My 21st Half Marathon Run - PJ Half Marathon 2018

Event: PJ Half Marathon(PJHM)
Date: 15 July 2018
Venue: Padang Timur, Petaling Jaya
Distance : 21km

The event is one of my most awaited HM event every year. I felt relieved when my ankle managed to recover after 4 days since Hulu Langat Marathon(HLM) on the previous Sunday. I stopped running completely for full 4 days and did daily ice treatment at the swollen ankle area to make sure I can recover before this event.

Tried my first short run on Friday and felt alright. Then I did the final self fitness test on Saturday morning with another short run and resulted to a decision that I will start at my 3rd HM run at PJHM and 21st HM run overall. There was no more pain for every step and I felt good and excited as I always do especially PJHM will be first half marathon event that I am gonna run for 2018.

Some may think that just because I have finished many HM runs and FM runs before, another HM run should not be a problem at all for me. To some points it may be right but to take it too easy and coming to run a 21km distance with no preparation at all is just not me. To me, I still need to have the confidence at least my health and fitness level are good  enough for me to finish the run without struggling with it.


The preparation do not guarantee the best result  but will give more hope to get the best result or the performance that we intend to achieve.

Took my race pack on Friday evening myself at the Dewan Sivik Menara MBPJ. The  30th edition of PJHM this year had the special category 30km but I decided to run in 21km only and my wife will run her first run at PJHM with a 10km distance. One more thing, the venue was also moved from the regular location to Padang Timur in front of Amcorp Mall. It was better for me because I was staying with my family at the hotel just next to the venue.

14 July 2018, Saturday

The day started sadly because I received the news about one of my uncles passed away a night before due to road accident and me and my family went to visit at his house and to attend the funeral in the morning at Wangsa Maju. Then we continued to go to PJ. After I have checked in at the hotel, we went out for a lunch at Amcorp Mall nearby and during the walk, we saw workers were working for the preparation of the event at Padang Timur in  between the hotel and the mall. Like last year, only my two eldest kids joined us today because the eldest two have started their campus life this year.Since I started running at events, weekend outings like this always have been something that my family has been waiting for to have great times together.

After the lunch, we returned to our room and me and my wife decided to have an evening walk together and left our kids at the room.

On my way down, I bumped into my fellow veteran running friend, a retired teacher Badrul Ihsan and his friend who were staying at the same hotel.

With Badrul Ihsan

Then, we went for my regular pre event visit at the venue whenever the location is just nearby the place where I am staying. This time it was just less than 5 minutes walk and I can see the location from the window of my room.

It was nice the see the overall view of the event venue at that evening we took some photos over there as well.

Then, I bumped into one FB friend for the first time when we were just about to leave the venue. His name is Cairel Daniel. He is from Putrajaya but also stayed nearby the venue and this is his first run at PJHM.

Then we went to the finish line arch to take the final photos of our pre-event walk at the venue of the day.It was still being installed but they had more already compare to what we saw when we arrived.

We ended our evening walk with the legendary Root Beer Float with double scoop at the oldest A and W outlet in Malaysia on our way back to our room. It was great once in a while to have some moments like that between us.

The private moments without kids around

  

Then, when we were about to leave  the restaurant, I bumped into one more veteran running friend, Yong Jiu after I finished my evening meal. He was staying at the same hotel as well.

With Yong Jiu

Early in the night, me and wife decided to fetch our eldest daughter Sofiyya  at UM. Initially when my wife contacted her, she wanted to stay with us at the hotel for the night but suddenly decided to return to the hostel because she had assignment to be complete. So, we just had  nice family dinner together at our favourite Mahbub  Bangsar to enjoy the best Nasi Beriyani Ayam madu in  the city.

Family dinner at Bangsar

From the dinner, we reached the hotel at about 10.00 p.m. I made the routine preparation such as fixing my bib on my running vest and others. For this run, I decided to try to wear the tight for the top to see how what would happen when I am sweating compare to when I am wearing the normal dry fit running vest.If I feel more comfortable for HM distance, I may use it  more regularly in my future runs and may try it for FM distance as well.

My top for the run

The running plan

My plan for this run was just try to maintain the average pace 6 throughout the 21km. The route for 21km at PJHM is known for its hilly areas and so far in the last two editions that I joined, the results had never been my best results in timing. 

It was 2:18 at my first attempt and followed by 2:44 last year when I finished my first time attempt back to back night and morning half marathon runs. With some precaution that I need to take with the just recovered left ankle, my realistic target and plan was just to run under 2:30 at least.

A HM run is often about more speed than running a FM run where my body has become so accustomed since early this year until my recent run at HLM. I thought the 2:30 target was quite realistic and to achieve better than that would an added bonus to feel better.

15 July 2018, Sunday.

The event day

Woke up at about 4.00 a.m and get myself prepared. Walked to the venue at about 4.30 a.m.

Met few runners when I arrived and later I sent my small bag at the luggage storage canopy. For this run, I planned to take some photos of  runners with my  DLSR camera while waiting for my wife to finish her run after I have finished mine. Once in a while, it is quite exciting actually to take photos of fellow runners while they are running because as runners, we are also very excited to see our photos being taken by photographers at any event.

The special 30km category was flagged off at 4.45 a.m while I was doing my warm-up up routines. The emcee did mention that about 1600 runners registered for 30km category and about 4 over thousand for 21km category.

I left the field to the FO line about 20  minutes before the FO time at 5.15 a.m.Bumped into fellow runner who also ran at HLM last week, Ashraf Ismail. We had a chat for a while I sneaked among the crowd to be closer to the FO line.

MY RUN

The FO was done on time and exactly on the dot at 5.15 a.m. With the route was the same with the previous two editions except the FO and FL venue, I knew what to expect and just ready to execute my plan accordingly for this run. I had the confidence that the 2:30 target was quite achievable at this time or at least I can improve my PB for this event.

Photo by Action Pix Malaysia

My run started quite well and I was able to start the first km at pace 5.I managed to do the breakaway from the crowd from the FO just after the first 100m from the FO line. Then I was able to maintain the pace 5 until I stopped for the Subuh prayer between the 7km and 8km. This time, I performed my Subuh prayer at the temporary Surau provided at the roadside and not at the Petronas Fuel Station like I did in the last two years. That stopped made the pace for 8km became pace 12 before I managed to regain the pace 5 after that until the 11km. 

At this stage of the run, I felt so relieved because I could not  feel any pain at all at my left ankle which indicated that I can proceed with my plan for the second half of the run. My intention to run at pace 5 for the first half was achieved although it was slightly slower than I initially thought I could.

The pace for the first half of the run.

When I felt with the first half of the run was quite comfortable, I knew that I can be more relaxed at the second half to achieve the initial timing target. Of course there were some whispers in my mind to push harder and to try to go for under one two hour but I did not have the belief that would be possible. That was mainly because I know that I have not been trained on my speed at all for months since the KLNYIR on 1 January. 

The other factor that contributing to my slower pace now is my weight has been consistently at the extra 3-4kg compare to my weight at about 67kg only when I achieved my sub 2 for HM in 2016. It would be too risky for me to gamble to push which may cause me injuries that will interrupt my main goal to  run 10 FM this year.

So, at the end I decided to run at my normal pace 6 for the second half of the run and tried to make it last until the finish line. I have almost achieved that and at one km, I did clocked pace 5. Somehow, towards the end at 19km and 20km, my pace dropped to pace 7 before I pushed myself a little bit to return to pace 6 for the last 1km until I crossed the finish line.

At some points during the 2nd half of the run, HM runners bumped into some 30km runners who were in the special edition tee in yellow colour. Whenever I overtook them, I gave them some words of encouragement when I saw some of them already started walking.

In general, I feel I had a much better run this time where I felt very comfortable throughout the 21km distance. The route was not that flat and some hilly areas are quite alright to me because of the experience in previous runs. I have also managed to control my pace according to my plan which was to run slightly faster at the first half and later had more relaxed and slower run in the second half. In the end I just wanted to achieve my initial goal to finish it under 2:30 only.

What made my run more smooth was contributed by the supports, facilities and supplies provided by the organiser along the route itself. All were well manned and equipped for runners.

I was also quite fortunate again because I had a lot of photos capture by the official and non official photographers for this year's PJHM. Among them are regular photographers such as Rozmi Yunus and his team from Action Pix Malaysia, KU Wong , ET Tey and Cik Arnab dan En. Kura-Kura and also others who were from Running Kaki Malaysia,  Ee Kok Jin and My Run LO.

What made it more special this time was moments when I was sprinting and exactly while I was crossing the finish line were also captured in sequential by different photographers.

The photos below were captured within the last 1km of the run to the finish line.

Photo by Ee Kok Jin

 Photos by ET Tey

Photos by Action Pix Malaysia

Photo by Cik Arnab and En. Kura-Kura

Photos by KU Wong

Photo by My Run LO

Photos by Action Pix Malaysia

Photo By Irfan Syamil Koh of Running Kaki Malaysia

Finally, I crossed the finish line with the official time of 2:17 and ranked 371/3320 overall, 335/2344 for men overall and 140/874 for men veteran category. The average pace recorded was 6:33mins/km. 

After taking my medal, finisher tee and refuelled myself with some water and meals provided at the venue, I looked for friends and bumped into some of them and took photos together.

Meeting regular running friends and making new friends are always two among most exciting parts at all events.This is the time we meet in person, exchanging stories from our and  tips on how to run better and many more.

Then I walked away from the FL area to find the spot for me to wait my wife to take her photos exactly when she approaching to me in just few hundred metres to the finish line. While waiting for her, I took photos of runners who were at the final steps of their run to finish as well.

I could see how happy they were the moment they realised that there was a photographer standing to take their photos. Some of them recognised me and screaming for me to take their photos.

I waited and took photos for about 20 minutes before finally I saw my wife approaching  and below are her photos. She looked struggled but I in the same time feel so proud when she decided to take this challenge to run for the first time at PJHM. She agreed to run 10km when there is no 5km category available despite I have already told her the route would be quite tough with some hilly areas in Petaling Jaya.

She did it again and surprisingly, she was just few minutes more than her personal best timing for her 10km runs so far.

Below are her photos taken by me personally when he was about to enter the last turn from the Jalan Timur to the finish line.

After we had some drinks and meals together, we went around the venue to take some photos especially at the photo booth provided. While doing that, we bumped into more friends who have finished their run and gradually the area become more crowded when more and  more runners arrived from the finish line.

We spent more time at the venue after that and mainly to have chats and taking photos with friends who we bumped into this time. At about 10 a.m, we decided to leave the venue and return to the hotel. Along the walk to the hotel we took some final photos of the event at the finish line and with more friends as well.

The event

There were sufficient number of water stations with all plain and isotonic drinks for runners provided. At some stations, bananas and wet sponges were also provided. I did get the muscle spray at my calves and ankle when I requested from the medic team available at one of the water stations.

The traffic control was also superb with the traffic policemen, MBPJ traffic personnel and crews were there to indicate direction to runners and managing the vehicles. However, there were some runners who were seen no following exactly the lane provided for runners within the safe cones placed along the route.

In summary, with the experiences for 29 years in organising this event, the 30th edition this truly live up to my expectations for a great event. I do hope that the FO and FL venue will be retained at the Padang Timur because it is far more comfortable and spacious for runners to move around and relax before and after the finish compare to the old location. 

The only minor setback that I feel need to be re-looked for next year is the location of the banana station which was located far away from the water station. Some runners did not even realised it that was a another station for banana after getting their water after the run. I heard the crew members had to shout to call runners to come to the station to take the banana after their run.

I left the 30th PJHM with another package of great memories personally and with my family and friends.Surely the event that I am not going to  miss next year. 

I achieved my goal to run under 2:30 for this event and the most important thing is I finished it with free from any pain or injury.I feel I am also comfortable to run with the tight as the better option for my future events.It is because it did not hold the sweat and that made my upper body felt more comfortable during my run. Other than that, it did not cause any blister at the skin at the my arm and body that near the armpit that often occurred when I wore normal dry fit vest before.

With the good run at PJHM, I feel more comfortable and confident now to conquer another HM run in two weeks time at NPE Highway Challenge on 29 June 2018. I had a DNS for this event last year and this year will be my first try to run at this event which is also very unique  because I will run in a fully highway surface for 21km. A day before that I will run for 10km at the Larian Bersama Bomba in KL and my wife will run as well in 5km distance. I decided to run back to back events for this weekend as the replacement for the regular 30km LSD run within two weeks as the build-up run for my next FM run at Kuching Marathon on 12 August 2018.

Hope to see some of you again at upcoming events.

FORGET THE PACE, JUST RUN.