SCKLM Celebrating 10th Anniversary

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon (SCKLM) is without a doubt the biggest running event in Malaysia. In its 10th edition this year, the event garnered a total of 38,000 runners who thronged the Dataran Merdeka in the early morning on Sunday,  8 April.
.
I noticed that the Standard Chartered KL Marathon has grown bigger, better and more popular over the years since I participated in the race for the first time in 2014. Year after year, I have been coming back for further distances, from 10km in 2014 to the full marathon in 2016 and 2017. The race was cancelled in 2015 due to the haze. The popularity of the marathon is evident in that slots were snapped up this year in just a few days after registration was open to the public. I remember back in January, the outcry from some of my runner friends, encountering problems with registration, took to social media to vent out their frustration over overwhelmed servers which could not cope with the number of registrations on the first day of registration for public. Luckily for me, I managed to reserve a spot for this year's special edition, being a loyal supporter of the event. The benefits of being loyal to your favourite running event in the country...


And it was an amazing race day! Everything was top-notch. The weather was good, the volunteers in high spirits and the runners! I saw runners, young and old (young at heart), of varying sizes and colour and of all abilities - the SCKLM proves that running is something which resonates well with running enthusiasts in Malaysia... Furthermore, I noted there runner from overseas, their nationality indicated on their running bib.

I loved everything about the SCKLM app. First up, there's the live tracking feature so I could keep track on my relatives and friends (and my running role-models) who were also running on that day. I was notified every time when the FM runners whom I was tracking crossed a 5km checkpoint. The icing on the cake for me is the runner photo feature -  the runner's photos automatically appear on their profile as the race progresses. I was glad that I could view photos of me running - yes, actually running and not standing and posing for the camera after the race. Not all the photos on my profile had me in them; some of the photos showed runners that I can say were definitely not me! Perhaps the technology needs to be improved. Granted, this photo feature on the app saved me a huge amount of time from having to scroll down album after album in search for a photo of me on Facebook. 

I ran in the half-marathon this year, which means that I have finally completed the trifecta of 10k, HM and FM in the SCKLM. The route was enjoyable with a mixture of inclines and downhill paths, but mostly flat paths along the course. I was placed in pen 3, standing way behind the start line, I only managed to reach the start line 10 minutes after flag off. The congestion in the first two km's was a little unnerving for me as it can be a danger to run too close to other runners, but thankfully there were no mishaps.

I salute Dirigo events and all of their staff and volunteers for pulling it off. I'm sure other runners would agree with me that we, the participants were rewarded handsomely by Standard Chartered and their partners on this special occasion. It was indeed a celebration in style for the 10th anniversary of the SCKLM. Well done to all parties who made this event a success.. and heartiest congratulations to all the finishers!

Runeasy: Our shoes for this year - Nike Lunarepic 2 Low

Relive 'Morning Run'

Summary:
Distance: 21.4km
Pace: 5.58 /km
Gun time:  02:21:46.04
Net time:  02:09:18.21
Rank: 176

SCKLM 2017: Of Passion, Loss and Redemption

Intro: I'm still alive, just not running...

I've not been blogging since last November - did anybody notice my absence? So I've been sitting on the sidelines in 2017, not having participated in any races. The main rain for my lack of motivation was due to burnout, more a mental burnout than a physical one. Looking back, I registered for and ran at least a race per month for the whole 2016. The pressure I gave myself was too much, attempting to fit running events around work/life and before I realised it I found myself fallen over to the other side, that is to say, a Burnout. I felt a lack of desire to get out the door to run long after the festivities had ended. Furthermore, staleness was creeping into my running routine. A creature of habit, I would normally run on a specific day of the week at the same place, more or less at the same time. But by the end of January this year, I had not been running for two weeks and did not miss it. And it made me wonder "how did I get from being passionate about running, of having completed FM (which is like arriving at a summit of racing mountain) in the SCKLM 2016 (read report here) to feeling totally uninspired to run?

I did some soul-searching and realised that running made me happy in the past and I was still passionate about it. I can remember with remarkable clarity the times when I experienced the running highs, the exhilaration from the freedom with which I ran after a long, stressful day and the clarity of mind which comes after a run. Those were the rewards I got from my running journey. So I decided to change my running program in order to make running fun and enjoyable again. For example, I would spend more time to observe the people around me in the park where I go for my morning runs. I look at their faces and imagine how they're feeling while carrying out their activity. I count the number of trees I pass, I listen to my breathing and sometimes, I listen to a podcast episode or simple shake up my playlist on my phone.

Redemption runner?

I had a horrible run in my first Full Marathon in SCKLM last year. What I learned from the experience is that despite all the training that goes into preparation for it, things can still go pear shaped in a race. In my case, the unrelenting cramps in my calves and the broken toe nail due to ill-fitting shoes derailed my race midway in the course and I had to crawl my way to the finish, which wasn't pleasant. Blogging about my experience and connecting with other runners helped me through it greatly. However, there was a part of me that felt I had to right the wrongs and redeem myself after the poor performance in the race. So when the opportunity arose, I signed up for SCKLM 2017. The 9th edition of this popular running event was to be held on 21 May; the promise of redemption came early this year and I signed up for my second Full Marathon.

Running for a Cause

Losing my aunt in April this year due to her long battle with diabetes gave me another reason to run in this long distance race. My aunt was a fighter through and through. Her determination to fight the disease and to not give up inspired me deeply. Her son and my cousin, Mike is a seasoned marathoner; we both agreed to dedicate this upcoming run in my aunt's memory. Mike also agreed to pace me which was reassuring as he has around 30 FM titles under his belt.

Training 

With a sound understanding of marathon training from last year, I knew what needed to be done to prepare for the race: build up long runs and weekly mileage, do interval runs and some tempo runs in between, strength training and tapering. But unfortunately, my training fell on the sidelines due to work and evening classes (I enrolled in a Mandarin course). At 8 weeks to race day, I finally got my act together and did my weekly long runs every Sunday. Even though I ran short of the distance planned due to the scorching heat (for the record I'm not an early riser); the fact was I did the LSD every week for 8 weeks. To get inspiration and motivation, I joined group activities organised by the KLCC Runners Group. The ones which I benefited a lot from were the "Sunday morning LSD" led by Sam Seow and "Hill Training with Suresh Kumar".  For strength training, I joined the FGT classes run by the Fitness First Run Club.

Sam Leow leading the Sunday morning LSD at Desa Park City

Hill training led by Suresh Kumar at Tamn Tasik Perdana

FF Run Club's Freestyle Group Training at 1MK rooftop

Race Pack Collection

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) this year was held at Hall 6 of the KLCC Convention Centre. In addition to the REPC, the Prudential Healthy Life Expo made its debut and it did not disappoint with fun-filled and exciting activities throughout the three days of the expo from 18-20 May. There were more booths noted this year than there were in the previous years that I attended.

REPC was hassle-free

The race pack collection on Friday was smooth, thanks to the good planning on the part of the organiser. Runners were asked to email their planned collection day and time so that the organiser could advise participants on the peak and non-peak time for collection. I couldn't be more excited when I found my name on the honours list or what runners call the 'wall of fame'. The names of all registered participants of the FM of SCKLM2017 formed its logo and it's strategically located outside the convention hall for all visitors and non-visitors to the expo to see.

It's written on the wall that I will be running in the FM this year

Race Day

I took a Grabtaxi to KL Sentral  and got on the 2:20 a.m. train to Masjid Jamek on the Kelana Jaya line.  Understandably, I struggled to get out of bed at 1:40 a.m on race day and a demon voice in my head asked why I was doing this. The thought of going back to bed was tempting but give in to temptation I did not! The spectacle of enthusiastic runners in gear of various colour combination, patterns and design got me to come out of my doldrums.

On arrival at the Race Village in Dataran Merdeka, I proceeded to Dataran Zero to check in my bag.This year, all runners were required to empty the contents of their bag into a clear plastic bag. The plastic bag together with all of my belongings were sealed before me by a friendly man in uniform. This new procedure was highlighted in the race guide as part of the organiser's efforts to tighten security measures.

The starting pens were well posted and I was able to locate my designated pen - Pen 3 -  with ease. I also noted that runners were on time getting into their respective pens, thanks to the volunteers who ushered runners into their pens and not forgetting the good service in the LRT and MRT. Mike arrived shortly after me. He met me outside Pen 3 as we had agreed and we swiftly made our way to the front of Pen 3. After a quick warm up... the race was flagged off sharp at 4:00 a.m! Ladies and gentlemen, let the 9th SCKLM begin!

Mike and I in Pen 3

Mike and I started out strong and steady with a pace of around 6:50/km. We both felt the unusually warm weather from the start on Jalan Raja Laut. We sweated by the buckets just minutes into our slow run. At around 2k, the GPS on my Garmin went haywire as it recorded a pace of 2:09/km. I also noticed that the GPS went out of sync with the kilometer markers by kilometer One. When my Garmin beeped at 3km, I had in fact logged 2km according to the marker. This unsettled me slightly but as soon as I readjusted my focus on the kilometer markers instead of my GPS watch, I was back on track.

Basically the route this year is similar to last year's so I had the benefit of knowledge of the route this time. It makes a big difference to know the route of a race even if you're running in that for the first time. Mike and I ran steadily all the way till 20 km where we entered the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE). I looked and felt good and was glad that I had 20 km in the bank already. I remember feeling the niggles on the DUKE last year so whatever I was doing now, was working. I was careful not to change my pace or posture. Mike and I talked about his late mother - my aunt - and how because of the hospital visits, he was unable to put in as much training as he would have liked. In a strange way, in periods when we were both quiet, we felt her presence and it was an extraordinary feeling.

I took two cups of water or Lucozade Sport at every hydration station as I was aware of the amount of fluids I was losing from my body through profuse sweating. The stations were consistent - appearing every 2 km as shown on the map, and managed by friendly volunteers, some of whom not only handed the runners their drink but also cheered the them on. Also worth mentioning are the live performances of stripped-back acoustic music by artists who generously volunteered their time to liven up the atmosphere.

After collecting my wristband at the 30km checkpoint, I started to feel a niggle in my right ankle. I tried not to focus on it and soldiered on, dropping my pace slightly. But on entering Jalan Langgak Tunku in Bukit Tunku where hills would thrill or kill runners, things went downhill for me. I felt fatigue in both my legs especially the quads, followed by cramps - in the quads and calves. Memories of last year's nightmare started to haunt me. I quickly took out the bottle of CrampFix I was carrying with me and took two caps of the liquid in an attempt to relieve the cramps.

Pain is only temporary

I also saw a group of friendly supporters at a bus stop in Bukit Tunku. They had set up a stall there and invited runners to come and visit it. As I was battling with cramps, I limped over to the stall and was warmly greeted by a lady with shoulder length hair and a warm smile. She asked for my order. They had a variety of beverages on offer. Without hesitation, I asked for coconut water. She poured the coconut water into a cup for me to consume. I was heartened by the group's generosity and support of the huge number of runners. It definitely gave me a much needed boost at that moment. After thanking the team, I began my long trudge uphill along the very challenging Jalan Langgak Tunku. You may have heard from runner in KL that Bukit Tunku is only for the brave. As this point a good number of runners had passed me by.

Try as I might to push myself a little more, my legs would not allow it. Thereupon, I was worried that I might have hit the wall. The cramps were getting more severe. I decided to take another break and sat on a curb. My answer to my aching legs was in the form of Counterpain (yes, I learned from last year's experience and brought along a small tube of the ointment).  I rubbed the balm assiduously onto my quads in the hope that it would not only soothe my legs but also my emotional wound as the old wounds were starting to open up. Just then, a runner approached me and asked if I was experiencing cramps. He offered me some pills to take to relieve the cramps. He was friendly and appeared to know what he was talking about. So I grabbed the pills from him, swallowed two on the spot and took sips of water from his bottle. It was a nice gesture on his part (his name is Alex) and I felt recharged by kindness and possibly by the synergistic effects of Counterpain, CrampFix and the pills.

At Jalan Sultan Ismail around kilometer 36, the 5:30 pacers passed me by. They were carrying orange balloons and had music blaring off of them. I had earlier greeted Azhar (one of the pacers) and remarked that it would be great to finish the race with his team. So I kept alternating between trudging and walking... but not stopping. Later, the cramps were too much to bear and I took time out after passing Parliament of Malaysia. I had no answers for the cramps so I approached a member of St John's and asked if she would help me with my cramps. As she was still attending to another troubled runner, I sat down and tried to remove my shoes. That movement trigger excruciating pain in my quads and calves and I let out a cry. The young lady along with her male colleague rushed to my rescue, removed my shoes and gave my calves a good stretch. At this point (around 9:15 am), it started to drizzle and no sooner was I able to get up than my body was awash with rain. 

Wefie with Azhar before the race

Walking along Jalan Parlimen, a fellow young runner beside me asked if I was worried about the weather turning for the worse and the possibility of race being cancelled due to severe weather conditions. I answered that I would be disappointed beyond words if I wasn't allowed to finish the race as we were already in kilometer 39. The youngster soon took off saying that he was aiming for a 5:30 finish. I couldn't help but be inspired by his determination and then something in me clicked. I no longer felt the cramps in my legs and I was ready to run again. I picked up the pace gradually and found myself running at a comfortable pace, as fast as my legs would carry me, literally...  I was careful not to ruin the last 3km of the run..

I engaged in self-talk in the final leg and my mantra was "Finish strong" and "I can do this". Soon, I reached the Honda gantry indicating that there was only 500m to go. At 200m to go, I could see in the distance the cheering crowds at the finish line and my spirit soared. But I was also in pain both physically and mentally, but refusing to give up and recalling a quote earlier in the course "pain is only temporary, pride is for a lifetime" I dug deep, pushed hard and crossed the finish line.. with tears of pain, of joy, and relief that I managed to finish my second full marathon strong.

Pacers and their colourful balloons

Selfie before flag off

At my designated race pen

Running again at kilometer 39

Thank you for the coconut water

Porta Porties were in adequate supply

Facts and figures of SCKLM 2017

36,000          number of participants at the SCKLM 2017
9th                edition of the race
2:18:43         time posted by Cosmas Matolo Muteti from Kenya who won the FM Men’s Open
2:36:14         time posted by Elizabeth Chepkanan from Kenya who won the FM Women's Open
USD17,500  Prize money for the winner of FM Men's and Women's Open categories
7 hours         cut-off time for the FM category
8,000            number of runners signed up for FM category this year
1,700            number of running tourists
75                 nationalities participated in the run

My stats: 

Elevation gain: 524m   Max elevation: 111m

Result:
Gun time: 5:40:30
Net time: 5:39:08
Ranking: 974 out of 2108
Overall: 2909 out of 6663

Great Eastern Live Great Run 2016

I ran in the Live Great Run on Sunday, 23 October and had a blast!

Event info

Now in its fifth year, the Great Eastern LIVE GREAT Run attracts many repeat participants on a goal to beat their previous time. Title sponsor Great Eastern in collaboration with the National Heart Foundation promise a fun-filled and healthy event for runners, running enthusiasts, families and anyone wishing to the take opportunity to go out and run on this Sunday morning - to challenge themselves to go the distance and adapt a healthy lifestyle. This year a new distance was introduced to the Live Great Run - 21km. The half marathon distance is to cater to participants who are looking for a greater challenge.

The new route for the 12km this year - starting and finishing in Dataran Merdeka was exciting. According to the organiser, runners would experience a specially designed course that aims to test their physical and mental strength while they experience the sights and sounds of the city.

The fun run namely the 5km Bubble Dash attracted many participants this year following its successful launch last year. The Bubble Dash in Penang held a month ago received generally positive reviews by participants.

The 12km course is mostly flat except for a 10m elevation in kilometer 3 (Jalan Sultan Ismail towards Jalan Bukit Bintang).

How did the race go?

The race went according to the program in the runners' guide which was downloadable for all registered runners. The Half Marathon was flagged off at 5:30 am and the 12km at 7:00 am sharp.

My training went fairly well for this race as I have been injury-free since SCKLM. After having achieved a new Half Marathon PB in the Great North Run,  I took a (IMHO deserved) break from running. When I resumed training after two weeks, I did it with the same regularity as my previous training program but with less intensity.

The weather was glorious on race day, fairly cool around 27 degree Celsius which was perfect for running in the morning.  I managed to hold myself back and not make the mistake of going out too fast too soon. Starting with a modest  pace of 5'32" in the first kilometer, I got progressively faster and stronger. It was a pleasure running in the heart of the city on the normally busy roads which were closed to traffic today.

I took only one energy gel at the start. There were water/isotonic drink stations at kilometer 3, 6 and 9 all of which had adequate supply of mineral water and Lucozade Sport in paper cups.

Was it well organised?

This was a big event with the competitive 21km and 12km and 5km fun run. The turnout was incredible with a total number of 16,000 participants on that day. Traffic control was well executed by the friendly marshals, water stations were sufficient and there was support along the way. Support in the finishing area was remarkable. I was handed a bottle of mineral water, a bottle of Lucozade Sport and a banana, all of which I gratefully received from the volunteers. With no free hand available to take the finisher medal, the friendly volunteer helped me the wear the disc. I burst with pride because it felt as if I was a top finisher and the volunteer presented me with my medal and prize. Oh well.. I have a fertile imagination despite the fatigue immediately after the run...

Would I do it again?

Absolutely. I contacted two of my friends who also ran in the race and both reported that they felt the event was well organised and fun!

I received an email from the organiser today to thank the participants for their support and for feedback to help them improve runners' experience in future events. Now, that's what I call a true professionals. Well done! And yes, I would do it again.

How did I do?

I was very impressed that the results were published in the evening on race day. A new PB for me in the 12km category - I couldn't ask for a better result.

Summary of results:

Finish time: 1:05:50

Net Time: 1:03:45
Average pace: 5'18"

Overall ranking: 92/1897

Took the train to Masjid Jamek from Taman Bahagia station

Lively pre-race atmosphere in race village, Dataran Merdeka

All set now after bag drop-off

Selfie time!

Sea of blue at the start gantry

A handful of finisher entitlement

A winning smile for this pose

Asean Unity Run 2015

When I first heard about the ASEAN Unity Run 2015, I did not hesitate to register for it. It's an inaugural event held in Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur with the aim of promoting unity and harmony among the participants from Malaysia and the ASEAN region. Organised by Aman Malaysia, a movement which promotes initiatives and campaigns on unity and harmony, the ASEAN Unity Run offered three categories - 21km, 10km and 5km (two subcategories: fun run  and stroller run, which was to set a new record for being the largest stroller run in a single location). This run was indeed timely as Malaysia has just concluded hosting the 26th ASEAN Summit as the Chair of ASEAN 2015.

I ran in the 10k category. 10k is my most comfortable distance by far.

But actually, I was nearly disqualified for this 10k event because I reached the starting line late.  In fact, very late.

The flag off was at 6:15 a.m. I arrived in the city around 5:45 a.m. as planned but I was unable to find any parking near Padang Merbok. Much to my chagrin, I was turned away by a guard at Dayabumi complex as the parking basement was closed at that time. I then decided to park in Central Market and walk to the race venue, but when I turned on the Maps app on my phone, the walking route to Padang Merbok shown was estimated to take one hour. It was impossible for me to get to the starting line on time! I briskly turned back, hopped in my car and drove off to Padang Merbok. I chanced upon DBKL headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut and noticed a few cars coming in and out of the building. Perhaps I could make it after all if I carefully followed the sign to the visitor parking and found myself free parking lot. But alas, the visitor parking was closed too. If that isn't Murphy's Law I don't know what is! When I looked at the clock on the dashboard and it showed 6:10 a.m., I knew in the depths of my heart that there was no way I could make it to the start line by  6:15 a.m. This was beginning to feel like my nightmare for a race. Maybe I would wake from the nightmare and find myself waiting for the gun to go off at 6:15 a.m. Sigh, one can only dream at this juncture. For the record, I've never been late to a race and the ASEAN Unity Run would be my first.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a vacant lot in the staff parking area in the DBKL Complex. As time was of the essence, I had to make a judgement call - do I commit a misdemeanor by parking in a designated lot for staff or risk being disqualified from the race for being severely late? My love of running in races won me over so I parked my car among a fleet of DBKL vans and ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the starting line in Padang Merbok. Forget about static warm up, I was having the most intense dynamic warm up to this race.

Fortunately for me, the friendly marshals did not stop me when I showed up at the gathering point for 10km event; instead, they directed me to the starting line. Interestingly, I noticed that there were other late-comers too and they didn't look flustered like me. Note to self - keep calm and carry on.. 

And then it dawned on me that I did not have any of my accessories with me -  my indispensable iPhone arm band,  wrist band to wipe sweat off my face and my Garmin watch. Thank goodness I wore my bib at home before getting into the car. At a stressful moment like this, it was reassuring to know that my run would be timed with the presence of the timer chip behind the bib. So I'm good to go, yeah baby!!

Without wasting any time, I made a dash to the starting line and was comforted by the sound of my chip registering my run.. That beep from the sensor was the most beautiful sound I heard on the whole morning! A victory in itself for making it to the starting line.. Phew!

It was still dark and eerie as there were no other runners around me for the first 100m or so. Slowly as I picked up my pace, runners started appearing before me: left, right and centre,... and soon I was starting to pass them by steadily - one, two, three, four and more and more until I lost count as I progressed in the race, stronger and faster.

My pace was steady throughout. Without help from my Garmin Forerunner 220 or the Runkeeper app on my phone, I didn't know the pace I was doing. Whereas I normally would heed the external cues from the stopwatch, I decided instead to pay attention to the internal cues - my breathing and how my body was feeling at that time. I felt naked somewhat without the 'wearable technology' i.e. my phone and GPS watch, but I could rest assured that the timer chip would give me a finishing time later. I gradually got into a comfortable pace and breathing rhythm. And I felt good about the run.. The legs were warm and the strides steady.

On the inclines, I noticed that my legs were slightly heavy so I changed my running form to accommodate the terrain. I took smaller strides and kept my feet as low as possible to the ground and body upright. Surprisingly, I didn't slow down to a walk, which I almost always do in other races when encountering inclines.. It was perhaps because I was paying more attention to my body... Life is full of unexpected lessons to be learned and so is running...

Despite the initial setback, I finished the race at 1:07 clock time... and when I received the official results today, I was pleased to learn that my net time was 55:43. It's in fact, my best 10k time for 2015.

Gun time: 1:07:40

Net time: 55:43

Rank: 48 out of 970

Go out and crush it, not matter what!

Asean Village

Minister of Youth and Sports in the 5km Fun Run

Standard Chartered KL Marathon

I'm glad to have secured a place in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2015 on October 4.
This year registration closed only after three days as all 35,000 places were grabbed by enthusiastic runners in categories from 5K to the full marathon.

I'll be running again in the 10K (speed) category.

As the KL Marathon 2015 is all not that far away, I thought I should relive the memories of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2014 to draw inspiration and rediscover my motivation for running in races.

The 2014 KL Marathon, winner of  the coveted KL's Mayor Tourism Award  saw over 30,000 participants and supporters congregate at the historic Dataran Merdeka. Participants from within Malaysia describe this annual running event as "epic", a truly international race and the mother of all running events in Malaysia

The sheer number of participants that turned out for the race was overwhelming. I was still new to running in race events at the time and certainly did not anticipate such a huge crowd on that day. The LRT trains were packed in the wee hours of the morning, with runners of every shape and size, all of whom were proudly wearing their Brooks green race tee. A thought crossed my mind, "While other KL City folks were sleeping in on this Sunday in October, there's a whole community of runners who were up and out as early as 5 in the morning and that's truly remarkable." I am totally not a morning person and yet, I found myself turned into one on this beautiful morning. I think I had already overcome the first obstacle of the day that is getting out of bed at a set time. I felt ever ready to conquer other obstacles that would come my way..

Participants heeding the advice of the organizer to travel by train to the race venue

The new route for 2014 gained positive feedback from seasoned runners of the KL Marathon. For me, it was sheer joy running the new route which traversed KL's iconic buildings such as Dataran Merdeka, DBKL, the National Mosque, the National Monument and the awe-inspiring Petronas Twin Towers in the background. I remember the uphill terrain at the Taman Tasik Perdana/KL Bird Park around kilometer 9, which was a challenge both mentally and physically.Thankfully, my brand new pair of Brooks Glycerin 12 served me well to handle the demands of the terrain.

Tears streamed down my face when I crossed the finish line as I knew that I had given it my all in the race. I was overcome with pride of having finished my very first Standard Chartered KL Marathon 10k race with a noteworthy time.

New cue words: "Finisher of the amazing KL Marathon, 10km"

Add caption