Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2009
This was my 3rd marathon so i was well prepared. Yes you can only prepare ...
I was at Dataran at about 4.15am. I had with me only 3 powergels since the organisers - OTAKGONE promised bananas throughout the run and powergels at 30km. I also had with me a packet full of kurma.
To everyone's surprise it started to drizzling 10 minutes before the start time and when we were at the starting line it started to pour. All I could do is to protect my shoe by slightly bending. I should have brought the "finger socks"with me. The atmosphere was upbeat, there were lot's of people, the 2000 quoted could be right. All I had in my mind was to complete the run as planned.
The gun went off, not sure who fired, definitely not Datin Rosmah (at 5am, I doubt!!!) and all of us were off. Amazingly, the rain stopped. It was a blessing after all. We had a wonderful morning breeze which was perfect for running. I was actually holding myself for a pee because I couldn't do it before the race as all the toilets were out of water and tissues - i need to be "clean" so that i can pray. Maybe because of this extra preasure, my pace was about 6.20. At about 5km, we came across a mamak shop and managed to relieved myself. Immediately my pace improved to about 6.00. At 10km i had to go for the big one pulak!!!. According to the original plan I should have done this immediately after i wake up ... but who got control over these things. So my pit stop had to be at Masjid Alam Shah (originally planned for Tabung Haji) at km13 and it took me 8 minutes ...
When I restarted, pacing improved further to about 5.40 and continued at sub 6 for the next few kms. At 20km my time was 2hr 11mins. At 30km my time was 3hr 11mins. I was overtaking some of the guys who ran with me before the big pit stop. I felt great, the same feeling i had during the GE30km. I thought I can do something.
But disaster started to show some signs, first my nose tape (Breath Right) came off which made breathing a bit difficult. At about 33km we came across one of the first elevation, i did it in a breeze, but i felt my legs getting heavier. This happens sometimes when I go beyond 30km but naturally when you slow down a bit you can still run but with some pain. But this was something else, this is what i felt in Lumut last year, and yes it was a cramp. I saw some guys resting on the dividers and joined them. We shared the counterpain cream and one of them had a 1.5L 100 plus. By this time i know 4.30 is near impossible. But I tried to continue as soon as possible and I did. the other guys were saying, relax bro, you got nothing to chase ... Yes! True! but I brisk walked anyway. The pain was unbearable. I was hopping the next water station i can get a good recovery. The water station came and from distance the table looked empty but impossible i thought. As i came closer, the impossible had happened, they have run out of water. I didn't know how to react, i just run pass the water station in pain. I was wondering should there a fruit station as well....there were none till the finish line (and also after the finish line).
To cut the story short, here is last 10km's story ...
32 - 5.57: On route to sub 4.30
33 - 6.20: Disaster Struck
34 - 6.49: Hanging on ... hopping to recover
35 - 8.26: Stopped. Met Tey, managed to smile for a few shots ...
36 - 8.48: walked ... no water
37 - 8.25: walked slightly faster
38 - 8.15: walk, walk, walk ...run ... maybe here, another station without water.
39 - 7.03: walk, run
40 - 6.53: maintain walk, run
41 - 7.02: hanging on, i thought i'll be finishing 5hr. There were some officials (angels!!!) pouring 100 plus for us. I thanked him few times ...
42 - 6.53: Final push - nothing left to push actually.
43 - 7.02: Looked at the total time, it was 4.40 ... so happy. But still cursing why it is more than 42???
Run Stats
Total Time 4hr 45mins,
Max HR: 178 (96%)
Ave HR: 161 (87%) - hopping for 85%
Max Pace: 3.02 - maybe just for a second...
Ave Pace: 6.37 - despite the walk, not bad ...
Calories: 3374
KM35 - With Fellow cramper ...
... moving on (pose je ... as if i am running ...)
... excuse me, legs were as stiff as a wood ...
I was at Dataran at about 4.15am. I had with me only 3 powergels since the organisers - OTAKGONE promised bananas throughout the run and powergels at 30km. I also had with me a packet full of kurma.
To everyone's surprise it started to drizzling 10 minutes before the start time and when we were at the starting line it started to pour. All I could do is to protect my shoe by slightly bending. I should have brought the "finger socks"with me. The atmosphere was upbeat, there were lot's of people, the 2000 quoted could be right. All I had in my mind was to complete the run as planned.
The gun went off, not sure who fired, definitely not Datin Rosmah (at 5am, I doubt!!!) and all of us were off. Amazingly, the rain stopped. It was a blessing after all. We had a wonderful morning breeze which was perfect for running. I was actually holding myself for a pee because I couldn't do it before the race as all the toilets were out of water and tissues - i need to be "clean" so that i can pray. Maybe because of this extra preasure, my pace was about 6.20. At about 5km, we came across a mamak shop and managed to relieved myself. Immediately my pace improved to about 6.00. At 10km i had to go for the big one pulak!!!. According to the original plan I should have done this immediately after i wake up ... but who got control over these things. So my pit stop had to be at Masjid Alam Shah (originally planned for Tabung Haji) at km13 and it took me 8 minutes ...
When I restarted, pacing improved further to about 5.40 and continued at sub 6 for the next few kms. At 20km my time was 2hr 11mins. At 30km my time was 3hr 11mins. I was overtaking some of the guys who ran with me before the big pit stop. I felt great, the same feeling i had during the GE30km. I thought I can do something.
But disaster started to show some signs, first my nose tape (Breath Right) came off which made breathing a bit difficult. At about 33km we came across one of the first elevation, i did it in a breeze, but i felt my legs getting heavier. This happens sometimes when I go beyond 30km but naturally when you slow down a bit you can still run but with some pain. But this was something else, this is what i felt in Lumut last year, and yes it was a cramp. I saw some guys resting on the dividers and joined them. We shared the counterpain cream and one of them had a 1.5L 100 plus. By this time i know 4.30 is near impossible. But I tried to continue as soon as possible and I did. the other guys were saying, relax bro, you got nothing to chase ... Yes! True! but I brisk walked anyway. The pain was unbearable. I was hopping the next water station i can get a good recovery. The water station came and from distance the table looked empty but impossible i thought. As i came closer, the impossible had happened, they have run out of water. I didn't know how to react, i just run pass the water station in pain. I was wondering should there a fruit station as well....there were none till the finish line (and also after the finish line).
To cut the story short, here is last 10km's story ...
32 - 5.57: On route to sub 4.30
33 - 6.20: Disaster Struck
34 - 6.49: Hanging on ... hopping to recover
35 - 8.26: Stopped. Met Tey, managed to smile for a few shots ...
36 - 8.48: walked ... no water
37 - 8.25: walked slightly faster
38 - 8.15: walk, walk, walk ...run ... maybe here, another station without water.
39 - 7.03: walk, run
40 - 6.53: maintain walk, run
41 - 7.02: hanging on, i thought i'll be finishing 5hr. There were some officials (angels!!!) pouring 100 plus for us. I thanked him few times ...
42 - 6.53: Final push - nothing left to push actually.
43 - 7.02: Looked at the total time, it was 4.40 ... so happy. But still cursing why it is more than 42???
Run Stats
Total Time 4hr 45mins,
Max HR: 178 (96%)
Ave HR: 161 (87%) - hopping for 85%
Max Pace: 3.02 - maybe just for a second...
Ave Pace: 6.37 - despite the walk, not bad ...
Calories: 3374
KM35 - With Fellow cramper ...
... moving on (pose je ... as if i am running ...)
... excuse me, legs were as stiff as a wood ...(All pictures are from Tey : http://pmtey2.multiply.com)
PS: Next post in 3 months time. Happy Ramadhan, Happy Eid & Happy New Year (just in case).
posted by The Eraser @ Wednesday, July 01, 2009
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