With these two back to back completion of European Marathon, i now closed my road marathon for this year.
It’s time to get back to trail and mountains running. As they said before “flat is boring” and the mountains is beautiful.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Budapest Marathon 2014
Start of the race at Hősök tere (Heroes' Square)
I never imagine that i would one day run a Marathon in Eastern Europe, especially in the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary.
My friend Laszlo whom i met few year ago at TNF100 Thailand, invited me to run in his city Marathon. Thank you Laszlo for being a great host in your country.
It wasn’t planned and frankly it was a last minute decision. I was planning to run a Ultra Trail in Switzerland last weekend, but my Swiss’ friend was away in Netherland. The stars were aligned perfectly for me to run my first road Marathon in Eastern Europe.
It was like a leap of faith, i didn’t really know much about Hungary but i took this chance of a lifetime adventure with both hands. I took the flight from Charleroi airport (south of Brussels)right after work on Friday and arrived in Budapest airport just right before midnight. Laszlo was waiting for me at the airport one hour earlier. Thanks for waiting Laszlo.
I registered the Marathon a week before the race and Laszlo help me to pick up my bib on Friday. You can even register the Marathon on the race day, how convenient.
This year race date was changed in the eleventh hour from the usual Sunday to Saturday due to Mayor election. The race starts at 11:00 am, the weather was too warm for European standard 29 Celsius, it’s like a summer weather here.
Budapest is a two city, City of Buda and City of Pest with Danube river smack in the middle. The race start at City of Pest going around the city, crossed the famous chain bridge towards city of Buda and ending the marathon run back at Városliget (City Park)in the city of Pest.
This Marathon is quite popular in Europe, there are more foreigner running the Full Marathon than the local. (3,300 out of 5,700 marathon runners are foreigners). I met many of Laszlo friends right before the start of the Marathon, apparently this retired Police officer is very famous in Hungary.
I guess i started the Marathon too fast and paid dearly in later stages. Overall Budapest Marathon route is quite flat and not as hilly as Brussels, however too many u-turn in it’s route for my liking. The weather plays an important part to finish a good marathon, the perfect weather for Marathon is between 10 – 15 Celsius.
When i reached the famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge (a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary) i smiled like a mad man, i quietly said to myself – i made it here in Eastern Europe, Hungary and blessed to be able to pursue my passion.
The famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the river Danube between the western (Buda) and eastern (Pest) sides of Budapest
I started a bit faster in the first half, the strategy was to get in more km in early stages of the race before the temperature get too warm. I stopped at every water stations, one cup for drinking - one cup on my head, it was a warm day.
Hit the wall, arghhh at 30km. Both quads trashed and cramped badly, wanted so bad to stop but continued with run-walk-run, more walks at the end. I never cramped at road Marathon, i guess zero mileage from finishing the Brussels Marathon a week earlier is NOT a good idea. Definitely very lack of serious training mileage!
With Budapest Marathon’s Race Director. He gave me special early bird price, thank you.
From then on, it’s a survival game to finish this race. Enjoyed and took it all in, my first experience running in Hungary.
Once more, nearing the finish line, i smiled and grinned from ear to ear crossing that finishing line. I made it again, another Marathon finish and enjoying life at it’s finest. The announcer said my name and country as i cross that finishing line at Városliget (City Park).
Thank you Budapest and Laszlo for being my host in your beautiful country.
Statistic.
- 23,450 total runners (42km, 30km, relay, 10km)
- Full Marathon 42km runners: 5,700
- International registration (3,300).
An over-distance race. AIMS certified course.
Marathon Splits.
9.5 km - 48:08
21.1 km - 1:51:35
33 km - 3:10:42
42.78 km - 4:26:07
Interesting facts about Budapest Marathon.
István Kocza is a World Champion in blind folded Rubik Cube Fixing, and also a committed runner, who runs each year the Budapest Marathon in his self-made Rubik Cube costume.
This year he finished in 4 hours 41 minutes, what is a nice result if you take into consideration that he is basically inside a box.
By the way did you know that the Rubik’s Cube was invented in Budapest by the Hungarian Ernő Rubik in the 70’s?
GEAR USED:
- Salomon X Scream 3D Shoes
- Salomon Exo Calf
- S-Lab Advanced Skin 1 Belt Set
- Salomon Short
- Salomon Black Visor
- Garmin 910XT
- Optic Nerve Sunglasses – Model Vahstro
What Krar, Frosty, Sage and Others Eat for Breakfast
What do Ultra Trail winners eat before their races? Here’s a good article from Trailrunnermag. 
By Alex Kurt
It seems no two pre-race breakfast routines are alike. Here is what a few of the pros do on race morning
Above all, make sure your pre-race meal is something familiar.
Photo by Rachel Hathaway,Creative Commons
The ideal pre-race breakfast might be the least agreed-upon subject in all of running.
Running any distance requires calories that an empty stomach might not provide, but the strain of running at high intensity for a long time can be hard on the stomach, making excess food an unwelcome guest for the duration of the race. Some people will chow down before races as short as a 5K, while others eat very little for distances up to a marathon.
The important thing, says Stephanie Howe, of Bend, Oregon, is to do what is familiar to you. “Reading what I eat and trying it out race morning will probably end badly for most people,” says Howe, who in addition to winning most races she enters is working toward her PhD in nutrition and exercise physiology. “You need to stick with what you know and try it out several times before the race.”
Ultras: a different ballgame
While runners with dicey stomachs might be able to get away with eating little or nothing before shorter races, ultramarathons tax the body well beyond its limits of glycogen storage (typically around 90 minutes), meaning consuming calories throughout the race will be paramount.
But will spending four-plus hours on the trails require a bigger breakfast—a caloric head start—to get you through and ward off the calorie deficits than can prematurely end a race? It depends who you ask.
In J.B. Benna’s documentary film Unbreakable, which chronicles the 2010 Western States 100, Geoff Roes memorably says he attempts to consume about 800 calories before a 100-mile race. “Sometimes that’s too much, sometimes that feels not so good for the first hour or so,” he says in the film. “But … I’d rather feel that for an hour than, you know, four hours into it, feel really hungry.”
Picking the right type of foods—in addition to foods that are familiar to you—can make meeting this caloric requirement for those averse to running on a full stomach. “Ideally, a pre-race meal should be high in carbohydrate, emphasizing simpler forms without a lot of fiber to prevent gut distress,” says Howe. “Think bread, oatmeal, bananas, etc. The meal should also have moderate amounts of protein and fat to keep you satiated.”
“A pre-race meal should be enough to fill you up and keep you from becoming hungry before the start of the race,” she continues. “That is going to depend on body size, timing before the race and the race distance.”
Sage Canaday, 28, Boulder, Colorado
- 2014 and 2013 Speedgoat 50K champion
- 2013 Lake Sonoma 50 champion
Final meal before race time: I like to have two slices of sourdough bread (or a bagel) with peanut/almond butter. I also enjoy a cup or two of black coffee along with lots of water.
Time between eating and racing: About three hours.
“A meal with mostly carbs and a little fat and protein seems to give me plenty of energy while being easy on my stomach. I give myself three hours to digest my food thoroughly and do some last minute hydration.”
Anna Frost, 32, Dunedin, New Zealand
- 2014 The Bear 100 champion
- 2014 Speedgoat 50K champion
Final meal before race time: A banana with peanut butter and black coffee.
Time between eating and racing: Two hours. This is usually early enough to wake up properly and give the body time to move, warm up and digest.
“I don’t like to have a full stomach when running, but this is enough to fuel me for a good two hours of lower-intensity running. Then I begin topping up with mulebars and gels.”
Rob Krar, 34, Flagstaff, Arizona
- 2014 Western States 100, Leadville 100 and Run Rabbit Run 100 champion
- 2013 TNF 50 San Francisco Champion
Final meal before race time: Coffee and steel-cut oats with raisins, walnuts and brown sugar.
Time between eating and racing: About 90 minutes before the gun.
“Why? Simple, it’s my routine. Never change your routine heading into a race!”
Stephanie Howe, 31, Bend, Oregon
- 2014 Western States 100 Champion
- 2014 Lake Sonoma 50 Runner-up
Final meal before race time: An ocean roll (similar to a croissant with cardamom), peanut butter and a banana. If it's a longer race (more than 50 miles) I will also try to eat some white rice. I aim for 500-800 calories, but it varies depending on the race. I also always have coffee, 1-2 cups max though. I'm usually too nervous to have more.
Time between eating and racing: I eat as close to the race as possible. There is no difference in performance if you eat one to three hours before the race- it's just personal preference. I don't like to get hungry before the start so I eat within an hour of race time. If I have a long drive to the race start I'll eat my breakfast and bring a Clif Bar or banana and peanut butter along for a snack.
“I think eating right before you run is trainable. Actually I know it is. People who ‘can't eat’ right before a run can learn to do it during training.”
Ian Sharman, 34, Walnut Creek, California
- 2013 Leadville 100 Champion
- Grand Slam of Ultrarunning record holder
Final meal before race time: Just something simple and small like a Clif bar and Clif Shot gel.
Time between eating and racing: Most races start so early it's usually about an hour before the race then a Clif Shot gel about 15 minutes before.
“I don't want much sitting in my stomach at that late point and aim to eat constantly through the run instead … I'm not a morning person so a 4 or 5 a.m. start is already difficult to get up for!”
Sally McRae, 35, Aliso Viejo, California
- 10th, 2014 Western States 100
- 2nd, 2014 Sean O'Brien 50 Mile
Final meal before race time: It's been the same thing for years! Half of an almond-butter sandwich and half a banana.
Time between eating and racing: 60 to 90 minutes.
Simply put, it's what works best for me. When I first started doing marathons I would eat oatmeal and a whole banana, and it made me sick. So I tried different foods and my choice now works best. My belly is typically happy when I train and race and if it's real, whole food I never have to worry. My pick for pre-race fueling is on the bland side but I have learned that bland is sometimes the best way to go. I haven't changed this routine in almost seven years; it works so I stick to it."
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Belfius Brussels Marathon
Last Sunday, i ran my 32nd Marathon at Brussels, Belgium.
I collected my race pack/bib on Friday after work at Parc du Cinquantenaire, which will be the start line for the Marathon/HM/Mini-Marathon (5km).
The Brussels Marathon is very convenient, you can still register for the Marathon on the morning of the race itself. It’s cost more of course, about €80 for FM. I paid €60 online few weeks earlier. You can also change your race category during race pack collection with a small fee, convenient isn’t it.
What’s in the rack pack?
Bib number (with my dad’s name), event t.shirt, orange bandanna and the route map.
The weather on that Sunday morning was cold and windy, it rained the whole night before the race till 7am. By start time at 9:00 am,the rain stopped and left with a bit of drizzle but still cold for me. Temperature about 10 Celcius.
It was better once the Marathon started and my body finally get warm. It's been a long time since i last run road marathon, didn't know what to expect. My last Full Marathon road race was last December at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
The route i found out from a Spanish runner on the Metro that race morning was full of mini-hills inclines, great i said – flat is boring!
I just ran, take it easy and maintained running pace just below 5:30 km/mins most of the time. I followed the green pace band 3h59m that i got from the expo and executed the splits almost perfectly.
The water stations was every 2.5km and i stopped at every single one of them. I took four power gels and few salt tablets during the race, nearing the end especially after 35km i was fighting cramps on right leg – shows my lack of training.
Third quarter of the race, i pushed the pace a bit and try to hang on with the green balloon pacer (3:59 hours). It seem that it was slowly leaving me behind and the cramps was not helping.
Running passing the Grand Place was beautiful with it’s cobbles stone and finally the race finish at De Brouckere square.
It was an over distance race about 500 meters.
Finish time. 3:58:30
Splits.
10km: 53:18
21km: 1:53:31
30km: 2:45:04
40km: 3:46
42.7km : 3:58:30
Marathon starters: 1952
Half Marathon: 7385
Mini Marathon (5km): 1591
Total: 10,928 runners
Malaysia represented at Brussels Marathon.
Finally met Rizal, after all these years in FB
GEAR USED:
- Salomon X Scream 3D Shoes
- Salomon Exo Calf
- S-Lab Advanced Skin 1 Belt Set
- Salomon Short
- Garmin 910XT
- Optic Nerve Sunglasses – Model Vahstro
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