10 Ways To Use Diversity In Fitness Development

What do you do when you get bored of your training and racing?

Motivation can wane through time, so we should be mindful when our enthusiasm and passion loses it fizzle and sizzle. Just as we can 'get our goose cooked', we can experience fatigue, boredom and lethargy. Over-training and over-racing can accelerate our sense of malaise. So, what can do to rejuvenate our interests?

1) Reduce training mileage, and maintain intensity (tempo, track-work, running up slopes).
2) Focus on speed and strength (higher intensity, strength-training).
3) Race in shorter events (add intensity and focus).
4) Participate in fun events (Colour Run, Illumination, mass yoga, Superhero Run).
5) Challenge different muscle groups (do CrossFit, yoga).
6) Take on challenging races that challenge different aspects of your fitness (Spartan Race, aquathlon).
7) Focus on your weakest area (swimming for me).
8) Take on harder terrain (ride on hills, off-road running).
9) Slow down and do fun activities (trekking, mountain-biking, wear a costume in a short run).
10) Do a team charity event to raise funds.

All it takes is to include variety, diversify your energies and interests, and learning new skills - and you will be confident with newly-discovered fitness and prowess!

New National Record in Charity Mass Swim

Part of the record-breaking swim team. Thanks to Dennis and Dr Jolene for organising this event through SAFRA.

Gary Pryke, secretary of TriFam swam 302 laps (in total; seen with certificate by Singapore Book of Records) to bag top prize for most distance covered; Han Low (tallest) wins third place.

Pedantic & Purposeful Preparation for Switzerland

I use Social Media 2.0 in a variety of active ways. My preferred applications include Twitter, Facebook and Blogspot. I use these tools for learning, sharing and building online and face-to-face relationships. I gratefully appreciate the opportunity to sense and recognize different perspectives from the experiences of others. Seek and ye may find. Ask and you may learn. Apply and you will realize through your experiencing, reflection, genuflection and insights.

In recent weeks, I have interviewed my Ironman friends (Reeves Lim, Neil Franks, Walter Strach III) who completed Ironman Switzerland since 2007. I have learnt that the bike course used to be three loops, and it will be done twice this year. The run course is relatively flat around Lake Zurich.

Most of my questions revolved around the ride, including two climbs known as ‘The Beast’ and ‘Heartbreak Hill’. As such, I have focused on building my riding strength, so as to ensure more resilience during my marathon. To earn my sub-4-hour marathon, I would have to not only improve my run but also to ride strong and not be fatigued. I recall the challenging times and experiences climbing in Ironman Lanzarote in 2008 and 2010. My lack of training and experience riding hills, led me to my longest race rides and a compromised marathon time. I took 4:44 to complete my marathon last year on the Canary Islands.

Running my ass off, for the final sprint into the finisher's chute. A tactical race (and tempo-training run), I had to start near the line and complete first. In terms of nett timings, honorable participant 5240 ran slightly faster than I. However, I placed a position ahead of him. Congratulations, mate! That's the way races go.

The past two weeks, I have earned my personal bests in training and racing. All my races are strategically arranged to allow me to peak on-time, and develop my sense of competition. My A-race is Ironman Switzerland (15 July), and so I need to be in my A-Game, with my A-races supporting my preparation. All the racing and [mostly] solo training will, hopefully, converge to a surprising finish, with memorable milestones throughout the race period. My friend, Dex Tai will be doing three back-to-back Ironmans beginning next weekend. It is part of his Cause and charity of choice, while I will be using my race to promote my Causes. I am grateful for my current fitness, supportive community, and dedicated family for allowing to achieve my performance best.

Another training run, a month ago. I used this race to assess my relative fitness for the 21K. A marathon would have affected my recovery and recuperation. I was pleased for holding this pace and still earn a sub-1:40 finish. My ranking was still top 1-percent of the field!

Leadership Lessons: Do your homework. Research thoroughly, interview comprehensively, and study the course assiduously. Mental rehearsals can help you create a sense of familiarity and déjà vu. Training is the ‘done that’ while your attempt is the ‘been there’. Create simulations to achieve a ‘been there, done that’ sensation. Make your training sessions tough enough without scaring yourself. Enjoy the process/journey.
Photo-credit: Running Kaki

Empowered & Powered Up To Perform

How many of you actually practise empowerment with your staff? How do you know that your staff feels empowered due to your leadership?

We can empower ourselves with knowledge, skills, experience, exposure, attitude and relationships. Learning from our mistakes can also enhance our ability to feel empowered by the authority bestowed upon us. To empower staff, delegate to the best person for the task, so they may succeed even with stretch goals. Also, be mindful to relinquish part of your authority to your staff (so they may act independently in your relative absence), yet still hold on to the responsibility (when things go on a tangent).

Thank you, sponsors for supporting our charity of choice. We have managed to earn a total of Z$3,258.00 for CF4Kids. I like to thank the following people personally for making this goal of mine happen: Integrative Learning Corporation (Singapore), Lim Fung, Kum Choy Yin, David Chambers, Dennis Yeo, Dennis Quek, Winston Koh, Desmond Chow, Vijay, Sanae; Sivasothi, Susan Ng, Phoon,Sur, Hana & Lina; and Caroline Shum.

My express-ordered, Elite-expedited, unpainted ride for IMNZ 2012 looks like this; I joked that she is made from washing-machine parts (a nod to the Flying Scotsman). My Elite Custom Razor looks raw (I adore the look of the old steel, classic bikes), like Frankenstein’s monster with diversity through grafted parts. I will retro-paint her after the race, where I will decide which colour scheme best describes her. I have retained my original carbon forks, which have my name on them and are painted in the original maroon. At least, a few of my friends have, finally, seen what a custom-crafted bike looks like from the 'inside'. Knowledge empowers us by helping feel confident from the inside. I am ready to powerfully race on Saturday, so my racing attitude and mindset are designed for my 226K worth of triathlon adventure.

Leadership Lessons: Learn to delegate and empower differently. Ask for feedback on your ability to empower. If you are not empowering, stop saying that you are. Stop using buzzwords until they go out of fashion.

Raising Funds & Raising Hope

My friend, Vijay wrote a comment on Facebook to me:

In lieu of your worthy cause:

"Your now a Purpose Driven Knife."

Excel You shall, Go forth you Will.

This poem is an encouraging reminder of my tasks at hand on 3 March. Already, we have raised a total amount of NZ$3,158 for our charity through Ironman Team-Varella, Cystic Fibrosis for Kids (CF4Kids). We are actually number 5 on the top-fundraisers list. I am very grateful to my partners-in-charity who will help fulfill expectations and, perhaps, dreams. Also, I am on-track and hopeful to complete my 16-week preparation for Ironman New Zealand. It is my final two weeks of tapering: less mileage, sustained intensity and stimulation, and more recovery.

It warms my cockles to know that so many friends are behind my charity of choice, as well as supporting me. After last night’s 17K run in 90 minutes (meeting my goal pace: 11kph, cadence 90-92, RPE: 6-7.5), and this morning’s lagoon swim (3.2K) with 29 other swimmers, I feel confident of my recovery and race targets. With this morning’s wetsuit swim, I managed to stroke my way near the leading pack and enjoying my invested motions. Those twice-weekly pool-buoy sessions (using arms only) are translating into more efficient movements; this means I am wasting less effort, yet still putting myself into the grind, and finding my groove.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s 3-hour ride and 30-minute run. Then, I will head off for a 3-day working trip before I pack for the Big Dance in Taupo, Auckland.

These valued words of encouragement and support empowers me, and directs me to my goals with purpose.

Sponsoring My Charity As Part of Ironman

Hello, Friends! It is that time of the year where I race another Ironman triathlon and raise funds for charity. I am supporting the same charity as 2010, and it is for kids stricken with cystic fibrosis. This charity provides resources for these brave and positive children to exercise and breathe better and naturally. I certainly hope that you can assist us in our collective cause. Breathe Life Fully! 

My fund-raising page ‘Iron-Team Varella’ is up. I am supporting Breath4CF, part of the New Zealand Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My mathematics is simple: 100 multiplied by $30 each or 300 times $10, will do the delightful and meaningful deed. Or will Pareto Law persist? Let us see if we can budge paradigms and social phenomenon.

Thanks to David Chambers, from NZ, who reminded me to consider this initiative we did in 2010. Back then I closed with a whopping NZ$2,083.00, and David did better. Both of us got to meet the charity organizers and the kids after the race – it was a touching moment to meet both parents and children of CF. My target this year is NZ$3,000.00. I hope to raise funds as close to this amount. I would deeply appreciate your participation and involvement in this cause. I than YOU in advance for donating or spreading the word!

It feels good to do something helpful and useful for others. I am fortunate that I can enjoy a lifestyle that includes endurance sports. Children stricken by cystic fibrosis have difficulty in breathing because the experience large buildup of phlegm in their lungs. Exercise discharges this fluid and allows the kids to enjoy their childhood and stay alive. In this case, exercise can sustain lives!

*****

After a tumultuous week wrestling with a second bout of flu, and a sprained lower back I managed to complete my sessions. I skipped Thursday as I was quite knackered and my lumbar region was making it hard for me to ride the double sessions. Yesterday, I swam with my group in the open-water lagoon, followed by a short run. After Friday evening’s 2-hour long run intervals in the evening, I crossed the 'imaginary finish-line' in third after two tough-working veteran runners, Jimmy and Vincent. It was a fun way to cap the week's training commitment.

Total training time this week: 11.0 hours (3 sessions for each discipline)

Swim For Hope Charity Weekend

Today was the Swim For Hope Charity event. Our Monday Tri-Swim Group pledged, collectively, to complete 2,900 laps. Our group initiated this as an interim training event, and also to do our bit and bid for charity. It was also strategised that we would recover some errant and missing swimmers over the weeks.

After watching online the first two hours and last two hours (before the male winner crossed the finish-line) of the Ironman championships in Kona, I was still sleepy and anticipated a challenging 50-lap swim. It was an exciting although relatively windless day in Kona, and Craig ‘Crowie’Alexander and Chrissy Wellington won their third and fourth Ironman triathlon world championship titles, respectively. The salient points were that Crowie broke the world record (previously held by Luc Van Lierde) by 12 seconds, and Chrissy accomplished her task after a bike fall barely a week ago. Their runner-up counterparts – Pete ‘PJ’ Jacobs and last year’s winner Mirinda ‘Rinny’ Carfrae – gave the eventual (and bookies' favourites) winners a run for their money, which is a whopping US$110,000 each for the champion’s purse. Singaporeans Choo Ling Er and Alvin Lee both successfully completed their foray to Kona in enviable times.

Back to our Sunday swimming soiree: About 30 swimmers showed up for the 10.30am flag-off. Clifford Lee (who eventually swam 110 laps of the Olympic-distance pool at SAFRA Tampines) was the first to break the water with the first wave of swimmers. The intention of the event was a fund-raiser for our Paralympians (who did a swim demonstration for us at midday, during our scheduled rest period) to have resources to participate in overseas events. I greeted Adam 'One-Armed Runner' - an accomplished endurance athlete - who is stoked as ever with charity events. 

Each swimmer swam one lap (50m) and switched to the lane on our left, and swam back. Volunteers would wrap two red rubberbands around our wrist; 10 red bands equaled one yellow band, which we exchanged for at a both. Each exchange gave us one coupon, upon which we wrote our contact details and entitled us to a lucky draw, and documented our swim. Many of the older swimmers were reminded of our secondary school days where we participated in the Pesta Sukan Swim, where 30 laps completed earned us the exact number of bands (with soft coloured tags) that was exchanged for a certificate of completion. Who would know decades later that we would do similarly for charity! Today's event raised S$20,000.

We, essentially, found our own private lanes electing to swim in lanes with fewer breast-strokers. Many of use found mild frustration swimming behind breast-strokers, which meant uncomfortable touching of other people’s feet. We learnt to switch lanes, and find our space and complete our commitment. We also found our graciousness to share space and accommodate those who reached fatigue, or were experiencing their first long-distance swim.

My supportive team-mates encouraged me to do another 10 laps over my 50 laps. I did do another 500m and completed 3K in what can be described as a fun, frothy, fruitful and friendly day; the Angry Birds head-gear were kind of suspect. There were no fruit during lunch, except chicken rice and Jo Lene's cheese-cake (which was polished off gratefully without preamble). Thanks everyone for making this a charitable day, and day of charity! Big shout out to Richard Leong and Dennis Quek (for his many underwater shots) for capturing the valuable pictorial moments.

Leadership Lessons: When was the last time you got into the deep end? How do you respond to a call for assistance? How far are you willing to stretch yourself physically, mentally and with your values? How often do you connect with the values of care, consideration, generosity of spirit, and a sense of community?

Photo-credit: Dennis Quek & Richard Leong

Stuffed Toys & Bird Caps: Leow Jo Lene

Angry Birds Models: Andy Foo & Jo Lene

Tomorrow: The Kona Experience for Spectator and Competitor

Giving Back To Your Community

‘It is better to give than receive.’

How many of us were raised with the values of charity, generosity of spirit, care and consideration? I am sure, most of us have. Which leaves us to consider its corollary question: When was the last time you gave back to your community?

People, who challenge themselves with extreme sports and other physical challenges in order to raise funds for a disadvantaged group, inspire me. At times, these monetary collections may pale in comparison to the challenge, yet the initiator of this fund ends up bigger and brighter, for longer. And, the Tribes support these minor causes – as long as it clicks with them, and resonates with their values and beliefs.

On Twitter, we return the favour by connecting the online presence of a Follower with our followers, through Re-Tweets (RTs). It is conventional to retweet the 140-character maximum text message when you like it, and like to share its usefulness with our Tribe. The Twitter community does easily promote timely news, worthy causes, and useful information to its highly connected network. Certainly, reckless and rampant re-tweeting has its repercussions and implications since ‘one person’s meat is another person’s poison.’ By re-tweeting, we are affirming a person’s cause or preference.

Talk-show mogul, Oprah Winfrey organised a reality television series called the Big Give Back, which emphasised the human spirit of wanting to help, and philanthropy. The viewing audience may have perceived the eventual prize of $1 million as the antithesis of pure philanthropy, so it lasted for one season only.

There are ways to give back, including:

1)    Actively raising funds for a cause (organize a club-level running race, and entry is by ‘as you wish’ contribution) that matters.

2)    Conducting a free skills workshop for a ‘not-for profit’ organization, club, or community (‘teaching them to fish’).

3)    Mentoring and coaching, face-to-face, ‘at risk’ youths.

4)    Monitoring ‘online help-desks’ and helping counsel the needy, disparate, and desperate.

5)    Helping somebody extensively and effectively promote his/her cause, business, passion, or pursuit.

6)    Teach, educate and coach others in a field of your expertise (coach swimmers or runners at your local tri-club).

7)    Volunteer at a local sports event in various capacities and capabilities (handing out medals, security, bag-collection, aid-stations, sports massage, first-aid tent, road marshals, etc.).

Leadership Lessons: Giving and giving back are personal choices, not requirements. If you feel obligated to give back to the larger need, then you might want to review your intentions. Give freely of your time, effort and resources. Place yourself in a place of most potential, so you may benefit from your thoughts, words and deeds. Above all, feel good about doing good for others. May you go forth and prosper!

Awesome YouTube concert video of Trace Bundy and young guitarist wunderkind, Sungha Jung in respectful musical collaboration.

The Sheer Joy of Helping Others

It is gratifying to raise funds for charity. Whether it is dropping a few dollars into a donation box, or raising a few thousand dollars for a cause – it can be deeply satisfying. Being helpful reflects on your personal values, such as care, consideration, recognition, reliability and trust. Enchant those around you with your helpfulness. En-trance them with your positive energy. Good karma can be spread and distributed for it positively affects and infects others.

1)    Lead in a run clinic.

2)    Submit an online race report.

3)    Share race preparation tips for neophytes.

4)    Correcting a friend’s swim strokes.

5)    Providing corrective feedback on a colleague’s presentation skills.

6)    Coaching a person on how to write an effective and influential e-mail.

7)    Counsel a person through their personal issues.

8)    Pay the deed forward when others help you.

9)    Deca-Ironman Wayne Kurtz offers us his treatment for plantar fasciitis.

When was the last time you really helped somebody? How do you show your willingness to assist another? Do you allow yourself to be taken advantage of?

Go ahead – lend a helping hand!

Beer Run 2010

This year’s Beer Run, organised by members of Eastern Night Riders (ENR), took place last night, 17 December, Friday, at 8.00pm. Led by SK Lim, and ably supported by fund-raising duo, Reeves Lim and Anne, Alex Slattery, Edward Kor, Bill Chan and Team Bandung (photographer, Kat). Junior Lee helped procure sponsorship by Asia Pacific Breweries (and private sponsors) of the festive beer, Tiger Crystal. That evening, we raised more than $1,345.00 for the Mainly I Love Kids (MILK) Fund – a charity for at-risk youths. [Photo: Reeves & third-place (Men's) finisher, Danny Wan]

Craig Slattery provided the pre-race briefing, where the 21 participants had to simulate the three legs of triathlon with appropriate attire and gear. The modus operandi of this 3X700m circuit observed these requirements:

Down a pint of beer (bottled); run first loop in swim gear (cap and goggles); change into bike outfit (helmet and shades); down second bottle; run second loops; change into running cap/visor & sunshades; drink the third bottle of beer; run the third and final lap; down the fourth and last bottle; announce ‘Cheers!’ and walk across the finish line. Tada! For non-drinkers and WAGs, we provided 100-Plus fizzy sports drink.

Clifford Lee blared his ‘Human Horn’ – a very good impression that startled a few curious bystanders. That evening, we surprised many after-dinner, strollers with his siren. The runners each, nervously, drank their beer, before rushing into the semi-darkness to run their first of three uncomfortable laps. I assure you, there were many moments of unenviable burps. Having raced this last year (and runner-up behind Marco, who was overseas last night), I can attest to the relevance to the burping strategy. Clear your stomach of residual effervescence, and pace yourself for this is an unusual middle-distance run.

3:12, Boston Marathon finisher, 42-year-old Robson Phan and I went for it, step-for-step, throughout most of the race. We ‘braced the tape’ almost at the same time, and I suspect by the breadth of a sip. He is, undisputedly, and consistently a very good runner. We then awaited the other race finishers. In this race, we had no finisher medals or t-shirts. Like a Hash Run, we had plenty of beer to drink. Robson did a 'reverse' after the end-point, and foamed.

Four of us stood on the podium, made of cartons of 100-Plus and beer: Robson, Danny Wan, Genevieve (who rounded up the top-woman category) and I took our celebratory shots. Each of us won a carton of Tiger Crystal Beer, useful for the upcoming festive period. Thereafter, we took plenty of group shots as more drinks circulated and, by the time we proceeded to the hawker-centre, quite a few of us were slightly inebriated.

It was a fun and memorable race! We have higher expectations and criteria for next year, and an alternate fund to consider. 365 more sleeps to go!


Photo-credits: Clifford Lee & Kathleen Sng

Fund-Raisers & The Joys of Racing

When John 'Cookie' Cooke and I chatted last night about triathlons, the subject of fund-raising came up, naturally. We were agreeable about raising funds as part of our training campaign next year at Lanzarote, Canary Islands. As part of a unique Family of Ironman triathlon finishers, we have the ability and belief to make a change through our relationships, capabilities and experiences. We are a bike-rack away from a new acquaintance or future friend. Like attracts like.

He was raising funds for his next challenge. I raised funds for Ironman Korea in 2006, and again in Ironman New Zealand 2010. Both events enhanced my reasons to race. I felt it was richly rewarding for me to help in my small way; everybody deserves a chance.

I am thinking of raising more funds next year for Ironman Lanzarote and Ironman Canada. I have a few charities in mind, however they would be lesser-noticed charities. I have a soft spot for the physically-challenged (athletes and paraplegics) and may seriously direct my expanded efforts on this group. I will think through and decide shortly. My friends online and offline, have been very supportive and I intend to leverage on their shared sense of altruisim, charity and care. I want to connect with like-minded individuals and their cache of humane values - it is energising and enlivening!

Appreciate giving, and you will receive many folds in return.

Leading with a Purpose

It has been an interesting week for me.

I have, so far, raised about NZ$795 for Kids with Cystic Fibrosis (Breath4CF) - the adopted charity of Ironman New Zealand. My business associate has pledged another $1,000 and that means that we have significantly exceeded our initial target. I am so grateful to my sponsors/donors for supporting my cause.

One recent donor/sponsor is Aaron Fleming, author of ‘Purpose’. He suffered a collapsed lung twice, and had an addiction to painkillers. By insurmountable odds, he reframed his life, completed three Ironman triathlons, and is now a speaker to kids about the notion of purpose. He was the ambassador for New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics 2008.

During an evening workshop for accountants, an audience member challenged me, indirectly, by concealing a card from me during my performance of a magic trick. I knew that he was either being cheeky or misunderstood my instruction, however decided to stop my questioning of his integrity prematurely. I watched the body language of members of his table, and calibrated these for his truthfulness. I knew that it was pointless to argue with him, despite the fact that he nearly sabotaged my demonstration. I moved on; it was pointless for anyone to lose face. There was a private time for embarrassment, when there was a lesson to be deliberately taught. The large playing card (12” X 6”) was found on the table later. I said: ‘I knew it was there all along! The question is: How did I know?’

The president of the association commended me at the end of my workshop. He was worried that I would be thrown off balance and be upset – which I never telescoped to my audience. He told me that there were, historically, trainers who were annoyed with audience members, and I wasn’t one of them. I always believed that being professional is about not being personal.

Leadership Lessons: It is important to have purpose in our life. Without a strong sense of purpose, we may become aimless and wander from one distraction to another. Purpose gives us a sense of direction, be it a performance target, sales goal, establishing a new relationship or mending picket fences. Finding a cause, and supporting it also creates a sense of purpose, and our actions that follow reflect it. Go on – create your purpose-driven life!

Leadership by Charity

‘It is better to give than receive.’

This morning, I decided to sign up for yet another charity cause. In the Ironman Korea 2006 edition, I raised about US$400 for Standard Chartered Bank’s Save A Sight charity initiative. I was delighted that I had enthusiastic supporters who nudged this process along for me.

Sometimes, it just feels naturally good to do something beneficial for others. There are many values we can activate from being charitable. These include generosity of spirit, abundance, care, consideration, recognition, passion, trust, faith, choice, wellbeing, choice and collaboration. Each value connects with another, and they can be combined to create even stronger and robust values. That is why values can be spread, promulgated, propagated and acquired.

Acts of kindness are about being thoughtful. When someone says to you: ‘It’s the thought that counts!’ it means that you have expressed values that are considered thoughtful. Fundraising has always been a popular way of expressing our values that assist others to live better quality lives.

When you select the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand as your charity to fundraise for, you can be sure that every single dollar you raise will be used to ensure people with Cystic Fibrosis lead a physically active life, something that is essential to preserve their lungs.

Children affected by Cystic Fibrosis need all the help they can to breath easier. Breath4CF was established to help families meet the cost of their children's physical activity needs and to ensure that their quality of life is enhanced and prolonged. Breath4CF grants funds to people with CF for gym memberships, entry fees, lessons, sports equipment etc, in fact Breath4CF will help towards any physical activity for a person with Cystic Fibrosis, that produces a health benefit.

If you would like to make sponsor my charity for the Ironman New Zealand race, please do so at my fundraising web page.

Already, Terence Ng has pledged $1 for each kilometre I complete in the swim, ride and run. The children thank him for his $226 [wink]. Thank you for reading.

A Cause To Celebrate

If your new year resolutions and convictions include being charitable, then here is a cause worth supporting, and it does not cost much.

Did you know that

• Radio stations in Belgium, Netherlands, Kenya, Sweden and Switzerland simultaneously broadcasted their programs in December 2009 to collect money for malaria projects of the Red Cross?
• These 5 radio stations rose over €16,000,000 to fight malaria?

• HRBoosters continues to fight malaria in 2010 in sub Saharan Africa by donating a number of impregnated mosquito nets related to the number of participants per workshop?

• One impregnated net costs only €5 (five Euros) and will last for 5 years?

• 100% of your donation through “The Against Malaria Foundation” will be used to buy these nets!

If you wish Africans a happy and a healthy new year, you can do that also by going to this web-page where you can find more details on how you donate one or more mosquito nets. Help eradicate malaria, and allow somebody to sleep better at night. Thank you for your attention.

Gaia Announcement

This posting comes from Gaia Discovery. My friend, Mallika is the editor of this future-orientated website that focuses on the ecological impact of our actions.

Join in the Angkor half marathon this 5-6 December 2009 and enjoy timeless Cambodian heritage.

Ho Chi Minh, 2 September 2009. A great success since 1996, the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon gathered 2,593 runners from 43 countries in 2008. This year the bar has been raised. Running for a good cause while discovering one of the most amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cambodia is the main attraction for the sporty traveller.

Part of the entry fees for the half marathon (10km, 5km or 3 km) and bike race will be donated to a charity fund used to produce artificial limbs for mine survivors in Cambodia, and to help in the prevention of HIV/AIDS among youths. In 2008, US$4,870 was raised - doubling 2007's achievements. We hope to raise even more funds this year.

Sports enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the Angkor half-marathon on 5-6 December 2009, in Siem Reap as Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa has created a special deal for participants and supporters.