A road less travelled

Is it because this would be my third 70.3 or simply that I would be treating this Sunday as a training event that I took the week off for our annual pilgrimage to COSI, Cambodia? I wouldn't have it any other way.

So it was back to dirt roads under dry hot weather for me. Three runs. The first was a 14km 5x2km interval run with increasing pace. The one strange sound was music, when I was about 3km into it. It turned out to be a Cambodian wedding. The contrast - loud ceremonial music, bright colored tents, well dressed groom and bride and guests - was stark. Probably a well-to-do farming family. As was the norm, the guests looked at me with some amusement. Not your typical sight in rural Cambodia.

Dogs were aplenty, as usual. Many simply barked at me and ignored me when I went past. One took a fancy to me, however, and trailed me for a a few meters and fortunately for me, got bored. It was only about 6km into the run that I saw a pack of dogs - 7 to 8 of them - that prompted me to turn around and head back. My self-defence - my trusty water bottle - would be effective against so many of them.

Incidentally, I had it all figured out in case of an assault by my canine friend. A squirt of water at their head (a trick learnt from the cycling community) is the first line of defence. The second is to take the offence - snarl, raise bottle to strike and even run at the brute. The last line is peak performance training - an all-out run (away).

The second run was a 5km recovery, and the third a 2x2km threshold run.

This being my seventh trip was meaningful for a number of unexpected reasons. Clearly, this would not be my last.

Asians of the year 2009: Physician of the poor

My good friend PK, featured on Channel NewsAsia.

Cambodia, COSI and alternative realities

There's a good reason for the silence this past week. I was in Siem Reap and determined that it would be a wonderful run and bike destination. December would be cool and dry.

Then I spent some time in COSI and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Did a short 5 km run at COSI.

What I really came back with is an added sense of urgency for the work we are committed to.

The two girls, aged 16 and 15, appear like any other school girls. They attend the Methodist School in Phnom Penh and have been with the school for some time. Originally from Vietnam, the girls stand out with their fair skin and complexion.

While most school girls would be happy during vacation time, these two girls are very anxious for a good reason. There's a good chance that their mother would "sell" them. Many girls have been "sold" before. Their older sister was "sold" for a week, and came back to class after that. Apparently they can be "sold" again, albeit for a lower price.

Such is the reality for teenager girls in Cambodia.

Read on.

COSI recce and aerobic runs

Ever wondered how it is like to plan, organize and execute a race? Occassionally, not often, I wonder. But for a small race for the COSI children, out in the somewhat remote rural farmland of Cambodia, there are challenges that are - shall we say - quite unique.

The race route, for one. The only recollection I had was the 8 km run I did with Vuthy last August. So needless to say, I had to do a recce run on Jun 15 (Mon), prior to the rehearsal day. My memory failed me yet again, and I went north (see map below), instead of west. I explored a fork due west into a village, but there were just too many dogs. Dogs would run out and bark at strangers (that's me). But the good thing was that they didn't chase me. I was holding on to my water bottle just in case.

On the way back, I went due west, and took a left turn due south around another village. This took me all around the COSI compound and through the school field. But the path becamse just a narrow footpath, unsuitable for running.

In any case, we decided on a simple 1 km and 2 km route, out and back with mid points at 500m and 1 km.

View Larger Map

Aerobic runs on June 16 (7k) and 20 (10k). For the June 16 run, I was joined by about half a dozen COSI youths and children, TH, Faith, WL, and later with RN and HY. This time, we took the westerly route. Also the run was for familiarization for the team.

The 10k run on Jun 16 was just for me. Needed to get the body going after some days of relative inactivity. Slow easy aerobic run to yet another village and back.

View Larger Map

Running on dirt tracks is nice for a change. But need to be careful not to shuffle the feet. That could lead to tripping over uneven surfaces. Encountered that on the return leg.

While on the subject of race organization, what do we do when we don't have timing chips and mats? How do we capture the positions and also ensure that runners do not skip the mid point? Steph, our race director and Candy, deputy race director, had a brillant system figured out that works like a charm, all without the aid of modern day technology. How can we quickly compute the scores of six different houses (dorms) based on the race positions of their children? What is a fair system?

All I can say, without divulging too much of Steph's trade secret is that the system involved positions rather than timing, stick-on tags, colour stickers and great organization!

Does anyone out there need a race director?

BFG Rave Runs: COSI Cambodia

Aug 8, 2008 (08-08-08)

Today is the start of the Beijing Olympics Games, but my family and I were in Community Outreach Services-Immanuel (COSI), an orphanage located in the Ang Snoul district of the Kandal Province in Cambodia. COSI is an initiative of the Methodist Missions Society (MMS) of Singapore and is 45 minute drive from the center of Phnom Penh smack in the middle of a farming community.

An 8 km easy run from COSI to two surrounding villages in the Toul Prich province.

View Larger Map

As I was setting out, Vuth - our sponsored kid at COSI - came up and wanted to join me. I was a little concerned as he was in his jeans and slippers. But he said no problem, and seeing that he is a strong 17 year-old who loves and plays soccer (daily), I agreed.

As it turned out, Vuthy is a strong young man as well as a good guide. Our conversation (easy run, remember?) centered on life at COSI and his school. Vuthy aspires to be a lawyer, and his grades are pretty good. I encouraged him to study hard and to aim to pass grade 12 (high school) exam so as to get into a good university.

The run took us down dirt roads surrounded by padi (rice) fields. It had been raining for the three days we were there, and the padi plants were growing well. There was a light breeze and it was a good run.



We were greeted by some dogs that merely barked at us. At a village, several children waved and cheered us on. It would be quite a sight - a middle aged guy in bright luminous Passion Run singlet and a young Khmer in slippers pacing side by side.



This is Cambodian rural heartland. This is a farming community where the friendly Khmer villagers derive their livelihood from tiling the land. They take care of the land, that in turns take care of them. Nature and man - working together in partnership.



Earlier in the day, we were in Phnom Penh, and had lunch at the Foreign Correspondence Club (FCC) restaurant. It overlooks the Mekong River where the Singapore dragon boat team tragedy occurred last year.



View of the National Museum from Cafe Fresco at FCC:


See also:
COSI Angel Program 2008