Racing to the Gate: Berlin Marathon 2018 report

How it began

Early in the year, I received an email from SCC, the organizer of Berlin Marathon that my application through ballot entry was successful. 

So my FM plan for the year was set: I would be running the Berlin Marathon 2018, the fastest marathon (many world marathon record times were achieved in Berlin) on September 16.

16 September is also Malaysia Day. a public holiday to commemorate the formation of the Malaysian Federation in 1963. What better way to celebrate this day than to run my first World Marathon Majors in the beautiful German capital city.

For the monumental event of my running journey, I ordered a customised running shirt which I I would be wearing on race day. It arrived a week before the race and served as an impetus to continue with training till the day I flew out of Malaysia.

I chose "3" as this would be my third FM (there previous two I ran in the SCKLM 2016 and 2017 respectively).
Read the blog post on my second FM here
Read my blog post on my first FM here 

On the front of the shirt, the words "Harapanku Malaysia" or my hope for Malaysia gives me an opportunity to express my hope for a greater, better and more inclusive Malaysia.

My customised shirt was a winner as it got the attention of other Malaysians

Training

I purchased an 18-week three-times-a-week training plan in June. I set a goal of sub-5 hour for this marathon. However, as the weeks by and with my continued shortfalls in training, I figured I revise my goal that I would run my best FM, i.e. improve PB of 5:38 set in SCKLM 2017. I was able to get in 3 days of running a week for most weeks, but the long runs were always a challenge for me due to work/life/heat/rain. I know that the most important component of training are the long runs and since I missed them or cut them short due (the longest I was able log on was 28km), I would pay dearly for those 'debts' on race day. To make matters worse, around three weeks before race day, the plantar fasciitis (PF) in my right foot flared up rather badly; fortunately a couple of visits to a physiotherapist helped me to keep the pain under control.

On my 17th week of training, I joined Leo Tan for an evening run at the National Sports Centre in Bukit Jalil. The meeting with him certainly gave me a much-needed boost for the upcoming race.

A selfie with Leo Tan

Pre-race

I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Berlin via a short layover in London. Arriving on Thursday, 13 

September, I proceeded to check-in at my hotel in Wilmersdorfer Str. 36. Lucky for me, the hotel staff were happy for me to do an early check-in. After that it's straight to the Berlin Vital Expo to collect my race pack. Located at the former airport Tempelhof just over a kilometer from the hotel, getting there was easy with the U-bahn. From the Tempolhof station, there was no need to refer to the map in the race guide as I just followed the other participants who were making their way to the expo. The drizzle in the afternoon did not dampen the spirit of the enthusiastic crowd.

From the reports that I read about the big crowds at the expo every year, I determined to go on Thursday afternoon to avoid the massive crowds on Friday and Saturday. Although a little tired from the long flight, the excitement of checking out one of the biggest expos in the running world of sports quickly took over me.

At the entrance to the expo, I produced the required Start Card and upon verifying my ID, the steward put on a wristband on my right hand. The band can not be removed as it is stapled around your wrist (to avoid unauthorized transfer of bib). The wristband serves as a pass to enter the race kit collection area which is restricted to runners only. The walk to the bib collection area was a long one, and I passed a long line of exhibitors marketing and selling everything from nutrition, functional wear, running gear, sports medicine to active holiday package. There were over 190 exhibitors and numerous photo spots -  I was overwhelmed by it all. 

My race bib was printed on the spot on presentation of my ID and the wristband, and I was also given a timer chip (ChampionChip) which was to be tied to the shoe lace. After that, I was handed my race pack which contained a sponge, a deodorant, a shower gel and a fast-acting energy bar. I thought it was strange that the organizer gave me a sponge to carry with me on race day. After much deliberation, I decided to leave it behind on race day.

Next I queued for the pre-ordered finisher t-shirt. There was a long single file, but the wait was only around 15 minutes as the stewards controlled the crowd in an organized and orderly manner. The steward took a look at my bib, detached the voucher on it and handed me my Adidas tee. Next, I went and queued for a commemorative poster which took another 15 minutes or so. More queuing was required as I wanted to pose at a couple of photo spots.

Tempelhof: former airport

Found my name on the Wall of Fame

Race

I got up early the next day. I kept it simple for breakfast - bread and jam, cereals with milk and banana with a cup of coffee to boot.

I took the U-bahn (U2) and got off at the Potsdamer Platz. From the station, it was an 8-minute walk to the start at Strasse des 17.Juni. Along the way, I saw runners of different nationalities, colours, shape and form.

I showed my wristband and upon entering the participants area, quickly settled into my block (H, the eighth and last block) around 8:30 am, just in time to join the organised group warm-up. There was a lot of waiting till flag-off at 10:05 am (3rd wave), but the emcee kept the crowd engaged with various dance moves. There were cheers everywhere when the gun went off for the elite runners at 9:15 am.

Let the race begin: flag-off of the first wave

My goal for the race was to hold myself back and to run at a slow pace of 6:40 per minute. I didn't want to think about the lack of training or the PF pain in my right foot. Focus on running form and breathing.

The first 10km went by without any struggle. I had a steady pace of  6:20-6:30/km. One could understand why the Berlin Marathon is touted as the fastest Marathon in the world - the course is mostly flat the roads are wide. There was no problem for me navigating on the course despite the high number of runners around me.  The first landmark which I immediately recognised was the victory column (Siegessäule). This was soon followed by the Reichstag, which I had the privilege of visiting a day before.

The next 10km went by without any problems. A Malaysian runner, a lad in his twenties came from behind and put his hand around my shoulder and greeted me, "Hi, I'm Hafiz and I'm from Malaysia". We exchanged some pleasantries and he took off. I reminded myself to keep a steady pace of around 6:15-6:20/km. Another Malaysian came up later and said hi to me. Her name is Ina. She's a sub-5 finisher in SCKLM, a mother and fast runner! She paced me for about 5km up to 20km. I guess we were both quite comfortable as we were able to converse in short sentences without worrying about losing our breath. After the refreshment station at 20km, I lost track of her.

Half marathon at 2:15.  Looking good, CK. Keep it up!

The crowds that came out on the day to support the runners were awesome. They carried placards bearing the name of the runner whom they were cheering for. Some placards had words like "touch here (button) to power up". There were also cheerleader teams, live bands and percussion artists.. The atmosphere was carnival like! I waved and thanked the performers when I ran past them.

Courtesy of Sportograf

An interesting observation was that there were thousands of crushed plastic cups in the water/refreshment area. Runners had no choice but to step on the used cups. The were hundreds if not thousands of runners around me doing the same thing, thus creating a cacophony of crushing sounds that at beast I would describe as unpleasant. The hydration stations were all well-manned and the volunteers were aplenty to hand a drink to a grateful runner.

Around 25km, someone held a sign which stated a new WR of 2:01:39 had been created. Congratulations to Eliud Kipchoge. I'm glad to run in the same race in which he achieved a new world record.

At 28km, things started to go downhill for me as I started to feel pain in the thigh in both legs. I tried to concentrate on my running form, but the pain persisted and soon I felt tightness in my calves. 

I knew this was the price I had to pay for not doing enough long runs. I carried on running...

But I had to stop,  and went to the side of the road and did stretching for the legs. It helped only a little. After a few steps, the pain came back. It was agonising.  The quads were hard and the calves were on the verge of going into spasm.

But it's not the first time that I experienced this problem. At 30km, I knew I had to come up with another strategy. I figured it's not possible to walk to the finish line as there were 12 km to go: I had to run with small strides and made sure that I avoided heel landing altogether to keep things light on my legs. This strategy worked somehow as I managed to do a little running until my quads hardened and then I switched to walking.  Many runners passed me by, and one came from behind me, a Asian lady I'm guessing from Singapore. She touched my shoulder and said "only a few km's to the finish line". I nodded to her. It's an understanding between runners that goes beyond words.

I received another boost when an Asian lady in the spectator area shouted my name (she's the only one who addressed me by name, while other spectators referred me as Malaysia). She said "Chiew Kit, you can do it!" Yes, I've got this. I've come this far. And no I'm not done yet. I mustered whatever energy that was left in me and charged on. 

Thank you spectators and fellow runners - you guys are awesome!

Courtesy of Sportograf

At around 40km, at which point I was almost completely spent, a volunteer said we were at the last turning to the finish line and those words, those words, were music and magic to my ears.

I was now in Pariser Platz and the majestic Branderburg Gate was in sight. This was going to be a historic moment when I cross the finish line in front of this iconic landmark. I whipped out my phone, putting one foot in front of another, gradually picking up the pace and shot a video of me racing to the gate.... 

Finished Berlin Marathon 2018.

Go on and crush them (Courtesy of Sportograf)

Post-race

After I received the finisher medal, I hobbled to the beer (non-alcoholic) station to get a free beer. It was the longest 500m walk I had to endure but it was worth it. I found a spot in the garden, laid out a plastic sheet, removed my shoes and lay down. While the pain had not subsided, I felt incredibly satisfied that I had finished the Berlin Marathon, and achieved a new PB.

Keep walking after crossing the finish line

Got my poncho on.. and Kipchoge's face on my medal

Happy Malaysia Day: Sayangi Malaysiaku

My first star of the Abbott WMM's 6 stars

Facts:

45th edition of the Berlin Marathon in 2018

fastest marathon in the World Marathon Major series (due to its fast and flat course)

44,389 athletes 

6,000 volunteers

80 bands

140 nationalities amongst participants 

thousands of spectators

new world record: 2:01:39 by Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)

Summary:

Net time: 5:10:37 (new PB)

Overall Place: 34276

Gender Place: 24947

PJ Half Marathon 30th Edition

With the tag line "Run Because You Can", the 30th edition of PJ Half Marathon last Sunday was a success. In conjunction with the anniversary, this year a special category of 30km was offered in addition to the usual 21km and 10km. Furthermore, there was a 3km non-competitive category to make the PJ Half Marathon a family-friendly running event.

A total of 11,000 participants thronged Padang Timur, some arriving as early as 4a.m. for the 30km distance with starting time at 4:45a.m.


I ran in the 10k to assess my current fitness level as I have been training for my next marathon in September (I shall reveal which marathon it is later).

I felt good throughout the race despite the pain from plantar fasciitis in the right foot. The inclines did not pose a big problem to me this time as I successfully maintained my level (by lowering my pace).

I'm glad with the speed of my run. It's time to bring the speed and pace down, and seriously commit to aerobic training. There shall be no excuse to skip the long, slow runs at the next weekend.

Enthusiastic runner on the LRT train to Taman Jaya station

Selfie before warm-up

Just before flag off

Courtesy of Action Pix

Finisher medal 

With YB Dr. Ong Kian Ming

National Geographic Earth Day Run 2018

Two weeks after I participated in the SCKLM 2018, I was at it again -  going to another run, this time - the National Geographic Earth Day Run in Gamuda Walk, Kota Kemuning. The annual Nat Geo Earth Day Run, a running event that benefits environmental causes began in 2007 in Taiwan, followed by a second edition 2010 in the Philippines. By 2016 the run reached Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

In 2018, the running community collectively ponders... where will it be launched? Malaysia has not made it to the list.up until now.. Are things about to change?

If you guessed the that this this year’s National Geographic Earth Day Run is to be held for the first time in Malaysia, you were absolutely spot on!

It was held last Sunday 23 April and I'm glad I was able to secure a spot, as places were limited (4,000 according to RaceXAsia.com). As a subscriber to the Nat Geo channel, I was ecstatic to see the advert which announced that the Earth Day Run would be launched for the first time in Malaysia and I have been waiting with bated breath for the registration to open.



The event organiser is Fox Sports Sdn Bhd and official venue partner, Gamuda Land with supporting partners Unifi, PetroSains, Stadium Astro, Nivea Men and Fox Sports. 

The Malaysian Nat Geo Earth Day Run's aim is to create an awareness for the public to protect our planet through renewable energy consumption, reducing plastics, and continued education on how to lower our carbon footprint. The organiser stated in the race guide that water stations would not be using any plastic bottles; instead, participants are advised to bring their own water bottles for refill. Nat Geo does walk to talk when it comes to protecting Mother Earth.

I entered the competitive15km run. The other category is the 5km fun run which was equally as popular with the registrants. Runner's entitlement include a Nat Geo logo-embellished black tee, a bladder that comes with a hook which is handy to use for this run, a jute bag, and a runner bib with timer chip. finisher medal and an e-cert. Good value for money, I'd say for a run associated with the name of an international organisation.

The run itself was well organised. There were plenty of marshals on duty to ensure the safety of  runners. They were having a good time, as evident in the big smile on their faces as they cheered us runners on, giving high-fives; I got a much needed boost from a group of young ladies at the U-turn of the halfway mark in front of the Gamuda Sales Gallery.

There were elevations along the course, but none that would make you consider throwing in the towel. Though it's a competitive run, most runners are well aware that unlike the other franchise marathon/running events, the Nat Geo run is for a greater cause than chasing a new PB.

After crossing the finish line, I visited the booths in the race village where there were entertaining games to try out, free ice-cream to be claimed, discount vouchers, freebies and also a presentation by the PetraSains team. The exciting activities, along with photo opportunities on stage and in front of the props, kept the finishers occupied until the announcement of the winners.

All in all, the Nat Geo Earth Day Run was a success and I'm glad to be a part of it. Furthermore, I have bragging rights for not only finishing the 15km run and bagging a finisher medal, but also for being a steward of the Earth.

Race pack

Not crowded on the course in this run

With host Hansen

A large finisher medal, a symbol of one's potential

Relive 'Morning Run'

Summary: 

Gun time: 1:26:59

Net time: 1:25:27

Pace: 5:54

Ranking: 102

Ranking (based on gender): 90

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

Carrying the Flame: KL2017 Torch Run

It was quite simply an amazing and exhilarating experience. Being a torchbearer in KL 2017 Torch Run exceeded all my expectations.

Application

I decided to apply to be a torch bearer in the KL 2017 (29th SEA Games & 9th ASEAN Para Games) when I learned about the Torch Run from friends in a running club. That was back in April. After sending in my application online, I got busy with my training for the SCKLM 2017 (read my blogpost) and didn't put high hopes that I would be picked by the organising committee (Malaysia Organising Committee KL2017, MASOC).

In July, I was shocked when I received a call from a lady who said that she was from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and that she was calling to inform me that I have been selected to be a torchbearer in KL2017 Torch Run. Still reeling from shock when she congratulated me, I managed to articulate my gratefulness for being selected with a genial  "Terima kasih... ini berita terbaik."

I found out that I would be one of the forty torchbearers running in the Hulu Langat leg of the Torch Run on 3 Aug, the penultimate day of its journey in the state of Selangor. After Selangor, the torch will go to Putrajaya and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur where it will eventually be brought into Axiata Arena (formerly the Bukit Jalil Indoor National Stadium) to light up the Games Cauldron at the opening ceremony of KL 2017 on 19 Aug.

Torch Run Day

The day started at 11 a.m. with a briefing by the organising committee. At the briefing venue, I met the other torchbearers including a businesswoman, an athlete, an officer in the civil defense unit, a musician and a student. I realised the group present was as diverse in their background as they were in their running ability. With the exception of a VIP, the other runners were everyday people like me. And it was good to learn that these runners represent the diversity of the communities in Malaysia.

The official t-shirts were distributed after briefing on the technical aspects of the run. While some did not get their preferred size because the organizers were unable to accommodate pre-order requests - in the end, most if not all managed to find a t-shirt which fitted reasonably well. Thumbs up for the design of the t-shirt which comes with a v-neck and the colors of Jalur Gemilang. The fabric felt comfortable on my skin. I was assigned No. 31 which I carefully stuck on my running shorts.

The weather was mostly cloudy all morning and it turned out to be a blessing for the runners. I was concerned that it might be too hot to run at 2 p.m. on a sunny day. The event coordinator informed us that we would have to run - rain or shine. The show must go on! Around 1 p.m., it started to rain. Concerned friends messaged me to ask if the run would be cancelled. I assured them that it would go on and that it was still early so there was no reason to be worried. Furthermore, the rain would not dampen our spirit. Sure enough, by 1:30 p.m, the rain had subsided and us torchbearers piled into a bus which took us to the starting point in Kampung Bukit Sungai Puteh.

The route for the run is a fairly easy one except for a hilly stretch between checkpoints 3 and 4 on a 6.5km course. Most of the torchbearers accepted the invitation by the organizer to run the entire course at a comfortable, non-competitive pace.  There were two 100 plus stations along the route. At the finisher area there was a Spritzer water station and a Milo van.

My moment to shine

My turn to carry the torch was between checkpoints 4 and 5. When the whistle was blown to signal it was time to switch runner, I took the torch from the girl before me. This was it! My moment to shine. The torch was not light. Somehow I felt remarkably strong and held it up firmly in my right hand. A deep sense of pride coursed through every fiber of my being as I took my first step. And another step. And another step. I then trotted along after the media van and maintained my best running form in front of the cameraman. The space reverberated with chants of "Ayuh" alternating with "Bangkit Bersama" (Rising Together). At this point, I felt as if I was carrying the hope of the nation in the upcoming SEA Games, alongside all the other torchbearers behind me. "Malaysia" shouted the coordinator and the crowd responded with "Juara" (champion). It was an amazing feeling!

Nearing the hydration station, I could see a crowd of supporters gathered there and cheering us on. The screams and cheers became more frenzied as I passed the hydration station. And out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my colleagues. I winked at them and waved at their cameras. Feeling on top of the world at the sight of familiar faces, I whooped and waved to thank them for coming to support me. I could not hope for anything more on this monumental day. 

The 150m leg of the run in which I was the torch bearer soon ended. Truth be told, it didn't last long and I wish I could have longer contact time with the torch but I'm glad I savoured every second of the run. After I passed the torch to the next runner, I went over to my colleagues and took bursts of wefie shots with them before  re-joining the convoy. I stayed with the torchbearer group and ran till the finish point where the torch was handed over to the representative of Sepang district.

Running in the KL2017 as a torchbearer is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience and carrying the flame for 150m in the run is a moment I will remember forever. 

I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to do it. 

Until the next run..........