4th-6th July 2012
And so it has came to this. After 4 months of training and preparation, the Negeri Sembilan athletic team has descended at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah by flight. This was in conjunction with the Malaysia Ministry of Health Biennial Sport Carnival. For those of you who didn't know, Malaysia consist of West (the Peninsula) and East Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), separated by the South China sea. Flight duration from Kuala Lumpur international airport (KLIA) to Kota Kinabalu was approximately 2hours.
In the build up to the event, the selected 35 members state team underwent conditioning training, weight lifting, time trials and technique polishing. We trained 3-4 times a week under scorching afternoon sun at 4pm on an open track. We had a coach that managed as many event aspect as he could, needless to say it was all self perseverance, motivation and discipline. Realistically speaking for me, considering I had past my peak performance few years ago, 4 months wasn't enough to produce drastic improvement. Therefore in between drills, I was taking precaution not to burn myself out or sustain injury.
We arrived the day before to an evening of stormy thunder and lightning rain, which made us questioned whether the event would continue to be disrupted by bad weather. The venue for the athletic meet was at University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), so naturally we were provided student dorm as accommodation. The canteen was large, and so were the amount of participants, which accumulated long queue every meal time.
The athletic meet had a rousing start with the Men's and women's 100 meters preliminary event. Needless to say the standard of the competition wasn't even close to national level but I can't imagine myself competing in this event with the other participants. This old horse's short or otherwise fast-twitch muscle fibers has regressed and decreased over the years and he now only sprints middle distance. Remarkably the fast women runners were stout and masculine, resembling the features of Borneo's aborigines.
Then came my event, my all time favorite since secondary school days, the 400metres. Being pitted to run in lane two I endured some moments of anxiety at the starting block. After months of preparation, it all boiled down to this moment. My game plan was to start fast and pace myself in the 1st 200 meters, stride along the 300 meters mark while taking in as much O2 as I can to cope with the lactic acids build up, then finally sprinting all the way to the finish line.
Everything might have worked out as planned, except what I lacked was speed. By the last 150metre the fatigue set in and my body was under anaerobic energy utilization. My heavy thighs struggled to go higher for a longer stride and I swinged my arms harder to lend momentum to the lower body. The last 100metres could have seen me push myself faster but I had to conserve energy for further events in the evening.
Our Negeri Sembilan contingent had representatives in nearly every events, be it short and long distance running, or field events like short putt and javelin. By now we have won 2 golds in the triple jump and long jump, thanks to our ex Sukma (Sukan Malaysia) athlete. He certainly made it looked like a piece of cake.
The atmosphere was liven up by the host's cheer squad who sang and chanted slogans. PA system blaring with announcement at the start every event, with prize giving ceremony in between. The cheers and jeers were always on-going when participants battled out each other on track, and grew even boisterous during the climax at the last 100metre stretch.
Then came another ultra-grueling event for me. For the 1st time, I took part in the 400metres hurdles. As if 400metres weren't tough enough, I challenged myself further by attempting to cross 8 hurdles from the starting block to the finishing line. Dashing at close to maximum speed was out of the question for me, rather I needed stamina and iron will to complete my task. An air of uneasiness and anxiety filled the venue a short moment before we were released, but for the participants it seemed like a dreadful lifetime.
The gun blazed, 1st hurdle..cleared! Confidence built up,second hurdle at the turn..cleared! Since then it was all about pacing, stride adjustment, and applying the right technique when crossing each obstacle. At the final stretch my legs turned heavy and my stride became smaller. My mind was willing but body faint, I dug deep to clear the final 2 hurdles and eventually clocked a personal best of 70seconds. Not bad for a father of 2 and aging horse.
In Sabah, nightfall is at 6pm. Due to the rain, many events have been postponed and the schedule became extra tight. One of the climax of the day was the men's 100metre final. The finals participants were selected out of 4 heats earlier in the day. After moments of silence at the starting block and an episode of psychological false start, the race took off fiercely and intense. The spectators' shout reached eardrum piercing volume and filled the whole stadium. The victor eventually emerged and earned his bragging rights.
As our state contingent didn't have much luck in the 4x100metres relay due to slipped baton at the final interchange, the 4x400metres gave us a chance to redeem ourselves. Given I had already ran 2 races earlier in the day, under rest and sleep deprived condition, I didn't have high hopes of winning anything.
The rest of our quartet had each competed in their respective event during the day. However fatigue we were, we were determined to give each other our best, at least make it to the final in order to earn points for the team. The assembly and briefing at the starting point was an uneasy one, with everyone sizing each other up. Most of the participants were skinny which made them light and fast as hell.
I volunteered to be the 1st runner, simply because I had covered the most distance today and may be the weaker link. Supposed the longer the race dragged on before I was called into action, the more I would be paralyzed and psychologically depressed, so it was good to quickly get things over with.
When the pistol blazed, I accelerated gradually along the 100m curve then paced myself along the 200metre stretch. Coming to the curve I had to pressed down the pedal and start closing the gap between the front runners. At the final stretch I could see my compatriot waiting and beckoning me anxiously as I do battle with my own body. Alas, the baton was passed and I could see how hard all my compatriots fought.
We maintained 3rd and 4th position periodically until our anchor runner took second spot therefore qualified us to run in the final. We were exhausted and spent, it would have taken us a full night's undisturbed sleep to recover our strength and tired legs. However, the news of the men's 400m relay final to be held on the same night came as a bombshell to everyone. Due to the heavy pour that delayed many events the previous day, the sport organizers took necessary measures to cramp in the remaining events in order to complete everything on time.
It was perhaps less than 2 hours interval, before I found myself at a familiar position again, the starting block. I could never get used to the anxiety and immense pressure felt during the whole starting ordeal, even though this was my 4th 400metres race in a day. The mic voice from the official when we took our positions, the other equally nervous albeit intimidating contestants, the awkward silence of the stadium before the gunshot fired..
People say "Hope" can be sometimes very dangerous. Therefore I wasn't gonna let hope trigger over-zealousness in me and risk ruining my game plan. I had to pace myself accordingly in order to possess enough reserve to finish the race strongly. I tried my best, came in 5th and further encountered a little delay in passing the baton. Out of exhaustion I miscalculated the distance and hand stretched out too early. My heart sank as I desperately gasped for air, hope of a finisher's podium evaporated with that baton mishap. Situation slightly improved with our 2nd runner quickly regaining 4th position.
Before I knew it, a quick change of fortune saw our 3rd runner overtook 2 contestants in quick succession at the last 100metres stretch to come in 2nd. No doubt he had the most developed short and fast-twitch muscle fibers among the 4 of us and his sprint was nothing short of remarkable. Following that, our anchor runner was overtaken at the last 150metres curve but to add a final twist he regained 2nd place at the last 5metres. The stadium were greatly entertained by the battle which unfolded between 2nd and 3rd place.
Woke up and still beaming with the hard earned victory last night, arrived at the stadium for the final day of the athletic meet. The sky was beautiful and clouds were white. A huge burden lifted off my shoulder and I couldn't wait to explore the town of Kota Kinabalu. Still, the individual battles at a few finals especially the Men's and Women's 400metres had me deeply drawn towards it simply because it was arguably the most grueling track event on earth. I was always fascinated with the beautiful and athletic stride seasoned sprinter execute when running the curve and at the stretch.
All in all, our contingent collected 9 medals in total which included 3 golds. Even the veterans contributed to our medal tally in the 4x100metres and 4x400metres veteran's relay. It was a fruitful achievement coming from a small state with less population called Negri Sembilan. We fought together, cheered and supported each other, had fun and knitted as a team. The differences between us only made us dynamic and colorful. Despite the contrast in job position, sporting background, skin color and age, what united us was mutual admiration of each others' determination and strength.
Nothing beats the joy and fun of posing together for group photos after the dust has settled. The next athletic meet will be in another 2 years. By then, I'll only get better by persistent training and relentless hard work, or regress due to the onslaught of aging. As for now, I'm just gonna sleep over it while savoring this proud experience with my mates around the town of Kota Kinabalu.
These 2 sure are oozing confidence.
And so it has came to this. After 4 months of training and preparation, the Negeri Sembilan athletic team has descended at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah by flight. This was in conjunction with the Malaysia Ministry of Health Biennial Sport Carnival. For those of you who didn't know, Malaysia consist of West (the Peninsula) and East Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak), separated by the South China sea. Flight duration from Kuala Lumpur international airport (KLIA) to Kota Kinabalu was approximately 2hours.
In the build up to the event, the selected 35 members state team underwent conditioning training, weight lifting, time trials and technique polishing. We trained 3-4 times a week under scorching afternoon sun at 4pm on an open track. We had a coach that managed as many event aspect as he could, needless to say it was all self perseverance, motivation and discipline. Realistically speaking for me, considering I had past my peak performance few years ago, 4 months wasn't enough to produce drastic improvement. Therefore in between drills, I was taking precaution not to burn myself out or sustain injury.
Dashing through the snow..
...in a one horse open sleigh
We arrived the day before to an evening of stormy thunder and lightning rain, which made us questioned whether the event would continue to be disrupted by bad weather. The venue for the athletic meet was at University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), so naturally we were provided student dorm as accommodation. The canteen was large, and so were the amount of participants, which accumulated long queue every meal time.
Yellow, the royal color, was our uniform.
The athletic meet had a rousing start with the Men's and women's 100 meters preliminary event. Needless to say the standard of the competition wasn't even close to national level but I can't imagine myself competing in this event with the other participants. This old horse's short or otherwise fast-twitch muscle fibers has regressed and decreased over the years and he now only sprints middle distance. Remarkably the fast women runners were stout and masculine, resembling the features of Borneo's aborigines.
So nerve-wrecking someone might as well just shoot me.
After all the hard training...
...it all boiled down to this day.
Then came my event, my all time favorite since secondary school days, the 400metres. Being pitted to run in lane two I endured some moments of anxiety at the starting block. After months of preparation, it all boiled down to this moment. My game plan was to start fast and pace myself in the 1st 200 meters, stride along the 300 meters mark while taking in as much O2 as I can to cope with the lactic acids build up, then finally sprinting all the way to the finish line.
And I'm off to battle with myself.
Overcoming the most challenging curve--the 3rd 100metre curve.
Last 100 metre sprint, but gonna conserve energy for the remaining events.
Everything might have worked out as planned, except what I lacked was speed. By the last 150metre the fatigue set in and my body was under anaerobic energy utilization. My heavy thighs struggled to go higher for a longer stride and I swinged my arms harder to lend momentum to the lower body. The last 100metres could have seen me push myself faster but I had to conserve energy for further events in the evening.
Triple jump in action, lots of dexterity and legs endurance required.
Me again, trying to prove a point to myself that I can run the 400meter hurdles.
Our Negeri Sembilan contingent had representatives in nearly every events, be it short and long distance running, or field events like short putt and javelin. By now we have won 2 golds in the triple jump and long jump, thanks to our ex Sukma (Sukan Malaysia) athlete. He certainly made it looked like a piece of cake.
The atmosphere was liven up by the host's cheer squad who sang and chanted slogans. PA system blaring with announcement at the start every event, with prize giving ceremony in between. The cheers and jeers were always on-going when participants battled out each other on track, and grew even boisterous during the climax at the last 100metre stretch.
Team mate, he plays good badminton too.
The track was a little slippery after the rain, which made the hurdle event even riskier.
Then came another ultra-grueling event for me. For the 1st time, I took part in the 400metres hurdles. As if 400metres weren't tough enough, I challenged myself further by attempting to cross 8 hurdles from the starting block to the finishing line. Dashing at close to maximum speed was out of the question for me, rather I needed stamina and iron will to complete my task. An air of uneasiness and anxiety filled the venue a short moment before we were released, but for the participants it seemed like a dreadful lifetime.
Need to watch my stride and steps carefully lest I hit the hurdle and bundle out.
Each hurdle I crossed gave me more confidence to finish the race.
The gun blazed, 1st hurdle..cleared! Confidence built up,second hurdle at the turn..cleared! Since then it was all about pacing, stride adjustment, and applying the right technique when crossing each obstacle. At the final stretch my legs turned heavy and my stride became smaller. My mind was willing but body faint, I dug deep to clear the final 2 hurdles and eventually clocked a personal best of 70seconds. Not bad for a father of 2 and aging horse.
All eyes on the Men's 100meters final.
Close fight between 1st and 2nd.
In Sabah, nightfall is at 6pm. Due to the rain, many events have been postponed and the schedule became extra tight. One of the climax of the day was the men's 100metre final. The finals participants were selected out of 4 heats earlier in the day. After moments of silence at the starting block and an episode of psychological false start, the race took off fiercely and intense. The spectators' shout reached eardrum piercing volume and filled the whole stadium. The victor eventually emerged and earned his bragging rights.
Will we make it into the final.
One race at a time ya, bring it on.
As our state contingent didn't have much luck in the 4x100metres relay due to slipped baton at the final interchange, the 4x400metres gave us a chance to redeem ourselves. Given I had already ran 2 races earlier in the day, under rest and sleep deprived condition, I didn't have high hopes of winning anything.
The rest of our quartet had each competed in their respective event during the day. However fatigue we were, we were determined to give each other our best, at least make it to the final in order to earn points for the team. The assembly and briefing at the starting point was an uneasy one, with everyone sizing each other up. Most of the participants were skinny which made them light and fast as hell.
This run was no longer for me, but one for the team. I felt more pressure for not wanting to disappoint.
Hanging in there until the last 100 meters...
I volunteered to be the 1st runner, simply because I had covered the most distance today and may be the weaker link. Supposed the longer the race dragged on before I was called into action, the more I would be paralyzed and psychologically depressed, so it was good to quickly get things over with.
When the pistol blazed, I accelerated gradually along the 100m curve then paced myself along the 200metre stretch. Coming to the curve I had to pressed down the pedal and start closing the gap between the front runners. At the final stretch I could see my compatriot waiting and beckoning me anxiously as I do battle with my own body. Alas, the baton was passed and I could see how hard all my compatriots fought.
Baton from 2nd to 3rd runner, way the go!
Our star runner, ran like a muscular wild horse.
We maintained 3rd and 4th position periodically until our anchor runner took second spot therefore qualified us to run in the final. We were exhausted and spent, it would have taken us a full night's undisturbed sleep to recover our strength and tired legs. However, the news of the men's 400m relay final to be held on the same night came as a bombshell to everyone. Due to the heavy pour that delayed many events the previous day, the sport organizers took necessary measures to cramp in the remaining events in order to complete everything on time.
What, the final is tonight?!
In the finals, one for all, all for one!!
It was perhaps less than 2 hours interval, before I found myself at a familiar position again, the starting block. I could never get used to the anxiety and immense pressure felt during the whole starting ordeal, even though this was my 4th 400metres race in a day. The mic voice from the official when we took our positions, the other equally nervous albeit intimidating contestants, the awkward silence of the stadium before the gunshot fired..
Impeccable passing of baton from 3rd to 4th runner.
Admirable fighting spirit, wide stride and powerful run from Zul to maintain 2nd place.
People say "Hope" can be sometimes very dangerous. Therefore I wasn't gonna let hope trigger over-zealousness in me and risk ruining my game plan. I had to pace myself accordingly in order to possess enough reserve to finish the race strongly. I tried my best, came in 5th and further encountered a little delay in passing the baton. Out of exhaustion I miscalculated the distance and hand stretched out too early. My heart sank as I desperately gasped for air, hope of a finisher's podium evaporated with that baton mishap. Situation slightly improved with our 2nd runner quickly regaining 4th position.
Before I knew it, a quick change of fortune saw our 3rd runner overtook 2 contestants in quick succession at the last 100metres stretch to come in 2nd. No doubt he had the most developed short and fast-twitch muscle fibers among the 4 of us and his sprint was nothing short of remarkable. Following that, our anchor runner was overtaken at the last 150metres curve but to add a final twist he regained 2nd place at the last 5metres. The stadium were greatly entertained by the battle which unfolded between 2nd and 3rd place.
The whole day's ups and downs couldn't beat the drama of this event.
What a beautiful day to watch a show of athleticism and mental prowess.
Men's 400metres final
Women's 400 meters final.
Like a gazelle she made winning looked so easy.
All in all, our contingent collected 9 medals in total which included 3 golds. Even the veterans contributed to our medal tally in the 4x100metres and 4x400metres veteran's relay. It was a fruitful achievement coming from a small state with less population called Negri Sembilan. We fought together, cheered and supported each other, had fun and knitted as a team. The differences between us only made us dynamic and colorful. Despite the contrast in job position, sporting background, skin color and age, what united us was mutual admiration of each others' determination and strength.
A common sight of prize giving ceremony.
After training together for the past 4 months under punishing weather conditions, here we are, a bag of proud achievements.
Nothing beats the joy and fun of posing together for group photos after the dust has settled. The next athletic meet will be in another 2 years. By then, I'll only get better by persistent training and relentless hard work, or regress due to the onslaught of aging. As for now, I'm just gonna sleep over it while savoring this proud experience with my mates around the town of Kota Kinabalu.
All for one, one for all, the 4 local musketeers.
