan masa 17minit 20 saat.  Bergambar kenangan di tingkat 54.

With Malaysia Airlines crew at the 54th floor.

Meshed Potatoes and U.S Purple Potatoes with Blueberry Boost Shake. I take it after the race too…Potatoes provides the carbohydrate, potassium, and energy you need at your best. A medium-size (5.2oz) has 3 grams of complete protein.

Kentang mengandungi karbohidrat, membekalkan 30% vitamin C dalam keperluan harian, Potassium yang lebih dari pisang bersaiz sederhana.  Kentang bersaiz sederhana (5.2 oz) hanya mempunyai 110 kalori.  No fat! No Sodium! No Cholesterol. Sebab itu lah saya rasa sungguh energetic!

Teruja saya bila dapat berjumpa dengan Soh Wai Ching! Pelari Menara No. 1 dunia! tahniah Wai Ching!

Soh Wai Ching (kiri) tempat pertama, dapat menghabiskan larian dalam masa 6 minit 9 saat.

Soh Wai Ching dinobatkan sebagai Pelari Menara No. 1 dunia dengan masa 6:09. Dengan kemenangan itu, Soh adalah Pemenang No.1 dunia dan perlumbaan akhir di Shanghai akan menjadi perlumbaan terpenting untuk beliau untuk mengekalkan gelaran  No. 1 dunia yang  mana rekod akan dikemas kini setiap bulan. Pelancaran Menara Antarabangsa Yayasan TM 2019 disahkan oleh Persatuan Dunia Towerrunning (TWA) dan Malaysia Towerrunning Association (MTA) dalam memastikan semua aspek keselamatan dan teknikal berjaya dilaksanakan. MTA adalah ilham Soh Wai Ching, seorang siswazah Sains Sukan Universiti Malaya. Towerrunning adalah senaman dan sukan yang cekap dan sangat berpatutan. MTA berfungsi sebagai Badan Nasional yang menetapkan tatacara dan peraturan untuk mempromosikan sukan yang sangat bermanfaat ini dan berharap dapat memperluakan lagi komuniti pelari menara.

With few of friends yang sama-sama berlari.. tahniah!

Yayasan TM International Tower Run acara yang sangat baik dan teratur. Saya harap ia akan diadakan semula tahun depan. Terima kasih kepada USA Potatoes kerana memberi saya peluang untuk mengambil bahagian dalam acara hebat ini. 

 “Real Food for Real Performance”!

 

Nashata #hijabirunners at SCKLM 2019

In a couple of weeks the Standard Charted KL Marathon (SCKLM) will be back again. It is the biggest running event in Malaysia and the most anticipated marathon by runners from Malaysia and overseas. The event is held annually since 1989. It starts on 29th of September in Kuala Lumpur this year, with an estimated forty thousand participants.There are several categoriest: Full Marathon (FM) with a distance of 42.2km, Half Marathon(HM), with a distance of 21km, 10km and 5km.

We are very excited for this event this year as Nashata celebrates hijabi runners who are taking up the challenge be it the first time or repeatedly running a marathon. Here are the nine hijabi runners who will be running the FM at the SCKLM, InsyaAllah. Three of them will be running their very first full marathon and the other six – repeated marathon runners.

Meet the nine of the Nashata Runners who will be running the FM at #SCKLM2019.

1.  FARHATI

Farhati started running in year 2018. She loves running as she finds it as a free prescription for happy hormones. She is finisher of eight Half Marathon and she will be running her 1st Full Marathon at SCKLM 2019. She ran her personal best for 5KM and completed her recent Half Marathon in Nashata Sports Robe 

“Since it’ll be my very first FM, I hope that I would be able to survive it”, says Farhati

#prayforfarhati

She runs in Nashata : Sports Robe, Ultra Top and Hooda Sports Hijab

2.  INTAN SIZA

Intan Siza is a mother of two kids. An active lady since young, Intan started running in 2014. She loves running and stays active to catch up with her kids’ energy and also to gain back her stamina. She will be running her 5th Full Marathon at the SCKLM2019 and has finished running 50km races twice.

She said “This 5th FM will mean a lot to me because I will run together with my friend for her Virgin FM as a birthday gift for her. I will support her to finish the race within the cut of time”.

She runs in Nashata Ultra Top, Hooda Ellipse Sports Hijab & Fitness Leggings

3.  INTAN SURAYA

Intan Suraya is a veteran marathon and ultra runner. She started running at 33 and has been running over a decade. Other than running she supports and helps many runners too. SCKLM2019 would be her 12th Full Marathon and her 9th year running at the SCKLM. She runs to maintain her body weight, improve stamina and to stay fit and healthy.

“I am prepared and training hard for this event, I would like to finish the race before the cut of time but if I can break my personal best, it’s a bonus for me”, shares Intan who tries not to miss running at SCKLM.

She runs in Nashata Head to toe all the time

4.  LAILI MARDZIAH

Due to blood sugar test that indicates pre-diabetic condition, Laili chooses to practice a healthy lifestyle. So in 2018, she started running and will be running her first Full Marathon at the SCKLM2019.

“I am a very busy mom and running is the best workout for me. I can run alone, anytime and anywhere without involved with any team, it’s just myself for me time. SCKLM 2019 is very meaningful to me, because this would be my 1st Full Marathon. I will try my best to finish the race within the cut of time without any injuries”, says Laili.

She runs in Nashata Ellipse Sports Hijab

5. NOR BAIZATUL AKMAL

Nor Baizatul Akmal or better known as Apeng is a Ultramarathoner,  a six times finisher of 100km category.  She started running in 2011.  At first, she ran to lose weight, keep healthy and be fit.  Nowadays, she wants to challenge herself to run long distances races. 

“I wish to complete my FM at SCKLM 2019 within the cut of time since it’s been a while since the last time I race a full marathon”.

She runs in Nashata Ultra Tops

6.  NUR AZYAN

Nur Azyan is a mother of a lovely girl, loves to run for weight loss and  to keep her healthy and fit.  She said “When I run with my friends, I get some ‘me-time’ for myself away from work and home stresses”  She loves to challenge herself and for now her longest distance is 90km, and planning to achieve 100km races.

“SCKLM is very meaningful to me because my 1st race event was at SCKLM 2010 in 5km fun run category,  I broke my virgin full marathon at SCKLM 2011, and my still-holding personal best record for FM is at SCKLM 2012. SCKLM 2019 will be my 8th FM, I will try my best to finish the race within the cut of time without any injuries.”

She runs in Nashata Ultra Tops, Hooda Ellipse Sports Hijab, Crop Top

7.  SITI NOR ALIZA

Siti Nor Aliza is a mother of two daughters. She started running in 2014.  She loves to run as a way to stay fit and healthy and to inspire all mothers out there. “In my opinion, every mother should always be healthy and fit to look after their children. So, as a mother, we need to find time to exercise and live a healthy lifestyle”. 

“I broke my virgin full marathon last year at Malaysia Women Marathon but for SCKLM 2019, it would be my 1st full marathon as I signed up for half marathon category previous year.  I will try my best to complete the race within the cut of time without any injuries”, Aliza shares excitedly.

She runs in Nashata Ultra Tops, Hooda Ellipse and Riada Salasa Pants

8.  SYARIZA

Syariza, started running in 2017.  She loves running to maintain her body weight. She said “Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams”

InsyaAllah, she will break her virgin full marathon at SCKLM 2019.

Celebrating my 42nd birthday on the day by successfully completing the 42km run. It will be the best birthday gift that I could give to myself”, says Syariza

She runs in Nashata Leia Top, Hooda Ellipse Sports Hijab and Riada Salasa Pants

9.  ZAMZAMIAH

Zamzamiah, started running in late 2014. She also loves trail run and hiking to challenge herself. An ultramarathoner and finisher 100km in few races, she says “I dare to challenge myself and push myself beyond the limit. We are all the same, but the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. If I can do it, so do you !”

She added, “Achieving a Personal Best timing is always a bonus for me. I hope I’m in the best form to run in SCKLM2019 with no injury and that I will be able to smile towards the finishing line. Apart from that, I look forward to see more competitive hijabi runners in SCKLM2019.”

She runs in Nashata Ultra Tops, Hooda Ellipse and Racerback Sports Hijab and Compression Skirt Pants

 

For those who will be running – All the best for your run and enjoy it.
If you see #NashataRunners and any other runners, smile and say hello. All runners are awesome!  So do support and cheer each other for trying the best and for finishing the race with alhamdulillah. See you on the 29th September 2019.

Follow #nashatarunners on Instagram to follow their updates

Nashata Kid Model Finalists

On the 17th August, we announced Nashata Kid Model casting and to our surprise, we received many applications. MasyaAllah, the girls are too cute, adorable and they make our hearts melt! The applicants are competitive and many are athletics, having received athletic accolades.

We have to pick 5 girls as finalists for the next audition and it is not an easy decision for us. These 5 finalists will go through a photoshoot session this Saturday, 7th September and the public will get to vote online starting 10th September. The highest public vote will be Nashata’s 1st Kid Model. Don’t forget to support to these girls – for their talent, athletic interests and capabilities. 

So, here are the top 5 finalists :

1. Alysha Tan

Alysha Tan, 8 years old

Alysha Tan is 8 years old.  She is a triathlete and plays tennis and taekwondo. In the past years she participated in triathlons and taekwondo sparring competitions.

2. Arissa Batrisyia

Arissa Batrisyia Abdul Hasib, 10 years old.

Arissa Batrisyia Abdul Hasib is 10 years old. She is active in running, taekwando, swimming and football.  She represents her school in MSSD Track & Field 2019, competed in more than 10 taekwando competitions since 2018 including ITF Sarawak Inter-School Invitational Taekwando Championship 2018, bronze (pattern),  Champion 3 Malaysian Open Taekwando Championship 2018 (gold in pattern & Bronze in sparring) and the Synergy Taekwando Championship 2019 (Gold for both pattern and sparring) and was selected to  represent her school for Air Asia KL Junior League – girls team. Arissa has also been with D Swimming Academy, Bukit Jalil since she’s 5 and now in their Mini Squad.

3. Elif Filza

Elif Filza Nur Shaffik, 10 years old

Elif Filza Nur Shaffik is 10 years old.  She is active in swimming, artistic gymnastic, running and rugby.  Elif Filza has participated in sports competition such as the Jakarta Intercultural School Aqua Open 2019, British School Jakarta Swimming Open 2019, Australian Independent School Swimming Competition 2018 and 2019, JASIS Athletics 2018 and 2019, Moose Games Gymnastic Bangkok 2019, British School Jakarta Gymnastic Competition 2018 and 2019, KOMODO Jakarta Rugby (junior) 2017.

4. Mishel Zaiti

Mishel Zaiti Mohd Salehin, 7 years old.

Mishel Zaiti Mohd Salehin, 7 years old. She is active in swimming and running.

5. Puteri Nur Sufia Schasya

Puteri Nur Sufia Schasya Mohamad Fahmi, 7 years old

Puteri Nur Sufia Schasya Mohamad Fahmi, 7 years old.  She is active in rhythmic gymnastics.  In a past years she represented rhythmic gymnastics competition at MSSD Hulu Langat.

Congratulations girls!  They will be attending in audition in Nashata store, Cyberjaya on 7 September  at 10.00 am.  We will share more about them next Monday. So stay tuned for next announcement from us.

To all who have submitted your application, thank you. Stay Active and Keep Soaring girls! Also, our special thanks to the parents for their support and kindness. 

We acknowledge there aren’t many modest sportswear for children and the parents support and children’s participation in building modest sportswear for kids that are good for performance and competition are much appreciated.

Sea Expedition – Kelong Jump & Mangrove Kayaking

It was another great day out at sea ma syaa Allah. This is our 2nd run of Sea Expedition as part of GEMS Movement – Grundy+POPWOW Empowering Me Series. The weather was perfect and the company was simpply AWESOME!

Objectives

  1. Instill confidence in the open water
  2. Learn to work together (kayaking) against the natural elements
  3. Overcome fear of uncertainties (Kelong Jump)
  4. Increase awareness about the importance of affects of pollution in the sea, how kelong works, history of Pulau Ubin

We completed the mission!

We met early morning at Changi Point Ferry Terminal and boarded our chartered boat to Peers Outdoor Kelong. All 14 of us were so nervous yet excited to face the challenges ahead. The refreshing boat ride did calm their nerves as we travelled about 15mins to reach the kelong. We were warmly greeted by Sky and Dini, the intructors in-charge of our fate today hahaha.

Kelong Jump

Our first challenge was Kelong Jump. It didn’t look so scary at first but as one ascend to the top of the platform (about 1.5m above sea) and faces the open water, legs started to feel like jelly. Uncle Lee is ready in the safety boat about 20 metres away. Sky stood by our side to ensure that we adopt the proper jumping position while the rest of us cheered. The motivation and support from everyone definitely helped. The scene is set, we knew what to do, adopted the proper skill, safety measures- personal life jacket, safety boat, safety personnel in pos… all we had to do was tawakkal and take the plunge. A hundred question started to creep into our minds. We didn’t know how deep the water was, what lurks underwater, how strong the current was. Am I going to be swept way? Am I going to drown? While some even thought of sharks and loch ness monsters, i thought about Nemo and Dory and Spongebob hehehe… Some of us took a lil bit longer on the platform to compose ourselves but one by one, all 14 of us took the challenge and battled our fears to jump.  I was so proud of everyone!

Sarah bracing for Kelong Jump

Dini and Sky motivating Nasreen for her jump

Pulau Ubin Mangrove Kayaking 

Next Challenge! Mangrove Kayaking on double kayaks. It was important to delegate the partners correctly according to size and experience. Sky conducted a safety brief and a short lesson on kayaking. We learnt how to paddle, how to communicate with our partners and the whole team with the use of signals by whistle blows and use of paddles. We learnt the jargons – “break raft” and reminded of how to look out for one another. We identified the patners, collected our equipment and head on out to sea.

Kayaking was definitely not as simple and smooth sailing as it seems. There are many elements at play. Cooperation and communication is of utmost importance between partners. While we work together as a duo, we also need to work as a team with other kayaks to ensure that all is present and well. We did a few challenges in the water, kayak along the beautiful mangroves swamps of Pulau Ubin. The tide was going down.It was more difficult to paddle in but the outflow of sea water made it easier for us to glide back out into the sea.

In the midst of the expedition, we mantained  a single file while keeping our silence to enjoy the serenity and to look out for the familiar creatures. We would huddle and Sky would tell us about how the mangrove works, the history of Pulau Ubin and the kelongs. Mangrove forests are an extremely productive ecosystems that provide numerous good and services both to the marine environment and people. Being homes to a large variety of sea creatures, the dense root systems of mangrove forests also trap sediments flowing down rivers and off the land. This helps stabilises the coastline and prevents erosion from waves and storms.

We kayak from Jelutong Campsite, through the straits of Ketam Island and into RUM Site 2

It took us about 3 hours to finally complete the expedition. We were exhausted but definitely fullfiled and satisfied! Back at the kelong, while drying off, we conductd a post-activity debrief session where every member shared their learning points.

Learning Points – The different elements and how it applies to our daily life

  1. The Tools – In this scenario, the tools we have is the PSD (Personal Safety Device – lifejacket), paddle, kayak and ourselves. These are elements we can control. It is our responsibilities to learn how best to use these tools for our benefits, learn how to manourver, how to work with and not against the tools we have in our lives. We can choose not to adhere to safety regulations and endanger ourselves and others. We can choose to be lazy and let ourselves drift away expecting others to steer the boat for us. We can choose to throw away the paddle and not benefit from it. Or we can ensure our personal safety, work hard and smart to learn to paddle and manouver the boat to get to our destination and benefit from the tools we have and the experience we gained. Like all other tools we have in our lives. The pen and paper, our smartphones, our laptops, our kitchen, our education… we can choose how these tools benefit us. These tools are at our disposal and it is within our control to put in the effort and learn how to use these tools positively.
  2. Forces of Nature – As we kayak, we work with or against the natural elements like the sea, the current and tides, the wind, the weather- rain or shine.  We can predict and forecast but can never control. We can choose to complain, berate and curse at the “bad” weather or lament at every difficulty. Or we can choose to embrace and learn how to work best in any condition. As we paddle upstream against the tide, we paddled harder. It is tough but if we presevere, we will get to our destination and we know at the end of the day, “What doesn’t kill us, just makes us stronger.” We definitely went back with stronger arms and fitter upper bodies! As we went downstream, clouds were coming in, we relaxed and enjoyed ourselves as we went with the tide, light rain cooled us after the harsh heat of the sun and the winds pushed us towards the kelong. “Indeed, With difficulty, there is ease”. Our life is nothing but trials and tribulations. It is through these simulated experiences that we learn to deal and cope with challenges and difficulties. We sometimes land in conditions beyond our control, like the elements we faced today, we can choose to drift away or drown in our own desperation or work hard to overcome the challenge. We can always choose to look at the brighter side of things. As we paddled up, through the heat, our laughter made it easy. The beautiful scenery and awesome sights made it all worth it. We return humbled and full of gratitude.
  3. Social Wellness (Other people) – Social Wellness is the relationship we have with other people. In this case, our kayak partner, other members of the team and our Instructor. This is where effective communication plays an integral part in our safety and well-being. Effective communication includes LISTENING and giving proper instructions where patience, empathy (understanding the emotions) and sense of awareness also plays a role. One steers and one guides. Both paddle left and right together. Keeping in formation. No one left behind. We can choose not to listen to instructions and then panic because we don’t know how to use the paddle and we are not moving in the direction we want. We can choose to be lazy and let our partner do most of the work. We can choose to be selfish and leave others behind. Or we can choose to work together, listen and learn and look out for one another. Like all other relationships we have in our lives. In marriage with our spouses, with neighbbours and colleagues and family members. We can be selfish and excel ourselves or we can work together to ensure the well-being of our society and community is being taken care of. We can learn to listen and be empathetic to preserve our relationships or not. We can help or not. We can be vigilant or ignorant. At the end of the day, we will definitely reap thhe benefits or face the consequences of our choices. If we expect kindness from others, let ourselves be kind.

Effective communication includes LISTENING and giving proper instructions where patience, empathy (understanding the emotions) and sense of awareness also plays a role

Alhamdulillah, at the end of the day, we achieved all the objectives set for this activity. We gained much insights about oursleves, our comrades, the kelongs in Singapore, Pulau Ubin and the mangrove swamps. After the kelong jump, 3hrs of paddling, debrief session, reflections and sharings, we each takeaway some valuable lessons and experience, that we will never gain through books. Parallel life skills, lessons that we hope will benefit them in their daily lives and which will be used to benefit others. In syaa Allah…

 

To more adventures! Look out for our next blog about our Caving Experience and Waterfall Abseiling at Gunung Muntahak.

Love,

Efah Anuar