Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Hari Raya Runs

There was the long weekend holidays, from Saturday to Tuesday, but it did not look like holidays for me since I had a bad sickness one week before and I began to panic how off track I was to the Green Run that would be happening on 26-August (that's this coming Sunday).

Normally people rest during this holidays but I became restless, with the runs to put in to handle the Green Run. Saturday I had to wake up at 4am, prep myself and got to Penang Botanical Garden fruit stall to join Cari Runners LSD. Only 4 turned up and it did not go well with me. The pacemaker or the leading runner sped off in the middle of nowhere and I had to run alone without knowing where was I heading to.

Second, at some part of the route, it was total darkness, no street lights, only managed to see the route when there was car coming. In seconds, I was back in total darkness. Not sure how close I was to the cliff as there was no barrier at some part of the route, I had to run according to the double line at the middle of the road.

After enduring the dark part of the route, I had to ask an uncle at one hawker center where is the main road????? I did not know where I was, I simply had to run there and head back to take my cars. Luckily Hugo got hold of me, else I'd be running back alone, because I was not happy with the way it was done. Perhaps, that's lack of experience being the pacemaker.

Anyhow, I waited and let the rest of the group rejoined and I completed the 20+km with some walking at the end.

I was up quite early in the morning on Sunday too, but no run, I forgot what I did. In the evening, Wifey and I went to Mengkuang and we did 3km together, first time she entered the jungle part of Mengkuang, there was some elevations and she was beaten but I had to picked her up and going again.

That's wifey run and more like a warming up workout. I threw in one tempo 5k to assess my condition and I felt good that I could finish the distance, with some walking + hydration time. There got me 8km for the days.

I was following the Facebook event organized by Steven Heng, the Raya LSD. I clicked to join the night before the event and finally they rescheduled it, but Steven told me that he was going to do a 10k at Mengkuang... you know what? I joined him although the body was showing some sign of fatigue.

At 5am, I woke up.... no... I dragged myself up to join Steve at Mengkuang. At first, he was leading the pace with 6:15 but gradually we were increasing the pace. We were just running at the red bridge area, I guess back and forth for 5 times means 2.2km x 5 = ~11km. Steven was tired after the 9km and I left him and picked up my pace to finished the final 2km with 4:40 pace. Felt good, the air was cool and I felt great.

Tuesday, I had to wake up at 5am again to attend the Raya Hill Repeat at Pulau Aman Jetty. I did not want to push too hard on myself. I used the interval training in my 405. I set run for 1km (slightly more than the 800m for the up and down of Pulau Aman jetty hill) and rest for 3 minutes. It went well and managed to clocked in 9.5km.



Actually it was not a huge achievement in term of mileage but I am happy with the commitment that I have shown. I really want to do well, in Green Run and the ultimate PBIM 2012. Hopefully I am ready to face the 21k, 21k, 42k and 42k in the coming 4 weeks.

May the force be with me.


=woohoo=

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