SCKLM 2014 – Pacer Report

I am writing this report to record my learning from being a SCKLM pacer for 2^nd year, at the same time to share my learning to runners that are aspired to become a pacer one day, sooner or later.

I 1^st thought of becoming a pacer when I was doing SCMS 2012, 2 weeks after my 1^st sub4 marathon, it was the 1^st time I ever used pacers as guide to be on pace and to gauge my performance and timing to possibly achieve another sub4. The 1^st sub4 took a toll on me, cramps hit and the rest was history, the report is in another post here: Singapore-marathon-2012-toilet-struggle

That experience gave me the aspiration to be a pacer one day, as soon as possible. Long story cut short and I managed to get chosen as 4:30 hrs in SCKLM 2013. I then set another goal to be a 4 hrs pacer in 2014, and that, is not just saying is as easy as doing, because I have not done another sub4 since the 1^st… Taking this goal seriously, I told myself to bring myself back to sub4 performance before I apply for pacer in 2014, to make it meaningful, it has to be the same race that I suffered to complete, SCMS 2013 (PBIM 2013 was out because I already have job commitment on the same date). Story on SCMS 2013 is here: Std-chart-marathon-singapore-2013

So, I was back on sub4 pace and I applied to be 4 hrs pacer for SCKLM 2014, to be sure that I will deliver this duty, the rest of the marathon I joined later seems to become training race for me to get a better feel of pace control and to reduce the instinct to speed in 1^st half to save time for 2^nd half. Apart from SCHKM that I wanted a PB despite a back injury from accident, the rest of the marathons were about simulations of heat, pace at elevation and different energy intake plans. (4 marathons since then)

Above are just stories and histories. Here are the learning and SCKLM 2014 pacer report.

If your goal is someday to be a pacer, you need to know 3 things:

1.  You need to be very comfortable, confident and capable in doing the pace that you are aiming to pace. Between Aim and Capability, go for Capability 1^st. Pacer is a job that needs capability. Aim needs talent.

2.  Always remember WHY you want to do this, if your purpose is anything other than the event, don’t do it, it is NOT about you. This explains No.1; it’s a job, not your aim.

3.  Know that you are a runner too, anything can happen to a runner in any race, can happen to you too. Your capability to handle any circumstances is very crucial here.

I say “you need to know”, so these are not hard rules that one must follow, but it doesn’t harm you to KNOW now than later, I only learnt about the 3^rd few days ago. :P

I made mistakes as 4 hrs pacer too. I knew I shouldn’t race PNM but I did, which I paid the price for the entire 4 hrs of pacing. I knew I should take another dose of saltz capsules but I didn’t, which I paid the price of cramps from 39^th KM onwards. I knew I should follow another 2 pacers to save energy on pacing (in a way, drafting as a pacer without have to pay much attention on the pace consciously) but I went ahead, which I wasted much energy and concentration on 1^st half.

Racing in PNM 10K instead of just taking it as a warm up run had my right hamstring tighten and having only about 2 hrs of sleep didn’t help much on its recovery; I started the morning with slight feeling of throwing out and only recover 30 mins before flag off, took a banana to settle the tummy (thanks for Hong Lan for helping to pick up from my car! J ). Pacers are all given a designated balloon in different colors printed with the pace timing, I prefer to tie it to my arm than the waist to better limit its effect on my runner, 2^nd reason is also easier to untie later.

Starting already feel like after a 21K run..

1^st 5K into the run, I was holding the pace as easy as I could but I was already sweating buckets, I knew this is not good coz losing too much water in the beginning will cause problem sooner. The GPS signal in the city with tall building went haywire and very soon I clocked extra 500m and the pace on Garmin become very unreliable, I had to trust every distance marker on the route until I figured out how much difference with my watch. The signal became normal after 7/8K entering Jalan Ampang heading towards Great Eastern mall. That dark stretch almost took me out from the run when I land on some uneven spot and almost sprain my right ankle, my bad too coz I started the run with a darker sunglass compare to 2013, so everything appeared 2-3 tones darker. Then I became extremely careful with lighter steps and turned into faster pace.

Entering AKLEH at this point and out in the open I felt much better with less space congestion and more air to breathe (at least it felt so…); hit 10K distance market at 55mins+, which was slightly faster than my plan. 3K into AKLEH, caught up some of the fit girls (initial J), after U-turn I know it will be a longer route before exiting into MRR2, so the 1^st test of highway madness began and I started to feel hungry, this is what happened when I am too conscious about the pace with the glycogen in muscles depleted the night before, tank emptying soon… the 1^st Oh Shit…

Knowing that this race will provide at least 2 stations with power gels and bananas, I felt more comfortable to take my 1^st pack of 2^nd surge at around 16K though the plan was at 22K after entering DUKE, that also meant, every plan after this, changed. I started to feel my calves are tightening up and knees started to give in to absorb landing force for the next few km turning into the busy traffic MRR2 stretch that gave me the only insecure feeling in this run. Before I know it, 20K timing mat was right ahead and I crossed at around 1:50 hrs+, meaning to say I would probably hit midpoint at around 1:56 or 1:57 hrs given the next 1K is elevated turn into DUKE.

I was 2-3mins ahead of a perfect timing set by Mark.

The next 10K on the DUKE highway was probably quite inconsistent for my plan as I stopped for saltz capsules at 22K, another pack gel from support station before hitting 27K and I must say, banana was served pretty late at 30K which I wished it is served at 27K… Had to stop a few times to spray and stretch for incoming signals of muscles cramp but nothing serious actually started to strike. Overtaken by Sunil another 4 hrs pacer at this stretch before got overtaken by William Lim too. Having him overtake me at this stretch means he was doing well for his 2^nd half and pull himself away from the main pack also allowed him to pace himself better, perhaps a sub4 dream coming true too. This 10K stretch was completed in 58mins+ with much suffering of pain here and there starting to attack.

Exiting into Jalan Kuching after 31K, felt the need to whack the last pack of gel I carried before 33K to get ready for Bukit Tunku stretch and got myself heavily sprayed too. Entering Bukit Tunku was like home coming but knowing that this year it is still another 8K to go, my heart died a little inside. The good news was, the caffeine X2 kicked in and I felt the power to complete the next 3K without I have to think about HOW, though overtaken by Richard Tang but I knew I could keep up with him with the remaining 5K to go. Too soon to be happy anyway…

Coming down from Bank Negara and turning into Jalan Parlimen was the worst nightmare for most Full marathoner as we hate the convergence with the 21K runners, who, if appear at this stretch at this time, are 2:30 hrs and above. In other words, crowd was the 1^st problem, narrow road was 2^nd, 3^rd which was the worst, difference in pace would made them moving road blocks with potential lateral movements. At this point, I made up my mind to skip the rest of the water stations and focus on avoiding human collision, and that caused what happened in the final 3K of my run.

Giant Human Maze at with 21K runners walking jogging slowing down

Right before exiting Jalan Parlimen turning into Jalan Damansara, and I was already very close to the other 2 pacers for 4 hrs, 2^nd Oh Shit, my left calf finally made its hard pull. I knew I have to handle this or else I will never make it back, quick check on the time, less than 20mins to 4 hrs. I gave it a hard stretch and off I go to catch up while trying to maintain my landing light. Before I hit 40K, 3^rd Oh Shit, right calf surrendered and another round of resuscitation. Now, I seriously have to make a choice whether to release the balloon if I can’t make it on time in the next 2K. Every minute really counts…

Cornering into KTM area, managed to grab a 100 plus to sip, although it may not help for now but psychologically I did feel better (ya why did I forget about my saltz capsules at all? Lol!). Ran past 41K marker, I hit jackpot with uneven road and left calf came knock knock with the right hamstring rallying too!!! I actually visualize orchestra going on with the muscles spasm… A peep at the watch, with 7mins to go, I really didn’t want to release the balloon now, to run with the cramp, was probably possible if I constrict my calf as much as I could, and do it at both legs so that the right calf doesn’t start pulling at all!

To do that, something else have to give way by working very much harder. The final 1K was very stressful, when I finally caught up with Richard with 300-400m to go, I was much relieved and I simply couldn’t relax any bit until I finally crossed the finishing line…

Haven't this kind of suffering finish for a long time...

It was like doing sub4 for the 1^st time all over again. I won myself over this run. My hardest sub4 so far and I intent to leave it as the hardest forever.

 Group photo after the 4:30/5:00 hrs had returned

Result

2XU Compression Top, Bottom and Long Socks review

Before you read this post, you need to be informed that the following products are sponsored to the author. However, I have been using 2XU (Two Times You) products since 2011 and personally own the following 2XU products:

1. 2XU tri-suit

2. 2XU long compression top

3. 2XU long compression tights

4. 2XU short compression top

5. 2XU compression shorts 

6. 2XU compression sleeveless top

7. 2XU non compression T-shirt

8. 2XU unisex compression calf guard

9. 2XU compression socks

10. 2XU running beanie

The purpose of this review is to 1st share some of the unique features of 2XU products that are responsible for improving/enhancing sports performance (in blue fonts) and 2nd to share my personal experience and reason for continue to use 2XU products (colorful or black fonts)

2XU Compression Shorts:

My most frequently used product from 2XU, I use it for training and I use it for races. Bought the long compression top and bottom when I need to race under low temperature condition in Tokyo Marathon and Hong Kong Marathon. I have used tights before and tights offer nothing more than just tight, but compression shorts are totally different, as it give the right compression around the muscles (in this case, the quads). Of course as one train harder smarter for their run, it is hard to tell if it is because of the compression or the training that helps in reducing the muscles fatigue, I can only share that when I 1st started to run 21K, I suffer muscles numbness and close to cramp around my quads and the condition improved when I started to use 2XU compression shorts. After that, it is also hard for me to tell if it is compression or training that helped to stop the numbness from coming back even in full marathon distance.

Engineered with powerful PWX FLEX fabric to wrap and support the major muscle groups allowing them to fire more efficiently, while reducing muscle vibration, improving alignment and protecting the muscle from damage and fatigue. The 2XU Compression Shorts are suitable to wear alone or under competition uniforms.Standard Compression Shorts:: Made from our 70 Denier PWX FLEX fabric to deliver optimal flexibility and movement.

GARMENT FEATURES

• The PWX FLEX fabric delivers optimum power and flexibility to protect the abductor, glute, quad and hamstring muscles.
• Drawstring waistband for an adjustable, secure fit.
• Internal key pocket for essentials.
• Flatlock seams to reduce chafe for greater comfort.
• Powerful Invista LYCRA® for exceptional fit, support and recovery.
• High filament yarns for dryness – wicks sweat from the skin to the fabric exterior.
• Antibacterial and UPF50+ sun protection.

BENEFITS

• Reduced fatigue through less muscle oscillation
• Reduced muscle soreness
• Reduced long-term overuse injuries
• Greater power output
• Greater oxygenation of blood for faster recovery
• Heightened proprioception – awareness of limb placement for agility

2XU Compression Top:

I personally have not used this product often enough, simply because I have another sleeveless compression top that I used last year when I pace for 4:30 hrs in SCKLM 2013 and doing Back to Endurance 2013. Even for skinny people like me, on long distance run, every step cause vibration to the meat (not all are muscles..:P) on the torso, for more than 4 hrs of running, it can cause enough vibration that I suffer some aches. With compression top, it greatly reduces the vibrations. Having said that, one must not straight jump into using a compression top for races, it is always better to try it at short training to get used to it, it is not like changing from a shirt to another, u need to adapt to compression around your top and be able to breath comfortably with it. After a few runs, u shall not worry if you are able to breath normally with a compression top. :)

The 2XU Compression Short Sleeve Top is a versatile piece for activities demanding greater postural control and upper body support. Powerful, light weight and designed to provide an unrestricted range of motion. Mesh panels allow greater breathability. Body firming and ideal to wear alone or as a base layer. Perfect running, crossfit, yoga, Pilates or ball sports.1  High power PWX FLEX supports bicep, tricep, forearm, deltoid, pectoral and core stomach muscles.2  Raglan sleeve construction for unrestricted movement.3  Flatlock seams to reduce chafe for greater comfort.4  Powerful Invista LYCRA® for exceptional fit, support and recovery.5  High filament yarns for dryness – wicks sweat from the skin to the fabric exterior. 6  Antibacterial and UPF50+ sun protection. 

2XU Compression Socks:

This product is relatively new, before this is launched, I used to use its compression calf guard, most people might have seen the black series compression calf guard, calf guard is good, a compression long socks is even better. As compression is greatly needed for better blood circulation, compression on the feet is also very important. 1st tested it before Newton Run 2013 and used it for pacer role, works perfectly to reduce calf fatigue. I used it as recovery socks too for long distance race like the recent TMBT 50K ultra trail in Sabah, which allows me to race the next day in 25KM trail run Hasuu Tasu. Result? almost zero calf stiffness throughout the race. :)

Featuring zoned breathability panels for maximum airflow and comfort. Seamless, gradient zoned compression panels for increased blood flow and maximum muscle containment for increased performance and enhanced recovery times.1 PWX compression fabric with enhanced power to support the shin, calf, ankle, Achilles and arch of the foot.2  Graduated fit to promote circulation for muscle performance and faster recovery.3  Linked toe cage and light padding for added comfort.4  Seamless construction for greater comfort.5  High filament yarns for dryness - wicks sweat from the skin to the fabric exterior6 Antibacterial and UPF50+ sun protection

For more info on 2XU products, you may visit http://keypowersports.sg/collections/2xu Special thanks to Key Power Malaysia for sponsoring the products, you may visit its facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/keypowermalaysia or visits the stores located at The Gardens Mall, Paradigm Mall and Sg. Wang Plaza.

Running 102 - Improve your Running without Running

In Running 101 I mentioned in Point 3 about training your legs outside running, below is my personal ways of training, I do them in bathroom (so u may also call it the Bathroom workout), I snap the following photos in gym so that the focus in on the posture I do, not about my naked bottom in bathroom.

If u are following the Point 1 and Point 2 in Running 101, u probably have figured out some postures gap in your running or perhaps some muscles needed to be strengthen to get that running posture. As I do not go to gym and I am lazy, so u may find the following work out doable at your bathroom time.

1. Butt Kick - U hear this alot ( I assume), while you are brushing your teeth, your legs are very free, so u can start kicking your own butt for that few mins (20 reps left, 20 reps right until your brushing is done etc). How do u know if u are doing it right ? refer to the photos below, the knee does not move, keep it pointing to the floor, only swing ur feet to actually kick your butt (if u have a small butt, kick harder to reach!!!) You should feel some pull at your hamstrings.

2. Improve your landing posture - In my case, I want to land right below my body and I want to land on the ball of the feet (or you may also call Chest of the foot), so I 1st do the following pose, then I lift my body up with one leg with that pose. The aim is to get familiar with how it should feel when I land my foot and where the impact should go, then the lift is to train those muscles. Same as above, do as many reps as u wish for both legs. If u see my the other leg, it looks like doing the butt kick too, so yes, you can do both at the same time. It is to simulate what happen during running, which is the butt kicking movement, except in this exercise, you may not have to kick, just maintain that pose. The benefit of this exercise also include improving your balancing and you will find that you work out more than just the calves. To do it right, your weight should NOT be on your toes trying to lift your body (unless you want to land with your toes during running, and starting getting some black toes and falling nails....), the center of the work out is on the ball of the foot, however, you may use your toes to balance your body.

Focus on the ball of the foot

3. Increase your Strike angle - You may have seen or read from some training videos or books that say the wider your stride angle, the more distance you cover in every strike, thus you cover the full distance in less steps and get less fatigue. The one I show below is an extension of the landing pose, once u have trained your leg strong enough, you may now push your butt kicking leg backward to increase the angle. As u can see from the photo below, my strike angle is about 90 degree. The key here is your upper body is not supposed to bend down, you are to remain as up right as u can, a slight forward is fine. If u ever have to lift your hand forward trying to balance yourself, don't do that, u are not doing yoga now, lift your elbow and pull backward, This will demand you to work on your abs and back too. 

When can u do this ? I forgot to mention you may do this when u are washing your face or shaving your misai...

Wide strike angle

 4. Strike Angle and Quads - Put yourself under the shower and it is time for some serious work now. As wider strike angle not only come from butt kicking leg pushing backward, your forward step will also increase the angle. A common mistake runners do in running trying to gain distance per step is kick the foot forward to reach further, they end up landing with heels and it does not help in gaining more distance either. The focus for this step in on the knee, lifting your knee up during your forward step will help to gain more horizontal travelling and yet land on the ball of your foot right below your body. Go watch world class marathoner's video you will notice that.

The following work outs will help you to strengthen some muscles and get into a wider forward strike angle pose. Notice that your upper body is upright too.

 Lift your knee, in a way that your body does not bend to meet that lift, your abs will be needed. Pay attention not to lift your knee with your foot bend under your butt, it has to be a 90 degree in all aspects. Looking from the top u should be able to see you toes in front of your knee.

With the help of mirror you can see clearer if you do it right

This is what u should be seeing from top

90 degree angles

I think if you do the 4 steps above, your bathroom time is efficiently spent, you may also continue to improvise those postures while you are in the shower.

PRECAUTION:
1. SAFETY - for a start always hold on to something - the wall, the basin etc, u don't want to fall in the bathroom.
2. SAFETY - the floor may be wet while you are doing your steps, just be mindful, this is not something you push for your limit.
3. SAFETY - think of yourself doing these with yoga mind, imagine your foot is planted on the floor and your center of gravity should be lower too.

Disclaimer:
This is personal sharing, it may or may not be aligned with any training guide professionally available out there, you don't have to agree with it and if you find it not useful, don't have to prove it or argue about it. 
Enjoy your work out. :)

Product Review - BiB uPz

Received this product back in June and haven't really written a proper review on it. After a few uses, I think it is only fair that I give some of my personal experience and feedback on this new product.

I have used bib buttons (that's how I call it) in the past, however, I never like it for a few reasons:

- it is bulky compared to the normal tiny pins.

- it is quite hard to pin the 2 pieces together, could be its size.

- the shirt will crumple as the button pin together, could be its size too.

So what's so special about this Bib button? let's look at its size, it is about the size of the 10 cents coin, slightly wide than the other bib button available in the market. Despite a wider size, it does not feel heavier, probably because it is thinner. The benefit of being wider in size makes it easier to hold especially if u have big fingers, holding 2 tiny buttons to clip together could be quite a task. The hollow design allows reduction in mass and thus results in lighter weight and more flexible, it can actually bend.

Next, look at its thickness, BiB uPz is thinner with wider button, with this feature, the shirt is clipped at more shallow level, thus less crumple.

How about actual use ? Back to the few concerns I had about bib buttons:

1. it has shallow button, thus doesn't crumple the shirt much, especially with its wider button.

2. the size is wider (especially the inner female piece), makes it easier to hold and to pin the 2 pieces together.

3. it does feel lighter, though may not be lighter than safety pins (depends on the size of the pins also, some race u receive safety pins that is more than 3cm long!!!)

Is it something that I will use in every race? may be not, but if I am wearing shirts that I do not want to risk damage by safety pins and I want the bib to stay still, I definitely will use BiB uPz. Given that the cost is reasonable with 6 pairs in a pack (I only use one pair to hold the top of the bib), it is probably not a bad idea to keep a pack for yourself and your 2 running buddies. :)

How to use a Bib Button

For more info and enquiry on this product, u may contact http://ccube-sports-hub.blogspot.com/ or Mr. Choi at 019-328 9083.

Disclaimer: Author received a pack of BiB uPz from supplier to test the product. This review is produced based on personal experience. :)

Running 101 - How to Run

I have always heard of fellow runners getting pain here and there, injured every now and then, being a runner myself, I know where might have gone, coz I learnt it the hard and painful way.

I am not writing a new running guide here, most of the tips or techniques a lot of u might have already read it somewhere or heard it from someone, if you are suffering some kind of injuries or difficulties in running, probably your problem is your did not LISTEN or UNDERSTAND what you heard or read.

So I will try to repeat what you may have already know, in my own way, with the hope that you will not only start LISTENING, but PRACTISING.

1st of all, not all of us are born with the gene to run fast, let me define fast (in my own way) before you even ask, at least from now on we are on the same page about its definition in my sharing; forget about Kenyan and world class runner, FAST in Malaysian context is 10KM in 40 mins, 21KM in 1 hr 30 mins and FM in 3 hrs 20 mins, I define it in such a way because if you are running this pace, you are getting some prizes at some race events already.

So, not all of us are born fast, not especially if we are not running when we were younger to build a foundation for running, then suddenly at this age (whatever age that you are at now), you pick up running either by health conscious, peer influence or inspiration or whatever reason you decided to run. Then you started your 1st KM, 5KM, 10KM and even 21KM. Now, you are at whichever state that you are now and you are struggling, struggling with some pain, struggling to get better and faster, struggling to challenge the new distance, a full marathon perhaps. 

But, are you doing it RIGHT at the 1st place? Do you actually know how to run? Are you running with the right posture? Do you measure yourself to know if you are running at the right pace?

What I am about to share is from my personal experience, from doing the right thing (I think) and having done some terrible mistake (we all make mistakes, if you have not, you have not lived, :P).

1. Check your landing while you run.

- It may sound silly to ask u to run on a treadmill in the gym and admiring yourself of how u run and land your foot, but it is better to be silly for awhile than to let people laugh at you (at your back or from a distance) seeing how you run. 

- No one else can tell u better on how u run or land than yourself, only yourself. 

- Ask someone to video record how u run, view it yourself while comparing with those running guide videos in youtube, find out where could be your area of improvement.

- Then practice it on your run, it doesn't matter if you have to look at your own feet when you run, you are TRAINING, so train your landing, forget about pace and target distance (those are for Running 102).

2. Check your body posture.

- This is important, it doesn't only affect your long distance run, it also affect how you appear on the photos taken by photographer !!! Of course there are many ways of improving how you look in the photos, I promise you I will share one useful tip to instantly improve your overall running photo by the end of this sharing.

- Again, your probably have seen from your running photos that you may not look as cool as you thought you were, having a good running posture will do you good for long run. Your body is where the V12 engine is, so everything you read/watch about having the right body posture, the right arms position, the less bouncing running, the chest, the head, the butt, is as important as the design of the formula 1 car.

- Not having the perfect body (too fat too skinny) is not the reason why you can't run a good posture.

- To get to the right body posture, repeat the step 1 above on landing, no matter how reluctant you are on doing this, for the sake of the viewers of you running (for this I trust that your running buddies have been dying to tell you), please record and view it a 100 times, a 1000 times if you have to.

- Here is the thing, doesn't matter if you run slow, run with the right posture, in the photo you will look faster than it is.

3. Train your legs, your core, your joints, OUTSIDE of your running, not DURING.

- You are not elite, I repeat, you are not, so leave your running be about the 2 points above.

- Do your hard work on improving your muscles (calves, quads, hamstrings etc) outside of your running, your running will somewhat improve those muscles but you need to train them to prepare for the runs.

- So read back your guide or youtube videos on how to do the sexy squats, planking, etc. If you want to say don't know, try type in google search: HOW TO TRAIN ______. then you will have plenty of sites and blogs telling you how to do it.

- There are cheat tricks too, but unfortunately you need to do it the formal way before I share them in future posts.

4. DO NOT increase your mileage above the rule of thumb

- If you do not know the rule of thumb, go find out.

- I know how you may say you have done it and you survived, well good job and good luck, try doing it all the way up beyond 30KM.

- A healthy adult can run long distance even without training (is just that they have not done it before), our body is capable of doing that, but risk injury (immediate or later) and suffer the DOMS later (yes, google DOMS if you not sure what it means).

- You do not need to run the distance of what others (especially your poisonous peers) do, and if you do the above 3 right, your find this rule very easy to comply coz you no longer train for distance but train for running RIGHT.

- It may take you 3-4 months to get to a 21KM run, but trust me, it is worth it, look at all those that challenged the longer distance and suffered, the only way for them to save their face is to say that it is worth it and they are happy they did it and succeed. Then few months down the road, you will find yourself running strong while they are still running the same distance and complaint of pain here and there.

- So, do your foundation right, it is just a few weeks/months before you hit the target distance, but you hit it with strong base.

As you can see, there is no fancy new tips here, just new insight of why you should do what you already know. Here is some sharing about my journey that lead me to write this post:

I am not a fast runner to start with, in 2010, my 1st 10KM was 1:10 (something like that), I was not running right but managed to pull through a sub60 after 6 months of jogger mentality focusing on just doing the same thing in every run. 2011, 1st 21KM done in 2:20, suffered soreness from 15KM onwards, started to have pain and injury around shin and ankle, still not knowing how to land properly. Changed shoes and started to explore forefoot, managed to just made it to sub2 for HM after 10 months, with most of the training done below 15KM. 2012, Virgin full marathon in 4:18, that was when I started to train with right landing, paying attention to running posture, even by just training 10-15KM each time, I was still able to complete a full marathon 4 months later. But I left out step 3, which was why I started to injure myself after achieving 1st sub4 in full marathon, and it was injury after injury that took up the next 8 months of my life. So I not only know the pain, but also the suffering.

After returning from injury, I repeat the step 1,2,3 and 4, I managed to pull through TMBT 100K, and completed all the runs in final quarter of 2013 without a single injury and most importantly, without the same kind of suffering I had in 2012, with better timing. 

But I never skip a day of doing step 3 (may be some days i did...), which will be covered in next post.

I promised a tip to instantly improve your running photo look, here it is:

I hope you find the tip useful. :)

Translantau 100K - Race Report

I forgot why and how I signed up this race, it was done one month after TMBT 100K last year, I certainly do not expect this race to be so tough, probably bcoz my mind has registered TMBT as the most suffering ultra I ever done, subconsciously it thought Translantau at a colder weather would be easier to do. The elevation has shown otherwise, it appeared that there will be 4 tough climbs throughout the race and there will be also some steep descents...

Physically I did not train as I planned, the biggest reason being the car accident on 16th Jan had put me in recovery mode for at least a month, after completed SCHKM last month, I was convinced that the back injury may haunt me in Translantau if I push it hard. Having done less than 300KM training in the past 2 months, using only Nuang Ultra 50K as the only benchmark to gauge my fitness and endurance, I really do not think this is going to be an easy race, especially when the starting time is at the midnight.

Not that I have many choices of trail shoes, need to use what I have

Long story cut short, having had 2-3 days of fever before departure to HK, I had the thought of DNS, the last thing I want to get is to DNF at 1st 20KM. Anyhow, I made it to HK one day before race, collected my race kit, did some shopping for runner friends and managed to get my dinner handled before finally lying down on my cozy small bed in a budget hotel at Causewaybay. As u can see in the photo, it is really just a bed that I am staying like a refugee camp, lol!

2nd day, make my move to meet up with babe Sebastian and brought him to do some shopping at Racing the Planet and finally made up my mind to get a pair of Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-poles to increase my confidence in this race (ya, it sounds funny, but when physical fitness insufficient to handle the race, better get prepared with other stuffs). We proceed to take a slow ferry from Central to Lantau Island after lunch. Arriving at the port around 3:30PM , met up with Hong Lan who insisted to bring us to visit the BaseCamp to see if there is anything to shop. Frankly speaking, I almost wanted to buy the Ultimate Direction AK, lol!

I knew I needed some rest urgently, the moment we hit the hotel and gotten our room, it was already close to 5PM, immediately I unpack my stuff and get ready to SLEEP! lol! Trust me, an hour of sleep at this time can really save my life.

Waking up around 6PM, fever still there, hit the road to meet the rest for dinner, it started to rain a little, it looked like it is going to be bad for runners like me. Dinner time was considered earlier, we managed to get it done by 8PM, still leave me sometime to shop for necessary drink to fill up my bottles and possibly take another nap, lol!

Indeed I managed to steal another nap for about 45mins, got up before 10PM, dress up the race suit and took a cute photo with babe Sebastian before we walked to the Mui Wo beach, which is the starting line. At the beach there was already plenty of people, it was not crowded so dropping finishing bag took me less than 3mins.

Me and babe Sebastian

Lots of runners look very Pro, on the gears at least

Group photo with Malaysia runners, many are famous in ultra...

The weather looked good, no rain, looking at the other runners from HK and mainly HK runners, made me nervous as this is my 1st oversea ultra and there is probably alot more experienced trail runners. I kept telling myself to keep calm and race against myself. Then met up with some of the strong veteran runners from Malaysia, I feel like someone who just started to a 10K, lol!

Like it or not, the fear has to come to an end as the race flag off at 11:30PM sharp, I didn't have any specific target though I did create a cheat sheet (I like to call it this way) that contains details like distance to check points, estimated elevation, cut off time and my own estimated, ahem, timing. So I just follow whoever is in front of me, I couldn't find Yimster, he probably has sped off to stay ahead of the crowd, I only managed to see Roy and Chow, it's going to be a long night, so I decided to keep close to them as much as I could. 

My tiny cheat sheet that offered me the only guide in the dark

The journey for the 1st few KM mainly walking and stairs as there were a lot of runners at this stage and the route can only fit 2 persons side by side, I was not in hurry anyway, just need to use that time to get used to that climb and pay attention to my vital signs to see if my body feels alright. After awhile, I managed to warm up a little and there were times that I could overtake some runners, especially during downhill, while others using the stairs, I used my favorite side way which allowed me to run down instead of taking the steps. This was when I lost Roy and Chow. Occasionally I was stuck in human jam when the bush is tall and only allow single passing, I took the opportunity to finish bit by bit the Bee Cheng Heong I bought in CausewayBay, nice high calories food to crew while waiting for traffic to ease. So the run-stop-walk-climb-run continued for sometime, before I knew it, I managed to hit CP1 slightly ahead of my planned time of 2:30 hrs. Spent sometime to make sure I eat some banana and take some water then I continued after taking a pee break at the toilet (yea CP1 is in the village Pak Mong).

There come the 1st steep climb of the race which has 2 steep hills with a total elevation gain of about 1200m over 10KM, half way up the 2nd hill I heard someone shouting for help as he got lost, there was nothing any runner could do coz we can't tell where he was except the direct of his voice, I supposed any smart runner would run back the same way he came from, for this runner, probably a very fast one, I didn't know how he ended where he was and couldn't find his way. All I could do was wish him all the best, by dawn he would be able to see clearer where he was and find his way back.

The hills were tough, I almost thought this was the organizer's idea to eliminate most of the unfit runners to give them the impression that this is not a race that anyone can join, at least to my knowledge one must have at least completed a 50KM trail race b4 signing up. May be the latter part of the race was even tougher that I almost forgot how it felt like to get through this section. I knew I gained some advantage going down hill as my legs were still strong to handle the stairs, to my surprise, I was ahead of my own target time by 30mins. 

CP2 had significantly lesser people but these looked as though they had arrived here for long time, I started to feel tired and forced myself to swallow as much banana as I could and had a cup of hot tea to stay warm. I saw the famous female ultra runner Seow Ping there too, can't tell if she arrived 1st or myself, but one thing for sure, the 1st part of the tough hills was done, CP2 to CP3 would probably be easier, well, probably...

Tiny spikes in an elevation graph like this could mean many hills

Little that I knew, the tiny tiny spikes on the elevation graph unlimited ups and downs in the woods. It was harder than I thought but the trail very much "run-able", reason being part of this section was on the road before another hilly climb, I managed to stay ahead of target time by 50 mins. By the time I reached CP3 it was already 7:30am, I started to feel hungry and luckily instant noodles was served at this station, though the water was not hot enough to cook the noodles, I just have to settle with what was offer. At this time, I decided to take longer break, so I took out my phone to stay in touch with the world to know how were they doing with MWM and to find out if Sebastian able to make it to the cut off at CP2. Eat up, Drink up and kept my headlamp, I left CP3 around 7:50am, muscles frozen up while I took the rest, I had to take a walk to slowly warm up the body and muscles...

CP3: 1st chance to take out phone to keep myself normal by talking to friends and post in FB

If I recalled correctly, CP3 to CP4 has alot of false peaks, when I thought I have crossed one peak, another peak will be ahead of me again and over again, it was mentally torturing until I lost track of how many tiny peak I have crossed, before I lost my consciousness, it was another down hill dash where I had my 1st and only fall in this race, this time, it took a toll on my left knee, I was pretty sure it was a rolling fall, but somehow my knee felt not right since then, with more than half of the route to go, I cried a little bit inside.

Reached CP4 around 10am, I was ahead of my own target time by more than 1 hour. But I wasn't feeling well, the legs were sore and the tummy is empty, I am glad the organizer prepared some chairs that I could make use, prepared my Pocari sweat drink and Purple dust here to get ready for another round of hills from CP4 to CP5, had another cup of instant noodles, resting too long again is bad for the body, I felt cold and muscles frozen up again. Left CP4 around 10:15AM, I could recall the departure time this precise because I spent the next 2 hours to work on my new estimation for finishing time, and I found out that I had always referred to my watch as the actual time, meaning to say when it showed 10:45, it actually meant time elapsed into the race, in actual clock time, it was 10:15AM, we started the race at 11:30PM the night before. I only noticed that when I suddenly realise I was losing time although I was ahead of target time, that 30 mins error tortured my mind, lol!

My fenix was left with only 45% of battery, I think the cold weather and my constant check on the elevation gain and time lapsed has consumed much battery too, I need to stop myself from doing that too often, otherwise the GPS tracking won't last until CP8.

At the start of this section I finally say hi to another runner whom I believed he was the same guy who ran with me at the final few KM of TMBT 2013, yes, he was, the very guy who refused to recci the route when both of us got lost during TMBT and he dare to tell me at that time he took gel to overtake me and he didn't want to waste too much energy on finding the way when we were both lost. Anyway, he was fast uphill as he was using 2 poles, did I mention I only bring one with me ? lol ! So he left me behind when it was the uphill sections, we met many times from CP4 to CP7 (and I left him behind permanently at the downhill from Lantau Peak and never seen him anymore)

This was the only section I saw photographer and managed to get photos taken (see, joining short distance races probably get plenty more photos than this one...)

 

As you may see, I came from the tiny trail behind and u can pretty much assume the one in front of me is the same kind of trail, longer further and beyond where I can see. Personally I quite like this section as it wasn't cold like in the morning and I am in the open trail where I can have nice views of the mountains, though the ugly truth was I had to cross everyone of them, yes, the views were the routes, you don't just get to view them, but get on them and step over, lol!

Have to pretend you enjoy the race, otherwise photographer not happy..

Met her many times on the hills, unfortunately she decided to DNF after 57KM at CP5, we shared the journey from CP2 - CP5, a short chat with her to find out that last year she did until 80KM+ and DNF, she blamed it on the wrong shoes and this time she got HOKA One and still the suffering is too great that she decided to quit while it is still easy to do so. The reason being, CP5 is the only check point in the town, in a school compound in fact, so here she could just report DNF and take the next bus back to Mui Wo.

CP5: already cross mid point and changed into new top.

CP5 came a little further than I thought, coming down from hills we had to run quite a distance crossing a bridge and enter the town to reach the school. At this point, the weather is much warmer and quickly I change into new top (CompresSport) and had my 1st potato soup and lotsa oranges. Making sure I have my Purple dust drink replenished as I pretty much need caffeine to ease the soreness on both thighs for now. By the time I left CP5, I was almost 14 hrs into the race.

Coming out from CP5, it will be a few KM of running into the village and some normal trails where I got to meet alot of day hikers or visitors to Lantau Island, I was kind of like taking easy pace to walk/jog coz I know there will be a close to 600 metres elevation later part of this section. After some walk/jog with many encounters of non racers, including some parts of the village where there were people playing chess/mahjong outdoor and someone was selling drinks outside the house to the runners, that explains why organizer asked that u bring HKD100 with u and allow purchase of supply outside water stations, lol! So 6KM passed in civilization and I suddenly saw a number of runners in front of me taking drinks and adjusting their hydration bags, I looked up to where some of them moving to, I saw an uphill climb on tiny trail...

This is not normal elevated climb, this is steep 45 degrees climbs, not stairs, just steep climb, for the next 3KM! If anyone were to do Translantau 100K to fulfill the dream to be an ultra trail runner, this section would kill that dream. It was no-bullshit-straight-up climb and it was in fact hard to allow another to overtake due to the limited space on the trail, hiking poles may not work here (IMHO), the only support seemed to be the plant root. At times when I looked back, I can't believe how high I had climbed, as I look up, I cursed the trail lead all the up and only up. After this brutal 3KM, I found myself under one of the tower for the Lantau 360 cable car with 2 fat dogs sitting there. The next 3KM was not too tough anymore and I finished this 12KM section in 3:30 hrs, longest section in the whole race.

CP6 is a repeat of CP3, same place, but diff energy level and mental stress, I knew I have got 2 hrs left before the sunset to cross the next 5KM which was the last high peak and steep descent. Swallowed some bananas, took another cup of instant noodles and carry another banana for the trip, off I go. The following 2-2.5KM was simply unlimited rocky stairs leading all the way up to the Lantau Peak, along the way up, I get to view the Buddha from a distance above it, the view is awesome. By the time I reached the peak it was almost 5:30PM and the wind was blowing with the mist covering half the peak, it was so cold that half of my glasses fog up and I can only see with one eye. The only thing that kept me going was not to catch cold at this openly exposed area, I had to keep moving to cross it and head straight down.

What was covered by the clouds is where Lantau Peak is, i think.

To my surprise, there was a volunteer hiding at the peak trying to pass me a power gel, really salute his patience to be here enduring the cold wind and to support runners crossing the peak. Coming down from peak was all the way on the ridges of the hills, exposed to cold wind blowing from the right, at this point, it was more like escaping from the wind for as fast as I can than to do a descent run. I knew one thing for sure, I almost didn't stop at all on the 2-3KM down hill, overtaking few runners that gain advantage going up hill before me. I made it to the CP7 before 6:30PM, 2hrs ahead of my planned timing. CP7 again was a repeat of CP2, It was getting dark and I heard from the volunteers there was to go for sub 24 hrs, I think they are crazy, lol! 

I left CP7 just before sunset, and slowly walking into the dark, again. The following 21KM sees the maximum number of WTF from my mouth and in my mind. My legs were so painful that I can hardly run, and due to the dark surrounding, travelling alone, it was a safer choice to walk rather than run, missing any reflective marker or trip over a stone may cost hefty price especially at this point of time, the concentration of the mind was greatly reduced without a companion to assist in illuminating the path and checking for markers. That reminded me that in this race, many are running with buddies, those who were not, were not keen to travel together. A very lonely 10KM I must say, and lots of WTF due to all the tiny spikes on the elevation graph, at some point I got very frustration with the unlimited turns and stairs. A 10KM that took me about 2:40 hrs to complete ended with another round of down hills stairs.

When I reach CP8, I couldn't stop, not that I do not wish for a rest, the weather start getting colder, to some extend I was shivering while walking to leave the CP and head for another, probably the final hike in this race. This section was really WTF as I can see the lights from the headlamp of other runners in front of me, in other words, I was looking at people 100m up in the hill peak and it was just too exhausting to climb the stairs... It had been more than 24hrs of no sleep, I started to feel like vomiting, the only way that stop me from actually throwing up was to focus on continuously taking long deep breath to increase the oxygen intake, tiredness will make one's breathing shallow and may end up causing more problems to the muscles and mind concentration.

There were 2 peaks at this section (Lo Yan Shan) and both posed potential exposure to cold wind at the peak, so u may imagine me catching few deep breaths right before the peak and running through the peak as fast as I could just to reduce the chances of getting kissed by the wind. Coming down from the 2nd peak was another 7-8KM of up down and at some points I had to turn the walk into a jog and even a run just to keep the body warm. Eventually I arrived at CP9, totally exhausted and cold, took me almost 3 hrs.

The final 5KM was the only section which I get to have companions, a couple from China decided to walk after being told by the volunteer that it was just another 5KM along the coastal road to the beach, we believed him.... I picked up some hot tea with my bottle to keep the body warm and to warm the hand as well, given that I was not planning to chase any timing, I walked with the couple. In the chat I found out that the girl did about 15 hrs in the Vibram 100K this year and she found that this race is so much tougher than Vibram 100, and she was one of the few runners that overtook me at uphills and flats and overtaken by me at downhills many times from CP5 till now.

At this final 5KM, any kind of tiny elevation would feel like a huge burden to the thigh and knees, just when I thought my Fenix would survive the whole race, it went dead after 2KM into walking. Knowing that it was another 3KM to go didn't make the route any easier, though we no longer travel on trail, the hard surface of the route is bad enough for the legs and finally I decided leave the couple and run instead of walking, saw some sign boards showing the direction is toward the port and at final km, I exited from the route and return to civilization, ran pass the petrol station near BaseCamp where I met some uncles having tea outside of the shop directing me to take the alley and saved me from taking the longer route. I saw many runners here, those overtook me earlier between CP8-9, they were walking like zombie under street light.

I knew I can still run and I knew exactly how far to go from here to finishing line, so I pace myself comfortably to keep warm and to gain some momentum. At the final bridge crossing to the beach I met many runners who had completed the run and they gave great encouragement to support me to finish the race all the way from there. At the end of the finishing path, was Hong Lan waiting with her warm smile and camera, I was pretty sure she won't want to hug someone who didn't shower for more than 24 hrs. So that was it, no final sprint, no jumping, it was simply the zen of completing Translantau 100K with much suffer and cursing. Looking at the video, u may feel the same as me when the volunteer asked me: 50K or 100K? lol! Did I make it look like I just finished a 50K beyond the cut off time ? 

So I went picking up my drop bag and ditch the plan to change clothes, went straight back to the hotel. On the way, I got to know from Hong Lan that none of the people that I know has returned yet, not even Yimster, Charlotte and Seow Ping, something might have happened. and it got me worried when she told me Roy and Yen Erl tracking stopped around CP7/8, coz I can't imagine anyone doing the Lantau Peak at night. Glad to know that Hong Lan completed her race, can feel her excitement when she told me that, :)

This was 7 hrs post race, going down for breakfast

I just have to, lol!

1st time seeing the sun

yup, stairs, another day may be.

Did I tell you along the route from CP7 to CP9, there were alot of huge land mines left by these famous animals in Lantau ?

Post Race:

Did I suffer any injury? oh yes, my left was injured from the fall and it took me a week before it was completely healed, so it wasn't really a knee but a knock on the tissue around the knee.

I spent the whole of Sunday with Sebastian, travelled by bus to the Ngong Ping, walked alot around the temple, almost took the cable car, then took bus to Chung Tung where a shopping mall for factory outlets sales is located, which was also the other side of the cable car terminal. One whole day of walking and stretching on the bed before sleep got me alive back on Monday, mobility had improved while soreness still there, but I felt so much better than 24 hrs ago. To my surprise, I was recovered from the race in the next 4 days with a little of soreness over the shoulder which I didn't pay attention to stretch.

Word of advice?

Ultra trail is a race of Distance, Elevation and Techniques, anyone who want to do ultra trail needs to train it as though it is a triathlon, and incorporate these 3 elements into your training. Especially for road runners venturing into trail, u need many different sets of muscles in running high elevation trail, all the joints on your body will be tested as balancing and navigation of path ahead will determine if u fall miserably on the mud if you are lucky, or on the rock, or not. Some trails can be very technical, Translantau is one, running down stairs or steep hills and taking corners while trying to not exhaust too much on the knees and ankles require not only strong quads and calves, you will need to draw a path of your own and decide your options, u need to analyse the sections ahead and prepare yourself for that. Apart from that, running in the dark, the flash light from your headlamp will flatten the uneven surface especially going down hill, u will need good judgement of the depth of field and at times you may not even see the path due to the overgrown bushes, body senses will be useful.

Nutrition , Hydration and Conservation. This is not a 10K speed race (or a frequently supported 42km), your next supply could be 10-15KM away, u need to know how much energy you need to cover the distance and elevation and what will be provided in next check point, in other words, prepare sufficient food. Choosing the right food is another knowledge, I myself have not fully figured out what will be the best combination for myself, so far I know Raisins and Sunflower seeds works best for me. Hydration, that boils down to the hydration system your use and what drink do u put inside the bottles or bladder at which section and when do u drink. Conservation is my formula, prepare yourself to complete the race longer than you think, conserve your energy at all time, any mistake of missing the marker could mean additional 3-5KM of walking/running, that means conserving your drinks will help too. I leave the part of selecting the best fitting and functional hydration bag to your own discovery.

Find your Strength and know your Weakness, then get to your Zen. As my favourite quote: Knowing what u can, will carry you far, knowing what u cannot, will save your life. Nothing feels better than knowing what are your strengths in any race, and by acknowledging your weakness, you can work on it and minimise the effect it may bring during the race. and anything can happen in the race, the route may not be as u visualise, the hills could be steeper and longer than you thought, the energy level may drop faster that you wish, the weather will be always out of your hand, at this point, the only thing u have in control is yourself, always place yourself back to the center of your own zen (which only you can find and decide where and what is that), and depart from that center (and u may still curse and scold and whine along the way).

I can only share from my limited experience with a 50K and 2 100K trail race and a history as a hiker (that allowed me to adapt faster and survive better in trail), what I share is only personal learning and opinions, coz it works for me, a good runner would not rely on one resource to form the overall understanding of a topic, most importantly, it can only be verified and applied when you actually set your foot on the trail.

Looking forward to see u at the next trail race starting line. :)