My kind of New Year Celebration

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

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

I did not take much photos along the way, but the route looks just the same as this Google photo

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

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

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

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

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

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner

#ForABetter2017 ?

Assalamualaikum & greetings,

2016 is leaving us soon with unforgettable memories; the medals and mileages we have earned, weight and body fat we have trimmed along the way. For some of us, what brings us joy is when we make new friends and spend quality time having active lifestyles with family and friends. After all, fitness is a journey, not a destination. With all the reflections and lessons learned, I would like to congratulate you for the achievements and thank you for being with us.

Alhamdulillah, 2016 has been a great year for fit hijabi and Nashata. This August, 33 Olympians in hijab competed strong at Rio 2016. We also featured top 11 yogini in hijabi across the globe who inspire ordinary ladies like me to keep trying to do the extraordinary. At Nashata, we work from dusk to dawn and happy to have released many innovative designs and products that have helped our sisters to enjoy an active lifestyle. The Nashata Hooda Sports Hijab, Modest Yoga Suit,  Azza Toplectic and Nashata Sibaha Swimwear are the main innovative activewear that not only modest but help our sister to improve performance.  The final release for 2016 is the Dusk collection of the all-time-favourite Riada Nahl and Riada Peplum.

Modest . Active . Stylish . Nashata

Modest . Active . Stylish

We are excited with 2017 and have more exciting plans #ForABetter2017.

  • Follow our store-based instagram for a better shopping experience at @nashatastore. We will continue to share exciting and inspiring moments of our modest sisters having active lifestyles at nashatadotcom instagram.
  • We have more innovative products in the pipeline for you – swimwear, performance wear and some special products for our sisters who have been sharing with us your concerns. Please continue to have conversations with us. You can email me at eliza@nashata.com.
  • Giving more TLC to our ever-supportive customers. We heart ❤ you! So please subscribe to our newsletter and follow our social media sites for updates. facebook, nashatastore, nashatadotcom and twitter. We don’t want you to miss special deals for our valuable customers.

#ForABetter2017 Discount for our Customers

On that note, to kick-start the year, we are offering 10% discount when you shop at nashata.com till the 31st January 2017. To get the discount, use vouchercode ForABetter2017 when you check out.

ForABetter2017

ForABetter2017

#ForABetter2017 Goals
So what are your fitness goals #ForaBetter2017? As for me, these are the 3 keys ones.

  1. Improve Fitness Level ?
    • Improve speed
      I want to be able to swim and run faster and longer. My average speed is 6.5 min/km and I would like to improve to 6 min/km for 5km run.
    • Reduce body fat percentage from acceptable level to fitness level.
      This seems to be a hard thing to do. More info on body fat here.
    • Increase strength
      Especially my abdomen and thigh areas.
  2. Make Fitness ? as a Routine
    • Workout at least 3 times a week, one hour per training
      The challenge is to find time. I get an hour in the morning before I start work. I take turns with my husband to send kids to school, so that we get our ME-time to exercise.
    • Cross training – swim or yoga at least once a week
      Yoga helps improve my strength and flexibility while swimming improves my stamina. I tend to do yoga more often as it is less time consuming.
    • Weekend workout with family
      It is a fun thing to do. I take my family climb a hill, run, cycle or any activities other feels like trying out. And the list goes on.
    • Escape with Family

      Escape with Family

  3. Support family & friends ? to be healthy
    • Encourage others to stay fit, run with them or ask them to run with you. I do that with family members. My friends are way ahead than me and they push me forward.
    • Share tips and tricks with family and friends. For example, I add an additional soles in my running shoes to support my knees and legs to avoid knee injury and I do share it with my friends with knee pain.
    • Prepare and have healthy meals with family and friends
      Purchase healthy food for your office like apples and banana, and dine at restaurants that serve healthier options.

Do share your fitness goals with other on social media by adding #ForABetter2017 & #nashata. We are giving away special vouchers worth RM100 each for best posts.

As the year 2016 winds down, let’s reward ourselves for all the effort and let’s look forward and hope #ForABetter2017. InsyaAllah.

Happy New Year!

✌ & ❤,
eliza