Fraser Hill Tristate Ultra 50km 2018 Race Notes.

https://event.howei.com/event/frasers-hill-tristate-ultra-trail-2018

Distance: 50km
Elevation Gain: 2,303 m
Cut Off Times: 17 hrs
Organizer: Kow Kow Sport

1. After Penang Eco 100k, I decided to take it easy. Recover, run a bit, be healthy for Ramadhan. Goal was to avoid a 2nd straight DNF while experimenting some stuff. Leading up to the race, organizer sent a PDF race info kit/guide. Pretty insightful but there wasn't much info on the course. You sort of have to estimate the gain by looking at the profile image.

2. So I did some google research on the course and turned out the route was basically a famous out and back hike to Gunung Semangkok (GS) and some trails around town. Due to the mysterious "land slide", the route was altered to cater for the missing section after GS. So it's basically a duo-state ultra.

3. As I dig deeper, I realized that it's going to be tough but since the distance was only for about 50k, I assume it was going to be ok. My assessment has never been off.



Pre-race

4. I did the REPC at KL so I was in no rush to get to race site. Arrived and parked at the nearby mosque and went straight to the expo. Nothing interesting and new. I asked the organizers for some basic stuff which wasn't in the guide like baggage drop but they thought I meant drop bag. So they say there's no baggage drop (turned out there was). Tried to sleep at around 9PM and woke up at 11PM to get the gears ready.

5. Did the mandatory check and listened to the briefing. Race starts at 1 AM and started with the poles in hand.

Race

6. The first 10k was basically a rolling road run around the town area. There were some short trail section before going up to pine tree hill peak.

7. Suprisingly, I didn' realize we have passed pine tree hill peak and was on our way to GS. By the time I was at CP3, I was glad to hear that there are about 5k (climb) to go to GS.

8. I didn't refill as I assumed that 1L would be enough. However, I used most of it to perform ablution for subuh prayer by the side of the trail. At the top of GS (CP4) there were just guys taking our number. No water or food so, I consumed my supplies and had to save whatever water I have left before heading down. I also stowed the poles and tried to go down as quickly as possible. It was also already daylight by then.

9. Back at CP5/CP2, refilled my water and swiftly made my way to Jeriau (CP7). It turned out to be quite a downhill/hike. I hit my head from an overhanging branch and immediately stopped. It felt like I was hit by a metal pipe. I stopped and found that my eyebrow were bleeding but not gushing or anything. I walked it off and realized it's not that (relatively) serious. At the Pine tree hill peak - I can finally see the amazing view.

10. I also ran out of water and luckily these 2 guys who decided to DNF gave me some of theirs. That probably saved my race and I am grateful for that and why I love this community of trail runners!. Out from Jeriau/CP7, we had to endure this uphill road section back to town. Once in town, one of the crew in a car pulled up and told me to turn right at the roundabout to finish. He even said it's close and semi-congratulated me. This makes sense since I've already covered 50k+. Upon reaching the roundabout though, I saw a sign that says "50k go straight". I followed that sign which lead to Bishop trail.

11. In Bishop trail, I was alone and doubt started to creep in whether I should've turned right at the round about and finish the damn thing. The race was pretty disorganized so they might have decided to cut it short. I arrived at a junction in the trail that leads to more trail and to town. I decided to head to town even though the marking indicates to continue straight down the trail (I tought marking was ok). En route, saw the 2nd runner up in his car and was encouraging me to keep going (more reason to love the community). He quickly pointed out I was off course which meant that I was given the wrong advice by the crew in the car. I was probably assumed to be a 25k finisher or DNFer.

12. I was not that dissapointed though since I was not competing. Having lost about maybe half an hour, timing didn't matter much and I just want to finish the race since I'm nearing the end anyway. There were other runners/spectators encouraging (did I already mention how cool the community was?) which really makes my day.

13. So I continued on, hiked the remaining trail in town, Bishop, Rompin etc. before arriving at the finish. I enjoyed the last bit as I felt like I was sight seeing Fraser Hill in one day!. I had to somehow alert the organizer upon finishing as they were busy doing I don't know what.

Post-race

14. If there was food, I wasn't directed to it. Got the customary shirt/medal. Went back to the car, shower, prayed, got some food and drove back home.

Race comments

15. My race was pretty good. The reason to run this race was because it starts at 1 am. I seldom (never?) train in the middle of the night and this run provide the experience to run with inadequate sleep and test my cheap headlamp. I did 2 ultra that involves running through the night (TMBT/PenangEco) and I didn't do too good. In those races, I lost motivation towards the end and I contributed it to lack of sleep. In this race however, I was positive throughout and rarely screaming "F**k this s**t!" inside. Those negative moments was probably down to nutrition because after I got some calories in, my head/thinking felt better. In TMBT/PenangEco my head was so fuzzy and negative.

16. I also ran with the poles for the 1st half and found that it's pretty useful at the steep road section but quite a hassle at technical section and at downhills because you need to use your hands a lot. I wouldn't rule them out and will practice more with them.

17. Nutrition was something I also tested out. I mainly consume tailwind/water, 1 tesco chocolote chip granola bar, 1 cocopie, some watermelon and banana (at Jeriau). So the fact that I can recall the quantity of stuff I consumed was pretty cool. No major cramps and still ran some parts towards the end. In my previous race I consumed too much, countless gels and hanging around aid station eating.

18. I have mixed feeling for the overall race experience though. The course was challenging and beautiful and I believe most runners truly enjoyed the course (up to a certain point) but from a consumer point of view I have to question the value of doing this race.

19. A typical consumer would compare goods and services to try and get the best value for money. I value a race according to these main item:

i)  location (course uniqueness/challenge/training effect)
ii) services (from pre race info, UTMB points to race day organization);and
iii) goods (REPC goodies, t shirt, medals, aid station content).

I think for item i) there's no doubt it that it was well worth it. But for item ii) and iii) there's a lot that can be improved when compared to other races at around the same price point.

20. Goods and Services - I don't know but it felt a bit disorganized. From the beginning there were a lot of anomaly. For example, the statement "PLEASE NOTE AID STATION POSITIONS ARE BASED ON VOLUNTEER AVAILABILITY" in the guide was a red flag. The profile on the guide/website doesn't show elevation gained between station which I would normally use in training to determine point to point climb/descent difficulty. The correct GPX file was uploaded the day before the race (less than 24 hours actually). The baggage drop looks like a last minute kind of thing with the masking tape, the finishing line snub/lack of hospitality etc.

21. Granted, this probably sounds a bit entitled. I mean ultra runner are suppose to be bad ass right?. But there are things from a paying consumer/runner point of view that should be prioritized. For instance, aid station distance (time wise) was probably a bit far especially when you have steep climbs. At Jeriau (last CP) I saw tons of energy drinks, bananas etc. and felt like supplies could probably be better distributed among CPs. Apart from the tough course conditions, this too probably contributed to the amount of DNFers. DNFers had to hike back out so it's not as if they get to ride in a car (except at last CP - better access to road). So the general effort to preserve the well being of runners and evacuation of DNFers/injured runners feels like an afterthought.

22. I also think that some safety aspect was overlooked. Safety concerns can't be stressed enough especially after what happened at PD tri. This course is tough and at some point dangerous. A crew or two at critical sections (i.e. wall/rock climbing section at night!) in case anything happen can mean a lot. A medic would be better but feels like I'm asking too much.

Rock climbing - fun, but a bit dangerous (pic: fraserhill.info)

23. To be fair, I understand that it is difficult to get to some of these check points let alone while hauling supplies. It could also create unncessary waste/garbage. Maybe the location of the aid station can be placed strategically when the route was designed. Or, they can provide estimated hike time or in my case CP to CP elevation gain so runners are better prepared. Some pictures/videos of the course especially on these dangerous sections can also help.

24. Speaking of course design, I also feel like I can cheat the course since the race didn't have proper tracking electronically or manually towards the end of the race. I literally saw no crew after Jeriau except by chance - the guy in the car that gave me the wrong direction.

25. I have to qualify some of the statements made though. The guide did show no water/food at GS and there could probably be some food at the finish (I didn't check). But generally runners, myself included, didn't pay enough attention to the guide given, assumed the CPs are like other races and was too tired to think hoping for the crews to (correctly) assist during these times.

26. Upon checking their FB page, the reviews sort of validated my observations of this race. The common theme of safety and aid stations are prevalent. Generally people felt like they were ripped-off. It is also regretful to see some trail runners scoffing at the comments/reviews. I feel like there's a clique forming. I hate that participants are arguing among themselves. The fact that participants chose to pay to run this race (yes, self inflicted) does not take away the fact that the organizers didn't do their job properly. This to me is a threat to this sport because any mishaps would involve the authority and could effect other races. This threat is real based on actual accounts of injured/DNF runners.

26. The review section is also interesting because you can observe range of runners in terms of ability and understanding. It's the responsibility of the organizers/crew to ensure that their services cover all spectrum of runners.

27. And for heaven's sake, RDs out there, can we stop with this finishing medal/Ts BS. Let's just call it a participant medal and be done with it.

The Race

28. Entry Fee: Early Bird, RM265.90

29. Result: 14:02:04, h:m:s, 25/97 overall, 24/80 gender, 14/41 category

30. Finisher rate:
97/144 - 67.4% (50km)
85/220 - 38.6% (25km)
196/223 - 87.9% (15km)

http://runnersunite.racetecresults.com/Results.aspx?CId=16634&RId=1064

*My garmin didn't properly record and was unable to download the data. What a tragedy.

Final Note

31. The trail were amazing and some sections were runnable. I truly enjoyed the running part. It is also challenging and I love that too. I was happy with the way I ran it and manage again to discover and experience something new with my running.

32. However, as a noob/mid pack runner, I consider things like safety and aid stations as a basic standard feature in any race. Heck, for the elites, the risk is even greater especially when descending at high speed. IMHO, having measures to minimize risks gives you more confidence and a peace of mind to finish the race even when you are f**cked up.

33. Also, when you pay almost the same as other races, you expect comparable goods/services. When an organizer do something because it makes their job easier instead of the paying customer/runners you know something is off. For this tough race, the lack of crew and basic organization (to me at least) was a clear symptom of this. Some I can live without but some are just basic and is commonly practiced by other races/RDs.

34. In general, the whole community is involved in producing a good race experience:

• Runners/praticipants in general - Train for the race, be informed of the risks, provide feedback;
• Organizers - Provide clear information, assist runners to finish and enjoy the race as much as possible regardless of their ability pre race/race/post race;
• MURA/MUL or whatever association - They are doing good job voluntarily reviewing races. But maybe they can take it a bit further by imposing or at least providing some minimum standard requirement guide for RD/runners. It could be a blog post for all I care. At least we can make more informed decisions;
• Seasoned runners - Their voices are heard and I feel like they could make a big difference in making races better instead of scoffing (not all tho) at how soft new runners are;
• Authorities - Generally, they have been helpful. The BOMBA, police, JPAM etc. I'm more worried when bad things happens and they take the easy way out by stopping any future races because it is deemed dangerous/fatal.

35. I hope organizers use this race to learn and improve for their sake. Consumers (in this case runners), will ultimately choose based on the value they can get with their hard earned money and not just how good the trail and tshirt/medal design are. I don't wish to see runners arguing among each other in socmed. As in any endurance endevour there are risks involved but it can be managed with better information/prevention measures. It's a niche sport with awesome community and we don't want to build a perception that trail running is a wreckless sport ran/organized by wreckless people.

Next race: FGV Tekam 25k

Penang Eco 100km 2018 Race Notes

https://www.facebook.com/PenangEco100/

http://endurancenature.com.my/index.php/penangeco1002018/

Exact Distance: 104.0km
Elevation Gain: 3494m D+
Cut Off Times: 30 hours

Pre-Race

1. Trained. Went and done some hill reps. No actual long run. Kept it below 2 hrs. Hoping to carry some of the SCKLM fitness. Since the race had less elevation gain than TMBT 100k, a sub 24 hour (22-23 hour) finish seems like a reasonable target.

2. Went with mom and dad. They were visiting relatives and friends near the area.

Race

3. Strategy: stay on top of things. Run easy all day. Avoid cramps until halfway. Eat as much as possible. Run at runnable section at comfortable pace.

4. Coming into CP 1 -3 : Nothing new. Ran as slow as possible. Heat zaps some energy.
CP 4: Legs felt like crap. But still running.
CP5: Walked most of it. Didn't feel that bad, had some proper meal/solid food. Overall Ok.
CP6: Suprisingly good. The hot meal helped. Rushed at CP. Didn't fuel up well for the next section.
CP7: Horrible, the climbs and descent zaps whatever energy remained. Laid at the basketball court. Couldn't eat much.
CP8: Flat but couldn't run. Ran in worser physical condition before tho. Walked all of it questioning my participation in this race. Sleep deprived setting in. Underestimated the power of sleep.
CP9: Slow but moving. Getting sick of the whole thing. Pray and poop.
CP10: Annoyed. Impatience. Wanted to stop. Saw daylight.
CP11: Stopped. With 7km and maybe 2-3 hours to finish.

Post-race

5. Declared DNF, surrender the chip and got the drop bag. Immediately got on the car and went home. Arrived at some RnR for shower and food. Slept about 3/4 on the journey home.

Race Comments

6. DNF. I was at the last CP and volunteers were trying to convince me to continue but my mind was made up. I was tired which was expected in a race like this. But I was more mentally fatigued and I think I have passed the point of diminishing return.

7. It was fun, challenging etc. at first. Then it became borderline stupid and I started questioning the reason for doing it, feeling like it's a complete waste of time. It was compounded by the fact that I needed to finish before 12:00 PM since mom and dad had checked out of the hotel. I was also frustrated by the way I was moving. The tradeoff were not that much attractive either, a medal, finisher T. I didn't race because of that, and while contemplating about DNF I felt like the remaining time seems better invested into something useful (like going home and rest).

8. Felt slight regret because it would be nice to register a time for a 100k race like this for future reference. I think finishing a 100k, ~4000m vert within the cut off is somewhat established. The mistake I made was embedding this idea in my head that there should be some improvement from my previous TMBT 100k, time wise and experience wise. There wasn't. I wanted a good race. No pity party. Just a focused, straight forward race where I did all the things that was planned. Overcoming challenges along the way. However, near the end, I spent too much time thinking about quitting and how everything sucked. I succumbed to those feelings and at that moment, it was the easiest decision I have ever made but for probably for the weakest reason. It's not physical but purely mental.

9. The race was literally divided into two parts. By design or coincidence, not sure. 1st 50k, flat, some small climbs. Ran in palm plantations, some village road section, paddy field and trail. There were some nice part in there especially when we climbed up this hill with a house on top. That was nice.

10. The second part was done in the dark and it was really tough. It was pure trail and very technical. Steep climbs and movement was slow. Highlight of the 2nd half include running out of CP 5 going to CP 6. It was beside a dam or some huge body of water before proceeding for the climbs. I felt good and confident. Upon reaching CP 7, for some stupid reason, I decided to rush and only took in few food. Restocked and went off to CP 7. The climbs got steeper and I was slowly draining energy. There were some flat section going to CP 8 but it was then that I realized I didn't have it to run. That was the acid test and I failed. Even though I was feeling crappy, I can't help but be mesmerized at these small beaming lights coming from runner's head lamps as they made their way up the hill. I felt humbled and small.

11. At CP 9, the volunteers made coffee. It was nice. I stopped for a while to pray and poop. Didn't have the appetite for anything. It's dawn and I secretly told myself that I would finish it by 12. Upon reaching CP 10, it was around 10 am, but things didn't look good. I was moving slow. I arrived at CP11 at 12:35PM and called it a day. I needed to get back home.

10. As for the race organization, it was the best I've experienced so far. I applaud them for:

a) providing dedicated drop bags;
b) real volunteers who understand the need of fatigued/half asleep runners;
c) markers were accurate;
d) choice of food was nice - watermelon and coke ftw!;
e) Large area at halfway CP for runners to take care of things;
f) pre-race information was spot on, timely and up to date;
g) Provided hotels, transport info etc.

11. I do however have to point out that some runner didn't pick up their timing device because they were not directed (REPC at race site). They can in the future have some sort of flow when picking up the REPC. I had to ask for mine. Maybe it's different during the REPC session at the hotel.

The Race

12. DNF
22:35:48
STATION DISTANCE FROM START TIME OF DAY SPEED RACE TIME
START 0 Km Sat, 02:00:00 pm - -
CP1 9.9 Km
CP2 20.1 Km Sat, 04:24:01 pm 8.37 Km/Hr 02:24:01
CP3 29.7 Km Sat, 05:44:22 pm 7.94 Km/Hr 03:44:22
CP4 42.8 Km Sat, 07:58:22 pm 7.17 Km/Hr 05:58:22
CP5 49.9 Km Sat, 09:25:26 pm 6.72 Km/Hr 07:25:26
CP6 59.7 Km Sun, 12:15:57 am 5.82 Km/Hr 10:15:57
CP7 69.8 Km Sun, 03:46:14 am 5.07 Km/Hr 13:46:14
CP8 78.4 Km Sun, 05:58:59 am 4.91 Km/Hr 15:58:59
CP9 83.8 Km Sun, 08:30:36 am 4.53 Km/Hr 18:30:36
CP10 86.9 Km Sun, 09:53:04 am 4.37 Km/Hr 19:53:04
Cp11 95.9 Km Sun, 12:35:48 pm 4.24 Km/Hr 22:35:48
FINISH 104 Km

Race Detail

13. Time: 22:35:48
Distance: 95.9 km (3,575m+)

Final note

14. Looking back, it felt so good to DNF at that time. I was desperate for some real food and sleep. Physically I was ok to continue. There were other runners in more severe conditions and they finished. But this race was about improvement and that was my main motivation. It was about still running the flats. Moving at a good pace on the climbs etc. It didn't happen and I lost all motivation.

15. I have to manage my expectation better. Just because I trained, doesn't mean things will improve. It may suck and I've identified why it did. I think the more I race, the more mistakes/experience will be revealed. So I have to live with the fact that no matter how much I prepare, shit happens and will continue to happen. You move on and learn.

16. This race seems perfect for anyone who is going for their first 100k, 50k or 30k. Challenging and well organized. Perfect combination. For 100 miles not sure.

17. Next up, fraser tri state ultra 50k. Less than a month after Eid so I'm expecting a very tough day, but hopefully no pity party.

1. Democracy somewhat works✔ 2. Penang Ego 100k ❌ 3. Happy mothers day ✔ 4. Ramadhan ✔✔ Plenty to be grateful about these past few days. Enough feeding apetites. Time for some soul food. #prayforpalestine #penangeco100 #mothersday

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on May 14, 2018 at 9:09pm PDT

Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018 Race Notes

The 10th Anniversary of the SCKLM was held on 8 April 2018 and takes runner through KL. It's a new course (I think), but still retain the rolling hills which to me is the hallmark of SCKLM. Around 38,000 runner participated in various category from FM down to kids dash. I registered for the FM hoping to (again) break 4 hour.

More info:

https://www.kl-marathon.com/

Pre-Race

1. Around 4 hour into last year's race, I was upset things didn't go the way I hope it would. While nursing my cramps and jogging to the finish, I was determined to sub 4 SCKLM 2018. I was less prepared then and "hoping" things would go my way was not really a convincing strategy. After the 2017 race, I examined what went wrong, found a training plan and stuck to it. SCKLM sub 4 mission officially started early December 2017.

2. SCKLM was personal because apart from the Ironman marathon, I never ran a marathon other than SCKLM. I set a goal to go sub 4 at my first and second SCKLM and failed miserably. My 3rd last year was close but not good enough. I knew I needed to properly train and I did that this year. That was why coming into this race, I was less nervous. In fact, on Saturday, I was more excited about taking my kids to play at the KLCC playground plus having a nice dinner at KLCC than the REPC.

3. My strategy was to run 5:30/km, get to halfway for subuh prayer plus some major maintenance and see out the rest of the way around the same pace. I planned to perform ablution (wudu) before starting so that I could pray with my socks on. I also planned to take it easy on the uphills and take advantage of the downhills. There's little margin for error like pooping or cramping etc. during the race. I told my wife the day before the race that it's gonna be 3:50 to close to 4:00 hour.

Race-Day

4. Slept around 10 PM and woke up at 3 AM. Had my usual breakfast and pooped. This was a mini victory for me as far as pre race ritual is concerned as I rate pooping higher than warming up haha. By 3:30, I had showered and started warming up in front of the hotel.  It was nothing fancy, just routines/drills to mobilize the hips. 15 mins before the start, jogged to Pen 2. It was already overflowed. However, as people started filling the gaps, I squeezed in. The runners around me were mostly happy, nervous etc. Being someone who is kind of an introvert, I relish being all alone among thousand of runners. I was focused on not getting beat by the course.

5. While waiting for flag off, I saw the 4 hr pacer and 3:45 pacer with their oversized balloons. I decided to stay in between them so I could worry less about pacing. I couldn't trust the GPS signal around tall buildings. At 4 am sharp, the gun went off and I focused on hitting my cadence at >170 spm. Lots of people were in front of me but the road was wide enough. I was faster than my goal pace and slowly catching up to the 3:45 pacer. This was when the competitive side of me started giving me funny ideas. I thought that I should capitalize the great feeling I was having and stick with the 3:45 pacer and try to go sub 2:50. But the rational side of me was obviously against the idea as I was about one hour into the race, and at that rate, I'm sure to blow up and could easily go from feeling great to not so great.

6. So, I decided that it's too much of a risk to follow the 3:45 pacers. Instead, I used the buffer I had to slow down at aid stations and just taking it easy on the uphills while ensuring the 4hr pacer were still behind me. I ran sub 2 at half way, my stomach was fine, legs were good, still didn't fart or anything so all were good. I had the urge to pee though, but I needed to perform the Subuh prayer first. I had to hold it in until I reached the 27km mark to pray and then peed. Feeling good afterwards, I decided to run a little bit on the uphill, especially the short ones. It was when I reached the 30km mark that I felt a familiar sensation on my left hamstring. Hello cramps, it's been a while.

7. Before I knew it, my quads started to feel the same. It dawned on me that I needed to sort it out. I walked the aid station, put on some ice, ate some bananas and gels being distributed. Few moments later, the cramps were gone and I started running at goal pace again. The cramps would pop up now and then so I decided to carry ice with me and use the magic spray as much as I can to prevent the cramps from getting worse. I slowed down on the climbs and even walked. The buffer I had was instantly reduced.

8. But after a while, I could somewhat run and ran the last 2-3km relatively faster as I wanted to finish the race ASAP before the wheel fell off completely. I felt it was a bit reckless but I was nearing the end with minutes to spare. Right after crossing the finish, my left leg cramped up. I stretched a bit before meeting up with my family. Took some pictures and went back to the hotel. I finished in 3:53 with an average pace of 5:26/km and to me it felt like a huge win. Take that SCKLM! :)

Post-Race

9. After the race, I was in no hurry to eat, but forced myself anyway. Rehydrated and went to take the car parked at KL Sentral via LRT . On the way home, I was already thinking about the next race. Once home, I slept.

Was running within my limits and occasionally beyond. Paid the price the last 10km. Trusted the training and managed the cramps and the last hilly sections quite ok. Plenty of kind souls out there encouraging and one runner even gave me salt pill. Happy to see the family at the same place near the finish as last year, only this time with the goal complete. Now recovery before trail season 😀. To all finishers congrats and those who fell short of your goal keep at it and trust the process. Its not a matter of if, but when. #teamhafdzuan #marathon #scklm2018

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Apr 8, 2018 at 2:50am PDT

Race Comments

10. I have nothing to add from my last year post on SCKLM. It's a great race and IAAF certified. Additionally, the course was hilly. So having the sub 4 felt legit and so pleasing.

11. As I look back at the result and what I did in training, few things stood out. Among them are:

 - Strides couple times per week for economy/cadence
 - Ample recovery between quality workouts
 - Took it easy on easy days
 - consistency is king: mileage
 - specificity is queen: practiced marathon pace on long runs
 - Adding threshold workout in long runs and on tired legs

12. On race day, the decision to sit back and taking it easy in the 1st half paid off. Though I did sometime went over my head and went a bit too fast. Holding back requires as much focus as going fast. Stopping to save time is a bit counter intuitive though I considered it as an investment as the time used to take care of things proved to be a good decision. I didn't specifically train on hills so I felt it was necessary to deliberately slow down, walk or even stop to save my legs. I know I was doing it right when people passed me on the uphills.

13. 3 weeks before the race, I did a long simulation run with a 2 x 10km at marathon pace. I fell apart after 26km. I was worried that this was a sign I couldn't sustain the pace. But, come race day, I trusted my training and stuck to the pace I had trained for despite that particular "failure". I realized in hindsight that it was actually a good run considering I didn't have gels and was running in the heat. As Sebastian Kienle 2014 IM World Champ said "Never judge your life because of one bad day. Judge it because of the best day"*. That quote rang true to me.

14. I know some people can sub 4 the marathon in their sleep. But to me, it was a challenge therefore I really felt a sense of achievement. The last time I felt like this was after 2016 IM Langkawi. For this race, I poured all my effort (about 4+ months) and was at the border of my limits (the cramps was a sure sign). Last year I did KOKK a week before SCKLM and it disrupted my prepration. This year, I took the preparation and execution for this race seriously.

15. I don't race a lot because training/preparing for a race deliver a much more profound sense of accomplishement. While doing triathlon, I felt like most times I needeed to race to identify myself as being a triathlete. But after the IM, I knew that being an athlete was more than just the IM race itself. It's a long term, resource consuming effort that goes beyond what I initially perceived. Having experienced that, I've ruled out a lot of things/noise and left with the things I knew I wanted out of sports that brings the greatest satisfaction.

16. Through obervation, runners wearing some sort of finisher T at REPC and peole doing funny things (cheat/course cutting) just to get their hands on the medals/finishers T, just goes to show that, marathon/ironman/endurance sports in general is more than just a sport, it's a way for people to express their identity. It's a bit of a generalization but that's the way I see it (big sample size in SCKLM). I'm no different.

17. As for the course cutters, I think it is down to ignorance + indifference as to what running a marathon really means. The aftermath and reaction to the viral posts showed that it is personal to many (including me). Also a reminder to myself, taking social media at face value is also something that we need to be wary about. There are more behind these posts with smiles, medals etc.

19. The mundane aspect of training, juggling life + work, the lows (and chafing haha) is almost never shown. But it's not specific to running only. It's social media culture to show ourselves in the best light possible. These posts are a subtle way to show we are the best or at least belong in a certain group. Likes and comments only reinforces this idea. It's a convenient way to feel good about ourselves. Newer runners are probably "pressured" to "fit in" and/or as a socmed content to fish for likes, especially if they've announced they're running a marathon. We're all gulity of this to a certain degree. My 2 cents.

20. Whatever it is, running doesn't mean it should always be about hard work etc. Running itself is fun racing or not. There are bucket list races that I just want to finish and enjoy (mostly ultras) and trails/mountains I want to explore. On the other hand, the competition aspect of running, pushing yourself etc. can only come in races. Improvement is fun too. Besides, I just don't physically possess the ability to recover fast enough to race a lot. It also saves me loads of money.

Race Notes

21. Race itenerary kind of went like this:

Saturday
03:00 PM: Race kit collection
04:00 PM: Playground KLCC with the kids
06:00 PM: Dinner at Ben's and stocking supplies from Cold Storage
07:00 PM: Park at KL Sentral
09:00 PM: Snacking on pizza and sushi
10:00 PM: Sleep

Sunday
03:00 AM: Woke up/shower/breakfast/poop/warm up
04:00 AM: Race
07:55 AM: Finish race/pictures/stretch/eat/rehydrate/back to hotel
10:00 AM: Check out and brunch at Nu Sentral
12:00 PM: Home and sleep

22. The race:

Registration: RM90(medal, event sleveless t and finisher t, post food, 2 gels on course, bananas)
Accomodation: RM160 (Adya hotel, family room)
Traveling cost: Parking (RM 72, DO NOT PARK OVERNIGHT AT KL SENTRAL, should've parked at Nu Sentral), LRT from KL Sentral to MAsjid Jamek: RM1.20 (Bring T&G or buy tickets in advance - long que after race)
Waiting for toilet: No issue
Sorting out drop bag: No issue

23. Race Detail:

3:53:47 (Nett)
43km
~820m D+ (strava)
293/8155 overall

Result check:
https://register.kl-marathon.com/2018/scklm18/reg_scklm18/result_check

Some cool stats:
http://www.runpix.co/arace11/57/kul18/rp.php

Final Note

24. In short, I love planning, training and executing a race and this year everything clicked. There were times I doubted my self but I had faith in my training. There's some element of honesty about racing. We can say whatever we want, but in the end there's nowhere to hide if the work was not put in. I've experienced both end of the racing spectrum and it made me love the sport even more.

25. Anyway, road racing season is over. I am 1/2 in terms of 2018 goals. Time to accumulate some vert and have fun in the trails. Next race, Penang Eco 100k. A new cycle begins.

*Originally from: http://ap.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2014/10/kona-week/kienle-kona.aspx#ixzz5CG7kkjLm, 
2018

MPKJ Half Marathon 2017 Race Notes

The 3rd MPKj Half Marathon was held on 22 October 2017 and takes runner through Bandar Baru Bangi area. Pretty rolling hills and different route compared to previous years. Around 600+ runner participated in the men open HM category.

More info:

https://www.facebook.com/Mpkj-Half-Marathon-2017-1627464634162470/
and
https://event.howei.com/event/mpkj-half-marathon-2017

Pre-Race

1. Didn't really thought about the race after TMBT. Only got my act together a week before the race. I had been running a bit and focusing on the peripheral stuff. I did kind of ran a bit HM pace and a bit tempo in training to see what pace I could muster and kind of used that as a guide for race day.

2. Divided the race into 3 parts. 7 x 3 = 21km. Easy 1/3. Kind of hard but maintainable 2/3. Continue  with whatever left till finish (final 3rd).

3. Woke up, did routine, perform subuh prayer near parking lot. Managed to perform 10-15 warm up. Quite a warm morning. Started near the back and at 6:15 the gun went off.

Race.

4. The first 1/3 of the race was going through some pretty rolling hills. I slowed down going up but went fast going down.

5. On the 2/3 there were still hills but I was again conservative on the ups and bombed the downs. Downed a gel at 9km.

6. On the last 3rd I was cramping at exactly 15km. But wasn't fully blown. Couldn't really push it. Around 17-18km, downed another gel, grind it out and finished it.

Post-race.

7. Got the medal and finisher's tee and did some stretches. Grab the post race food but didn't feel like eating so went home and had breakfast. Went bowling afterwards with fam.

Race Notes

8. Race itenerary kind of went like this:

Sunday
05:00 AM: Wake up and breakfast
05:40 AM: Arrived and warmed up
06:15 AM: Race start
08:00 AM: Finish
09:00 AM: Went home

9. The race:

Registration: RM79.50(medal, event t and finisher t)
Accomodation: -
Travel to race kit Collection: 15 min.
Traveling cost: Negligable
Waiting for toilet: No issue
Sorting out drop bag: No issue

10. Race Detail:

1:47:33 (chip) / 1:49:07 (gun)
21km
~193m D+
26/598

Full results:
http://my1.raceresult.com/84854/results?lang=en#1_55F98C

MPKJ Half Marathon 21km. Long story short, chaffing 😫, hills (great combo btw) and faded towards the end. Overall, good honest effort. Congrats to the top guys (who looks like they're LSDing the race), finishers and of course the organizers for the aid station/services provided and local authority for manning the traffic. They're out there in the heat and the real winners today in my book. The medal was shiny and heavy too. Good stuff. #mpkjhalfmarathon2017 #run #roadrunner #halfmarathon #tangent #excuses #mpkjhm2017 Pic: @jakelikesonions hillarious...

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Oct 21, 2017 at 6:13pm PDT

Race Comments

11. For the price I think it's so value for money especially since I live near the area. Organizers delivered a very simple yet efficient event. Race kit collection was smooth, mini expo selling gels and stuff, ample space for parking, prayer facilites, post race food and bonus milo trucks, plenty of space to stretch, course was manned by police very well.

12. I participated last year and this year it's exactly the same arrangement. I love the consistency and to me everything was spot on. Not overly fancy. (Organizers of CIND could really take tips from this race).

13. The route was different from last year.  I think we had a bit donwhill on the way back to finish last year. This year it was just rolling till the end. I also don't know whether the route was under distanced or whether I tangent the hell out of those corners since Garmin showed I did 20+km only.

14. Anyway, this was just another race to measure current fitness and determine viable training paces. Still got the fitness from previous training/races so happy with that. Not much decline. My race was ok, close to home and fun.

15. For this race we got 2 ts. I know it's a good thing to some but I really wish organizers could make event/finishing t's and medals optional. This could cut cost and help runners reduce un-used race t-shirt.

Final Note

16. The race was great and arrangements was good. Also good to see my fitness still there. I can use this race as a platform to build on. That's it for 2017. Next race would be GNU 2018. Til then.

The Most Beautiful Thing (TMBT) 2017 - 100km Race Notes

TMBT 2017 was held on 16 September 2017. For the 100km category around 334 runner participated. It was a point to point course where runners had to go from the start line (Lingkubang, Kota Belud), W1 to W11 before finishing at Mount Kinabalu Heritage and Spa, Perkasa, Ranau. The route takes runner through remote and rural local villages, vegetable/pineaple field, steep never ending gravel/tar road, jungles, river crossing and ridges etc. The overall ascent for the 100km category was estimated at 5255m. Cut off time (COT) was set 30 hours after flag off (6:20 AM).

More info on the race at:

https://www.facebook.com/Borneo-TMBT-Ultra-Trail-Marathon-197986800284621/

plus:

http://www.borneoultra.com/tmbt1/

Pre-Race

1. My A race was finally upon me. I took the morning flight to reach race pack collection (RPC) site on Friday around noon. After some issues, finally got my race bib and went to check in the hotel. Got something to eat, buy some stuff and got the gears ready. Dinner, followed by just chilling/relaxing and went to bed around 9 PM.

Race Day

2. Woke up at 2 AM, oats, hard boiled eggs and coffee equals to toilet. This menu never dissapoint haha. Put on gear, shower and everything and got on the bus at 3:30 AM. It was less than 2 hours bus ride to start line. Performed the subuh prayer, toilet break near the bushes and had to que to cross the bridge to the start line. It was already daylight and the view of Mt. Kinabalu was breathtaking and set the scene for the race. Scanned the timing device and went to the open field with the rest of the runners waiting for the start. 

One day to go to the big dance #tmbt100.

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Sep 14, 2017 at 11:18pm PDT

3. At 6:20 AM I started the longest race of my life. The first part going to W1 was on tarmac and it was a gentle climb. After few minutes, it started to become steeper so got the pole out. I felt good climbing at a pretty decent pace. I was looking forward to the downhill which will come later after W1. I ran all the parts where I can because I anticipate congestion in the trail. I decided that I would drop back once I got in the trail.

4. I wanted to also ensure I got on the trail with similar ability runner. I ran the downhill or go fast whenever possible. There were still people in front and I was somewhat pressured to go fast from guys behind so I was sure I wasn't running my race.

5. We were running with Mt. Kinabalu as a back drop, across villages, paddy fields and crossed beautiful rivers with these hanging bridges. It felt surreal running in such conditions. I was doing ok but felt sore on the quads and hamstring. Nutrition was good, I ate and stopped to rest a bit.

6. The trail were pretty steep and it was getting steeper. W4 or W5 I think was the infamous pineapple ridge. The climb was never ending but the view was nice. It took a lot to get through that section. By the time I got to W5, my quads were pre-blown and had to walk a bit. We also had this 5 minute van ride which was kind of awkward but welcomed. I planned to run downhill after that and I know there were some downhill. So I ran the downhill going to W6 (halfway) and told my self that I would take care of everything then. I pushed through and the quads were getting worse before I finally arrived at W6. I had to stop and sit by the road side at times because my quads were pulsating. It's been a while since I experienced this. And I had another 50k to go.

What a way to find out whether u can do a 100km hike/run. This is one has to go down as one of the most challenging thing I've done. Happy to be out there with other people suffering while traversing through the most beautiful thing. Let your heart hold fast For this soon shall pass There's another hill ahead 📸 FB Nasier Lee & Sharifah Khalidah #tmbt2017 #tmbt #trailrunning #vert #kotakinabalu #tmbt100

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Sep 19, 2017 at 6:32pm PDT

7. At halfway, I changed my shoes, socks, buff, shirt. It felt so good and I'm glad I brought some spare clothing/shoes. I felt like it was unnecessary at first but turned out to be a good decision. They were serving some solid food. I went with some macaroni soup, fruits, coke. Filled up my tailwind, 100 plus and coke. Also brought red bull with me. Put on the lights for the night and also my rain jacket since it was raining and I was cold. It was the only cold resistance article/clothing I had with me.

8. I planned to get out W6 at 5PM and I managed to go out at 5:21PM. Not bad I thought. I was still within the 20 hrs target I set. So out I went. I was hoping the quads were ok. The first few steps was painful. My quads were stiff as hell. I walked and it went away. But it was sore. I went down the trail with the intent to run the downhill as planned. I mean, this was it right? I waited for this downhill. However, my quads were cramping. I had to stop and stretch at first and later I had to accept that my quads had properly blown. Every step going downhill hurts. Kinda sucks but I didn't want it to bother me too much. I can still hike this rest of the race.

9. I met a lady and she was also having problem going downhill. She said she was in pain and I gave her panadol to ease the pain. We kept changing positions eventhough she was walking (fast) while I on the other hand was running (slow). During the first half, she would always pass me at the climb with ease. My gut feeling says that if I pace her I would probably be faster going up and who knows, my quads might recover. She didn't use poles so I packed mine away and didn't use my pole for the remainder of the race.

10. It was dark and cold and we're doing some pretty intense power hike (to me at least). We were not strolling. We passed a few people going uphill. I had to really keep up the effort not to get dropped. Considering the final climb was the toughest one and my quads were blown, my only chance of finishing with a good time was to not slow down going uphill. So I continued pacing and later there were also another guy with us. So all 3 of us basically spent the majority of the 2nd half hiking together.

11. The loop up to veggie farm and back to W8/W9 was really tough. It was night time and we were going up to the highest point in the race. It was cold and drizzling. I saw many ran down back to W9 but I know I just didn't have it. My quads didn't recover. It didn't get any worse but it just stayed like that til the end.

12. Based on my plan, I was suppose to run going to W10. But it was impossible with the quads and the surface. We were in the trail, it was slippery and muddy. I had to take it easy and be extra careful. It felt like forever. I looked up and the sky were starry. It was beautiful. I looked up several time and it was just unbelievable. We only had less than 20km to go. I just need to keep doing what I've been doing for the past hours.

13. At W11, I was really struggling. I didn't eat anything substantial. Only gels, water and some bananas. I was sleepy but determined to toughen it out on the last climb. We decided for a short rest so we would't get stiff. The last segment of the race took me the longest. We were climbing for around 2 hours and was wondering when it'll stop. It was steep and didn't seem to end. It's mind boggling to think that this kind of terrain exists and we had to go through it to finish. It was hard. I was getting anoyyed. I just wanted it to end.

14. About less than 2km to go, I went for a toilet break and got dropped. I knew I was going to finish so I spent the last bit looking around the beautiful sunrise beaming the mountain ranges with the clouds and all. I didn't have the energy to get the phone out but it was beautiful and I was alone on the trail. So I would walk and gaze at this beautiful thing laid in front of me. The intense hiking, climbing, finally got to me. My goal was reduced to just finishing. Luckily I was nearing the end. I tought it would be nice to finish under 24 hours and I did. Got to the finish line and felt the cold of the morning. I did it.

Alhamdullilah finished my first 100k. The scenery around mt. Kinabalu was majestic. Races like this is kind of about self discovery and perseverence. All of this makes it The Most Beautiful Thing. 🏃‍♂️100km 📈5255m ⏲23 h57m 41s #tmbt2017

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Sep 17, 2017 at 3:48am PDT

Post Race

15. I kind of sit there for a while staring at my bag. I didn't eat or drink anything at first. I wanted to sleep but had to get out of the clothes because I was getting really cold. I decided to shower and then breakfast. I had a nice chat with the runner I met on the trail. Got on the bus at 8 AM and finally reach the hotel around 10+ AM. I ate some more and slept. Later went to KK for dinner and just walk around.

Race Notes

16. Race itenerary kind of went like this:

Friday
05:30 AM: Move to KLIA2
08:00 AM: Depart to KK
10:30 PM: Arrived at Airport and took a taxi to Metro town (RPC)
11:30 PM: Race Pack Collection and got a grab car to hotel
12:15 PM: Check in and lunch at nearby restaurant and buy some stuff
06:00 PM: KFC and Prepare gear
09:00 PM: Sleep

Saturday
02:00 AM: Eat & prepare/put on race gears
03:30 AM: Bus to start
05:30 AM: Arrive
06:20 AM: Race start

Sunday
06:20 AM: Finish and shower
07:30 AM: Breakfast
08:30 AM: Bus back to Hotel
10:30 AM: Eat and sleep
05:00 PM: Move to KK for dinner and walk around
09:00 PM: Back to hotel and sleep

Monday
08:00 AM: Breakfast and walked to tjg aru beach
10:30 AM: Check-out and grab car to KK Airport
02:00 PM: Arrive KLIA, wait for ride, eat
07:00 PM: Home

17. The race:

Registration: RM630 (including bus transfer from and to race site)
Accomodation: RM378
Travel to race kit Collection: From airport approx 30 min.
Traveling cost: Flight: RM457, Taxi to Metrotown RM40, Grab to Hotel MegahDaru RM20, Misc Uber/grab: RM30
Travel distance from hotel to start line: 73km or 1h 45 min
Waiting for toilet: No issue / bushes
Sorting out drop bag: No issue

18. Race Detail:

23:46:33
100km
5,255m D+
69/334 overall
62/275 gender

Finishers = 252/334 ~ 25% DNF rate

Full results:
https://www.racematix.com/site/?locale=ms#results:rac/TMBT-100km-2017

Race Comments

19. For RM1,555, (not including personal food/meal) I think it was worth it because the course lived up to its most beautiful/brutal thing name. Again, running in places like this is always worth it. Pre-race information I think was pretty good with the dropbox folder containing all the information needed. The FB was lively with videos and pictures of the course prior to the race. Registration was easy. I think it is possible to get a return night flight on Sunday but I didn't want to risk it and also wanted some rest Monday before going to work again Tuesday.

20. In terms of organization specifically RPC, there's a lot to be desired. I don't want to gripe but considering I've invested a lot of time and money to race this, plus all the advertisement in the web page etc., my expectation were high. The RPC took place in Metro town where the organizers office was located. It was in the 2nd floor. The place was already crowded with people from all the categories when I arrived. It was congested with people and their bags and stuff. There was no expo but I was only looking for gels anyway. It didn't take long to get my bib but I had to get out quickly as people started to fill up the place. I ended up buying my gels at the nearby bike shop. Basically, it was just a sport store converted to RPC site.

21. The compressport bag was pretty cool I think. But there was nothing in them except a discount voucher for rudy product. The event T-shirt + finishing T was ok. We also had to bring a photocopy of our IC and me plus few participants had to scour the place to make one. It seems all photocopy machine broke down that day so I ended up taking a picture of my IC and emailed them to the print shop for them to print. I was told it was stated that we had to bring our photocopy IC. I felt it's a bit awkward since in other races, it's not needed unless we were picking up someone else's bib. But they must have their reason and it was stated prior. So maybe it was my fault for not reading or taking it seriously but I still think the whole thing was weird. Maybe it's the norm for a 100k race and above race? To me, it kind of felt like the organizers wanted to make the RPC convenient for them though it should be the other way around. Just saying.

22. Race Hydration/nutrition were ok but coke was to me in short supply unless you buy them from the locals. Maybe I was too tired to notice but I remember having coke only at halfway. In terms of food, Meggi cup, some mushroom soup, Some crackers, bananas. I think it's alright. Solid food at halfway was ok. Macaroni and rice. I think it'll be a waste anyway to have a full choice buffet because no one will eat much during the race. But i think there should be coke especially near the end despite the locals selling them.

23. The transport to race was good. I don't mind squeezing a little bit on the way back as long as I got back to my hotel. Waiting time was ok since finishers were spread through out. Shower facilities were good too. They had a room at the hotel near finish to clean ourselves. The post race meal was ok with choices between rice and pasta. I had no apetite and forced myself to eat the pasta so can't comment much there. Don't know how it is for the runners later.

24. The course. Awesome. I chose TMBT for my first 100km because it's in the end of 3Q 2017 so I had some time to train after SCKLM. I also wanted to use this race to set a race related benchmark and also logistics, like flights/packing and stuff. In local races you can just chuck everything in the car if you're driving and don't have to worry about flight weight limit etc. I also did it for the elevation. I wanted it to be tough but at the same time scenic so if I struggle to finish I can at least enjoy the view (which I did). I also think if I do a really tough race I'll benefit from the experience and learn a lot regardless of how I finish (which I also did).

25. The first half of the race was especially great. The view of Mt. Kinabalu, crossing streams through hanging bridges, going through paddy/pineapple, veggie fields and such. I especially enjoyed the time when we can literally see the inside of the villagers house and the people close up. The things we only usually see in RTM channel. But when it got tough, it's really tough. The steep climb seems never ending. Some part of the trail were really technical, rooty, rocky, slippery and some were quite dangerous haha. But that what makes it fun. It was all natural, raw/genuine. It's different from the single track hiking trails like in nuang/angsi etc though those type are there as well. And if you add in the weather, the cold condition, being wet for hours and the fear of dogs chasing you at 2 AM in the morning hahaha .. it's insane. It makes you wonder how the top runners can go through all of this so fast.The water station was spaced quite ok but some were really far. But I think it's mostly down to how fast you can get there.

26. My race. Well, my plan was working only for the first half. After that I was hiking all the way to the finish. I had never run/hike sleep deprived at night or in the rain or both. Well, apart from the time I got lost at irau and had to spend the night with no supllies. Anyway, maybe some slowdown was expected in the 2nd half. Regardless of the conditions, I'm kind of dissapointed the way it went down towards the end of the race. I was feeling crappy and had "I just want this to be over" attitude kind of like I did at Cultra. The difference was, at cultra I bounced back. In this race, my legs didn't allow it. Oh well. It's kind of embarassing to compare my time with the leaders and I was also 4 hrs off of my target time. For what it's worth, I had gave it my best. But still I went through the data and compared expectation vs reality.

27. It's pretty obvious I was waaaaay to fast going to W1. I was about 26mins faster than my predicted split. I kind of hit all the splits except at the highway with a difference of about 13 mins. This was when my legs were pre blown. But, I sticked to my plan, pushed through at the downhills and going in perkasa I was 31 mins faster than predicted split. I thought it'll get better after the rest half way.

28. After halfway, I failed to run downhill and struggled up hill. But I was doing ok climbing up to W8. I was climbing faster than predicted at W8 and didn't use pole at all which was a suprise. This was when I was pacing the lady. But the downhill section W9, W10 was when the gap opened. Heading to finish was the final climb and it was hard. I struggled there too.

29. I think going too hard in the first part was the main reason for my quads demise in the 2nd half. A difference of almost half an hour from predicted split (twice!) in the first half was just too much. I also never trained running downhill and when you combined all of these, well, RIP quads. Something had to be done about it if I wanted to execute this walking up and running/descending quickly down strategy in a 100km.

30. Secondly, there were less downhill going to W8 and data showed I climbed quite good there with a -3 mins difference from predicted split. Climbing or hiking with our without poles is essential. I also didn't specifically train walking fast and I think it's an essential skill to have.

Final Note

31. I had a plan but failed to excecute properly. The hardest thing to me was to hold back. You kind of think that it doesn't have an impact later in the race but it does. That's just the natural law of the game. In training, consistency is king and specificity is queen and I wasn't specific in my training. If I wanted to run downhill I should've practice running downhill. The use of pole is also something I might have to reconsider. I have a feeling poles slowed me down especially in the trail where I have to think about planting not just my foot but the poles as well. Without them, I felt a more natural rhythm climbing. It does have its benefit though maybe in a more open trail or road and it help with balance keeping upright.

32. The race was beautiful. I truly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the time spent not racing in KK just chilling. The organization can probably do better. If I'm investing considerable time and money, I expect the services to kind of match the value, like I would in a restaurant etc. I can't help but compare the organization to other races I've participated in which was why I found some things perplexing. With a little bit more effort on organization/coordination, which I think can easily be rectified, this race would be one of the best race in Malaysia. It is to me up there among other iconic races in Malaysia. I'm gonna do it again someday maybe with the family there. That'd be nice.

Post race. Moving around KK enjoying some food and chiling out near the sea with @pijielepat. Time to bid adieu. Hope to walk normally soon 😥 #tmbt2017 #tmbt100 #kotakinabalu #sabah

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Sep 17, 2017 at 8:43pm PDT

33. That is it. After this rest period going to kick off 2018 with MPKJ half in october as a fitness test and will take it from there. Can't wait to not run.

The Magnificent Merapoh Trail (TMMT) 2017, 70km Race Notes

TMMT 2017 was held on 5th August 2017. For the 70km category around 183 runner participated. It was a looped course where runners had to go from the start line (SMK Merapoh) - check point CP4 all the way to to CP9 before finishing near SMK Merapoh. The route takes runner accross beautiful river crossings, caves, palm and rubber plantations, small villages and few stretch of highways. The overall ascent for the 70km category (officially 65.79km) was estimated at 1363m. Cut off time (COT) was set 13 hours after flag off (4:00 AM). 

The race also served as a platform to spread awareness on the ongoing conservation initiatve, Save Merapoh Caves.

More info on the race at https://www.facebook.com/runningproject/

plus

http://runningproject.asia/

and on the save merapoh caves initiatve

https://www.facebook.com/SaveMerapohCaves/

Pre-Race

1. The thought of running in/close to Taman Negara, going through caves, made me signed up for this race. This race is one of the iconic ultra races in Malaysia. For this race, I wanted to properly pace myself and not bomb downhill trying to catch up time like I did in Cultra. The goal was to run as much as possible and spend little time idle. Again, only 1 day taper but rested well after cultra and weekly mileage was not that much. So, went into this race feeling a bit better than I did at cultra.

2. Traveled on Friday, bought some food and stuff, collected the race pack and went to put my stuff inside the dorm. Went for the briefing and then KFC, carbo loading with some friends. I planned to sleep around 9PM and wake up around 2AM only for me to fall asleep around 12AM and constantly waking up in between. Maybe I was nervous or maybe I'm just a light sleeper. The dorm conditions didn't help either. 

The longest run ever and all in the magnificent merapoh trail. I visited Taman Negara twice (kuala tahan) and the thought of running  in (or close) to one was exciting which made me signed up. The caves and rivers were jaw dropping and seeing these huge limestone (is it?) boulders on the run was surreal. Not to mention raw jungle and all of its beautiful contents. Awesome organization involving the locals and I had a pretty decent run. No major issues. Congrats all finishers and organizers. Special thnks n congrats to IM gang safzan, rbj, maman and running gang piji, awi, wan and chin for the company and assistance. All of these made the weekend much more enjoyable. Next up, the big dance.. TMBT 100k.  62+km (underdistance) 8:01:17 1700m d+ Photo: Cik Arnab En Kura2 FB dan Kakironda (awesome job guys) #tmmt2017 #savemerapohcaves #trailrunning #run #nationalpark #tailwindnutrition #byebyehandphone

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Aug 6, 2017 at 9:42pm PDT

Race Day

(Honestly, I can't remember the order in which i passed through these sections. Caves, rivers etc. So it might be a bit jumbled up).

3. Woke up around 1:50AM and decided to just do breakfast. Same race morning routine, same result. Good. Drove to race site, parked my car, met with friends, warmed up, chatted and at 4 AM sharp, we're off. There were fireworks and people were just happy and it was great start. The lack of sleep didn't seem to effect much with the help of coffee.

4.  The first part was on tarmac and I do feel like I could go a bit faster. I let my legs naturally settle into a sustainable pace. I was warming up and although slow, it was early in the race so I accepted the pace. I was moving and slowly passing people. Arrived at the first CP (CP4) and they were serving coffee in a small cup, just nice to help wake you up. Apart from coffee, I had a toilet break and went off without taking anything other than water. Then moments later we were in the trails and the fun stuff began. It was pitch black and I was just following blinkers and guided by other runners in front. We were actually climbing small waterfalls and it was slippery but so much fun. Then it was a bit of trail and then a river. This time quite deep. This is exactly what I signed up for.

5. I tried to wade the river going a little faster. I gained momentum and just maintain the speed I was going and ended up at the front of a small group. So there I was, having to make decisions on where to go. At one point, I observed that there were two way to go , left or right. I went to the right and immediately dunked myself in the water up to neck high. Seeing I was struggling in the water, the runners behind me gingerly went to the left where it was more shallow. I learned my lesson and proceeded the rest of the way following others while chuckling at that funny moment. Wanted to go fast but ended up losing more time swimming in the river. 

6. By the time the 1st river section was over, it was runnable trail section. I can't recall what happen at CP5 or how I got there. Then went into some road section in the villages and CP6 where there was a surau and I stopped for subuh prayer. I also changed my socks which was soaking wet. Got some food and really refuel. I wanted to step it up a bit after halfway. So from CP6 to CP7 I increased the intensity and ran the short hills and powerhiked the long steep hills. It was a mix of trails and tarmac and at one point we had to cross the highway which btw totally ruin the landscape of the whole area. 

7. Can't remember whether the cave were before or after CP7 but we all had to go into one. It was short but had knee high water. The water was murky but I don't think it was dirty water. Saw some runners on the ledge near the wall which looked like a pretty clever way not to get wet. I also think this was around where we had to go through this beautiful river crossing. People were getting selfies and my kids were the first thing that entered my mind. I wondered what they would say and how excited they'd probably be in that moment. I had to wait to climb up the bank of the river. Some decided not to que and made a new path. It was like 5 minutes queing but I didn't mind waiting in such a beautiful place. 

8. After about halfway was when I decided to focus and get on with business. It was on. I was running the downhill pretty hard and kept it steady at the runnables. I refueled both bottles and my bladder. This was a good decision as it feels like forever to get to CP8. It was getting hot and I'm glad I refilled and refuelled properly. I knew I can't f**k up my nutrition if I was going to run till the end.

9. Again, don't know whether if it was before or after CP9 but I continued and we were in another, bigger cave. This was again a jaw dropping moment for me since this was the first time I ran in a cave. I didn't use my head lamp and just use other runners to guide the way. At one point I didn't know where to go and the photographer showed me the way. I was looking around while fast walking but once I saw the cave opening (exit) I concentrated on running again. Getting to CP9 was hard. At CP 9/u turn/last CP I refuelled everything, regrouped, got some food and ran hard again. I was passing runners. I didn't know which category they were but I was adamant to pass as many as possible. These were my main motivation to keep running. I was feeling quite ok but not great, probably just enough to run. 

The moment you realize you're running in a cave. 📸 @actionpixmalaysia #tmmt2017 #savemerapohcaves #trail #trailrunning #ultramarathon #nationalpark #caves

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Aug 8, 2017 at 10:24pm PDT

10. In the final palm plantation I grinded it out. I crossed path with the no. 2 and no. 3 runner while they were going to the finish.Then got on the tarmac but I was reserved on the uphill considering I already ran about 60+ km by then which was the furthest I ever ran. I wanted to get to the next CP not totally bonked and push on the last few kms. I also did not want to get passed by anyone and I knew if I slowed down I'd get passed and that would suck especially nearing the end. There are many races where I would pass people and they would later passed me and I would just buckle while feeling a bit embarassed as well.

11. But all of a sudden I heard the mc. My watch showed about 63km. The race was underdistanced and like all other races my watch recorded even lower distance due to the lost signals probably in the caves or obscured by trees etc. No CP then, just the finish line. I was suprised when I crossed it but relieved to have finished. I did it in about 8:01 hrs enough for a 6th place overall finish. Had I known, I would've tried to go for a sub 8.

Post Race

12. I helped myself to the freshly cut watermellons and coconut water. I can't remember how much I ate but quite a lot. I spent at least 10 minutes eating until I felt better and got back to my car. My phone's display went kaput because it got submegered underwater. Went back to the dorm, shower and clean up/wash my gear. Got back to race site, got some food which was delicious. Hang around with friends and also stayed around at the finishing line while watching other runners complete their journey.

Race Notes

13. Race itenerary kind of went like this:

Friday

09:00 AM: Move to Merapoh

11:30 AM: KFC Lunch at Petronas Genting Sempah

01:20 PM: Friday prayer just before Kuala Lipis

03:00 PM: Race Pack Collection and check in dorm

06:00 PM: KFC Carbo load

08:00 PM: Prepare gear and sleep (sort of)

Saturday

01:50 AM: Eat & prepare/put on race gears

03:40 AM: Arrive, warm up 

04:00 AM: Race

12:10 PM: Finish Race, rest/hydrate/eat & check phone (phone got submerged)

01:00 PM: Shower and clean gear

02:00 PM: Got back to finish line, hung around and eat

05:00 PM: Went to hotel and dinner

08:30 PM: Sleep

Sunday

09:00 AM: Depart home 

01:30 PM: Arrive home

14. The race:

Registration: RM283.60 (including accomodation and admin fee)

Accomodation: RM30

Travel to venue & Race kit Collection: ~5hr

Traveling cost: Conservative estimate at RM0.40/km : 532 km X RM0.4/km = RM215 (plus toll)

Travel distance from hotel to start line: 1km

Waiting for toilet: No issue

Sorting out drop bag: No issue

15. Race Detail:

8:01:17

65km

1,363 D+ (Garmin showed 900+ - wtf garmin?)

6/185 overall

5/140 gender

5/140 men open 

Full results:

http://results.checkpointspot.asia/MyResults.aspx?uid=17036-143-2-123635

Race Comments

16. For RM283.60, I think it was worth it for the experience running the course alone. I think I got what I paid for which was running in beautiful places which otherwise would be impossible. Marking was good, volunteers were plenty at CPs and at at junctions/trailheads. Distances between CP were a bit inconsistent I think. Some were really far and some were spaced quite ok. Don't know whether this was just psychology/mental or it is in reality far.

17. Hydration/nutrition were ok and it had coke not some cheap cola which was good. In terms of food, I found that some were not practical especially if you were racing. But water and coke were plenty and I depended mostly on tailwind. The bananas were huge and I think cutting them down to pieces might reduce wastages but at the same time increase the likelihood of spoiling/oxidizing them. I shared and asked people for some of theirs cause I knew most couldn't finish the whole thing. The post-race food was good but I was wondering if there would be enough for those who finished late. Can't really tell. Rice and the fish which was good. I didn't go to the after race dinner. From what I hear and see it was good with BBQ lambs and all. 

18. The dorm, hmm.. 30 bucks for 2 days was not that great. I wish the organisers would asked those staying in the dorms to bring their own bedsheet and there were also water issues. But there weren't many mosquitos which was my main worry. But I enjoyed the space afforded. I prepared my breakfast outside and drank coffee in the wee morning before the race which was peaceful. Can't do that in a hotel room. The 2nd night I squatted in my friends hotel and slept like a baby. 

19. The course was great. First off, I just don't like highways cause in this race it disturbs the trail experience but it is sometime unavoidable since these roads connect the trails. I don't like them also because of conservation reasons. I know it could somehow help in better connectivity for local people. This is where development goals and conservation goals have to intersect. Seeing that it is being built I assume the local authority already did the Enviromental Impact Assesment on the project and hopefully it does not causes unreversable harm to the surrounding natural areas. We would not be getting that land back. I also don't really prefer running on tarmac in my trail shoes cause it kind of hurts.

20. Now the good stuff, the river sections. I loved it. It feels like a real adventure, sort of indiana jones-eque. I also felt like the kids in the goonies movie trying to find their way to the pirate ship (the reference to 80s movies makes me feel really old). Some rivers were deep and some had small waterfalls which require you to climb over them. It certainly was not "trail running" but those who loves being outdoor would probably loved these. I felt like a kid again. 

Adventure! The goonies.

21. The caves was another great experience. Running in one for me was the premium that I have paid for. You certainly would not be allowed (or if common sense were applied) to run in one in normal circumstances. I was trying not to stop much, so I couldn't really enjoy the view and experience the caves. But it was magnificent. We had to go through many plantations but I think it was ok. Soft ground and all so it's good. The climbs were short and sometime steep. Otherwise they were rolling and most of it were quite runnable.

22.  Did what I intended to do which was pacing and not stop too much. Decided to finish strong and see where I might end up in the rankings and also in terms of finishing time. This race has validated Tailwind as my main nutrition of choice. Pacing wise, I had a rough idea of the pace I was trying to hit. Before the race I developed my own pace chart based on previous races. I adopted the idea from andrew skurka and it wasn't far off from what I have calculated so while it is not entirely accurate it does gives me an indication of my finishing time.

23. After halfway I went quite hard running uphills and bombing some downhills but at the same time managed to avoid blowing up. Proper refuelling, carrying a bladder, regrouping instead of pushing through when I felt like shit was one of the many small decisions that led to a pretty decent finish for me.

24. Looking at the result, the first runner completed the course in 6:47:39. That's like almost a 1h15m gap. This for me was quite ok at this stage considering the front runners probably went blazing at the tarmac and going downhill. I just don't have the speed/endurance. Moving time was 7:42-ish which was quite good which suggest I didn't stop much. I finished the race feeling quite ok and recovered well the following days. Also had no cramps at all which I attribute to proper race nutrition and pacing. 

25. The difference between Cultra and TMMT is quite clear which was the elevation. I struggled on long climbs at cultra and I felt ok in this race. The river crossing also cooled down the muscles. Long climbs and heat is something I'm going to try to address in the remaining (and limited) training period. Glad I did both of these races which totally revealed my weaknesses and also what I can actually do.

26. Kudos for the MC and organizers who were around in the heat near finishing. I also spent a considerable amount of time just looking at 100k runners finishing the race. It makes me question the very definition of racing and competing etc. Ultra running is too long and brutal to be conventionally raced. Based on what I see, to some, it's borderline survival. Same can be said about the 35km finishers finishing close to the generous cut off time. Seeing them still soldiering through the heat to finish was admirable and a bit mind boggling at the same time. This will probably be me at TMBT in few weeks time.

At the finish.... Some had scars and some had scratches, made me wonder about their past, as I look around, I began to notice, we were nothing like the rest (Mountain sounds, Of Monsters and Men) #tmmt2017 📸@actionpixmalaysia

A post shared by Hafdzuan (@hafdzuan) on Aug 9, 2017 at 8:37am PDT

Final Note

27. I came in and did what I intended to do. In terms of gear and nutrition I have a pretty good idea of what to do. I need to practice using poles for the long climbs and also do some hill training and maybe do some of them in the heat.

28. The race was worth the money and time spent to get there. There were a lot going on like rivers,caves, jungly sections etc and time just flies by. It was fun. The objective of the race was to raise awareness on conserving the merapoh caves and to me it served its purpose. I can't stress enough how development if not carefully planned will ruin the landscape and flora/fauna. Plus it also interfere with the natural habitats which houses exotic/rare animals. There are lots of issues like setting up cement factories, the highways, loggings etc at merapoh and I hope we don't have to go through more highways or any unncessary development in future edition of this race. Ironically I also picked up some gel wrappers on the ground discarded deliberately or otherwise. 

29. Next up, TMBT 100k (while biting my lips and closed eyes thinking about it).