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

1st Full Marathon in the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon (SCKLM) 2016

I ran my first full marathon in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon last Sunday, 7 August. Almost a week out of the race, I'm finally able to sit down and write about the experience. 

Deciding To Run

After the cancellation of last year's SCKLM in which I had planned to run the 10km, I thought, "Wouldn't it be pretty awesome if I came back to next year's SCKLM and did the full distance?" Well, it certainly wasn't a whimsical thought as I have been thinking about running the full marathon for some time. After all, I have a total of five HM and several 10k titles and it was about time for me to push my limits in taking on endurance challenges. Furthermore, I have this notion that a runner can only be a "real runner" if they have run at least once in a full marathon. 

So that was my reason for signing up for the full marathon distance on 29 March which gave me plenty of time to train as the event was in four months. Until I found out that most marathon training plans were around 16 weeks in order to build up one's mileage and aerobic foundation.

Training 

At the end of May, I enrolled myself in a 10- week program designed for runners in preparation for a specific race. Most of the members in the program were also preparing for the SCKLM (some doing the FM and others the HM) so it was easy for me to keep my motivation level high with the support and encouragement from other members. I followed closely the program designed by my coach except for the one-and-a-half week of recovery after I sustained an ankle injury and a health scare (which led to a colonoscopy). Fortunately,  I was back on track in my training just in time for tapering a week before SCKLM and even managed to squeeze in a race event, namely the Men's Health Women's Health Night Run in Putrajaya on 30 July. Read report here

For my training, a typical week involved strength training, speedwork/tempo run and a long, slow distance run (LSD) at the weekend. I managed to progress from 15 km till 25 km over the weeks for my LSD, but my progress was derailed due an ankle injury. Occasionally, my running mates and I would also have hill training which was helpful considering the route for SCKLM full marathon has a number of ramps, hills and inclines. In the week leading up to race day, I printed the route map and studied it. Initially I planned on wearing a hydration belt on race day but as I noted  on the map there were many hydration stations, I decided not to do so.  

After track training at MPSJ stadium

Pre-race matters

The race entry pack collection was held at the StarXpo Centre in KWC Kenanga Wholesale City in Jalan Gelugor this year as the venue offers a bigger space compared to the site at Dataran Zero for the previous years. The collection process was well organized. As expected, the crowds swelled at the StarXpo Centre on the first day as soon as the doors opened; runners and their representatives came from near and far to collect those valuable race packs. Crowd control was efficient as there was a one-way direction for visitors to enter and leave the centre. I arrived at the centre just before 2 p.m. by which time, the counters were not too crowded. I was delighted to spot my name on the official SCKLM 2016 billboard placed just before the exit. The names of all the FM registrants were on the billboard - kind of an honour roll accorded by the organiser.

                                             

Pasta Party

For the first time this year, Dirigo Events organised a Friendship Run in the morning, which is a non-competitive 7km run on the day before race day.  Participants of the Friendship Run were invited to the Pasta Party in the evening of the pre-race day. After checking in at a nearby hotel, I went with my mate Azwan to the Pasta Party at Dataran Merdeka. It's a buffet dinner with an emphasis on carb-loading and healthy eating - of spaghetti with Italian sausage meatball, butter rice with teriyaki chicken and baked salmon plus an array of fruit and vegetables. At the party we met the race director, media officials, pacers, a celebrity runner and runners from other countries. It was awesome! After dinner, we took a stroll in the race village to take in the sights, the sounds, the props and contemplated the amount of work involved to put on this show which was about to go on in a matter of hours. 

With 5:30 pacer, Azhar

Azwan and I with celebrity runner Reuben

Race Day (7 August)

I woke up at 2:30 am, drank coffee and ate yogurt and banana and swiftly made my way to Dataran Merdeka. I felt a little bloated, but it wasn't bad enough to warrant any cause for concern. Besides, this was my big day. At the race village, I took a bite of the energy bar I had carried along but couldn't finish it so I proceeded to do some dynamic stretching exercises.  I was still feeling confident that the adrenaline, the carb loading from last night and the fairly good quality sleep would cover the gap in my training and propel me to the finish line.

At ten to 4 a.m. I made my way to my designated start pen (pen 4). All around me I could see runners of different shapes, sizes and color. While waiting for flag off, I took the opportunity to check out the running gear all around me - from the simple to the outlandish and some pretty stylish and cool stuff which I made a note to check out the next time I shop for running gear.  

Quick snap before entering the race pen

Race was flagged off at 4 a.m. I started off at a comfortable pace of 6:40/km and kept at it for five kilometers, but after the second water station, I felt an ache in my upper back. This was unusual to me as I've never had back issues in my running. Trying not to think about it in the hope that it would go away, I ran at a pretty consistent pace of 6:40/km passing by the 5:30 pacers with the orange balloons. But soon after, I had to stop to address the back pain which was annoying to say the least. I did a shake off of my hands to relax the strained back muscles, and it occurred to me that I was wearing a reflective band on my right forearm which restricted my arm swing. I quickly removed the armband and was immediately able to run with a more comfortable arm swing. 

On the Middle Ring Road II (kilometer 19), I started having cramps in my right leg. The cramps were unrelenting. I had to slow down. At this point I saw Azwan  so I went up to him to tell him about the cramps and that I was going to go slow. He gave me a pat on by back before leaving me behind. By kilometer 21, I had to stop and stretch out my stiff legs on the side of the road. Unfortunately, there was little improvement. Only halfway into the run and I was feeling like the legs would not carry me through the course. I knew I was in trouble. So the positive self-talk was summoned. You can do it! Trust your training. You have come this far, keep calm and on target.

On the long and treacherous DUKE highway (kilometer 21-29), I tried again to push myself to a trot but my legs did not like it. All of of a sudden my right leg stiffened causing me to fall over to the side. I must say that this was a very low point in the race for me. I sat down on the side, out of sorts and on the verge of bursting into tears. Physically, my legs were in pain, my stomach felt tight and mentally it was frustrating for me to have to consider giving up. I kept rubbing my thighs and calves hoping for some magic to work its way on those tight muscles. The spray and lotion which were kindly applied by the volunteers provided little relief. Most of the stations along the DUKE highway had run out of supply of the coolant spray. 

By this time the 6:00 pacers passed me by and I had serious doubts that I could finish the race before cut-off time of 7 hours. When I saw an emergency vehicle coming, the thought of calling it quits and getting into the vehicle seemed very attractive to me. I had to dig deep to know the reason for running the marathon and resisted the temptation  There was no way I would give up now. This was my journey and I will run my own race, no matter if I cross the finish line after cut off time of if I had to crawl my way there.

Along the uphill Jalan Langgak Tunku, I sat on the kerb. I saw a another guy who was rubbing counter pain on this legs. Without a second thought I went over to him and said, "Are you having cramps in your legs too?" He nodded and when I asked if he could spare me some of his Counterpain cream he said "Take as much as you want!" because he understood what I was going through. It was a warm gesture. I found out his name was Sean and it was also is first time running the full marathon. It's in moments like this that make you think about how we runners share a spirit of kinship through their love of the sport. The heat from the cream provided some relief and I was off to cover the last 8km of the course.

Crosssing the Finish Line

I continued to struggle my way in the final few kilometers with a walk/run approach though mostly walk not run. Nonetheless, I managed to pick up the pace a little and when the iconic old KTM station at kilometer 41 came into sight, I knew I stood a very good chance of crossing the finish line. After the Bukit Aman tunnel, I pushed myself to run in the final 100m. To my surprise, I saw my coach and running club mates cheering me to the finish line. I waved at them and made my final steps to cross the finish line. 

Forcing a smile for the photographer

Official results:

Status: Finished

Gun time: 6:45:55

Net time: 6:40:04

Post-race 

For a few days after the race, I found it hard to be happy. I suffered a broken toenail which was excruciating and my legs were sore. Mentally I was exhausted and emotionally shattered. I did not feel like writing about the experience for days after the run nor post my finishing time online.

Thoughts 

For days after the race, I continued to dwell on my finishing time and how/why things went wrong with the run. It made me almost forget that running a marathon is a tough challenge. Thanks to my sister and sister-in-law (both of whom are runners) for pointing that out to me. They were at the finish line to greet me and both said they were very proud of me for my accomplishment! 

I guess I felt demoralised for not getting the time that was more presentable but again, it was a self-defeating approach to measure success by finishing time alone. 

So as I sit here to finish the last bits of my post before publishing it, I want reflect again on this experience. All things considered, it was an incredible experience for my full marathon debut in the SCKLM. Why was it incredible despite the bad feeling, the pain and the poor performance (by my standards?).

Here's my list of great things I experienced in run:

- the amazing sights (Twin Towers, Parliament, National Museum, the old KTM station, Dataran Merdeka and many more)

- the scenery (from the DUKE highway) in the morning was spectacular

- meeting other runners

- the chats among fellow runners which I overheard

- when I ran and felt good in the first 5km

- the support from other runners (Sean who let me use his Counterpain cream and Azwan for the pat on the back)

- the atmosphere (drumming band sound got me psyched up)

 -the great sense of relief and joy on seeing my family at the finish line

And last but not least, the distance. Yeah. You gotta respect the distance.

The special bond  between running buddies

One thing I did get right was posing for the official photographer

 

It is an achievement. Let's not forget that.