Energizer Malaysia Makes Amends

Okay, so I know what I said about being reimbursed and belated gift packs sent for the botched Energizer Night Run being poor compensation for the booboo in the first place, but perhaps I spoke a leeeettle too hastily. 

Ha! Ha!  <- ala Nelson Muntz

Final haul: 

• Cheque for RM50 as reimbursement of Registration Fee
• Finisher's certificate
• Finisher's medal (even though there wasn't meant to be one for 11KM but no complaints because I get a sweet memento of my first race, yay!)
• Energizer Night Race T-Shirt
• USB Double AA-size Rechargable Battery Charger
• Energizer Headlamp (yes, another one)
• Schtick Quattro Razor
• Err.. Playtex Tampon samples (??!) <- I wonder if they give these out to the male participants too??

Now, a month and a half since the kerfuffle, I suppose most of us would've forgotten the irk, so (for me anyway) the cheque and the goodies are most welcome. And it is nice proof that Energizer Malaysia actually walk the talk of their apologies. Their commitment to making amends, if nothing else, impressed this perhaps-too-easily-mollified-by-freebies-in-the-mail runner. Lol. *G*

Eh, no use holding on to jarum yang patah, right? Live and let live.. and "Thanks!" Energizer Malaysia for sticking by your commitment! I think you handled the crisis remarkably well in the way that Expose Media did not.

ps. They should've finished mailing out all the reimbursement cheques and gift packs by now. If you haven't received (but insist that you want) yours, email them at cst.msia@energizer.com.

Of Knee Pains and Minor Heartbreak

My left knee started twinging a couple of weeks after the Energizer Night Run. At first, I put it down to the hard workout of the Run and *nyeah*ed it aside. It wasn't a persistent twinge after all, just a sometime occurrence. 

A few weeks after it started, the twinge would consistently appear at the mid-point of a standard run. I'd hit the 5km marker, and there it would be, that niggling little pinch that went *tuit*tuit*tuit* in my left knee. It wasn't any real pain though, just an annoyance. A mention of it to the gym trainers begot me the advice of making sure I warmed up and stretched sufficiently pre-run. Check. 

A couple of weeks after that, no change, despite the more careful warm ups. It still didn't really hurt, but it was sure getting somewhat uncomfortable. I had begun to wonder if there was reasonable cause for me to see a sports therapist or physician or summink, but thought it a little too paranoid at this stage. Then three days ago, after some 4 too-busy-to-run-days, at approximately 3kms my right knee started twinging. Alamak! Concerned, I slowed down and jogged through it. And at the 5km mark, it happened: a sharp, shooting pain through my left knee. 

After hearing first-hand of too many people who were forced to forsake running forever after as a result of a bad knee, I was horrified. And paranoid or no, I made an appointment to see the orthopedics specialist at Columbia Asia the next day.

Long story short, the diagnosis was early osteoarthritis. Because my bones/kneecaps/joints are "imperfectly aligned", which resulted in wonky wear on the cartilage, which was causing the pain along my joint line. Incurable, due to it being a structural issue. Inevitable. Hereditary (which would really explain all my aunts & uncles on Mum's side who all have problems with their knees). Recommendation: give up running and take up swimming instead (low-impact sport, mah).

The personable ortho was right; I really didn't want to hear what he had to say. But the good news is that the paranoia paid off: The osteoarthritis is in the veeeeery early stages yet, which means that mitigation is still possible. So he's prescribed a course of daily glucosamine supplements and a firm recommendation to half my running and allow swimming to make up for non-weight-bearing cardio work instead.

Highly sensible; I think I'll take his advice.

Unfortunately, this may mean a much slower progression of my running "career". It also throws huge question as to whether or not I'll be able to finish the half at the Standard Charted KL Marathon, which is little more than a month from now. Even without this injury I was already worried about finishing it. Now with this knee... *sigh*

I've been told to rest the joints for a week or two. Swimming, boleh, so I'll do that to keep ye old cardio at optimum levels. And I think I'm going to give the half a go anyway. Even if I don't finish, at least I can say I tried.

Say whaaaaaa???!!

So, in random surfing about running things I read that

PEOPLE LOSE TOENAILS WHEN RUNNING??!!!!

O.O

What to do if your toenails look like they're going to fall off.


That would kinda explain why my toenails hurt post-Energizer. Eeps!

.

Official Apology from Expose Media for the Energizer Night Race 2011

 

So. The organizers of the Energizer Night Race 2011, Expose Media, issued an official apology for the major kerfuffle they durned. 

It hardly sounds heartfelt to me. It comes across as them being forced to accept accountability, but just barely taking responsibility. Either that, or they need to get new Comms people who know how to write sensitively.

There is some talk currently going around of a full refund possibly being given out but that would frankly be adding salt to open wounds. Unless you had only participated in the 5.5KM Fun Run for kicks and saja nak try-try, it takes dedication to train for running and the reward really is about the feeling of accomplishment at finishing your run, within whatever goals you set for yourself, and having that accomplishment acknowledged. 

It isn't about getting your money's worth in goodies and gift packs. It isn't about feeling that your money was well spent on venue and miscellaneous faff.

This was my first run, so I wouldn't have had any basis of comparison on how these organizers had done against other (presumably) better ones. So I wasn't upset that they had run out of the t-shirts they said all runners who completed the run within the qualifying times would receive. And I wasn't too upset either that there weren't proper water stations at the finish line for me to refresh at and catch my breath. I was a little more upset but even-then-not-too-bothered that upon crossing the finish line, newbie-runner-me had to wander about aimlessly for a minute or so because I had no idea what to do next and the marshalls seemed equally as clueless, waving me off in the general direction of 'there'.

All I wanted (and queued for 45mins for and STILL did not receive because they had run out!) was the qualifying certificate. That scrap of paper that said I ran and I finished within good time; that I really wanted. That was pretty much all I wanted to walk away with from my first proper race ever.

I know that ultimately, what does it matter what a piece of paper said I did or didn't do, as long as I know I did it? But I wanted something to remember my maiden race by. I wanted to frame it up and proudly display that I ran my lame ass 11K in a lame ass 1:38:43 and lame-assedly show it off to all my friends who would come by, even if they might think it was terribly lame-assed of me. 

Yeah, so I went home disappointed.. but I'm running off on a tangent here.

It's not about financial recompense. Or even material restitution (although given the Malaysian penchant for unnatural delight in freebies, the promise to post-mail goodies bags to everyone would help balm the sting.) It's about how the organizers made the runners feel, which was 'like crap'. The venue could have been less fancy, the prizes and goodies less flashy.. and nobody would have minded half as much as long as the organizers had made the runners feel like their accomplishments were acknowledged and that their patronage was appreciated.

It's a lot to make up for. And this letter falls far short of it.

Transcript of the letter of apology:

We, Expose Media, as organisers of the Energizer Night Race 2011, sincerely apologise for any and all discontent experienced by the participants in the event. We take full responsibility for all our actions directly and indirectly leading up to the issues before and on the race day.

We absolve the title sponsor Energizer Malaysia Sdn Bhd, co-sponsors, and the management of Sepang International Circuit of all liability and responsibility.

We are committed to a full distribution of certificates, medals, finishers’ T-shirts, headlights and complimentary gifts to every registered participant in the race.

We will also be announcing the winners today, and they will be contacted personally to receive their awards.

Details of the distribution for the above will be announced at 6pm on Thursday, 21 April 2011.

We would like to clarify that Mr. Mohan Gobindasamy was the official race director on the day and not Datuk A. Chandrakumanan. We apologise to Datuk Chandrakumanan for any implication of his involvement in the race.

We recognise that safety precautions and logistical details were not up to expectations and we deeply regret all the issues that resulted from the situation. We apologise for our behaviour should any party be offended throughout the course of the event.

Josie Huang Wan Ling

Group Director

Expose Media

Eating Right for Runners

Runners are recommended a dietary intake of 60% carbohydrates, 25% fat and 15% protein. In some insulin-resistant people, a diet of 60% carbohydrates create big swings in insulin levels and too much fat storage. So for them, a 50:25:25 diet would be more sensible.

Why So Much Carbs?

Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles as glycogen. Glycogen is what keeps runners running. When your glycogen runs out, you hit the wall. Not good. (This often occurs after about 90min - 2hrs of running.) Some runners trying to lose weight by going on the Atkins diet will find it poor sustenance for keeping to their running programs and will find themselves sluggish from insufficient energy stores provided by low-carb diets.

Of course, carb consumption is not only about quantity, it is also about quality. In this sense, complex carbs trumps simple carbs. Which is which? Easy peasy:

Complex carbs (good!) are generally foods which are high in fibre: wholegrain cereals, pastas, breads and vegetables. They take time breaking down and are absorbed slowly into your system, thereby giving you a steady supply of energy.

Simple carbs (bad!) are essentially sugars; the processed sugars, the refined sugars- typically found in candy, soda, cakes, doughnuts, etc. A good rule-of-thumb would be to avoid anything that might be labeled as 'junk food' - there's a reason why they're called 'junk' after all! I know they make you feel good, but there's a reason for that too: simple carbs are quickly absorbed into the system and provide you with short-term energy boost, i.e. the bouncing-off-the-walls sugar high. Unfortunately, simple carbs also wear off quickly and leave you with the "sugar crash", complete with reduced performance and energy.

The occassional indulgence is permissable - in moderation. Otherwise, cravings might get the better of you and you may start bingeing (very bad). However, try to satiate that sweet-tooth with some healthier snacks like raisins, nuts, fruit or a cereal / sports bar instead.

Fat? For this Lean Mean Running Machine??

Fat, much as it is a bad word in most of our vocabularies, is an essential part of our dietary requirements. Amongst the things that fat does for our bodies is that it provides back-up energy when our blood sugar supply runs out, protects and provides support for our organs and bones, helps transport nutrients and metabolises across cell membranes and that our body uses fat to make a variety of other building blocks needed for everything from hormones to immune functions. Also, fat makes our food taste better. Yums.

Some of the effects of fat deficiency in our diets are dry, scaly skin & nails, hair loss, cold intolerance, susceptibility to bruising, poor growth, low resistance to infection and poor wound healing. Yeeech. Sounds like a terrible mess to me.

So, fat is necessary, but still in appropriate quantities. And as with carbs, you have your good fats and your bad fats:

Unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats, are good for you! Oils expressed from olive, avocado, peanut, sesame, corn, safflower, sunflower and canola oil are some examples of monounsaturated oils. However, margarine is an example of a monounsaturated fat that isn't good for you because it is a hydrogenated oil (aka trans fat - very, very bad!). Polyunsaturated fats are good for you too and can be found primarily in oily fish and nuts.

Saturated fats are mostly found in animal products, especially red meat and dairy. Typically, saturated fats exist as solids or semi-solids at room temperature. There are schools of thought that say saturated fats contribute heavily to heart diseases, and then there are others that say it is the safest kind of fat because of all the fats, saturated fats occur in the most natural form. However, it is generally a healthier practise to trim excess fat off your meat for food. Whatever the type of fat - saturated or unsaturated - it is best practise to keep consumption to the recommended amounts.

Trans fat, hydrogenated oils and partially-hydrogenated oils, however, are the ones you want to avoid at all costs, not only because they do nothing for your running training but also because they are bad for health in general! Examples of these fats are margarine, vegetable shortening and Crisco which are generally found in a lot of processed foods as well as commercial fried foods, including cookies, crisps, doughnuts, fries and even breakfast cereals! So reading nutrition labels & ingredients lists before you pop it into your shopping basket is a good rule to follow.

What? 15% Proteins?! Does That Mean No More Meat for Me??

Protein is used for the building, repairing and re-building of muscles during training. Adequate protein intake accelerates muscle growth and speeds recovery by helping rebuild muscle fibres stressed during a run. Therefore, consuming sufficient protein is essential to a runner's training diet. A diet that includes good-quality, low-fat protein - found in lean meat and fish - will ensure that your muscles remain in top condition.

Endurance athletes are encouraged to consume anywhere between 1.0 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day (bearing in mind this should still constitute 15% your daily calorie intake as well). A high protein intake has been linked with kidney problems and calcium loss, but as long as the "overdosing" occurs within reason, this should not be a problem for healthy athletes.


Top Foods for Runners

• Whole-grain pasta & bread
• Bananas
• Oatmeal porridge (unprocessed oats) & other non-sugar-coated breakfast cereals (eg. muesli and wheat biscuits)
• Eggs
• Rice, wholegrain or brown
• Lean meat & fish (salmon)
• Fresh fruit & vegetables (especially beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, Quinoa)
• Cereal bars & glucose drinks - for refueling-on-training
• Water. Lots and lots of water. Not strictly a food but absolutely essential.

So, in a nutshell:

• lots of whole-grained, complex carbs
• make sure your fats are largely unsaturated fats
• lean meat or sufficient vegetable proteins
• the less processed your food, the better for you
• avoid simple carbs & trans-fat
• drink lots of water!

Okay, before I get hounded about the carbs, it's not strictly as simple as zero-simple-carbs-forever. Some runners consume candy bars in the middle of their training or race specifically for the purpose of getting that boost of quick energy... but that will be an extended discussion on carbs for another day.

In the meanwhile... happy eating for running!

Slowly But Surely

I've been told on all fronts to take it easy with resuming training.. that the stamina and distance will return, slowly but surely, that I just have to be patient and persevere.

However, this is me and I can be, if anything, impatient! I want what I had before, and I want it NOW! Lol..

Slowly but surely is the word alright. I've managed to push the mileage back up to 12kms now. Pathetic, but slowly and surely. The knee is doing much better than last week and this past weekend's LSD I mixed up with some major hill-work (majorly hated hill-work, but a necessary evil). I might've been able to add a km or two to the hill-work as well, only I cramped up and that pretty much put an end to the day's session.

Sigh. Slowly but surely. InsyaAllah...

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I was away for 2 weeks where running was not quite possible without:

• wearing my preferred running gear and without being arrested for it (running shoes and burkha? Methinks not), or 
• looking overly suspicious running at all.. and possibly being arrested for it anyway.

So ran I did not for two weeks. I made sure I had plenty of exercise before I left, ran extra miles, ran extra hard, ran ran ran (also, fell off a bike) and while I know physically this doesn't really make a difference, it made it a little easier to cope with in my head.

Yesterday, I gave ye olde exercising a go, despite badly wrenching my knee in an unfortunate incident on Friday. I figured I had given it sufficient time to rest, and I DESPERATELY needed to run! However, the knee didn't last more than 15 minutes on the treadmill, so I gave it up for some time on the bike.

Stamina has slipped a LOT. So much so I wanted to weep with frustration. And this with the 11K Energizer Night Run in a month's time and the SCKL Marathon at the end of June.

Dear knee, please get better soon so I can start training again. :O(