Energizer Night Race 2010 (2nd HM)

Night races in Malaysia for me is too humid, period!

I’m quite disappointed with my running performance, again! I could pace myself better i felt, my trainings paces are way better than the races, just like PNM; the ENR is too humid for me and i was hoping for rains before the race started, once more its a dry race.

I left home from PJ to Cyberjaya at about 3.30 pm, although i work for many years in Putrajaya – Cyberjayaland to me is an alien place. I wanna’ be there early, not rushing and it’s better to beat the traffic and relaxing - hopefully to push away the pre-race jitters. I was right, i got lost in Cyberjaya in locating the P7 parking space. One wrong turn and i was the on the LDP going towards KL/PJ..he he. Finally, after quite some time i found the P7 parking lot and Yimster is already there talking with Syah.

This is the first time i met Yimster and Syah, i only exchange pleasantries with Yimster thru’ FB and our blogs. We wished good luck to Syah as he left to take the shuttle bus to the starting point for Full Marathon (start at 6 p.m.), then we went to Saba Restaurant which serves Middle eastern delicacies. We had some drinks while waiting for Che, he arrived a few moments later at around 5.30-ish. The other blogrunners could not make it to the TT arranged by Che due to some reasons.

Around 6.30 pm, we left Saba restaurant and tried to take the shuttle bus to the starting point. However, as we are at P7 parking lot, the buses seems to be full of runners from P1 to P6, so no empty buses at that point; and we decided to walk to the starting point which was about 2 km away. One of Yim’s work colleague decided to join us – the 3 musketeers for our brisk walk to the starting point.

Crowds waiting for shuttle bus at P7 bus stand Another bus passed by – full of runners

There was no buzz at the starting gantry when arrived around 7.10 pm, still early but quite strange! Che and myself excuse ourselves from Yimster as we made our way to the Cyberjaya Community Club for our maghrib prayer. I met Singapore Blade Runner as he was completing his prayer at squash hall area, i took his area for solat after he completed his. He was ready to roll when i completed mine, and he wishes me good luck on my run before he left (what a nice guy, i guess we runners shared common values in respecting each other strength and inspirations) – i return the same pleasantries and hope he’ll have a good run on his Half Marathon –Junior Veteran category (his bib number started with J – the same as Yimster).

The three musketeers at starting point – calm before the storm!

After prayer i looked for Che and found him completing his solat, and then we made our way to the baggage area and jog to the starting point to get our headlight. Che suggested we started from the back, as he have this theory that it’s better for our motivation if we pass more runners starting from the back, rather than starting in the front group and getting pass by runners, especially the fast runner. This theory is called - “Che Daud starting from the back and finish strong within time limit to collect our Medal to show to our wives that we’re actually running not clubbing in Bangsar” – i totally made this up, you have to ask Che for the actual name of this theory..he he.

Runners for the HM at the starting point 

I totally forgot about the time, when the horn blazed we realized that the HM runs has started, so there we are started all the way from the back. We started at steady pace and pass many runners – i felt great about that. I lost Che at around 4km, as he was pacing faster – i urged him to go and maybe met up later in the finals km. I felt its still humid although not as bad as PNM, the water station was adequate and the runner were given and option between mineral water and gatorate, and the was a makeshift surau 15km point – i think it served the purpose of maghrib prayer for the marathon runners. My legs gave me away after 10km, again just like PNM it’s a walk-run-walk routine. The bomba shower at around 17km marks was a welcome sight and i took it with arms wide open – forgetting that i wore iPod earphone which was kaput later on! After that, Lefthanded motivated me to push on – i was stuck with “Ku Kehilangan Cinta Tiga Dimensi” song which i sang loudly during my slower pace – this time i can feel my legs was goin’ away slowly melting, can’t have this, so slowed my pace and sometimes just have to walk before pushing on running. Once again, i am humbled in the classroom of HM, the pains and the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming! But i’m not gonna’ give up just yet – gonna’ finish what i started! I dare not think about what the FM runners going through..double of everything i had to endure! I planned to take up about 7 HM before embracing the FM category, if i felt tortured like this, it’s gonna take me 17 or 170 HM before i brave enough to enter FM playground – with this statement i salutes everyone of you FM runners out there – no matter what’s your time are, its not an easy feat to complete.

The Lefthanded songs got me to the final 2 km (emm i really need AZ songs when i embrace FM i think? he he), at that point i found Che – he was walking and urged him to run with me. The sight of Che made my night, suddenly there was a second wind energizing my run. Che said he almost sleeping while running – wow.. i need to learn that from Che – he already gave me a theory on running tonite. We guess by that time, Yimster would already completed his HM – you are too fast for us man (makan asap again!). Around 1 km to the finish line, from Persiaran Bistari to Persiaran Sepang i lost Che at the back, but don’t lost hope yet; as i ran nearer to the finish line i recognized Che coming from behind and said to him lets run together to finish line. I hold his left hand and together we cross the line with both arms raised to the sky – that's a photo i want to see. Anyway, when i checked the result – Che completed a place in front of me at number 391. I did my PB by reducing 5 minutes from PNM, still far away from 2:30 hrs.

Che and yours truly taking a breather after the race

With Pacesetters runner from Kuantan.

Medal collection and goody bag arrangement was a mess, we used our instinct to find out where to go. The medal was nice but rather small, it’s smaller than PNM medal, is it a trend now for smaller medals in reducing cost? The design is almost similar to PNM. This ENR really taking a toll to my body – i was dead tired and my feet are killing me, i could not even walk properly after the race. After a quick shower, we headed for the shuttle bus taking us to P7. We had to cancelled our supper with Yimster as we both were truly looking almost like zombie – we was in the state of daze and confuse (not in the thinking state!). Although tired and tortured, i had fun running and the best part was meeting new friends in person, as i only met fellow runner through blogs and FB. I was lucky enough to met another fellow runner (from FB) attach with Malaysian company in Brunei as i was waiting for Che at the exit roundabout, - “it was nice to meet you Azmi and your friends - Eileen and Sharon”. What next in my agenda –the inaugural CAR Family run next month.

With Eileen, Sharon, Che and Azmi. (Photo from Azmi’s FB)

Medal - front

Medal – back (my 2nd HM medal)