Malacca (Melaka), Malaysia - 20-23 November 2009

A riverboat on Melaka river

A former Portuguese, Dutch, and British colony (thanks to its former strategic seaport location), Malacca is Malaysia's historic city. Relatively small and flat, Malacca is easy to explore on foot - many of the attractions are compactly situated in the historic old town where you can find old colonial buildings, churches and forts/ruins. The locals are warm and unassuming. Don't be surprised to find people sitting outside their homes in the cool evenings to chat with neighbors, friends or family members. This laid back, simple lifestyle is what I like most about Malacca.

Above left: St. Francis Xavier Church (built in 1856);

Above right: Dutch-influenced old clock tower in the Stadthuys square

Above: Peranakan (Baba-Nyonya) heritage in a townhouse; Peranakan / Straits-born Chinese are descendants of Chinese merchants who married local Malay women

Above: In the olden days, some Peranakan women would tie their feet so that they would fit into these tiny shoes. Small feet were a sign of beauty in those days.

Above: Petai - a key ingredient in a Peranakan dish

Above left: Starfruits; Above right: A Popiah maker

Above left: Fresh sugarcane juice; Above right: Cendol - a cold traditional dessert made of coconut milk, gula melaka (palm sugar), green gelatin and shaved ice

Above left: Chicken rice balls is a local specialty dish in Malacca;

Above right: Rojak (foreground) and Popiah (background) - street food of Malaysia

Above left: More local fare; Above right: Peranakan food

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2009 Dean Karnazes Silicon Valley Full Marathon, California, USA – 25 October 2009

“Die die must try or regret, ah!” is a favorite “Singlish” saying. Essentially, it means to live life with no regrets. Running and finishing a full marathon (42 KM or 26.2 miles distance) had been on my personal bucket list for as long as I could remember. I simply HAD to do it even if, as the saying goes, I die trying! I finally accomplished this personal goal on Sunday, 25 October 2009. Needless to say, it was a monumental personal achievement – one that I will remember for a long time coming. Here are a few things I learned from this experience:

1. The heart is stronger than the mind and body. When one has heart, one will succeed, no matter how difficult it gets; and difficult the marathon definitely was! On the return leg of the course, I started to wane. My body started to tire out and my pessimistic mind tried to persuade my body to stop and quit. Lacking sufficient oxygen to the brain, my thoughts became incoherent as well. The line that separates the winners from the rest is drawn when the heart persists despite all the physical and mental hardships. The heart and spirit become the physical and mental turbo charge to propel one to finish. The heart will tell the mind to be positive – to look for strength from God and other positive influences. The body, trained and conditioned with months of running and proper dieting, will eventually co-operate with whatever the heart desires. So, despite the difficulty, my heart persevered.

2. I also learned that the goal of finishing was not the end all. It was the “getting there”, the journey, that mattered more than the leap across the finish line. The finish line was but a reference point. We can have many “finish lines” (or goals) in life, but if we do not take the first step, or continue to take the steps on the course, we will never cross them.

3. Food science was never an area of interest, but to prepare for my long-distance runs, I had to study how food was used as fuel for my body. As carbohydrates became my best friend, pastas and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches became my staple diet. I also consumed many high-carb and potassium-rich bananas as they help to stave off cramping and replenish electrolytes lost in perspiration. I learned about electrolytes the hard way - when I felt nauseous and had headaches after each run. A quick research indicated that I had to increase my salt intake. I started loading up on electrolyte-filled drinks like Powerade to stay hydrated. I also started calcium, magnesium, iron and fish oil supplements, in addition to my daily multi-vitamin pills.

4. I noticed a transformation of my body and mind over time. The going was rough initially as I built up stamina and endurance. I learned that the body would typically break down fat after the initial 20 minutes of running. Most novice runners would start to feel sluggish at this point as the body needed more oxygen to break down fat. Once fat was broken down, however, the body would start to develop muscles that stored energy, which the body would use as fuel. Over time, the body would become toner and leaner in spite of the carb intake. The mind would also become clearer and more focused. The natural endorphins derived after each run were also excellent mood stabilizers. It also helped to do some light stretching exercises after each run to wind down and improve flexibility. I definitely gained self-awareness in the process - I learned to be attentive to my body and mind as they sent signals to help me in my preparation.

5. I learned about shin splints from a personal experience. Four weeks into my training, I bought a new pair of running shoes and wanted to break them in. Not realizing that they were wrong for me in terms of balance and support, I got over-confident and sprinted at the final lap. Big mistake – I tore a muscle on my right calf as I made the turn. I gradually learned to let time heal my wound. No amount of superficial cold compressions could speed up the healing process of a deep tissue-level wound. I rested and let nature take its course despite feelings of despair and disappointment. I was even prepared to forego the marathon. The pain was crippling, both physically and mentally. During the rest and healing period, I continued to walk and hike. When I felt my leg was recovering and getting stronger, I tried running again. Taking that first running step was frightening as I recalled the sharp pain on my leg (the mind can play tricks on us). But when I ran and felt no pain, I was overjoyed that I was healed! There was hope after all for me to continue my marathon training and actually run it! I learned that failure is OK and that time heals all wounds. Keep the faith and be patient.

6. My body would undergo tremendous strain with every big run. I would be completely fatigued - my legs would become weak like jello and so stiff from hours of constant running that it would hurt to bend them; my hips and knees would be sore as well. I would be in pain from shoulders to feet. Despite the physical hardships, I was grateful for them. "No pain, no gain", so they say. This journey has taught me to 1) take things in my own stride, 2) treasure my health, and 3) make the most of my body now to do the things I want to do in life. We never know when our bodies will break one day. Everything in this world is passing away. So while my body can still endure the strain and recover from it, I wanted to test my mettle and know what I am capable of. I finally ran and finished a full marathon. That's one thing checked off of my bucket list..... next! :)

2009 Running Log

Week	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Total
May 17-23	6KM	-	6KM	-	-	-	6KM	18KM
May 24-30	8KM	-	6KM	-	8KM	-	6KM	28KM
May 31-Jun 6	8KM	-	6KM	6KM	6KM	-	6KM	32KM
Jun 7-13	10KM	-	6.8KM	-	-	-	6KM	22.8KM
Jun 14-20	2.8KM	-	-	-	6KM	-	-	8.8KM
Jun 21-27	6.5KM	-	4KM	-	-	-	-	10.5KM
Jun 28–Jul 4	-	-	-	-	-	4KM	-	4KM
Jul 5-11	6KM	-	-	-	-	-	-	6KM
Jul 12-18	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jul 19-25	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jul 26-Aug 1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Aug 2-8	4KM	-	-	-	5.15KM	-	-	9.15KM
Aug 9-15	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	-	30.9KM
Aug 16-22	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	41.2KM
Aug 23-29	-	10KM	-	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	30.6KM
Aug 30-Sep 5	-	10.3KM	-	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	30.9KM
Sep 6-12	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	30.9KM
Sep 13-19	-	-	20.6KM	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	41.2KM
Sep 20-26	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	-	10.3KM	30.9KM
Sep 27-Oct 3	-	30.9KM	-	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	51.5KM
Oct 4-10	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	10.3KM	-	30.9KM
Oct 11-17	26KM	-	-	7.74KM	-	7.74KM	-	41.5KM
Oct 18-24	7.74KM	-	6.5KM	-	5.2KM	-	-	19.4KM
Oct 25	42KM	-	-	-	-	-	-	42KM

Notable weeks:

• Jun 14-Jul 4: Shin splint issue
• Jul 12-Aug 1: Healing time
• Oct 11-24: 2 weeks of tapering down

Oct 25: Completed the race in 05:22hrs (less-than-ideal, but I finished and that's what counts!)

Bodie & Tioga Pass, California, USA - 27 June 2009

Above left: The Northern Sierra Nevada; Above right: @ Bodie Historical Park

After a hearty pancakes and eggs breakfast at the Hays Street Cafe in Bridgeport at 6 AM, I started a long day of driving and sight-seeing. First stop, the State Historic Park of Bodie (pronounced BOH-DIE). To get to Bodie from Bridgeport, drive 7 miles south on US 395, then take SR 270 and drive 10 miles east to the end of the paved road. From there, continue for another 3 miles on a dirt road to the park entrance.

There was a $5 fee per adult to enter the California State Park and they would not accept my Federal State Park pass. The self-guiding brochure cost another $2. On the cover of the brochure reads:

And now my comrades all are gone; Naught remains to toast. They have left me here in my misery, Like some poor wandering ghost.

This might explain the "ghost town" reputation; although I might never discount the possibility of ghostly spirits still lingering around Bodie. 

As a California State Historic Park since 1962, the silent Bodie ghost town has been well-maintained and preserved in a state of "arrested decay". According to the brochure, only about five percent of the buildings still remains today. The town, which flourished and prospered between 1878 and 1882, had at one time recorded a population of 10,000 inhabitants - many had moved there in search of gold (after William S. Bodey had discovered gold there in 1859). The town had developed a wicked reputation for a "sea of sins" from robberies and killings to street fights and lusts (brothels). Situated in the middle of no where at an elevation of over 8,000 ft (or over 2,500 m), it was also vulnerably exposed to the natural elements with severe cold and windy winters and scorching hot summers.

Above right: The old sawmill - logs were burned to keep homes heated during harsh winters

Above left: At one time, there were as many as 65 saloons in Bodie
 

Above right: The Methodist Church @ Bodie

From Bodie, I drove south on US 395 toward the motionless Mono Lake (the salt content of which was arguably 3 times saltier than the ocean) before heading west on State Route 120 to connect to the Tioga Pass highway. It was beautiful up there on Tioga Pass - the highway, which normally opens during the summer season, was also the highest (at an elevation of 9,945 ft or 3,031 m at the entrance of Yosemite National Park) mountain pass of the Northern Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Some of the scenery there reminded me of my former travels to Europe and South America. How nice it is to know that one does not have to travel far out of the country to admire and enjoy the great out(of)doors. Natural beauty lies too in our own backyard. :-)

Above left: Mono Lake; Above right: Approaching Tioga Pass on SR 120 West

Above: Ellery Lake

Above: Tioga Lake

Above left: On the approach to the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite National Park @ elevation 9,945 ft or 3,031 m

Above: Tenaya Lake

@ Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park
Above left: Random glacial boulders; Above right: View of Half Dome

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