Putrajaya Night Marathon - The Half

Date : 6 February 2010
Time : 8:30pm
Place : Precinct 3, Putrajaya
Weather : Warm and Humid
Terrain : Some undulation, but not extreme.
Course : A bit of loop the loop, but fine for most of the way.
Organizing : Five star! Value for money! Thumbs up!
Distance (GPS) : 21.28km
Time : 1:52:15 (1min 25sec off PB)

This event was very thinly veiled as the substitute for the "KL marathon" which was normally held in February before 2009.

With new sponsors and organizers, with the race being supported by FTAA, it seems that they have hit off on the right note, with all the right priorities in mind and addressed.

The race started on time and minimum fuss. This time they did a count down, lol!

As we headed off towards PICC the crowd thinned pretty quickly after the first 500m. It was great to see Putrajaya at night. There were many 'jewels' of the night, with beautiful lighting in some of the key buildings in Putrajaya. PICC looked like a space ship which just landed, lol!

By the time we finished the loop around PICC, we started to catch up with the tail end of the full marathon runners at the 4km mark. We ran the next 12km together, and it really helped as there were many 'rabbits' to chase.

2 unusual things about this race; One was the pace of the normal running kaki. It seemed slower than normal. Secondly, because this wasn't the main event, competition was much thinner at the top 10%, hence it was a good ego booster for me, haha.

The first 11k went on a pretty even pace. It was on the 2nd 10k, where I started to feel the strain. With the lack of some quality mileage, I could feel my pace drop off and the strain on my right heel bursitis acting up.

Moving into the last 3km, I felt like I was doing a 5:10 pace but it was more of a 5:25 pace. It really shows that there is a difference when you run alone and when you're chasing down somebody in front of you.

I did multiple 'drink walks' at km8, 14 and 18. I gulped down a powergel at km14. Did it help? I think so, but I can't say for sure.

In short, was I happy with race? At RM35 for a nice vest, medal, bun, multiple drink and sponge stops, chip timing, free powerbar snack, good traffic control and "FREE PARKING", what more can you ask?

Was I happy with my time. I have to say yes, with the mileage that I've been doing.

The only not so good thing I'm taking away from this race is the recurring bursitis in my heel. The muscle may have shortened to the point that there has been additonal strain on the tendons. Guess I have to make it a point to ice and stretch more often after runs.

With the Energizer run coming up in Cyberjaya next month, I hope that the experience will just be as enjoyable.