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.

Malathion training Wk5/14 - 25km LSD cum Half Marathon for WWFOR

Place : Putrajaya Precinct 2-3...thereabouts
Time : 6.50am
Weather : Nice and cloudy...
Slope : Moderate

I started off the run with a couple of friends. Why Putrajaya? With very low traffic and nice buildings, infrastructure and convenient access to toilets, this place is pretty ideal to do not only running and cycling.

With most of my runs done in my neighbourhood, doing a LSD in Putrajaya, and it was more for a change of the scenery.

I was targeting to do 25km within 2:25, about a 10.5km/hr pace. Also, I wanted to fulfill my commitment to do the WWFOR Half marathon which I was one of the first to register (http://worldwidefestivalofraces.com).

The route was to run from the big mosque in Precinct 2 to PICC and then to Pullman hotel, get across the bridge, and loop back to the mosque. I was expecting that a 2nd loop to PICC was required, and it would be easy to adjust the distance accordingly.

So, there were 2 runs in one. 25km in 2:25 and 21km within 2 hours.

I started the pace at about 10k/hr and by the 2nd km, it was going up to 10.7k/hr. By the 10km, I was averaging 10.7k/hr.

Took my first sip of the double dose of Accelerade, and was feeling pretty good. Most of the kinks were worked out by the 3rd km. No problems with the hamstring and hip adductor.

At 17km mark, the energy levels were still pretty good. I started the 2nd loop and tried maintain a nice steady pace of 5:35 to 5:40 per km.

I finished strong for the first run of the half marathon and completed 21.1km in 1hour 58min 46 seconds, my PB for a half marathon distance non race run.

After finishing this first part, I took a "evacuation" break and continued the run. However, things were going downhill from that point.

I was running at a much slower pace for the last 4 km. Based on my target pace, I had quite a lot of time to spare to cover the last leg.

I did a couple of walk breaks. I was imbibing quite a bit too much water too quickly, and ended up having with a side stitch.

I guess I made finishing the last leg a bit more difficult by thinking too much about it, rather than zoning out and control the water intake.

I finished the 25.24km in 2:24:42, which I was pretty happy with.

Post Race :
I was feeling better than I've felt after other 25k runs or more, so it was a pretty wise choice not to run yesterday. Also the recovery from the muscle injuries almost completed, it was a sweet run all in all.

I will be taking part in the 6km Centro Run in Klang tomorrow. Depending how I crawl out of bed, I'm hoping to be looking at a sub 30min run.