16. Saucony 30km 4th August 2019 . Personal Race Report.

A day before a group of students promised to come to a class, at 9 am. I planned out everything, as I switched on the car, the car cannot start due to a battery problem. Damn, I got to rush to my office. Well, let cycle there, just about 40 mins cycle I can still reach there. I thought I was late, and then when I pump and cycle to the office, there is no student. All of them FFK, (let go airplane), shit. I should have called the GrabCar service. Then I won't be so tired.

So, on the way I cycled back, I took my breakfast at the food court and went to a car workshop. I asked them to come to my house to fix the car battery at 10 am. Well, I the boss, my workers haven' t arrived yet, they are still Zzzz. I think they will come at 11-12 am. OK.lah. No choice I have to wait for you.

Later at 11:45, he came to change the car battery. The car was functioning again. I told him what happened to his worker, well their family are too rich. Even if I deduct their salary, they will still be more than willing. Every month I deduct RM300/-, they don't feel any pain. Otherwise, how do you find workers? Soon after he left, there was heavy rain.

Then I went and collected the race kit. I was thinking of selling off my BIB as my hamstring is still pulling. Then I tried to find out more information, whether there is a luggage keeping facility, where to park the car for the race. I cannot find such information. I asked for help in Alam Damai Whatup group, and someone forwarded me with the info. Later I filed a complaint at the Saucony FB page.

"very poor organizer. No road block information, where should we park our car. WHich route will be closed on that day.  this information not given. No luggage drop off for participants. Shit organizer. Later i found out the info in https://www.facebook.com/Mysportsdiary/posts/1289859947855489

You want to give info, give properly lah. Don;t give one piece here and there. Hell finding these informations. You put it at https://www.ticket2u.com.my/…/127…/saucony-run-malaysia-2019 then habis cerita lah. Lucky I know some runner, if not tomorow, i may missed out something.

"

36 hours b4 the race, I took calcium and magnesium pills. Sleep early at about 10:30pm. Set my alarm at 3:50 am. Then around 2:30 am I woke up. WTF, I want to wake up at 3:50 mah! Not now. Then, I sleep again at 3:00 something! Got alarm mah. But the bell did not ring!

"When I woke up, damn it was 6:30 am. The run starts at 5 am. Worst, I forgot to lock the side gate; some foreign workers went into my house to sleep at my couch. Damn, I have to kick them out. What should I do? Then I don't know what happens?"

Then I woke up again it was 4:25 am. Thank god it was a bad dream!. Thank god for giving me a 2nd chance. I rushed to the car. Damn, the car did not start again! WTF. I just changed the battery yesterday. Don't tell me I have to cycle again. Oh! I just put the gear in park mode then the car can start. It is a vehicle safety feature. Thank God.

Then I rush to the race location, put some deep heat on the hamstring. Hopely I can last for 30 km without hamstring. Well, no hamstring but cramp elsewhere. Well, I learned my lesson from my last marathon. I need to control my pace. So I keep it with 6min to 6:20 per km. when my pace is 5:50 and below I tried to slow down. I was able to keep this pace till 21km. Then I started to bonk.! Damn, it must be due to the cycling done yesterday which I have yet to recover. I was trying to make

sure I do not pull my hamstring, so my running is compensated with other muscle groups. Some parts of your muscle which you never think it will cramp started to cramp. This experience is worse than my previous marathon. Then my feet cramped cannot move at all. So later, when the cramp recovered, I tried to run 50 meters and walk 20 meters. It was working for a while. Then at KM 22, the 3hr:15min (30km) pacer went past me for the last time. I thought 3:15 is gone lah.

Then during a downhill, I ran too fast and did not recover from that. From the last 28 km, I virtually walk to the finish line. Then I reached 30km on my watch, damn the finish line is still 500m away. Damn, later the clock show it was 30.62km. My time was 3:41. Well off my initial target 3:15.

Later I saw my Alam Damai runner friend. I asked what is your time 2:47 or 2:57 I cannot recall. He said "Why so slow?". In my mind well, I run much faster than you wow! During the ADR interval training. How come you finished so fast?. Later I found out, while they took their group photo I was still running!

Now I learned my lesson, only 1 big event every month. Max 2 events but must be 2 weeks apart. Before any event, I will have sufficient rest and don' t get injured. I must start to do some weight training as my muscle is not strong enough and can get injured easily. I planned to do more BRICK training such as cycle for 1.5 -2 hours and run for 1 hour after that. It's less damaging for my leg. 


Let hope; I can achieve my dream sub-4 hour marathon — still a long way to go. Later on Tuesday, some of the Alam Damai runners did hill interval after 30km run. Well how can their body standard such a work-out, my whole leg is still in aching pain. I guess my age is catching up.