Gunung Nuang 12-hour Endurence Run - My first ultra trail distance

Ummm…. Consider the options below:

	Option 1	Option 2
Date	3 MAR 2013	3 MAR 2013
Event	Brooks Half Marathon	Gunung Nuang Endurance Run
Entry Fee (early bird)	RM63	RM130
Distance	21km (a distance that I run every weekend)	Minimum 40km, run as many complete loops within 12 hours.
Route surface & condition	Tar road, barefoot-friendly	Trail, barefoot-unfriendly.
Qualifying time	None	12 hrs to complete min 40km
Elevation gain	~330m (est from last year route)	2120m (almost like climbing Gunung Tahan)
Driving time to venue	3 minutes	40 minutes
Possible placing	Top 15 (Jr Veteran)?	??
Organiser	Bukit Jalil Running Club	Ultra Running Malaysia

I could choose option 1 or option 2. Of course there was option 3: choose neither and do nothing.

I chose option 2.

Nothing against option 1, really. I just need to get out of my comfort zone and get new experience.

Trail running is really not my specialty. I have little experience on trail. But I had to take it to the next level for the experience or I would never do.

The venue was at Gunung Nuang, Pangsun, Hulu Langat. The rule of the event: run minimum 4 loops within 12 hours. Each loop is 10km of trail, 5km up and 5km down. The elevation gain was about 530m in 5km up. Total elevation in 4 loops would be 2120m, almost the height of Gunung Tahan.

What was I thinking?

After a few trips to Gunung Nuang to train, I found myself standing in front of the starting line.

Just before the race start, I met some familiar faces as well as new friends.

Some barefoot/minimalist runners. (Photos by Chuah Sakura)

I met Deborah from Penang at the starting line. She is a strong runner and would eventually go on to win this.

I decided to wear VFF and Merrell Sonic Glove for this race. Both are of minimalist in nature in order to protect my soles from the difficult terrain of gravel rocks, boulders, uneven muddy and slippery trail

The race started on time at 6:00am. Runners would wear headlight to see in pitch-dark trail. The climb was a difficult one because of the steepness and rocky terrain at many stretches.

I ran the first lap carefully. But still had some missteps into muddy puddles. Other than that, I completed my first lap in 1:14.

Starting my second lap (Photo: Vivien Tay)

The second lap was about the same timing. In this lap I accidentally kicked a rock and I felt some pain on my toe but thought there wasn’t much damage. So I just continued on.

By the third lap, my VFF was getting wet from the perspiration and the water that I poured on my head to cool down every time I got to the small stream at the U-turn at 5km mark.

Photo by Vivien Tay

The wet VFF began to cause some chaffing on my left foot. The chaffing made my running really painful. I stopped at the U-turn check point on my third lap and asked for Vaseline. Unfortunately they didn’t have it and I settled for a plaster. The volunteer told me to look for the medical support personnel at 2.2km mark. I tried to look for them but didn’t see them on that lap.

It was a really difficult lap for me and I began to slow even on downhill. But every time I met fellow runners face-on, I picked up a few extra bit of energy to carry on. I could see their determination, not matter how slow they were going. Also the photographers, some would smile; some would say hi and urged me on. Extra encouragement from Winnie when I stopped and told her it was a difficult to continue on. She told me I could do it and gave me a little hug.

Still can smile for the camera (Photo: Chuah Sakura)

At end of lap 3, I rested at the chalet rest area. Got Vaseline from Shine (a saver), and Karen offered me a bowl of porridge. After re-charging, I changed out my VFF to Merrell barefoot shoes (oxymoron) and started my fourth lap.

I completed my first 3 laps in 4:07. My target initially was only 4 laps, anything beyond that would be a bonus really. So I didn’t really push it at my 4^th lap.  Unfortunately I kicked a rock accidentally for a second time. And the pain this time was worse than the first time. I feared the worst (broken toe) then. Luckily the pain would subside and I knew it wasn’t broken. But at that time, I just slowed down and didn’t want to aggravate the injury.  

I completed the fourth lap in a little bit less than 2 hours. It was enough to earn a finisher medal and T-shirt. I took a brief rest and decided to go out one more time to make it 50km.

The last lap was really no pressure and it was the most relaxed lap that I ran that day. I was getting tired and the temperature was rising with the sun shining hot. I finished my 50km in 8 hours 12 minutes. When I took off by Merrell, I saw my toe was swelling. I knew I had sprained my toe after kicking the rock twice. It was really an unusual injury for me. I hoped then it was not too serious.

I took my deserved rest at the rest area at the chalet. I ate some chocolate wafer and drank a lot of water to recover. Thanks to Cally also for a recovery drink.

The finisher medal.

After the rest, I took a shower and went home satisfied with the run. It was my first ultra-trail race, albeit only 50km compared to much recognized 100km.

Eating granola bar on the run (Photo: Vivien)

I felt that I did well on hydration and food strategy. I didn’t take any Powerbar or Powergel although I did bring them in my hydration bag. I was taking water (with electrolytes) in small sips while running. I took granola bars while climbing steep hills (walking). In the end, I didn’t feel thirsty or particularly hungry.

I gave encouragement to other runners as well. Some of them looked exhausted and just sat on the trail. I stopped and asked them if they were ok.

Overall good organisation of the run. Some good points:

1.       Good medal design.
2.       Great support from the volunteer and crew.

3.       Good venue.

4.       Challenging route.

5.       Good supply of food and water at start/finish rest area

Areas of improvement:

1.       No signs at two crucial junctions. One before W1 and one before W2. Had a chat with the runner who ran off course because of no signage. He said he wasted 30 minutes on the first lap because of turning into wrong trail. It’s a pity as I already informed the organizer about the need of a signage before the two junctions.

2.       Ran out of water at the U-turn. I think it was around 1.30pm on my fifth lap when some runners was advising the other runners that no more water at U-turn point. Then I was there, I was the volunteers rushing down to transport water up with motorcycle.

3.       Medical support. There weren’t any medical personnel along the route for the first 2 laps if I remember correctly. I thought there should be some stationed at the U-turn if not along the route.

The swollen and sprained toe and the chaffed area on my left foot.

Penang Bridge International Marathon 2012 - Running the "old" bridge for the last time

Crossing the finishing line (photo courtesy of PBIM 2012)

As I was running down the nicely-laid blue-carpet finishing straight, I guessed I was in Top 15 position for Men's Veteran. As for how well did I do, I wasn't sure untill I crossed the finishing line.

I came in to this PBIM 2012 with the nostalgia of my previous Full Marathon here in 2009. It was a run of my life then. The first time I broke sub-4 timing and I did it quite unexpectedly. It was only my second FM then after finished my first in a time of 4:40.

Having missed this event last year due to family commitment, I was not going to miss this again as this would be the last time PBIM would be ran on this bridge. My wife also took part in only her fourth half marathon.

Having arrived early on Thursday, the race pack collection was a breeze for me. The event this year saw around 34,500 registered participants. Actual number of runners on race day could be lower, but still this would make this event the biggest turnout marathon event in Malaysia.

I arrived just before midnight. The event venue was already full of people. Outdoor carpark already 60% full and some people already parked at road side. Arrive early at the race venue was very important to avoid the stress of finding parking or traffic jam.

With some fellow barefoot runners before the race. Kahwai, me, Sarah,Jason, Michael.(photo courtesy Kahwai & Jason)

As there was still time before the race start, I managed to meet up with some runner friends, some of them are barefoot runners doing their maiden full marathon. There were quite a number of other barefoot runners in various categories this year. I estimated around 16. It seemed trivial and negligible number if compared to normal shod runners, but it was quite a crowd with the barefoot runners get together to meet up and take group photo session. I was happy to meet so many barefoot runners, some for the first time here.

More barefoot runners before the race.(photo courtesy Kahwai & Jason)

The race started on time for the full marathon at 2:00am. The weather condition was clear, warm and humid. It had not rained since I arrived in Penang. Before the race started, I could see the shining stars in the clear sky, signalling a hot race ahead.

I was following the 3:30 pacer from the start. Having trained for the 3:30 target, I decided to give it a go. Although that was my target, I approached the race with "expect nothing, prepare for everything" kind of mentality. Race preparation on the training part, I had already done and nothing much I could do to change that. So I just need to prepare for potential conditions during the race. If I fell short of my target, I won't feel bad as long as I had prepared and run the best that I can.

The first 2 kms was at around 4:30/km pace, so I decided to slow down and not follow the pacer closely. I knew that pace would not last me for long. The split at the 4km U-turn was 18:53. It was a bit fast pace than I have expected. From there, the runners were heading towards the bridge.

I stayed on the white lines most of the time in this race as some parts of the course was really roughly or with pebbles. However, the white line bridge was not all smooth. There were some small little "humps" at every 10m interval.

On the bridge, there wasn't much breeze. The race was getting warmer from then on. The split time for me at 10km was 49:04.

At the next water stop, the volunteers were giving out water in their original plastic bottle. Although in normal circumstances, I would not like it, but it was a good thing to have. I grabbed the bottle and poured the water on my head and body to cool down. I was still carrying the bottle along the section of the bridge until the next water station where a new bottle is available. For the remainder of the race, I was cooling myself by doing the same,

The U-turn near the mainland toll booth was about 19km mark. After the U-turn, I moved ahead of the 3:30 pacer. He was slowing down and showing sign of trouble. So I left with no one to pace with and had to rely on myself for the rest of the race.

Coming back to the island on the bridge was a surprise as I started to overtake many fast runners who started strongly. It looked like the warm weather could have affected them. Having trained with a plastic water bottle in my hand while running was a good thing. I have learnt to hold it lightly without spilling the water and putting too much strain on my arms.

Then came the dreaded section of going towards Georgetown after the bridge section. This part of the course was mentally-draining. It was uninteresting section with 3 flyovers to tackle (6 in total for the return). This section also was the roughest for the barefoot runners. However, I was able to keep my pace until 33km U-turn point.

Three kms after the U-turn (~36km mark), my pace began to drop. There was no more water bottle available for me and the water stations seems to be too far apart. My body was heated up and my arms were getting numb. This was a sign of running out of fuel or an inflection point for me normally toward the end of the FM.

At around 37km mark, I met up with the half marathoners who were blocking the full marathoners path. It was not easy to thread my way through these runners. This time, I did it more patiently but it didn't help me to get back on target pace.

I could guess I was off the 3:30 target finish time since I started slowing down. With the sea of half marathoners in front of me, the job was not getting easier. I just did the best that I could and was really happy to see the last 1km sign.

Boy, the last 1km still lasted forever for me. I knew the course quite well, but still, the last 1 km seemed to last a lifetime. As I was running down the nicely-laid blue-carpet finishing straight, I guessed I was in Top 15 position for Men's Veteran. Then, upon finishing the race with a time of 3:34:24, I was given a winners' tag of 7th placing, enough to get a trophy and my first cash prize, for my best ever finish in a road race event.

I was really exhausted at the finish and almost fainted. Still amazed at myself for able to stay on my feet. I immediately asked for water. However, the volunteers directed me to the full marathoners' tent to collect my medal and goodies. I immediately took the water bottle from them and gulped it down. I knew I was a spent force and decided to take a free massage provided by the organiser to rest.

I met up with my wife late who finished her half marathon in 2:45. She suffered from knee pain and cramps on both legs. I did some stretching for her to relieve her cramps and gave her isotonic drinks.

I purposely wore and showed off the Bare With Me T-shirt in the prize-giving ceremony. (photo courtesy of my wife)

We just rested near the runners tent to wait for prize ceremony. It happened around 7:20am and I collected my trophy and cash, took some photos and went back. Had to miss the group photo session with the barefoot runners. Congratulations and well-done to fellow barefoot runners who completed their run regardless of finishing time. Some were doing their maiden full marathon here.

Fellow barefoot runners in PBIM 2012 post-race. (not all were present in this shot, photo courtesy Rich Chai)

It was a good event this year. Quite well-organised. Thanks to all the volunteers and sponsors. I still dislike the part where half and full marathon runners merge around 37km mark. Maybe one more water station at Jelutong highway would be better as well.

See you all on the new Penang bridge next year! Teaser here of what should be coming for next PBIM in 2013!

Photo of new Penang bridge in the making at ~75% completion (photo courtesy of Leong Kwan Weng)

Total distance of second bridge is ~24km one-way, compared to existing bridge at 14km.

Terry Fox Run KL 2012 - Route Map

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Terry Fox Run KL 2012 - Calling for volunteers

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Terry Fox Run KL 2012 - T-shirt sale locations

 

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T-shirt sale also available on event day, but availability of sizes may vary. Don't wait! Get yours quick!

Thank you for supporting.

Ipoh KRI Annual Road Race 2012 - Race Report

 

My first trophy received on stage in KRI 21km. (Photo by Chung Meing Ling)

This is the first time I got a trophy for my effort in a road race after running for 4 years. It was also my first time running an road race event in Ipoh. It was an enjoyable outing for me because I got to spend some good time with fellow barefoot runners, Master Tan Wah Sing, Rich Chai and sons, Lee Chung Wah and KF Chong.

I went to Ipoh with Rich Chai and sons. We met up with Master Tan, Lee Chung Wah and KF Chong in Ipoh. We spent the night before in a famous hawker centre near Ipoh Garden, having simple meal for dinner while chit-chatting.

The morning of the race was rainy. Luckily the rain drizzled out as the race began. I joined the 21km which started earlier. This was the first time the half marathon was held by KRI (Kelab Roadrunner Ipoh) and also the first time timing chip was used.

Having chalked up good time in PJ Half Marathon a week ago, I was also feeling quite good in this race and ran at a reasonable fast pace at the beginning. at about 4km mark, Master Tan overtook me. He starts slow normally in race but can get to fast pace after a few kms. I see him as my role model both in running and as a person.

The route was a flat one, but it was rough in a few sections. Being a barefooter, the disadvantage is that I cannot really speed at these sections. In some sections along Jalan Kuala Kangsar, it was quite dangerous as no traffic cones nor marshal.

Approaching the finishing line (Photo by Shirley Sohg)

But I was about to maintain good pace on average throughput my run and finished in 1:36:35 (official gun time) for 11th place, just 5 seconds from 10th place. It was enough to get a trophy as I managed to get top15 placing.

It was a well-organised event. The comments I can say was the water stations for 21km runners could have at least one more and some sections (Jalan Kuala Kangsar) do need more road marshals.

But what was more memorable was the good time spent with fellow runners at this event. Special thanks to Rich for the carpool and to Lee and wife for their hospitality and bring us around for good food in Ipoh. Maybe next year, I will join this event again.

PJ Half Marathon 2012 - Race Report

Photo courtesy of Penonton

I never really focused on training for half marathon races. All my training so far is targeted for running a full marathon. My next full marathon will be PBIM 2012 in November. This PJ Half Marathon 2012 was more of a warm-up race for me.

PJ Half Marathon 2012 was a well-organised event. This year the starting time was at 5:30am. This was a good move as last year the event started about 6:30am that caused most runners ran under the hot sun shinning into their eyes for the 2nd half of the race.

I started the race pacing with Tang Chee Choon. He also trains in Bukit Jalil. I was feeling quite strong but restrain myself so not to over commit myself too early in the race.

Then at around 4-6km, I overtook a few runners. At about 8km mark, iron woman Julie Foreman overtook me after pacing couple of kms alongside Tang and I. She also overtook me around the same area last year.

I think I surged a little forward from Tang then. However, Hong Zi-Shen who started just besides me overtook me shortly after. At about maybe 11km, ironman Richard Tang also zoomed past me and I couldn't follow. If there was any bad patches, this was it. My pace slowed at this stretch on the way to the U-turn near Terminal 2. The race become quite a lonely one for me.

After the U-turn, I increased my pace again and able to overtook a couple of runners. At the last 1 km, I catched up with Richard and was within 50m of him. I thought I should wait until near the finish before I tried to make a move. But I left it too late. I finished just a few seconds behind him.

My official result:

Gun Time: 1:34:32 (My Personal Best)
Rank: 8th (Men Jr Veteran), unfortunately no trophy nor cash prize. I'm still waiting for my first trophy or cash prize.

Overall good organisation of the event. The traffic control was a lot better than last year. Runners was diverted to run on the rightmost lane on the way to Terminal 2 on airport road and on the leftmost lane on the way back. Thus avoided cars that needs to turn to the left exit of junctions to Glenmarie, Ara Damansara, Plus highway.


The course is relatively flat and you can set fast time here. As for me, I didn't really think too much about doing well actually before the race. It was a pleasant surprise that I managed to improve my time by about 5 minutes compared to last year.

Maybe, just maybe, next year I can match Julie Foreman or Richard's pace. I will try-lah.