This is the 3rd and last part of our post for new runners and joining a running group. You can read the first part here: Should you join a running group (part 1). and the second part here: Should you join a running group (part 2)
My experience joining a running club
I’ll relate my experience joining the Puma Running Club in Desa Park City about 10 months ago. Prior to this, I had a disintegrating running buddies group: we started 6-7 runners running at Lake Garden in January 2014 with the objective of running SCKLM 2014 Half/Full Marathon and 6 months later, we were only 2 remaining… my buddy Frank and I. All the rest dropped after injuries, loss of interest, lack of time, family commitments, …
What’s the Puma Running Club ?
I joined the Puma Running Club (PRC) for the first time on August 20, 2014, about 10 months ago. I didn’t hear about it until I had a chat with one of my friend (Zi-Shen Hong) at the office who happened to be a pacer for PRC. He proposed me to join one wednesday evening to see how things go. I went there and had a good workout. I saw many people I didn’t know, which was good though quite intimidating… but you got to step up ! I’m sure I was their first Wai Lao (is it written like that ???) !
- PRC in August 2014
- PRC in June 2015
I joined regularly when business travels and meetings allowed, but I managed probably to come 75% of the time. The workout were organised by the pacers (they had quite a few of them). Over the last 10 months, I have only seen the number of people coming for the club growing ! It started small probably with about 30 people (pacers included) and now it’s over 60 !
The pacers
- PRC Pacers – June 2015
- Aren’t they a bit crazy ?
The club relies a lot on the pacers. They are people passionate with running and willing to spend their time helping others get better at their running. Think of it, they have to spend 1 to 2 evening a week. One evening is the actual training and the other one is the preparation for it. Not to talk about the social media aspect, as they manage the PRC Facebook page and have to represent the Puma brand sometimes. Ok, they get free gears (shoes, shorts, shirts) but that’s a pretty big commitment for every single week of the year ! Kudos to them. Initially I thought they were all super good and super fast runners. Well, not everyone is a super fast runner. The pacers are picked for their passion and commitment. Moreover the group is quite big and you have all levels (beginners, regulars, elite people) and pacers are there to help each group achieve their goals.
It’s a hard commitment and some pacers come and go. Zi-Shen for example left right after I came there (and he is the one who brought me there !!!!). Some new folks came, some others left. Recently as the group became more than 60 runners, it became necessary to recruit new pacers, which the current pacers did. They took runners from the group (waw… promotion lah !). This is great also because it brings new blood, different style, … They all share the same passion for running and interacting with people 🙂 One of them, Adele did not yet realise she is an ultra-marathon runner born 😀
First 4 months
It was more of a discovery for me. It took that time to get to know more people from the club. Well you don’t speak Bahasa or chinese, it’s tougher to get it. I can bet you I didn’t know many but all remember the old wai lao coming running 😀 The training was not really structured, more of a gig between friends. Today let’s go run… tempo ! Next time, lets do some hill repeats, … It was good, I progressed quite a bit and learned about the various workouts. Also after each session there was warm up and a core workout session (most of the time). Name it: planking, stretching, other core exercises, … The club was lead by Adele following the departure (boohhh) of Zi-Shen.
- Adele and Brian.. easy lah
- The group warming up (June 2015)
Coming New Year/Christmas, we all took a break and I could see that I improved quite a bit. I also had structured more my training in between the PRC sessions having my long runs, shorter runs, faster ones, … but not something VERY structured.
I did not mention, but Puma is the brand sponsoring this. They sponsor the gears of the pacers, they offer drinks for runners, but you do not need to use Puma gears to come here. I went there with my Nike, Newton shoes, then my Merrell shoes, … I did bought however some Puma shirts (good for them) because I saw them with the pacers and then went to the shop. They were good quality and twice cheaper than Nike ones ! Deal ! Per the shoes, for my style of running with minimalists, Puma is not offering anything worth it. Their shoes are for more classical runners (not to say hill strikers 🙁 ).
Last 6 months
Over the last 6 months, the club started to be more structured with sessions oriented around improving our performances and reaching our goals. The training programme was actually prepared by Adele and the rest of the pacers. Adele went for a fitness trainer certification at that time… I guess a more structured and scientific approach to the training was good for the club !
We had a first 3 months where we ramped up the hill training (repeat, intervals) running on the hill of Desa Park City going toward the bungalows and the water reservoir. That was tough but good. We also had speed, tempo and intervals sessions on the main Desa Park City area (the 2.2km loop around the lake and shops). Also we had some circuit training with stair cases, … I remember going there and coming back home very tired (a sign of a very good workout) but overall it kind of became easier with time. You would be surprised how your body adapt. I became more lean, faster and resilient.
- Khairul – cool guy, very fast. Became pacer in June 2015
For the last 3 months, the pacers put in place a 12 weeks programme where runners are evaluated after the first 3 weeks on a speed workout of 5km (essentially a race of 5km where you go as fast as you can). I missed that one… lol I was travelling. Then over the next 7 weeks, it was hills, speed, tempo, intervals, … less core workout, only for the competition element by having everyone say trying to get points doing the longest plank, the longest squat, the most lunges, … In the middle we had a speed workout session with a relay race over 100m. That was great to bind the group 🙂 Lastly, this week we had the final 5km evaluation. Many did progress and got faster. I can’t say how much faster I got, but I did get faster. I did not run my 5km all out (I’m an endurance runner somehow, I struggle with short distance and giving everything) but I ran my 5km in 23:56, which for me gave a PB on 1km and on 5km. So definitely, the training program helped many runners.
- Zack – most funny guy. Became pacer in June 2015
It’s also obvious that people are happy with it (except DPC residents maybe !) as there is more and more runners coming. To my knowledge, you do not have other running clubs doing such a structured training program. You have small teams like 2XU that organise the training of their runners but not for the general public as far as I know. You have individuals or buddy groups in some running club that organise runs. The most effective are Cari Runners (many are also in PRC… which explains why) or elite runners in LYN for example. They structure their training, but again it’s a small setup. PRC is really stepping up here and providing great value and valueS to the running community.
To all pacers, thank you for your passion, time and efforts… from all of us that come on wednesdays !
Why you should join a running club/group ?
We spoke last time about the bad effect of “peer pressure” however if you are in a controlled and structure environment like the training and group put by PRC, the peer pressure is having a positive impact. Try to do a speed workout alone and to do one with a small group of 3-4 persons at around your level and one pacer who is driving the group slightly faster than what you would. It’s pushing you forward which you would not push as hard alone. And that works because you have a well defined warm up session (log enough, activating all key muscles) and then you can go for the workout. Same goes for the cool down. I remember doing an interval speed training – all out – after only 5mn of jogging as warm up ! Recipe for disaster !
This being said, if I had to list out the reasons why running in a club/group is better:
- You can use the peer group effect in a positive way
- You have a well structured training/warming up/cooling down program
- There are experienced runners willing to share with younger ones
- Meeting new people is fun. If you’re like me close to 40, it kicks your ass with all these youngsters 😀
- You can discuss with many people quite different from you, yet sharing the same interest for running. It’s humanly enriching.
- Your weekend LSD will be less lonely than when you go alone or with the same usual buddies
- You’ll discover new routes and places to go run
- When you go racing, you’ll meet many people you know which is cool and better than the “I arrive, I race, I leave fast” !
- When you race, the more people you know, the less time you have to spend looking for your photos, your buddies will tag you (but you still need to look and tag them when you see them !)
There are other running clubs around KL. Pardon me if you are not in KL, I do not know for other areas. I would be happy to update this post with other clubs if you send me a note with the information:
- Cari Runners
- LYN Runners
- Run89 Crew
- Pacemakers
- Pacesetters
- Running Kaki Malaysia
- Wind Runners
- Cari runners – You can see their folks with jerseys “I’m possible”. Infos at http://carirunners.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/search/str/cari%20runners/keywords_top. The Facebook does not seem very active but they do meet regularly at Padang Merbok and Desa Park City
- Wind runners – Similar to Cari runners from my point of view, they do meet weekly. They have a Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/196426680503224/
- LYN Runners – Lowyat Network Runners. Don’t know much about the group, but I do know many people wearing their t-shirt ! They do have a web site at http://lynrunners.com. You can find them on Facebook too.
- Pacemakers Malaysia – Another big running club. You can find more infos at http://pm1.blogspot.com. They are quite famous also for the relay race they organise in Lake Garden every year (PAR XI this year).
- Run89 – Another running group. They meet once a month. Infos at https://www.facebook.com/run89crew?fref=ts
- Pacesetters & Terrence Poon Running Club (TPRC) – Pacesetters is also a very big running club. I never heard about TPRC but it’s mentioned on their page, so I would assume they are part of Pacesetters. They have weekly activities at various places (Permaisuri, Padang Merbok). I joined them for the double/triple hill from Padang Merbok to Hartamas and one time for a LSD in Permaisuri. Infos at http://pacesettersmalaysia.blogspot.com/p/regular-activities.html. They are quite famous for their 3030 races (30km between lake garden and hartamas via the double/triple hills)
- Running Kaki Malaysia – Another big group of runners. There are quite a few groups called running kaki, but Running Kaki Malaysia seems to be the biggest one. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/runningkakimalaysia
I think that choosing to join a group, it depends a lot on where you can go for training with them. You don’t want to spend hours in the car driving there. During week-end if you run LSD, then you need to wake up even earlier to drive far but the most difficult is during week days evenings I think. I live around Hartamas and for me going to Desa Park City is good; going to Lake garden also but going to Permaisuri or Kota Kemuni… too far !
Final thoughts
Your training and the plan that you follow reflects your commitment to achieve your goals whatever they are. It’s better to be modest in the short term (yet ambitious on the long term) and have goals that you can manage and achieve with some regular work. Once you get there, set the bar higher. If you are too ambitious, you’re out for some potential disappointment in yourself if you do not achieve most of your goals, beware ! Running changed my life in a good way, I’m sure it can do the same for you !
c3q4r43rq3r4qr34e
Title
[…]please check out the internet sites we comply with, such as this one particular, as it represents our picks from the web[…]
taxi company brighton
Title
[…]that could be the end of this article. Right here you will discover some web-sites that we assume you will appreciate, just click the links over[…]
direct contact number airport eagles
Title
[…]Here are several of the web sites we advise for our visitors[…]
r9cm34w9rxwrmw.com
Title
[…]please stop by the internet sites we stick to, such as this one, as it represents our picks from the web[…]
c4nwv57475w7s48cm477
Title
[…]we came across a cool web page which you may well appreciate. Take a appear if you want[…]
cq4r4r4axsrraearexr
Title
[…]one of our visitors not too long ago recommended the following website[…]
cq4r4r4axsrraearexr
Title
[…]Here is a good Blog You may Uncover Exciting that we Encourage You[…]
Selfie Face Mask
Title
[…]here are some links to web-sites that we link to simply because we think they are worth visiting[…]
cxqw234xracrwcr4
Title
[…]always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I love but really don’t get a good deal of link enjoy from[…]
xdsffx4crta4rtxa34w
Title
[…]usually posts some incredibly exciting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
uscojufm9r4tue4urtse4
Title
[…]very couple of internet sites that happen to become in depth beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out[…]
Bulk Jewelry
Title
[…]we prefer to honor many other web websites around the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages really worth checking out[…]
Sugar daddy
Title
[…]Here is a great Weblog You may Obtain Fascinating that we Encourage You[…]
news
Title
[…]The details mentioned inside the write-up are several of the best available […]
hạt maccahạt mắc ca
Title
[…]check below, are some entirely unrelated web sites to ours, nevertheless, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
guaranteedppc.com/how-to-use-taboola-outbrain-or-adblade-to-generate-a-xxxxx-daily-income/
Title
[…]one of our visitors recently advised the following website[…]
https://www.manytube.net/
Title
[…]very few internet sites that take place to become comprehensive beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out[…]
https://royalcbd.com/product/cbd-oil-2500mg/
Title
[…]that would be the end of this write-up. Here you will obtain some internet sites that we believe you will appreciate, just click the links over[…]
cbd oil for sale
Title
[…]that is the finish of this post. Here you will locate some web-sites that we feel you’ll value, just click the links over[…]
https://royalcbd.com/product/cbd-cream/
Title
[…]usually posts some incredibly fascinating stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
https://royalcbd.com/product/cbd-gummies-10mg/
Title
[…]check below, are some entirely unrelated websites to ours, however, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
royal cbd
Title
[…]we came across a cool web page that you may take pleasure in. Take a appear should you want[…]
royal cbd
Title
[…]please check out the web sites we adhere to, including this one particular, as it represents our picks from the web[…]
https://royalcbd.com/product/cbd-roll-on-gel/
Title
[…]please take a look at the web-sites we follow, like this 1, because it represents our picks from the web[…]
https://royalcbd.com/product/cbd-capsules-25mg/
Title
[…]below you will locate the link to some sites that we feel you’ll want to visit[…]
dg casino
Title
[…]always a big fan of linking to bloggers that I adore but do not get lots of link adore from[…]
mitrade lua dao
Title
[…]here are some links to internet sites that we link to for the reason that we assume they’re worth visiting[…]
marca d'água google docs
Title
[…]check beneath, are some entirely unrelated web-sites to ours, having said that, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
canada pharmacy
Title
[…]we came across a cool web page that you could possibly appreciate. Take a look should you want[…]
메리트카지노
Title
[…]we prefer to honor several other web internet sites around the web, even though they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[…]
canada pharmacy canada pharmacy
Title
[…]Here is a great Blog You may Uncover Exciting that we Encourage You[…]
https://www.dbb369.com
Title
[…]Every when in a while we choose blogs that we study. Listed below are the most up-to-date websites that we decide on […]
mega888 login
Title
[…]very couple of internet sites that occur to be in depth beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out[…]
interracial
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine some unrelated data, nonetheless actually worth taking a search, whoa did one master about Mid East has got additional problerms at the same time […]
natural skin care products
Title
[…]the time to read or stop by the subject material or internet sites we’ve linked to below the[…]
73077
Title
[…]below you’ll find the link to some web sites that we consider you should visit[…]
Cúng thôi nôi
Title
[…]we came across a cool web page that you just may well enjoy. Take a search should you want[…]
메리트카지노 사이트
Title
[…]just beneath, are a lot of absolutely not related web sites to ours, nevertheless, they may be certainly really worth going over[…]
coating inspector
Title
[…]Sites of interest we’ve a link to[…]
learn more
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine some unrelated data, nevertheless seriously worth taking a appear, whoa did a single understand about Mid East has got much more problerms at the same time […]
proven customer reviews
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a number of unrelated data, nonetheless definitely worth taking a appear, whoa did one particular find out about Mid East has got far more problerms at the same time […]
Roberto Badalotti
Title
[…]below you will uncover the link to some sites that we believe you ought to visit[…]
weight loss pills that work
Title
[…]one of our visitors just lately proposed the following website[…]
Kaufen Sie einen echten registrierten Führerschein
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated information, nevertheless definitely worth taking a appear, whoa did one find out about Mid East has got extra problerms at the same time […]
phim sex online
Title
[…]usually posts some quite fascinating stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
sport sunglasses
Title
[…]just beneath, are numerous absolutely not associated internet sites to ours, even so, they’re surely worth going over[…]
värdera klocka kaplans
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a handful of unrelated data, nonetheless genuinely really worth taking a appear, whoa did 1 find out about Mid East has got far more problerms too […]
Loozap cars Botswana
Title
[…]although web sites we backlink to below are considerably not connected to ours, we feel they’re actually worth a go by, so possess a look[…]
silencil
Title
[…]just beneath, are various completely not connected websites to ours, however, they’re certainly really worth going over[…]
escort umraniye
Title
[…]The facts mentioned in the report are some of the ideal available […]
bbd
Title
[…]we came across a cool website that you just could possibly love. Take a appear if you want[…]
mega888 apkpure
Title
[…]although websites we backlink to below are considerably not associated to ours, we really feel they’re really really worth a go via, so have a look[…]
brokerreview scam
Title
[…]one of our guests not long ago recommended the following website[…]
Revenge
Title
[…]Here is a superb Weblog You might Come across Exciting that we Encourage You[…]
podcast transcript
Title
[…]very handful of sites that come about to become detailed below, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out[…]
sàn giao dịch forex
Title
[…]usually posts some really exciting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
TAXI TO GATWICK
Title
[…]Here is an excellent Weblog You may Obtain Exciting that we Encourage You[…]
health supplements canada
Title
[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]
Ruko bsd
Title
[…]the time to read or take a look at the subject material or web-sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]
in Canada
Title
[…]usually posts some pretty fascinating stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
sisteme de copiat
Title
[…]check beneath, are some totally unrelated websites to ours, even so, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
new movies on netflix
Title
[…]we like to honor a lot of other internet sites around the internet, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages really worth checking out[…]
top 10 sàn forex uy tín
Title
[…]here are some links to web sites that we link to simply because we feel they may be really worth visiting[…]
wiki adventure movies
Title
[…]please stop by the websites we follow, including this 1, because it represents our picks from the web[…]
private investigators in spain
Title
[…]we came across a cool site that you simply may get pleasure from. Take a search in case you want[…]
magic mushrooms canada
Title
[…]The details talked about inside the report are a number of the most beneficial obtainable […]
hd film izle
Title
[…]Here is a great Blog You might Find Fascinating that we Encourage You[…]
hd film izle
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated information, nonetheless definitely really worth taking a look, whoa did one particular find out about Mid East has got a lot more problerms as well […]
hd film izle
Title
[…]The info talked about within the post are several of the very best readily available […]
canada vs usa
Title
[…]although internet websites we backlink to below are considerably not connected to ours, we really feel they’re in fact really worth a go by, so have a look[…]
scrap car removal langley
Title
[…]Here are a number of the web-sites we recommend for our visitors[…]
handyman in port coquitlam
Title
[…]Sites of interest we’ve a link to[…]
organic skin care products
Title
[…]very couple of sites that happen to be in depth below, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out[…]
casino
Title
[…]below you’ll come across the link to some web pages that we assume you’ll want to visit[…]
how to tell if a slot machine is ready to pay
Title
[…]very handful of internet sites that occur to become in depth beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly well worth checking out[…]
A3 Drucker
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nonetheless actually really worth taking a look, whoa did one learn about Mid East has got additional problerms as well […]
Aaron Lal
Title
[…]very handful of web sites that happen to become in depth beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly very well worth checking out[…]
Aaron Lal
Title
[…]please check out the sites we follow, such as this 1, because it represents our picks in the web[…]
https://youtu.be/qSE-R_LQJww
Title
[…]The information and facts talked about within the post are some of the ideal offered […]
my mega888 free credit
Title
[…]just beneath, are numerous totally not connected web sites to ours, nevertheless, they are certainly really worth going over[…]
Erminia Deer
Title
[…]very few internet sites that happen to be detailed beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly effectively worth checking out[…]
malaysia mega888 singapore
Title
[…]although sites we backlink to beneath are considerably not related to ours, we really feel they’re actually really worth a go as a result of, so have a look[…]
stakexchain business presentation
Title
[…]usually posts some pretty exciting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
ラブドール セックス
Title
[…]usually posts some quite interesting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
color hair
Title
[…]check below, are some absolutely unrelated websites to ours, nonetheless, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
613 lace wig
Title
[…]The details talked about inside the report are a number of the best available […]
color hair
Title
[…]we came across a cool site that you may get pleasure from. Take a appear when you want[…]
WAXDOLL
Title
[…]The information talked about inside the article are several of the most beneficial available […]
mega888 easy win game
Title
[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]
click to find out more
Title
[…]below you’ll obtain the link to some websites that we feel you must visit[…]
34cr4rxq3crq34rq3r4
content
[…]This is very interesting[…]
download mega888 jackpot tips
Title
[…]below you will obtain the link to some sites that we assume you ought to visit[…]
accounting services singapore
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a couple of unrelated information, nonetheless genuinely worth taking a appear, whoa did 1 understand about Mid East has got extra problerms at the same time […]
Julian Di Benedetto
Title
[…]we like to honor many other net sites around the internet, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Beneath are some webpages worth checking out[…]
Pound of Weed
Title
[…]the time to study or take a look at the content material or internet sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]
THC Cartridge
Title
[…]that may be the end of this report. Right here you will find some internet sites that we consider you’ll enjoy, just click the links over[…]