Magnificent Malaysia
Please periodically check back on this blog posting comments for texted updates..
First road day in Malaysia was a joy even if I had difficulty getting out of the built up Johor Bahru area of the deep south with its tangle of highways.After about 20.km it straightened out and I had a wide shoulder on a busy 6 lane divided highway. Not a single honk,gawk or attempt to run me off the road..Heaven First impressions excite me, I could be in many places in Europe. Malaysia population - just over 29 million.
61 percent of the country practise Islam. 19 percent of the country practises Buddhisim
The people are smart and futuristic.
Most popular sport in Malaysia is soccer , followed by badminton and hockey. Running in Malaysia is also very popular as I will soon find out as many of the local runners are gathering to give me the great ‘ helping hand ‘ as I call it on my way north to Thailand.
The hotels have hot showers,no bugs and are clean. No penny pinching as they usually include towels, soap, drinking water, toilet roll, functioning toilets and have mirrors. Yes I can remember women in Mexico and other central American hotels cutting small hotel size bars of soap in two and spending ages wrapping about ten sheets of toilet roll on pieces of cardboard for each room. They usually sat in the hotel reception doing this as they watched television!
34k for that first day, a slow start.
That night I stayed in the Impress Hotel in Sinai and ate a delicious stir fry dinner with 2 teas all this for just €12.
Of course this could go belly up in a few days but a great first impression.
Malaysia is an Islamic country with a great multi racial mix. The Chinese are very prominent. English is widely understood.
Malaysia continues to impress. I am almost a week here and after a three month torment on and off the road I am delighted by the place,as excited as a young lad smitten with a new girlfriend! The fun is back in the running,very much so:-)
Malaysia is working hard towards its goal to achieve developed world status by year 2020. Good luck I say as from what I have observed in these early days is quite impressive. No idiot driving,or people carrying factory gates,sheets of plywood on scooters with precarious attachments to their bikes. I actually see people taking driving lessons,others with learner signs and courtesy on the road.Ah! Yes the British influence,same with Singapore.
General signs are often in English,I guess to get people using the words more.There is also a huge Chinese community here and I often hear English words and phrases used between them.
2016 is the year when it will be compulsory for students to pass English in their exams.
Malaysian right-wing activist Ibrahim Ali president of Perkasa s group that champions Malay supremacy concedes that while the Bahasa Malay language must not be compromised as the main language and agrees with the governments policy of the advancement of English as its the real world language and ‘the language of knowledge.
Running on through tropical forests of rubber trees where farmers had had slit the tree bark with machetes to collect the white rubber gung as it drips into a can wired to the tree.
That day 54k and my 35,000km of the run I made it to a warung where the 2 young lads played music till 1am. Well it was Malaysias 50th anniversary. Malaysia became a country in 1963 gaining its independence from the UK.
Next day it rained heavily,so a long shelter and thanks to 3 lads who bought me lunch,48k on route 24 towards Maur. Because I took a bypass Taking me away from the city I was stuck for a place to stay till I came to a building site which had a freshly tiled floor. I put some cardboard down but didn’t sleep too well as Malay mosquitoe repellent ain’t as good as Indonesian. As always, exhausted from hours lying awake I eventually fell asleep. Another short sleep, I will pay for it on the road tomorrow. And so I did pay for it as every one of that days 45km was tough for it was also hot with little water en route,so I had to hussle some water a couple of times from parked drivers.
Places are more spread out here than in Indonesia. I made it to an hotel just before Melaka. Ah! Yes I am due a comfy bed and a hot shower.
A very late start next morning because I could hear the rain pounding down outside, so it was easy to take a long snooze!
Eventually the sun broke through my sleep and I was off and running again, Well at least the 4km as far as Melaka till I came to Domino Pizza who were advertising a lunch time special. A quick check of my watch 12.08pm Yes! Just started. So a satisfied belly ran out of Melaka onto a delightful 4 lane divided highway with my own almost 3 meter shoulder, can it get any better than this I ask, Ah yes! I love running here,
Eventually I found my rhythm pushing on and on full of energy, not wanting to stop till I got about 2km before Rembau where I had a very pleasant experience at the Hotel Rembau. The very friendly owner fussed over me like I was a rare customer. Firstly this nice clean hotel at about 6 euro was almost half the price of the previous cheapest hotel. Only complaint was the shower was cold. He had a shop so I was able to buy satchels of tea and coffee also pot noodles, biscuits, crisps and chocolate, so that was dinner and breakfast sorted as he had a hot water machine for my beverages. He brought me to a separate building where these economy rooms were, just a mattress on the floor, no big deal. He then started pulling a second mattress up off the floor just to make room for my bike! As he said.
No bike mister, I am running around the world! I am so used to places not being cleaned out properly or neglected just because they are economy. So nice to meet a decent person like this, not a capitalist who upon learning of my mission he then brought me in a cable box for the satellite channels on the television, no worries, not going to watch it! He then left me larger spoons for my beverages and told me he respected what I was doing and offered me another night complimentary, which I declined. A magnificent 57km that day after such a late start, wish every day was this good, Funny how I assumed before the run even began that I would have my run finished every day around lunchtime and I would be spending my afternoons in Internet cafes! Couldn’t have been further from the truth those days back in Ireland when running was all so easy and I day dreamt and day dreamt of life on the road.
Then another splendid 52km day from the hotel to Beranang. This days running was made easy by an early 6.20am start, out of the traps like a hungry rabbit I ran non stop for 4 and a half hours, a rarity for me, my rapid progress slowed down once I stopped in Seramban, a sprawling small city. I stopped for lunch then went down the road to an eye watering bakery and purchased a box of their delicious pastries, so it was a rare backtrack on the run, hate going backwards, but this time it was to the restaurant for coffee to wash down my goodies!
Eventually it was time to run on but the heart was knocked out of me when I seemed to have taken a wrong turn in a poorly marked construction zone and ran an almost complete circle around the city, an estimated 10km extra, so only 52km recorded for that days 62km effort 
Also another time killing Internet stop.
When I don’t finish in a town with an hotel it seems to be more difficult to find a place to stay than in Indonesia, I guess the more affluent Malaysians just don’t get it when I offer them a few dollars for a place to sleep. The lady that served me dinner in the warung in Beranang told me there was no hotel in their very small town and the next was just a little to far for me that day. Not true for next morning I ran by a motel just 6 kilometers away in Semenyih. So I just explained again what I was doing, showing her and a few patrons one of my Google translated home made Malaysian business cards.
One of the local lads, a truck driver called Ahmad Nazmi checked out this website on his iPhone and offered me a place for the night. So before jumping into his truck to go to his house about 3km away I touched the door post of the warung for I will restart my run to the Malaysian capital from here in the morning.
Ahmad Nazmi shared a house with his twin brother who has an almost identical and confusing name for me, but not for anyone else it seemed for his twins name is Ahmad Nazim. Also present was their friend Zulpadli. Very respectfully the lads let me sort my gear in my pack and no mauling of my equipment as in Indonesia.
I had a really nice sleep on a floor mat and treated the twins to breakfast next morning.
I had a wonderful time on my run into Kuala Lumpar or KL as the Malaysian capital is often known as. A Frenchman called Thierry and Miyuki his Japanese wife who first contacted me a year ago when I was in Argentina just happened to be in KL now. They are both runners and are traveling permanently in their retirement. So thankfully they contacted me and joined me on the road for the last 27km of my 40km run into the city. They have rented an apartment and took me back for the night. We were joined on the road by some local runners. One of them Allan who recently ran the tough French mountain race UTMB or Ultra Trail Mont Blanc. Allan so used to running with a heavy pack was soon recruited to run with my pack
Other runners Jeff, Tey and Cally also members of the local running club F.R.I.M came out to greet us on the side of the motorway but as they had their vehicles with them unfortunately couldn’t run with us. We ran about 15km on the motorway without any problems with the police. Sometimes the shoulder was a bit tight so Allan ran on ahead waving the drivers to move out to make room for us! As always the so respectful drivers didn’t complain, honk or get angry unlike a certain other country whose drivers reminded me of a certain Jim Carey movie the more I ran there!
I have decided to take up Thierry and Miyuki’s kind offer of a rest day today Sunday. Thierry’s website is http://www.
Total distance run in 816 road days is 35,255km. I am approx 20 marathons ahead of my bid to run 1,000 marathons in 1,000 road days.
September 22nd, 2013 at 8:06 pm
tony, its great to hear of the nice people and wide hard shoulders you are meeting. keep up the good work. well done. kevin
September 22nd, 2013 at 8:28 pm
Good Man Tony, This account of your travels is such a change from the last country you have run through. And it is so rewarding for you to meet such welcoming and accomodating people. More power to you – long may it continue.
September 22nd, 2013 at 10:50 pm
Great read Tony, glad you are enjoying Malaysia and its good people and drivers. Hope you enjoyed the All Ireland Final in the Irish bar you mentioned in your text. Up the Dubs!! Both you and the footballers
September 25th, 2013 at 7:16 am
Hi,Tony:
I am try to ask Thailand running community to help or pace u.Hopefully got positive news.
Enjoy the journey from now to Thailand boarder.
Will you plan run the Penang Island ? Or just go from Prai to Thailand boarder ?
cheers
September 25th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
Hi Tony, any plan to drop by Hong Kong for a run?
September 25th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Ann pls post Running out of KL was not as bad as the run in.We started where we left off on Saturday close to the twin towers the tallest towers in the world 88 floors high. Sunday I took a rest day to try and make a hole in my backlog of work but for various reasons I only got a fraction of it done. I was feeling a bit groggy for last night I was out cheering on Dublin as they scrapped a narrow one point win against Mayo in the All-Ireland Gaelic football final. I watched it in a pretty lifeless Irish pub where none of the Irish expats seemed to want to communicate, each having their own corner and all against Dublin,of course,whats new! As my American friends would say ” Dublin the new World Champions! ”
My hosts Thierry and Mauiki ran the first 15km with me as far as a Buddhist temple, the BT Temple with about 250 steep steps to the top. Also with us was Tey, a local runner who just cant do enough it seems for he was up till 1am loading over 350 Facebook photos and dozens of videos of my arrival into KL. Tey is well connected with the running scene here and says he has 2 Facebook accounts as there are almost 10,000 runners in Malaysia and you can only have 5,000 on a single account. He is going to spread the word up north to get me runners to run with and help. Tey ran 35k with me and I was delighted by my progress that day finishing with 56k I made it to a Shell petrol station in Rawa where the people there let me sleep on a couch outside the staff housing. Am afraid to say I frightened the life out of an old hunch back lady there! Next day a tired 52 to finish at an hotel in Slim River followed by a very strong 47km day.I ran some very fast K’s at the end. Another hotel,I got company for a big 57km.run to Ipoh tomorrow
September 25th, 2013 at 9:56 pm
Tony–glad Malaysia is treating you well—–what a switch from Indonesia–nice to finally have some good accommodations –and people with a little more sensitivity!!—-On to Thailand!!!
Good running—Greg
September 26th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
Had a great 56km day to finish in Ipoh. An early start with the mostly 4 lane still divided and a great shoulder most of the way. I ran fairly hard in the morning. Just Before Kampar Ray and Moses came out to run with me most of the 15km till Gopeng. It is always nice having local runners. They are both business students and graduate in May. The Kuala Lumpur marathon is on this Sunday, start time 5am, yes 5am!
Today was really hot and humid,so we made lots of short stops, funny it seems to be heating up the more I run away from the equator! In the afternoon I ran on by myself, a bit ragged by the oppressive heat, till I got my second legs. I was met by Foo Wu Chuan about 7km before the town of Ipoh. Chuan will be my host tonight. And as it was going to lash rain we ran really hard through the drizzle for about an hour till we got to his house. I have just spent a very pleasant evening with Chuang, his father and mother Choon and Leng. They are Buddhists of Chinese descent, several generations back, yet they tell me they speak Chinese more fluently than Malay. Interesting one that, even though they have lived here all their lives. Leng cooked a delicious dinner of cabbage with garlic, pork, rice and omelette. I still have not mastered chop sticks but am trying! Thanks to everyone pulling for me, all the runners making calls on my behalf, very much appreciated. 35,469km for 820 road days is my distance from memory, need to check logbook. It’s about 1,300km to Bangkok where Nirvana, my cart is waiting for me. I will need her for China. From Bangkok it,s roughly 1,000km to the Chinese border.
Malaysia is my 23rd country of the run. My current shoes are my 39th pair or a little over 900km per pair, cant think of anything else. Thanks again to to tonight’s hosts the Foo family.
September 26th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
Congrats for your good form today.
Try to ask some friends ,hope they can offer you a nite stay at Kuala Kangsar.Will try to sms u if got good news.
The Batu caves is Hindu temple,not buddhist temnpled..Batu Caves got 272 staircase.Not 250.
Run Safe !!
September 26th, 2013 at 5:12 pm
Batu Caves info :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Caves
September 27th, 2013 at 12:31 am
Great to hear all going well for you Tony and you continue to enjoy Malaysia after such hard times in Indonesia. Take care
September 27th, 2013 at 6:38 am
Will done, Tony
what time you start from Parit Buntar to Prai this monday? From Nibong Tebal Chinese Recreation Club (NTCRC).
Hope can meet you at Nibong Tebal.
September 27th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Had a great day today Friday. Exactly 50km from Ipoh to Kuala Kangsar,a small kinda neat and well maintained town of about 20,000. Most restaurants in Malaysia unlike Indonesia are smoke free. The people smoke less here,nobody in my face. My dying memory of Indonesia will be my final breakfast where 10 men sat down around my large table,and none of the 9 smokers asked if I minded,actually not one person in 3 months.
Ah! Yes I am enjoying my release from the shackles of dangerous traffic and being able to hammer out a few fast km’s. My renewed speed came back mysteriously 3 days ago. I don’t want to sound corny but after a long lay off for various reasons from Michael Gillan’s recovery techniques I started doing them again 3 days ago! Michael says he will email a manual free of charge to anyone interested. These techniques served me so well setting a trans-Australia record when he crewed for me so well. You should be able to dig out his email in the Mar,Apr,May blog. So onto the finish and a 50k with hours of daylight,a rarity for me! My host tonight is Anna who has a studio above her Avon Cosmetics business. She letting me stay there.Coward that I am I boiled up hot water for my scoop shower.Anna of Chinese origin told me to go downstairs at 8pm for dinner.So after a nice call home-a 17min landline call costs just €1.
Thanks to Chun I got off to a good thumping start as he ran me the first 6k as far as Ipoh’s city limits. Another 4k and I had to make a McD stop:-)
Tey,KC and others were working on a place for me tonight. Wonderful people but so many calls and texts I sometimes got to turn my phone off and answer them on my breaks.
After a rain shelter once again I was motoring on all 4 cylinders
Well,thinking I am going to her apartment I am embarrassed when she takes me shopping for my breakfast and then out to dinner and I didn’t have a penny in my pocket as I just thought I was going downstairs! I couldn’t walk either as I was wearing my shower shoes which are hardly any more than insoles with a bit of material sown on for support,incredibly lightweight and easy to pack. A delicious meal but I was only disappointed I could not treat her and her friend mdm. Ang Soh Kim to dinner.
September 27th, 2013 at 3:19 pm
Tony:Maybe you can try ask
https://www.facebook.com/groups/397006620351021/?fref=ts
http://hatyaimarathon.blogspot.com/
September 28th, 2013 at 1:20 pm
My friend request for the correction.,tks..run safe !
Kc Phee:
Hi Tey, error noticed in Tony’s blog about his stay in Kuala Kangsar. The owner of the Avon Cosmetic is Ang Soh Kim, who is the host. Anna is my mom. Both of them speak very little English, and i suppose a mis-communication. Please help to convey to Tony . Thanks.
September 29th, 2013 at 2:12 pm
Hye..
We’re happy to hear that you enjoying Malaysia. Next time when you come to Malaysia just contact us. We can provide comfortable place to stay and drinks coffee ‘o’ together
October 1st, 2013 at 12:08 pm
tony, the tracker is moving up the coast at a great rate. you seem to be covering the miles brilliantly. hope malaysia is still magnificent!!!! kevin
October 2nd, 2013 at 10:57 am
My Thailand best friend Narumol try to help for u !
Narumol message:
I contact my friend in Hatyai, he can support Mr Tony while running from Border to Hatyai or probably until Suratthani
Then I need the time that he gonna pass Malaysia-Thai border or the place that he stay tonight!
My friend name and contact:
Kittipop, 66-8973-50170
ALL THE BEST IN THAILAND
From Tey
October 2nd, 2013 at 1:59 pm
A bit of a sluggish start got me out of Kuala Kansgor. A big hitting 60km day with a late finish.just as I was picking up the pace a runner called NG Bak Klong texted me to say I could stay in his brother in laws place that night as the local running club NTCRC wanted to join me on the road next morning. Ong and Ng drove out to greet me into Parit Buntar,a neat looking place.
Out on the roas with the club next morning at 7am no sooner did we start when a torrential,soaked to the skin we had a lovely 14km run on the highway to a small village where the club lad laid on a delicious brunch in a warung. I did an interview for a local Chinese language paper.
The north of Malaysia is more heavily populated by the Chinese. It is said that the Malaysians may control government but the Chinese the economy.
Arriving in Perai with another 50km behind me Jerry a local runner testa me to sins me.After serious hassle he eventually tracks me down and I spend a pleasant night in his home. He tells me he works 6 days a week in a hardware store denm 10am to 10pm.Later I realise he had to get off work to help me out. Tey back in Kuala Lumpar.master of contacts is co ordinating all this. I learn Jerrys work place is in Kapala Batas 20km up the road on my route and ask him to take it there and I would pick it up when I run through. In my haste I forgot to take the Spot out and only realize it when I am about to restart, so there was no tracking that morning. I am barely up the road after having lunch in KFC with Jerry when Chan Kong Tiong pulls up. Chan is his family name which the Chinese put first. Kong Tiong a runner himself who doesnt let running get in the way of having a cigarette, he told me when he broken his marathon personal best he had a couple of smokes in the race! He took time off work to crew for me today and Tomorrow.these last few days the weather has cooled off but lots od rain showers.
A few people have told me that the people are not happy with the government and its the same government since the founding of the state 50 years ago. The people cant get rid of them as they literally buy their way into power when there is an election. $50 is what I have hears from 2 different people. I am told politicians go around with suitcases of $50 bills handing them out to poor people who will vote foe them on the spot. Cant help wondering what the international community is doing..no election scrutinizing. Hong Tiong looked after me well that day with a 49km finish about 11k past Sungei Petani. I stayed in his home that night and next day we returned to my finishing location. A nice steady days running took me to the clock tower in Alor Star and another 50 under my shoes. KT came out to help crew. Thanks lads for a great time! In Alor Star we had dinner with Eugene who will crew me to the Thailand border on Thursday. We on Ireland know thw name Eugene is a typical Irish name bur I am told its a typical chinese name!
Eugene also paid for my hotel here. Am having terrible trouble getting people to take any cash from me,such generous people. Total 35,725km for 825 road days \ 846.7 marathons
Many thanks to so many people so numerous to mention all making it a great ” Ole Malay! ” Special thanks to Tey,Hong Tiong and Eugene.. All others you know who you are please take a bow.
October 2nd, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Enjoy your 2moro first day in Thailand.Do remember contact my Beijing friend ya..Sean…his email ,his hp and remember to consult embassy either u can apply commercial trip.
October 2nd, 2013 at 10:17 pm
Good Man Tony, Well done on putting another country behind you. Let’s hope you get the same welcoming reception in Thailand.
October 3rd, 2013 at 1:29 am
Hi Tony,
It was a good experience meeting up with you yesterday while running to the Malaysian – Thailand boader. Your tales of jogging through the world is a very inspiring one. Do keep in contact, and all the best to the rest of your journey.
October 3rd, 2013 at 5:25 pm
In the past I got run out of towns,Now I get run out of countries,Singapore and now Malaysia! Eugene,Calvin and Andy took turns driving and running the last 48km of Malaysia.We were heading to the Thailand border at Sonoa.Three of their friends join in later.It was a tough but happy day,new horizons even a bit sad to be leaving Malaysia.
malaysia has 9 provinces,each has a sultan.The provinces take it in turns to be king of Malaysia for a 5 year term,that is after a 45 year wait. Andy who is well connected with the royals got a good luck message from the princess for me!
I was delighted when Eugene told me my research,stats and opinions I have gleaned from people are accurate in this blog.
Just to make sure I left Eugene and Calvin went over the border with me helping me find a Thai sim and a hotel. This border town is pretty seedy,a red light district with cheap booze. Alcohol is heavily taxed in Malaysia.Many muslim men end up here but as the border closes at midnight they got to get a hotel.
Next day Kittipop my local contact arrives. He lives in Hat Yai some 57km away.He says he will cycle out later and pace me into town. And so he did with 20k to go. With 9k to go he got off his bike and ran.With 3k to go I stopped in a 7~11 store and when I came out there was a group of about 10 Hat Yay running club members waiting for me.:-)
I am certain they took me the long way around town and reckon I did their regular training session on top of my official 57k. Still it was fun especially the stadium finish,which is their clubhouse,then we had to run a lap of their synthetic 400m running track! Now there were about 50 members. What a reception,thanks for a memorable first day in Thailand.Two delicious plates of Thai food and I am on the way back to Kittipop’s.
Captain Crap means thank you phonetically in Thai!and
October 3rd, 2013 at 5:29 pm
The boarder town is Sadao…
October 3rd, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Malaysia didn’t call province..we use state
October 3rd, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Hi,Tony,glad Kittipop got such warm welcome for u..maybe u can request whoever know english follow u or welcome in future station.
RUN SAFE AND HAPPY !
October 7th, 2013 at 5:55 am
36,000km have been run, having lunch with SCG Running Club and having a lovely day despite the rain running with them. I am having a great time in Thailand. Thanks to Tey in KL for sorting contacts here and many others too will update soon, thanks Tony
October 7th, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Congratulations Tony on running 36,000 kms. Well done on another great milestone TKe care and continue to enjoy Ann
October 8th, 2013 at 5:33 am
My friends in Bangkok now ask for Bangkok runners and other province runners to look for you.Hopefully u can meet more runners for accompany you on road or overnight their house.
Keep running !
October 9th, 2013 at 11:51 am
I just email Sean your sms to him by email.Sean is China citizen.Due to now China long golden long holiday during national day.It need take time.RUN SAFE !
October 9th, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Hi All I have been putting in some big days since that first day in Thailand when I ran a 57. A couple of 50km days, a 55 and a lazy 41! Today I ran 61km and had huge support from local runners who joined me at about 6 different places!! many thanks to the Surat Thani running club for putting me up in a 5 star hotel!! I really enjoyed the run today, thanks to all runners!! Also on Monday I got to run with the CSG running club They are a concrete company and a couple runners were so enthused by my run that the boss gave them time off and he did support himself, still wearing his hard hat!
it had been looking like the 22nd An added advantage is that I can make up some of the time I need in Bangkok to get Nirvana back in action and some other chores i need done… So thats it, almost 60km per day for 11 days!! A bit like the Aussie Outback but I had the wonderful help of michael Gillan as crew driver there! hope this wonderful local support continues!! yawn, Its bed time, thanks for stopping by.
Also thanks to Sumpun from a few days ago for coming out to me, taking my bag some 30km forward! he couldnt run as he had a 10km next morning. Sorry this is an express update as it’s 1.30 and I got to be up for 6am breakfast, need more time as they gave me two breakfast tickets, and then we all run again, the Surat Thani running club that is.
By the way there were over a dozen members with me tonight, 4 runners and other club members in 2 cars that drove behind us in the hard shoulder lighting up the way.
The roads are as good as in Malaysia, 4 lane divided highway with a 2/3 metre paved shoulder! I thought this whole coast was going to be hassle, but in fact its a breeze! lots of rain though as its the rainy season.
Thanks to all involved for such wonderful help and especially to tey the ‘ Godfather of running contacts ‘ for putting this together with the help of so many, I cant even imagine how many.
Thanks to danny in Bangkok for picking up Nirvana my cart from the Irish Embassy and thanks to Supara there also for her patience! i am going to put my head or rather my feet on the block here. I am going to make a massive effort to get to bangkok on the 20th as thats Sunday and I want to run with local runners
Distance update 36,135km for 833 road days. By the way I am about 23.4 marathons ahead of the 1,000 marathons in 1,000 road days and the average now required every time I lace up my shoes is now around 36.5km!!
October 9th, 2013 at 7:54 pm
Good Man Tony, All this support you are getting is richly deserved and overdue. Your recent performance is simply phenomenal. Let’s hope you continue to get more runners to help to keep you going and we all say a big Thank You to Tey EngTiong for all he has done. Long may it continue.
October 9th, 2013 at 8:14 pm
Great to read about your experiences as you travel northwards great achievement
Sue South Australia
October 10th, 2013 at 9:10 am
Tony:
You can view some of your fb pix in my friends Narumol,as coordinator like me with Thailand runners.
https://www.facebook.com/tonsokdokkaew
October 10th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
great positive news tony. hopefully it continues. you are putting up savage numbers and the spot tracker is flying along. well done. kevin
October 11th, 2013 at 12:47 am
Thrilled for you Tony that you are enjoying Thailand so much with all those very welcome runners for company. Take care and enjoy the kms ahead
Ann
October 13th, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Hi Ann Pls post Thailand continues to be wonderful to run in except for the dogs :-> Thanks to Sir Richard for sending me on a Dazer,I have zapped many. The road continues to be exceptional,perhaps the best on the whole run, divided 4 lane and my own 2 to 3 meter paved shoulder. They pave the shoulder to encourage the motorbikes off the road. There are not too many bikes and I can see them coming as I run towards them,save for the odd one zooming up from behind frightening the bejasus out of me! The signage is first class,in the Thai script as well as in English. With the Thai script I have had some problems,from laptop keypad,yes that was fun! Also finding hotels as it rarely says hotel and as in many languages there are about 5 different words for a hotel. The letters “SNOSIN” kinda stands out of the script on one so i call it a snooze in,very fitting.
thanks again to the Surat Tanei Jogging club for their wonderful hospitality and for a great 7km run out of town before all returned late to work. Friday a runner came and took my satchel for 41 of my 51km. Thank you for I never got your name. Saturday,I feel like a dead dogs eye.An untidy 54k were slugged out and thankfully I found a Snosin as I did tonight after a most enjoyable 64km.and mostly easy effort. It has not rained in a few days.But hot!
total 36,375km
October 15th, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Hi Ann pls post;
Monday was a great 65km day on the road.The lovely Thai’s dont gawk only respect my space,intelligent people.In 2 weeks I have not witnessed any littering.
I find a snooze in but as its 650m down a lane its a bit of a killer as its off my route.Tuesday off to a flyer but slow up after 30km,its hot so I stop a lot.At 58k and knowing there is no hotel for another 15k.I stop at a shop and ask to sleep under their gazebo.A man brings me across the road to a monastery.Two monks Sopan and Nopie brought me bedding to put on an outside table.They spoke of a peaceful,medative life without women.In the morning the barefooted orange~robed Buddist monks will walk the streets collecting food from the faithful.
36,498km/839 days
October 15th, 2013 at 4:24 pm
I met Gosh one of the Bangkok Running club members. He stopped his car to tell me they are planning a major escort on Sunday when I run in to Thailand’s capital. He phoned Uruphong or Uru who also says they are going to throw me a party! Some will come out on Saturday to run.Am on schedule. I think its about 275km from todays finish, so perhaps three or four more sixties and an easy Sunday. I committed to 3pm on Sunday.
thank you everyone
October 15th, 2013 at 5:40 pm
Narumol ask your Thai hp from me,I gave her,as this will help her to as coodinator.