Friday 27 April 2012

Cast your vote for BSNPNM 2012 Official Tagline!

Five taglines have been shortlisted from hundreds of taglines submitted for this year's BSNPNM 2012!

The taglines are:

The Night My Life Changed - Kenneth Christopher Lim
Sleep Can wait, Run First -  Jimmy Lim
Freedom through Endurance - Nazreen D Neuromancer
Experience the Run of Your Life - Asri Syahrol
Pushing Boundaries, Breaking Limits - Sze Jun King 


The winning tagline will be chosen based on the highest number of 'Likes'.
Voting closes at 5.00pm on 7th May 2012.

Monday 16 April 2012

History of a Marathon


Why is it called a marathon?

Why not just ‘a really long run that only insane people do’?

Yes. That has a much better ring to it, don’t you think?

Well, it all began in Greece, in the year 490 BC. (That was almost 2,500 years ago!) Here’s how the legend (which has many renditions) goes: A massive army from Persia crossed the Aegean Sea and landed at Marathon, a city in Greece about 25 miles from the city of Athens. The Persians had come to capture and enslave Marathon, then move on to capture and enslave Athens. The Persians had 50,000 highly trained warriors. The defending army at Marathon had only about 9,000. The Greeks were outnumbered 5 to 1.  At that time,the way people communicated between cities was either by sending a messenger on horseback, or by sending a professional runner.

The Greeks needed help, and due to the rocky and mountainous terrain (which is slowgoing with a horse), a runner was sent to get reinforcements. The runner’s name was Phillippides (or, by some accounts, Pheidippides). Phillippides ran from Marathon to Sparta (a city in southern Greece) to ask the Spartans for help and the Spartans (for religious reasons) would only come when the moon was full. So Phillippides ran all the way back to Marathon with this disappointing news. (The round trip from Marathon to Sparta was 150 miles, so let’s be glad that’s not the “marathon” part of this story!)

Unfortunately, the army at Marathon needed help instantly around to Athens to conquer it leaving the other half to take down Marathon. But the Persians at Marathon were facing a smart Greek army, and to make a long battle short, the Persians were defeated, losing 6400 warriors to the Greeks. Phillippides, the legend goes, was one of the men who battled the Persians at Marathon. (This after running the 150 miles to Sparta and back!)

When the battle was won, he was then chosen to run the 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to relay the news of the victory. He made it, but was so exhausted (from running to Sparta and back, battling the Persians, and then racing to Athens) that he collapsed after shouting “Rejoice, we conquer!” and then died. He lives on, though, in the heart of runners as a symbol of commitment, endurance, and willpower.

Some interesting tidbits

The length of a marathon was not fixed at first, since the only important factor was that all athletes competed on the same course. The marathon races in the first few Olympic Games were not of a set length, but were approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi), roughly the distance from Marathon to Athens by the longer, flatter route. When the modern Olympic Games were inaugurated in Greece in 1896, as part of Greek heritage, the legend of Phillippides was revived by a 24.85 mile (40,000 meters) run from Marathon Bridge to Olympic stadium in Athens.  

So why would a marathon be at 26.2 miles now?

Fast forward to the1908 Olympic Games which were held in London, England --- You may not believe this but it is actually because the royal family wanted the marathon’s finish line to be in front of the royal family’s “viewing box”, the course was lengthened to 26.2 miles. (The king and queen wanted the end of the race to ome to them, and so the runners had to go even farther!)

Anyway, after years and years of extremely heated discussion, this 26.2 mile distance was established at the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France as the official marathon distance.

26.2 miles is equal to 26 miles plus 385 yards, or 42.16 kilometers.

It’s also, by the foot, equivalent to a long, long way.

But as history and records have shown, it is not impossible to achieve!

Source: Wikipedia and http://www.exercisetherighttoread.org/

Note:  For PNM 2011, Peter Kipleting Keter from Kenya won the men's marathon after clocking 2 hours 26 minutes while Chesire Rose came out tops in the women's marathon in 3 hours 20 minutes.

Sunday 15 April 2012

If the shoe fits


Dr Mark Reyneker from Johannesburg, South Africa who has spent 10 years in Malaysia as a podiatrist is often asked to recommend the best brand for running shoes. For Dr Reyneker, there is no best brand rather, "getting the right shoes and the right fit to save you from a lot of pain".


Dr Mark Reyneker, Chief Podiatrist and Managing Director of Family Podiatry Centre


When it comes to foot care, Dr Mark Reyneker said, "Use the marathon to communicate to your body. If you want to try a new style of running, introduce it to your body to condition. Slowly adapt to it. Dont't jump into it."

He added that, the surface, our bodies and the Malaysian heat affect the gear that we choose. Runners should learn about the type of shoes and also the soles, which are just as important to meet one's biomechanical needs.

There are a few things that a runner should consider when selecting a pair of running shoes. The first consideration involves what foot type the runner has (high arch, flat foot, or normal arch). Next, it's important to analyze the runner's foot strike (heel striker, forefoot striker or mid-foot striker) and stride pattern (pronater, supinater, or neutral).

Knowing your foot (source: Brooks Malaysia)

Your foot type can be seen by doing the wet test, or by simply stepping on sand with your bare feet. Your foot type may one of the following:




Normal arch
Normal arch – Perfect footprint, with a curved middle region. Biomechanically ideal.


High arch
High arch – Very faint middle region of the foot can be seen. Typical for women’s feet.


Flat foot
Flat foot – Full footprint from top to middle to bottom region. Typical for men with large built.

Other Tips

The chances of you ending up with a pair of comfy running shoes that you love is higher if you shop at a running specialtyshop rather than the huge multisport centre. The shop assistants/employees of most running specialty shops typically are people who run themselves. If they know their stuff, they would even encourage you to take the shoes for a 5-minute test run in the shop.

By the way, if you plan to shop for your running shoes today, shop in the afternoon. Why? Because your feet tend to swell slightly throughout the day. Your feet also swell slightly during a training run.

Happy finding the right fit and 'sole-mate'! :)

Saturday 14 April 2012

Why do you run?




Imagine if every step you take is a heartbeat to another..
Wouldn't you want to run?

People run for a variety of reasons. For some, it could be health or therapy...to challenge oneself or for a charitable cause.

Every runner has a story
Last year, when hooHa.asia, the online partner for PNM 2011 held an online reality show called 'Make That Change' in conjunction with the run, it received submissions from runners who ran for inspirational causes. Among them were Grace Tabitha and Jiana Jimain. Grace Tabitha ran in hope to win RM6000 from the online reality show for her best friend who has lupus (SLE). The disease had attacked her skin, joints and brain. Meanwhile, Jiana Jimain joined the race for her friend who was suffering from cancer, already in stage 4 then. Her friend missed her own convocation for a diploma because of the chemotheraphy treatment that she was undergoing for at that time. Though she was suffering from the illness, she continued to pursue her degree and Jiana hoped that the prize money would assist in settling her medical and study fees. 

Running for a cause
For BSN the title sponsor for PNM 2011, the event was also a platform for the Bank to sustain its social obligations towards raising funds to assist the community in need. As a community bank, BSN urged the public and its partners to participate in the Corporate Run to raise funds for the National Cancer Council Malaysia (MAKNA), the official beneficiary for the event. Through this initiative, more than RM 100,000 was raised and donated to MAKNA. 

What motivates you to run?

We look forward to hear more stories from the runners of BSNPNM 2012. Of course, while the reasons for why we run may vary, the most important is that our passion for the sport unites us runners! :)

Thursday 12 April 2012

Advice for Nite Runners


For a marathon in Malaysia, ensuring that the body is well hydrated is key to combating the intense heat and humidity. The right meal and training are essential to prepare the body for a run. A night run in particular, would require even more TLC.

Here are some useful advice given by professional experts ranging from sports doctor to a nutrionist and podiatrist during the PNM 2011 forum held at BSN last year.

  • Night marathons require different preparation; eating schedule is affected differently. It is best to have a meal 3 - 4 hours before a marathon
  • Carbo-loading is not the same as calorie loading! If  you're not running more than 60 minutes, do not attempt carbo-loading. 
  • No new shoes, no new routines and know your body in order to run the distance
  • When preparing for a marathon, start at least a month before. Begin to adjust your diet to have high carbohydrate, low fat and balanced protein intake
  • The only protection as runners would be the shoes. Hence choose wisely! (echo BROOKS..BROOKS... ;) ).. Choosing breathable shoes and socks will do wonders to your running. Always purchase a solid running shoe, never badminton, futsal or casual shoes
You can bet there would be more interesting stuff at the upcoming forums. Watch this space!



A good meal for marathoners or just a good meal?

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Going the distance..from 21 to 42!


"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian


One of the things we'd like to see for this year's BSNPNM is more participation in the full marathon (42km).

For an avid runner..it is partly about going the distance and challenging yourself, right?

So, if you have done the half marathon.. what's stopping you from 'upgrading' your personal experience to a full marathon?

This year, BSNPNM will organize in few locations i.e K.Lumpur, Kuantan, Penang and Johor to help runners prepare for the marathon. The forum will have a panel featuring top-tier sports experts who will provide professional advice. Apart from  exchanging views and sharing tips, one of the things that the forum would want to achieve is helping the 21km marathon runners to challenge themselves and take up the full marathon.

If you have fears, share them with us. If you need some push to go to that level, let us know too.

Will post details of the forums soon!

Hope to see you at the forums and more Oliver Kers this year! :)


PNM 2011 was 70 year old Oliver's twelfth marathon. He ran together with three friends from Ipoh, Goh Tong Heng, 61, Looi Kong Loon, 48 and Ho Yney Khuen. Like Ker, Goh and Teng ran the 42km route and Ho did the half marathon

Monday 9 April 2012

BSN PUTRAJAYA NIGHT MARATHON IS BACK!





Photos of PNM 2011


PNM is back!
O wait! It is now known as BSN Putrajaya Night Marathon 2012 or BSNPNM'12!
Yup.. TWO thumbs up to Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) for coming on board as title sponsor for the one and only sanctioned night marathon. 
Of course, BSN's continued support for PNM comes with its confidence towards the race organizer,  Twenty First Century Sports (M) Sdn Bhd  for successfully organizing PNM 2011 with participation of 10,000 local and international runners.
This year, the race organizer of BSNPNM encourages and welcomes the runners to be part of BSNPNM '12 by participating in the tagline contest. Last year's tagline was Define Your Inner Strength and was well received as it potrays the strong will power of the runners to complete the race. So, it is hoped that this year we would see runners contributing some cool taglines for the race! ;)
Participants may submit 2 taglines and email to TAGLINE@HOOHA.ASIA. Submission is open from 2 April – 16 Aril 2012, while terms and conditions may be accessed via www.facebook.com/pages/PUTRAJAYA-NIGHT-MARATHON-2011-OFFICIAL-FAN-PAGE.
Todate, more than 100 taglines have been received!
The organizer will shortlist 5 suitable taglines to be published in PNM Facebook for voting commencing from 19 April – 2 May 2012.  Tagline that receives the highest voting will be chosen as the official tagline for BSNPNM 2012 and thereafter used and printed in all promotional items for the said event.
The Winner will receive .................
FREEEEEEE Participation in any category of BSNPNM '12
Premium Savings Certificate (SSP) from BSN worth RM 500! (this enables the winner to stand a chance to win more than 37,000 prizes offered in the monthly SSP!!!!)
Cash voucher of RM 500 from BROOKS
So peeeeppsssssss! Let's get on with BSNPNM '12..put on your most creative thinking cap, grab that paper..Ipad..tablet or whatever.. and email those taglines over!
By the way, before you click on that x (close) button, block your calendar like NOW!NOW!NOW! BSNPNM '12 will be on the 20th of OCTOBER 2012!

p/s Keep yourself posted on the latest, news, tips and many many many more stuff (+ even freebies) from this blog. Mark this blog as your 'favourites' okay!  :)