Oct15 - Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011

2 months after PD Triathlon, this was the major race I had been training for. A 42km Marathon is not something to look lightly on. With the thought "If I can't run to finish it, I can still walk" should never cross your mind with this distance or more. Proper training in mileage & intake should always be considered.

My last marathon was at Korea Marathon in Mar 2011. Nothing that long distance ever since. My legs might have been ready then, but there's always something different between local & international races.

I had previously ran this race before in 2010, I can vaguely remember the conditions, the mental, the humidity. Somehow I don't believe that anything would have changed. The road is still there, the heat and the long highways.

Received my race kit in the mail a week before the race. 

No turning back now...

Lunch on race day. There's always Dominos to help u carbo-load at the dial of a phone

Welcome to Putrajaya

Due to traffic & lack of shelter, the heat from the sun is captured into the tar roads.

And the lovely street lights will lead u on your route

And on and on and on....And that is where the mentality kicks in

We signed up for this. We trained for this.

We are marathoners

In the pen, with all the yellow bibs

Grace, an up&coming athlete/triathlete doing the 10km

Sports will only make u healthy (let's try not to run too close to vehicles)

8pm was the starting time for the 42km, then 820pm for the 21km & 840pm for the 10km.

From my training and sidekick Garmin watch, I maintained a good pace for the first 20km in 2hrs.

Not really a PB but there's still another 22km to go.

Wedding pictures are often taken in Putrajaya due to the architecture, but this couple was sporting enough to go on with their session with runners as the background.

Left : this is only the start

Right : another 1km to the finish. (The difference, sweat on my jersey)

25km was when I bonk. Too soon. After that, the distance just kept getting longer & further.

I would tell my legs to give me 400meters, then I'll walk abit.

But the more you walk, the longer the journey.

Lesson learnt, I can't carry my gels using the SPI belt. 

1st, the bounce is terrible.

2nd it hits the pressure on my abdomen, that I felt kind bruised
I had to bend my body a couple of times due to aching back.
Thankfully there was ice to rub on our heated body to cool us down.

I was compressed from thighs to calves. No cramps but just sore thighs.

Tomato paced with KS for 15km then fell back.

KS looked like a typical triathlete in tri suit & skins compression shorts

This is the most curious encounter. I was already very blur from the race.

Then along the way, a lonesome car & someone clapping w encouragement.

That looks like Paul...nah..wat the heck is he doing here. I was in denial.

Being the steady KS, he kept to pace & completed in Sub4 (damn!!)

His training paid off. Me? I'm just lazy =p

The good news was Putrajaya is usually quite easy on the cash prize.

In 2010, there was a split in the category. For Women, we can either pick on the Open / Malaysian Only.

We'll just got for the category that gives most cash, which also gives the other runners a winning chance.

No luck this year. Only 1 category but at least with a Top20 position.

But funny thing is that on hooha.asia website, it does state this category for the 42km
but I was not notified of this when I went to collect my prize.

 I was too freaking tired to pick an argument after running/walking for 5hrs.

I can't say I liked the route since I felt ultimately lost most of the time. 

Usually I like to run on familiar route, so that I can guess I'm somewhat home.

KS said that if I don't get back by 4hrs (midnite) he's heading home.

Well, after he took a look at me when I crossed the finish line, he didn't dare to say anything =p
I just went straight to the Medical tent and just sat there. Very stilll.....

It was KS lucky night coz he got the 20th spot in his category. 1st time winning a prize.

Seriously, it's not easy for the Men category. Even for the veterans.

The older they are, the faster they run..hahahha

My terrible results.

Comparatively to 2010, it didn't differ much..ahhahhaha

As for KS, he made much improvement by hitting the sub4 mark (even for a local race)

ACTION!!! =p

P/S : special thanks for all the pics taken from CP Tan, Grace, Tomato & etc.