When entries for this year’s final edition of the Putrajaya 100 (rebranded Toyo Tires Putrajaya 100) opened some months ago, I didn’t bite. It has been a bruising year at work and I’ve struggled with moving the mileage beyond what’s needed for general fitness. In case you’re unfamiliar with the venue, Putrajaya didn’t get to be infamous for nothing. Even when Nick signed up for the 78K category, he earned more ribbing from the gang than admiration. There was even a hint of sympathy for him too.

So it was unbelievably perplexing, that in the course of  the next couple of months, more of us found ourselves to be part of Nick’s troupe. For the life of me, even now, I can’t believe I was suckered in. And like lemmings, Lum, Cherly and Jeanie came along too! The monies paid, there was really little chance of not turning up, even if all the running I did leading up to that night was just the maintenance sort, fluctuating between 30-50K weeks.

However, at least on the runners’ side, was the favourable weather forecast for the night. Evenings have been stormy (conditions which I love) and certainly beat being put on a slow roast. The list of mandatory items were long and carrying the load presented an equally challenging task for the long haul. But you can’t negotiate on safety.

The plan was to pack as light as I could. Where possible, I brought along alternative gear in my carry box. The red Saucony Palladium packable jacket was eventually replaced by a RM5 Daiso poncho when rain didn’t appear to be on the cards. I also reduced the number of nut bars I carried and ditched the single pack of gel, relying on 2 remaining bars and a bag of mixed roasted nuts for fuel. From my experience in TNF Hong Kong, my primarily nuts fuel plan worked pretty well, staving off hunger while providing denser calories. A single 500ml soft flask was included being a much lighter option, instead of the UD bottle. I decided to bring along a clear lens shade as eye protection from rain, insects and what-have-you.

My final load was comfortably packed into the UD SJ pack. The new Salomon 1L race vest would’ve been ideal but there wasn’t much room in that one, unfortunately. Apparels were also of the bright and light variety, Saucony’s Speed of Lite vest and shorts, a buff and a safety vest over all that. Footwear duties went to the Kinvara 7 instead of the earlier intended Guide 9. Again, it was part of the “go light” strategy. Socks were the Pacific & Co ones which feature reflective nubs. No compression wear. Drop bag facilities were extended to only the 100K and 100 milers, so the Petzl Nao will have to be carried throughout my 78K distance.

Frank was kind enough to drive Jeanie and I to Putrajaya and since we were early, we made a short detour to Equine Park for a light snack. I had a large bowl of ABC to stay hydrated and cool myself down but skipped actual food since I wasn’t hungry. It’s never easy running in a heavily stuffed mode. When we got to the race site, and having gone through kit inspection and race number collection, it was just chilling around sipping on the Americano which I’d brought along. It was getting clearer that there would be no rain that night. Thankfully, the air was cooling with a slight breeze going.

Prior to flag off, Arman gave a quick briefing covering the important safety reminders and route updates. Finally, along with 40 or so other runners, I was finally let off. I emptied my mind of any doubts or emotions and just went with the flow. The number of 78K runners was smaller than the nearly 100 52K and close to 140 runners for the 100K categories.

With Jeanie running strongly, I decided to hang back. Nick, Lum, Cherly, Frank and Leong (who turned up to lend support) were all close by and we took things really easy, walking frequently and not the least bothered that people were passing us. The night was still young and self-preservation was of utmost importance.

When we got near to the hotel where Nick’s wife was waiting, we put on a grand show of 5:45 surge. Naturally as soon as we passed the section, we resumed our walk break! Nothing like these nonsensical moments to take the mind off pressing matters 🙂 .

We got to CP1 pretty smoothly and after a quick refill of the bottle and a bite of 2 slices of bread,  we resumed our journey. Several mouthfuls of ice-cold Coke helped to freshen things up too. Not long after that, we had more company in the form of CY, Richi, Zijill and Julia who biked along. As much as I’d like that ice-cold beer (CY and Richi kept reminding Nick and I), I kept my focus on the task at hand. Thankfully, the McDonald’s along the way was so crowded I wasn’t tempted to head in for a snack!

It goes without saying that with many of the gang present, there would be more than one photo taken!  I felt a little bad as we were proceeding rather slowly, and these guys were on bikes. After CP2, we lost them, thinking that they could’ve backtracked to support Frank, Jeanie and Cherly. It must’ve been difficult for them but they somehow appeared again when we arrived at CP3! We’ve covered 26K, which wasn’t even halfway but I was comforted that we’ve about to start the difficult 13K to CP4, the halfway point, and the same distance back to CP5 (CP3) for a total of 26K.

With the clock past midnight, Nick and I gingerly (and should I say, briskly) got through the Muslim cemetery stretch before the route joined up with the highway to CP4. Along with Nick, we covered another 6K before I spotted someone hustling at great speed towards us. Somehow I knew from the running form, that the person was Frank and I was proven right. He had put in some serious afterburners to have caught up with us. Jeanie and Cherly were still in the game much further back.

As we continued our run-walk strategy towards CP4, egging Nick along, we cheered the returning runners from the 100K category. Then there was Jeff, on his way back and in the lead in the 100 miles category. After sharing some pain management tips with me, we wished him the best as we moved along. Several stretches of this sector were in total darkness, so it was great to have Frank’s powerful headlamp to complement our Petzls.

CP4 was located at the top of a steep climb but boy, was it a relief for me to get there. Nick was in some pain with his inflammed knee. We urged him to consider resting longer and should conditions turned for the worse, he could at least hitch a ride on any marshall vehicle heading back to the staging area or earlier CP. With some hope that somehow he’d make it, Frank and I departed for the final half of the race. Perhaps triggered by copious quantity of Coke, there was a greater sense of urgency and I felt that the timing was right to focus and close down the distance to the next 2 CPs (52K and 58K respectively) the best we can. My legs were still fine and there was some confidence in my strides and I thought, “Just go with the flow”. With Frank, we made some good progress, passing runners along the way.

Then in the distance, we spotted 2 lights – it was Jeanie and Cherly! So good to see that they were still in it! And with that we went our ways. Our spirits lifted, no doubt. Next party we ran into was Piew, Yan Leng, Kien Siong and Li Leen – our next bunch of supporters. We hit the 2 CPs in very good timing, with pace ranging from 6:10 to 6:30, passing more runners than ever before. Fatigue started creeping in only after the 58K mark, with the discomfort stemming more from the pain in the metatarsals than anything else. I had encountered no cramps, no gas in the stomach, no water retention issues on the extremities, just some mild discomfort in the tummy – nothing a hot drink can’t settle. I’d been fueling well on nuts, bars and some bread slices but a hot drink would’ve been great. But Frank has been kind enough to pace along and we were still power walking!

By the time we embarked on our final 8K, Piew and Yan Leng had had to leave us. The progress was slow but it was already too near to completely stop.

With 4K to go, Frank and I were operating on getting to the next lamp-post or bin and so on, but with the spirits lifting as we drew ever nearer to the finish, we ran more than we walked. We passed 2 more of our category before crossing the finish line in 12:55, and not a moment sooner as the day was warming up quickly.

All in all, it was a great outing for me. My expectations had been really low, with hardly any significant mileage, but with friends’ support and right fueling, I somehow finished in a relatively comfortable state, with no injuries. Thanks to the GCAM gang, whose names I mentioned earlier, for turning up and Frank for not abandoning me over the 2nd half of the race. We covered the 2nd half faster than the 1st which was a wisely executed strategy, getting us the 5th and 6th position respectively. It was only at the finish that I learnt that Nick has decided to stop at the 52K mark on account of his condition. We were just glad he made the hard call as there are upcoming races to be run – and yes, we need him for more vain shots! I should thank all the volunteers, crew and the PACAT organizing team for the hard work out there. It’s never easy putting everything together and staying out there for the runners for such a long period of time! This year’s edition was the last time we run the roads of Putrajaya and we look forward to finding out where next year’s edition will be held.

Saucony was also a sponsor for the Toyo Tires Putrajaya 100 this year and all 100 mile finishers, over 20 of them, won themselves new pairs of shoes!

With the longest run done, it’s time to enjoy a little downtime before revving up the legs for an early 2017 marathon over the next few weeks.

Note: I wonder if there’s any leftover Sapporo’s from that night? 😉

From sniping photographers to mind-numbing looping around the unforgiving concrete surface, yesterday’s B2E seemed to have it all. Positioned as a “fun ultra” by RD Jeff, no doubt itself a paradoxical statement, 100+ runners attempted to go around the lake as many times as possible within a 12-hour window. Completing a loop would chalk up a meager 2.35KM. The route presented hardly a challenge in terms of elevation but the surface would make mincemeat of the legs.

The last I attempted a hamster mode of running was some years ago at the Twilight Ultra Challenge (race report) but while TUC started in the afternoon, B2E kicked off at 6:30am. As would be the case of an event organized by runners, there was much fun to be had before the start right to the end. Except for a few loops where we went on our own, Nick and I ended up covering our distances pretty much together. I decided to run only the first few loops in the Skechers Nite Owl (a review is forthcoming) but since they felt comfortable I stuck to them up till the 18KM mark. My 2nd toenail on my left foot was causing some problems and I knew I’d to nip any issues quickly in a race this long. I quickly detoured to the car to change into the Energy Boost, which is a size larger and the Boost was the shoe that stayed with me till the end. I also had the GOultra in the car should there be another reason to change.

The race for me pretty much started as a run-walk affair. The detour to the bike path offered a good short stretch to walk, which was a relief. No matter how slow we ran, the lower legs were taking a beating. Things became bad when I felt sharp pain around the right knee cap. It became difficult to go down the steep slopes peppering some spots along the route. Things weren’t rosy for sure and downright demoralizing to have occurred so early. I thought, “Legs, please don’t get thrashed at just 20+KM!”. There were only 2 options, quit or just keep moving forward. Chose to keep moving and after 4 very slow loops, the pain surreptitiously went away and I could resume power walking. The objectives were simple from then on, just focus on completing each loop and nothing else. When I was asked how many laps I’d done, I told them I had no idea, which was the truth. My thoughts then went to completing the marathon distance which I hit before the commencement of the route reversal at 12:30pm. By then I was already walking more than I was running. Though my pace couldn’t hold a candle to Uncle Oliver’s, I could still hound a casual jogger up an incline until he gave up!

The weather had been fantastic up till 11:30am and even with the sun bearing down on us at 2:30pm, it didn’t get dreadfully uncomfortable for me. A gentle breeze was always present to cool things down and the 2nd section of the route was very shady and cooling. Barring my legs, I thought I did pretty well in the heat. Nick and I, safe for the brief stops at the checkpoint, kept moving. The funny thing was how the mind was fooled by simple thoughts such as “I’d done 18 loops, I could do another 3!” and before I knew it I was sniffing at 50KM. From there, the motivation was to beat my former hoo-doo of 52KM and when that happened, it was to pull in another 3 loops and then another 2 loops. That went on until I decided to call time at 26 loops (61.1KM) so that I could make it back on time for a dinner with the family. Time check was 5pm or thereabouts.

I’m quite ambivalent about just hitting 61KM even though I know I’ll have less difficulty reaching this milestone on a road race than on a surface as hard as the Lake Gardens’. It was meant to be a run to discover more about myself, what worked and what didn’t. Obviously, leg strength seemed to be an area of concern but there’s time. Of course, the trails will be more lenient but still…

Then there’s the fueling and hydration bit. I was cognizant of how I was feeling, if I was over or under hydrating. When the fingers started to feel a little swollen, indicating water retention, I kept myself off the electrolytes and consumed only water. I didn’t pee the entire 10 hours and thought it was a problem with my hydration or kidneys, something I’ll need to read up on.

There was no cramps the entire 61KM, which was great. What could be better was the fueling part. By 2pm I felt some hunger creeping in and was telling those around me how I wished for Char Koay Teow and Ipoh Hor Fun. I hadn’t take in anything solid other than a banana, a slice of Nutella bread and Perpetuem tablets and completely forgotten about the raisins and peanut butter bars sitting in the car boot. By 3:30pm I was so famished and attacked some junk food while scrounging for something even more solid. Thanks to a volunteer who pointed me to the correct table, I found and wolfed down half a pack of fried rice. It tasted awesome but then again, even if you’d given me something horrendous, I’d probably think it tasted like Jalan Ipoh Bak Kut Teh. I seriously need to pay attention inculcating a fueling discipline.

Mentally, I thought I came out better than when I did TUC several years ago in that I was able to work my way past the pain. And I was surprised that nearly all photos caught me smiling. I didn’t even fish out the iPod to “zone out”.

There’s no denying the value of crowd support in a time-bound/ultra-distance event, from the volunteers to those who came to cheer the runners. There were even 2 unofficial tables set up to provide physical and mental sustenance to the runners. There were sufficient ice, water, isotonics, Coke, bananas, chocolate bars, Pringles, cup jellies, nasi lemak (didn’t dare eat this) and fried noodles (didn’t take this either). The fun atmosphere prevailed throughout the day. The mileage I clocked was meager yet each loop I completed late into the event was greeted by cheers and applause from the volunteers and supporters. I also believe B2E set the record for the highest photographer-to-runner ratio.

B2E wasn’t an easy run, the pavement being the worst culprit. In my opinion overcoming that poses a greater challenge than the number of loops and weather you’ve to face. If you’re game for it, be on the look out for next year’s edition!

I was dreadfully over optimistic when I signed up for the 100K category months ago. The intention was to make this my first 100K leading up to next year’s Comrades but a few factors beyond my control scuttled any such thoughts. Wrote in to the organizers to request a downgrade to the 52K category which was promptly given. Halfway through last Saturday’s race, I wished there was an even shorter distance!

Like Nick, I opted for simplicity which meant no compression gear, no additional food other than several Hammer Fizz tablets and 2 handhelds. Even though Putrajaya isn’t that far from home, I still had to wake up at 3:50am just to make sure I secure my parking before collection my race number. My chance I got a space next to Frank. As I feasted on my cup noodles and soy coffee, I had to make some adjustments to my race gear as the SpiBelt decided to snap there and then. It was fortunate then that I brought along the Inov8 Ultra Belt in which I could stash the electrolytes, arm sleeves for sun protection and phone.

Pre-race mood was typically laid back befitting of an ultra event, unlike shorter races. Camaraderie was strong as are many the presence of many familiar faces. I was hardly awake and really should still be napping in the car but I got caught up with catching up with my friends and the many photo ops. Even as the clocked ticked closer to the start time, indications were already clear that the day would be hot. After a short briefing my RD Arman, the insane 100 milers were released. The 52K category folks were let off with just a simple “Go!”

The plan was to run steady and get the training run over with as quickly as we could, this being the longest run this time of the year before Chiangmai and Newton to close off the year. The first few Ks were nothing out of the norm, the route was familiar and runners were still pretty much running in small clusters. Even so, we were somewhere up ahead amongst the 52K folks and were soon passing the 78K, 100K and 100 Milers who naturally had to take the pace down several notches. Much respect to these runners. Mentally I’m not anywhere close to their bravery, not at this gawd-awful spot called Putrajaya.

Everything was dandy and we checked into CP1 (10K) in excellent time. Things started to become drastically worse not long after CP1 when instead of heading straight under the bridge, a bunch of us went up the bridge to cross over to the other side where Herriot-Watt University and Maritime Center were located. There was a municipal truck which blocked the signage at the bottom of the bridge and we followed the only sign visible, which was up. After some deliberating at the top of the bridge between Nick and a few other runners, and spotting some already running along the path fronting the University, we decided that that would be the right way and off we went. Along the way, I asked one of the municipal worker if she saw any runners who had passed earlier and she replied in the affirmative. That assured us somewhat not knowing then that those folks also went the wrong way! It wasn’t until 3K later that a back-tracking runner from the 100K category directed us to head back.

Our hearts sank quicker than rocks in a pond. Every minuscule problem in an ultra is amplified – a wrong turn will cost you buckets in time and distance, not to mention unnecessary precious energy expended.There wasn’t anything else to do but double back the 3K (contributing in an extra 6K) we came from as quickly as possible. When we arrived back at the bridge, we debated if we should just proceed to CP2, bypassing the correct stretch, since we had covered that when we were lost. A handful of seconds were all that we spent on that question. There really wasn’t any other way. In an ultra, you deal with mistakes and problems, and do what’s right. Our conscience won’t allow it, so off we went to make up the missed portion of the route. Incidentally, that was the hardest stretch to run because of the unforgiving surface. Where possible, we ran and walked on the grassy sections. Shanaz pulled away midway through this section and Nick brought up the rear. By the time I got back to CP2, I reckon we had lost 1.5 hours. I was well and truly famished and dug into slices of bread and a cup noodles. Hunger won over the absurdity of eating hot cup noodles in the oven-like conditions. Nick then went off to collect his ice-cold drink from his loyal support crew while I wondered why I signed up 😀 . I thought if I should wait out the heat since I had plenty of time but wisely decided to get going and get the dang distance wrapped up.

From there I was pretty much on my own. I don’t analyse my thoughts during these tough moments in an ultra. Even when I was alone in unfamiliar territories in conditions much more miserable (e.g. TNF HK) than that afternoon in Putrajaya, my mind was mostly just set on one thing – keep moving forward and finishing the job. The other thing which helped tremendously then was channeling positive vibes to fellow stragglers and even joking with kids on their way to an Upin & Ipin concert. It’s wonderful what a simple nod, wave or “Keep going!” can do to a fellow runner and your own psyche. Some time later, I finally arrived at CP3. The area was cooling with plenty of trees, so a breather was in order before making the journey back. Because I was smarter by that time, I took a couple of shower breaks along the waterfront near the Pullman Hotel. There were taps at one of the beach and waterfront toilets and I made sure that my head and upper body were thoroughly soaked several times along the stretch. As a result, I was able to string together longer stretches of running and arrived at CP4 without encountering a Fukushima-scale meltdown. By that time it was already noon. I swallowed a few more slices of bread, ditched the smaller bottle and pushed off to cover the same terrible section again. I ran into Shanaz and Nick, both of whom were already on their way back to CP5 but I was quietly egging the skies to open up. Rain clouds were already blowing in in the distant and it was only a matter of time before it rained. When it did, and just like sea monkeys, it was so sweet. I’m one who’s always rejuvenated at the slightest contact with rainwater and when it rained that afternoon, I managed to put in a decent run to get back to CP5, the final one. Stopping just long enough to refill the bottles, I took off again, mostly walking. The brief shower had stopped but the conditions were much more tolerable since.

Fell into stride with Beau Helmi and we walked towards Wisma Putra before I picked up my pace further. I even managed to pass some friends with 5K to go, mainly by walking fast. With 2.5K to the finish, it was all running and quick shuffling. Just as I crossed the line, the watch died. I remembered seeing 56.3K but it didn’t matter. Time recorded was nearly twice that I’d targeted.

Despite the tough conditions, it was great to finish without any injuries, cramps and stomach discomfort. I could’ve eaten more but largely depended on keeping myself well hydrated at all stops except for the section where we went the wrong way. Surprisingly I didn’t find it too troublesome to run with 2 bottles for such a long time/distance. My hats off to all finishers especially those in the 100 miles and 100K categories. They’re from another planet, for sure.

In closing, my thanks go out to the PACat Adventure Team led by Arman, Zul and Zinov along with the merry band of crew. Everyone worked hard and this being a debut year, there were certainly areas for improvement. The event was run as a non-competitive one and depended largely on the integrity of runners. Due to that reason, some key sections weren’t manned which meant runners could run any which way, intentionally or otherwise while in a daze. There were so many photographers who covered P100 that we runners have many fond (and painful) memories to last us several days/weeks/months before many would yet again click on that damn registration button to bring on the next painful adventure!

Onward to the next race, then!

“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.”
― Sigmund Freud

One does not race an ultra. Not unless you’re an elite or someone who enjoys the pain and suffering. To the majority of runners out there, an ultra is to be experienced once just because. Some do it because their friends are doing it. Fewer do it as a penance and to seek something more spiritual out of the experience. Even fewer actually thrive on them. I fall somewhere between “for the experience” and “spiritual”.

To seek anything more than that on top of finishing the run injury-free is simply foolhardy. A week off GCAM14, a week down with flu and cough and 2 weeks left to Aug 23 really are not circumstances to be preparing for one. If you’ve been following developments, Starlight was rescheduled from May. Be it May or August, it sat in between marathons. Simply put, be careful in scheduling your ultras alongside your marathons. More so if you’ve gunning for a PR in your marathon. Ultras can be disruptive not only to a rocky marriage but also marathon training! Here, I’ll need to clarify that my personal (and I emphasize “personal”) qualification of an ultra is a 50-miler, 84K and above. 50Ks aren’t ultras in my books unless they’re of the bat-crazy Skyrunning variety where even a 10K distance is enough to crush the legs and soul.

That said, I’m glad that the whole ordeal is over last weekend. Unlike fellow runners’ (you know who you are) preparations of weekly diet of Genting Sempah, mine as explained earlier had been non-existent. Too late to chicken out, I found myself at the start with a small group of 150-200 runners, some of whom were in the relay or shorter categories, on a wet yet humid Penang night. My approach to this was really on a KISS approach – don’t overdress, don’t over-gear and just run/walk very easily right from the start.

I went with the Inov-8 Race Ultra 1 rather than the UDSJ pack because I didn’t want to over-strain the shoulders over the longest distance I’ve ever attempted. A single 500ml bottle on one side and the other water bottle pouch was freed up to carry other knick-knacks like food and miscellaneous stuff. Met many friends from Singapore, Penang and KL prior to the flag off from Straits Quay.

Things were uneventful from the beginning with the highlight being walking the entire length of the crowded Gurney Drive. Aromas of Penang famed street and hawker food wafted through the night air, teased me to no end. The hawkers were literally just inches from me over the Weld Quay stretch. Oh to be in Penang, yet with no chance of savoring the delicacies! To rub salt to the wounds, I was subjecting myself to extreme discomfort!

I reached CP1 in around 1.5 hours, sweaty but comfortable. Nick called out that he’ll be slowing down due to a buggy knee. From there on, I was pretty much running alone, at least as far as my friends are concerned. A handful of runners were around me but it was the start of a long journey battling my demons. The Jelutong stretch were familiar to me and those who had run the past editions of Bridge Marathon. A new experience would be the detour to a concrete pathway off the highway along the waterfront. Youths on motorcycles loitered the dark area, boys smoking, girls played coy with the boys – you get the idea. I was just glad to exit this dingy section.

Next up after CP2 located before Queensbay Mall, was the Bayan Lepas industrial area. Runners weaved through the factory complexes gradually moving away from the hustle and bustle of the city towards the outskirts of Georgetown. I wasn’t having such a ball even if my body conditions were good. The motivation was just not there. I was really on a “let’s just try to wing-it” mode. Ran past the junction leading to the haunted WWII War Museum and pitch dark stretch of road in Batu Maung. Dimly lit CP3 was at a petrol station and I spent a bit more time there. 4.5 hours had passed and the going wasn’t smooth. The mind just didn’t click with the body. The nice thing at CP3 was cold Coke. There wasn’t any bananas so I relied on my bar. Also mixed in the first sachet of the Hi5 4:1 carb-protein drink. Leong was already there. No signs of Piew, Yan Leng and MC who had stormed off much earlier. I called Nick on the phone thinking I’d wait up for him and he said he was about 2Ks away. I downed more Coke but after 10 minutes, I decided to get going.

The next section after Teluk Kumbar would be a tough climb but I found it very enjoyable. Perhaps the muscles were just too tired of the flats already and the glutes and quads were just raring to fire up. I passed a number of runners who left CP3 ahead of me and thoroughly enjoyed the climb. Air was very fresh after the rain and the sound of crickets and bull frogs’ mating calls reminded me of childhood days. An affable runner from Singapore savored the moment too and said he missed those days when Singapore wasn’t overdeveloped. I overtook more runners on the descent, running all the way down. I was mindful of not pounding my quads coming down and cleared the section quite easily.

CP4 – halfway mark where many would be making their go/no-go decisions. For the life of me, I can’t remember for sure what my timing was now. I reckon it was between 6:10 to 6:15 because I was averaging between 1:20 to 1:30 for each 10K (didn’t turn my GPS on). I ate half a cup of corn in butter (took it easy with the corn because I didn’t want to take on too much fiber), half a cup of noodles and half a Clif bar. I didn’t see any fruits or bananas. Drank 3 cups of Coke and refilled my bottle and got back on the road. I didn’t want to linger too long for fear of unwanted negative thoughts creeping in. After all, if things go south for whatever reason, there’s always CP5 to make the call. So far the RELA marshals were doing excellent jobs. Intersections were manned and they patrolled the roads too. After passing the narrow streets of the town, we gradually found ourselves on along village roads. Other than an occasional dog, boredom and fighting the mental demons, the journey was uneventful. I wasn’t focused on anything specific in particular. Thoughts flowed in and out and there wasn’t anything that I could grasp or focus on. The roads were in equal parts well lit and dark, nothing a good headlamp can’t remedy.

Things started to get difficult after CP5. The soles were aching and lower back began tightening up. Sat down twice for a few minutes at bus stops along the way and was passed by 4 runners. Nice of them to ask if I was OK. A few minutes later, I was back on the road, trudging along and running short stretches. The early morning sky was breathtaking as the haze-free air revealed so many stars in the skies that you couldn’t count! It was such a treat, truly a moving and inspiring experience. We get so much light pollution from cities and metropolises these days, that to witness such sights were truly rare. At least not in KL. The lesson here was surely to keep one’s head up even when the going gets tough.

I struggled for a few more hours before arriving at the foot of the long and arduous but should I add, enjoyable climb up the highest point on the race course? It was already 5:30am and some senior folks were on their way down from the morning walk. The endless tight twists and turns were welcome respite from the long and boring straights. Again, it was over the climbs that I overtook those who have passed me. All the lunges that I’ve put in seemed to have paid dividends! Along the way, I ran past a few small and medium-sized waterfalls that dot the section including the famous Titi Kerawang Falls. Would’ve been nice to soak in the icy cold water!

When I arrived at CP6, the volunteers said that there were only around 30 runners behind me. I wasn’t sure how accurate that information was but that got me moving quickly enough once I got my water refilled. It was downhill all the way to the Teluk Bahang Dam but unfortunately I didn’t have the strength nor endurance to capitalize on that unlike earlier. Neither did I have any time to enjoy the stunning sights of the dam. The sun was up and the morning was getting hotter by the minute as more and more cyclists (Penang have a large cycling community and Penangites are canvassing for a bike lane) rode past me.

CP7 located right next to the Teluk Bahang was such a welcome sight. The RELA members warned that we should get going as the traffic was building up. I wasn’t going to waste anymore time anyway as I just wanted to get the whole thing done! If only I could move quicker than a sloth! 14 Km of the most hair-raising stretch of road I’ve ever ran laid between CP7 and the finish. It really was like this classic scene from Bowfinger, right down to the script. Yup, I was doubting myself. I was in boat loads of pain. My tank was empty. Hard wasn’t even an accurate word to describe it as the sun baked me good. Like Eddie Murphy’s character, I even thought of the remaining 14K as an errand. I just wanted coffee but I only stopped at a convenience store for a RM1 ice lolly. I had to fantasize that the bus drivers as professional stunt drivers too and just trust that I’d get through unscathed 🙂 .

14K was actually 13K over-distanced for me at that point. I was busy exchanging texts with my wife – not that she was busy encouraging me to keep going but she was updating me on the critical condition of a family member in hospital. I kept that thought in mind whenever the pain came up and just jobbled (jogged+hobbled) towards the finish. When I crossed the line, I’d “only” taken 14 hours 15 minutes to cover the 84K, 45 minutes more than I’d projected when I hit CP6. If anyone asks me now the first feeling that struck me when the clock stopped for me, I’d say 1 word – RELIEF. For sure, completing this distance was pretty amazing. And I’m glad that I kept going and saw it through even when the urge to quit was so strong but I’m quite sure these traits are common amongst ultra runners. I had doubts that I could see it through with not a single mile of specific training put in. And that’s not because I don’t give it any respect. Race scheduling, marathon training and life just got in the way. It’s because I’ve too much respect for an ultra that Starlight will be the first and last time I’m committing to such things with no preparations. Now that I’ve done it, I can attest that with adequate preparation, 84K is not an impossible adventure to be undertaking. Physical conditioning over the months and years will certainly get you there. On the mental aspect, it depends on how you’re wired.

Other than extreme sleepiness and tight legs a day after the longest distance I’ve ever covered on foot, I’ve thankfully emerged unscathed. By rebuilding back the lost nutrients, I hope to resume marathon training between 7 to 10 days’ time. Huge props to Yan Leng (3rd placing in women vet category), Piew and Gan who totally ate up the roads of Penang. That’s what weeks of training at Genting Sempah will get you. Big congrats too to Nick who really stuck it out despite losing his way – he had all of us biting our nails waiting for him. And finally, Leong who recognized his limits will only get way better from his experience.

Positives:

1. Volunteers were great along the course and back at the finish. I wasn’t in a rush for time, so I was served well and avoided the congestion of the fast group of runners at all the aid stations.
2. Plenty of chilled drinks at all aid stations.
3. Slow runners get their deserved welcome back at the finish.
4. RELA members did a good job manning the junctions and traffic. I always felt safe with their patrols. They were friendly and supportive too.
5. Supportive Penang folks along the way, even though they probably thought we were crazy.
6. Southern and Western portions of the island provided the best experience in terms of scenery and environment.

Could be better:

1. Though I see no solution except to exclude this stretch, the Teluk Bahang to Tanjung Bungah road was dangerous. No other way to describe it.
2. No portable toilets. Many bushes benefited from my contribution. I did my share giving back to nature.
3. No 5K distance markers.
4. Don’t recall seeing fruits at the CPs. Some bananas would be nice.
5. Many roads in Penang are being upgraded. Runners and organizers should be wary of safety issues. To everyone’s credit, no untoward incidents happened during the event.
6. Received the finisher tee for the 84K relay but it’s no big deal . I didn’t run this for the t-shirt 🙂 .

After thoughts:

Taking on 2 marathons on zero ultra-specific training should not be attempted simply based on what I managed. I was physically hammered and the soles of my feet hurt so badly that I wanted to (but thankfully didn’t) lie down. Mentally I experienced the expected lows of wanting to quit but I recognized those symptoms (through plenty of reading, learning and listening from seasoned runners) and just cast those thoughts out. I ran and walked mostly in a blank state of mind and didn’t even listen to my specially compiled playlist on my iPod. The motivation to look beyond the pain only came after CP7 when my wife updated me on the condition of the family member (who had very sadly passed away).

What got me through uninjured? A few factors probably mattered. I’m listing them here to remind myself that I could’ve done better had I actually trained and optimally motivated. It’s also to caution anyone out there who thinks completing one without training is something that can be done. As everyone is wired differently, you could in fact do it better. Or much worse. So do make your own evaluation.

1. I’m not a weight-challenged person. A heavier person would’ve pounded the pavement with much more impact than I did, more so in the later miles when the running form has deteriorated. More damage, more pain, higher chances of quitting.
2. I didn’t carry any injuries going into Starlight.
3. I adopted the run-walk routine right from the start, not when I was exhausted. I recognized my shortcomings and was on a conservative and self-preservation mode.
4. When I ran, my pace was so slow that I think it hurt me more to have run that slow!
5. The slow pace allowed me to burn fat instead of carbs. As a result, I truly bonked only around the 60K mark.
6. I’ve had consistent monthly mileage since middle of last year. I was always in an “in-training” mode and have done a number of 50s since then.
7. I’ve had strength training built into my program.
8. While I was a newbie to ultra distance, I wasn’t a newbie in terms of “book knowledge”. Of course theory and practical execution should not be mixed, but I didn’t enter the event totally blind.