River Jungle Marathon 2012

Since SCKLM, I have always been training for short distance run like Men's Health Shape Run and KOTR, the aim was to achieve PB for both 12KM and 17KM distance, especially after I got to know I have to give up the Taiping full marathon, all my trainings are just speedwork and time trials.

 

I do not know why last minute I changed my mind to go for the RJM which was never in my plan for 2012. So happened there is an extra bib from our fellow runner Yap who can't make it and the amount of msg tht flood my whatsapp and fb to ask me to go for it, (and I still lack of 1 FM to complete my target of 4 FM in 2012), I made up my mind to join RJM in less 36 hours from the event... I know I can let go KOTR because based on estimation from 15KM timing, I have more than enough time to exceed my target time for KOTR.

 

To make sure I am ready for RJM, I went for a short 10KM run at Ammah Hill on Saturday just to warm up my body and prepare myself mentally for next day. To my surprise, it was a PB for me for tht distance at Ammah. I know at least for 21-25KM, I am ready, beyond that, it is an unknown coz my 1st FM was 4 months ago on a flat route... Then I went home I saw the below from themarathonshop event page:

THIS IS CRAZY!!!!

It does not look like I have a choice but just to go for it anyway and go slow, aim to complete will do... due to my fear of dehydration, I started to pack my new hydration backpack...lol



 

Come the next day morning 3.00am I speed the long journey to Hulu Langat and found out that many of our LYN buddies are doing RJM too...I somehow feel relieved with familiar faces around. Then I decided to lose the hydration backpack just 10 mins before the start of RJM.

LYNR gang (can see I was still with the hydration backpack)

 

Photo with LYNR prior to start (without hydration backpack, lol)

 

We started at around 5.00am (or may be slightly earlier), I paced with K1 and constantly tell myself not to go too fast, conserve energy for the hills and later part of the run... We did good pace for about 10KM (6mins/km) before K1 speed off to chase others (may be he also beh tahan keep running slow pace...lol). I had a good 3KM run together with Joshua before we enter the misty zone where I suddenly decided to increase the pace to chase Cikgu, just before I close up the gap, he went to pee at the roadside in the bush, not a very good example as a CIKGU...lol. So, quietly I overtook him and continue the misty journey.

 

The hilly part came right after 17KM water station, I actually thought it is around 21-24KM zone. I slowed down my pace and the aim was to be patiently suffer this zone and enjoy the rest of the journey, somehow I am glad it came earlier while I still have more energy to go on... Felt the urge to pee after 1KM into the hilly misty smelly zone...drag on for another KM before I saw the mobile toilet (the organizer is really genius and well thought of runners might piss in their pants after suffering 2KM, lol). There goes my virgin toilet visit during any race...phew... Came to 20KM water station was just so much relief as I know the nightmare is over and my timing was not too bad yet.

 

Going down hill was quite a steep one and anything can happen if runners try to speed, might end up drifting and rolling, lol! I took it slowly but also tried to catch up some time loss during uphill. 3KM passed like a wind and I was already at the juction of 23KM. Took the turning to the right, not long after I met K1 who had already made his U-turn, at estimation, I was about 800meters behind him, very doable to catch up with him later... back to 23/26KM point, realized I didn't take my 2nd surge as planned. Quickily I took a huge banana and there was when I met Yap Siew leng, so nice of her took my photo before she continue her 23-26KM route while I moved on the run away from Cikgu who had just arrived, lol.



26KM point, photo by Yap Siew Leng

 

26-29KM was a bit boring coz the scenery part ended and there was hardly anyone behind me or infront of me...only until 29KM water station I saw K1 just departed and there was COCONUT!!!! hahaha! so nice of the organizer to prepare this surprise. I stayed there for awhile and took some sprays on my legs n butt to prevent the coming cramps, I can't stay long coz I still need to chase K1..

 

 

It looks funny as though I overtook him illegally

 

I finally catched up with K1 when he is bored to death and decided to take a walk and from there we paced each other. We bump into Soon Choong and took the hold hands photo ! I took it easy at 32KM water station and was expecting to have spray at 35KM water station but my mistake there was not supposed to have one at that station (may be next year there will be one ?:P) But to my surprise, this water station was not there at 35th KM!!! It was somewhat few hundred meters away!!!



This is classic

 

I only have ice for muscle relief and took some water. Just few hundred meters after I left the station, I hit the wall, suddenly hungry and tired, I took a slow walk and took one 2nd surge, followed by 2nd and 3rd 2nd surge, and continue to walk for about 300 meters before I regain some energy to carry on. When I reached 38KM water station, K1 was there and we departed together, then the 2nd surge did its magic, i dropped K1 and continue at good pace to chase back a few who overtook me during my slow walk. Final KM was fun because I saw some of them infront of me and I took a short sprint to over take Karen, just for the fun of it. :P

Had some fun to push and overtake Karen

Crossed the line with 4:24:15, which was much better than my estimation when I was at 35KM mark. I never thought the final 3KM I can push further with the help of 2nd surge, but probably time to take it would have been earlier if I didn't neglect this part. K1 and Cikgu came back few minutes later and the rest was history.

 

It was supposed to a suffering run (at least I was prepared for it), end up I didn't suffer much post-run muscle soreness, not as bad as during Borneo marathon. Probably because I increased training mileage in the past 2 months and I am better conditioned than 4 months ago. So, I guess I am ready for another 2 FM this year with the aim to touch sub4. The biggest reward of this run? I get to sayur K1, it doesn't matter he took this run serious or not, it matters I sayur him, lol!

 

2nd FM, result better than expected, at 1st target sub5, then 4:45, then final estimation 4:30

 

Simple but nice medal

 

1st 3 LYNR completed RJM

 

Eldred and Wai Hong joined us 30 mins later.

2012 New Running Target Timings

With most of the targets set early 2012 achieved, I want to revise my target to continue to challenge myself to be faster and stronger

  5KM - 4m 36s /km (0:23) - 0:22:45 (13/10/2012, Nike)
10KM - 4m 42s /km (0:47) - 0:45:28 (13/10/2012, Nike, 9.85KM)
12KM - 4m 47s /km (0:57:24) - 0:55:37 (11/12/2012, Run For It 6, 11.7KM)
15KM - 4m 52s /km (1:13) - 1:11:46 (4/11/2012, CICM)
21KM - 5m 15s /km (1:50:15) - 1:42:21 (4/11/2012, CICM)
25KM - 5m 30s /km (2:17:30) - 2:06:00 (28/10/2012, Newton SG)
30KM - 5m 36s /km (2:48:00) - 2:33:18 (28/10/2012, Newton SG)
42KM - 5m 42s /km (4:00:00) - 3:56:00 (18/11/2012, PBIM)

To be achieved by end of 2012.

2 years into Running

When I 1st decided to run in 2010, I missed the Putrajaya Night run and the next possible run was Energizer Night Run. I never have any target time for running, it was just like wanting to know after years of stopping active jogging and hiking since 2004 and a full of injury 2009, am I really fit to do a run. So I signed up for 10KM in ENR.

Before the race I felt very confident that I can complete the race without much problem. To my surprise, it was a real surfering race that I start counting distance of how far to go in the middle of the race, it was painful and after race I practically drag my foot to get shuttle bus to reach my car. At that time, I told myself that this is no good, I was not as fit as I thought, so, I signed up for the Std Chart KL Marathon, another 10KM race, and I did a few practice run around my housing area prior to run.

I started SCKLM with pretty good form, at least I thought so and at around 5KM I was itchy enough trying to pace a black runner who was real fast, I lost my breathing after following him for few hundred meters and the rest of the journey was just suffering again. I didn't have to drag my ass back home, but it was clearly a message to myself that, something needed to be taken seriously if I want to run.

From then I started to run more frequent, looking into the breathing, join forum, learn from youtube. Got myself 1st pair of Nike Plus sport band, change a new running tights, got a new pair of New Balance and a new cap from a friend. That ended my 2010 with sub60 for 10KM and lotsa pain in my feet due to over-trained and wrong running style.

I started to have running goals in 2011, target time, target distance of half marathon, target race, target ranking.... Things got more serious with Iphone Nike+ app and again, SCKLM 2011 sent me another lesson that I need to look at whether I am wearing the right type of shoes and consider another style of running. The journey of injury and pain came to an end with the new purchased Kinvara1 and I started to achieve PB in races.

Do I love running? I think may be not, I think I just have the passion to achieve things over and over again. I learnt alot about myself through running, I had moments of thoughts during run and I realise the longer the better I run, the more I gain from the run.

Will I continue to run? May be. May be I will move into Hiking again or Diving or Cycling. I haven't had any benchmark or target for them yet, but I think I will do them and start tracking.

2012 New Year New Target

  5KM - 5m/km (0:25) - 24:07 (8/9/2012)
10KM - 5m 12s /km (0:52) - 52:30 (Mizuno 2012) / 47:32 (8/9/2012)
12KM - 5m 15s /km (1:03) - 1:02 (Shape 2012)  58:26 (28/8/2012)
15KM - 5m 20s /km (1:20) - 1:17 (2XU 2012) / 1:14 (2/9/2012)
21KM - 5m 40s /km (1:59) - 1:53 (SCKLM 2012)
25KM - 5m 55s /km (2:28) - 2:33 (Newton 2012)
30KM - 6m 10s /km (3:05) - 2:59 (Borneo 2012)
42KM - 7m 30s /km (5:15) - 4:18 (Borneo 2012)

All achieved within 5 months except 5KM and 10KM Targets.

Borneo Marathon - My 1st FM

After 1 year running for half marathon and achieved the results that I want, I have decided to do full marathon this year. I have never planned to have my 1st FM in Borneo, but somehow the plan turns out to be it.

Every run starts with a goal, initially I am stucked in between "just to complete" or "complete within specific time", then later I have to decide whether to do sub 5:30 or sub 5:00, I pretty much sure I can do around 3:10 for 30KM, but I can't be sure if I can finish the final 12KM within 1:50 after seeing Kelvin Wan terrible virgin marathon timing, we are pretty close at 21KM timing, so I thought he would be a reasonable benchmark, anything beyond 30KM could be disasterous.

After trained twice with K1 for 30KM, it further confirmed that my 30KM timing could be slightly behind K1, so I will take his Energizer result as a benchmark, he did 4:39. I thought, may be I should challenge myself for 5:00...That would mean, an average 7min/km pace.

Come race day, I woke up with too much phlegm in my throat, was coughing the whole 15mins and clearing them until I can finally breath properly. I thought: what if I cough during the race ? I don't really have much time to think about that, so, WTF, just go for it!!!

The race started before we were even ready, so it was quite rushing to cross the starting line, my initial plan was to do 6min/km pace for 1st 10KM, followed by 6:15-6:30min/km for the next 11KM, then with the extra time I saved from the 1st 21KM, some 15mins, the 2nd half of the race I am much safer on timing.

Situation doesn't always go as planned, I managed to follow the 4:30 pacer and maintain 5:50min/km pace for the 1st 10KM and surprisingly I was able to keep that pace for the next 11KM though some knee pain kick in at 17th KM. I took a 2nd surge at 19th KM and the effect kicked in at around 21KM.

After 22KM, I started to walk through all water station to get sufficient time to rest, I was still able to keep a 6min/km pace with minor pain on left knee and right knee alternately, but my breathing was hold steady, so I thought probably I can try to maintain this pace for until 30KM, and I did. Cold water sponge helps alot on cooling down the body and the knees. I started to get 1st Aid spray at 26th KM. Another 2nd surge was taken at 28th KM.

At 31KM U-turn, sun started to come out and my timing was just at 3:05, an extra min for me to spare while maintaining an average 6min/km pace. I was quite surprised that I was still able to maintain the pace although I had more pain on my feet, but I felt OK and continue to push through. The Borneo route was mainly flat until 33th KM with minor elevation which killed my speed a little.

The suffering started at 35th KM which I started to feel my breathing went shallow and I had to conciously breathe, the pain started to affect my thigh, my calf and my knees. Every second become counting distance for the next station for rest and 1st aid spray. Managed to get another spray at 39th KM and I knew that was the last station before finishing line. At the time, I knew I am going to finish sub 4:30, I probably going to end up with 4:15 if I push through, but I decided to slow down with smaller steps just in case cramps attack. The final 3KM, I was just focusing on breathing and looking for the sign of the Likas Stadium entrance. The moment entering stadium, I knew I made it and I still manage to do a 100meters push and cross the finishing line. Result? 4:18.

This is really a very surprising result to me, I thought anything sub 4:30 would be my next year's target, it is probably because of Borneo's flat route, I don't think I can do the same at SCKLM.

BERSIH 3.0

This is one event I wish I could have stayed longer until the last second...
It was a hot day and I have not been well since early of the month, and this time I am bringing my gf and her bro sis with me, and another little gal who wanted to join the adventure but too dangerous for me to let her go alone.

This time I managed to get there early (b4 12noon) and the weather was so damn hot and humid, we tried to conserve as much energy as possible. We stayed around Central market area for an hour plus, we were quite close to the Dataran Merdeka (near Bar Council) but the crowd is huge that I advise them not to get too close and stand under hot sun to wait, so we sit on the road side opposite HSBC. At 1.30pm we saw some movement in the crowd from Central market toward the Masjid Jamek station, so we followed but the rally was stopped before we even reached Masjid Jamek station, I supposed there was definitely some barriers set up to stop us from entering Dataran Merdeka.

Knowing that this will not resolve in short time, I asked that my group to rest in shades near by and try to find another way, but i saw many other ppl were stucked there as well. I remember this place near Masjid Jamek was the very same place last year 709 the police launch tear gas and water canon to push the people all the way to Tung Shin Hospital. I was worried that the same thing may happen again this time, and the weather doesn't look like it is going to rain to help us this time...

At 3pm, myself was very tired affected by the medication i took and the cough, I also saw them being tired and bored, to prevent heatstroke, i asked that we leave the scene since there is nothing much we can do for now. Actually I wanted to stay, being alone is so much easier for me to cross the crowd n find another way from Jalan Raja Laut, but it wasn't about me, it was about having them being part of this.

So we left, in the train, I started to received updates on water canon n tear gas being used against the people near Dataran Merdeka towards Sogo. and the rest of the stories we all read from the facebook...

It is sad to see how the government react to a peaceful rally and the brutal force used by the police against the unarmed citizens, it makes me feel that it is really everyone's responsibility to stand up against this power abuse. The most powerful weapon we have is the VOTE in our hand, coming election we shall show them who is the true master of this country !!!

Stop Lynas, Save Malaysia

Simple Solutions to Daily problems

Shoes Testings

Looking for a racer this yr, so far haven't seen the A5 and MR00 yet, hmm.....

Stay