Running the Klang 10 km race was not in my plan for July and August 2005. Both months were to be race free months to allow recovery from my injury. But my knee have somewhat improved over the past 2 weeks so I decided to run in the race.
My target was to simply to finish the race within the qualfying time of 60 minutes. There was 200 medals up for grabs in the Men's open category. There was a slim chance I may get one if I was able to finish below 55 minutes,. A tough call given my lack of endurance training over the past 2 months but I had to give it my best shot.
The race start was in the stadium. In the 1o km race categories, there was about 600 runners somewhat more than I was expected to see. The race was supposed to start at 7.00 am but we had to endure some 15 minutes of an aerobic exercise lead by a fat Malay guy on stage. We were asked to line up behind the starting line. Further delay was caused by the MC who wanted us to line up in front the stage but in line behind the VIP. Who the hell was he anyway ? Was this a race for runners or to "bodek" (pander) to a faceless VIP?
Finally at 7.20 am, the race started with a starter gun fired by the VIP. I was somewhere in the middle of the pack , hemmed in by many runners. The route on the main road was an inclined run uphill along Istana Road. Then we made a left turn and ran along the Klang train station. I knew I was far behind at this stage and probably have lost the chance to get a medal.
The next part was a 300 m run on the bridge spanning Klang river. I really wanted to cut loose but held back as I did not think I had the stamina to sustain a faster pace. A short 200 m distance later , I reached the old Kota bridge. This used to be the only bridge connecting the two half of Klang town. Now I had to go up the bridge and run across it. There were two flights of stairs and they were wet and slippery. I had to walk up the steps. The next thing was the bridge span which was made from tiles. They too were quite slippery and I decided to partly walk across the 300 m distance.
Then ame a a steep 45 degree slope covered with grass. Was this supposed to be a cross country race - %&*$# ?. I opted to ran 20 m further and down a steep road. The other runners took their chances down the slope.
I think by now , I have run about 3 km with another 7 km to go. The next 7 km was not any easier as the route was along the few "hills" in Klang. Up and down I went. It was tiring and made worse due to the unavailability of a water station was provided for this race. However to compensate for the possible collapse of runners from dehydration, the organisers have provided several ambulances. Presumably, an I.V. drip is more effective than water ingested through the mouth.
I was familiar with the last 3 km so I tried to increase pace to overtake some runners. As I approach the stadium, Ronnie was jogging along to the main road. I made a final 200 m on the synthetic track to the finish line. No medal but it was OK as I was not expecting to get one.
Finishing Time : 59 min 18 seconds (position: >200)
After the race, my right knee was sore but it was not too bad. Met up with Jamie who handed me the Power Run T-shirt bibs and reporting cards. I skipped this race, one of two races I had already skipped this year.
PS : Was told later Ajeep was at the race as spectactor and cheerleader but I did not notice him. Heard he had started training again. Watch out for this guy!
My plans for August and September will be to prepare for the Putrajaya Half Marathon on 11 Sept 2005.
For results and race reports, visit Ronnie's site.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Overdoing Things
I am in the recovery mode from my injured right knee. I know I am supposed to take it easy and only run 2-3 times a week and limited to 4 km or less per session. However over the past 2 weeks, my injury has become less and with the fine weather, I am always tempted to run and run. So this was the case over the past 3 days;
Monday - at KLCC, 5.2 km. knee OK
Tuesday- at KLCC, 5.2 km, knee slightly sore
Wednesday - at KLCC again 6.5 km. Knee quite sore.
I should not have run yesterday but I was glad to have done it anyway. I had a wonderful experience yesterday somehow during the first lap, I entered into a sort of meditative state. Everthing was clear, I felt calm and tranquil. I ran slowly for the first 400 m, speeded up with short but rapid strides and then went into this peaceful state. After 1.3 km, I checked my time ; 7 min 20 seconds , faster than my normal pace. Yet, the fast pace felt effortless and so easy to do. Wonderful!
I lost this state after the 1st lap and ran with Gan for another 3 laps. Met a Malay girl from xxxx Cute looking with china doll hair style. Ran with her for 2 laps as she managed to run more than 3 laps (4 laps). We did some stretccing and talked afterwards.
Knee was quite sore but the 1st lap experience was amazing and unforgetable.
Monday - at KLCC, 5.2 km. knee OK
Tuesday- at KLCC, 5.2 km, knee slightly sore
Wednesday - at KLCC again 6.5 km. Knee quite sore.
I should not have run yesterday but I was glad to have done it anyway. I had a wonderful experience yesterday somehow during the first lap, I entered into a sort of meditative state. Everthing was clear, I felt calm and tranquil. I ran slowly for the first 400 m, speeded up with short but rapid strides and then went into this peaceful state. After 1.3 km, I checked my time ; 7 min 20 seconds , faster than my normal pace. Yet, the fast pace felt effortless and so easy to do. Wonderful!
I lost this state after the 1st lap and ran with Gan for another 3 laps. Met a Malay girl from xxxx Cute looking with china doll hair style. Ran with her for 2 laps as she managed to run more than 3 laps (4 laps). We did some stretccing and talked afterwards.
Knee was quite sore but the 1st lap experience was amazing and unforgetable.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Blog Update
It's been 9 days since my last blog entry, so here is a brief update.
London Report
I returned from London on Friday evening last week. Despite the bombing on 7/7 , the city was still crowded with tourists. I didn't have much time to go around since it was a business trip. On Tuesday, I managed to walk around Oxford street, mainly to shop for CDs and books. I stopped by HMV and bought 4 CDs for 60 pounds. Another stop at Borders to buy a book to read on the flight home. I was sorely tempted to buy more books but there was no space left in my bag
I carried one small bag and due to this I was held up at customs because the customs guy did not quite believe anyone would spent 4 days in London with so little luggage. After a few questions, I was on my way. Ever heard of "Travelling Light", custom guy ?
The only free time I've had was on the Thursday (last day) when the business affairs ended at mid day. My colleagues planned to go to Bicester village , 60 km from London for shopping. The place had shops selling branded goods at discounted prices. I came along out of curiosity more than interest.
When I reached there, it took me just 20 minutes to walk along the 40 shops or so. Most the goods were branded stuff like Polo, Clarks shoes, Christian Dior, Wedgewood, Bally etc. - nothing that interests me really. The only shops of interest were the sports shop (Puma, Rebook) and outdoor clothes (H&H). The rest was a bore to me. What a waste of time! I should have stayed back in London to check out the running shops, bookshops and CD shops.
Training Report
I did not do any running at all in London. I just did not have the time to run in the evening. A morning run would be difficult as I was not familiar with the routes.
On account of my current knee injury, I have not done much training over the past 2 months.
But last weekend, I tried to restart my training with limited distances (400 m x 6 on Saturday and 8 x 400 m on Sunday).
Today I ran at KLCC with Newton and Yan for 4 x 1.3 km.
London Report
I returned from London on Friday evening last week. Despite the bombing on 7/7 , the city was still crowded with tourists. I didn't have much time to go around since it was a business trip. On Tuesday, I managed to walk around Oxford street, mainly to shop for CDs and books. I stopped by HMV and bought 4 CDs for 60 pounds. Another stop at Borders to buy a book to read on the flight home. I was sorely tempted to buy more books but there was no space left in my bag
I carried one small bag and due to this I was held up at customs because the customs guy did not quite believe anyone would spent 4 days in London with so little luggage. After a few questions, I was on my way. Ever heard of "Travelling Light", custom guy ?
The only free time I've had was on the Thursday (last day) when the business affairs ended at mid day. My colleagues planned to go to Bicester village , 60 km from London for shopping. The place had shops selling branded goods at discounted prices. I came along out of curiosity more than interest.
When I reached there, it took me just 20 minutes to walk along the 40 shops or so. Most the goods were branded stuff like Polo, Clarks shoes, Christian Dior, Wedgewood, Bally etc. - nothing that interests me really. The only shops of interest were the sports shop (Puma, Rebook) and outdoor clothes (H&H). The rest was a bore to me. What a waste of time! I should have stayed back in London to check out the running shops, bookshops and CD shops.
Training Report
I did not do any running at all in London. I just did not have the time to run in the evening. A morning run would be difficult as I was not familiar with the routes.
On account of my current knee injury, I have not done much training over the past 2 months.
But last weekend, I tried to restart my training with limited distances (400 m x 6 on Saturday and 8 x 400 m on Sunday).
Today I ran at KLCC with Newton and Yan for 4 x 1.3 km.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Saturday 16 July : SMSS Alumni 2005 Dinner
Last night I attended the SMSS (Selangor Menengah Sains Selangor - Selangor Science High School) Alumni 2005. The theme was Suatu Masa (Once upon a time) colourfully carefree. That is quite a good description of the our time at SMSS.
The event was well attended by more than 700 former student students of SMSS. For information, the former students are referred to as batches linked to the 5th form. For most of us, the 5th form is the last year we spent at SMSS.
SMSS is fully residential boarding school where we spend close to 9 months out a year studying and living with each other. For many of us, these were formative years which made us the individuals we are today. We came to the school when we were still young , 12-13 years to attend form 1. For the next five years, we studied, lived together and shared unique common experiences.
For the 2005, dinner, about 20 persons from batch 81 (my batch) attended the dinner. I won't write much about the dinner itself but after seeing my old school friends, I think what we went through during our school days should be put on record lest they are forgotten.
Some of my future blog entries will be about those colourfully carefree days between 1977 to 1981 at SMSS.
The event was well attended by more than 700 former student students of SMSS. For information, the former students are referred to as batches linked to the 5th form. For most of us, the 5th form is the last year we spent at SMSS.
SMSS is fully residential boarding school where we spend close to 9 months out a year studying and living with each other. For many of us, these were formative years which made us the individuals we are today. We came to the school when we were still young , 12-13 years to attend form 1. For the next five years, we studied, lived together and shared unique common experiences.
For the 2005, dinner, about 20 persons from batch 81 (my batch) attended the dinner. I won't write much about the dinner itself but after seeing my old school friends, I think what we went through during our school days should be put on record lest they are forgotten.
Some of my future blog entries will be about those colourfully carefree days between 1977 to 1981 at SMSS.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Week No.2 July 2005 - Training Update
Folks, whenever you see the title Training Update in the Title it means I haven't got much to write about running/training. Be warned if you still want to continue to read past this period.
Anyway, after last Sunday's Seremban , my right knee was very sore for about 2 hrs. Strangely enough, it was OK after that. It was still slightly sore on Monday with some instability on the knee joint.
On Tuesday I decided to run and see how it goes. It was not good idea at all. After just 400 m, my right knee started to feel unstable and sore. I had to stop running after 800 m. Fron then on, I walked another 500 m to the 0 meter mark. I totally lost the mood to exercise. Walked back to the gym, pack up and went home.
Wednesday - back to KLCC park for a run. Ran with Kenneth. Knee started to become sore after 600 m but I pushed on until I completed 3 rounds and half (4.6 km). Decided to stop near the Bench (600 m mark) to avoid further damage. Better than Tuesday but I have not recovered to a point where I can run.
Thursday -Did not run.
Friday (today)- tempted to run at KLCC park again. Not sure to go or not but I will probably end up doing it this evening.
Is there a class or therapy for this kind of exercise/running addiction like those for available for alcoholics or drug addicts?
Anyway, after last Sunday's Seremban , my right knee was very sore for about 2 hrs. Strangely enough, it was OK after that. It was still slightly sore on Monday with some instability on the knee joint.
On Tuesday I decided to run and see how it goes. It was not good idea at all. After just 400 m, my right knee started to feel unstable and sore. I had to stop running after 800 m. Fron then on, I walked another 500 m to the 0 meter mark. I totally lost the mood to exercise. Walked back to the gym, pack up and went home.
Wednesday - back to KLCC park for a run. Ran with Kenneth. Knee started to become sore after 600 m but I pushed on until I completed 3 rounds and half (4.6 km). Decided to stop near the Bench (600 m mark) to avoid further damage. Better than Tuesday but I have not recovered to a point where I can run.
Thursday -Did not run.
Friday (today)- tempted to run at KLCC park again. Not sure to go or not but I will probably end up doing it this evening.
Is there a class or therapy for this kind of exercise/running addiction like those for available for alcoholics or drug addicts?
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Training Plans for July and Trip to London
I have to admit my plans to layoff from running for 3 weeks in July was a farce.
The Ipoh run on 3rd July was supposed to be my last run in July. After that, I would stop running until the end of July to allow recovery of my injured right knee. That was the plan and intention.
What really happened was one week after the Ipoh half marathon, I ran the Seremban half marathon. Tomorrow I plan to run at KLCC park. Distance maybe 4 - 7 km depending on mt knee condition. So much for the "layoff".
But over the next 2 weeks, I will keep training to a minimum. Maybe run 5-7 km twice a week. Just enough to maintain some level of fitness. Hopefully by end of the month, I will be able to recover to a point where I can undergo more training for the races in September (Putrajaya half marathon and PJ half marathon).
Next Monday, I will be going to London for a workshop. I will be there for 4 days, returning back to Malaysia Thursday night. I plan to check out some of the shops selling running equipment but there is a problem; most of the shops close at 6.00 pm.
This blog will not be updated for most of next week.
The Ipoh run on 3rd July was supposed to be my last run in July. After that, I would stop running until the end of July to allow recovery of my injured right knee. That was the plan and intention.
What really happened was one week after the Ipoh half marathon, I ran the Seremban half marathon. Tomorrow I plan to run at KLCC park. Distance maybe 4 - 7 km depending on mt knee condition. So much for the "layoff".
But over the next 2 weeks, I will keep training to a minimum. Maybe run 5-7 km twice a week. Just enough to maintain some level of fitness. Hopefully by end of the month, I will be able to recover to a point where I can undergo more training for the races in September (Putrajaya half marathon and PJ half marathon).
Next Monday, I will be going to London for a workshop. I will be there for 4 days, returning back to Malaysia Thursday night. I plan to check out some of the shops selling running equipment but there is a problem; most of the shops close at 6.00 pm.
This blog will not be updated for most of next week.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
10 July 2005 Seremban Half Marathon
After suffering in the Ipoh Run (21 km) last Sunday, this morning I was running the Seremban half marathon. Last year the organiser had advisertised the new race route as challenging. I think many who ran this route for the first time found it this to be true.
My aim for the Seremban half marathon is simply not suffer as much as I did during the Ipoh race. My race plan was to run the first 10 km in about 1 hour (not 55 min like the Ipoh run) and then try to maintain the same pace for next 11 km. Getting a medal should not pose too much problem as there were 150 medals available for the Men's Junior Veteran category.
The trip
I started my trip to Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan state at 10.30 am Saturday morning. An hour later, I arrived at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to collect the my bib from CM. Thanks, CM! The goodie bag was sparse of items; It contained only a packet of laundry powder and hair shampoo.
I arrived at the hotel, Angsana Inn at 12.15 pm. Immediately checked in , dropped my bags off and walked to the sports complex to collect my bibs and bibs for 2 more runners; Yong and Liaw. Only a handful of runners were there to collect their bibs.
After that it was lunch at the A&W fast food restaurant. I had a terrible fish burger which consisted of dry fish patty and few small pieces of iceberg lettuce. The root beer which is A&W's trademark drink was too sweet for my taste. Somehow I remembered it used to taste a lot better when I drank it during my school days. What has happened since then? After the meal, I made a resolution to avoid eating fast food ever again.
I will skip what I did on Saturday and write about the race itself.
Sunday
I woke up at 5.15 am, did the usual things to get ready and went down to the hotel lobby at 5.40 am. Yong and Liaw was to meet me at the hotel for their bibs. I decided to wait on the road so they can see me and a short while I saw two guys jogging towards me. It was them.
Since we had plenty of time , I offered the use of the hotel room facilities to them. So we went back up to the room. At 6.15 am, we left the hotel for the 300 m walk to the race reporting area.
The place was packed with runners, the majority of whom were school students. After entering the gate, I came across CM who looked a bit harried. He had volunteered to register and hand out the bibs and now was busy running around looking for the runners.
I was regsistered for the Junior Veteran category(150 medals) but since Petaling runner did not make it to Seremban, I took his race bibs from CM. While waiting for the race start, chatted with Kevin who told me he was still suffering from poisoning.
Race start and first 10 km
Near 6.30 am, the runners gathered on the road for the 6.45 am 21 km flag-off. I estimated there was about 600 runners. Met Kong from Klang who was running a half marathon in ten years.
Without too much ceremony or ad thankfully without any shows, the race started at 6.45 am with the firing of the starter gun. I tried to maintain my speed at the planned pace (10 km - 60 minutes) and resisted the temptation to run faster.
The first 3 km was on the roads leaving Seremban town towards Kuala Klawang. The first 3 km was not pleasant as we ran with the other vehicles. It got better as we moved on the trunk roads running among the villages. When I passed the 5 km mark, my time was 31 min 15 seconds. The pace was just about right for me.
I ran with Yong and Liaw for the first 5 km. There was another guy (tall wearing Nike T-shirt) whom I met at the Nilai race who also paced with us. I forgot his name.
At the 8 km , the first hill sections appeared. This section is a about 1 km long along a winding hill up a incline about 5-10 degree grade. I enjoyed running along this section as it was quite cool due to the trees and plants on the hill slopes.
At the 10 km mark, my time was 1 hr 2 min. 31 seconds , some 2 minutes behind my target pace. But I was not too worried as I was still feeling OK.
10 km to 16 km
At the 12 km , I approached a second hilly section. It was much steeper than the previous hill section and about 1 km long. Last year I had to walked about 200 m here and it was no different this year. I walked again this year but being less fit this year, I walked for a longer distance ,maybe 500 m. However Yong keep going and after some time, he had dissapeared ahead of me.
Last year after walking , I recovered and managed to run faster. But this year , regretfully I could not do the same. I started to run again at the downhill section but at a slower pace.
I struggled to keep running between 12 to 16 km. It was obvious that my lack of training during the weekday had resulted in decreased endurance after 12 km or so.
16 to 21 km
In the last 5 km, the student runners (11 km) rejoined the 21 k m. Half the of the 2 lane road was clogged up the students walking leisurely on the road. Some even sat down at the bus stops or by the road to wait for their friends. As for the 21 km runners, we had bypass them and end up squeezed between them and the cars,. It was damm irritating and dangerous for the serious runners.
I had to walk most of the 5 km distance. The route was even steeper than the last hilly sections. When I tried to sustain a run, invariably there was 5 km traffic a.k.a. students blocking me my path. I decided not to bother running as I estimated my finishing time would be 2 hrs 15 minutes. My right knee had been sore since 16 km and I did not want to worsenthe injury. I estimated my finishing time would be about 2 hrs 15 minutes and it would be good enough to get a medal.
During he last 1 km, I managed to get clear of the students and ran again. I was a bit worried that the runners from the same category woould overtake me, so I ran fast enough to make sure not many did.
I finally crossed the finishing line in 2 hrs 17 min. 16 seconds in 163 position.
My time was way off last years time of 1 hr 58 min but I stil regard it as OK due to lack of consistent training over the last 2 months.
My aim for the Seremban half marathon is simply not suffer as much as I did during the Ipoh race. My race plan was to run the first 10 km in about 1 hour (not 55 min like the Ipoh run) and then try to maintain the same pace for next 11 km. Getting a medal should not pose too much problem as there were 150 medals available for the Men's Junior Veteran category.
The trip
I started my trip to Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan state at 10.30 am Saturday morning. An hour later, I arrived at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to collect the my bib from CM. Thanks, CM! The goodie bag was sparse of items; It contained only a packet of laundry powder and hair shampoo.
I arrived at the hotel, Angsana Inn at 12.15 pm. Immediately checked in , dropped my bags off and walked to the sports complex to collect my bibs and bibs for 2 more runners; Yong and Liaw. Only a handful of runners were there to collect their bibs.
After that it was lunch at the A&W fast food restaurant. I had a terrible fish burger which consisted of dry fish patty and few small pieces of iceberg lettuce. The root beer which is A&W's trademark drink was too sweet for my taste. Somehow I remembered it used to taste a lot better when I drank it during my school days. What has happened since then? After the meal, I made a resolution to avoid eating fast food ever again.
I will skip what I did on Saturday and write about the race itself.
Sunday
I woke up at 5.15 am, did the usual things to get ready and went down to the hotel lobby at 5.40 am. Yong and Liaw was to meet me at the hotel for their bibs. I decided to wait on the road so they can see me and a short while I saw two guys jogging towards me. It was them.
Since we had plenty of time , I offered the use of the hotel room facilities to them. So we went back up to the room. At 6.15 am, we left the hotel for the 300 m walk to the race reporting area.
The place was packed with runners, the majority of whom were school students. After entering the gate, I came across CM who looked a bit harried. He had volunteered to register and hand out the bibs and now was busy running around looking for the runners.
I was regsistered for the Junior Veteran category(150 medals) but since Petaling runner did not make it to Seremban, I took his race bibs from CM. While waiting for the race start, chatted with Kevin who told me he was still suffering from poisoning.
Race start and first 10 km
Near 6.30 am, the runners gathered on the road for the 6.45 am 21 km flag-off. I estimated there was about 600 runners. Met Kong from Klang who was running a half marathon in ten years.
Without too much ceremony or ad thankfully without any shows, the race started at 6.45 am with the firing of the starter gun. I tried to maintain my speed at the planned pace (10 km - 60 minutes) and resisted the temptation to run faster.
The first 3 km was on the roads leaving Seremban town towards Kuala Klawang. The first 3 km was not pleasant as we ran with the other vehicles. It got better as we moved on the trunk roads running among the villages. When I passed the 5 km mark, my time was 31 min 15 seconds. The pace was just about right for me.
I ran with Yong and Liaw for the first 5 km. There was another guy (tall wearing Nike T-shirt) whom I met at the Nilai race who also paced with us. I forgot his name.
At the 8 km , the first hill sections appeared. This section is a about 1 km long along a winding hill up a incline about 5-10 degree grade. I enjoyed running along this section as it was quite cool due to the trees and plants on the hill slopes.
At the 10 km mark, my time was 1 hr 2 min. 31 seconds , some 2 minutes behind my target pace. But I was not too worried as I was still feeling OK.
10 km to 16 km
At the 12 km , I approached a second hilly section. It was much steeper than the previous hill section and about 1 km long. Last year I had to walked about 200 m here and it was no different this year. I walked again this year but being less fit this year, I walked for a longer distance ,maybe 500 m. However Yong keep going and after some time, he had dissapeared ahead of me.
Last year after walking , I recovered and managed to run faster. But this year , regretfully I could not do the same. I started to run again at the downhill section but at a slower pace.
I struggled to keep running between 12 to 16 km. It was obvious that my lack of training during the weekday had resulted in decreased endurance after 12 km or so.
16 to 21 km
In the last 5 km, the student runners (11 km) rejoined the 21 k m. Half the of the 2 lane road was clogged up the students walking leisurely on the road. Some even sat down at the bus stops or by the road to wait for their friends. As for the 21 km runners, we had bypass them and end up squeezed between them and the cars,. It was damm irritating and dangerous for the serious runners.
I had to walk most of the 5 km distance. The route was even steeper than the last hilly sections. When I tried to sustain a run, invariably there was 5 km traffic a.k.a. students blocking me my path. I decided not to bother running as I estimated my finishing time would be 2 hrs 15 minutes. My right knee had been sore since 16 km and I did not want to worsenthe injury. I estimated my finishing time would be about 2 hrs 15 minutes and it would be good enough to get a medal.
During he last 1 km, I managed to get clear of the students and ran again. I was a bit worried that the runners from the same category woould overtake me, so I ran fast enough to make sure not many did.
I finally crossed the finishing line in 2 hrs 17 min. 16 seconds in 163 position.
My time was way off last years time of 1 hr 58 min but I stil regard it as OK due to lack of consistent training over the last 2 months.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Wednesday - I Want to Run!
I overslept this morning and woke up 1/2 hr late. When I was walking to the bus, there was a noticeable smell of smoke in the air. Is the haze coming again ?
Now I am looking out of the office window and there is a slight haze. But it doesn't matter , I want to run today.
PM20 now has the Jack Daniel Running Formula book and so does PM5 (see 5 July posting).
Now I am looking out of the office window and there is a slight haze. But it doesn't matter , I want to run today.
- Sore legs from the Ipoh 1/2 marathon, ok ? All ok.
- Injured right leg knee, ok ? Not yet but it's improving.
PM20 now has the Jack Daniel Running Formula book and so does PM5 (see 5 July posting).
Sunday 3 July 2005 : Ipoh Half Marathon , Part 2: The Race
This is my final part for the Ipoh half marathon report.
Pre-race
I forgot to bring along an alarm clock to Ipoh but no worries, I had three alarm devices to wake me up. First; the hotel wake-up call, second; mobile phone and the third; my Timex Ironman wristwatch. They were all set to alarm at 5.15 am
I had my a breakfast of orange juice, two bread rolls and a Kit Kat chocolate. By 5.45 am, I was ready but I have to admit my lack of enthusiasm to run this race. The main reason is my injury have not healed yet and with it, the possibility of a Did Not Finish (DNF) result. I was not even sure if the organisers has a sweper bus. Secondly after six weeks of reduced training (20 km a week) , my capability to complete a 21 km run was questionable.
While I was contemplating these unpleasant facts, Loong was getting ready. Secretly, I wanted to do as well as last year's. Perhaps running a sub 2 hrs race (in 2004, 1 hr 57 minutes) again. The reality is I am not fit enough to do this. My race plan was accordingly set to be less ambitious ; to finish the race with a slower time of 2 hrs 05 minutes. According to last years's result, this time would enable me to finish close to the 200th position and get a medal.
Yong came in the room at 6.00 am. I think he wanted to join us to walk to the starting area but he had to leave as Loong was not yet ready.
The Race - Start
At 6.15 am, we took the lift down to the lobby. The Singaporean runners were already in the lobby. Ah Loong and me walked the 100 m distance to the starting area. The compound was already full of runners.
We dropped our reporting cards into a box, had a plastic band tag to our wrist and did our warm up and stretching.
We waited at the normal place where the runners will be let out from the gate and walk about 400 m to the starting line. It was 6.45 am (starting time) and yet the gate was still closed. As soon as the gate opened at about 6.48 am, we were out running to the start line. Everyone was running at though the race had started. Did it start or not ? No one knew.
We reached the starting banner where we were stopped by the officials. The race will start late because there was a "show". The show was an aerobics demonstration by the team from the Ipoh Council which won the national championship. I could not see the show as I was standing in the middle of the crowd. I thought after this team, the race would start but another team came on, supposedly the 2nd runner up or something. I couldn't care less about these side shows as it was now 6.55 am , 10 minutes past the original start date. The runners started to become irritated, restless and many shouted for the race to start. "We are sick seeing these shows". No one said that but I wish someone did.
After these distractions the starter gun was fired than the Perak chief minister at 7.00 am. Maybe he was the reason that the race started late. Malaysian VIPs are notorious for being less than punctual. F**k.
Since the half marathon runners were only about 350 strong, in just 50 m, I was already up and running.
First 10 km
I started running quite fast for the first 2 km or so. Paced with 2 runners, Malay guy (A046) and a Chinese uncle (A0110). The chinese uncle was a older guy, maybe in his late 50's or even 60's. He was bald on top with tufts of grey hair on the side. But this guy can run fast at consistent pace. Even more amazing he ran barefoot. Really hard core!.
For the first 5 km distance to Gunung Rapat , I paced with these two guys. Near the first water station at the 5 km mark, I checked my time ; 26 minutes 40 seconds. It was crazy for me to run at this pace ; equal to 5:20 per km. I took a cup of water a the drink station, walked for about 50 m and then ran again.
I wanted to catch up with the two guys who continued running. I ran a bit faster and caught with them. I was running well and felt I was running within my limits for the first 10 km of a half marathon distance. When I reached 10 km, I checked my time again; 54 minutes. If I could maintain this pace for the half , I would achieve a PR of 1 hr 55 min for Ipoh . What a time, must keep going !
10 to 15 km
Just after the 10 km mark, I suddenly became tired, legs started to become sore (not the knee). Started to struggle to maintain constant pace. Have I hit the wall because I ran too fast? Walked for about 100 m. Yong overtook me somewhere between the 1o to 12 km mark.
I started to run again the 100 m walk. Legs still sore. Checked the time again at 12 km mark. Time : 66 min. Pace was still OK; On target for PR. Must keep going and maintain 5 min 20 sec pace.
Started to get stiches at the diagphram. Pain. Oh no, not PJ again (where I experienced continuous stiches throughout 12 to 21 km).
Breathe in , breathe out. Take deep breaths, breathe out, slow down. Try to maintain even and deep breaths.
Somewhere between the 12 to 15 km, I started to take walk breaks. A PR was now out of reach but I still had a shot getting a medal (top 200) , if I can finish in 2 hrs 05 minutes. Powergel didn't help at all. What was wrong ?
At the 15 km mark, my time was 1 hr 30 minutes. Another 6 km to go. Must run the last 6 km in about 36 minutes. Try damm it!.
15 to 18 km
Between 15 to 18 km I was in a blur. Alternated between running and walking. So tired.
At the worst stretch , I only managed to run 200 m before being forced to stop due to exhaustion. I took my last packet of powergel. Didn't help at all.
I faced up to the reality. Expected finishing time ; 2 hrs 10 minutes or more. No medal.
Just wanted to finish. Not to end up as a Did Not Finish (DNF) runner.
Sharing the misery with me was a Malay guy in yellow vests. He came from Kuala Kangsar. He shuffled (injured) as he walked , swung his arms with all his will. We walked , ran and talked to each other.
19 to 21 km
For the last 2 km, the runners ran on the opposite side of the roads separated by a divider. I could see the traffic light ahead. Just before the traffic light, I had to make a U turn to the other side of the road.
I walked for about 1 km or so saving my energy to make the final push to the finishing line. Just before the U-turn , I started to run again. Just one km more to run.
I kept going and the the straight road section, 500 m away t the finishing line. I ran harder and in fact could accelerate . Huh? Where did this energy come from ?
Crossed the line in a time of 2 hrs 16 min 00 seconds. But still got a medal for finising in 163 rd position.
What went wrong?
I made a mistake of running the first 10 km too fast (54 minutes), even faster than my SJ run time and that was a 10 km run.. I felt comfortable running at this pace and thought I could mantain the same pace for the next 11 km.
But my training or lack of it over the six weeks leading to the Ipoh run did not support my intention to run a sub 2 hrs time.
I cut back my mileage from 60 to 20 km a week. During the 2 weeks to Ipoh, only ran 5 km twice in that period. Did not do a long run for 8 weeks.
I was overconfident that I could make the time , counting on my past experience of running 16 half marathons. That was my mistake.
Pre-race
I forgot to bring along an alarm clock to Ipoh but no worries, I had three alarm devices to wake me up. First; the hotel wake-up call, second; mobile phone and the third; my Timex Ironman wristwatch. They were all set to alarm at 5.15 am
I had my a breakfast of orange juice, two bread rolls and a Kit Kat chocolate. By 5.45 am, I was ready but I have to admit my lack of enthusiasm to run this race. The main reason is my injury have not healed yet and with it, the possibility of a Did Not Finish (DNF) result. I was not even sure if the organisers has a sweper bus. Secondly after six weeks of reduced training (20 km a week) , my capability to complete a 21 km run was questionable.
While I was contemplating these unpleasant facts, Loong was getting ready. Secretly, I wanted to do as well as last year's. Perhaps running a sub 2 hrs race (in 2004, 1 hr 57 minutes) again. The reality is I am not fit enough to do this. My race plan was accordingly set to be less ambitious ; to finish the race with a slower time of 2 hrs 05 minutes. According to last years's result, this time would enable me to finish close to the 200th position and get a medal.
Yong came in the room at 6.00 am. I think he wanted to join us to walk to the starting area but he had to leave as Loong was not yet ready.
The Race - Start
At 6.15 am, we took the lift down to the lobby. The Singaporean runners were already in the lobby. Ah Loong and me walked the 100 m distance to the starting area. The compound was already full of runners.
We dropped our reporting cards into a box, had a plastic band tag to our wrist and did our warm up and stretching.
We waited at the normal place where the runners will be let out from the gate and walk about 400 m to the starting line. It was 6.45 am (starting time) and yet the gate was still closed. As soon as the gate opened at about 6.48 am, we were out running to the start line. Everyone was running at though the race had started. Did it start or not ? No one knew.
We reached the starting banner where we were stopped by the officials. The race will start late because there was a "show". The show was an aerobics demonstration by the team from the Ipoh Council which won the national championship. I could not see the show as I was standing in the middle of the crowd. I thought after this team, the race would start but another team came on, supposedly the 2nd runner up or something. I couldn't care less about these side shows as it was now 6.55 am , 10 minutes past the original start date. The runners started to become irritated, restless and many shouted for the race to start. "We are sick seeing these shows". No one said that but I wish someone did.
After these distractions the starter gun was fired than the Perak chief minister at 7.00 am. Maybe he was the reason that the race started late. Malaysian VIPs are notorious for being less than punctual. F**k.
Since the half marathon runners were only about 350 strong, in just 50 m, I was already up and running.
First 10 km
I started running quite fast for the first 2 km or so. Paced with 2 runners, Malay guy (A046) and a Chinese uncle (A0110). The chinese uncle was a older guy, maybe in his late 50's or even 60's. He was bald on top with tufts of grey hair on the side. But this guy can run fast at consistent pace. Even more amazing he ran barefoot. Really hard core!.
For the first 5 km distance to Gunung Rapat , I paced with these two guys. Near the first water station at the 5 km mark, I checked my time ; 26 minutes 40 seconds. It was crazy for me to run at this pace ; equal to 5:20 per km. I took a cup of water a the drink station, walked for about 50 m and then ran again.
I wanted to catch up with the two guys who continued running. I ran a bit faster and caught with them. I was running well and felt I was running within my limits for the first 10 km of a half marathon distance. When I reached 10 km, I checked my time again; 54 minutes. If I could maintain this pace for the half , I would achieve a PR of 1 hr 55 min for Ipoh . What a time, must keep going !
10 to 15 km
Just after the 10 km mark, I suddenly became tired, legs started to become sore (not the knee). Started to struggle to maintain constant pace. Have I hit the wall because I ran too fast? Walked for about 100 m. Yong overtook me somewhere between the 1o to 12 km mark.
I started to run again the 100 m walk. Legs still sore. Checked the time again at 12 km mark. Time : 66 min. Pace was still OK; On target for PR. Must keep going and maintain 5 min 20 sec pace.
Started to get stiches at the diagphram. Pain. Oh no, not PJ again (where I experienced continuous stiches throughout 12 to 21 km).
Breathe in , breathe out. Take deep breaths, breathe out, slow down. Try to maintain even and deep breaths.
Somewhere between the 12 to 15 km, I started to take walk breaks. A PR was now out of reach but I still had a shot getting a medal (top 200) , if I can finish in 2 hrs 05 minutes. Powergel didn't help at all. What was wrong ?
At the 15 km mark, my time was 1 hr 30 minutes. Another 6 km to go. Must run the last 6 km in about 36 minutes. Try damm it!.
15 to 18 km
Between 15 to 18 km I was in a blur. Alternated between running and walking. So tired.
At the worst stretch , I only managed to run 200 m before being forced to stop due to exhaustion. I took my last packet of powergel. Didn't help at all.
I faced up to the reality. Expected finishing time ; 2 hrs 10 minutes or more. No medal.
Just wanted to finish. Not to end up as a Did Not Finish (DNF) runner.
Sharing the misery with me was a Malay guy in yellow vests. He came from Kuala Kangsar. He shuffled (injured) as he walked , swung his arms with all his will. We walked , ran and talked to each other.
19 to 21 km
For the last 2 km, the runners ran on the opposite side of the roads separated by a divider. I could see the traffic light ahead. Just before the traffic light, I had to make a U turn to the other side of the road.
I walked for about 1 km or so saving my energy to make the final push to the finishing line. Just before the U-turn , I started to run again. Just one km more to run.
I kept going and the the straight road section, 500 m away t the finishing line. I ran harder and in fact could accelerate . Huh? Where did this energy come from ?
Crossed the line in a time of 2 hrs 16 min 00 seconds. But still got a medal for finising in 163 rd position.
What went wrong?
I made a mistake of running the first 10 km too fast (54 minutes), even faster than my SJ run time and that was a 10 km run.. I felt comfortable running at this pace and thought I could mantain the same pace for the next 11 km.
But my training or lack of it over the six weeks leading to the Ipoh run did not support my intention to run a sub 2 hrs time.
I cut back my mileage from 60 to 20 km a week. During the 2 weeks to Ipoh, only ran 5 km twice in that period. Did not do a long run for 8 weeks.
I was overconfident that I could make the time , counting on my past experience of running 16 half marathons. That was my mistake.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Sunday 3 July 2005 : Ipoh Half Marathon , Part 1: Saturday
Part 1 is about the trip and the Saturday in Ipoh. Part 2 will cover the race itself.
Sunday was the Ipoh half marathon. I ran this race and it taught me a lesson of sorts although I had to run a hard 21 km race to learn it.
Saturday - the Trip to Ipoh
The "Captain" Ronnie had made all the car pool arrangements a few days before Saturday. Me and Kenny was to travel in CM's car. Ronnie, Rachel and Ah Loong in Jason's car. Kenny and Ah Loong would be running their first half marathon.
I took the commuter train from Klang to KL Sentral and met Kenny. We waited for CM in front of Starbucks cafe. While waiting, I received a call from Jason who said he had arrived at KL Sentral. But where was he ? I took off to find his car but I couldn't find him. I decided to walk to Starbucks where I met Kenny and CM. We planned to drive around to look for Jason but then CM saw Jason. He had parked his car on the road opposite us but it was hidden by a low concrete wall. Together we set off to Ronnie's flat and reached his place at about 12.20 pm.
We greeted Rachel's mother outside the flat and then sat down to inspect a box filled with his medals. Had orange juice and talked for ahile. Then we set off to pick up Ah Loong at a bus stop.
It rained very heavily throughout the journey. At about 2.30 pm, we stopped at Tapah R & R area where Ronnie's group had waited for us. We had lunch and lingered for a while, time was running short and we still had 1 more hour to Ipoh.
Saturday - Bib Collection at Ipoh
We took the junction to Ipoh Utara where by mutual agreement, I was assigned as the Navigator. Despite my vague recollection of the route to the Ipoh Council building where the bibs were issued, we eventually ended at up the council.
By now, the rain had become a downpour and we rushed inside to seek shelter under the tents. Since most of us had registered on line, we had to get the receipts from the "IT system"@database located in portacabin. A group of of about 1 dozen runners formed a disorganised queue to hand over our identification cards, registration printouts and verbal shouting of names. Ronnie did not get his registered 10 km race and ended up with a 21 km receipt. I was hoping to register for the 10 km instead of the 21 km but a sign read "Cat H sold out". That was it for me ; I had to run 21 km despite inadequate training over the past six weeks and knee injury.
By now, of a group of hapless Thai runners (10 persons) were gathered wondering how they were going to get their bibs. I wanted to help them out out my feelings of kinship as a fellow runner (the cute girls in the group did not influence this desire , if you believe me) but alas none of them spoke English. An official took one of the passports and went into the portacabin. He emerged a few minutes later but failed to make himself understood to the Thai runners. An English speaking Thai runner came along to sort this out.
One hour later at 5.30 pm, we finally managed to get bibs for everyone as we huddled under the tents against the rain and strong winds. We were finally finished with the mess of collecting the bibs and it was a mess, we proceeded to Syuen hotel to check in.
After we had all checked in, Tey@Ultraman. came down to meet us. He was the going to the Ipoh Foodie for us and it appears later to many others to guide us for the pleasures of Ipoh cuisine. He introduced us to a group of 20 runners from Singapore, SAFRA.
Saturday - Night Food Attack
At 7.00 pm, we walked out to the streets with Tey as the guide. Ipoh is famous for its Chines food but I could not eat the dishes as they were non Halal. Ah Loong volunteered to keep me company for dinners. We ended at a in South Indian restaurant , Syambu. All I can say, is Indian food is not one of Ipoh's highlights. I finished of a basic meal of rice, fish and overcooked and limp vegetables. Ah Loong had roti canai telur. Surely this is not enough for him to run 21 km the next morning ?
It was not. We walked around until we came to street wit Chinese food stalls. Ah Loong had rice porridge and Air Batu Campur (ABC) and myself, ABC. There were also other runners at the food stalls.
The rest of the night ,Ah Loong and I stayed in the hotel room. Yong dropped by 9.45 pm to collect the bibs which I had taken for him.
Lights out at 10.30 pm.
11.30 pm - phone rings , it was Ronnie asking about tomorrow's return trip travel arrangements.
Peace and quiet after that.
Part 2 : Race report coming up in 1 or 2 days......
Sunday was the Ipoh half marathon. I ran this race and it taught me a lesson of sorts although I had to run a hard 21 km race to learn it.
Saturday - the Trip to Ipoh
The "Captain" Ronnie had made all the car pool arrangements a few days before Saturday. Me and Kenny was to travel in CM's car. Ronnie, Rachel and Ah Loong in Jason's car. Kenny and Ah Loong would be running their first half marathon.
I took the commuter train from Klang to KL Sentral and met Kenny. We waited for CM in front of Starbucks cafe. While waiting, I received a call from Jason who said he had arrived at KL Sentral. But where was he ? I took off to find his car but I couldn't find him. I decided to walk to Starbucks where I met Kenny and CM. We planned to drive around to look for Jason but then CM saw Jason. He had parked his car on the road opposite us but it was hidden by a low concrete wall. Together we set off to Ronnie's flat and reached his place at about 12.20 pm.
We greeted Rachel's mother outside the flat and then sat down to inspect a box filled with his medals. Had orange juice and talked for ahile. Then we set off to pick up Ah Loong at a bus stop.
It rained very heavily throughout the journey. At about 2.30 pm, we stopped at Tapah R & R area where Ronnie's group had waited for us. We had lunch and lingered for a while, time was running short and we still had 1 more hour to Ipoh.
Saturday - Bib Collection at Ipoh
We took the junction to Ipoh Utara where by mutual agreement, I was assigned as the Navigator. Despite my vague recollection of the route to the Ipoh Council building where the bibs were issued, we eventually ended at up the council.
By now, the rain had become a downpour and we rushed inside to seek shelter under the tents. Since most of us had registered on line, we had to get the receipts from the "IT system"@database located in portacabin. A group of of about 1 dozen runners formed a disorganised queue to hand over our identification cards, registration printouts and verbal shouting of names. Ronnie did not get his registered 10 km race and ended up with a 21 km receipt. I was hoping to register for the 10 km instead of the 21 km but a sign read "Cat H sold out". That was it for me ; I had to run 21 km despite inadequate training over the past six weeks and knee injury.
By now, of a group of hapless Thai runners (10 persons) were gathered wondering how they were going to get their bibs. I wanted to help them out out my feelings of kinship as a fellow runner (the cute girls in the group did not influence this desire , if you believe me) but alas none of them spoke English. An official took one of the passports and went into the portacabin. He emerged a few minutes later but failed to make himself understood to the Thai runners. An English speaking Thai runner came along to sort this out.
One hour later at 5.30 pm, we finally managed to get bibs for everyone as we huddled under the tents against the rain and strong winds. We were finally finished with the mess of collecting the bibs and it was a mess, we proceeded to Syuen hotel to check in.
After we had all checked in, Tey@Ultraman. came down to meet us. He was the going to the Ipoh Foodie for us and it appears later to many others to guide us for the pleasures of Ipoh cuisine. He introduced us to a group of 20 runners from Singapore, SAFRA.
Saturday - Night Food Attack
At 7.00 pm, we walked out to the streets with Tey as the guide. Ipoh is famous for its Chines food but I could not eat the dishes as they were non Halal. Ah Loong volunteered to keep me company for dinners. We ended at a in South Indian restaurant , Syambu. All I can say, is Indian food is not one of Ipoh's highlights. I finished of a basic meal of rice, fish and overcooked and limp vegetables. Ah Loong had roti canai telur. Surely this is not enough for him to run 21 km the next morning ?
It was not. We walked around until we came to street wit Chinese food stalls. Ah Loong had rice porridge and Air Batu Campur (ABC) and myself, ABC. There were also other runners at the food stalls.
The rest of the night ,Ah Loong and I stayed in the hotel room. Yong dropped by 9.45 pm to collect the bibs which I had taken for him.
Lights out at 10.30 pm.
11.30 pm - phone rings , it was Ronnie asking about tomorrow's return trip travel arrangements.
Peace and quiet after that.
Part 2 : Race report coming up in 1 or 2 days......
Friday, July 01, 2005
Layoff from Running
Yesterday I ran at KLCC park with the gang. It was a big group - Justin, Kenneth, Newton, Ronnie , Adam and myself. After the run, as usual we gathered around the "Bench" to talk.
This weekend I will running the Ipoh race. I had registered for the 21 km but now will have to switch to the 10 km. The reason for the switch is I still have an injured right knee.
As mentioned before, I injured ny right knee (torn meniscus) in March 2001. Since that time , it has been stable, not healed but it still allowed me to run most days of week (8-10 km/day) and also run 21 km races. However when I ran the 22 May NB-Pacesetter over a hilly route, the injury have become much worse.
Even after 5 weeks of reduced training (20 km/week) and no long runs (20 km), my knee has not improved much. It's time to take a more drastic action by NOT running for a few weeks.
I have decided to stop running for at least 3 weeks after the Ipoh race. I will have to skip tthe Seremban half marathon (10 July - registered) , Power run (24 July - registered) and the Klang 10 km race (31 July). I hate missing out on these races especially for Seremban as I enjoy running this longer distances than 10 km.
Hopefully after 3 weeks layoff, I will be OK or at least recover to the point where I can resume normal training. In the meantime, my exercise will be limited to walking.
It's going to be very hard to restrain and discpline myself not to run and not to do more. For many people, it is the opposite , it is diffcult for them to start and keep exercising but for endurance junkies like me, exercise especially running is integrated into my life. Without it, a part of what me as a human being /person is missing.
This weekend I will running the Ipoh race. I had registered for the 21 km but now will have to switch to the 10 km. The reason for the switch is I still have an injured right knee.
As mentioned before, I injured ny right knee (torn meniscus) in March 2001. Since that time , it has been stable, not healed but it still allowed me to run most days of week (8-10 km/day) and also run 21 km races. However when I ran the 22 May NB-Pacesetter over a hilly route, the injury have become much worse.
Even after 5 weeks of reduced training (20 km/week) and no long runs (20 km), my knee has not improved much. It's time to take a more drastic action by NOT running for a few weeks.
I have decided to stop running for at least 3 weeks after the Ipoh race. I will have to skip tthe Seremban half marathon (10 July - registered) , Power run (24 July - registered) and the Klang 10 km race (31 July). I hate missing out on these races especially for Seremban as I enjoy running this longer distances than 10 km.
Hopefully after 3 weeks layoff, I will be OK or at least recover to the point where I can resume normal training. In the meantime, my exercise will be limited to walking.
It's going to be very hard to restrain and discpline myself not to run and not to do more. For many people, it is the opposite , it is diffcult for them to start and keep exercising but for endurance junkies like me, exercise especially running is integrated into my life. Without it, a part of what me as a human being /person is missing.
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