The Eagle Has Landed

Not wanting to rely on technology, I am very dependent on the accuracy of the caddie in reading my putting line, gauging the distance and sometimes advising me on the choice of clubs. 

Manik is one of the better caddies at Tropicana Golf Club. Having played as a national junior in Bangladesh, he had come to Malaysia armed with experience competing at a high level.  Not only is he competent, he also has the right attitude, and best of all, only speak when spoken to. My dream guy! 😜

I played my usual conservative game with the aim of scoring bogeys with occasional pars and that was how the game went. It was nothing exciting to the point that another caddie Andan commented on how boring and safe my game was! I told him point blank that I am too old to be playing an aggressive game and entertaining inconsistency in my game. Manik just nodded in agreement. 

 

On the last hole, I played even more conservatively, teeing off with a 5 wood leaving me with 125m to the green. I asked Manik for a 6 iron that put a shock on his face. He reluctantly handed me the club after I reassured him that it would be ok. 

I repeatedly told myself to trust my judgement, took a swing and as soon as the ball took flight, I knew it was going to be a great shot. The ball flew right towards the pin, dropped just a few meters short and rolled into the hole earning myself my first ever EAGLE!

On top of that, I played 88 that day. You don't get luckier than that! 

 

Be Your ExtraOrdinary

20210201 

New month and a new beginning for me....

19 coaches from around the globe (out of which only 8 from Asia) have been selected for the World Triathlon Mentorship Program and I was one of them! 👊

The Program has been designed to develop a skilled cadre of mentors who will support newer coaches with real potential to be the sports' next generation of leaders. It is thus a BIG responsibility but one that I am looking forward to fulfil to elevate my contribution to this sport that I love!  

Along with a host of qualifications required, the participation to the program is limited to triathlon coaches who have produced Olympians and Youth Olympians! I was selected through the success of my athlete, Chong Xian Hao who qualified and competed at the Youth Olympics Buenos Aires in 2018. 

Buenos Aires 2018

I had a mixed feelings when I received the e-mail bearing this good news - I was intimidated to see some of the BIG names in the list but at the same time, super excited to be inducted in the major league!   

In line with the motto "Be Your ExtraOrdinary", World Triathlon has prepared a 7 week online course followed by 9 months of mentoring the selected mentee coaches in the hope that they will eventually be the next generation of coaches to produce an Olympian!   

My facilitator is none other than the South African, Norman Brook who is a former Olympics Coach and  CEO of the British Triathlon Federation. He has been active in all aspects of the sports - so much so that he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his contribution. 

For training purposes, I have been paired with a coach from Turkey, Huseyin Onur Aydemir, whom I have not met but I guess with us having to work hand in hand for the next 7 weeks, I will either be his best friend or worst enemy, we shall see. 😀

Given that we are on 3 different continents with Coach Norman in Africa, Coach Huseyin in Europe and I in Asia, our first challenge is to coordinate our online training session. We have agreed to meet at 7pm Malaysian time (1pm in South Africa and 2pm in Turkey!). 

8 more hours and then it is TIME TO PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS! 😜

_______________________________________

And oh...don't forget the moral of the story is: 

Whatever Age You May Be, Always Be Your ExtraOrdinary!  

Women of New Generation

When Dee Boys was in Malaysia, I had the privilege of cycling with her on a few occasions. A privilege because she has competed in Australian National Championships in cycling and World Championships in triathlon! As I was always cycling with the boys (who never turn to men!), I was beginning to really enjoy a challenge from another fellow female cyclist when she had to leave the country to follow her husband to Dubai. We decided to stay connected via Facebook. 

When she turned 50, she was curious as to what health advice was available for female athletes going through menopause and was shocked to find that most of the materials do not address this segment of the population. Since there is a whole new generation who are still competing, she decided to create an environment where these women can connect with like minded people and share their tips on health, fitness and wellness. 

And that was how "Women of New Generation" was born.    

https://www.womenofthenewgeneration.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenofthenewgeneration

In my short life as a coach, I specialise in coaching kids as they are the future of the country. When I saw what Dee was doing, I spoke to her about my plan to contribute to this platform. My first point of contact was the Associate Professor Clare Monahan from Griffith University, whom I met during the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast and had the opportunity to sit in some of her lectures in between races. She specialises in the advancement of human performance with a key focus on the determinants of performance in female athletes! 

However, instead of focusing on senior female athletes, I decided to contribute to the larger segment of the society and that was how Women of New Generation Malaysian Chapter started. 

The target is to build strength and improve the quality of movements. 

1. Strength Training 

• As we age, we lose about 1kg of muscle a year. It is therefore important that we continue to rebuild muscles to maintain a healthy mass.  
• Metabolism also drops about 3% per decade which adds up to the weight gain very quickly unless we reduce the food consumption (very unlikely!). The best way to overcome this is by building muscles as they keep the metabolism high and are great at burning calories at rest. 

2. Quality Movements

These can be achieved through exercises focusing on the following:

• Flexibility - to increase the range of motion for the joints
• Mobility - to allow a person to perform movements without restrictions
• Stability - to maintain control of the joint movement or position 

Combined, they can unlock quality human movements. 

NOTE: Good flexibility does not always denote good mobility as the person with good flexibility may not have the strength, coordination or balance to execute the same movement. Mobility relates to movement while stability relates to control. 

And of course, nothing beats a great stretch to finish off the session! 

The best part is that all sessions are free of charge! You just need to have an internet connection and dial in with a great attitude! 

A Perfect Run

The plan was to ride Broga loop with my darling dearest, Ronnie and use the saddle time to rekindle my love/hate relationship with Doc Alwi, the IJN poster boy who is also a renowned Cardiothoracic Surgeon. At my age, who knows when I might be needing a heart specialist. 

Then rain happened. The phone went abuzz at 6am and we decided to abort the plan. 4 hours, 2 shots of caffeine and a book later, it was still drizzling and I was getting restless. So I put on my running shoes and went downstairs. The guards shook their head, disapproved of my decision to run in the rain. 

“Easy run only” I told them. 

I kept my heart rate low, as promised, but the cool air and the drizzle certainly made it easier for me to run faster with less effort. Entertaining the same line of thoughts, my mind started to wander to the phenomenal running event in October 2019 when Eluid Kipchoge broke the 2 hour marathon barrier. 

1:59:40 to be exact. 

Even though it was not recognized as a world record, it was definitely an athletic spectacle of historic proportion. He shaved off 2 minutes from his own world marathon record time of 2:01:39. 

As a coach, I was curious to find out where the 2 minutes came from and the levers that I could think of are as follows: 

Race Environment 

• The race was so staged that the time of the race was not confirmed until a few hours before to make sure the weather was the most perfect. 
•  The course chosen was flat and fast with no sharp turns to ensure that the pace could be kept constant throughout. 
• He had a group of pacers who kept him shielded from any wind. (We all know with drafting this could minimize the energy utilisation by between 1-6%). 
•  There was also a car with the timing clock ahead of the pacers which could possibly provide drafting benefit as well.    

Training

• Based on an interview, Eluid Kipchoge trained for the 1:59 Challenge in the small town of Kaptagat, in the Kenyan Highlands. This is his camp for the past 17 years with his life-long coach Patrick Sang. Nothing extraordinary was done in preparing him for this challenge, so I will discount this out. 

Nutrition and Hydration

• A Norwegian company had been playing around with the fueling required and finally put together a cocktail with 14% carbohydrate! Those who know a bit of nutrition would know that, that is a lot of carbohydrate to ingest! A lot of research and technology had gone into this fuel to ensure that it would provide quick absoption and not upset the digestive system. 
• As for the hydration, Kipchoge had cyclists feeding him water while on the run so that he did not have to slow down at the water stations to pick up the bottle by himself. 

Equipment

• And then of course there were the NIKE Vaporfly shoes that had reviews saying that “it felt like running on trampolines!” NOTE: To treat myself to a pair or two of these! 
• Since then, 31 of 36 top 3 finishes in major marathons in 2019 were to found wearing these shoes when they claimed their podium positions!  NOTE: To treat myself to a pair or two of these! 

If I have to divide the 2 minutes, my best guess would be as follows: 

What are your thoughts? 

Food For The Soul

Crow Pose By Lini Kazim

The craze at the time was Hot Yoga. I was a member at Fitness First. They brought in the youngest handsomest yoga instructors from India and the fact that I could be sweating buckets while holding a few poses truly appealed to my sense of adventure! 

And that was how my yoga journey started, exactly 10 years ago.

I loved that I was able to balance on single legs doing natarajasana (dancer pose) or Virabhadrasana (warrior 3) or on my arms doing bakasana (crow pose). These were BIG wins for me because stability was not really my strong physical points. I was ecstatic when I could touch my toes doing uttasana (forward bend) or when I was able to reach the floor with my toes in halasana (plow pose). These were all indications that my flexibility has improved! 

It was only years later that I began to look at yoga in a different light. I learnt that the forward bend is not just about having flexibility. In this pose, when my head is lower than my heart, this allows for an unusual occasion for blood to rush to the head, giving the brain cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen! I learnt that simple poses such as balasana (child's pose) comes packed with tons of health benefits for the body, the mind and the soul.     

These days when I do yoga, it is no longer about how long I can stay in a particular pose. The intention has shifted to deepen my concentration, elevate my level of consciousness and feed my soul. 

NAMASTE!

 

When Sports Meet Science

Over the last few days, I have been reading Facebook posts of my friends who couldn't wait for 2020 to finish. As if with the New Year the virus would just miraculously disappear! It prompted me to think about what I have achieved in this year that everyone wanted to forget, the year that crippled the entire world. 

As an endurance sports aficionado, the achievements are always measured by the distance and elevation covered by swimming, cycling and running, and my trusted go-to app is always the Strava. I can't quite remember the stats for 2019 but the 2020 Report Card was really nothing to shout about. However, in comparison to the general population, it is still quite an outstanding achievement! 😆

With the pools closed most of the year and cycling restricted to within the district, I found myself having time on my hand! Whilst some indulged in Netflix or trying new recipe on their Thermomix, I couldn't think of a better way to use the time than to quench my thirst for the science required to pursue my passion even more deeply!! 

At the National Sports Institute of Malaysia @ L1 Sports Science Course for Coaches 2020

I attended webinar after webinar, some at god-forsaken hours but I toughed it out through it all. Each offers unique perspective that combines the science and the sports which gave me completely new insights into my favourite sports. 

So, thank you COVID19 for giving me the most valuable gift of all - TIME!  

Breaking 90

Started 2020 with a resolution to break 90 which I shared with just my daughter, because for an occasional golfer, such as I, this is a tall order. 

As with every goal that I had previously, I concocted the best laid out plan and figured, if I work the plan and pray for a bit of luck, I might just be able to make it. 

But for those who golf, would know that it is easy for a plan to go awry and 9 out of 10 times, they do! In a game where hundreds of decisions have to be made to overcome the varying complexities and adversities, it takes a lot of experience to arrive to the most informed decision for each shot. Sometimes the totally unexpected befall on you just to add to the mounting stress of the game! 😜

Stuck in the mud at Selesa Hillhomes Resort

To help sharpen the saw, I decided to play more games on different courses to expose myself to different environment, green speed and terrain. Once my game became more stable, I even went on to accept invitations to play with different groups of golfers to help strengthen my mental game.

With the usual suspect on Merdeka Day at Awana Genting Golf Club

September-baby golfers at Kelab Golf Seri Selangor

As with all sports, nothing beats a good round of competition to put your skills to test. I started participating to see how well I play under pressure. Thankfully, previous experience racing and competing gave me the edge to win the 2020 Order of Merit within the Ladies Expat-Golfers  Society (LEGS) and 3rd place in the senior division within Malaysian Ladies Golfers Association (MALGA). 

But I never broke 90 in the process. 

MALGA Series Competition at Royal Seri Menanti Golf Club

Piala DYMM Tunku Ampuan at Seremban International Golf 

By the last week of 2020, I was getting desperate as my lowest score was 92! I needed to shave off 3 strokes to get to my goal. I played on 29/12 with Tropicana midweek group and then again on 30/12 with my good friend, Cindy at our local club, to no avail.

With just one more day to the new year, I scrambled through Deemples app to find one last game. I finally found one at Kinrara (a course I have not played for over 5 years) with 2 other golfers I have never met. 

On 31/12/2020 8 am, we teed off on Hole no. 10. My only weapon was my desire to achieve my goal for 2020. 18 holes - 7 pars, 6 boogies, 3 double boogies and 2 triple boogies later....

  

And that was how I ended my 2020 - with a Big Bang! 

_________________________

Inspired by Abraham Lincoln:

"I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep doing so until the end" 

Interview - Hello on Two

How did you feel when you crossed the finish line? 

Unlike Uncle Yee, IM Langkawi recently was my first Ironman race. So, when I finished the feeling was a mixture of disbelief, relief and an overwhelming sense of achievement. I was so excited about finishing that I couldn’t sleep for the next two days!!! It was truly a dream come true for me! 

How long did it take for you to train for this event? 

I have been doing triathlon actively since 2012, starting with Olympic distance. So, that is 1.6km swim, 40km bike and 10km run. In 2013 and early 2014, I challenged myself to the 70.3 distance, which is half of the Ironman race distance. It was only after Putrajaya 70.3 in April this year that I decided to take the leap and compete for the IM Langkawi. But to say that the training was just for 5 months would be an inaccurate statement because I believe the foundation was built from the time I started running in 2010. So, it was a 4 year journey to get to the starting line. 

What is your training like? 

I have a coach who prepared the training program and train me for my swimming. In a week, I swim twice, bike for about 7-10 hours and run 30-40km. The training goes in a cycle of 3 week period whereby in the first week, I do about 10 hours in total, second will be about 12-13 hours, third week is the peak week of about 15 hours and the fourth week is a recovery week for your body to replenish and reconstruct all the damage that is done over the 3 weeks. That just repeats itself until 3 weeks before the race where the training starts to taper.

Do you watch what you eat? 

I am not so obsessive about it because generally I do eat clean food and I always believe that whatever that we do must be in moderation. Then only it is easier for us to continue doing it on a long term basis and make it part of your lifestyle. 

What other memorable moments did you have throughout the journey on the track? 

I had a lot of fun training for the IM Langkawi event. We went on the bike to places I have not even been to in my car! My cycling buddies took me all the way to Frasers, Genting, Bukit Tinggi, Melaka, Lukut, Tanjung Karang, you name it….we probably have done it! We truly had lots and lots of fun! 

To be able to ride that far and that long every Saturday, I not only need a great deal of support and understanding from my family, but I also need to put a lot of trust in people I am training with. And that made the journey even more special because I then know my family loves me no matter what and people whom I have just known have now become my trusted friends. I think those are my most valuable prizes in the journey to this race.  

What advice do you have for all women out there aspiring to be like you? 

After IM Langkawi, I had a lot of enquiries from men and women who aspire to do the race. My advice to all of them are the pretty much the same. Start small, with a shorter distance, be good at it and then only progress to the next level. 

Whether you are doing it to tick a box on the bucket list or as part of your lifestyle, there is no shortcut to it, and what is most important is to enjoy the journey and smell the roses along the way. 

I also cannot emphasise enough about having a good training program prepared by qualified coaches. In training for such an arduous event, there is chance of you sustaining injury, or over train that causes muscle fatigue, or under train that may not give you confidence to complete the distance. Once you have the training program, trust it and work it. The result will show on the race day.  

What is your future plan in terms of triathlons and competitions? 

Well for 2015, I have signed up for Ironman 70.3 in Putrajaya and Cebu, Philippines. I will definitely support the local triathlon races because those were the platform that started me off in this sport, and of course an IronMan race at the end of the year. 

Apart from triathlons I also do compete in running and cycling races. I intend to run a full marathon in Melbourne and a Century Ride in a few states in Malaysia including Kelantan where I come from!

You are an Iron Man

In early 2012, my timing for the full marathon races started to hit a plateau and I took that as a cue for me to do something different. Ultra or trail running was the obvious progression but I couldn’t stand the dirt and the mud that come with the sport. At the same time my husband found out that two of our neighbours, Carmen and Sam were multiple Iron Man finishers and urged me to talk to them. I didn’t because at that time, a sport that requires me to swim did not really tick my interest. Weeks went by and then one fine day, by chance, I stumbled upon them by the pool. They were swimming freestyle endlessly and I was just amazed at their fitness level as I could not even muster a lap of freestyle despite being a marathoner. So, I sat by the poolside watching them in wonderment while waiting for them to finish. We had a chat and that was how triathlon was introduced into my life.

They recommended to me Coach Steve Lumley, who earned his first Ironman title in 1991 and has been a coach since 1994. With such experience under his belt, I was comforted that all effort would eventually pay off, so I persevered through the drills and the bilateral breathing exercise that I so loathe then but now found that it was the best thing that I had done for swimming!

I did a few Olympic distance races in that same year in Port Dickson, Singapore and Miri. With every race, my confidence in the water and on the saddle grew and by the end of 2012, without a doubt, I knew that triathlon would be a sport that I would continue to pursue, so I started paying a bit more attention to my training as I now have to juggle three sports seriously instead of one. Being a novice, I decided to get Steve to prepare my training program to ensure that I have sufficient training for the 70.3 races which I signed up for in Taiwan, Bintan and Phuket.

The benefits of the training program spilled over onto the shorter distances where I managed to finish strong in all the local Olympic distance and duathlon races. It also helped me achieve my personal time of 1:54 for half marathon and 4:09 for full marathon in that year. It was definitely a year full of achievements that I never dreamt of. 

Whilst 2012 was all about swimming, in 2013, I started to focus on my cycling and hooked up with Bukit Jelutong Cycling Club (BJCC) boys who are notorious for being fast and furious. They are always pushing me beyond my limits, have little time for my whining and have no mercy for my sad stories. I knew with them I was in good hands as far as cycling was concerned, and just like I persevered through my swimming training, I decided to put up a tough fight for each and every ride.

The fruit of labour was reaped in 2014 when I came in first at Shah Alam Enduride and third at Kuantan Century Ride races in Women Open Category. That gave me the much-needed confidence to sign up for the Iron Man race in Langkawi. 

By then the triathletes in Malaysia were already in a training frenzy and therefore made it easy for me to find a training companion in Rupert Chen who had been pivotal in my early days of cycling. He started a triathlon group and between this group and BJCC, we traversed the roads to Fraser’s, Malacca and Port Dickson to name a few.

As the training increased in length and intensity, I came to a realization that the battle for the Iron Man title is probably not in the race itself but in completing the training program in its entirety. It took a lot of commitment, effort and understanding from my family members and friends. Somehow, even with support all around there were still days that I just turned off the alarm when it rang and woke up hours later consumed with guilt for sleeping in and not working my plan. 

Time flew by, mileage clocked and my body was in a constant fatigue state that REST was the only four-letter word that I looked for in my training program. Mentally I felt defeated as I continuously looked for excuses to back out from the race. It would be too hot, the cycling route is deadly, I would die of boredom on the running route and the list went on. Despite the play of emotions, I still continued to pedal, run and do my swim sets diligently.

A week before the race, Steve prepped me up with all the information that could only come from someone who had done the race dozens of time, and with that I packed my gear and set to fly to Langkawi.

Although I was quite confident that I was ready for the biggest race of my life, I still prayed hard that my race would be free from the unexpected as what had happened to me early in the year, at the 70.3 race in Putrajaya. The event was full of drama, from me losing my handphone during the bike check-in to getting two punctures during the race.

My prayer was answered on the race day. Despite the baby jellyfish bites that sent me jolting during the swim, I managed to compose myself soon after and completed the course in 1:33. I went through the transition for a complete change of attire as advised by my coach to ensure comfort on the saddle. 8 power gels, 8 bananas and 6 hours and 39 minutes later, I got off my bike and again went into the transition area to change attire.  Running was supposed to be my forte but after 180km of hard cycling up and down the treacherous hills of Langkawi Highway and rolling Datai, I was depleted of energy, so, I trod along the 10km running loop thankful for the supporters that lined up the street and the words of encouragement from fellow participants. Those were the forces that made me continue to run and finish it in 5:54.

By the time I reached Dataran Lang for the final lap, my Garmin showed an elapsed time of 14:25. I ran on the red carpet, gave high fives to those along the railing and blew a kiss to the loves of my life who had been with me through thick and thin. Soon after that I crossed the finishing line and the much-awaited announcement echoed in the air.

Lini Kazim…you are an Iron Man!

Tubular

Franco Rende knew I did the best I can to finish the race yesterday despite having two punctures and he also knew that although I would never blame life for treating me unfairly, I would be thinking of improving the odds for the next race. 

So, this morning, while I was busy preparing breakfast, he came to the kitchen and instead of the customary good morning, he uttered the word I have been wanting to hear. 

"Tubular, babe?"

That word was like music to my ears..........

Teary Moment

If I had to pick one photo that I would cherish forever from the race yesterday, this would have to be the one. Phuitin was my saviour when she sacrificed her only spare tube and Co2 after my second puncture. I could never repay her help except with prayers that she will one day become the IronMan that she dreams to be! 

Thanks Aileen for capturing what I treasure the most in every race - the spirit of true friendship.

2014 Putrajaya IM70.3

2014 TOKYO MARATHON

Arriving glamorously late, it took me 19 minutes to get to the actual starting line. It was a very long and cold wait in 7 degrees with serious wind chill factor. Luckily I had the wind breaker on and ran with it on until km 38 where I removed it not because I was warm but because I knew there were going to be a lot of photographers on the last stretch of the run! A woman must always look good for the camera! 

With 36,000 people running, it was a constant weaving resulting in me running an extra km, giving a total of 43.2km (as if 42.195km was not long enough), with a finishing time of 4:09 (4:28-0:19) that I am very proud of. 

My first major marathon and hopefully it shall not be the last. Amin.

THE JOURNEY OF A PEDALLER v.2012

The extent of my cycling less than a year ago! 

Bought my first race bike in April 2012. The choice of names boiled down to Rafael (Nadal) or Tiger (Woods) - my two sports idols. Since the bike is Italian (Mediterranean), I opted for Rafael. 

Carmen and Sam not only helped me with the purchase but they are also the force that brought me into the world of triathlon. You guys are truly my inspiration! 

  

My inaugural ride organised by KZ, Zafuan, Shuhaimi and Syariz in Tekala. I rode the hills in high gears that caused my quads to be on fire. Only after the ride, I learnt from Shuhaimi how to shift the gear for climbing! Da..... 

My first race that involved cycling was PD Triathlon 2012. In preparation for that I attended the pre-trial race organised by Tadonamo and clocked in 40km on the bike with a lot of hard work. My special thanks to Richard, Syerol and Azli for the encouragements when I was too nervous to plunge in the open sea or too tired to attack another hill or too numb to run after cycling. 

I raced my first race with my running shoes and only bought my first pair of cycling shoes long after that. I had so many "jatuh bodoh" that I felt like giving up on those shoes! Thanks to Chee Keong Loh and Leo for nursing my first cycling wound.

Despite the few triathlon events I participated, cycling remained a challenge for me. The turning point for me really was when I cycled with Rupert at the Powerman Trial where he shared with me some cycling tips. I followed his advice diligently and that finally seemed to help me make the sport not just bearable but enjoyable.

I knew I had to seriously clock in some mileage to build the rotary muscle but I also knew I didn't have much time for training, too slow to join most riders and too inexperience to ride sole. So, I started participating in cycling events where I do not have to ride alone, but still ride at my own pace.

My first race (also my first attempt at over 100km ride) was at Cyclosportif Race in Port Dickson which I was happy to finish without any jatuh bodoh or a puncture. 

Broga is known amongst the cyclists as the hills to conquer and I did that in one of the races. The timing was not great but at least I was seated on the paddle throughout the ride!

My first podium finish for cycling was at Grandfondo KL event in December 2012 where I came in 1st  place in my age category. Thanks to Nur for being there to ride with me and to pick up my winning prize. What a great way to end cycling in 2012!

May there be more great and fun rides to come.