Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2012 - 重出江湖

Date: 24 June 2012

Time: 4:30am

Event: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2012

Venue: Dataran Merdeka

I need a marathon to align with my goals. It does make it symbolic to come back to the location whereby it started everything many years back.

Although there are quite a few runners coming along for the run with myself, but our distance signed up and hotel we are putting up are different. I make my way to start point alone, like many years back for the first time.

In the running pan, alone as well. Everything looks like in the past. Alone and looking forward to the long run ahead.

On a humid and stuffy 4:30am, the race was flag off. The difference this time(compare to my first)is the introduction of pacers. And the Penguins are not around. Though i spotted Tony cycling along cheering the runners on 2 occasions if i am not wrong.

For almost the first 10km, the pacer(5hr) is well within sighting distance in front. Abit edgy and the kinks start to surface at several spots at the beginning is nothing new. I ran a slow 7min+ pace, felt as though this is my efficient pace. :( Rather slow imo, will need to pick up the pace in training in the future.

Did a pee break around 9km while the lights are still dark. :) Experience slight drizzling which make the run much cooler.

Trying to keep calm while slowly moving forward. Try to go at 7min pace and keep sight of the pacer in front. The target is do under 5hr or keep as close to 5hr as possible.

At 16km point, the Japanese 1-man band has caught up just behind me. I was surprised and tried to put in some effort to push forward. Fortunately that is the last I heard of him, else will be pretty stressed.

Reached first 21km around 2:28hr which is within my expectation to finish in 5hr. By then the pacer group has long disappeared.

I tell myself that I can reach target timing if I keep up with current pace. But it is going to be tight especially knowing it is normally to slow down at the 2nd part of the run.

Trying to maintain pace and target each waterpoints as break points. The water point of 1.6km is very nice IMO, even though I express doubt on the reasoning before the run. When you are just trying to meet next objective- the water point. It is a welcome sight.

The young volunteer is just charming. Some of the beautiful smiles on their face ready make the run more meaningful. The traffic police does a good job, though they are some policemen still needs to do better. The pressure they are under the entire day and handling of them deserve a pat on their back on a job well done.

Reached 30km in 2:29hrs. I know by then I have a good chance of going under 5hrs.

Grinning with renewed confidence, slowly push on. By then the body has shown sign of cramping up. Stop to at some of water points just to put on yokoyoko. The warm and numbing effort is good.

Finally meet up a familiar face in Peter aka Commando. So happy to meet someone familiar! Didn't speak much as do not wish to get distracted, have to move on after 32km point. That is also the last water points that I managed to run nonstop in between. Cramp finally starting to pull up at both the calves at exactly the same spots, so have to stop and give it a reprieve.

Only a short walk and I am back on slowly moving forward. I have a target, I know I can make it if I don't walk for too long.

I was force to walk/jog as the cramps start to show more frequent. Yoyoyoko is constantly applied on the trouble spots. To a certain extend it helps.

Mentally do a lot of calculation on the timing on each Km to make sure I am on target. It is going to be close.

At 37km, with 5km more to go I need to buffer 35mins with 7km pace. I reached 4:24hr. I shouldn't force the pace, just go naturally, if it comes it comes.

The steepest slope in the entire course is at 37.5km, which I am prepare for. After that will be downhill all the way. Even walking up the slope almost cramp up, I have to change my walking style and relieve the overuse muscle group.

Going downhill, have to let it go, but have to jog with a unfamiliar stride. :(

Another climb just before merging with the 10km crowd. Hmm...Siao Leow! Maybe I misinterpret the map!

Have to zigzag for the last 2.5km with the crowd, by then I am aware there is no way I am going to miss the 5hr mark. Stopping from time to time just to make sure I don't cramp up on the last stretch!

Saw Tiwazz and Charlotte just around the finishing chute.

4:59:45, I am back.