Ipoh International Run, 21km race report

My work is picking up pace and getting very busy lately. Since the SCKLM, I didn’t get much rest. I rushed some project on last Monday night until 2am, but still kick myself up for the morning recovery run after the SCKLM. The result, the flu that lingered between my daughter and son, is now finally caught up with me. So, no more run and took rest until Sunday. I hope the sickness will get better until Sunday, but it didn’t. One good sight is the swollen ankle is seemed to be ok now. I decided to give it a go.

The race started about on time, no many HM runners, my estimation, about 500 participants. May be its just right after the SCKLM, and there are some other event in KL (NTV7 feel good run). The race is famous to challenge runner limit with minimum water station, so I had my water bottle with me (also it will help my cough and ease the flu). Started the race without the usual jammed start, and you can really see the fast runners pull out the lead. I kept my pace at 6 min/km regime, can't run slower cause I felt like there are not much runners left behind me. Don’t dare to look back even after I finished the race.

As per anticipated, the running is stimulate the body metabolism and kept my breath and throat clear. Everything is fine, and in fact I felt good for the first 9km. The toe blister started around 3km, its not yet fully heal since the SCKLM, and the ankle pain on the other leg came later on 9km. I am not too sure about the relationship, blister > pampering gaits > ankle pain/swollen or the other way round. May be I just simply not ready for the HM!? The rest of the route towards the end is just battles between the legs and the mind. The legs said we deserved some rest, the mind said keep going! Btw, saw Yim (in blue color baju Melayu) and Deo (in gray color Pajamas), that do added some taste to this dreadful run of mine. And this year IIR prepared plenty of water stations (about every 4km), and even some sponge stations! These help to ease the pain too.

Felt like running alone towards the end of the route. Lots of finishers from other categories lingered around the stadium area, it seem to me that the race is over and make me felt awful to continue running. When I reaching finish line, saw the organizer is actually taking down the cones and barrier for the finishing area, what a humiliation! This make me felt the race is not for any slow runners like me. Felt like I am here to make a fool out of myself!

Clock out the race by 2:18, the distant on my GF405CX only 20.1km, with average pace of 6:52min/km. Not a fast pace and its quit close to my SCKLM pace. I will class it as a good run on my current condition.

Good:

1. Water stations and sponge stations are adequate.

2. RM20 registration fees for the HM.

3. Friendly home town feel.

Bad:

1. Still using Rela to form the Starting line, this is not necessary. I think we HM runners are well aware that the few steps a head on starting will not help at all for the whole 21km.

2. Time rushing organizer, the finishing area was taken out when I reached. Please indicate the qualification time to 2 hours if you really need to do this in next year IIR.

My legs and the flu + cough are now grounding me from any form of running. The race left some sour taste in my running and I am not able to cure it in very short time until I am fully recovered. Think the Siemens run is postponed just on time; I will now have a 2 full weeks to rest. My next race will be Seremban Half Marathon on 24 July, and I also signed up for The River Jungle Marathon on 25 September as my first Marathon. I really don’t know what to expect and train for these coming events. There are some doubts on myself, on my running ability, and my work is getting very busy. I shall just try my best, and complete the kilometers ahead, step by step.