ENERGY EFFICIENCY RUN 2017

Date: 15 April
Venue: Suruhanjaya Tenaga(ST),Putrajaya.

Almost miss this event when I fotgot to register online due to my busy days at work when the registration was opened.Luckily I had myself registered with a friend at ST when they opened for a walk in registration on 7 April 2017 last week.

Why this event is special to me?
1. Organised on once in two years by ST.

2. I used to work with ST for about 7 years before I left in 2011.Still having a lot of good friends working there.

3. The event is about promoting to the public and business community about the importance of using energy in our daily life with no or little wastage.As the player in the EE industry itself, it is natural for me to show my support to this event.

4. In 2015 I joined this event for my 2nd 10km run and I puked just after I crossed the FL.It was the first time I encountered such problem in a running event.So, I had a personal mission to finish the run in a better shape this year.

5. I met Fyrus for the first time and he later introduced me to #anonymousrunners running group.My new friends from this group have my closest running friends until today.

4.30 a.m.
Woke up.
Took bath and then woke Zakwan and  Fareesya up as well.Then I sent both of them to my in-law's house in Putrajaya which is just nearby the event venue.

My wife  had another event, Krispy Creme Joy  Run at UM KL and she went there with her friends.

5.45 a.m
Arived at my in-law's house and dropped my kids.Then I went to Masjid Besi for Subuh Prayer.

6.30 a.m.
Arrived at the event venue.
So lucky to get a parking spot just nearby the FO area. Get myself ready and started to do the warm up workouts.Tried some slow run to test my thigh muscles that have got some pain since Wednesday.The pain has  stopped me from running after Wednesday morning with the hope  to recover enough to run comfortably at the EE Run.
Still felt some pain, however I decided to continue with the run but will do it cautiously and carefully by not pushing too much about getting good timing or whatsoever.

Arrived at the venue

Met Adzyan Hamid during warming up while he was doing the same.Then my friends Fyrus Azim Aznizan Mohd Ali, Alif James Zamri Harun and  Afzanizam Nor Azmi also arrived.

Then I had chats with some of my friends from ST at the event area.

Adzyan

Afzanizam and Zamri(from left)

Close to 7.00 a.m.
Runners called to join the warming up session led by a lady behind the FO area.

7.10 a.m
All 10km runners instructed to gather in the FO area.

At the flag off area

Met again bro Kayrol Jahi here. He was the one who chatted with me after I puked in 2015 run until I recovered from my dizziness and able to stand up and walk again.Glad to meet him again and he looked much slimmer.He told me that he has already lost his weight from 90 over kg to only 80 over kg now.

Kayrol Jahi

7.15 a.m.
The flag off
I started my run smoothly and cautiously.I was able to clear myself from the heavy traffic of runners after about 500 metres.

My run
For the first time I tried not to be guided by the pace indicated from the Nike+ Running Club by keeping it on but  I disabled the sound.
My plan from the start was just to run comfortably and tried not to aggravate the pain at my thigh.It wa pretty good to see the  signage for every km passed along the route provided by the organiser.The route was also the same route just like in 2015.The only major different it was hotter in 2015 due to the  much earlier sunrise.

I ran pretty comfortably until the 5km.Still feeling some pain but it did not really trouble my movement to run.I assumed I was running at about pace 6 up to that point.However not long after that, I started to feel more pain and I just slowed down a little bit to ease it. Then at about the 7km, Fyrus, Zamri Harun and Alif passed me.Ran with them for while but could not catch up with them and I had take a short walk to ease my pain that started to trouble me to keep running.
Then, I ran again.Then I saw Zamri also walking in front of me and we ran slowly together when I reached him.At this point, Fyrus and Alif were totally out of my sight. This was about less than 2km from the FL. Zamri told me that we still could finish the run under one hour if we continue running at the same pace that we were running.
Zamri naturally is much faster runner than me and he is now still under the recovery process after the knee injury in the middle of last year.
Then Zamri encouraged me to continue and he had another walk again.I understood his condition and agree with him that is no point to push too much because he is still recovering.

In the same time, my the pain at my thigh was not getting better too but somehow, my mind just to say to keep running with another sub 1 for 10km run was possible.

Running by forgetting the pain to the finish line.

Photos by: Duta Foto

Honestly I was pretty surprised when Zamri told me that I still could make the under one hour mark before that.It indicated that, with the pain that I had to manage and few stops and walks I did before, at least I was still running under the 6mins/km pace up to that point.

With the encouragement from Zamri mixed with possibility of making another good time for the run, suddenly I felt so excited which pumped my body to continue to run to the FL.At that time, the sun has already risen and the ambient already hot and humid with the sunlight.
At the last turn, 10km runners started to mixed with 5km runners and I saw some few friends from ST also were running towards the FL which was about another 500 meters more to go.
As I was running closer to the FL,  I saw Fyrus again and made a turn towards me and then ran with me to the FL.

I think, from the time I pushed myself after Zamri started to slow down, I totally forgot about the pain at my thigh especially the right one.What in my mind for the last about one over km was only the FL and I wanted to finish as strong as possible.It was pretty fortunate for me when one of the photographers, Ariffin DutaFoto at the event captured me in few photos.
When I saw that photos after I was tagged at my FB page, I know that my face was not able to hide my pain in that moments.

Finally I reached the FL with both of my hands raised again into the air.What a run and again at that moments, the pain felt was almost gone.When I stopped my NRC, 57 minutes was the unofficial time for my EE Run 2017 run.Personally, it was the best time for me for my 10km run in 2017 as well.

Finished it stronger this time!

To achieve in conditions where the preparation was far from ideal for the last two weeks building up to thr event, I felt much accomplished about it.
Another best of part of it  is, I did it without using the pace to guide me like I always do using the NRC for all my runs before this.

The pain at my thigh was caused by one of my workouts at the gym on Tuesday morning.
It happened when I did the workout to strengthen my knee and hip muscles.I wrongly positioned myself when I did the squatting with weight lifting equipment that suddenly injured some part of my thigh muscles.Initially I thought it was just a normal muscle sore after the workout and I did another 5km run in the following morning.Only after that I felt it more painful and started to affect me when I moved to walk or when I tried to run.

The performance.
When the official results published, I ran with the time of 56 minutes.Officially my PB for 2017 after 59 minutes at KL Int. New Year Run and MPI Generali Run in January.
After my new PB for 12km at the Idol Charity Run UKM last month, this result really added more good memories in my running adventure.

My performances in 2017 and 2015.

After receiving the medal and goodies bag, then came another best part of every running event.
Looking for running friends and making new friends and followed with taking as many as possible photos with them.
Glad to met my good friend Ven Goh who secured 6th in Men Veteran Category.

Ven Goh

Putrajaya walk and run group.

Mi-g raji from Pahang

Anonymous Runners

Met a FB friend from Pahang for the first time Mi-g Raji.Also took group photos with my brothers and sisters from Anonymous Runners Sofia Nori Bhuvana Sumangali Syakir Isa with our group tee and then with friends from Putrajaya  Run and Walk Group led by Pak Engku Raja joined by AB Malek Idris Suria Kencana Amirrudin JinggoPower Yokomaha  and others. Also met the veteran runner like me Wak Omar after our last meeting at ASHM 2017.

I felt so glad as well when I met the former boss of MAS and Malakoff Ahmad Jauhari Yahya who also run with others at his 63 years old.He is also know as an avid triathlete.He is one of fitness idols and I wish to be healthy and fit like him at his age.

63 years old triathlete.Ahmad Jauhari Yahya

I left the venue at about 9.30 a.m to fetch my children to go home. I reached home with another great memories from EE Run 2017.I was still living with that memories although my thigh started to be painful again after I have cleaned myself to get myself ready for a lunch.It was more painful and I knew that I would need longer time to be fully recovered from it.

Hopefully I will have another great memories in EE Run in 2019. In sha Allah.
Congratulation to ST for another well organised and successful event!

"Use Energy Efficiently"