Notes from MPKj Half Marathon 2017

Date: 22 October 2017

Venue: Taman Tasik Cempaka, Bandar Baru Bangi

Making a comeback to a HM run after the injury. Two months break from HM runs did make me nervous again on how my body will respond to it.

Returned to a special event where I achieved something I thought was impossible in my HM adventure, the sub 2.

However, that is no longer my motivation now and to be here today is already an accomplishment due to the circumstances that I have dealing with for the last two months.

I would be lying if I am telling myself that I don't want to achieve it again but sometime I feel I need to be practical and realistic.

So, with far less than ideal conditions and preparation for MPKj HM 2017, I arrived today with different goals and not with the only the sub 2 goal in 2017.

My first goal is to gauge whether my ankle can take the HM distance or not after I completed the 15km Newton Challenge last weekend.

I have gained over 4kg from the run last year especially from the long rest due to my injury, that made my second goal is to see how much that added weight will affect my HM run performance.

Despite the extra kg is also from the muscles gained from my more frequent upper body workouts at gym since the fasting month this year, I am still keen to gauge the effects to my run.

THE PREPARATION

The build up to this event was just all my recovery runs from my injury from middle September and the longest distance was 16km during my LSD run on 18 Oct.

In all that runs, I was only able to stay at pace 6 average and struggled to stay at pace 5 compare to before I was struck by the injury. Also, due to the added weight to body.

So, I came to this event with a realistic plan which is to run an injury free and cramp free HM with the average pace target at pace 6.

I have also planned to try to push myself to maintain pace 5 for at least 10km and then to try to get the finish under 2 hrs 15 minutes. The sub 2 is totally impossible to achieve this time or anytime soon unless I truly workout on my speed again with this new weight.

I took 2 days break from running and just did 2 gym sessions for strength training and to keep muscles in the active mode.

Learning from the recent 15km and 16km runs, I decided to use two energy gel instead of one for my previous HM runs. I don't want to experience the running out of gas run again after the 10th km.

On Friday and Saturday, took the typical extra carbo in my meals and drank more water than usual. However, I might have more than needed when I attended the wedding reception on Saturday because meals available were so irresistible.

So, in general I was in a fairly good condition to start and finish a HM run again. The only question was how strong I could finish it with my current health, fitness and physical conditions after the injury scare. 

For this year I joined this event with my wife who ran in the 5km fun run with her friends.

We arrived at the venue at about 5.30 a.m. and straight away went to the temporary surau and waited for the Subuh prayer. After the prayer, I left my wife and went to the FO area to perform some warm up workouts. I decided to leave my phone at the luggage storage this time. It was just to reduce additional weight during the run because I have already about 4kg extra compare to the last year I came here.

I arrived at the FO area at about 6.00 a.m. Met my Anonymous Runners friends who arrived earlier Esther, Marzuki and Hakimi.

Then I did about 5 minutes dynamic workouts to warm up. Then I re-joined them waiting for the FO.

The route for this year is quite different than last year. There were no hilly routes to pass the UKM Campus but it was expected some roller coaster uphill and downhill stretches at Sg. Merab after the 3rd km and Section 3 Bandar Baru Bangi towards the last few km to the FL.

Some do complain about elevation at every event but when I signed up for HM and FM runs, that would not be something my concern too much. That is the challenge and just need to deal with it and if possible to enjoy it in the experience in the same time.

MY RUN

I started fairly smooth and easy but forgot to start my watch after few hundred metres.

The first 2km route was the same route as last year but after that we entered the new route towards Sg. Merab. Runners were welcomed with the first uphill and followed with more uphill and downhills after that until the 5th km plus.

Despite that, surprisingly I was still able to maintain at average pace 5 but close to pace 6 and maintained that until the 9th km.

However, my pace dropped to pace 6 after that. I did try to get back to pace 5 but just unable to do it. Then I realized that the energy and strength used to keep pace 5 at the earlier stage has started to give the impact on my run.

This was also the time again, the extra kg I gained need the extra strength and energy too if I truly want to run at the pace 5 that I was hoping to maintain for more km.

Then I just decided to run at the pace that I am comfortable with for the second half of the run. One more factor was about not to push myself too hard that may cause the return of the pain of my left ankle. I can wait for future runs to try to push further if possible.

So, after that I ran comfortably at pace 6 after that at flat stretches and dropped to pace 7 at uphill stretches for the remaining of the route.

With that strategy, I believed that I would be able to achieve my targeted time of sub 2:15.

As expected, the last 5 km of the route to the FL was another roller coaster stretches but with lesser elevation. At this stage I felt more relaxed and just continued with the same pace mix especially when my watch showed that I was pretty much within the targeted time to finish.

Photos by Fiz Zo

Along the last 2 km to the FL, I felt so happy and truly enjoyed my run the whole stretch. At this stage, the traffic has started becoming busy with vehicles. However, safety cones provided with crews and traffic policemen available helped runners to stay safe and guided accordingly.

Compare to last year where I rushed myself to the FL to achieve my sub 2 target, this year I just did my last few hundred metres sprinting just to enjoy crossing the FL again and to mark that with both hands raised in the air.

Also to mark my return to HM run and to make another confirmation that I have fully recovered from the injury.

My watch clocked 2 hrs 12 minutes excluding the few hundred metres that unrecorded after the FO. I achieved my goal of the average pace 6 on the return to HM.

After crossing the FL, I collected my medal and finisher tee. Then I looked for my wife to get my phone from her. In between I bumped into some regular friends at events and some who communicated regularly through the social media.

Then I gathered for a while with my buddies from Anonymous Runners and took group photos. Once I met my wife, we took more photos together and with some more friends before leaving the venue happily.

THE EVENT

I have don't have much complain about the event because I had a pretty smooth sailing from the start until I left the venue. The traffic control was good, enough WS with needed supplies and the route itself was nice as well to me. Safety cones were provided for almost along the route for motorists to be alerted about runners. 

One more good thing was the interface between 21km and 10km runners was only in less than 2km which gave less disruption in traffic and mentally to a 21km runner like me. Pity to see one 10km male runner wrongly followed the 21km route at the U-turn and later ran back to the right route.

The setup and operations at the FL area was also well organised and managed.

The weather was also more challenging this time with the FO at 6.15 a.m. compare to 6.00 a.m. last year. This time, runners started to deal with hot sunlight earlier as well especially in the second half of the route.

So, MPKj HM will stay as one of my must join event in my running calendar next year.

FINAL NOTES

It is a very satisfying performance to me personally and on top of that, it was another pain free and cramp free run. My ankle did not give me any problem at all from the FO to the FL and until the time this note is being written.

I can conclude that with this HM finish, my left ankle has fully recovered 100%. It means, I can start to have my normal runs and to plan on how to regain the pre-injury performance if I want to. Alternatively, I can continue my running adventure to stay healthy and fit based on what I have comfortably achieved today.

Generally, I did enjoy my run and what made it more exciting and special is when some of FB friends recognised me and gave me some words encouragement while I was running.

Some also asked about the injury at my ankle whether it has fully recovered or not.

Yes...running does connecting us as one big family or community in many ways and I feel blessed to know so many great and nice people so far. 

And not to forget to all running photos captured by all dedicated and great photographers at the run today. You fired us up!

Until we meet again at Allianz Pacer Run on 29 Oct at NU Sentral KL

Completed the recovery at Newton Challenge 2017

15-10-2017

15km
Giant Kinrara

Returned here for the second time. Another must join event for me every year. Planned for another back to back runs together with HSN 21km until the ankle injury struck and stop me for a full one month from running since Merdeka Mybuddies run on 19 August. Gave my bib for HSN 21km to a friend.

A happy and satisfied return from the injury.

So, the 15km run at this event was planned for me to truly return at an event after I could run again since the last week of Sept and had several runs for the recovery prior to this. I had a good memory here last year when I clocked my PB for 15km but I did not expect to repeat or improve it this time because I returned in totally different goal and fitness level. 

The goal was just to have a pain free run at my ankle and to gauge my fitness level for the longest run since coming back for the ankle problem. The build-up runs to this for this week were 5km morning run on Friday and 8km at Fit Malaysia Run on Saturday.

My timing goal was just to be at pace 6 average and truly hoping to confirm the my ankle has fully recovered.

I arrived at the venue at about 5.15 a.m. At 5.30 a.m., I heard the FO sound for 30km run from my car. After performing the Subuh prayer, walked to the venue. Saw several familiar faces such as Adzyan Hamid , Edwin Keat and Rina Hashim and all of them are not in the same class with me in their respective category. They are faster runners. Also met one of my working contacts Matt Shah before the FO when he called my name from behind.

About 20 minutes before the FO, I did about 10 minutes regular dynamic warm up. For me to get the spirit and good feeling to start, I decided to be at the front row at the FO line when 15km runners called to be there. It is also a nice spot for before the FO photos...he he he.
This time pacers were provided for 1:30, 1:45 and 1:...(can't remember) by the organiser. Ideally if I can clock 1:30, it would be a very satisfying return for me this time around.

Arrived at the venue

With  Adzyan and Matt Shah

With Adzyan and Rina Hashim at the FO line.

My run...

I started the run very cautiously and not with normal fast start from the FO. Just kept myself on the left side of the road  to ensure that I would not block fast runners at the early stage of the run to make the breakaway from slower runners like me.
Still did not feel too comfortable for the first few hundred metres because I did not able to get my rhythm.
It was mainly due to my mind still focused on my left ankle and worried to push further to avoid any pain.
Managed to overcome that when I passed the within 1-1.5km distance and I started to run in more relaxed and comfortable.

Feeling good that I could start with pace 5 and stayed until the 7th km.

It was a relaxing run on the first half.
Photo by Fiz Zo.

Then gradually my pace dropped to pace 6 as expected. I was not in the physical conditions and fitness level like last year.

With the added almost 4kg from 67kg when I ran here last year, slower and much tougher challenges awaited me this time.

However, I felt so relief and grateful when I did not experience any pain or problem at all with my ankle after passing the 2km to the FL.

The route has only slight changes from with no more few hundred metres off road stretch last year.100% road surface and weather is rain free compare the rainy morning last year from the FO.

One more that I saw so obvious today was the number of running photographers available along the route. They were included my good fellow running buddies and photographers KU Wong and Jamal Zabari. Hope some of my photos nicely captured by all the photographers because for a recreational runner like me, that will make my memories at each running event much sweeter and special.

I ran pretty comfortably at pace 6 until reached the roller coaster hilly areas for the last 5km.This was the time I truly felt my added weight and lack of fitness due to the long rest from running for the recovery has affected my run.

The moment my watch indicated that  I have passed the 11km, I started to feel I was almost running out of gas and could not maintain the pace 6 at all. My knee and ankle felt like so tight when I tried to adjust my cadence to keep the pace 6.  

At about the 12th km something, the 1:30 pacer overtook me and that was the confirmation of my ideal 1:30 finish for my return also already gone and up in the smoke.'

Photos by running buddy KU Wong

From that moment, I felt like the struggle to the FL just like during my early stage of running at events long time ago. That was also the indication on how much I need work to improve my fitness and endurance if I want to reach the performance before I got injured.

I felt so exhausted and finally I decided to walk for few hundred metres about the last 1km to the FL to take the break that I rarely do for short a distance like this for some time.'

I started to run again the moment I saw the left turn signage from the main road to the FL. Did my normal sprint to the FL and finally raised both of hands again when crossing it (something that I missed so much throughout my recovery period).

Sprinting happily to the finish line.
Photos by Cik Arnab and En. Kura-Kura

Crossing the FL again!
Photo by Seven Day Photography

Whooaaahhh! I did it and clocked unofficially in 1:31 for the about 14.6km distance according to my GPS Watch.

I felt so good to be back again and achieving my goal to have the pain free run and no post event pain too at my ankle as I am writing these notes. Then I quickly took my medal and wore it. The feeling and excitement was almost like I just finished it in my first event.

Then I did the regular stuff at the FL area. Took photos and had chats with running friends who I bumped into such as Adzyan who finished much earlier, Kar  Wah who just been there although not joining and Ashraf who arrived later. I saw Matt Shah after that and he had some pain with his knee. Joined him and had some chat with him until he felt a little bit better.

With Kar Wah

With Matt Shah and a new running friend.

With Habib, Rina, Koci, Adzyan , Ashraf and other running friends.

With the photographer and runner, Jamal Zabari

Kenneth

Then I met some more friends such as Habib, Azrizal Hussin@Koci (3rd place in men open 30km) and Kenneth and took some more photos together.

I looked for some friends who ran in the 30km.Only saw Pak Engku Raja but could not find him when I looked for him. Had a long chat with Ashraf and I thought of waiting his wife Kak Nora Hashim (my senior at secondary school STJ Kuala Pilah) but finally I decided to make a move to go back home.

Happy veteran runners who enjoy running to stay healthy.With Ashraf after  both of us have crossed the finish line.

I don't have much to comment about the event because to me it was smooth and well organised. I saw lesser runners this year and I guess due to many runners joined the HSN 21km on the night before in KL.

Alhamdulillah...

My recovery from the injury when I was able to finish this run pain free. In the same time, achieved the targeted average pace 6 as well and I could not ask for more than that on my return to the event to continue my running adventure.

Now I must rebuild the fitness and reshape my mind to return to my first HM at MPKj HM on 22 October after more than two months break from HM runs.

Congratulations to all finishers at Newton Challenge 2017 today and nice meeting some of you again!

"Injury is an opportunity to rest and to be wiser while finding better ways to have better and more enjoyable runs"

See you at MPKj HM next!

#newtonchallenge

#forgetthepacejustrun 

#noexcusesjustdoit

#anonymousrunners 

#runningkakimalaysia 

#runforhealth