SAAB City Dutahlon 2008

Registration for the SAAB City Duathlon 2008 (Singapore) is now open! This event will be held on 8 June 2008.

PCC Ride - Batu Arang - 6 April

Let’s do the whole 9 yards to Coal Stone this weekend! Especially all AAM members (in case you puncture and I don't mean your tubes) and fit and seasoned riders. Route is rolling with only some pimples around Batu Arang and Guthrie Corridor. Traffic will be moderate mostly, heavy only in Sg Buloh. Expect to be back no earlier than noon. We don’t want too short a pleasure, right? New riders and those needing to be back early are recommended not to go anywhere near Coal Stone. Take Option 1. Or Option 2.

Sunday Road Ride – Ride to Coal Stone (110km)

Date: 6 April 08 Sunday

Time: 7:00am sharp (please be there by 6:45am as train will leave on schedule)

Start/ End: Centre Point, Bandar Utama

Route: CentrePoint- Kota Damansara- Sg. Buloh- Ijok (1st Regroup)- Btg Berjuntai- Batu Arang (R&R)- Guthrie Corridor- Kg Subang-Kota Damansara- Tropicana-CentrePoint. (110km)

Option 1: 45km- Turn off at Guthrie Corridor (via Guthrie Corridor-Kg Subang-Kota D'Sara-Tropicana- CP)
Option 2: 80km - U-turn back at Ijok Petronas Station (via Guthrie Corridor-Kg Subang-Kota D'Sara-Tropicana- CP)

This ride will help build up your endurance and leg speed. Suggest riding at higher cadence with lighter gears. Bring spare tubes, pump, muesli bars and sufficient hydration. Sun block and hydrating salts is recommended.

If you have further queries, please direct them to our Ride Leader, PK (016-666 6110). See you guys and dolls this Sunday!

NO HELMET NO RIDE!

Kimbeley a step closer to Olympics

Top triathlete Kimbeley Yap brightened her hopes of making it to the Olympics with an impressive sixth-placed finish in the ITU Asian Cup in Chonburi on Sunday.

Kimbeley, competing in the elite women’s category, was fourth after the 1.5km swim leg.

She continued to stay within sight of the leaders to end her first major assignment for the year in 2’03:45.

Besides the swim leg, a triathlete also has to cycle 40km and run 10km.

Considering that Kimbeley clocked 2’12:14 en route to retaining her SEA Games title in Korat last year, the 23-year-old surely has good reasons to be pleased with her season-best performance.

“The course was slightly different because we were swimming downstream and finishing faster. But they made it up with a little bit longer bike and run routes.

“Nevertheless, I’m very happy with my time because I finished ahead of the Kazakhstan and Hong Kong competitors, who are also fighting for the extra Asian slot for the Olympics,” said the former national swimmer, whose half-brother Daniel Bego has already qualified for the swimming competition in the Beijing Olympics in August.

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) will award one place to the highest ranked Asian, whose country has yet to earn a quota spot in the Olympics.

Kimbeley, who had a month-long training stint in Sydney earlier in the year, also achieved her target of finishing within eight per cent of the winning time in the Asian Cup.

Rosie Clarke of Britain won the race ahead of two Japanese competitors in 2’00:26.

Kimbeley should know whether she will be the first Malaysian to take part in the triathlon competition in the Olympics by July.

Her next assignment is the Asian Championships in Guangzhou in May.

Transition Tips: part 4 of 4

Transition Tips: part 4 of 4 (March 24, 2008 )

Today is the final in our four-part series on transition tips from ITU Sport Development Manager Alan Ley: Triathletes are the best at practicing running drills, swimming skills and cycling mile after mile to gain a few seconds of speed and efficiency. But the swim to bike (T-1) or bike to run (T-2) transitions are usually neglected until race morning. By following a few simple tips and practicing transitions prior to race morning triathletes can reduce their stress and anxiety and see a reduction in their finishing times without adding a single interval to their training. TRANSITION TIPS Part 4: 11. The first thing you need to think about after leaving the T-1 is to get away from the confusion of the crowd, get settled in and relaxed. Then hydration and nutrition. 12. The first thing you need to think about after leaving T-2 is form, form, form. 13. Know where the mount and dismount lines/areas are. Check back soon on triathlon.org for more Training Tips. Click here to read part 1 on Transition Tips Click here to read part 2 on Transition Tips Click here to read part 3 on Transition Tips Click here for videos and more training tips Before coming to ITU as Sport Development Manager, Alan Ley was Coaching Education Manager for USA Triathlon. Alan was trained at the USOC Coaching College, certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and American Council of Exercise and is currently a Level 3 Elite Triathlon Coach. He holds degrees in exercise science and hospital administration.

RIDE & RUN ALERT - 22nd & 23rd March 2008

With Sam away it has been left to me to arrange the ride on Saturday (with the help of KK I believe). The plan is Hulu Langat to the Dam coffee shop and back with the Genting Peres hill (9km) thrown is as a bit of a time trial.

Meet at the traffic lights by the police station in Hulu Langat at 7:15, the mosque at Batu 14 at 7:30-35. Round trip will be 120k from Damanasara or Kajang.

KK will organise the meeting point for the Damansara crowd and we will plan to converge at Hulu Langat at 7:15.

Sunday morning run will be the same as usual, 6:15 start at Bukut Aman carpark. Run to and then around the Petronas petrol station in Sri Hartamas and then back to Bukit Aman - round trip 21k. Anyone that wants to do more in preperation for the KL Marathon are welcome but that's my limit for the timebeing.

Ironman Malaysia Champions recap their day

While Faris Al-Sultan's 30-minute-plus victory at Ironman Malaysia appeared easy, nothing could be further from the truth. "In Kona you can't have a bad second on the run, but here I had some bad kms," he said minutes after finishing the race. "Heat-wise this was very tough. It was hard."

After a tough 2007 season that saw the 2005 Ford Ironman Champion struggle at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship in his home country before missing Kona completely thanks to a virus, Al-Sultan felt some pressure going into the Malaysian event. “I could only lose,” he said. “Now that I won, of course everyone will say that I was supposed to win as an ex-Hawaii champion. On the other hand, if I hadn’t won, they would have said 'He’s done.' So I’m very happy that I can get some confidence back. I know that if my training is right, I still belong with the best.”

Despite the huge gap between Al-Sultan and his competition at the finish line, the German didn't want the race to be close going into the run. On two other occassions he'd been run down by Petr Vabrousek, and he didn't want to allow that to happen again.

“I wanted to put some distance to my opponents on the bike. I know that Petr is very solid. The last two races I wasn’t in 100 per cent shape – in Frankfurt in ’07 and in South Africa in ’06 – both times he caught me on the run. I didn’t want that to happen again.

“I was really happy that Mathieu (O'Halloran) did the pace in the water, so I didn’t have to do it. It was reasonably fast, but not too fast. On the bike I tried to go one gear lower than I could, just to make sure I didn’t kill myself on the bike.”

Al-Sultan certainly didn't “kill” himself on the ride, increasing his lead during the marathon to claim the Ironman Malaysia title with ease. Now comes a big rest before building up for the race in Frankfurt. Then, of course, there's Hawaii. The last time Al-Sultan won an early season Ironman, he went on to claim the Ford Ironman World Championship title. Is this his year to repeat that feat?

Granger guts it out
In 2003, with a solid lead off the bike, Belinda Granger faltered during the marathon and was passed by Gillian Baker. Determined not to repeat that experience this year, the Australian ran a gutsy marathon in Malaysia this year to hold off Yvonne van Vlerken for the title.

“The last three kilometers I was making all kinds of noises,” Granger said shortly after her win. “If you were near me you’d have thought I was dying. I’m a lot more experienced than I was in 2003. I’d only been doing the sport for three years then, now I’ve been doing it forever. I’m a bit wiser and I have a bit more patience.

“Even though I really pushed myself on the bike, I felt like I was within myself the whole way, which made a big difference for the marathon.”

This isn't the first time Granger has managed to hold off a strong runner during the marathon. Two years ago Granger used the same strategy to beat Lisa Bentley at Ironman Canada – at the suggestion of her coach, Brett Sutton.

“That’s exactly what he told me to do in Canada two years ago,” Granger said. “Get a lead off the bike, but don’t go out too crazy in the marathon and just make them work – so every time they look at their watch they’ve only made up 30 seconds, or they’ve only made up a minute, so it really starts getting demoralizing and they end up blowing up. It happened with Lisa and it happened with Yvonne. It’s a strategy that works. I’m never going to be a three-hour marathon runner, so I have to think of other ways of making sure that other girls don’t catch me.”

After losing to van Vlerken at an Ironman distance event in Germany last year, Granger was thrilled to claim the victory in Malaysia.

“I think it was really important for me to get this win over Yvonne,” said the Australian. “She really did make Jo (Lawn) and I look pretty ordinary in Germany last year. I knew that this race was going to suit me rather than Yvonne.”

Granger will use this win to help her better prepare both physically and mentally for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona this year.

“My biggest downfall is that I lack confidence when it comes to running off the bike. In Kona every year the women are really close and I let my mind get the better of me. A win here under such conditions going to Kona ... there’s just no excuse. As my husband Justin said, a win here today means there’s no reason I can’t run a good marathon in Kona.”

You can reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com.

More money for Mukah Beach Triathlon

Paul (seated centre) flanked by Shafrie and Khairul Nizam and others at the meeting held at Dewan Suarah Mesra Mukah yesterday.

By Henry Siyu

MUKAH: A bigger cash prize money is up for grabs in the Mukah Beach Triathlon 2008 which will be held here on April 19.

According to the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation (KPSU) sports assistant secretary, Paul Kawin Pipo, this time around the prize money totalled RM9,140 compared to RM8,000 last year.

“This year the total prize money is bigger compared to RM8,000 last year.

The event is divided into eight categories - men’s 16-22 years, men’s 23-39, men’s 40-49, men’s 50 years and above, ladies 16-34 years, ladies 35 years and above, teams relay (men) and team relay(mixed),” he told reporters at the meeting held at Dewan Suarah Mesra Mukah yesterday.
If there are less than five participants in one age group, they will join the next lower age group.
The event includes 750m swimming (crossing Batang Mukah), 20Km road cycling and 5Km running.

The closing date of the event held in conjunction with Mukah Kaul Festival is April 7. The entry fee is RM25 for individual events and RM45 for relay events.

The main venue (start/end or transition area) is the Mukah Old Town parking bay and the triathlon will begin at 7.30am with the arrival of the participants.

The arrival of the guests of honour and the flag-off will be at 8.30am followed with the prize presentation ceremony at 10.45am.

“The guest of honour is yet to be known and we hope to get more participants this year. It was said that last year the number of participant was not up to expectation because some of them preferred the event to include swimming which was scrapped due to unfavourable condition (wet season),” Paul said.

Those interested can call the secretariat at 082-444926/440441(Miza), Timothy Dominic Atong (084-873802/013-8288515), Satar Smawi (084-805689/019-4683493) or Joe Frazer Sawed (084-330726/019-8875163).

The event is jointly organised by Sarawak Triathlon Association and Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation Sarawak(Meanwhile, professional triathletes are not allowed to join this event.

Among those present at the meeting yesterday were the event coordinator, KPSU Sports Officer, Awang Hashim Haji Awang Bujang, Khairul Nizam Morshidi who represented Mukah Resident, Shafrie Saili who represented Mukah District Officer, Mukah Youth Camp principal, Satar Smawi, Mukah KPSU officer-in-charge, Timothy Dominic Atong, Dewan Suarah Mesra Manager, Haji Awang Adeni Haji Awang Mahsen and Royston Valentine from Mukah Youth And Sports Department.

Jaelsports

Introducing Jaelsports, who are, according to their website, the first multisports company in Malaysia specialising in training camps and personal coaching.

Their first training camp will be held in Putrajaya on 27-8 April 2008. Visit their website for further details.

Ironman China 2008 Preview Video

Kimbeley aims to do well in Asian Cup to win Olympic wild card

By LIM TEIK HUAT of THE STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: It is better late than never but triathlete Kimbeley Yap is hoping to join her stepbrother, swimmer Daniel Bego, in making a first appearance in the Olympics in August.

The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) have applied for a wild card for the two-time SEA Games champion but whether it is accepted by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) will very much depend on the results of the Asian Cup in Chiangrai at the end of the month.

The race on March 30 will be Kimbeley's first major assignment for the year and she has to prove her worth to be the wild card entry for Asia.

The 23-year-old Kimbeley, who just returned home from a month-long training stint in Sydney, hopes to finish within eight per cent of the winning time in the Asian Cup.

“That will give me ranking points. Due to my current position, I would prefer the option of going to the Beijing Games on a wild card. This would allow me time to prepare better before the competition in August,” she said.

Kimbeley: The 23-year-old hopes to be the first Malaysian triathlete to compete in the Olympic Games.

“If I were to try to qualify on merit, I would need to do six international races in the next three months. It would be too exhausting for me.”

Kimbeley's current situation is due to the fact that she only picked up triathlon in 2005 and needed time to establish herself first before starting to go out for more overseas competitions.

Kimbeley was a national swimmer and won two SEA Games bronze medals before she switched to competing in triathlon (1.5km swimming, 40km cycling and 10km running).

“The Olympic qualification period began in 2005. I was still doing local races and it was only from last year that I went out for top races on the international circuit.

“No Malaysian has competed in the Olympic triathlon and I certainly hope to be the first,” she added.

Last December in Pattaya, Kimbeley successfully defended the SEA Games title she won in Manila in 2005.

Bianchi B2

Transition Tips: part 3 of 4

Part three in our four-part series on transition tips from ITU Sport Development Manager Alan Ley: Triathletes are the best at practicing running drills, swimming skills and cycling mile after mile to gain a few seconds of speed and efficiency. But the swim to bike (T-1) or bike to run (T-2) transitions are usually neglected until race morning. By following a few simple tips and practicing transitions prior to race morning triathletes can reduce their stress and anxiety and see a reduction in their finishing times without adding a single interval to their training. TRANSITION TIPS Part 3: 8. Place your glasses in your helmet with the straps on the outside of the helmet. 9. If you use Bodyglide or a lubricant to help with wetsuit entry be careful not to get it on your fingers and then touch your swim goggles. 10. Your first transition begins about a minute before you exit the water. Start thinking where your bike is racked and how methodical and relaxed you will be during the transition. Check back soon for part four in our series on Transition Tips Click here to read part 1 on Transition Tips Click here to read part 2 on Transition Tips Click here for videos and more training tips

Kona for Carmen

By NG WEI LOON of THE STAR

AFTER witnessing the Langkawi Ironman on three previous occasions as a spectator, nurse Carmen Leong sprung a surprise beyond her wildest dream in her debut at this season's race that concluded on Feb 23.

The 39-year-old emerged as the top Malaysian women finisher to clinch the third spot in the women's 35-39 years category with a time of 12'39:09 in the gruelling 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run course.

Stretch: Leong warming up for her training session.

For Leong, the icing on the cake was securing her berth to compete against more illustrious triathletes at the Ford Ironman World Championships scheduled in Kona, Hawaii on October 11.

Leong said her achievement was a dream come true.

“I am delighted that I have done well in such a short period as Langkawi was my second Ironman race. I heard about the prominent event in Hawaii from my training buddies. Getting a chance to feature in a high profiled race is such a rare privilege. I paid RM1,800 when I signed up to confirm my entry,” she added.

Going into the race at Langkawi, the rookie did not set any specific target. Leong revealed she was on cloud nine when she surpassed her closest Malaysian rival, Wendy Wong, mid-way through the final discipline.

“I was so happy when I overtook her because I knew that I have grabbed the top Malaysian women's spot,” said Leong, who holds a personal best of 4'04 in the marathon.

Despite coming out of the water with an eight-minute advantage against Wong, Wong proved to be a more accomplished cyclist.

Wong closed down and stretched her lead when she was almost 25 minutes faster than Leong on the saddle.

“Besides the scorching weather, I found it tough going on the bicycle. It was challenging to cope with the hilly terrain as well as the headwind. I felt the strain on my back after the first 60km on the bike. I reckon it was due to my bike's setting because I changed the handlebar prior to the race,” said Leong.

Fortunately, she felt fresh after the cycling to mount a comeback on the final running leg. It was also her maiden triumph over Malaysia's top ranked women triathlete Dr. Fiona Lim, who is considered a more established competitor.

“Honestly, I have been trailing her over the years. It was the first time I finished ahead of her ,” added Leong.

Although she registered a slower time compared to her first Ironman feat at the Ironman Western Australia Triathlon in Bussselton, Australia in December, her training partner Sam Pritchard said they anticipated it because of the demanding conditions in Langkawi.

In her first appearance tackling the full Ironman distance in Australia, she crossed the finish line in 12'30.

“It was not surprising that she came slower because Langkawi is regarded as one of the top three most difficult courses in the world. The two other venues are Kona (Hawaii) and Lanzrote (Spain),” added Pritchard, who is a retired Englishman residing here for the past eight years.

After the outing in Busselton, the duo only started training in late January for the event in Langkawi.

“I am confident that I can still improve on my performance especially in the swim and cycle. I have not reached my peak yet,” said Leong, adding that running has always been her forte.

She aims to reduce her personal best by another 15 minutes to 12'15.

At the moment, Leong will recuperate after her fruitful outing in Langkawi for the next three months.

During her recovery period, she will only engage in light workouts.

“Currently, we are sourcing funds for her to compete in Hawaii. It will cost about RM10,000 for her to realise her dream to race against the best in the world. We will make sure that she gets to the starting line. Serious training will only start in June. We will draw up a structured endurance-training programme for 15 weeks and she has to chalk up between 12 and 15 hours a week as a build up to the world meet,” said Pritchard, who has also submitted his entry into the lottery draw to secure a place for the race in Hawaii.

Way2Ride King of the Mountain 2008

Dear Cyclists,

We are very delighted to announce that the 3rd W2R King of the Mountain will be held on 13th April 2008. You have one month to train, and many attractive prizes and goodies to be won!

We have very good response from Polar, Powerbar and 100 Plus to sponsor the event. More exciting, Polar just confirmed to offer 3 Polar watches and some goodies which the sponsorship worth more than RM4,000.

This year, we will make sure to bring more fun and attractive prizes. The race is just 15km, for more info please log on to www.way2ride.com

The registration is open from 13 Mac - 10 Apr 2008. More details coming up before this weekend as we need to work on PowerBar and 100Plus regarding their sponsorship.

We hope to see you there, this is important to impress the sponsors so that they will continue their support in our local cycling race.

Regards;

w2r race committee

UPNM Triathlon Clinic & Kids Sprint Triathlon

5-6 April 2008 at UPNM, Sungai Besi. Click the image to enlarge.

Sprint Distance is 50m-2km-500m. Click here to see the location on streetdirectory.com.

More details to follow.

More Langkawi Pro Stories

Click here for more stories from some of the Pro's who were at Langkawi recently, including female winner Belinda Granger.

A'Famosa 2008 Registration

Now that Ironman Malaysia 2008 is in the history books - time to look forward to the upcoming season of Olympic distance races...

The A'Famosa Triathlon 2008 (10-11 May) is open for online registration here!

Roasted Chicken In Malaysia

Pro Athlete Hillary Biscay's Ironman Malaysia 2008 story -

For years I have heard stories about the epic ironman race in Langkawi, Malaysia. These horror stories of Ironman Malaysia generally include anecdotes about suffering and challenges of a more unique and extreme nature than those of most Hawaii Ironman tales. After hearing enough such accounts, I decided that I needed to experience the sea lice, oppressive heat and humidity, dehydration, blisters, and errant monkeys and mopeds for myself this year.

It was, in fact, everyone’s war stories from this race that made put it on my must-do list…After all, the appeal of our sport lies in its inherently challenging nature, so Malaysia sounded like the ultimate experience: an ironman with bonus challenges. I didn’t bother to explain this concept to the local triathletes who I met at registration; they asked where I was from, and when I told them, one man replied, “On Saturday you will know our weather. You will be like roasted chicken!” “That’s why I’m here, mate,” I thought–but figured that might be a strange concept to explain . . . It’s what I call “getting my money’s worth,” or “getting the full ironman experience.”

Roasted chicken indeed. The heat and humidity during the last few hours of the bike and first half of the run were some of the most extreme I have experienced in a race. We did get some cloud cover for the last half of the run, so to be fair, I think we could have had the opportunity for an even more thorough test. But last Saturday was a sufficiently valuable challenge for me for this year.

The swim was just the way I like it: no wetsuit! What I didn’t like was some bloke sitting on my feet for the entire 3.8 kilometers, whilst tapping them periodically, yet not attempting to go around me. After checking at halfway to see if he was my teammate Luke (who has been known to enjoy a free ride in the past, but was actually a buoy ahead last weekend!), I realized that I didn’t know this guy, and thus that I couldn’t trust him enough to just flip over and make him take the lead. So I just pushed on . . . My ORCA RS1 speed suit served me well, and I emerged from the ocean a few minutes ahead of the other women.

I set out on the bike to heed the advice of veterans of this race, like my best mate and training partner, Belinda Granger. She said this was not a race to be “raced,” and I wasn’t about to assume that I knew better or that I could beat this race. So I rode out of town over the hills conservatively and then through the first of the three loops the same way. It was on this first loop that I became acquainted with some of this bike course’s unique challenges, as I occasionally found water buffaloes and monkeys crossing the road in front of me. But they were the least of my worries: most of the course was open to traffic, which, unlike other courses that might be partially open, means that we essentially had to fend for ourselves amongst cars, mopeds, bicycles, and traveling food stands that may or may not have chosen to travel on their designated lanes of the road. On the second lap, I actually had to stop and unclip, then beg my way through cars in a traffic jam that had taken up all of the lanes of the turnaround intersection; that was definitely a new iron man experience. Now back to the riding…I cruised through lap 1, and then picked it up a bit on lap 2, as I felt surprisingly strong and felt that I could maintain a decent “comfortably uncomfortable” pace.

During the last 60 kilometers of the ride, I gained an understanding of what people mean when they claim not to be able to get their nutrition down. I’d felt pretty sick at various times in the 24 ironmans that preceded this one; but knowing that caloric intake is essential to maintaining strength throughout a race of this duration, I always shoved the calories down, no matter how unappetizing. This time it seemed that every time I took in calories, they immediately returned to my throat, and I felt worse than when they went in. I am not sure if it was the heat affecting my body or making my drink go rotten, but in any case, it was the most sick I have been in one of these races; I backed off the pace, lost time, and did not do a good job for setting myself up for the run, as I took in about half of the total calories I should have on the bike. I finished the ride in third, as Belinda and Yvonne had both come flying past me during the first half of the bike.

Yes, I was becoming acquainted with Langkawi’s weather. My first of the four run laps was a very weak jog marked by vivid fantasies of cold water, which I would get to fulfill all too briefly each time I hit an aid station, had a drink, and grabbed cold sponges. This race provided a fantastic opportunity to practice one of my favorite ironman tactics, which I call “fake it til you make it”: I did my best to smile when I saw someone I knew and encourage my teammates when we crossed paths. Unfortunately, in this race, the only thing I place I was “making it” to was the finish line . . . Actually, I believe this strategy is foolproof, and I did feel progressively stronger as the run went along, but I could not hold off the Japanese girl coming from behind. The roasted chicken herself ended up in fourth place, having found what she came for: lots of “bonus challenges,” resulting in bonus pain and suffering. I would have liked that pain and suffering to have yielded me a podium finish, but instead it earned me a reminder of how much work I have to do before October 11^th. That would have to be good enough.

The real highlight of the day was seeing Belinda take a very hard-earned and validating victory. I never cease to be inspired by the sort of dedication and discipline she employs in her daily pursuit to become a better athlete; besides her being my best friend and training partner, Belinda’s example reminds me of the many little things that I could be doing better in my own preparation . . . And we are now back to preparation here in the Philippines. Next up: Ironman Arizona.

I would like to thank my sponsors for their support: SplitsFiftyNine, Team TBB, ORCA wetsuits, Newton Running Company, Cervelo, HED, and Powerbar.

STAYING FIT AND FABULOUS: A winning attitude

Dr Lim always makes time for her daily exercise.

Dentist Dr Fiona Lim looks forward to her daily exercise routine because ‘it makes her feel good’. SU AZIZ writes.

HAVING been a triathlete for almost a decade, 37-year-old Dr Fiona Lim is no stranger to staying fit although she admits that she is “far from fabulous!”

This dentist and dog lover who lives in Kota Kinabalu trains around 12-15 hours a week to prepare herself for triathlon competitions.
Initimidating? Definitely. But Fiona is as down to earth as they come. Really!

Q: Describe your daily activities.
A: I wake up at 4.30am to work out for one to two hours. Then I am off to work at the clinic from 8am to 5pm.
Q: Why is staying fit important to you?
A: It makes me feel good!

Q: What keeps you motivated to keep fit?
A: Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t always fit. Now that I have a healthy lifestyle, I always remind myself that ‘I didn’t go so far forward to go backwards’.

Q: Describe your workout regime.
A: I rotate swimming, cycling, running and gym workouts to fit in the morning sessions. In the evening, after work, I enjoy taking my dogs for walks in the garden.

Q: Do you have a special diet?
A: No. I eat a lot of simple food such as fruits and vegetables. I hardly eat meat or processed food.

Q: What are some of the obstacles that deter you from working out?
A: Absolutely nothing. I always make time for it.

Q: Are there periods where you relapse? How do you get back into it?
A: I hardly fall back on my exercises. It is already my lifestyle and I look forward to it every single day.

Q: How do you maintain your weight?
A: Simple! Just by eating the right food and in moderation.

Q: Have you always maintained a healthy lifestyle or was it circumstances that led you to adopt it?
A: No, I haven’t always been healthy. I was pretty much a couch potato until I was 28 years old. Then one day, I just decided I wanted a positive change in myself.

Q: Do you keep fit for personal and health reasons?
A: Sports is my passion. I simply enjoy triathlon as a hobby.

Q: As you grow older, do you think it is more important now to look after your health?
A: Of course. There is a saying that ‘you don’t stop playing when you grow old but you will grow old when you stop playing’.

RM65,000 up for grabs

By Norni Mahadi

MIRI: The 10th Sarawak International Triathlon scheduled from June 21 to 22 this year at Brighston Beach offers a total of cash prizes worth RM65,000.

Organising Committee Chairman, Awang Hashim said the participants will compete in four categories namely Olympic distance, men and mixed relay, sprint triathlon and Sarawak Close Olympic distance which is open to 16 to 50 years of age and above.

For this year he added, the organising committee expected more than 300 participants compared to 216 participants last year.

Those interested can obtain the entry forms and further details from the organisers in Kuching, Miri and Kuala Lumpur.

In Kuching, interested may contact Awang at 019-8583520 or Liaw Boon Hua at 016-8993433 from the Sarawak Triathlon Association (SATRIA) and the Ministry of the Social Development and Urbanisations (KPSU).

In Northern region, they can contact Robert Anyie at 019-8150264 or 085-419624, while in West Malaysia they can call Chan Chee Seng from Malaysian Triathlon Association (TRIAM) at 03-78055290 or 012-2959892.

Entrance fees for individual is at RM70 per person, while the fee for relay and sprint event is RM100 and RM40 respectively.

The entry closes on the June 9.

Meanwhile, the event is jointly organised by Sarawak Triathlon Association and the Ministry of the Social Development and Urbanisations of Sarawak.