ULTRA MARATHON ON 25 DECEMBER 2005 – PART 1

Location: MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore
Time: 0715 to 1915
Distance covered: 73.5 km (7 laps anti-clockwise)
Distance per lap: 10.5 km
Route condition: Uneven jungle trail with rocks and more than 14 hills (The rocky and uneven surface form 90% of the racing route)
Timing split: 1st 10.5 km: 1 hr 15 min+
2nd 10.5 km: 2 hr 36 min+ (end of lap 2, stopped for approximately 5 minutes for hydration, food and resting)
3rd 10.5 km: 4 hr 6 min + (end of lap 3, stopped for approximately 10 minutes for hydration, food and resting)
4th 10.5 km: 5 hr 56 min + (end of lap 4, stopped for approximately 20 minutes for hydration, food, toilet break and resting)
5th 10.5 km: 8 hr 6 min + (end of lap 5, stopped for approximately 10 minutes for hydration, food, and resting)
6th 10.5 km: 10 hr 12 min + (end of lap 6, stopped for approximately 3 minutes for hydration, food and resting)
7th 10.5 km: 11 hr 50 min 30 sec

Refreshment and water station at 3 km mark and at staring / finishing point.

I wish to thank those who had supported me directly or indirectly for the ultra marathon.

The run was delayed for approximately 15 minutes due to heavy rain. Lap 1 was fine for me as I ran at a very relaxed pace. I was not so familiar with the route and decided to follow the Singapore runners. The surface was quite uneven with rocks and mud due to heavy rain. Distance markers were clearly visible along the entire 10.5 km mark for every 0.5 km. The distance markers are meant for the jungle trekkers in the MacRitchie Reservoir area. There were only two Malaysian Pacesetters runners (i.e. me and Mr. A. P. Tan). After completing the first lap, I saw many runners resting and taking some food supplement but I decided to go ahead for the second lap.

The second lap as fine but I decided not to push so hard due to uneven surface of the rocky trail. After lap 2, I decided to stop for a while for some food and drinks. Then I decided to proceed for lap 3.

At lap 3, my knees and ankles started to feel the pain due to uneven surface. I still managed to continue running at a much slower pace. Whenever I ran up the hilly area I could not run fast. Sometimes I had to walk up at a faster pace. If I were to run, this would aggravate the pain on my ankles. When descending the hills, I ran at a faster pace as this would cover the lost time due to walking up the hill. I could feel the pain when descending the hills. When I decided to ignore the pain and the pain would disappear. After lap 3, I decided to take a short break before continuing for lap 4.

Lap 4 seemed to be fine for me. After running halfway, I was wandering whether I can finish the 42 km distance within 6 hours. I managed to do it in 5 hr 56 min +. I decided to rest for more than 15 minutes to hydrate my self.

After some rest, food and drink, my body condition was still fine. The only problem I had was my sore ankles and knees. My leg muscles were totally fine and no sign of cramps as I suffered in Singapore full marathon after 24 km mark. As I ran the pain would just disappear. After 8 hr 6 min +, I managed to cover 52.5 km. This would mean that I would qualify my self for a finisher certificate. I decided not to give up as there was plenty of time for me to increase the distance. I decided to change my shoe as I got blister on my toes. After the break, I targeted for another 2 laps.

Lap 6 was fine for me but I had to pee halfway in the bushes due to drinking too much water. At that time I was trying to finish lap 6 within 10 hours but I took extra 12 minutes to finish lap 6. After finishing lap 6, my running spirit was boosted by Shirlyn Tay (ST), Tey’s running friend from Singapore. Although ST left the area earlier and I did not manage to meet her, her presence really inspired me to complete the 7th lap. I was given a hydro gel from an unknown person. I was informed by her (sorry, as I did not have the time to get to know you) that the hydro gel was from ST.

Thank you very much ST, I really appreciate your support although I did not manage to meet you on that day.

For lap 7, I was fighting with the time constraint. I was informed by the marshal that I have to run below 1 hr 45 min in order for the 7th lap to be counted. I decided to give this lap the best attempt as I did not want to disappoint those who had supported me directly or indirectly. The funny thing in this lap was that I had to pee in the bushes halfway due to drinking too much water. The day was getting darker and I decided not to slow down although I could feel the pain in my ankles. Finally, I managed to complete the 7th lap in 11 hr 50 min 30 sec.

I was happy as I managed to finish the distance that seems to be impossible for me as a marathon runner. Whatever seems to be impossible became possible on 25 December 2005 (“Nothing is impossible”). Ever wonder why my legs muscle did not feel the cramp for the entire 73.5 km run, this will be revealed in the second part of the report. I’ll provide some useful advice for those who dare to take the risk and those who want to try to run the ultra marathon.

ULTRA MARATHON CERTIFICATE

This is the hard-earned certicate for the ultra marathon. Although no medals were provided, this certficate of achievement is special to me as I ran my first ultra marathon this year since started my full marathon this year.

Year 2005 will be my most memorable year as I had completed the run that seems to be impossible to me. For your information, I did not hit the wall for the entire 73.5 km run. There is not much secret to share and just wait for my report to be released soon.

WATERLESS LSD - 18/12/2005 & 10KM RACE RETIREMENT

If you ever wonder why I did not run the Mizuno Wave Run, well, I have officially retired from the 10km races. I find that 10km races is not suitable for me. Every time, I run the 10km races, I have the temptation to speed (even if there is no time limit or unlimited medal) and most of the time I ran out of breath. I could not run at a relaxed pace. From now onwards, I will never take part in any 10km races. I'll concentrate on full marathon. If I were to run the half marathon, I'll just run at a relaxed pace and I won't race against my other running friends or I'll use it as a platform to see how far have I improved in my running.

For your information, I started running since June 2004 and I have ran nine (9) 10km races. I have to sacrificed the 10km races for the sake of my future marathon. I'll be missing some 10km races that I have not taken part such as

1. Power Run
2. Consumer Run
3. Mizuno Wave Run
4. Shah Alam Run
5.Seremban Quarter Marathon

Goodbye 10km races!!!!!

LSD on 18/12/2005 (Without water)
Distance = 21km
Timing = 2 hr 15 min 19.60 sec
Attire = Dry fit t-shirt, running shorts, NB pouch and Adidas running shoe (Totally no MP3 Player)

The run today was fine for the first 10km. Arriving at Hartamas petrol station in 1 hour. When returning back, I felt heavy as my dry fit t-shirt was accumulating sweats. I could not run at a constant pace. I felt dehydrated when I completed my run. My heart was beating at a higher or irregular rate. Can anyone tell me the reason for such irregular heartbeat ?

From today's LSD, I know that the furthest distance that I could run without water is 21km under cooling weather condition. If I were to run 21km under other condition other than cooling weather, I definitely need water.

PHOTOS

Sorry, I am still learning how to post photos on my blog. I know it is quite dull if you read the report without photos. Please be patient.

KLIM 2006 CIRCUIT RUN SERIES 1 (11/12/2005)

This is the first series of the circuit run. The objective of this circuit run is to test how far I can run within one hour. My timing splits are as follows:

1st lap = 12 min 1 sec
2nd lap = 12 min 44 sec
3rd lap = 13 min +
4th lap = 12 – 13 min +
5th lap = 12 min 27 sec

Total time = 1 hr 2 min 45.03 sec
Total distance = 11.5 km (2.3km each lap)
Average pace per km = 5 min 27.39 sec

My performance today was considered average as I had just recovered from my miserable marathon in Singapore last week. The run started at 7.30 am. As usual I would run with my pouch. This time I tried to run with dry fit t-shirt (which is slightly heavier than a dry fit running vest) as compared with my usual light running vest. I ran the entire five laps without water. I did not want to drink as it is waste of time. This is to test my body resistance to dehydration at constant pacing of 5 min +. I managed to make it without much problem.

Officially, I managed to complete 4 laps with timing of 50 min 17 sec. At this moment of time, I was thinking of giving up the fifth lap but did not want to do so. With high determination, I decided to try to complete the last lap within the cut off time by 2 min 45 sec. The last lap was not counted as I exceeded the official one hour cut off time. After the one hour had elapsed I found myself running the fifth lap with approximately 0.6 km to go. I just did not bother about it as I increased my speed and sprinted towards the finishing line.

Hopefully, I can run the next Circuit run for 9 laps within the 2 hours cut off time.

Next Circuit run: 7 January 2006, Saturday
Time: 7.00 am.
Location: Lake Garden (Boat House)

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL MARATHON 2005 (4 DECEMBER 2005)

Chip time 5hr 58 min 54 sec
Gun time 5hr 59 min 2 sec

This is considered my worst performance out of the 4 full marathons I have completed this year. The race started at 6 am at the Esplanade Bridge. The route for the full marathon was quite similar to the route last year although I ran the half marathon last year. For the first one hour, I ran in quite a relax pacing. At 7 am, the sun began to rise. It was still fine until 8 am. After 8 am, I could feel the heat from the sun. At that point of time I was approaching the East Coast Park area. I continued running until 24km mark where I started to hit the wall. From there onwards, I had to walk and run for the entire 17km.

I was overtaken by some of the familiar running friends including Shrilyn Tay (ST) of Singapore at 27km. From that point onwards, I was telling myself that this going to be crazy as the sun was too hot for me to bear. At 37 km mark, I was overtaken by Chui-Miew (Blue Ameba). I continued walk and run until 40km mark. After the 40km mark, I started to feel giddy and I was gong to faint if I continued walking. I decided to lie down on the bench for 4 minutes. I was lucky as I saw Tony (Penguin 3) approaching me and gave me a bottle of water. I used the water to hydrate my self. I keep on walking until 42km mark where I decided to give myself the last push as the time was approaching 6 hours. I sprinted to the finishing line and screaming in pain as my legs were going to cramp. I crossed the finishing line barely less than 1 minute before the standard cut off time of 6 hours. This race however has no time limit. I was so lucky to be able to finish within 6 hours as I had earlier expected the worst race for me to encounter. I suffered cramps on my legs but it lasted for a few seconds. I was lucky I did not collapse as I had experience before in Ipoh International Run 2004 (21km) and Seremban Half Marathon 2005.

Overall, I suffered in the race but I still enjoy the pain of the most suffering marathon race. The pain is indeed my good friend as I will have to get used to it if I were to run ultramarathon. I shall be back for the next year race. I’ll treat this race as a good learning experience for me under the humid and hot condition.

Some interesting points to share with you.

1. The plum powder drink that I used in Singapore could not work as I hit the wall at 24km mark as compared to 41km mark in Songkhla. It can only work when running under cooling weather condition such as Songkhla and Kuala Lumpur.
2. If you are planning to perform better in Singapore, you need to train yourself to run under the hot sun for 30km. If lack of such training, you can replace this with high mileage training run. Otherwise, you may be suffering like me or other runners.
3. I suffered from sun burn as a result of scorching sunlight.

UPDATING BLOG

Dear all,

I am now in the midstof posting all my relevant report on my blog. Due to busy working schedule, my Singapore race report will be out in a few days.

LIM FANG HAU

MT ANGSI TRIP BY LIM FANG HAU @ PM 23 (22/10/2005)

This was the first time climbing Mt. Angsi. Mt. Angsi with the height of 825 metres is situated in Kuala Pilah district, Negeri Sembilan. This trip was led by Steven Ng, friend of Ng Ping Loong @ PM 37.

We departed from Bukit Aman to Steven’s house at 6.30 am in Bandar Tasik Selatan. At 8.00 am., we departed to Angsi. We reached the starting point at approximately 9.15 am. The ascend to the summit began from Ulu Bendol Recreational Forest at 9.30 am. The trip consists of PM37, PM1, Rachel Lee @ PM21, Ivory (Rachel’s friend) and Steven Ng.

The journey to the summit was quite smooth at the beginning by trekking in the forest. At later part towards the summit, we had to hold on to the rope to ascend certain steep parts of the mountain. The ascend took us approximately 3 hours at a relaxed pace. Most of the time, I was following Steven who was leading the way. Only after climbing the rope, I decided not to follow Steven but to be the anchorman to ensure all climbers reached the summit. We reached the summit at 12.30 pm. after a long distance trek from the base. W rested at the summit for 45 minutes to enjoy the view from the summit. We could see some housing estate from the summit.

We descended from the summit at 1.15 pm. We reached the base at 2.45 pm. We took approximately 2.75 hours to descend the summit. Most of the route comprises of the jungle trail with roots, branches and trees. The weather on the summit was hot. This mountain can be considered a relatively easy one as compared to Mt. Bunga Buah as I needed almost 5 hours to reach the summit at a relaxed pace.

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable trip for me as I climbed this mountain for the first time although I felt tired and exhausted after coming down from the summit. For your information, I skipped my breakfast before climbing as I had no time for breakfast. The only food I took on the summit was chocolate and some Powergel as substitutes for lunch.

MT BUNGA BUAH HIKING ON 3 SEPTEMBER 2005 BY LIM FANG HAU @ PM 23

This was my second mountain hiking trip. Initially, I was supposed to lead the trip to Mt Angsi but did not materialise due last minute cancellation by the potential climbers. I became the follower on this trip to Mt Bunga Buah. This trip was led by Steven Ng, a friend of Ng Ping Loong @ PM37. Steven is an experienced climber.

Mt Bunga Buah is located in Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands. It takes 40 minutes to reach Gohtong Jaya from Kuala Lumpur. It is a favourite peak with city and weekend climbers and a popular training trail for those training for a more arduous climb to Mt. Tahan (for beginners who are not physically fit) and Mt. Kinabalu.

The ascend starts with a long mild walk along a weathered tarred road from the vegetable farm way. Infact the official entrance was closed to climbers due to security reasons. We started our climb at 9.15 am and we took 4.75 hours to reach the summit using a very relaxed walking pace. The first 2 obstacles involved climbing the steep and slippery slopes. This reminds me of climbing experience in Nuang. After the first two obstacles, our journey was quite smooth. The climbs involved walking up and down the hill slopes with tree branches and roots on the ground and muddy surface on the ground. We had to pass through 2 hilltops before reaching the summit. We reached the summit at 2 pm. We rested for 45 minutes before continuing our descend.

The descend is tougher than the ascend as I had to walk slowly on certain stretches due to the slippery condition. On the way coming down I notice some bee hives. I did not dare to touch the hives. I just walked past the bee hives quietly. There were also some monkey sounds on the way up to the summit and down from the summit. The monkey could hardly be noticed by us. The descend took us 4.25 hours to complete. We reached the vegetable farm at 7 pm.

Overall, as compared to Nuang, this mountain is easier to attempt than Nuang. The chances of injuring your toes when descending is less as compared to Nuang. According to Steven, Mt Angsi in Negeri Sembilan is easier to attempt as compared to Mt. Bunga Buah.

MT NUANG ATTEMPT BY LIMFANG HAU @ PM 23 ON 23/7/2005

MT NUANG ATTEMPT BY LIMFANG HAU @ PM 23

This was my first attempt on Mt Nuang and I survived. Before that, I had climbed Mt. Kinabalu, Mt Brinchang and Mt Beremban sometimes back in 1995 and 1996. Mt Nuang is the highest mountain in Selangor with an altitude of 1,493 metres.

Started my journey from Petaling Jaya at 6.45 am and reached Pangsun at 7.30 am. I had prepared some of the basic staffs for jungle trekking i.e. solid fuel, lighter, three water bottles, chocolates, 3 packets of Power Gel and extra clothing for changing. As a precautionary measure, I reported myself at the police station at Pangsun, Mile 18, Hulu Langat.

The climbing journey started at 7.50 am. Most of the time, I was alone in the jungle trail. I had a map from Tey and I used this map to guide me throughout the journey. Most of the trail is an uphill trail. I nearly got lost in the jungle trail. When I was planning to cross the second river, I found myself heading to a direction with rocks and water flowing. I knew that this was not the right route. I decided to retreat to my original point and started to think of how I should proceed. Then, I decided to try another route which is quite rocky but I knew that this was not a right track. I retreated to my original destination. At this time, I wanted to give up but I told myself to look for the correct trail for the last time. Finally, I managed to find the trail and it was covered with wild grasses and plants and was not clearly visible. Then, I decided to proceed myself to the small dam.

After more than 1.5 hours of trekking, I found the small dam and I knew that I was on the correct trail. I continued my journey to the first campsite and after one hour of trekking, I found the first campsite and I asked some help from the campers. After one hour of trekking I found a flat surface called Pacat. This is the second campsite where there was no water supply. I met some of the experienced climbers. Later, I continued my journey to the summit. The journey took me 1.5 hours. Along the journey, I note that that the trail was quite steep at certain point and it was quite slippery. Any wrong moves may cost you a life. I had to climb the rocks at certain point with extra caution. There were mists along the journey to the summit. It was quite cooling and there were no mosquitoes as compared to the lower altitude. According to one of the experienced climber by the name of Tham, if you took the wrong way you may end up in Pahang. I was advised to follow the mark on the trail left my climbers closely in order to avoid getting lost. I note that if you are walking to a trail without any mark, just look out for any rubbish along the trail. If you spotted some, this indicates that you are on the correct trail. At certain point I realised that I was heading towards the wrong trail. Luckily, I met the climbers and I informed the about it. They also realised that they were on the wrong trail since there was not any signs or rubbish along the trail. We decided to retreat to our original point and we found the correct trail.

At 1.10 am I reached the summit of Mt Nuang. I rested on the summit for half and hour before coming down to Pacat. The view on the summit was quite magnificent. I did not manage to see the view clearly as it was covered with mist. The weather on the summit was quite cooling. At 1.40 pm, I decided to descend from the summit with the climbers. The descend was quite difficult as I had to descend at a very slow pace due to the steepness of the trail. Any wrong moves may be fatal. The journey was quite torturing as I felt some pains on my toes when descending from the summit. I slipped down for more than 10 times due to the slippery trail. I was lucky as I had walking stick to help me to stabilise myself. At 4 pm, I reached Pacat. I realised that I was the last one as I could not follow the pace of other climbers when descending. Then, I continued my slow journey towards the first campsite. From the first campsite, I took the wrong route when descending and I was alerted by the campers. Then, I proceeded with the correct route. The descend continued until I reached the starting point at the car park. Along the way, I felt my legs were getting tired and I my body was numb. This is a sign of lack of salt in my body. I decided to take one packet of Power Gel. After that, I my body condition was back to normal. I arrived at the car park at 6.55 pm. Overall the whole journey took me 11.25 hours with 5.5 hours to the summit, 30 minutes resting on the summit and 5.25 hours descending from the summit.

I would like to thank Tey for providing a useful map to me for climbing and to those who provided me with some useful information on Mt Nuang. The reason I tried climbing is that I felt bored with running after running for more than one year and I plan to use this mountain climbing as part of my cross training after completing my second marathon in Malacca. I’ll be out of the running scene for two weeks. I need a break from running. I shall be back in August to resume my long distance training run. From what I observed, mountain climbing is different from running a marathon where you will be using different kind of leg and hand muscles whereas in running, you will be using most of your calf and knee muscles. I felt that mountain climbing is difficult than running. It is quite a risky sport as you may be facing the risk of losing your life if you make any wrong moves when ascending or descending the mountain. In running a marathon it is now considered to be quite easy for me as I need to control my pace at the beginning of the run.

Finally, I would like to provide some advice to those who intend to go for mountain climbing. If you are afraid of height do not attempt this activity. If you have no patient do not go for climbing as you cannot rush when climbing. Any wrong moves, you may slip down from the steep and slippery trail. This may cause you a life. Be prepared to get dirty with mud and leaches and wet with water if you are intending to climb Nuang. Based on my personal experience in Nuang, I will never go there myself alone. If I were to go to Nuang again, I’ll go with experienced climbers. Do not underestimate Mt Nuang as it is not an easy mountain to climb.

7TH THAI HEALTH SONGKHLA INTERNATIONAL MARATHON – 28 AUGUST 2005 by LIM FANG HAU @ PM 23

This was my third marathon. I did not have much training for the race. After my Malacca marathon, I stopped running for two weeks. I went for mountain climbing in Nuang (a disastrous hiking trip where I injured my toes when descending from the mountain) and swimming. I only started running on 31 July 2005 on the request of Ronnie to replace Howard who decided not to run in the Klang race. For the next three weeks, I only managed to do normal weekend running of 20km+ for two out of the three weeks. I was out for running in mid August as I was attending a compulsory team building camp in Bangi, organised by the company.

In this race, I just wanted to test how effective my body system can adapt due to insufficient mileage. The race started at 4.00 am, Thailand time. I did not bother to notice my timing while I was running. I just ran at an average pace of 6 minutes + per km, which is quite a relaxed pace for me in the marathon. I covered 21 km distance in 2 hr 11 min+. By 30 km mark, my timing split was 3 hr 13 min+. At 33.2 km mark, my timing split was 3 hr 36 min +. When I reached 37.2 km mark, my timing split was 4 hr 3 min+. At this point, I was telling myself am I running too fast or I had improved with my cross training ? I knew that I was going to improve my personal best and there was a possibility of achieving sub 5-hour timing. I still did not experience any muscle cramp at this point of time. At the 40.2 km mark, my timing split was 4 hr 30 min+. At 41.2 km mark, my timing split was 4 hr 36 min+. From this point onwards, I started hitting the wall and I had to walk and run for about 500 metres. My whole body was shivering and this indicated that I was going to experience muscle cramp. After that, I just continued running at a slower pace. With less than 100 metres, I sprinted towards the finishing line. My finishing time was 4 hr 46 min 37.58 sec.

This was the best race for me and the longest distance I could go before hitting the wall. Overall, the race was well organised with proper traffic control. The route was flat throughout the race. Although there was not any isotonic drink station, the “magic” powder really helped me after 21 km mark.

Some interesting facts to share with you:
1. I lost 2 minutes of time after 34 km mark as I had to go to the toilet as a result of drinking too much water.
2. There was sufficient water station at every 2.5 km mark.
3. I started to use the plum powder after 22.5 km mark, as advised by Tey. Infect, I used 5 packets of plum powder after 22.5 km mark.
4. I like running on the Tisulanonda Bridge (distance 2km) (the Bridge”). This really motivated me and my pace was much faster on the bridge with music from my MP3 player.
5. The entire race route involve running along the seaside passing through the Samila Beach, Kao-Seng, Namkrachai Junction in the city and entering KorYoh Island via the Bridge. Upon entering the island, runners had to run for around 2 km+ before making a u-turn back to the original route. From there the route was running the same as running towards the mid point.
6. Running with music really motivated me especially with some love, rock and sentimental music.
7. This was my first time running a marathon without much training on my mileage. I discovered that, as long you have a good or average running base, you do not need much training with high mileage. You just need to train smart and not train hard. You can apply cross training as it helps.
8. The plum powder really helped me during the race. The best point to use it is after 22.5km. At every 4 to 5 km mark, you just consume the plum powder with water. Plum powder helps to replace the lost salt level in the body system. I only hit the wall at 41.2 km mark.
9. I carried a water bottle when running for the entire marathon as I was afraid of insufficient isotonic drink station. In the bottle, the isotonic drink was Gatorade.
10. In marathon, you do not need to speed. You have to control your pacing and try to run consistently throughout the race. By running consistently, it will reduce the chances of hitting the wall at 30 to 33 km mark.

Finally, I would like to thank Tey for his useful advice on plum powder and kindness in giving out the plum powder to the marathon runners before the race. I do hope that I can run my next marathon without hitting the wall.

MELAKA HISTORICAL CITY INTERNATIONAL MARATHON 2005 BY LIM FANG HAU @ PM 23

This was my second full marathon. There were not many participants in this event. The race started at 4.45 am. I was surprised by the time limit given by the organiser of 4 hours to complete the race. I told myself that this is beyond my limit and I just enjoy my run.

I started with a very relaxed pace of 6 minutes per km. My first 5km timing split was approximately 26 – 30 minutes +. After running for 10km my time was approximately 61 minutes +. I continued my pace with a relaxed pace by slowing down slightly. My timing pace for 21km was 2 hr 17 min +. After that, I started to increase my pace. I managed to overtake some of the runners who overtook me at the beginning. I managed to follow closely some of the Sungai Petani runners behind until 33km mark. By 30km mar, my timing split was 3 hr 15 min+. At this point, I took my first Power Gel. I continued running at usual pace. When coming to 33km mark, I started to hit the wall. My legs were getting tired until I could not run. If I were to run, I would risk the chances of having muscle cramps that could cost me the finishing target.

I decided to use walk and run strategy. I knew that I could improve my personal timing of 5 hr 32 min. I did not want to push much after 33 km and I just enjoyed my slow run. I continued this until the finishing. I only increase my running pace with about 300 metres towards the finishing line. I could not sprint at this time as my legs could feel the pain. I finished my race in 5hr 15 min 37.06 sec.

Overall, the race was quite an enjoyable and a challenging one for me. There were sufficient refreshment stations and sponging station with 8 for refreshment and 7 for sponging. When I reached 40km mark, I could not see the station. I really wanted water to cool myself and for rehydration. I was forced to buy a bottle of 500 ml mineral water from the sundry shop. The weather for the race was fine since the race started quite early in the morning. I found myself running alone most of the time. After 37 km mark, I saw some runners taking a sweeper bus back and at that time I still continue with my walk and run strategy. I applied counter pain for a total of 3 times pain after 33 km mark. I took my plum powder refreshment drink at 40 km mark.

I would not recommend this event to those who enjoyed quality marathon. For those who prefer quality marathon in Malaysia, KLIM is one of the best. For those who just wanted to complete a marathon, you may attempt Melaka marathon at your own risk (if you are a slow runner like me) as you would be running alone most of the time. Although, I improved my timing by approximately 17 minutes, I believe that I can improve further with more running experience in marathon. After this race, I’ll be out of running scene for 2 weeks as I feel quite bored with running. I just need a break from running and I still treat running as my favourite sport. I’ll be back in the running scene in August. From August onwards, I’ll never take part in any 10km races unless it is an outstation race. I may consider running races with distance beyond 11km. I’ll concentrate on half marathon and full marathon races. I’ll only take part in races for 11 km and below if requested to run as a substitute or my company requested me to participate or the race is organised by Pacemakers Network.

KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL MARATHON 2005 RACE REPORT by LIM FANG HAU, JASON @ PM 23

This was my maiden marathon. I arrived at the starting point 5 minutes before the race began. For this race, my strategy was to cover the first 30km before 3 hr 30 min and continue until 32km before hitting the wall (most likely at 32km). Then, I would use the walk and run strategy for the remaining 10km. Before running I applied some deep heat rub on my legs to prevent muscle cramp.

The race started at 5am sharp. The weather was fine in the morning. I was using my normal pacing of 6 min per km for the race. The first 10km was very fine for me and my timing was 59 min 31 sec. I was surprised that I paced my self too fast. For the next 11km I still managed to maintain my 6 min per km pacing. My split off time for the 21km mark was 2 hr 12 min. At 21km mark I used up my first Power Gel. This helps me to keep on going as my legs muscle started to feel a little tired. For the next 9km my pace started to drop to an average of 7 min 46.67sec per km. 1 km before reaching 30km mark, I took the second Power Gel. I reached 30km mark in 3 hr 22 min. I continued for the next 2km before I started to hit the wall.

After 32km mark, my legs muscles started to get stiff and I could not push my self harder. I dared not push my self faster as I was afraid of the occurrence of the most painful incident in my life since taking up running seriously. That was in my first half marathon in Ipoh last year when I collapsed at 19km mark due to severe muscle cramp and had to be carried away in the ambulance to the finishing point. So I decided to use the walk and run strategy for the next 10km. My pace was quite slow and at certain stretches I had to walk as my leg muscles was too stiff for me to move. I tried using the 3rd Power Gel at 34km mark and 38km mark. It helped me to keep on going and preventing my muscle from getting severe cramp. Along the last miserable 10km, I had to apply the pain killer on both of my leg muscles to prevent muscle cramp 3 times at 35km mark, 37km mark and 40km mark. I arrived at the 40km mark at 5 hr 15 min. With remaining 2km to go, I decided to take the Plum Powder (mixed with water) to keep me going.

After 40km, I started to increase my pace faster. With less than 150 metres to go, I decided to abandon my jogging pace and I sprinted as fast as I could to the finishing line. I clocked 5 hr 32 min 5 sec (Official time). My chip time was 5 hr 31 min 55 sec. Overall, I was happy with my performance as I used the correct racing strategy and I was expecting to finish around 5 to 5 ½ hours. I managed to get my first marathon medal.

There were sufficient of water station. The traffic control at Jalan Pahang roundabout was bad. Some runners had to stop for a while to allow the vehicles to move. Perhaps in future there should be total road closure for the race rather than partial road closure.

The distance markers at certain stretches were misleading. At the 21km marker there was no timing mat to step on. The timing mat only came after the 22km mark but my timing split based on half marathon distance was 2 hr 22 min 8 sec as compared to 2hr 12 min based on the distance marker. My 30km timing was 3 hr 39 min 5 sec as compared to 3 hr 22 sec based on the distance marker. Can any of the experience runners explain this? Which is correct, the chip time at the split of 21k and 30km or the distance marker time?

Another misleading distance marker situation was at the 32km marker. The timing mat was located less than 500 metres before the 32km marker. There was an indication to indicate the remaining 10km distance. I followed the distance marker closely and when I was approaching Wisma Tani from Mahameru Highway, there should be 3 more km remaining but I was told by the race marshal that there were 5 more km remaining. Isn’t it misleading? Did the marathon runners run 44km instead of 42km for this race? Can any experienced marathoners reply to my queries?

For this marathon, I had prepared for 3.5 months with weekend and public holiday training only and my mental toughness actually got me through. I was very focused and determined to finish the race. With sufficient practice run, I managed to complete the entire marathon. In actual fact, the real battle started at the last 10km. Physically, I was not tired at all but my muscle stiffness slows me down. For those intending to run the marathon for the first time, always remember this, “Nothing is impossible”. As long as you had put in sufficient effort in your training, you can finish the entire marathon and do not give up easily.

2ND PENANG INTERNATIONAL 12-HOUR WALK by LIM FANG HAU, JASON @ PM 23

This was my first time taking part in the 12-hour walk. The reason taking part was to test out how far I could walk in 12 hours. Overall, the race attracted more than 300 participants from local and abroad.

The race started at 8 pm, 16/1/2005. It was flagged off by a VIP (Teng Chang Yeow). This race involves walkers covering as many laps in 12 hours with each lap measuring 1,078 metres. Initially my target was to get a medal and a certificate within the qualifying time (24km within the first 6 hours.). I managed to do it within 4 hours. After the 4 hours I started to slow down and just walked to set a new personal record. There were sufficient food and drinks during the walk for walkers to re-hydrate themselves. It was quite boring for me to cover the entire lap as I had to walk the same place for many laps. There was music from the 60s to the 90s to motivate the walkers. The results were released every 1 or 2 hours had elapsed to indicate the distance the walkers had covered.

After 6 hours of walking, I felt totally hungry. This was the sign of insufficient carbohydrate and my body was burning the fats. I decided to stop and had some ‘nasi lemak’ and drinks. After that, I continued the race. At one point of time, I was totally tired and I could not walk. I had to rest for a few minutes. I nearly slept as I was feeling too sleepy. Some walkers slept for a few hours before continuing their race. At certain distance, my leg and body were too sore to walk. I did not want to give up but to continue with the race. My walking pace was like a tortoise, much slower than I expected to go.

At 4am, I managed to cover 42.042km. This distance is almost equivalent to a marathon distance. At last I managed to break the psychological barrier of 42km. This served as a good practice on my endurance and strength for my coming first marathon in March. After that distance, my left knee began to ache. I had to apply some painkiller on my left knee to continue. My walking pace was quite slow and I was walking like a handicap person. I felt like giving up but I was very determined to continue with the walk in the darkness until the end of the 12 hours. I also did some stretching on both my leg to prevent muscle cramps.

At 7 am, the sun was rising and I enjoyed watching the scenery near the sea side. I had 1 hour left. At that time, I covered 50.666km. I decided to use my full strength to cover as many laps as possible. I managed to cover 5 more laps. At 8 am the 12-hour walk ended with a siren. Total lap covered as 52 laps and total distance covered was 56.056km. This was my personal achievement as I had never covered such a long distance in 12 hours before. I got a medal and the certificate of achievement was posted to me recently. I did not know my position as the organiser only indicated the position for the top six walkers.

After the walk, my legs, muscles and knees were tired and sore. My left knee was giving me a problem. I could not bend my knee, if I do so my knee could feel the pain. I also could not straighten my left knee, if I do so I could feel the pain. I was walking like a handicap person after the race. It took me more than 2 weeks for my leg to recover the effect of the 12 hours walk. I still managed to run 30km during the Pacesetters practice run on 23rd January 2005 although the effect was still on my left knee. My left knee had totally recovered from the effect of 12-hour walk yesterday and I managed to complete my fourth 30km practice run.

For the potential walkers of the coming 24 hours walk in Genting, make sure you are fully prepared for it. It is going to be a torturing race as you will be pushing yourself towards the limit. I will not participate in the coming 24 hours walk as I am not fully prepared for it.

MY FIRST POST

Hi all,

This is my first posting. Just started to learn how to post message.

LIM FANG HAU