17th January 2010. (Sunday). It is time to start running the New Balance 2010 30km Pacesetter course.
Having only vaguely familiar with Taman Tasik Perdana, we parked our car at Bukit Aman only to realized that we have to walk another 700m to the Padang Merbok. It was early for the 20km start, my chronometer showed 5:15 am. Well, it was a long drive since I woke up 4:18am. My breakfast consisted of Dunkin Donut, Banana, and flushed down with plain water.
We just entered Padang Merbok when I asked my wife “Isn’t it strangely quiet for a run, where’s the music?” . Then, as we marched in closer, we could hear the briefing and calls of elite 30km runners to fill the front lines. “ahh, turned off the music so that the runners can hear the marshals” I thought to myself. This was forgotten by the previous run aka 15km Kelab Penembak and left many wondering what was going on.
After that, we bumped into a photographer friend of ours as he waited for his gf gun starts. The Kenyans blasted away fast and that was the last time I saw them. We chatted with my friend, Wong, and suddenly my coach ran by. A bit late but I never worried as his pace should get him back on track in no time.
It’s not 6:30 am yet!
I was ready to start my race, but the time only showed 6:00am and I got a whole half hour more. The announcement says we get to sample free power bar at the stations. So I tried a banana (half cut samples). It’s not nice.
Race start! 20km and as I clocked my time against the beeping of timing chip, we raced. Turn one, a hill at the Istana Selangor. “boys those houses are huge!” I said to my wife. She was pacing with me and I knew she could run fast today.
5km mark, running in darkness, I was still running smoothly and forgo my first water station. After 43mins, I checked in to the water station and I have not stopped running for the entire time. So I rested while I enjoyed the 30km electrolyte (Revive) drink. Those 30km folks were not amused. The water station for 20km was much further.
“I have no idea how much distance I covered, but the Power bar is now giving me bowel problems” I complained. Deep down in my heart, I was crushed. My race is ruined. I thought I could run it off but apparently I cannot and I can’t even find a toilet!
My wife had decided to pace with me although I asked her to continue her own race, my bowels are irritating me and everytime I ran faster, the gas just wants to make me puke. So I cannot run fast, nor run slow as bowel movements comes in. I was screwed.
“legs feels cold and wobbly” I thought. “should I just take the ambulance back?” I asked. But I wanted to complete this race and only pray that nothing oozes out!
I walked when I could not run. Run when I felt better and it was a roller coaster feeling. Due to my discomfort, I was not paying much attention to directions and race safety. But I’ll keep looking out after this.
The 30km guys were heading back as we 20km guys goes forward, there were criss-crosses many times. I was very glad to take the 20km (my maiden run).
Hartamas was a great running place but my bowel discomfort built up fast there. Matrade was great with the morning sun and my wife was photographing the view as I just prayed my discomfort will end. At one time, I did not even want to run another race.
Then my wife spotted a runner that I liked to pace with. A slightly stocky runner but an above average runner. “it’s your guy, he is ahead, see him?” she said. I felt like an injection when through me as I lost the pace in my first race and seeing someone familiar was a form of mind games played in my head to pace harder. So off I went. Pacing hard, it took the pain and discomfort away. So he was a there for a reason. We did this a few times throughout the remaining race. He really gave me some spirit to pace hard! Haha.
The horse-shoe turn heading back to Tugu Negara was really a spirit breaker. I labored on as I noticed the 30km runners coping with limps and cramps. Many were walking now. I remembered the stretch of newly tarred road was sticky and I just did not want to run as it took up lots of energy.
The Final Stretch, 2km left to go! Tired, discomfort, cranky yet relieved. My wife and I ran across the finish line with valor and pride. Clcik, click click, as the cameras fired. (note: too few photographer!). These photos courtesy of my wife.
Beep beep , as the timing chips lock the end point and I stopped my stopwatch. Time: 2h, 38mins. It's enough for our maiden run.
I can only say “the discomfort of my bowels made me pushed myself a lot more, enduring more pain than my previous runs”! “thank you to my lovely wife for sacrificing her gallant, faster run to be with me throughout my race. “ Her pace and timing today was outstanding, could shave perhaps 15-20 mins.
What a 20km experience!
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