Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon 2019

I ran the KL Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM) 2019 as a returning individual runner. For the first time in the history of this iconic sporting event in Malaysia, the organiser of  KLSCM implemented a ballot system due to the high number of registration this year. Along with other participants of SCKLM 2018, I managed to secure a slot through their 'loyalty registration' program.

While successful registrants were elated to get an entry to this increasingly popular running event, the dreaded haze problem which started in early September cast a dark cloud over the event. Air quality for the weeks leading up to Race Day was at moderate to unhealthy levels in and around Kuala Lumpur, serving a bitter reminder of the cancellation of SCKLM 2015 due to poor air quality. Running plans were abandoned, goals revised as it was not feasible nor safe to run outdoors.
I took my training indoors and ran on the treadmill. On the upside, I did maximise my gym membership for the month of September.

Thankfully, the haze started to diminish on three days to race day with intermittent rain in the Klang Valley. I joined a running group with the theme "Haze go Away" and ran my heart out with other keen runners who were all eager to run on Sunday.

A heavy downpour in KL on Saturday afternoon cleared the skies of smoke and dust which have enveloped our city and with that, the haze was finally defeated.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, the KLSCM 2019 will be taking place on 28 & 29 September, it was announced by Dirigo Events on Friday 27 September.
  
The KLSCM 2019 switched to a two-day format this year - the first day for the Kids Dash + 5km competitive category. There’s also the Friendship Run which started in 2016,  a warm-up fun run for the FM registrants, followed by a Pasta Party where runners get to mingle with other runners, exchange ideas and forge new friendships.

On day two, the race categories are 10km, the Half marathon and Full marathon. This year saw the biggest number of participants in the FM category (13,000), followed closely by HM (12,500).

With a  record number of participants numbering 40,000  Dataran Merdeka turned into a sea of blue in the morning of Race Day.

I signed up for the HM this year with the goal of breaking 2 hours. I came close to achieving it in the the Great North Run (2:01) back in 2016 but since then a sub-2 finishing has been elusive.

This year I had the company of Cheng Yee (who stepped up from 10k) and JJ who was making his HM debut in KLSCM 2019. A Run For a Reason (RFAR) participant, he helped to raise funds for Hospis Malaysia. Danny on the other signed up for his favourite, no-less-competitive distance of 10km in the speed category. CY, JJ and Danny and I recently had a fantastic time running in the Asics Relay Malaysia.

Selfie time while we make our way to the starting line from Pen 3

So I ran alongside CY and JJ starting from pen 3. We were delayed by 8 minutes before we reached the starting line, taking in the electrifying atmosphere of flag-off.  It was great running together with my team-mates. I broke away from CY at km 1, and later from JJ at km 4.

Confetti blast with the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building in the background

The HM course was familiar to me as I ran the same route in last year's SCKLM; I was strong and steady in my pace; the heat which usually slows me was not too bad even as I picked up my pace - thanks to the rain the night before. Even on the elevation along Duke expressway and the Duta tunnel I managed to keep on running by reducing my pace but not did not walk at all. As I stood a good chance of reaching my goal of a sub-2 finishing, I stopped only briefly at the water stations. The volunteers were awesome as always. With their outstretched hands offering a choice of water or isotonic drink to the runners, they gave out fun cheers and motivational chants - ‘"jia you", "looking good", "you can do it" and "don't give up".

Keep calm and carry on running..

Getting closer to the finish line..

Ya baby.. finish arch is in sight

I'm happy to report that I finished the race in 1:54:11 and achieved a new PB!

Well done to the organizer of KLSCM 2019 for a doing a great job and congratulations to all the runners who achieved their running goals. I’m sure the KLSCM will continue to grow in popularity as Malaysia's no.1 running event.

We are the winners.. We are! We Are! We Are!

100 Plus Active is my preferred isotonic drink

At the title sponsor's booth before it was crowded

The moment when you find out  it's a sub-2 finishing

Official results:
Gun Time: 2:02:28
Net Time: 1:54:12
Rank: 31 

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.
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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

Great North Run 2016

Intro 

The Great North Run is the greatest half marathon in the world.

Following my unsuccessful ballot entry in the London Marathon 2016, I found out from my research about the Great North Run in Newcastle Upon Tyne in September and thought I'd give it a try.

To my great surprise, I received an email notification back in March that my ballot entry for 2016 GNR was successful. I couldn't be more excited to run in this event which is known generally as everyone's favorite half marathon.

The Great North Run was first staged in 1981 as a local run with 12,000 participants. By 2011, the number of participants had risen to 54,000. This year the number of participants was a staggering 57,000! Furthermore, the GNR went global in this edition with aim of having participants from every country in the United Nations. I think the organisers were slightly short of the 193 representatives from each and every country, but nonetheless GNR has stamped its mark on the world running events as a truly global race that attracts runners from all over the world (including yours truly from Malaysia).

Training

As I had trained hard for my first full marathon last month, I just continued with the training only this time I ran shorter distances on my long, slow distance runs. I also bought a new pair of shoes (a size bigger) to avoid aggravating the toe-nail injury which I sustained in the marathon. The black toe nail is a foreboding reminder of how things may go wrong when you wear ill-fitting shoes for long distance runs. (Read about my first marathon attempt here)

Overseas Filming for 2016 Great North Run

On Aug 4, I received an email from the organiser asking if I would be interested to take part in their filming project for a chance to be featured on BBC Television on race day. I thought why not? What have I got to lose? After all, I've been blogging about my runs and sharing my running journey with my readers. So I shot a selfie of me running in front of Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on one of my training days.

Race Day

So I ran in the Great North Run last Sunday, 11 September.

I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere throughout the entire route of the race. Form the Red Arrows show above as I crossed the Tyne Bridge, to the live band performances - 13 of them in total that provided entertainment at set locations of the course - I was captivated from the start. The atmosphere was simply electrifying and I soaked it all in! The streets were lined with supporters - young and old - kids enjoying themselves giving high-fives to the runners. The local residents came out in droves with the women folk offering water, sweets, orange slices, lollipop, and other goodies to us runners. I helped myself to some sweets and thanked the lady who was holding a tray with those sweet treats.  I also took an orange slice from another lady in a black dress.  The generosity of the people and perhaps the tiny orange slice were a  great source of energy and there was no need for me to rip open my energy gels.

In this race, I realised the uplifting experience of running to the cheers of the various charity teams who were beneficiaries of funds raised by the thousands of runners on that day. To give an idea of what I mean by a large cheering team: they can fit into a bus. Those open top buses at the cheering points were fascinating and I was spellbound by the parade-like atmosphere. What a sight to behold! I would have liked to stop and take a picture of those cheerleaders but there were runners everywhere around me and you just have to keep moving in a situation like this...

There were six drink stations which were efficiently managed by volunteers who handed out bottled Aqua Pura water ceaselessly. Runners were asked to move along after receiving their water to avoid crowding of the water stations. I had no excuse to stop at the stations since it was not possible to do The weather was beautiful that day with temperatures around 16 degree Celsius. I didn't feel overheated or dehydrated at all and I felt good to run with a bottle in my hand and take sips of the Aqua Pura when I needed it. There were two Lucozade Sports stations. Again, bottles here handed out to the runners. Hydration was definitely adequate for me in this race (yes I peed, just don't ask me where and checked the color of my urine - it was clear). Another interesting feature about the course was the availability of run through showers to cool down the runners. There were a three of them in the course. I had a go at one and enjoyed it a little too much because I slowed down to almost a complete stop. Oh well.. running is supposed to be fun and I was proof!

Along the pavement from start to finish, there were excited supporters willing on the runners, cheering and encouraging them. As I went along the course, the number of supporters increased. Balloons and placards bearing the names of the runners they were supporting were spotted at roundabouts and the road dividers where the runners would not miss seeing them.

I felt good throughout the run as the lively atmosphere had lighted a fire in my soul. I ran without stopping and was doing sub-6 min/km pace all along the way except for kilometer 6 where there was an elevation. On the last mile along Prince Edward Road, the cheers got even louder. I responded to the cheers by  upping my pace and made a sprint to the finishing gantry.

I crossed the finish line feeling on top of the world!

Registered participants signing on the billboard in front of the expo

Tyne Bridge all set for the big day (taken on 10 Sep)

Great City Games were held a day before the GNR

Free pasta for all registered participants on pre-race day

This information points has a sack full of safety pins

Runners making their way to their starting pens 

That's where I'm heading - White bib in Gate G, about a mile from the start line!

Selfie time

Many runners in fancy dress were spotted.  Marge Simpson was in the same start pen

Bottled Aqua Pura Water after crossing the finish line

Finishers had to keep moving to make way for other runners

I did it... What a beautiful day it is!

Feeling awesome in finishing tee

Photo spots for happy runners

I couldn't stop smiling after the run

I ran in the same race as Mo Farah. It''s unbelievable! 

I'm on BBC1 live
While waiting for the race to kickoff.,  participants were entertained by feeds on a huge screen above the starting gantry.
And there it was... a video clip of me training in Putrajaya!
What? Me? On BBC? Watched by millions around the world!
Thanks Great North Run and BBC. I'm famous now!

 
Video courtesy of http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Stats:


I achieved a new PB for half marathon in this race. I couldn't have asked for a better run!
Thank you to the Great Run company, the BBC, the volunteers, the people of Newcastle for the support (you guys rock), the cheerleaders, the entertainers, fellow runners and my relatives in the UK for helping me realise this dream..It's surreal to me.

Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) 2015

This post took a little longer than usual as I had to wait until the official results of my run in the 2015 PBIM Half Marathon Men Open category were published. It was a long time coming (believe me, if you were an enthusiastic runner like me, anything more than two days is a long wait for the results) but finally, the results were available on the website http://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/ today. 

The 31st edition of the PBIM was held on 22 Nov 2015

As I waited for the results to come out, it gave me time to think about what to report on this race, which I participated for the first time last year. Since this will be my final race for 2015, I reflected on my running journey for the year. So instead of the usual report, I thought it would be timely to contemplate how wonderful it is that I am able to run in race events. Or just being able to run. It may be a simple activity and most of us take it for granted. Having the ability to run is indeed a blessing and I am humbled when I see people living with disabilities run in races. 

Running has brought immeasurable joy into my life. For some, perhaps running is just running. But I beg to differ. Running is not merely putting one foot in front of the other; it's not just about clocking those miles - it's much more than that. The training, the goals, the commitment involved in achieving those goals, the challenges and rewards from the effort put in, the bond of friendship in the running community, the support of family and friends (both runners and non-runners alike) whether online or offline, and the sense of accomplishment when I achieve new milestones (in life and in running), the strength to not give up when the going gets tough - all of these have made me become a better version of myself since I took up running in past two years or more.

You can imagine my excitement for PBIM this year as I had my family join me in the race. My folks came along too! Although they didn't register to run, they were enthusiastic and happily offered to tag along to enjoy a short holiday in George Town, Penang. There were six of us in our team of runners. For those who have been following my blog, you would already know that my sister and bro-in-law have joined me in past events; this time there were additional three members in the family who joined me for the first time. How incredible is that! I registered for the HM, everyone else in the 10k. We registered back in June to enjoy the early bird rates, set up a group chat to motivate one another and planned our activities for the weekend in Penang in conjunction with the race. Duties were distributed fairly and they included registration of runners, collection of race packs, securing accommodation and coming up with an itinerary in Penang (which basically centered around tasty local food) and printing of the e-certs.

As for the race, the event overall was well organized this year and credit must be given to the organizer. This year the organizer engaged the services of Rapid Penang and it's a wise move on their part (last year the main complaints were on transportation to the starting point). My event was scheduled to start at 3 a.m. I arrived at the Komtar bus terminal just after 2 a.m. only to see the Rapid Penang shuttle bus departing from the station. Fortunately, the next bus arrived shortly after and once filled up, it was ready to go to the race village in the outdoor parking area of Queensbay Mall. I didn't mind paying the RM1 fare for the quality shuttle service. 

Participants in bright pink and green vests gathered at the corral

However, the distance from the drop-off point to the starting line was longer than I expected. I think it easily took a 20-minute walk on average pace - I did hear some runners whinge about the additional distance they were made to cover even before the race started. After bag check-in and a quick stretch, I quickly joined the crowd gathered behind the starting line and before I could drink my Gu, the gun went off sharp at 3 a.m. for the Half Marathon Men's flag-off. And off the strong crowd in excess of 5000 runners went.

I would just give a brief review on the race. This year the race was held on the old bridge, as it has always been since 1985, with the exception of last year when it was held on the newly opened second Penang bridge, namely the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge. It was my first time running on the old bridge - it needs to be pointed out that I only ran about five kilometers on the bridge as the rest of the course was off the bridge. I can only guess the organizers planned it this way so that the runners of the HM do not run into the other runners in the FM category. The course at times was challenging with slopes, and inclined planes and slanted surfaces. It was definitely different from the second bridge which was flat throughout.

The were a total of six hydration stations which was quite generous of the organizer; however, the first one came only at 6.5 km. I wished there was one earlier, say at 5 km as most people would need a sip of water after that distance. Fortunately, the weather was mostly cloudy in the wee hours of the morning on 22 November, with a temperature of 23.9 degree Celsius so I hadn't felt overly thirsty or experienced any overheating of my body when I stopped at the first water station.

It was dark throughout the race and there were stretches where it was pitch dark. I nearly ran into people in some stretches. I regretted not bringing along my headlamp (perhaps this item should be listed as an essential in the race guide). It's handy to have a torch/headlamp when you're running as early as 1 a.m. (full marathon) and 3 a.m. (half-marathon). 

Kelvin and I posing for the camera 

At kilometer 16, my primary school friend Kelvin crossed path with me. He recognised me from behind which was indeed remarkable and shouted my name. What a pleasant surprise it was when I turned around to see Kelvin my friend whom I have to seen in ages! After a quick exchange of greetings, we ran side by side for the next few kilometers. I lost time at one of the hydration stations, but we got back together before the finish line and crossed the finish line in near synchronicity. It was an extraordinary experience! On reflection -  I have not seen Kelvin for over 20 years - we have recently been communicating on Facebook talking about race events and the like but never got the chance to meet until this day. I may never have met Kelvin if it wasn't for running. And more remarkable was the fact that we both traveled to Penang to run in this race but did not make concrete plans to meet..  But here we were in Penang on an early Sunday morning, after crossing the finish line together, catching up with each other.

More reflection:

Thanks to running and racing, I have been on an amazing journey that took me on wonderful trips in Malaysia and overseas. I have met people, every day runners who have done extraordinary things in their running journey and become friends with people who inspire be to continue running. Personally, 2015 turned out to be a fantastic year in my running, with new memories, moments and experiences to cherish. Along the way, I achieved new PR's which is deeply satisfying.

As for the results, I couldn't be happier with my performance this year in the PBIM.

My 2nd appearance in the PBIM half marathon Men Open

My sister and her hubby getting better and stronger in the 10k

My brother with his wife and father-in-law finished the race happy

Strength and beauty in number

PBIM 2014 first HM and PBIM 2015 HM

Official Result for PBIM 2015:                                 Official results PBIM 2014:
Gun time: 2:06:40                                                      Gun time: 2:08:42
Nett time: 2:05:11                                                      Nett time: 2:05:59
Rank: 189/5289                                                          Rank: 613/10654

2XU Compression Run Putrajaya

So I took the bull by the horns last Sunday and went ahead with running 21.1km despite the fact that my training hadn't added up in the weeks leading to the 2XU Compression Run Malaysia on 1 November. The 2XU Compression Run Malaysia would be the second half-marathon in 2015 for me after Nike We Run KL (Read report here) back in February.

The prolonged and dreadful haze had severely impacted the training schedule of most runners living in the Klang Valley. As the air quality improved in the week leading up to the race, I wanted more than ever to go for an event that didn't end up getting cancelled because of the haze. The thought of being out there for a run with other runners and enjoying the camaraderie of the running community were an impetus to get down to business and train for the race. Time was of the essence so I tried to cram in the miles every day of the week beginning 26 October. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not on my side on Monday - heavy rain in the evening forced me to make alternative plans so I hit the gym and went for Body Combat Class. Determined to put in training on Tuesday,  I went on a long run but that session was curtailed due to heavy showers in Lembah Kiara in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail.

On Wednesday, I joined the Puma Night Running Club in Desa Park City for their weekly training. It was great to see a big turnout of runners on that day, many of whom were training for the Puma Night Run on 31 October. The program for that evening was negative split training and I had a rewarding session on my speed/tempo work (incidentally, I achieved a new record for the fastest 5km time at 25:52). A big thank you goes out to the fun and energetic pacers of the group!

On to the review of the 2XU Compression Run on 1 November.

Around 3700 runners congregated in Precinct 6 of Putrajaya at 6:30 a.m. for the flag off. I could feel it in the air the excitement of the runners in anticipation of a race on this fine day which was about to get underway. I started with a pace of 5:53 min/km and gradually picked up speed to 5:23 min/km and 5:10 min/km. I settled into a decent tempo and felt good for about 10km. At kilometer 11, I was surprised to see that the marker showed 10km. It appeared that there was a discrepancy in the distance showed on my Garmin and the distance marker placed by the organizer. The realisation that I was not at halfway point rattled me slightly. I reached into my pouch and tore open a pack of gel to power up.

Spectator area in the indoor stadium in Precinct 5, Putrajaya

I tried to hold on to my pace after the unpleasant discovery but I could see that the 2:00 hour pacers - who were running just ahead of me up to kilometer 11 - started to move further ahead of me. It was impossible to catch up with them and soon after they disappeared from sight. I could accept that I was not going to achieve a 2 hour half-marathon. Certainly not in this race as there was insufficient training put in to begin with.

Those ramps in Persiaran Timur were all familiar with me. I thought I could conquer them as I did in the past but as the distance progressed and my legs increasingly weighed down on me, I resorted to walk/run method on those inclines/ramps. Later, it became clear I was doing more walking than running on the inclines as more and more runners past me by. Not only did I not conquer the inclines, the inclines got me. Actually, I think the inclines ate me! I had no answer for them and my pace dropped from 6:45 min/km to 7:38 min/km.

After what felt like an eternity, I caught a glimpse of the marker for the final kilometer. It was a perfect time to push myself to pick up the pace again. I managed maintain to a steady jog but not without a struggle. My legs by this time were aching, my feet soaked in sweat. With every step I could feel the balls of my feet pounding the paved surface of the park in Precinct 5. Numb to the pain in my feet, I recited my mantra, "stay strong.. you are stronger than you think".

Forcing a smile to pose with my sister.. bare foot

The usual suspects with podium finishing

A new look with the Buff head wear

At the finish line, I immediately removed my shoes to relieve the pins and needles in my feet. My legs could hardly carry me as I walked to the refreshment station. My calves were tight as wound springs and I allowed myself to take a fall. Sitting on my haunches, I looked at my watch and it showed 2:12:40. With a grimace on my face and excruciating pain in my legs, I was indeed a happy if not tearful survivor of yet another half marathon.

This was a tough one to acquire and it's beautiful

Results:
Clock time: 2:14:15
Net time: 2:12:40
Rank: 148 out of 1202

Post script:The writer has all but recovered from the ache in my calves and I'm ready to take on the next challenge. His Garmin recorded 22.25km on that day, the furthest distance he had ever done.