Who ever gets up at 4.45 am to run a 21km half marathon? well….about 6300 ppl did so yesterday….including me. I have waited long enough to participate in an event as big as this, and i couldnt be more thrilled. Going to PJ Stadium was a mere mental preparation itself. thoughts just ran(literally) through my mind. can i finish the race? will i pull out half way? is my training enough? i kept on thinking abt it till i reached the stadium. Dad dropped me there and off he went back to catch some more shut eye(hey world cup season lah…). i just finished munching my PowerBar, supposed to keep me supplied with carbs and energy for the race. tasted really nice(Cookies and cream) and the texture was simply unique. Its like cloud9, only much more thicker. by now it was 5.35am. i wandered around to find my reporting station at the main entrance of the stadium. I dunno abt u guys but a tag number of A0098 sounds pretty nice….dont a tink so?
i saw many of the 6300+ ppl that will be running. school kids, parents, children, toddlers, babies, the elite pro runners, old uncles, a few pretty girls, some aunties, the disabled(clap clap clap!!!), foreigners and so on, watching them warming up, stretching, jogging…….i did as well. Did a good 20 minits of warm up…..and i thought i felt something in my right thigh. You gotta be joking to tell me i got a muscle pull b4 i started my run! Straight away i went to the DeepHeat booth. they were giving free squeezes of Deep Heat to warm up the legs, but i need it to numb my leg! The nice lady gave me a bucket load so i applied it everywhere on my leg…..no kidding…my legs were on fire in 10 seconds. i saw my watch and it was 6.20….10 minits to the gun. And the announcer was asking ppl to head to the starting line. The first to be let of was the 21km participants…..which had 3 sub-categories: A(men open) B(men veteran) and C(ladies). Later will be the 10km, 5km and 3km participants. As i got into a nice position near the front i saw all those around me preparing themselves mentally…psyching themselves. Some were chatting, joking abt world cup, wishing good luck…..me? i just sootd there waiting to run into unchartered waters. I know my 10km run is just fine….but not the extra 11km. the cheerleading squad just finished putting up a nice routine, but i doubt many were paying attention. i just went, "Hmm…". And then i got ready for it was 6.30am….then there was silence…..BANG!
The first step into my 21km was a like a step of faith…..i duno wats to come, i duno how i will feel, i duno wat time i will arrive at the finish, i duno wat will be my position, i didnt know much at all. Yet, i just took it with one target in mind: come back alive at least. And soon i was into my jogging pace. Running through the stadium complex area with at least 1000++ ppl, i felt like i was in a dream of sorts. I am actually running in a race! Roads were heavily guarded with policemen, directing and stopping traffic. In abt 5 minits we were already on the highway….the Federal Highway. They allocated a lane for us while the outer 2 were still used by cars. We were to run till the mini Penang Bridge near Sunway b4 U-turning back to Subang airport and then u-turn back again to the Stadium.
I saw infront and back of me seas of heads bobbing up and down. these were going to be the ppl and only "company" i will have for the next 21km. And so my journey began. Running on a highway was rather interesting….having a whole lane to yourself…..and knowing that there will be ppl looking out for you all the time. 6.45 was still relatively dark. And all the sudden frm behind the first 10km participant blazed past us. well he is after all doing 10km. we were running 2wice his distance, so pace was important. I kept telling myself, "Darren, keep it steady and dont overdo it. You’ll be fine." Then as i looked over to the other side of the highway, to my amazment, the first group of runners hava already made the u-turn. It was still about 4km away frm my side. And i thougt "This is going to be a long day………". As i am pacing myself, i felt really relaxed, my breathing was ok, better than i expected. and my legs didnt show any bad signs. saw the first guy to start walking…….guess he overdid it to soon. And he had another 18km to go.
As i ran i started to see the ppl running around me…i mean u got aunties and uncles and seasoned runners and joggers in their running gear, with cool shoes, nice jerseys, waist pouches with mini bottles and energy gels. All i had was the free tshirt, average running shoes, some change in my pocket and my PowerBar Gel in my hand. This little guy has the energy to last another 45 minits of running. and this little guy is RM5 a packet, not cheap. But hey, im eating the same stuff as Lance Armstrong at least…hehe. I decided to eat it at half distance or after an hour. finally i saw the "penang" bridge. made the u turn and went on. This time i could see runners on te other side of the highway. It was really a sight to behold. I could feel their "spirit" running together with me…..probably what i needed to help me run. I was still ok after 45 minits. Going strong, breathing well. But i was rather sad they didnt put up km signboards to tell how far to go….i would have been better off with that coz i can judge my performance and adjust my pace. But no matter, i ran according to my heart, my body and with my faith ih God. i saw the first water station(R1). I got a nice cup of 100Plus and drank as i ran…….kinda feels like a real pro: jus grab the cup frm the hands of the helpers and run off, no stopping.
The one thing i didnt really train for was running up bridges. Quite a task to run up bridges along the way. then i noticed i was slowy being overtaken: by women, aunties and uncles. Man, these are some tough @$$ kicking girls! But i still kept my pace, not intimidated at all. i looked at amy watch, and an hour has gone by….but i knew i wasnt at the 10km mark yet from my slower pace of running. I began to ovretake ppl and also running along sidewith others just as a pace setter. One way i found to gain position was to run along side ppl and then slowly moving on to the next guy in front. But u need to keep pace and not slow down; thats where endurance comes in. 1′10” already and i have just entered Subang area. I was pretty sure i am almost half way through. with half the journey gone, i was already in a state to prepare myself to suffer the last 11 km that i havent trained for. but according to the experts, if u can do the first 10km without much problems, u will survive the final 11km. I was abt to test this fact.
And so heading towards Subang Airport was going to be, what i thought, the longest and most testing part of the race. after passing R2 and Sponge station 1(S1) then saw on the other side of the highway the leader of the race. He was in full run mode, never seem to be out of tune, heading for victory. But my own victory was still far away. Along the road to the airport i was constantly tagging ppl and making up ground, and losing a few. I kept looking across the highway, wondering how many ppl had already made the u-turn infront. i thought i was in the rear end. I looked behind and i didnt really see that many heads as infront. passing a round about and heading straigth ahead to the airport my legs already began to tire. I was supposed to take my gel but i needed to down it with water and i that meant i had to wait fo R4. I passed R3 which i wasnt ready for and to eat the gel. So i had to endure a bit of pain in my legs. Still my breathing was fine but my legs were not. i continued to hang in there, to reach the final U-turn and turn home. After much patience finally i saw Subang Airport…..running towards the u-turn at terminal 3. There were officials handing blue ribbons to all the runners. theses are markers so the ppl at the finish line can verify that we ran the whole course and no one cheated by taking shortcuts. I got one, wrapped around my wrist and pressed on.
Now i had another view of the ppl on the other side….again. This time i saw a different scene when i ran earlier in the morning. Running was reduced to jogging, many walked and most just struggled. I was struggling too…..my legs were heavy and sometimes i dragged my feet on the road, a sign of tiredness. Yet, i had hope. Coz i saw many that walked by this stage….i was still running slowly at least. "You wont be last. You will finish." Suddenly these words popped in my mind. And it gave me the assurance and the inner strength to push further. I had a sponge down at S3 and S4, squeezing nice cold water on my legs just to help the muscles cool down. The sun was out, but nice and warm, not punishing. I already ran for 1′40”. And i am that closer to the finish line. I knew the next water station was coming co i tore my gel wrapper apart and gulped down. Its like eating thick maple syrup but still yummy too(Strawberry banana flavour). Not like glue as Yu Huang said…….then the R4 came up and i took 2 cups of water, drank, and waited a while for the gel to kick in. This time i decided to walk for a while. I saw many were walking in front too………in abt 45secs i was up and running again…..i didnt know how far i had to go but i just kept going…..well this isnt exactly Forest Gump but hey…..i am my own Forest Gump…..for just 21km. I noticed a girl behind me and i thought "Uh uh, not this time, im not going to be overtaken by another female." So i satyed at a pace just enough to be infront. But then i decided to slow down and run with her. We didnt chat, just ran side by side. I thought we might just keep each outhe company for a while as we run the final part of out journey. We went together for a good 4km or so i think, i let her ran the outside while i ran on the inside part of the road, which had many stones, sand, uneven bumps and water pools. I thought its always better to be a gentleman wherever u go.
Soon i decided its time to move on and so i went ahead of the girl. I see my watch again and it was abt 2hrs of running already. By this time we were out of Subang and back in PJ side. I overheard a guy talking behind me that there was abt 2km to go………2km?! that fast? I knew it will take me abt another 15 minits to get to the finish. And i was really pumped up and ready to sprint. the gel did help in providing me enuf energy for the last 40minits of my run. Then a sight i have been waiting for since 6.30 am, the tall lights of the stadium. It’s near, the finish line. And as i take the final bend into the complex i lengthened my stride. guys frm behind were doing the same. One was running bside me. But i outlasted him. With all my heart i pushed. And i saw finally, the good ol’ stadium. Entering into the stadium with full running pace and going around a lap, i overtook abt 10 ppl who were already reduced to walking. I wanted to reach before 2hrs 15mins. And i was 300m away frm that. As i overtook the last guy of the day, i crossed th finish………finally. I felt triumphant. I had just gone through 21km of non-stop running. And i had much joy for that. Considering circumstances: a cough, under preparation, tiredness, inexperience…..i did it for the first time. My first half marathon finish. To add to my delight i was handed a card stating my position: 257……out of the 700 odd ppl in my category(A) Men’s Open…..i came in at number 257 and in my own timing, 2hrs 15 exactly. I couldnt ask for more. its the best feeling of the day ond a memorably one for years to come. The experience and journey since 6.30 till 8.45am was just beyond these words im typing. U gotta try it yourself. Whether u are first or last, fast or slow, young or old, its worth a shot at just to achieve a personal victory. Mine was without a doubt one of the best.
No doubt i will go again next year. I plan to do it yearly if i can. And todays papers brought me news that i had asked for sometime: a PJ Full Marathon? 42km of non-stop running? Yes, there may be a posibility. In conjunction with Malaysia’s 50th Independence and the 1st Year Anniversary of PJ being a city. I hope it will be held and now i have a new goal: to prepare for the 42 km full marathon. If there are any votes for this event, its getting one form me! Until then…….its back to the drawing board. But now i think i’ll take a week of rest first.
