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Wednesday 29 September 2004

Report Cafe21: Malaysia, Singapore & Thailand Half Marathon

What can i said that... a marvellous, superb running I ever done so far. Trained hard for last 3-4 week before, run 4 time a week plus weekend for long distance. Target for this run, finish below 2 hours and grab a medal

Went to Kangar on Saturday evening by bike NX105. It was heavily rain along the way from Gurun to Kangar and can’t speed up more than 80kmph. Huh! sakit pinggang, really cold and my hands shaking. Came to Kangar with no planning on lodging, no map, don’t know where to collect the bib# and alone, only depend on my 6th sense as guidance

Reach Kangar at 8pm and still heavily rain, able to locate Sek Ren Khoon Aik. (SRKA). Register my name, collect bib no and goodies (a pack of instant drinks from Viz Branz). It’s so cold & wetted the name list while write down my signature.

Call-up a few cheaper motel/hotel telephone numbers, as I came alone no need to stay room like istana. So shock, a normal room rate for no star hotel which cost only RM 30-40 was increased to RM70 above… bloody! Had no choice, I was cold and hungry just paid RM70 and another RM30 for deposit in Federal Hotel.

As race start so early 6am, woke-up at 4:45am to ensure got enough time to stay in rest room. 5:20am went out to SRKA, get changed, reported and ate banana flavour of power-bar. Meet-up & chat with local runners from Langkawi, exchange contact numbers and told them about Mahathir Marathon in November and I been informed the exact route for 21km run is 22.4km.

6am sharp, the most longest running event ever held in Kangar 21km start. Approximately 400-500 runners in 3 categories start together follow by 10km on 6:30am. Kangar still in dark, it was cold & quite morning after heavily rain last night. Start with a slow jog at back of the crowd.

1km, notice one familiar face, which I ran together at Jogathon Cinta Sayang. He’s from Sungai Petani (SP), Did his first marathon in KLIM04 and already did ultra once (80++km). Currently he & friends in midst of forming a running club in SP. We chat and laugh until 4km and he speed-up.

Run alone with own pace able to bypass a few runners. My plan is to start race at 6km to 12km and the rest just fast and easy pace. 6:30am, enter the 2 lanes road which is head to Kuala Perlis Jetty junction. Still speeding, no chat, just focus in my running target. I ran on right of second lane so I could easy find and mark next victims in same category.

Reach first water station at half of the route. Pick-up rubber-band and wrap lime flavour of power-gel. Time shown 57mins (10km), need to maintain and increase the pace. Sky are bit clear and still cold, road were free from cars, people were still continue sleeping, I enjoy the scenery of paddy field on both side of the road, a very cool running and sometimes I didn’t feel that I’m on the run. What a beautiful day!

It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day – U2: “Beautiful Day”


2nd half route, there were more water-station (3). Time shown 48min (for after first 10km), enter a straight road of Jalan Raja Syed Alwi which is a finishing line can be seen far in-front. May be 2-2.5km more. Feel exhausted already and this time I learn running tactic to get rid from it. I used small and fast step, control the breath and speed-up more. Time shown 1:00mins, speed-up as I can, in mind, badly wanted to dip below 2 hours. ARGHHH!!! So frustrated, I thought I could do below 2…

Just continue, and push harder to cross finish line and stop the stopwatch and grab certificate & medal. Look again at my stopwatch… 1:58:05!!!! What?!.. then I realised, finished the first 10.5 km route in 57mins + another second 10.5km route in 1:01mins = 1:58:15 (22.4km).

Wooo..hooo I had re-new my 21km PR and I got medal of the year! I had a pay-back after IIR04 disaster… woo..hoo!

P/S: Sorry no picture.. 2 cameras had been robbed (rumah kena pecah…) WTF!

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