Life, In My Own Backyard

So for three years in a row, I ran on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) which gets fully closed on one Sunday morning. This year, the NPE Highway Challenge was held on July 14, 2019.
There were two distances offered - 21K and 10K and this year, the run saw a crowd of more than 9,000 runners participating in both categories.
I've nothing much to say about my running experience itself, as the route was pretty much the same as previous years' but the novelty of running on a fully closed expressway is certainly still there.
And this is one of those day, when you get to pass by the toll booth and avoided having to pay toll! LOL

Plus, when can you get the opportunity to lie down right smack in the middle of an expressway and not get run-over by a vehicle?

For us, we get to pass by the toll booth twice!

And because the flag-off for 21K was before Subuh prayers and the 10K at 6.30am, you could hear the morning sermon loud and clear in the background.

It was rather nice, really.
On our …

One of the fun thing to do while visiting Japan is of course the many hiking course, trails and mountains one can visit.
When we visited Kyushu in May, we followed one of Kyushu Olle trekking course; trekking 8.6km on the Kurume-Korasan course.
It was a rather easy course so doing it while fasting (our trip was during the fasting month) wasn't an issue.
But instead of a long-winded post about it, I decided to make a video instead.
Enjoy!

Ariati Karina Khalid is an active person and also a familiar figure in the running circle.
A strong runner who is always cheerful, she aced her virgin ultra trail run at The Magnificent Merapoh Trail 2017. She ran in the 70K and finished 18th place. Ariati after finishing The Magnificent Merapoh Trail 2017.
She had raced in many races and achieved a number of notable successes too. Ariati winning the 12-hour Women Category at Malatra Endurance Run 2017. Ariati before the start of Tokyo Marathon 2018.
She was in high spirit after completing Tokyo Marathon in March 2018 with a new PB and a 4:50 timing when tragedy strikes.
On March 24, 2018 she met with a terrible accident in Putrajaya after her LSD session there. Captured from her Instagram post after her operation: "Alhamdulillah, but the fractures were too major and it was not as suspected prior to the procedure. My knee was completely damaged but the doctor has repaired it, and for the next few weeks/months, is for me to do rec…