Coach, Training Partners and Friends!

I can't say I'm the fastest distance runner but I think I'm just above the average. I don't really have much talent in running. It's purely from training. Without training, I'm going to do badly, just like everyone else but I can still do a little better than the average. I think it's mainly due to the training I had when I was in schooldays and also because it's hard for me to put on weight, it's easier for me to get back into some kind of fitness (not full fitness) with a just a few training runs.

Back in the schooldays, I was training with the then no. 1 Sarawak distance runner, Kaliani. I've already started running since Form 2 but without much success. It's only when I entered Form 6 that I started training with him and improved. 

My friend cum rival from another school, Kok Jin (pic) decided to start training with Kaliani. Since then, me and Kok Jin basically dominated the school scene, both in Kuching and Sarawak. Well, unfortunately, I'd always come up short by ending up with a lot of silver medals around my neck (A choker maybe!). Kok Jin has since left the sport after high school and is now climbing the corporate ladder (or the specifically the engineering field) in the US. He is one determined friend I have both in and out of the athletics field. In state level school competition, although finishing second in 1500m & 3000m SC and also winning the 5000m event, which he did not compete, I didn't get to compete in MSSM and SUKMA. Kind of missed the mark (target time). Until now, i still don't agree with the way Sarawak Amateur Atheltics Association chooses who to compete in the national school level meet (Sore loser!). Kok Jin went on to compete in both MSSM and Sukma games and did well. Although not winning any medals in both meets, he lowered his 1500m PB to 4:13 (I think). I'd barely broke 4:20 (4:19) for 1500m just after I left school. Nothing concrete on the timing, cos I heard it only over the PA system when they were announcing the results. I may have heard it wrongly and also I was too out of breath to even look at my stopwatch while running!

Anyways, Kaliani was here for a holiday trip with his family. Have not seen his family for years and only got to know that his eldest daughter has already finished Form 5. Usually when I go back Kuching for a trip, I will only see him at our usual training ground in Resevoir Park and sometimes I join him in training. He is still training hard as he was when I trained with him about 16 years ago and he's fit as ever at age 48 (I think). Time really flies!

Me and Kaliani

Kaliani and family

When we were training with him, he was on his way to break a few state records, i.e. 5000m (16m20s++), 3000m SC (9:54) and 10000m (34m++). I think the records have already fallen to the hands of Mohd Jironi Riduan who is the current national 800m runner. I think only the 10000m record, still stands. I may be wrong. Problem is that all these records are not accessible though the internet, so can't really confirm. I've always told him that I will be the one breaking his 3000m steeplechase record being my pet event, but I never gotten near that.

My training now are a lot less intensive when I was training with him. Altough my mileage has gone up but speed is no longer there. Getting old! Haha! Can still remember the days that we were grinding out on the track almost daily with some days reserved for road running. I never even hit a mileage of more than 15km in a single run when I was in school. That explains why I had to take the ambulance back when I did my first marathon in 1995 (or 96). I had phobia running the full ever since and only made my second appearance in full marathon in 2003. My 3rd and 4th appearance was at last year's KL Marathon (June) and Melbourne Marathon (October).

Anyway, training with Kaliani has given me such a strong base in running that I can still run well today. Fairly well. Ok, maybe my skinny figure helps too but I don't really follow how he trains before as I dont think I can last. Sometimes I do wonder how I can run those times when I was in school without a strong mileage. Guess we did the speedworkouts in such a high intensity and volume, that it substitutes the long runs I lacked. Now I've got a higher mileage but have slowed down a lot. That's why I think I need to go back to basic and brush up my speedwork in addition to increasing mileage. Got to balance it, right?

I took him out for a run on Sunday to the usual Hartamas and Bukit Tunku route. He enjoyed the run. Also took him and his family to Batu Caves and also Putrajaya. I always like to take friends from outstation to Putrajaya, not only for its beauty but also to let them know, "Hey, this is where your tax payments go to!" LoL!

As of now, still can't find the motivation to train. Been resting far too long since Pacesetters NB 20km run.

Next race(s): I've got 2 races coming up this month, Bareno 15km and Energizer Night Run 4 x 10km.