Flower Photography @ CH Rose Garden

Boon and I decided to leave early on Saturday morning and head up to Cameron Highlands for the day before camping at Kampar that night. We were both participating in the Bidor Half Marathon on Sunday morning. I was really looking forward to this trip especially for the opportunity to put my non-existant photography skills and instincts to the test with my new camera the Fujifilm Finepix S2500HD.

I am quite aware that a basic prosumer camera like mine will never produce the kind of shots that an SLR can, nonetheless to me at this point in time it's more about learning to compose nice pictures and learning to be a little creative, something which I'm usually not. Here are some shots taken up at CH. More photos can be viewed by clicking here.

Mealtime expressions

Young TV Addict

A new chapter in life

I was reflecting today over the things I've accomplished in the last few years and the thought came to me that life is an ever changing scene. There is nothing constant in this equation of life, and as much as we may like it to be predictable, it isn't!

Now with my MBA behind me, I would have thought there would be more time to get into new (or old) things that I've always been keen on, for instance learning to play the guitar, getting back into running and even badminton, putting to use my 'expensive' bicycle which has been gathering dust, taking up photography, learning Mandarin, oh and most importantly spending more time with the kids.

But the problem with me is that I've always wanted to do too many things and never seemed to just focus on one thing at a time and do it really well. I must however give myself a pat on the back for seeing through the MBA without distractions though, which goes to show that I'm definitely capable of doing so should I choose to do so.

Now with my bosses expectations at work increasing... and rightfully so since they did give me some flexibility over the last couple of years; and with our third kid coming along, I simply cannot jump into new adventures and quests without thought. Yes running will still be in the picture, and yes there will be time for some occasional adventures and new experiences, but given the circumstances, I need to put in the extra hours at work and at home. But hey its something I look forward to especially spending time with my family as there is no feeling in the world that can compare to coming home to them after a long day.

Siemens 10k 2009

I didn't plan on running this race, it so happened that the gang was heading to Gunung Nuang on Sunday and I didn't have anyone to run with... then on Friday, while on the PM's chatbox, Jue was giving away one bib so I decided to go for it.

It's been more than one year since I took part in any running event besides the Pacemakers event. This was going to be my comeback race, in preparation for my Penang Bridge marathon... yes...yes... I've signed up for the 42km! Well I did not anticipate any good time for this race, plus with some hills involved, I was geared up for a slow 65min run.

Reached there by 7am, but found it really hard to get a car park. After taking one big loop behind the courthouse and back in front of the padang, I found one spot just next to the mainroad and quickly grabbed it. Took me awhile to figure out where this church was that they were waiting at but I eventually met up with Jue and the rest and got my bib.

As I was out to enjoy the race, I started right at the back of the pack which was a mistake because it took almost 2km before I could weave my way out of the crowded pack. I was just running an easy pace at first and only picked up the pace at the second water station. The organiser did a great job with providing plenty of water throughout the course.

Overall I maintained a steady pace until reaching the turnoff to the Parliment where I started to pick up the pace a little all and maintained it all the way to the finish to complete in 57:24 which I was pleasantly surprised with. This is an indication of my current fitness level and will help me tailor my training for the PB marathon accordingly. I must say the organiser did a great job especially with the cheerleader and music at the last 1km giving us a really cheery and inspiring atmosphere. Traffic control was also great!

PD Tri 2009 Pictures

For the full album, click here

PD Tri 2009 Results

It was a great event with plenty of fun. Click on the image below to see the complete official results for the men's relay event. We were placed in position 13 out of 27 teams which is not bad for our first time. Well done team! I'll post some pictures of the event next once I get them from Peter tonight.

PD triathlon prep

I wish I could say I've prepared well for this event, but I've hardly been riding my bike since getting it apart from a few short rides. Today's training ride with Khoo and Boon in Putrajaya was a relief as it gave me one final chance to gain some confidence. I completed 42km in 91mins without too much of a problem giving me a little confidence of completing next Sunday's 40km inside 90mins. To my teamates Lee (swimming) and Peter (running)... lets have some fun!