Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 14 September 2016 – IRONMAN® Malaysia, Langkawi

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Gus Ghani

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

TWO-TIME IRONMAN® MALAYSIA, LANGKAWI CHAMPION DIANA RIESLER RETURNS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE TITLE WIN

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 14 September 2016 – IRONMAN® Malaysia, Langkawi returns to the Jewel of Kedah Island on 12 November, 2016. Last year’s race saw German female professional athlete Diana Riesler bag her second consecutive IRONMAN Malaysia, Langkawi win.

Having finished the 2015 race with a time of 09:37:06, and the 2014 race in 09:26:38, the German pro returns to take home her third consecutive title win.

On her return for the third consecutive IRONMAN Malaysia, Langkawi, she said “I’m very excited to be coming back to Langkawi to defend my 2014 and 2015 title wins. IRONMAN Malaysia is one of my most favourite IRONMAN races in the world. I have been fortunate enough to race this location in the past and every time it was fascinating, taking in the beauty of Langkawi’s nature during the race.

On the Tropical IRONMAN Adventure, she said “the beauty and outstanding event touched me deeply. The scenery is stunning, the event is well organized and the race course is one of the most unique I have raced.  Everybody who wants to do a very special IRONMAN has to put IRONMAN Malaysia, Langkawi on their bucket list.”

“We are very pleased that Diana Riesler has decided to return and defend her 2014 and 2015 title wins. She is a strong athlete, with an iron will and a passion for triathlon. She has a long and celebrated history with IRONMAN, and we wish her the best of luck this November,” said Geoff Meyer, Managing Director of IRONMAN Asia.

The second annual IRONKIDS race will take place on November 11, with organizers expecting up to 300 participants aged 5 – 13 years old racing in two age and distance categories – 500m (age 5-10) and 1km (ages 11-13) – on Cenang beach. Sports enthusiasts will have a chance to check out the latest sports and lifestyle offerings at the IRONMAN expo at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre, which will also host Pro Athlete sharing sessions and athlete briefing sessions. 


The Langkawi race returned to Malaysia after IRONMAN set up a new office there in 2014 following a 3 year hiatus from the previous licensee. IRONMAN Malaysia will see the end of the three year contracted term with Malaysia Major Events (MME). 

The event has definitely put Malaysia back on the global calendar. Last year’s race brought in 59 professional athletes from around the world, including Riesler and male pro champion Mike Aigroz of Switzerland. Malaysian athletes made up 17% of the close to 1000 participants. 

The people of Langkawi have benefited greatly from the event from the aspect of both tourism and personal involvement. IRONMAN appreciates the support from MME, the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) and the people of Langkawi for making IRONMAN Malaysia a great success over the past few years.

IRONMAN Malaysia, Langkawi will take place on Saturday 12 November, 2016.

For more information, visit http://www.IRONMANMalaysia.com.

IRONMAN MALAYSIA LANGKAWI 2015 RESULTS

About Malaysia Major Events 

Malaysia Major Events (MME) is a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MoTAC). MME was established under the Government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to identify, promote, facilitate as well as support viable international events to be staged in Malaysia. With its main objective to enhance Malaysia’s economic growth and profile, MME is also tasked to identify and support major event bids for sports, arts, lifestyles and entertainment events and provide assistance to home-grown and home-hosted events in order to further strengthen Malaysia’s global appeal as the venue of choice for major events in the region. MME also acts as a conduit between the public and private sectors in ensuring seamless processes are achieved through synergistic relationships with diverse event stakeholders in staging successful events in Malaysia.

For more information, please visit http://www.mymajorevents.com.my and follow MME on Facebook.com/MalaysiaMajorEvents, twitter @MyMajorEvents and Instagram @mymajorevents.

About Langkawi Development Authority (LADA)

The Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) was established by the federal government to plan, promote and implement development on the island of Langkawi. LADA was officially established on March 15, 1990 under the Langkawi Development Authority Act 1990 (Act 423) and placed under the authority of the Ministry of Finance. For further details, please visit http://www.lada.gov.my. 

About IRONMAN® Asia-Pacific

The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Recognized for excellence through distinguished events, world-class athletes and quality products, IRONMAN® has grown from a single race to a global sensation with more than 190 events across five unique brands: IRONMAN®, IRONMAN® 70.3®, 5150™ Triathlon Series, Iron Girl® and IRONKIDS®. IRONMAN® Asia Pacific owns and operates 19 major participation sports festivals in Australian and New Zealand annually including the IRONMAN® and IRONMAN® 70.3® races along with icons such as the Noosa Triathlon Festival, ASB Auckland Marathon, Mooloolaba Triathlon festival and the ITU World Triathlon Series.  For more information, visit http://www.IRONMAN.com.

Press Release is issued on behalf of IRONMAN Malaysia by INK PR Sdn Bhd 

For further media information, please contact:

Ms Yasmeen Kaoosji | +016 6985237 | yasmeen@ink.net.my

Ms Jomanda Heng | +6016 4833 719| jomanda@ink.net.my

INK PR Sdn Bhd  

(Owned by Brainchild & Sputnik Communications Sdn Bhd)

Suite 1136, 11th Floor (Lift 7), Block A, Damansara Intan, 

No.1, Jalan SS20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, 

Selangor Darul Ehsan.

T: +603 7725 6605              F: +603 7726 7605

Posted in 180km, 2016, 42km, Cycling, International, Ironman, Langkawi, Media, press release, Running, swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RBC Brings Global Charity Fun Run to Kuala Lumpur

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RBC Brings Global Charity Fun Run to Kuala Lumpur

Inaugural “RBC Race for the Kids” in support of 

Ronald McDonald House Charities Malaysia to be held on 16 October

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 September 2016 – Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has announced the RBC Race for the Kids global race series for children charities will make its way to Kuala Lumpur for the first time on Sunday, 16 October 2016.

RBC Race for the Kids Kuala Lumpur will be held in the beautiful Perdana Botanical Garden in the heart of the city. Everyone is welcome to run or walk the 5-kilometre course and take part in exciting activities at the post-race festival. This fun, non-competitive run is open to all ages and abilities and will see families, communities and RBC employees come together to raise money for RBC’s local charity partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Malaysia.

“RBC Race for the Kids is part of RBC’s global commitment to support local communities in which we live and work,” said Doug Moore, CEO, RBC Capital Markets Asia and Head of RBC Investor & Treasury Services Asia-Pacific. “For our first race in Kuala Lumpur, we are proud to partner with RMHC Malaysia and support their longstanding efforts in helping children and families in need.” RBC has a significant presence in Malaysia, employing more than 750 people in Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur. 

RBC Race for the Kids Kuala Lumpur is expected to attract 1,500 participants and raise funds for a new sensory room for children with learning disabilities. The room will be built at Brickfields, an RMHC Malaysia community project that supports children with special needs. 

“We are grateful for RBC’s support of RMHC’s vision to enrich the lives of less fortunate children, encouraging them to achieve their fullest potential. We have heard wonderful things about RBC Race for the Kids from our global counterparts, and we trust the Kuala Lumpur run will serve as a perfect family day out for all,” said Victor Sim, President, RMHC Malaysia.

RBC Race for the Kids is an exciting series of eleven charitable runs supporting children’s causes in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom and the United States. Increasing in popularity every year, RBC Race for the Kids events have attracted more than 100,000 participants to date, and raised over CAD 21.7 million for children’s charities around the world. 

The races are part of our larger commitment to kids and youth through the RBC Kids Pledge, a five-year, CAD 100 million promise to improve the well-being of one million kids and youth. For more information on the race series and how to register, please visit http://www.rbcraceforthekids.com/kualalumpur 

– END –

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is Canada’s largest bank, and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. We have over 80,000 full and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 36 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com. 

RBC helps communities prosper, supporting a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2015, we contributed more than $121 million to causes around the world.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Malaysia was established in 1990 as a non- profit organisation and is one of 300 RMHC Chapters worldwide. It aims to positively impact young lives in the areas of Health, Education and Welfare through its four core programs – Ronald McDonald House (RMH), Ronald McDonald Sensory Room (RMSR), Gift of Smile (GOS) and RMHC Scholarship. For more information, please visit http://www.rmhc.org.my.

Posted in 2016, 5km, Charity, Family, Fun Run, Happy Runner, Junior Runners, Kuala Lumpur, Lake Gardens, October, Runners, Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

PERFECT TRAINING DAY

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​PERFECT TRAINING DAY

10th September 2016

YIN AND YANG

Have you had one of those days when everything feels just right – not too much, not too little? It’s difficult to describe it, but I would sum it up as though you have found your place in the universe where everything seems to be perfectly balanced – there is an equal measure of happiness and sadness, of hard and easy, of hot and cold, of exertion and rest, of fast and slow, etc. Was this phenomena due to all the stars of the planets linings up perfectly? Did I just woke up on the right side of the bed? Who knows the answer? Who cares? I just wanted to enjoy that utopia-like moment as long as it lasted.

FEW HOURS EARLIER

On that fateful day, I had left my home 5:30am and rode my Elliptigo bike 30km through the highways, main streets, and side lanes to arrive at the first “My First Run Clinic” session which was one of the four sessions being organised by MPI GENERALI in conjunction with their 10km running event to be held in Kuala Lumpur on 8th Jan 2017. They had kindly invited me under media, and my subsequent grand entrance at the outdoor clinic at Sri Hartamas on the ELLIPTIGO turned a few heads and I saw a few jaws dropped too. Hahaha, I was laughing to myself inside.

FREE RUNNING VEST

I could have driven there much earlier by car and collect the free limited red New Balance running vest, but I was much happier riding my Elliptigo (GO), even if it had meant foregoing the cool vest. The weather was just too nice, and traffic was too good to leave my GO at home on that particular morning. Besides, as I would discover later, the Run Clinic had much more to offer than cool giveaways! For full information on the Run Clinic agenda and how you can participate in the remaining 3 sessions, check-out my previous blog.

POSTURE, PACING AND NUTRITION

Upon your INITIAL REGISTRATION at “My First Run Clinic”, you will receive a personal REPORT CARD which is used to keep your attendance record because the more sessions you attend, the more will be the discounts offered on a range of Garmin, Hammer Nutrition and Pilatique Studio products and services.

Before the session starts, you can borrow a Garmin GPS Running Watch at the Garmin booth. The watches is a great way to monitor your RUNNING PACE, as well as allows you test-out these sleek running watches.

The first half of the session is conducted bpy Guest Speaker Yew Khuay or YK who is a highly accomplished and experienced runner. For starters, YK will share some invaluable RUNNING TIPS with running newbies or rookies. Then, YK will lead the participants for a short run around the quiet Sri Hartamas neighbourhood. After the run, the sweaty participants are given a rejuvenating drink of Hammer HEED Sports Drink. 

The second half of the training session is conducted by an instructor from Pilatique Studio. Here, the participants are taught about how to engage the right RUNNING MUSCLES in order to run more effectively and efficiently.

WHO SHOULD JOIN?

I would definitely encourage new runners or ANYONE who is considering to take-up running for fitness or health reasons to join this clinic because the sessions are well-organised and it gives a good introduction into the important BASIC PRINCIPLES of Running. At the same time, if you are a self-taught runner, you can still benefit from a refresher course, or you can pick the brains of the expert trainers. Personally, I find it useful to keep going back to the Basics Of Running in order to ensure that I have not missed-out anything essential or strayed too far from the important elements of Running over the years.

For the Social Runner and those of you who want to encourage your family or friends to try-out Running as a FUN AND HEALTHY activity, you can bring anyone with you to the session and train together without any obligations.

Finally, remember that only 60 running vests are given away at each session, so do COME EARLY to avoid disappointment.

INFORMATION BOARD

For more event information and updates, please visit MPI GENERALI official website or follow the official Facebook page.

REGISTER YOUR FIRST 2017 RUN HERE !!

MY VIDEO LIBRARY

*Watch Interview Running Buddies*

*Watch The Participants Mingling*

*WATCH THE FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS*

*WATCH TRAINER YEW KHUAY IN ACTION*

*Watch The Cool Garmin Running Watches*

*Watch The Pilatique Studio Instructor*

*WATCH PRACTICE DRILLS*

*Watch The Group Photo*

*WATCH YK INTERVIEW*

*WATCH MY REPORT CARD*

About The Author

Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance WRITER, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.


Posted in 10km, 2016, Casio Exilim Malaysia, ElliptiGO, Fitness, Happy Runner, Media, Nutrition, Runners, Running, Running Clinic, Running Tips, September, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

King Of Bukit Fraser 2016

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​King Of Bukit Fraser 2016

Editor’s Note

The popular 40km ride up to Bukit Fraser from the colonial town of Kuala Kubu Baru is like a passage of rights among regular cyclists. If you can handle the 1,200m climb up to the iconic Clock Tower at the centre of Fraser Hill Resort then, it proves that you are a strong cyclist who can carry your own weight.

For cyclists who want to test their strength and endurance, as well as to enjoy, up close, some of Malaysia’s best protected nature reserve and gazetted wildlife sanctuary, the road to Fraser Hill is second to none.

Recently, I joined the first ever Fraser Hill KOM (King Of Mountain) Challenge 2016 to see if I still have what it takes to ride all the way up to the peak…

EVENT INFORMATION

Event: King Of Mountain (KOM) Hill Challenge 46km

Time | Date: 7:30am | 21st August 2016

Start Point: Taman Millennium, Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB)

Finish Point: Clock Tower, Bukit Fraser (1,200 metres above sea level)

Bike Type: Road Bikes and MTB

Total Participants: Approx. 1,000 riders

RACE ORGANISERS & EVENT SPONSORS

This is the first time that the 32km road from the outskirts of Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB) to the peak of Bukit Fraser was closed to public road vehicles, especially for this event.

The Event Co-Organisers were the local municipality of the Majlis Daerah Ulu Langat, and private event management company, Straco Ventures S/B.

This was the second time that Straco has organised a cycling event. The first one was the well-received Paya Indah Ride & Run Combo event in January 2016 which consisted of 46km trail ride for cyclists and 10km trail run for runners.

The Event Registration Portal was

Bikeaway.com.my, and the timing chip system was provided by Checkpoint Spot.

Jakroo US, under MAXX BIKES, were the official Jersey sponsors, and N8 Sports Nutrition and Sticks.com were some of the other Event Sponsors.

COLONIAL TOWN WITH KAMPUNG CHIQUE

At 7:30am, 500 over keen cyclists rolled out towards Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB)Town from the Starting Point of Taman Millenium.

For the first 5km, we could not overtake the lead car until we reached at KKB outskirts where the road were closed. From that point on, we rode freely without any interference from any motorised vehicles.

Some of the local residents on the way to the market had stopped by the roadside to watch our colourful convoy of cyclists passed by. We were a fleeting distraction to their daily morning chores.

MAN-MADE WATER RESERVOIR

We passed the gigantic Ulu Yam Dam which is surrounded by a glorious mountain range of breathtaking natural beauty. For city-dwelling cyclists, the absence of high-rise buildings and shopping malls and other signs of city development was a rare and welcomed sight. It made me realise how unnecessarily complicated and wasteful our modern lives have become. When we are so engrossed in our busy lives, we become detached from Mother Nature. When we are surrounded by so many man-made buildings, commercial objects and artificial environments, we tend to forget how important it is to protect our precious life-giving natural resources like our rainforests, rivers and the clean air. Consciously and unconsciously, we start taking our natural resources for granted. If I had my way, I would charge all those guilty of illegal deforestation, open-burning and environmental polluters with national treason!

TOUCHED BY NATURE

Therefore, participating in cycling events such as this Fraser Hill KOM Challenge is crucial in helping people reconnect and re-appreciate the fragility of Mother Nature.

It is the surrounding trees along the road to Bukit Fraser which provided us with much-needed shade and plenty of oxygen, and in turn, made our long ascent to the summit much more bearable. The soothing greenery and tranquility helped me find my inner peace and strangely enough, I was so overwhelmed by the infinite natural beauty that I totally forgot about the difficulty of climbing.

At the third and last Water Station just before The Gap, the riders were able to refresh themselves with a welcoming cold drink of N8 Endurance and water.

“Look, there’s a butterfly on your shoulder!” pointed out Khamal who was distributing sports drinks to the weary riders.

It felt like that beautiful butterfly was saying, “Welcome to Fraser Hill, my friend!”

IT AIN’T OVER

After 5 hours of cycling uphill, I finally made it to the Finish Point where the air was cool and refreshing. I collected my Finisher Medal, ate my hearty lunch of fish and rice, and I swear that ice-cream tastes better up here.

After taking a few obligatory photos at the iconic Clock Tower, I thanked the Joie and Becky of Straco Ventures for hosting a memorable event, and I made my way back 50km down to Taman Millenium. The exit to The Gap is perilous, but the rest of the journey down was a blast. After doing all the hard work reaching the summit, I was savouring the ride down. With very little traffic on the road, I was in cycling heaven as I glided down the hill without a care, and I was happily lost in my own little world. This whole journey had helped clear my mind, and being able to personally reconnect with nature again was like rebooting my soul. After such a rewarding ride, I felt rejuvenated and ready to face the hectic lifestyle of urban living again…

FRASER HILL HISTORY

The Fraser’s Hill (‘Bukit Fraser’ in Malay) is a hill resort located on the Titiwangsa Ridge in Raub District, Pahang, Malaysia.

Fraser’s Hill has its roots in the 1890s, when the tin ore trade was bustling. After a failed gold mining venture in Australia, Scottish prospector Louis James Fraser arrived to explore the remote Titiwangsa mountains of Pahang.
One day, he came across rich tin ore deposits embedded in several ridgetops, hidden by a thick drape of mossy forest. Opening up a mine, Fraser hired Chinese labourers and used mules to transport tin ore down a steep mountain track (Gap road today) to Raub town for trade. Eventually, Fraser himself moved up the hill and operated several gambling and opium dens for miners to find entertainment after work. Sometime around 1915, he vanished just as the tin deposits dried up and everyone moved away. Fraser’s Hill became overgrown as nature reclaimed the mined land while Fraser himself became somewhat of an enigma, as his mysterious disappearance has not been solved till this day. In 1917, the bishop of Singapore rediscovered Fraser’s Hill while on a hunt for the man, providing suggestions for the area to be developed into a hill station which was brought to fruition by authorities. The ensuing history is but a small detail that describes the growth of Bukit Fraser to present day, now one of Malaysia’s most popular nature and highland resort destinations.

The entirety of Fraser’s Hill is a protected nature reserve and gazetted wildlife sanctuary.

About The Author

Gus Ghani is a HIIT Fitness Coach and Ambassador for Elliptigo Malaysia, N8 Sports Nutrition and AfterShokz Malaysia.

You can contact him at gusghani@gmail.com.

Posted in 2016, AfterShokz, August, Bicycle, Casio Exilim Malaysia, Cycling, Cycling Event, Elevation, Endurance Sports, Environment, Gus Rider, Ice-cream, Malaysia, New Event, Selangor, Tourism Malaysia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

READY, GET SET, TRAIN! – MPI Generali Run Clinic

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​READY, GET SET, TRAIN! – MPI Generali Run Clinic

Editor’s Note

MPI Generali Run is my annual 1st Run of the New Year. In 2017, this sensational event is fixed on 8th January, and as usual, it will a time to wish my buddies a Happy New Year.

To encourage more people to take-up Running, MPI Generali is organising 4 Running Clinics as stipulated in their media release below. This is the ideal opportunity to introduce Running to your parents, siblings, cousins, friends and colleagues in a exciting and methodical format at no extra charge. Who knows, they might just catch the Running Bug which gives you another future Running Buddy.

WATCH the first Run Clinic session which was held on 10th September 2016 with over 100 participants.

*Media Release*

READY, GET SET, TRAIN!
Get up and start running on Saturday, 10 September 2016 with My First Run Clinic by MPI GENERALI.

Our My First Run Clinic programme is a series of supplementary events created with the purpose of helping the community take up running as a keep-fit activity.

My First Run Clinic provides the guidance you need to turn running into passion and achieve the goals in running that you have aimed for. We believe by having the right knowledge, you will be able to understand your running better, progressively escalate your game and most importantly avoid unnecessary injury.

My First Run Clinic will be a combination of knowledge and experience sharing plus a practice run/jog of some 2.35km and we encourage you to speak to us so we can better understand your condition and hopefully we are able to help you achieve better results from your training.

The last session features a “Graduation Run” for participants to test out the actual route to get ready for the 8 January 2017 Race Day. After the “Graduation Run”, we will celebrate your graduation at the end of the Running Clinic Programme with a breakfast treat!

Whether you’re new or seasoned, join us to get ready, get set and train for MPI Generali Run 2017! Let’s get healthier together the right way!

Remember to tell your friends and family about the Running Clinic Programme and get them to register for the MPI Generali Run 2017 before the slots run out!

For more information, please visit our official website or follow us on our official Facebook page .

Thank you.

– The MPI Generali Run 2017 Committee –

FOUR CLINIC SESSION ON SATURDAY

10 September 2016

8 October 2016

12 November 2016

10 December 2016

*venue to be confirmed   
PROGRAMME OF THE DAY

All clinic sessions start at 7:30am commencing with a short Topic sharing before the practice run (one to two loops). A debriefing and Q&A session at 8:45am is then followed by product sharing relevant for enhancing your running experience. The programme as per below:

7:30am – Topic sharing by Guest Speaker
7:45am – Warm-up and practice run on 2.35km route
8:45am – Q&A with Guest Speaker
9:00am – Product sharing
9:30am – Session ends

GUEST SPEAKER

Mr YK Lim

Yew Khuay (YK) is an avid casual athlete who started to run in 2010 and has gradually developed his running passion in ultra-distance since 2013.

As one of the founding members of LYN Runners Malaysia in 2011, the certified Run-Fit Specialist is also responsible for the establishment of 2XU Runners Malaysia, which has provided running clinics and pacer services since 2014.

He is a regular face as pacer in various running events such as the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, Penang Bridge International Marathon and Malaysia Woman Marathon.

You may read about his thoughts on running and his stories on some of the races he has joined to get some insight by visiting his personal blog at http://www.yewkhuay.blogspot.com or follow him at https://www.facebook.com/waikayruns/ or IG: @iamwaikay

***END***

About The Author

Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance WRITER, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.

http://instagram.com/gusghani

Posted in 10km, 2016, Casio Exilim Malaysia, Community, Fitness, Fun Run, Happy Runner, health, Lifestyle, Media, Outdoor, Runners, Running, Running Clinic, Running Community, Running Tips, September | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On The Gym Ball With Coach Gus (Part 2)

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​On The Gym Ball With Coach Gus

GYM BALL EXERCISE (PART 2)

Editor’s Note
I really hope that you make it a habit to warm-up before every exercise session even if it takes you less than 5 minutes to do it. Frankly, doing warm-ups may seem mundane, but it can save you from a world of pain later on. Remember ‘No Glory, No Pain’.


WARMING-UP

When & How Long?
Before starting any exercise activity, it is recommended that you engage in some kind of warm-up exercises for a minimum duration of 10% of your expected total exercise duration. For example, if you are going for a 60-minute ride on your bike, then you should do 6 minutes or more of warm-up exercises. If you are planning to do gym ball exercises for 30 minutes, then you ought to warm-up for 3 minutes or more.

Who & Why?
Gradually warming-up your body and muscles by 1 degree centigrade before exercising or cycling will help you reduce the risk of bodily or muscle injury as a result of your heart rate increasing too fast and/or by inadequate circulation of blood-flow in your body. When you warm-up, it improves your blood circulation which in turn, will give carry more oxygen to your muscles when it is needed. Apart from gradually firing-up your muscles, warming-up is a great way to psyche yourself up for the activity ahead, and when you are better mentally prepared and focused, it will lead to better performance. Regardless, if you are a professional athlete or a novice cyclists, warming-up is the first key step to achieving effective results.

What & How?
Now, we come to the fun part of you trying-out some of my favourite warming-up routines listed below, and the best part is that you can do them anywhere, anytime, solo or with a partner.

Singles Warm-Up Routines

Gym Ball Squats
Stand upright looking straight ahead with chin-up.
Wide leg stance with toes pointing outwards at 45 degree angle
Hold ball against your crotch with both hands hanging relaxed on either side of the ball.
From this starting position, exhale slowly and evenly as you slowly bend both knees, and at the same time lifting the ball over your head.
When you are at the full squatting position with both feet always planted firmly on the floor, inhale and start straightening your knees, and at the same time, bring the ball back down to the starting position.
Remember to tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your back straight and eyes fixed to the front throughout the whole exercise.
Focus on your legs and arms as you do this.
Make sure you squat down as low as you can until you feel your leg muscles burning.
If your knees are going beyond your toes as you squat, then you need to widen your leg stance until your knees stay behind your toes.
Do 10, 20 or 30 repetition at a time according to your fitness level.
Repeat for a second set of the same number of repetition.

Gym Ball Bouncing & Running
Stand upright in the neutral position with your legs hip-width apart holding the ball in front of you with both hands.
Use your right hand and start bouncing the ball on the spot for 30 seconds, and them bounce the ball using the left hand for another 30 seconds.
You can start with the bounce height of the ball at waist-high and increase it to shoulder height.
if you have enough space, you ought to try bouncing the ball in front or beside you as you run up and down the room. Make sure that you use both hands equally to bounce the ball This will not only warm you up but it is also a great way to maintain good hand-eye coordination.
Never forget to regulate your breathing throughout every exercise by exhaling and inhaling deeply, smoothly and evenly.
Always check that the floor surface is clean and smooth before bouncing the gym ball on it. No matter how clean the floors are, always wipe the gym ball clean with a damp cloth after every use for good gym ball maintenance.

Doubles Warm-Up Routines

Throwing The Gym Ball
Stand in the neutral position and face your exercise partner and keeping a distance of 5 feet apart.
Hold the ball on both sides and against your chest with elbow bent
Extend your arms forward as you throw the ball chest height to your partner
Your partner catches the ball at chest height, and throws the ball back to you. Repeat this 10 times.
Then both of you take one step back and throw the ball back and forth for another 10 times.
Keep increasing the distance between you and your partner as long as both of you can throw the ball far enough.
Remember that the further the distance between the partners, the higher the trajectory of the ball must be.

Passing The Gym Ball
Stand in the neutral position with your back facing your exercise partner’s back, leaving a 1 foot gap in between the two of you.
Hold the ball in from of you above the waist.
Turn your upper body to the right and pass the ball to your partner who in turns, will receive the ball on their left side. Keep the lower body (everything below the waist) fixed facing the front at all times.
Your partner then turns his upper body to his right and pass the ball back to you form his right side.
You will receive the ball from your left-side and repeat the routine for 10 repetitions.
Then, reverse the direction of passing the ball and repeat another 1 or 2 sets for 10 repetitions.
You can pass the ball faster to each other to really get your blood flowing.

Warming-Up Without Gym Ball

Jumping Jacks
Before the start of a cycling event, you will not have the gym ball handy. So, here are two simple and effective warm-up exercises you can do easily before that MTB jamboree or that century ride.
Stand upright with legs together and both arms straight at your sides.
In one swift action, jump and spread your wide legs sideways. At the same time, lift your arms to the side and clap your hands directly over your head.
Immediately jump and bring your legs back together and simultaneously, bring your arms back to your sides.
Exhale as you clap your hands and inhale as you bring your arms back down.
Repeat 20 times until you can feel your heart rate starting to beat faster.

Running On The Spot
As the name implies, you are running on the spot.
Keep your knees high, back straight and move your arms vigorously front and back, mimicking your running form.
Do this for 30-60 seconds per set, and repeat for 1-2 sets until you feel your body temperature increasing.

Review Part 1.

About The Author

Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance WRITER, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.

Posted in 2016, Coach, exercise, Fitness, Gym Ball, health, Lifestyle, tips | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

PJ FUN RIDE 2016

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​PJ FUN RIDE 2016

Editor’s Note

Cycling is a fun and healthy outdoor activity which is enjoyable for people of all ages. Cycling is eco-friendly and pollution-free.

Cycling provides an alternative mode of transport.

Any action taken by the Local Authorities to encourage and promote safe cycling within the community is a welcomed step.

In Kuala Lumpur, we have the hugely popular, KL Car-Free Morning which is organised by DBKL every 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.

On Penang Island, the State Government have built extensive bicycle lanes which lead from George Town to Queensbay Mall, and they have just initiated Malaysia’s first bike sharing system which is similar to the one in London.

In Petaling Jaya, the Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) organises a delightful annual community ride, and this year, I took part in that PJ Fun Ride 2016 because it is a great way to show our appreciation to the people who support cyclists! For your reading pleasure, I have jotted down my personal experiences, my photos and videos of this incredible community ride, and it is my privilege to share it with you…

A Fantasy Ride To Remember

Community Cycling In Petaling Jaya

Over 800 cyclists of all ages with all bike types turned up for this year’s PJ Fun Ride on 28th August 2016. It was great to see the cycling  community from all over the Klang Valley come out to support this great initiative by Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MBPJ). I met-up with many of my regular cycling buddies there, from Klang, Puchong and Subang Jaya. As my cycling mentor Dave Ern said, “It is important for us to join and support such community rides because the greater public response will encourage the Local Authorities and its leaders to organise more of such cycling events”.

A Testy Route

For those cyclists who were looking for an easy and ‘fun’ ride, they must have received quite a shock because the actual 40km route felt like hard work when all of the many short and steep climbs were factored in. For the regular riders, each climb was an opportunity to test their stamina and strength. For the fun riders, the challenging course was a good way to push their physical boundaries a bit further.

Being a longish distance, we also got to see a fair part of the vast Petaling Jaya District, stretching from the township centre, where we started at the MBPJ Office, right across the LDP Highway from Kelana Jaya to Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, and as far as Kota Damansara.

Follow Lead Truck

We were led all the way by a pickup truck who steered us carefully through the light Sunday morning traffic. There were many police outriders and MBPJ officers present who helped direct traffic as our loosely-knit peloton zoomed past traffic stops and road intersections. We, riders, relish being treated like a VIP on the road because on normal days, cyclists are the lowest class among road users, together with the pitiful pedestrians, and like it or not, motorised vehicles see us, cyclists, as a road nuisance without rights. However, backed by the traffic police, today, we were kings and queens of the roads, and for once, lorries, cars and motorcycles have to make way for us!

Leave Nobody Behind

I counted at least 5 mandatory rest stops along the way with 3 of them providing the riders with much needed bottles of mineral water and boxes of bananas.

Apart from quenching our thirst and recharging our energy bank, these strategic rest stops gave the cyclists a chance to regroup, and to ensure that no riders are left behind. Riding in such a big convoy gives us a powerful sense of unity and belonging to a single large cycling family. At these moments, we were bonded to one another by our common passion for cycling, and it did not matter if you were a high-ranking official or a street janitor – we treated each other with equal respect.

Fantasy And Surrealism

Personally, there is no greater feeling than cycling with other like-minded cyclists on car-free roads, and effortlessly passing-by areas which would normally be insanely jam-packed with road traffic.

One particular surreal moment occurred as we exited the LDP highway and climbed up to Kota Damansara. It was a sight to behold, watching the colourful band of cyclists huffing and puffing up the long steep slope. The next time, I drive by that same spot, I will always envision that same surreal picture in my mind, and it will no doubt take me to my happy place.

Soon after that wicked climb, we regrouped briefly at the top of the hill before coasting down the other side of the hill and passing by The Curve Shopping Mall. It so happened that on that same morning, the BP Orange 5km Run was being held there. Again, it was one of those surreal moments when the road was full of hundreds orange T-shirt-clad runners on one lane, and a colourful convoy of cyclists overtaking them on the other lane. It was an unforgettable sight of the converging of the running and cycling worlds in full technicolor which will be etched in my mind forever. I felt proud to be part of this energetic group of people who would rather spend their Sunday mornings working-out a sweat rather than sleeping in.

The Final Dash

Many riders emptied their tanks by making a last dash to the finish line, where we were given a commemorative medal to hang proudly over our necks. There were many food trucks available at the finishing area to tempt our taste buds. I was very content with the free flow of cold isotonic drinks and iced coffees, and the fatigued but satisfied finishers were sitting around in the park enjoying their complimentary lunch pack of rice, fried fish and spicy sambal which never tasted so good after a grueling ride.

Meantime, the emcee was busy announcing the winners of the lucky draw prizes of fans, electric kettles, and the grand prize of a Fat Bike.

The Perfect Host

I cannot thank our host MBPJ enough for organising the best community ride ever. They provided the scenic route. They provided the safety. They provided plenty of refreshments. They gave us event T-shirts and Finisher medals. Unbelievably, it costs us nothing to join this ride, and the precious memories that we made on the roads of Petaling Jaya will remain with us for a long, long time.

MANY THANKS TO MY KIND SPONSORS Elliptigo Malaysia, N8 Sports Nutrition and AfterShokz Malaysia for their support and making my sporting adventures more enjoyable.

CHECK-OUT THESE LIVE VIDEOS

Watch FLAG-OFF Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Meet Cyclists GAN, ZANA & ERNA.

First Regrouping Point at TTDI

LDP TUNNEL and TROPICANA TUNNEL

Junior Rider Approaching One Utama

Rest Stop at Kota Damansara Hill with NASH

Riding with ROSDI

Regrouping at Bandar Utama

Meet Michael, Zana and Friends at Kota Damansara 

Pep-Talk at Kota Damansara

Traffic-Free Ride 

Rider Down

Crossing Finish Line

Food Has Arrived

Indocafe Double Shot 

LUCKY DRAW Grand Prize Fat Boy Winner.

BONUS TRACK

If you like to music while you’re cycling, then check my GADGET REVIEW the world’s only wireless music headphones using patented Bone Conduction Technology. Watch my TEST RIDE of the latest Trekz Titanium wireless music headphones designed for Sportsmen.

About The Author

Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance WRITER, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.

Posted in 2016, 40km, AfterShokz, August, Bicycle, Community, Cycling, Cycling Event, ElliptiGO, Fun Ride, Gus Rider, Kelana Jaya, MBPJ, N8 Sports Nutrition, Petaling Jaya | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RUNNING DIVA CONTEST

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​RUNNING DIVA CONTEST

The Grass Is Always Greener…

There are many benefits and PERKS of being a regular runner such as having a Healthy Body and being an automatic member of the large running FRATERNITY where you will make more friends than you really need or want. What the heck! After all, there’s no such thing as having too many friends, right?

On the other hand, being a Runner also has its fair share of disadvantages, and I have list down a few of them as follows:-

  1. Say goodbye to Sunday morning lay-ins. In fact, whether you like it or not, your BODY CLOCK has been reprogrammed to automatically wake-up early. This is not a problem, unless you have difficulty sleeping early because you are an insomniac or because the excitement of tomorrow’s race is keeping you up.

  2. You will never again follow your Medical Doctor’s recommendations. This is particularly true whenever your doctor tells you to stop running after an injury. In the Runner’s mind, the professional medical advice of  “absolutely NO running until you have recovered” means “I CAN run as long as I can still feel my legs”!

  3. You have difficulty finding something to wear to those official functions which require you to wear anything other than dri-fit running Tees and sports shoes.

  4. One toe is always black and another is missing. Whilst your knees are totally buggered!

  5. You’re constantly Seeking Attention! You are always UNASHAMEDLY taking selfies of YOURSELF, your pre/post race meals, your latest shoes/medal/PBs, and constantly irritating all your friends with your self-absorbing antics, online postings and photographs which will eventually lead your friends to UNFOLLOW YOU!

Seek Immediate Help…

Do You Suffer From Any Of These RUNNER’S Ailments?

If you do, then I have the PERFECT SOLUTION for you! Join The Diva Running Malaysia 2016 Pinktober because this event actually expects you to behave like an attention-grabbing runner that you are, and at the same time, you will be benefitting someone other than yourself, namely the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign as supported by the Official Beneficiary, NATIONAL CANCER SOCIETY MALAYSIA (NCSM). Now, that’s what I call a WIN-WIN situation!!

*FOR EVENT DETAILS & REGISTRATION*

WATCH my interview with Cancer Survivor, Music Lecturer and TDRM Ambassador Puan Zaiton Mohamad.

WATCH my interview with Dr. Dalilah Kamaruddin of NCSM  – Part 1 and Part 2.

WATCH TRDM 2016 Press Conference – Part 1 and Part 2.

READ my earlier blog on TRDM 2016 Press Conference HERE.

WHO IS THE FAIREST

Q: What Can Possibly Be Better Than Joining The Running Diva Malaysia 2016?

A: WINNING 2x TRDM 2016 RUNNING SLOTS!!

ENTER CONTEST
(1) Tell us WHO do you want to bring along to Running Diva & WHY?
(2) Send your best answer (1) to gusghani@gmail.com together with your Full Name & Mobile Number

NO LATER THAN 10-Sep 2016.
(3) The Contest Winner will be contacted on 11-Sep 2016 by Happy Runner, on behalf of Event Organiser, NM Galaxy in order to REDEEM CONTEST PRIZE.

(4) Happy Runner reserves the rights to withdraw the Contest Prize if the Contest Winner cannot participate in TRDM 2016 for any reasons.

Good Luck & Get Cracking!!

About The Author

Gus Ghani is a HIIT Fitness Coach and Ambassador for Elliptigo Malaysia, N8 Sports Nutrition and AfterShokz Malaysia.

You can contact him at gusghani@gmail.com.

Your DAILY FIX here!

Posted in 10km, 2016, 3km, Costume, Couple Running, Event, Event Organiser, Fun Run, Happy Runner, Media, October, Press Interview, Putrajaya, Runners, Running, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NEW EVENT – TAYARIA Run 2016 !!

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Gus Ghani

​NEW EVENT – TAYARIA Run 2016 !!

MEDIA RELEASE
1-September-2016

TAYARIA Run 2016 is the first road race organised by a tyre company to create awareness and offer a platform to the public to learn more about the tyre industry and the services offered under the Tayaria flagship.

Taman Botani Shah Alam has been chosen for this inaugural run because of the green and natural ambiance for the public kick start the day on a healthy note. They may also get to learn more about the comprehensive selection of quality tyres offered at TAYARIA outlets and the sales consultants will be there to take your enquiry.

Date: 16th October 2016
Time: 7:30am
Venue: Taman Botani Negara, Shah Alam

Participants will be competing in 4 categories – Men Open, Men Veteran, Women Open and Women Veteran. The top 3 winners of each category will take home a Tayaria cash voucher, trophy and medal. Top 4 to 10 will receive a trophy and medal.

The run is open to Malaysians, PR holders and expatriates with working permit.

RUNNER’S ENTITLEMENT :- Running Bib,Event T-Shirt, Timing Chip & Finisher Medal.

Refreshments will be served after the race.

RUNNING FEE: RM50.00

REGISTRATION Closing date: 25th September 2016 or upon reaching 2,000 entries whichever come first.

For online registration, please log on to CHECKPOINT SPOT.

RACE KIT COLLECTION

Date:    14th October 2016 (Friday) – 11am to 5pm and 15th October 2016 (Saturday) – 10am to 4pm
Venue:    Kit Loong Tayaria Sdn Bhd
No. 22, Jalan Penchala, 46050 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
GPS Coordinates: 3.0871567,101.6411637


For walk-in registration, you may drop in at –

Kit Loong Tayaria Sdn Bhd
No. 9, Jalan 201
Off Jalan Tandang
46050 Petaling Jaya
Selangor D.E.
Tel : 603-7783 7663

Participants will also be able to win more than a hundred exclusive F1 souvenirs – the Pirelli cap and exclusive sets of Pirelli key chains. There will be other lucky draws prizes to be won.

For more information about the run, please contact –

Julie Wong (Race Director)
016-228 4088
jwbiznet@hotmail.com

For more information about TAYARIA outlets & services, please contact –

Anson Ker
Marketing Manager, Kit Loong Tayaria Sdn Bhd)
012-470 3087
anson.ker.skl@kitlongholdings.com

About TAYARIA
TAYARIA is a network of independent tyre dealerships organized by Kit Loong Tayaria Sdn Bhd to deliver professional tyre services to the motoring public in Malaysia. Each outlet is independently owned and operated by its respective proprietor, but all are presented under a common store brand, TAYARIA.


TAYARIA dealerships subscribe to the philosophy of empowering customers with freedom of choice by offering a wide range of multi-brand tyres. Nevertheless, the dealers are ever ready to share their know-how and expert advice to recommend the best tyres to suit the customer’s needs. At any friendly neighbourhood TAYARIA shop, customers can expect high standards of service and professionalism, in addition to a comprehensive selection of quality tyres.

Currently with more than 90 outlets conveniently located throughout Peninsular Malaysia, TAYARIA is a key channel for Pirelli, Kumho, Corsa and Jinyu passenger car tyres.

For more information and locations of Tayaria outlets.

EDITOR’S NOTE

The information provided above is deemed as accurate at the time of printing. For more detailed and uptodate information, please contact the official representatives given above.

About The Author

Gus Ghani is a HIIT Fitness Coach and Ambassador for Elliptigo Malaysia, N8 Sports Nutrition and AfterShokz Malaysia.

You can contact him at gusghani@gmail.com.


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