CERITA SAYA,ZAINI...: 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