Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form. - Rumi
TNF100 Thailand hold a special place in my heart, I ran my first trail 100km here four years ago in 2012 when there were only 28 - 100km finisher at the inaugural event.
Now trail running is a big event in Thailand and TNF100 Thailand is the one of the most significant event you wanna be in. This event kind of grew with my running adventures throughout the years. I love it here in TNF100 Thailand, you come back meeting old friends and making new one. It's like a home away from home for me.
The weather is more merciful this year, cooler with gentle breeze at the first half of the race. The temperature was 20 Celcius when the race start at 5:00 am local time. The route was almost the same like last year except for the final 10km.
The first 10km was a huge confusion when few front groups of runners got lost in the dark morning, the markers was non-reflective – so it doesn’t help much in the dark.
Malaysian contingent is the biggest foreign runners at TNF100 Thailand this year. About 80 Malaysian runners participated at this annual event. (Photo: Khairi Muin)
My old friend, two times TNF100 Thai champion (Katherine Welch) suddenly emerged from the dark morning and ran besides me in the early stage of the race. I said to her that i ran with Dan Bett, a school teacher located in Bangkok last year. I told her that she’s famous, everyone knows Katherine here in Thailand.
If you ever had the chance to meet Katherine, she’s the most humble runner you could ever met. She just said that i’m a big fish in small pond. I couldn’t keep up with soon after that, i asked her to push forward. Then i looked at my Garmin, dang it’s 5:00 min pace in trail. No wonder i was having a hard time breathing. Katherine eventually won this race for the third time in the end (Female Champion).
I bang my right knee on a rock somewhere between CP1 and CP2. Hurt like hell, now I have a big problem. I couldn't bend my knee, which left me with sharp excruciating pain every time i need to jog. Damn there’s goes my race in this early stage.
But at the back of my head, i was thinking about the precious 3 UTMB points for this race. I need those points as i only have 7 points from two races, i need 8 points to re-enter ballot for UTMB spot next year. No matter what, i need to finish this race, even if i hafta walk all the way to the finish line.
Just before CP2 (19km) i saw school children lined up the route to high five us runners just like last year. I stopped for few minutes to take photos with these kids which reminded me of my own kids back home.
I saw Khairi Muin inside the trail before CP4, he was struggling and walking. The bad news was he sprained his ankle, couldn’t run just walked painfully. I know everybody hurting now, fighting our own demons.
He gave me the look of guy that lost in gambling, i told him keep walking coz you still got lot of time. He replied, it hurts too much that he’s gonna stop at 50km. I felt terrible for him, last year he DNFed at 80km. I don’t want him to greet me at finish line like last year – dejected and DNFed.
The first 40km gone faster than i thought, it’s all familiar territories for me. Again. better weather this year with gentle breath along the way. Then the final 10km to CP5 is a new route and better route, it’s more technical with more trails route
By the time I arrived at CP5, I started to walk more than jog. Completed the first 50km in 6:50 hrs. I felt stronger last year at this point, this year i felt vulnerable and getting weaker. I was contemplating whether to stop at 50km and called it a day. It was beginning to get hotter as sun goes up with no clouds, around 32 C but the weather still better than last year.
As i arrived at CP5 i saw Seow Ping, she just completed her 50km run and offered me her food. I declined as i had my rice in my drop bag, bought the rice in 7-11 a day before. I just mumbled and said that my knee busted and can’t run. I got 11 hours to kill before cut off time, i told Seow Ping that i would try to walk faster all the way to finish line (the final 50km). Thanks for your moral support SP.
Ironically, i met Dan Bett again this year. As i was about to walk out of the CP5 i saw him. I said to him “is that you Dan?”, he acknowledged me. “How are you doing”, i added another question. He replied that he just surviving and laugh.
I left the CP5 after that (took me 7 minutes to restocked my water and took the rice from my drop bag). I ate the rice while walking towards the hot sun, i figured i saved time by eating on the move.
Few minutes later, Dan Bett arrived besides me. We walked and talked some more, he said he was holding back and try not to push so much in the beginning. Smart move Dan.
It's getting hotter now at noon, Dan Bett ran ahead as mustered all I can to walk faster. Sometimes I jog downhill and gritted my teeth every time I felt the excruciating pain. I was jealous looking at Dan’s ability to keep running, he’s gonna finish this year as oppose last year. My fate is yet to be determined, i was fighting my own demons – i kept on walking after trying to follow Dan’s shadow. He’s getting smaller and smaller in the distance, then he’s gone.
Run, jog and walk to the finish line
Finally i arrived at CP1/CP6 (57.5km), i was surprised to see Dan sitting down near the medic under a shade. I asked “are okay Dan?”. He replied “ I was, then the sun goes up”, trying to make a little joke. I restocked my water and washed my head with ice cold sponge – it felt good. Before i started walking into the loop i asked Dan whether he wanted to join me – he declined.
When i got back after doing the loop, Dan was still sitting under the shade and looking not too well. A medic was calculating his blood pressure with their medic tool, before i leave i went over and shake Dan’s hand; i told him “listen to the medic ok Dan”. He just nodded his head wearily. Sadly, Dan Bett had pulled out of the race at CP6, he doing so good and now he suffered heat stroke from the sun. DNFed twice in row, that’s how cruel this race was. You really don’t know whether you could finish this hot weather 100km race.
As i entered CP2/CP7 (69km), someone shouted my name. I was surprised, it’s none other than Khairi Muin. Back from the dead! He was running and hyper, i asked are you on drugs? haha. Nope, only on painkiller, he replied.
It’s the final 30km to the finish line. We decided to pace together like UTCM to the finish line. Khairi Muin faithfully paced me till the end of this race, not even after i told him to go ahead as i was slowing him down.
As we got near to the finish line, i told him to go ahead of me as this is his first 100km solo finish. He really enjoyed his moment finishing this race, i already had many finish line moments to last me a life time. Few minutes later i crossed the finish line, it was a hard fought finish for both of us.
It was my personal worst timing for my 100km race but I gladly take it together with 3 precious UTMB points. 3 starts at TNF100km Thailand and 3 finishes, that's all that mattered. I had fun and will be back for more fun next year at TNF100 Thailand 2016.
Final CP (89km) with 3 hours to spare. Half past dead, but we still could fake a smile.
Gear used:
- Shoes –Salomon S-Lab XT-6
- Salomon Gaiters
- S-Lab Sense Tee (White/Red)
- S-Lab Exo Twinskin Short (Black)
- Salomon Exo Calf (Black)
- Hydration bag – Salomon S-LAB ADV SKIN HYDRO 12 SET
- Salomon Desert Hat
- Optic Nerve Sunglasses – Model Vahstro
My 100km splits
Statistic on 100km (2015)
Starters - 191
Finisher - 75
DQ - 22
DNF - 94
39.3 % Finisher Rate. It's getting harder every year.
165 men, 26 women started,
65 men finished, 10 women finished
TNF100km results (2014)
Registered - 161
Starters - 117
Finish - 49
DNF - 68
Finisher rate - 41.88%
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