CERITA SAYA,ZAINI...: January 2018

Event: Twincity Marathon

Date: 21 January 2018, Sunday

Venue: MAGIC, Persiaran APEC, Cyberjaya

Category: Full Marathon

The story

The build-up

I had two 30km LSD runs in mid Dec 2017 and two weeks before the event and both indicated I was more prepared than my first 42km run at Twincity last year. For December 2017, I crossed my first 200km total distance mark for runs in one month. The build-up runs and core and strength workouts for this run also equipped me with some confidence and belief to have much more comfortable run this time around.

Arrived at the venue

I arrived early at about 3.00 a.m and managed to get a parking spot just nearby the event venue.

Met some regular friends starting from about 3.30 a.m with the FO time at 4.00 a.m.

Jaz Yap

Friends from Sarawak

The run

The plan...

5km pace 5

Then pace 6 as long as possible (targeted at least up to 25km). It was 1km pace 5 and 15km pace 6 last year.

After that to run at pace 7-8 till the end.

For this time, my friend Ridzuan @ CRS has agreed to be my pacer after Isey joined as my pacer last year. However, my expectation from my pacer this time was very simple. Just stay behind me (don’t have to stay close or run together with me at the early stage to the first half) but ready to push me after the 30km.

The actual...

Pace 5: 5km

Pace 6 :13km

Pace 7 :8km (from 22km after the Subuh prayer)

Mixed of pace 8 - 9: 14 km;7km pace 8 & 7km pace 9(from 28km after the injury struck at 27km)
Pace 10 – 0

Pace 11- 1km (the last hilly route along 39km)

Pace 12- 1km (Including Subuh prayer at 21km).

Toilet stop at 6-7 km compare to at 25km last year.

The flag off was smooth and I was able to break myself from the crowd before reaching the first km mark.

Then, it was a smooth run at pace 5 the beginning as planned.

However I had to make a toilet stop between the 6 and 7km before continuing my run.

Photo by Action Pix Malaysia just after runners flagged off.

Everything was just according to plan with a very comfortable and much better run for the first half of the new Twincity Marathon route. Despite with the heavier weight, I feel much lighter during my run compare to last year. I believe the preparation which started fully in November after recovered from my ankle.

I know I will be very slow after 35km and that was the reason I trained and tried to run faster at the first half this year to make up for the last 7km later.

Photo by Fiz Said at the 7km.

It worked but in the same time it might have been backfired as well when I started to feel slight pain from the 25km.Thought it was caused a normal muscle stress at that distance but when at about 27km, suddenly felt a snap with a very sharp pain at one point at the muscle just above my right knee, I knew my trouble was just started.

Photos by Action Pix Malaysia at one point during the first half of the distance.

However, I was still able to calm myself because the timing was still within my plan at that stage. So, at the turn after the 27km towards Cyberjaya again from Putrajaya I decided to start the run-walk strategy much earlier the I personally expected.

Photo by Action Pix Malaysia at one of the water stations.

The main reason was not to push the muscle at the painful area too much that can aggravate to further damage at that injury. At the downhill stretch, Abang Azman Ali overtook me again after I saw him overtook me just few km before I stopped for Subuh prayer. I guessed, his stop for prayer took longer time that me due to the long Q for the wuduk.

At the elevation going towards entering Cyberjaya and just after the roti goyang stop, the pain was feeling much deeper. Over here, I walked together and had short chat with Jaz Yap before he slowly disappeared in front of me.

When we entered Cyberjaya again, FM runners had to run pass the FO/GL area and just after that, 30km mark reached.

Photo by Checkpoint Spot by the so-called AES camera when reaching
the 30km mark and crossing the start/finish area with 12km left to finish.

At this stage, I felt my pain was still manageable with the run-walk strategy and still able to clock my targeted time under 3:30 at 30km mark. It was 3:20 and I had the feeling at that moment that I would be able to achieve my target 5:15 and under 5:00 could also possible. At the area, my friend Jimmy Yap also passed and he looked very comfortable with his run and did not take long time before I could see him again in front of me.

Mentally, it was quite challenging because I saw some runners from different categories crossed the FL but I had another 12km to run to my own FL. It was still a fairly good run and walk for me after the 30km passed and the pain was getting lesser to have more run than walk as I continued.

At this stretch, FM runners ran with 12km and 5km runners if I am not mistaken. So, more crowd and that also created some push for me to continue and joined them running. At one point, I heard my name called from runners from the other side of the road running from the opposite direction. Could not recognise the face but heard the voice to encourage me to keep running.

Then suddenly I heard one very familiar voice loudly calling me. I looked at my right and I saw my wife was snapping my photos. I stopped for few seconds, raised and waves my hands to her and gave a big and happy smile to her while was taking the photos.

Photos by my wife when we were running at the opposite directions.

Then I continued and at this stage, I still did not meet my pacer at any distance of the route yet. Honestly, almost forgot that I was having a pacer because I was very focus enjoying my run and then dealing with my injury.

I thought, my run would become better after that until I reached the 33km mark. HE is the best planner and when the pain came again and started to become more painful to torture me at that stage of my run this time, I decided accept it and to forget about the timing target.

Actually, along the way and at each WS and checkpoint, I did ask the crews should they have muscle spray to ease my pain but unfortunately none of them had. The wet sponge provided did not come with cooled water like I experienced in my last two FM runs.

My focus after that was just about to finish my run although the target to achieve the 5:15 was still within my reach but I can kiss good bye to the under 5:00. So, just very slow run and walk after that. I was lucky the weather was helping too this time because it was cloudy and windy. Finally, at about the 34km, suddenly I heard my pacer's voice and he ran on my right when I was walking along a slight uphill road.

At this point, I felt very relieved and much better because at least I had someone who I could share about what I have dealing with during run before that. Luckily, I decided to have a pacer again for this run.

The remaining distance of the run was just the mixed of run and walk for me but in a very careful mode to avoid further pain to my injury. CRS just keep encouraging me and asking me to remain calm to finish the run. He kept reminding me that the 5:15 target was till within my reach while we are passing the Cyberjaya Lake Garden and then the masjid to the final U-turn of the route before crossing another checkpoint. Along that stretch, I stopped for few times to ease the pain by rubbing the painful area and stretching my legs and arms.

I felt slightly better after every short stop and that has enable me to do more than running than walking. However, my hope for the 5:15 totally vanished when I saw in front of me another and long uphill road to reach the 39km. At this uphill stretch I was totally could not run at all and CRS just advised me to stay walking and I did it accordingly. There was one first time FM runner also joined us to walk together here. I think he did quite well to be there with us for his first FM run.

Then I set my mind to push myself at the downhill just after that with about 3km more to go. Along this distance I tried to run more than walk and whenever we saw fellow FM runners, we encouraged each other to keep running and pushing ourselves to finish our run.

Photos by Jeffery Yeo at the last few km to the finish line.

We also met one lady pacer who was not able to catch up her pacers team due to some problem and she also just wanted to finish her run. At about 2 more km to go, she offered to pace me and ran with me to the finish line for me to finish my run and to beat my last year’s timing. I guessed my friend CRS told her about my plan for this run.

However, when we reached about the last 1.5km from the finish line, somehow, I felt myself reenergised and the push to beat the 5:26 truly fuelled me again. I did not know how it happened but suddenly I started to run faster and the pain at my knee was totally forgotten. At one point when I took a break to walk for a short while suddenly I heard a very loud sound of Gaban song from behind and it was getting closer and closer until I saw it came from my fellow running friend Fadzil Yusof. He overtook me and I believed that was his way to stay energised mentally in his run.

I let him run in front of me for a while and then I was ready for the final push to the finish line. I started to run again with one aim in my mind which as the finish line and to beat the 5:26. Yes, I ran faster than few km before that and overtook runners in front of me one by one including Fadzil and first time FM runner who I met before. At this stage, the road was crowded with runners from all categories were seen walking and running together to the finish line and some runners were also on their way to leave the event.

That was truly the moment of truth when at the last turn to my right and then I could see the finish line again from my eyes and continued my run.

Within the last 200-300 metres to the finish line, I saw my watch and knew I had few minutes left to have my new PB. That truly pushed me to sprint faster and at the last 100 metres, suddenly I saw CRS was also running on my left.

Photos by Zahid Zidane when I was doing my last sprint to reach the finish line.

Finally, he let me to cross the finish line in front of him and I crossed the finish line in 5 hours 24 minutes according to my watch. I slashed only 2 minutes from my timing at Twincity Marathon 2017 which was also my first FM run. I looked at the actual distance recorded at 42.8km but It did not matter anymore because the most important and also the most amazing thing was I have finished another FM run. To make it sweater, I recorded the new PB after more than half a year without running 42km run.

The icing on the cake at the finish line was my wife was there too to witness me to finish my 4^th FM run with the new PB. She took my photos when was given the medal by the crew and then with my regular pose with medal at the finish line. Then I went close to her, hold her and kissed her cheek spontaneously before I requested her friend to take our photos together with our own medal. Then she had to leave early with her friends and I stayed to collect the finisher tee and the meeting and chatting with all running friends who I bumped into after that.

Photos by my wife just after I crossed the finish line.

The official result

The event

1. The route

I have no problem. The challenge was almost the same despite some changes in the areas covered in both cities.

2. New start/finish location

I prefer the previous venue at Persiaran Flora and with a flat and spacious place for runners to gather and mingled comfortably after the run. This year’s location surface was no flat and with the rain came after I have finished my run, it was so uncomfortable to move around with the area with different surface level. I hate when I have to walked at the elevated area to collect the bag, finisher tee, taking photos at the photo booth and to get the F&B provided by sponsors. Then I have to walk down again to the FL area to where the main stage and other tents were place for the meals and others. There were chairs provided but with that kind of crowd, those chairs just to disturb the movements to be more freely especially under the rain that caused some surfaces become muddy

3. Parking - no complaint because plenty and not too far from the event location

4. Medal - uniquely designed. Love it!

5. Event vest - nice colour but did not wear it because the edge at the arm area could cause a blister to me due to abrasion. I decided to wear my own vest.

My new vest by Saucony

6. Finisher tee – I don’t prefer grey colour as my tee (one more tee to give away)

7. Medic support and supplies - Pissed off because no muscle spray provided when I asked at some water stations and checkpoints.

8. Traffic arrangement and controls for runners along the route - excellent

9. Medal and fin tee collection - smooth

My takeaway from this run

1. Felt more relaxed and had smooth run than last year especially before the pain struck me badly at the 27km.

2. Good to have the pace plan and running strategy. That has kept me calm and no intimidated by any unforeseen events along the route. This time, I was able to manage the injury and not making it further aggravated. The check with the Dr. on Monday did not show any serious injury and I just need to rest for about two weeks from running before trying to hit the road with my foot again.

My strategy to run faster up to pace 5 for the first 5km may have backfired and caused my muscle to get injured after the second half of the distance. What I have in mind now is I will try to return to the same strategy like at Twincity in 2017. Just to run at pace 6 as long as possible and then try to run at any pace that I will be comfortable with to finish the run.

3. No indications of cramp and no blister this year and this proved all my preventive measures worked accordingly with my pre- and during race meals intake and hydration plans.

4. The strength and core workouts truly improved my lower body and core muscles strength especially at my ankle, calf, knee and hip. Able to maintain my straight up posture to make me more firm in every step especially while managing the pain during the run.

5. Need to work further to improve strength and endurance of my lower body muscles to improve my speed for the second half distance of my upcoming FM runs.How? More speed works at longer distance during my regular runs because at this stage, I know exactly how to run with pace 6 comfortably up to 20km at least.

6. The insufficient rest on Saturday due to the unplanned and extended working hours may have contributed to the performance that I had on Sunday.Had only about two hours sleep from 11p.m. to 12a.m. on Saturday night after returning from work at about 9a.m.

Yesss!!! I have finished another FM run. It has been a good start for my running adventure in 2018 with a strong finish for my 10km run at KLINYR and then followed by a new PB for my FM run here at Twincity. Feeling so grateful and could not ask for more although only two events I participated in January this year compare to 4 events last year. Alhamdulillah.

Next, I just hope I will recover soon to continue to run to prepare for the next and the only event in February. The first trail run for me in 2018 at Kiara Conquer the Trails Run on 11 February which is just one day after I will be turning 44 years old. In sha Allah.

Below are some photos to celebrate after finishing the run and when meeting my fellow running friends before I left to clean up and ready for a lunch with my good friend, Cassidy from Sarawak after that.