NB Pacesetters 15k 2010

Nisa: don't forget to bring some money, in case we want to get something to eat after the run.
Me: ok. What about our ID as well?
Nisa: you're not going to be coming in top 3 so I don't think there's a need.

It was already 6.05am when that bit of the conversation took place and we were off from our PJ home to the race. We arrived early(ish) because there was not much traffic at that time in the morning. Parking was also fairly easy, unlike other races. I think participation was limited to 2000+ so the pre-race logistics was pretty managable. We wanted to get there ahead of time so we could walk and take in the atmosphere, and to do a slight warm-up as well.

Being typical Sporeans (and Nisa is regaining her Spore inclinations after living with the people there), we had scouted out the route the day in advance. We had arrived KL Friday night and collected our race kits Saturday morning. The pleasant surprise was that we got to try on and choose our tee shirt sizes. This was inspite of having made a choice on the application - you'll never be allowed to change your choice on collection in a spore race. After that, we drove the route. We had walked a part of it some weeks past but with the map, together with the direction signs that had gone up, we did the recce. The hills were mighty and were every bit they were famed for. Worse were the bukit tunku hills, positioned right in the middle of the route.

The smaller the race, the more warm the atmosphere. There were the recreational and there were the serious, evidenced by their kit and the HRMs. I told myself at the start that I would walk the hills and let O'Newton help me on the downslopes. Here's how the race went for me:

The first 4k was ok. I ran slow and people were surging past me right from the start! My watch said I was going faster than my planned pace though. First major hill behind Tugu Negara was taken with advice from RW - short steps, bound up like a rabbit. No problem because the downslope to the highway came next. Breezed down to the turn at the highway into bkt tunku. If this was a 5k event, I would have placed top one third; meaning I was done st this stage.

The next bit was tough. I walked a little going into bkt tunku but kept up a decent clip until I came to the clock tower round-about. The next uphill was the killer and I walked some ways. By now I was pretty popped but I saw Nisa in the distance and that somehow imbued me with energy. Crested the killer slope on a slow jog and it was downhill and the flatlands all the way back till the last 3k. It wasn't as muggy on the way back and I maintained my pace pretty successfully.

The last waterpoint was at the 12k mark. Guess what, the running mom was there taking photos and I somehow found the energy to introduce myself as "Jamie's daddy", but beyond that, I failed to say anything intelligent - sheesh, what a way to meet one of the running personalities of Malaysia. Stopped for water and went on to the finish.

This was a tough race because there were multiple hills. There was not enough prep work on the hills for me and this was my undoing. The compression tights worked though; I wore them to recover after the race and all through the night; my legs feel decent today. The other thing that I learnt is that my coffee is my elixir; it was only after a cup in the evening that I felt well.

The races in Malaysia are much more enjoyable than those in Spore. The smaller they are, the more the running community comes out to play. Although I don't know anyone here in Malaysia, I feel I'm one of them. On my runs over here in KL, people wave! And during the races, every one is only as competitive as to give way to a faster runner. This is something I will miss when we run in spore.

We took almost the whole of yesterday to recover and during that time, Nisa said the half was within reach. Having survived this, I now think so too.