1. The Ironman Langkawi 2018 will be held on 14 November 2018. I've done it in 2016 and it was one of the best times I've ever had. After the race, I tried to rationalize my obsession with the race. In the end, I couldn't. The cost factor and the time it takes to train for the race was a strong case against doing an Ironman. But if I had the resources to do an Ironman, would I do it? What made me do it in the first place?
2. Since 2016, Ironman Langkawi has evolved. The 2017 edition saw the 70.3 + full distance held together. And in 2018, interested participants can pay the entrance fee in 3 months installments. And there was also a limited 24 hour flash sale where you get further discounts prior to the normal early bird rates.
3. It's quite capitalistic (if not already) if you ask me. Nothing wrong with that. People can do whatever with their money and businesses can smell money making opportunities. In the Ironman case, the organizers truly capitalize the irrational choice theory here.
4. They know triathletes are the obsessive/determined/irrational kind. You then market the Ironman to suit the narrative/image of a triathlete: disciplined, full of sacrifice and ultimately finishing the Ironman to encapsulate all of that. Put in some marketing gimmicks and motivational slogans and the seed is planted. Marketing 101.
5. The slogans I must say is quite powerful: "you will do this", "swim 2.4, bike 180, run 42.2 brag for the rest of your life", "anything is possible". I bought into it. That was the whole point. The need to do the ironman was to identify myself as a triathlete and as a person (to me at least). Damn, I know it's quite vain, but still. I do somewhat feel complete and contend after doing one so it validates that I was just in it for the title.
6. I bought into the whole Ironman thing probably because I found Ironman before I found triathlon. I swim and bike because I wanted to do an Ironman. Running and all the marketing gimmicks fits the reflection I had of myself at the time. And that provided fertile ground for the Ironman seed to be planted.
7. Back to the question at hand. Am I going to do an Ironman if I had the resources?. The answer is yes. Even though the rational side of me strongly opposed to the idea, the sport of triathlon (including Ironman) has given me a lot. It's a sport with plenty of memorable highlights. Here are probably my top 10 highlights of a triathlon:
Bike racking - you rolled in your bike like thousands other triathletes with butterflies in your stomach. Racked your bike and hope it'll be in the same condition as you left it.
1 minute before swim start - at the beach / or pontoon knowing that it's going to be a long day full of uncertainties. Love that pre-race feeling. And more butterflies.
First 5 minute of swim start - things get real and you realize you're actually doing it. I sometime smile and feel grateful to have the chance to be doing what most children love. To play in the ocean.
T1 - when you sighted land. Heart racing and you just can't wait to get out of the water.
Drafting - the joy of maintaining a faster speed and riding with fellow competitors. Taking turns pulling and cracking jokes.
Nutrition on the go - Felt like a true triathlete drinking and eating while on a bike. Not to mention the joy of grabbing a water bottle on the go.
T2 - like in T1, the joy of finally to be in a straight up position and seeing some supporters/friends/family.
Running in pain - some enjoy it I think. I do.
Dousing water - On a hot day, it's heaven. Especially iced water.
Music / MC at Finish - The finish is usually about taking care of business cause you enter normality again. I actually have that relieved feeling when I hear music or the MC like < 100 meters to the finish.
8. As I now turn my focus to running, the quote below hit me hard:
“The longer and farther I ran, the more I realized that what I was often chasing was a state of mind--a place where worries that seemed monumental melted away, where the beauty and timelessness of the universe, of the present moment, came into sharp focus.”
9. In the end, running or triathlon, it's about how it makes you feel. Running couldn't make me feel the way triathlon makes me feel, vice versa. I probably had my best memories more at Pd triathlon than Ironman, but Ironman opened the ultrarunning door and that to me is priceless. Only in triathlon racing can I reach that state of mind. Because It's rare that you practice/train all three discipline in one go. I would love to be in that state of mind again.
1. Got my race kit, got some gels and checked into Quality Hotel on Saturday. Packed dinner from SOGO.
2. In terms of gear, my Skechers 4 Go Run and was the footwear of choice (no choice - my only shoe currently lol). I wore a 3/4 tights with the issued race shirt. 5 high 5 gels (+ another 2 on course) with 5 salt pills.
Race Day
3. Shakeout, breakfast, poop, warm up and baggage drop. I was lazy to get to the pen entrance which was on the other side from where I was so I climbed into my starting pen. The goal was to go under 4 hours or close to it.
4. With that in mind, I executed my pacing strategy. The first 8 km, effort and cadence was good. I was around 5:50 min/km which was a bit off goal avg pace but I know there was still a long way to go to make up for it. I wanted to really get in the groove before increasing the effort. But, then stomach started feeling a bit sloshy after getting some water and gel down. So I decided to run it off to see whether it's just the stomach waking up. At 10km, it's confirmed, I needed to take a dump. I can't be running with all the "baggage" in me so I stopped, offload and ran again.
5. I actually came closest to the 4hr pacers at around the U turn point at AKLEH (or was it duke?) around 12km. So I was not that concerned about my pace but I planned to stop at 15km for Subuh. So I knew I had to later somehow make up the gap to the 4 hr pacers. Once I reached the mobile surau, there was still 15 minutes to Subuh. So I had to continue on. At around 17-18km, I had to take another dump. So that got me really worried and annoyed. If I was breaking 4, it's going to be close because of all the unplanned stops.
6. At around the half way mark, stopped for Subuh. Before I resumed, checked my average pace and it was at 6min/km. And I was like 5 minutes off my split goal time at 21km mark. So naturally, I panicked and decided to increase my effort and try to reduce the deficit. It was too early in the race to attack but I had to risk it. I knew I had to get to goal pace (or the pacers) before the hilly section. But I did reserved some energy for the hills.
7. So, up to 30km the main goal was to reduce avg pace and I was at around 5:49/km at 30km. It was not good enough. Attacked all downhills. As I entered the hilly sections at around 32km I kind of knew I was not going to make it but I still pushed on hoping that I could take advantage of the downhill.
8. At 35km, the hills proved too much for me. I cramped, but not too bad and had to alternate walking/running on the hills. Going down hill, had to sometime stop and stretch the legs. It was demotivating but I didn't give up and just ran as hard as I could. I had nothing to lose at that point. But my form was already all over the place.
9. Nearing 41km, I passed 4 hours. I stopped and walked to the nearest aid station. It was as if I planned to run exactly 4 hours that day. I know I wanted to go close to 4 hours but all motivation and focus I had just went away. I started to think about the aches and pain. There wasn't any incentive for me to push it anymore. So for the rest of the race, my only real motivation to run/jog was to finish the race and reunite with my family. And I manage just that.
Post Race
10. Walking to collect the finisher tee and medal, my head was down and I was so fatigued. Then my wife and kids were screaming for me by the side of the finisher tent area and that somewhat cheered me up. Met some friends afterwards but I was so tired to hang around so decided to get back to the hotel. But not after I took another dump at the mobile porta potty.
11. So with that, I ended my SCKLM 2017 with my goal quite literally down the toilet.
Race Notes
12. Race itenerary kind of went like this:
Saturday
02:00 PM: Race kit collection/got gels
01:00 PM: Check in & rest
05:00 PM: Recce race site, goof around with the kids at finish line and met with some friends
07:00 PM: Got dinner
08:00 PM: Dinner & prepare race gear/shirt
09:00 PM: Sleep
Sunday
02:50 AM: Shakekout run, eat & shower
03:30 AM: Warm up to venue & sort out drop bag
03:50 AM: Wait in starting pen
04:00 AM: Race
08:10 AM: Finish Race
08:30 AM: Gather myself/cool down
08:50 AM: Poop and get back to hotel
09:00 AM: Rest/hydrate/eat & check phone
09:45 AM: Went to the pool to check on kids
11:30 AM: Check out
12:45 PM: Lunch
02:00 PM: Home and sleep
13. The race cost me:
Registration: RM90
Accomodation: RM222
Travel to venue & Race kit Collection: 1hr (Quality Hotel, 45 km x 2)
Traveling cost: Conservative estimate at RM0.40/km : 90 km X RM0.4/km = RM36 ~ RM40 (plus toll)
Travel distance from hotel to start line: 1km
Waiting for toilet: NA
Sorting out drop bag: No issue
14. Race Detail:
Placing (Time diff. to leader): 148/3222 (+1:33:20) [First Malaysian 2:35:56]
Time: 4:09:17
Pace: 5:54/km
Distance: 42.2km
Elevation: 279m - my Garmin (some recorded up to 500m)
*FM Malaysian Open Category
Race Comments
15. For RM 352 I think it was worth it considering the race facilities and services provided. The baggage drop was quick, everything was well marked, volunteers were plenty, hydration/nutrition were good. They could cut the huge banana in half though. I think it was a bit wasteful. I could've saved by travelling to the venue on race day but I think I made a wise choice since I got extra sleep and having not worry about parking etc. It also allow my family to be there at the finish and they had a great time being out there through out the 2 days as well. The last time I did SCKLM I remembered running around Pavilion and KLCC. The new course wasn't as scenic but it is what it is. Overall, the race was simply professional and the atmosphere was electric/awesome. There were so much energy at the start. Basically, everything you would want at a race was encapsulated in SCKLM 2017.
16. As far as my race is concerned, I probably took for granted pre race nutrtion because I never had any stomach issues. Like ever. Until that day. But when I look back at it, most of my races were mainly just about finishing and this was actually the first time I set a time goal and kind of trained for it. So the intensity and the pressure must have got something to do with it.
17. I could've also be more specific with my training. The race was like a long run + long hill repeats near the end. And I just didn't do that kind of training.
18. On the upside, the progressive runs, long runs + some track session helped a lot in terms of holding pace. I didn't bonk and I didn't feel like my legs were completely gone. I manage to push it and passed some runners even after 32 km (the wall). So I guess that was down to training. Mileage wise I probably did enough but wasn't specific to the demand of the race and it showed.
19. At a personal level, I want to run well, especially after my previous two marathon attempt ended up in me limping the last 10km to the finish. Finished 5:30 and 5:45 or something like that. I can't (or don't want to) remember. A sub 4 marathon would look good on my running resume too and provided a well deserved redemption.
20. I wanted to make every race or whatever I'm doing count because I feel I owe it to my family for all the time they have granted me/I have taken away from them. It gives me great satisfaction to train and execute a race by giving all I could on race day. It rationalizes all the time spent training and lessen the feeling of guilt. I think that day, apart from the toilet stops, I gave it all for 41km. I was demoralized after 4 hours and spent the last 1km feeling sorry for myself haha.
21. I didn't want to go down regretting and wishing I could've done better, but I did. My race plan was executed up to the 8km mark and afterwards I was pretty desperate chasing shadows. Thousands of "what ifs" circulated at the back of my mind after the race. And the main thing I was totally upset about was the toilet stops. Just to rub salt into the wound, Garmin showed my moving time was 3:59:21 with an average pace of 5:36/km. To have that information doesn't help the situation at all. lol.
22. I remember looking at the buses parked at the side of the road at 21km ready to pick up those who didn't meet the COT. For me COT was 4 hrs, but for some, it's the real race COT and that kind of perspective was needed to appreciate and also be grateful with what I've accomplished. Races are like life. Along the way, things don't go according to plan and sometime you get really close to what you want only to fall short. Response is the difference between those who eventually get what they're after and those who don't.
23. From the glass half empty perspective, this particular failure puts me in my place. Comparing my result to 1st Malaysian isn't realisitc/relevant. Maybe for now, it's suffice to say I need to shave 9-10 minutes off my next marathon. As I struggle up those hills, all my weaknesses were revealed. I wasn't totally ready for that kind of effort yet. It says a lot about my training and racing.
24. As I'm writing this, I kind of got over the result and excited to try again harder and better not just for my next sub 4 attempt but racing in general.
Final Note
25. The race was good. No complaint what so ever. I'm going to do it again next year. Attempting to break 4 in SCKLM will continue. I'll maybe do other marathons but to me I have to sub 4 SCKLM. haha. Having my family through out the 2 days, especially at the finish was great. Good to see other runners and for me to personally run the marathon again (the 2016 Ironman marathon doesn't count lol).
26. I now have a benchmark to improve upon. I learned a lot and eventhough I fell short, the positive and negative feedback is invaluable as I moved on to my next goal which is to finish a 100k ultra marathon.
27. And that is basically it for the first half of 2017. Going to objectively assess the training and races done in 1H2017 and hopefully do better next time. Rest and trail season next. Woo hoo.
1. Looking back, registering for this race seems reckless if I am really serious about SCKLM. Hope not. Registered for this race because it was so much fun the last time around and maybe also due to the fact I got 2nd place in the 18k category last year. Maybe a bit of both. Went for the 50km race distance this year as a tune up for TMBT and a long run for SCKLM (might prove costly).
2. 50km was hard the last time and I don't think it's ever gonna get any easier. So, few days before the race, slept early and rested a lot. I tried to anyway. Kind of glad I don't have to travel all the way to race venue to pick up the kit. Since the collection was done at Midvalley, took the chance to look/survey trail shoes on sale to replace my current one which was already kind of dodgy with its lugs almost completely gone. The sole was ripped but I got them stitched up. Still wore them race day.
Race Day
3. As far as strategy goes, I had to either take it easy all the way (easy .. haha) or try my luck near the end of the race if I had anything left. But the main thing I wanted to test out was nutrition and pacing. At GNU2017 I bonked and never recovered. I think it was mainly due to nutrition and erratic pacing. Since I have all that space in my Skinpro 10, I took 6 packet of hammer gels, about >15 salt pills, 2 snickers, two cans of red bull and plain water with me. I thought it was a bit overkill but boy, am I glad I brought em.
4. The first 10 km was fairly ok. I hold back as much as I could, but going downhill I ran a bit. I also ran a bit going uphill. The trail was muddy and slippery and I fell few times. The river crossing was refreshing and also serve to clean whatever mud was sticking to me. Got to the aid stations and there was water, 100 plus, bread and some dates. But no watermelons. I thought it might be at the next aid station. But little did I know at that time, I would only see watermelons at the finish.
5. At about halfway, which coincidently where the steepest hill was, it dawned on me that there were only dates and bread at all of these aid stations. I thought after the brutal climb, we were going to be rewarded with watermelons, oranges etc. But there were only dates, bread and 100 plus. There was one aid station with oranges though. I planned to feast myself with fruits at halfway since I have had it with dates. I wanted to also use the opportunity to ease the cramps which had slowly built up. I was feeling a bit frustrated, so I just top up my water supply, rehydrate and chatted with the volunteers a bit. After getting everything sorted, I turned for the last 20+km to get to the finish. I was 3rd at the time so I guess it was worth to "race" the last third of the race.
6. Then, came the plot twist, the aid station from then on were basically left with only water. And everything just became terribly hard from that point on. I was trading places with the 4th place guy. We chatted a bit during the climbs. I was half running/limping and was calculating my next gel/salt consumption. I was trying to avoid running on deficit. I conciously slowed down to take in food and manage the cramps. The last 10km, I only stopped briefly for water and some perskindol and manage to open a gap.
7. I tried all the tricks in the books to keep going that final kms. I told myself that if I don't run this section, the guys behind me will and eventually catch up. I also convinced myself that it's just like those hills I ran in training, except that it's not even close. I didn't bonked. Just the cramps.
8. I manage to reserve a packet of gel whereas the salt pills was finished. I was out of the woods and was 3rd. So I kind of feel like it was a done deal and if someone were to overtake me at that point, I was ok with it. I already gave it all I could. I was jogging/walking at the tarmac section and when I looked back, the 4th place guy was there. Looking solid. I guess he must've ran pretty hard and I was genuinely thinking I'm gonna get passed. I took that last gel and fortunately everything switched on. I lengthen my stride and ran for like 500m. Looked back occasionally just to make sure. I guess I was not completely ok with someone overtaking me, especially for a podium finish. Haha. Near the finish I slowed down once I realized I finally got it. The pack of 1st and 2nd place finisher was at the front all day.
Post-Race
9. Finally, watermelons. Chatted with other runners and continue chatting with the 4th place finisher Mr. Balrama. He pushed me till the end at the 18km race race last year and also this year. Went on stage to accept the awards, pictures etc. and went back home. The kids loved the hamper and I got a voucher for merrel shoes. So it was a good day for all. Well maybe not all. My wife got the laundry to contend with.
Race Notes
10. After messing up at HLTR17, arriving late etc. I had a good look at how I can be more efficient going to races. So, the section below is kind of like a simple thought process of doing a race. Can be used as a mental checksheet when registering for a race. Also good for budgeting overseas races in the future.
11. Race day kind of went like this:
4:00 AM: Wake Up, Eat & Shower
5:00 AM: Travel to venue / Subuh
6:15 AM: Sort out drop bag & warm up
6:30 AM: Race
1:30 PM: Finish Race
2:00 PM: Shower/Zohor/Post race socializing
3:30 PM: Race Awards
3:50 PM: Move to home
5:00 PM: Home
12. The race cost me:
Registration: RM180.50
Accomodation: NA
Travel to venue: 1h15min hours (Kampung Kemensah, 52 km x 2)
Travel to race kit collection: 40 mins (Midvalley Megamall, 38.2 km x 2)
Traveling cost: Conservative estimate at RM0.40/km : 180.4 km X RM0.4/km = RM72.16 ~ RM80 (plus toll)
Travel distance from parking to start line: 250m
Waiting for toilet: NA
Sorting out drop bag: No issue
14. In total, it cost me about RM260 and a whole day to complete this race. But, for the price to race 7 hour in a beautiful dense forest, it was totally worth it.You also get 2 t shirts (awesome design) and a medal. I think a lot of emphasis is given to race goodies nowadays but I personally think services provided by race organizers are often overlooked. The volunteers who were bitten by mosquitos, having to sleep in the woods and wait for people were exceptional. Can't fault them with anything.
15. The organizers were great. Loved that it's a simple set up and have this kind of laid back feel to it. I think post race was chilled and our voices were not drowned by the music. In some races, the PA system with the music etc. can get a bit annoying. Took a bath in the toilet too.
16. Had pacat bites like 2 on my abs area and 2 on ankle. It comes with the race package, so can't complain there. Got small bit of stones in shoes. Need gaiters for sure.
17. I don't want to sound like a diva but I think the aid stations could be better stocked. I know it is hard to get stuff onto the course but the pre-race info suggested (to me at least) the aid station would be stocked with the usual. Luckily I brought some on my own. I was giving water to a runner who was worried he might not make the cut off and was running low on water. That got me thinking about other runners with still some way to go.
18. Coming from shorter trail/road racing and triathlons, it does feel a bit like an anomoly. I have however, only done 2 ultra races. So I can't exactly say in terms of aid stations, whether this was either the rule or the exception.
Final Note
19. Beautiful race but make no mistake, the course was hard. Again, cramps threaten to derail the race but kind of got it under control. I think I was also a bit lucky not to be overtaken near the end. Got 3rd place and along with it Merrel shoe voucher which I think I'm going to cash in. But to put things in perspective, a 20min+ gap with the leader plus a close finish meant there's a long way to go for me to properly execute a good 50km/1500m+gain race. The organizer probably could do better with the whole aid station but maybe I'm asking too much considering the logistics. Overall, I can't ask for more in terms of efforts put in. So all in all, it was great and will do it again.
1) Kind of looking forward to this race to gauge current fitness level and see how I fare with other runners. Woke up race day and it was raining. Was a bit chilled with how I did things that morning. Did the usual, breakfast and stuff. While on my way out, the kids woke up and resumed sleeping in my room. So everybody was all nice and cozy tucked inside a warm blanket. For a while, I felt to do the same.
2) I was suppose to go out at 6 am knowing the race would start at 7:30 am which means I have an hour and a half to get to the venue. So I was quite relaxed and liked how that feel the last time I raced. But I finally got out at around 6:30. Waze showed I'd arrive at 7:15 which was ok. Then a few minutes later it revised its projection to 7:30 and about 10km to race venue it said 7:50. The traffic was pretty bad so I decided to park 1.5km away as a warm up and continue onto the course.
3) The goal was to race and I was pretty much ready to do so. But first, had to pee. So I got that done near some bushes (one of the advantages of trail running). I was carrying a bottle of gatorade, a gel and 3 salt pills for nutrition. So I went in and ran it like a race. But there wasn't any motivation to keep the intensity high. I just ran as hard as I could and was constantly stopped by bottlenecks formed around steep technical sections. Data showed I completely stopped for around 5 minutes at one section. On other sections I had to slow down but I probably needed a breather anyway.
4) When I finally finished, I got some water and went running another 1.5km to the car. Didn't wait around since I don't want to get stiff. Cheered some runners still on the course and even gave out my gatorade. Went home and everything started to hurt and sore. As expected.
5) As for the race, it was raining so it was a bit cool and helped with the run a bit. I didn't use any gel or salt, just on course nutrition (fruit & 100 plus) and my gatorade. Course was runnable and on some hills I didn't stop. So that was good. As for the course, it was muddy, so I was a bit slow/careful but on tarmac section I tried to make up the time. All in all, it was a good race and I think I ran quite ok.
6) I also learned the importance of getting logistical matters right and I'm glad I've booked a hotel for SCKLM to prevent stuff like this from happening again. Official result showed I'm about a good 20-30mins off the top 10 placings.
7) KOKK next and it's happening 2 weeks before SCKLM so probably gonna have to be wise about how I'd run that one to not compromise SCKLM.
1) I was somewhat prepared for the race doing some climbs and had consistently ran. The furthest run was half marathon distance on roads and trails. So I know I could some how get to 20 - 30k, hike the rest of the way and still finish it. Nutrition wise, I have had experiences during long runs and most of the time I don't bonk or hit the wall that bad. By my standard, "bad" means vomitting, pulsating/painful cramps or anything that forces me to stop for a long time. My real concern actually was more on those pesky cramps. Those were usually the limiting factors in races and on long training days. But still, cramps aside, I never went more than 20+km so I knew It's gonna be tough after 30km but the primary goal was to just finish, enjoy the day/trail and learn as much as I can. It is afterall my 1st ultra so I don't have anything to aim for. If I finish, it's definitely gonna be a PB.
2) Race morning and I woke up at 4 and did a 1 km shakeout run, breakfast, poop and went to Nuang. The best thing about a run race is that there's not much gear to prepare unlike a triathlon with all the bikes and stuff. Found a parking spot and went rushing to the toilet to relieve myself only to find that there was a long que forming. So I decided to put my nutrition at the aid station first. It was dark, I needed to piss badly and the race was starting in 5 minutes. I didn't give much thought about the start. I know it was gonna be a long day and the trail was gonna be packed with people. I didn't plan to run going up so it was a really relaxed start to the race. In fact, the race started while I was taking a piss. I wasn't nervous at all and looking back, it was a pretty great start to a race since some time.
3) So as planned, I hiked up until it was runnable. About 1/3 of the 5km going up was runnable. Then on the descent, ran a bit but on steep descents I slowed down to save the quads. At the 10km or start/finish line aid station, I was looking for gels when I realized my car key was not in the race bag I was carrying. I thought maybe it was in the nutrition bags. I kind of had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I tried to ignore it, so I got some food and went for the 2nd loop. Applied the same strategy for the 2nd loop. After 2 loops (20km) I went searching for the keys. I've probably spent about 10 minutes looking for my car keys while at the same time, taking care of nutrition. Still couldn't find them and thought it might be stuck some where in the bag. It has happened before. On the 3rd loop, I took out my poles and ran/hike with them so I was concentrating on the poles and less on the missing keys. It was my first time using poles. I did use a makeshift poles from a couple of sticks at G. Angsi once and found them to be quite helpful in maintaing good form during climbs.
4) By the end of the 4th loop, I properly took out all of the content in search of my car keys and by then I knew I was fucked. I have lost my keys. I was like "what the fuck am I going to do now"? I had 10km to go. I can quit and go look for my keys or finish the damn thing and look for it afterwards. I decided to finish the race and was going to deal with it afterwards. So, I didn't get much nutrition because I was getting lazy and was worried sick about my keys. Spent the whole time going up thinking about where I placed them and how I was going to explain all of the mess to my wife.
5) On the final loop, after hiking up a bit and upon reaching the runnable section, my quads started to cramp. Then it became worse and I had to stop and stretch it out. I knew I'm at borderline here. Tried running and it just won't go away. So I walked the rest of the way (which was probably about 6km +) and finished the race. The first thing I did was went looking for my keys at the aid station and then at the surau. Then I walked to the car worried that it might get stolen (paranoid much?). Finally went back to the organizer and asked them if anyone found a car key. The organizer said "was it a honda?" I was like "yeah" and was so relieved and thank the guy who found them. Turned out, I accidently left them at the aid station. I must have accidently put my keys along with all my nutrition. It was dark and I was rushing to the toilet. Talk about lesson learned.
6) As for the race, I'm sure there are more interesting reports about the race out there, so I'm not gonna go into details. Just that, at 40km ,I lost my focus and didn't eat well. I had several chances to rectify my nutrtion during the 5th loop since I had some food with me. But I was lazy to do so and it was too late by the time I finally did manage to get some nutrition in. Mentally, I went on with the narrative I had in my head even before the race started which was to walk if I had to after 30km, so it was kind of like a self fulfilling prophecy in a way.
7) All in all it was nice event. Food was good, simple and I like the fact that I felt relaxed going into it. I manage to complete it in 7h 35 min. Don't know if that was good or bad. It doesn't matter. I finished it. My 1st ultra. In retrospect, I could've probably do better at 40k but the car key incident just totally threw me off. I then got really lazy/super tired and didn't execute my nutrition well and in a race lasting more than 2 hours, the smallest mistakes can have enormous consequences. It's like the most frequent advice you'd read on ultras articles and I've experienced it 1st hand. At least I didn't compound that by actually losing my car key.
8) To be fair, I arrived at the start line not totally fresh. Only taper for a day after running about 70+km that week. So I wasn't in an ideal condition to race but knowing I can consistently run day in and out, and having no major issue after such a long run is comforting.
9) Went back, sore and stiff. Got some food and rested. Wake up the next day to catch a flight to Bangkok. Upon arriving, rested for a day and did some easy run on Tuesday to let the legs know who's boss. They only obey by Thursday.
10) Did trans nuang to signal an end to the base phase as I shift my focus to running on roads mid March, April and May. Going to cap running at +-60k per week and compliment easy run days with quality workouts for the Sub 4 attempt in May. But before the attempt, I sneaked in some trail race: Hulu Langat Trail Run 18k and King of Kg. Kemensah 50k.
So logging starts. Monthly updates, hopefully. Likewise in Ironman training, I scheduled some races leading up to SCKLM 17. Considering I plan to do an ultra race (have to get some LSD anyways), I decided put in some challenging trail days to get some elevation in and to get the body ready. I guess for 2017, that epic race is TMBT 100k.
Races:
1H2017
1) Nuang Ultra
2) Hulu Langat Trail Run
3) King Of Kampung Kemensah
4) SCKLM
2H2017
5)Cultra
6)TMMT
7)TMBT
And I've planned some trail run/hike to get some elevation with the elevation increased progressively.
1) G. Datuk
2) G. Angsi via Ulu Bendul
3) G. Datuk + G. Gagak + G. Rembau
4) G. Nuang
5) G. Berembun + G. Telapak Buruk
6) G. Angsi via Ulu Bendul + B. Putus
7) Trans Nuang
So far, I'm only left with trans nuang. I'm waiting for my Salomon Skin Pro 10 to arrive and also get some additional gears before attempting it. These trails are about (or less) than an hour from home (or my parent's) so the convenient factor + the nice elevation was the main reason all these courses were chosen. So far I think the best would be G. Berembun since it has everything and runnable. Would love to do Broga but there are probably too many people on weekends, but we'll see.
The 1st half of 2017 training is mainly to set a PB at SCKLM. At the same time, the 1st half base phase is also a time to explore new trails to train for the 2nd half of the year. Volume will peak mid march with a total mileage of around 80km. I don'k know if it's possible, but that's what I'm aiming for. Focus on endurance and speed for the last 2 months before SCKLM.
A months break for Ramadhan and training continue in the mountains again. This time probably more specific/threshold stuff.
The 2nd half training is mainly focused on finishing TMBT. So it's gonna be a lot of long runs and climbs.
1H2017 Stats:
Start/Ends: 27 November 2016/21 May 2017
Planned Number of Training Weeks:
26
Goal Average Distance Per Week: 60km+-
Goal Average Elevation Per Week: min 1,000m+-
Judging by the Ironman training, I've made an error in judgement by skipping base training. Base is the most difficult and most important phase. During base you have to go slow and its counter intuitive to go slow since naturally you want to go fast. Patience and faith is needed in base training. Most of my reading lead me to believe the base portion is the main phase of a training plan and hopefully I can perform them right. I also think the base phase is the right time to train to gauge speed and effort without garmin. I can also listen to music and explore new routes since I'm not tied up to any specific workout. It's simply just ... run.
Plan is to periodize to peak for SCKLM (planning for a sub 4 or a PB) in May and complete some ultras and one last big race nearing end of 2017. Most ultras especially those sought after races occur after syawal so it's also something I have to look into. Went for a standard 4 week macro cycle. 1 peak, 2 level and a recovery week. Will take it easy in June during Ramadhan and sort of re-start again after.
Decided to focus on a base of maybe around 3 months of easy runs, some elevation and strength training. I try not to be too fancy about it. If I can stay consistent running with an average of +-60km per week with +-1000 m of elevation, I'm set. Increase by 10% per week every 3rd week. Won't care about speed. Also rest/recovery every 4th week and if needed. Try not to push things too much. Also a marker workout to track fitness progress every recovery week.
Basically, at a micro level, a week in base is a combo of long run (trail/road), a medium run and the rest just easy runs. Week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturdays. This is so I can get the long run out of the way early and just fill the rest of the week with a recovery, strength, speed and threshold workout when those phases arrives. I learned that I usually had to skip my long runs due to a missed weekend. This way, I can re arrange my long runs to the next weekend and the mileage will still be considered in the same training week. Have to see how that'll turn out and adjust.
Then of course I have to balance mileage and speed/threshold workouts as SCKLM gets closer. A good taper and finally race.
I came to realize that its not that complicated, but it can be. The ironman training certainly provided some indication of what personally works and doesn't. This time I just want to be a bit flexible but have a plan to guide so that I have something to aim for every week.
Few rules:
1) Staying consistent by excecuting safe run combos. No hard day followed by another hard day. Hard means long or tough sessions.
2) Recovery: 1 day per week (no running/cross training), 1 week per month (go easy and reduce mileage to 70% from previous)
3) Be Specific: Go long, go vert, go on trails, go long on vert trails.
4) Stop/cross train when injured
5) Minimum 1 strength /core session
6) Do drills and strides on easy days
7) Split long days if needed
I'm also not going to update progress every week like I did during Ironman 2016. Maybe a monthly summary would suffice. We'll see.
This year is gonna be all about running. Few issues I have with running are that, the longer I go, the more it hurts. The faster I go, the more it hurts. Combine the two, running can be quite painful. Since I signed up for a 50k trail run/ultra race, I sort of have to run far and somewhat fast. So, these issues require attention or I'll be in trouble even before the race starts in February. I also signed up for a marathon and executing them well is also one of 2017 goal. So a proper training plan is required.
Since I'll be running trail, I need to run on trail. Finding one is a challenge by itself. There's plenty, but in terms of logistics it's quite inconvenient to get to. I love the fact that I can just go out the door and run straight away. But for trail running, it seems like I have no choice but to drive to get to a trail. Especially trails with a pretty decent elevation. So places/courses to train that don't take much time to get too is required as well.
Trail running usually involves few hikes/walks due to the sheer amount of ascent one have to do. So pace would be significantly slow and more often than not, I'll probably be spending a lot of time on the trail. There are no shops selling 100 plus or snickers bars which means I have to carry my own nutrition and water. The weather could also turn and I might end up running in the rain, muddy with leeches etc. Getting lost/injured is a real possibility too.
So good gears, nutrition and carrying important items are essential.
In 2016 I committed to record and write about stuff especially tracking progress. Its cool to look back at those moments in writing. So I'm gonna continue. If it's important then it's worthwhile to record them.
It's now 2017 and sporting wise, 2016 was relatively a great year. I won't go into details cause it's something that'll take ages to write about.
The highlights for 1st half of 2016 would be PBing my Half Ironman and Powerman. Started the year by having a strcutured training regiment but didn't strictly follow the program or monitor my progress much. I guess I was on the steep section of the learning curve where significant improvements were gained by not doing a lot. Got 2nd place in a trail run at Kemensah and almost a sub 2 at Nilai Marathon. Ran and enjoyed more trails.
In the 2nd half of 2016, committed to a training plan. Didn't follow 100% but felt the need to objectively assess how much work was done. So I closely track the metrics and developed a simple monitoring system with MS excel. I also felt it was important to log how I feel or feelings I had when training or whatever observation I had at that time. Race wise, learned a lot blowing up in races and a sub 2 half marathon followed by a 7th place finish in the Mantin Hill 2 Hill run capped of a great "racing season" for the 2nd half of 2016.
Then, the big and final race of 2016, Ironman Langkawi. The race that anchors everything. In the space of 2 weeks leading to Ironman Langkawi, my grandfather passed away and my wife gave birth to a baby girl days later. My head wasn't in its right place and training didn't go as planned but I accepted all of these circumstances. I finished the race and I think the effort that was put in matched the result. The race itself wasn't the highlight and I forgotten much about the details of the race. But the training, the preparation for the Ironman was probably the best thing that has ever happened because I learned a lot. Training for Ironman revealed a lot. The main thing I learned was about scheduling and being extra careful with time. With 3 sport to train for, time is of the essence.
There were also highlights personally and professionally, things outside sports such as the trip with buddies/family to Tasik Kenyir, vacations etc that was pretty awesome as well. But those memories are reserved/saved just for me.
Right. Now that 2016 is all done and dusted, it's time to line up a new project for 2017. It has to be epic by my standard. It has to be long, impossible (almost) to do without training and most of all fun. I also have to consider the financial damage it will cost me.
Looking back at 2016, I was always curious when running on trails especially those really long ones. Trail running was a sort of escapism from the Ironman routine and I always wonder why haven't I done it sooner. It seems that there's a whole segment of endurance junkies who ran more than the typical marathon distance. I thought running 42km was crazy. Try 100 - 200km. That's nuts. But I was curious. There was an element of uncertainty, a challenge to overcome and an epic race to sort of hold everything together in a structured way. Trail running puts two things I love together, being outdoors and running. It was not harder or easier than a road race but it's unique. The longer trail races or ultramarathons demand similar things as any endurance event i.e solid preparation, the right gear, nutrition and race day strategies.
The difference would be that, elevation is something that's factored in trail races or ultramarathon. In an Ironman, a hill is a specific point on a course where participants have to go through at some point in the race. In trail racing or ultras, it is the course. The hill/mountains and the whole natural topography is the race course. Which makes for a far more scenic run. It's quite lonely sometimes too. Quiet, peaceful. You can walk without feeling guilty or wimpy because the terrain won't let you run no matter how strong you are.
The top 10 finish in 2016's trail races also sort of strengthen that feeling of wanting to go out and run/race in the wild and to train to become a better trail runner. So immediately after Ironman I signed up for my first ultra in February 2017. A 50km/ 12 hour run at Gunung Nuang. Its a 5 X 10km loop and is perfect if I ever decided to drop out or anything LOL. Have started pre-training, recon some courses to train at and developed a plan that'll guide me towards that epic ultra race near the end of 2017, whatever race that'll turn out to be. As far as triathlon is concerned, it'll supplement my run training and I'll treat it as cross training. Currently not looking forward/planning to do any tris in 2017. I won't say I'm done with multisport as I started with triathlons and always enjoyed doing them. But, it's financially consuming and takes a lot of time. Those factors had huge bearing on my decision to pause triathlon/multisport.
2017 means challenging not only how far or fast I can go, but also how high (elevation) I can go. I've started obsessing about it and I guess it'll be the theme for 2017. It's not as complicated as the Ironman but the challenge could be similar or even greater.
It looks to be exciting if everything goes to plan. Also have some other non sport personal goal to address but that's another story.
I haven't really come up with a training plan for the IMMY2016 race. I do have kind of structure as a guide based on previous 70.3 training plan. The one thing I'm most worried about is slipping away from the training routine I've gotten used to for the past 20 weeks prior to putrajaya 70.3. This include swimming during lunch, weekly gyms, long bikes and runs and rest day. Currently i try to stick to the daily routine but without any real structure. This means I don't worry about intensity and time. I try to use the 70.3 distances, paces and times for my workout.
I also take the opportunity to try new things which was not incorporated in my training before. This include strength workouts and long slow distance runs. Went for trail run more made running interesting again. Very important if you wish to go long since the monotony of long run can sometime makes you lose focus and less enjoyable.
All of this will influence how i structure my training plans. Having a 70.3 training plan made me realied that sustainability is key in ensuring consistent, specific and progressive training plan.
"...i think for the start of 2010 i was suppose to blog something about what i wanted to do and how i never managed to do it .. how i wanted to do stuff for 2010 which will only be hot air come 2011 ..."
better late than never ...
my new found interest in triathlon
triathlon is just like travelling ... msut have distance .... stamina ...
output ?
whole lotta fun ... personally ... experiencing something new is the only reason i think makes people grow ... just like babies ... every day is a new sensation .. new experience .. first steps ... first everything ... and that's why babies i guess .. is always smiling ...i have a lot of routines in my life ... but when it comes to races .. i alwasy feel fresh ... always something new to learn ..to experience ...maybe i'm an adrenaline junkie ...maybe ..
distance for me doesn't necessarily mean the race distance .. of course to some it's overwhelming .. but it can't be done .. with my head firmly gripping to that principal ... i'm going to prove to myself that it can be done ...the distance is also the years/journey it takes to finally land me at Langkawi for a full ironman ...
and stamina .. is to finish it off ..not to blow up half way ... give up half way ... but to arrive to that destination ,....where you see yourself when you started .. begin with the end in mind ...
starting it?
I must thanks Fox Mulder for me being in triathlon ... he introduced me into this business ...he was wearing this really cool timex watch with the "indiglo" feature on x-files... and i really wanted this watch because i wanted to be cool like fox mulder ...and i finally got a timex (years later and a current model).. and it has this little ironman logo on it (under the timex wording)... timex is the offical timekeeper for IM....
fig1: my wife bought me this watch .. life changer ...thanks dear ..
With that watch ... i was obssesed about chrono-ing evertyhing ... how much time i spent from home to the office ..how long do i have to shit before i'm late to work ... how long for a person to order mcdonalds ... and of course how fast i can finish the serdang course which was only 6 km - my longest running distance then ...unfortunately ..the watch is currently under repair .. (never ask a watchshop that doesn;t sell timex to change you the battery .. the next thing you know .. your watch is filled with water .. idiot!)
after that .. i have purpose to running ... i wanted to a) run non-stop b) maintain or break my personal best .. before i know it ... 6 km became fun .. running thru sri serdang . .watching kids coming back from school ... thru the pasar malam ... watching factory workers coming off work ... bangla's and people watching me like i'm running away from something .. the UPM chicks ...but honestly serdang is a great course to run.. a lot of things to see ...and the time keeps getting better ... so gradually i increased the distance .. but the course have to be interesting .. luckily my new housing area has scenic routes also ...
now ... i manage to finish 20k non-stop (almost half-marathon) ... and it felt good .... to be able to finish something i thought would be impossible ...
but i didn;t want to just be a runner ... i wanted to do triathlon ...
fig 2: my first 10 k ... felt good afterwards .. and automatically hooked on running races...
then come the swim ...
swimming is the discipline i enjoy the most .. training or racing .. it's basically swimming man .. it by default fun ... but triathlon swimming is difficult ... 3.8km ... open water ....i know doing 1 hour per week in the pool would not cut it .. so i decided to step it up ... but how .. efficient swimming requires technique ... who is going to teach me that ..?
answer: dave scott .. with good clips on you tube .. has a lot of tips and drills to perfect the art of triathlon swimming ... for the first 3 months i became obssesed with swimming ... hitting the pool averaging 4 times per week ... spending around 6 hours per week correcting my techniques... and at home .. i watched re-runs of countless swimming tips downloaded from you tube and practice in front of the mirror where and there were time i have to convince my wife i'm not nuts ..i'm just looking at my stroke baby...without a proper teacher to guide and correct my faults... i have only myself to count on ... i also spend a lot of time at the pool watching proper swimmer doing their stuff and learning fthru that as well ...
and now i manage to swim 2k non-stop ...practice does makes perfect ...
fig 3: body marking prior to my first open water swim at desaru (500 m) .. survived ..
2 out of 3 ... i told my self if i can swim up to 1 km .. i would buy i bike .. because i can compete in a sprint triathlon consisting of 500m swim ... 20k bike .. and 5 km run ... and after i completed my first 1 km at the pool .. i called up kadir and alin .. for some bike tips .. which bike to buy with my limited budget ... and i bouth a merida 901 .... around RM2k ... it's ok i guess ... it got me through races ...
i still don;t feel physically comfortable compared to running/swimming when training on the bike .. until now ... for me .. the bike portion of the triathlon is the time to fuel up for the run ... but 180 km man .. i really can't just ride through that distance .. i must practice so i would not struggle as much or even worse drop out... so that's what i'm gonna do ... after the DPA 6 months .. gonna get me an aerobar ... upgrade a few components ... and ask dave scott for some bike tips ... via you tube of course ...
and with help from some interseting routes suggested by kadir .. i can hopefully enjoy cycling ...
fig 4: cycling at powerman 09... that smile says it all "40 km ...i'm screwed dawg"
with that .. i can conclude that ... triathlon serves up my hormones quite well ...
it has the adrenanline factor, distances, challenges ... and most importantly it provides me with new experiences and a whole lotta FUN ...
and all the things that people say about how practice makes perfect ... to be patient .. basically work to get what you want...
.... it is true
... i mean ... of course it's true la.... but to literally realizing those captions .. it's an awesome mind boggling feeling.... i figured if i incorporate it in whatever i do and keep the faith ....with time.. it will come to me ...
annex1 : results 2009 - personal best
1. 1ok run - 50 minutes - top 100 out of 400 runners 2. 20k run - 1 hour 50 minutes - top 50 out of 400 runners 3. powerman 09 sprint- top 20 out of 200 participants 4. triathlon 09 sprint - top 20 out of 40 participants
annex2 : targets 2010 (conservative) - you will do this .. i hope
1. 30 k / half marathon (marathon - unlikely due to DPA) 2. olympic distance triathlon 3. half-ironman 4. be able to ride for >120km (bagan lalang or PD) 5. be able to ride to pedas 6. 4 km swim .. pool pun ok la .. 7. wife to join in some fun run races
