Race Report: CICM Responsible Care 2012 10k Corporate Challenge

It been a while I didn’t signed up any short distances races, and the 10k race in CICM was actually my first and only 10k race in year 2012. CICM 2010 was my first official race and first finisher medal. I missed the 2011 edition when it moved from Bukit Jalil to Setia Alam. This year, the company took part in the corporate challenge, so I ran in this special category together with another 4 colleagues. Total of 7 companies took part and the result was taken from the total time of top 5 runners from each company.

My first ever finisher medal

My colleagues are ambitious; we did some planning up front to see if we can take back the trophy to the office. There were lots of races happen yesterday and there 10k only a sub-category of the CICM race, some of the fast runners will be attracted to other race/category. We actually stand a good change to win the corporate challenge, if we all completed the 10k with a sub-60 minutes time. My last race that had closes to a 10k was the Men Health 12k and I did 72 minutes. If I pushed harder from the start, I think should have no issue to finish with a sub-60 minutes 10k. The only problem now is the flu/cold I got from the changing weather. From the experience, I know that I will be ok to start with some flu and running nose, as long as I don’t have fever. Anyway, one of my 2012 goals is to complete a 10k race in 60 minutes. Let see if I am ready.

I woke up on Sunday morning around 4:30am, happy to see the long life rain finally stopped. Reached the starting point around 5:40am, the area was crowded and we have to park on the mud filled car park. The temperature is very nice for running and I know the race will be a great and enjoyable one. Our plan is simple, run at our best and try to keep up with the fastest runner in the team (he planned to go with 5min pace, we need to at least keep him within sight). The half marathoners flagged off around 6:15am, and then we flagged off around 6:45am. The 10k route is generally flat with steady incline, only 2 significant climbs on the flyovers. The first flyover located right within the first km, the legs is still fresh so no slow down on it. The second flyover located around 4km, I was struggled to keep up with the team and I actually lost sight of our lead runners! Properly due to the flu, the heart rate was already 170BPM when I overcame the 2nd flyover. I can slow down when coming down from this flyover to regulate my heart rate, but I will drag back the team effort! So, I charged down the flyover instead of my normally slow descending style. Carefully maintaining my hearth rate at 170~175, I continued to push on to kept the pace at 5.4~5.6 minutes and kept the 2^nd runner from our team within sight.

CICM 2012 Finisher Medal

Finally, I completed the loop of CityMall at 8km, and heading back to the start/finish line. Few of the top half marathoners passed me, and it’s really enjoyable to see they pushed on with their effortless strides. Nothing left in my tank and my hearth rate already warning me, so no final push in this race. I completed the 10.35km by 55’36” at 28th in category D (10k men open). The whole team was completed the race within 60 minutes as planned, and the lead runner actually finished at 50 minutes. We won the corporate challenge!

Corporate Challenge Trophy

Overall, the race is nicely organized and the route is very challenging. Some possible improvement,

1. Distances markers, very limited distances markers available along the route. For 10k and 5k, the one and only distances marker I noted is the “1km more to go”!

2. Traffic control. We are running the starting and finishing stretch on the highway, it will be great if the traffic cons placed to separate the cars and the runners.

3. Earlier flag off time for half marathon, start at 6:15am will be very hot for slow and even average runners doing around 2+ hours (sun raises around 6:50am in this time of the year). We are lucky yesterday as the sun took extra nap and only came out 7:25am.

Finally, I checked the 2nd goal out of the 4 goals that I set for year 2012.

Done,

1. Completed 4 full marathons.

2. Completed sub-60 minutes 10k race.

Pending,

1. Sub-2 hours in 21k race.

2. Sub-5 hours in full marathon.

The sub-2 half marathon is out of the question as I the only race that I have for this year is a full marathon in Penang Bridge International Marathon. I will give my best to see if I can stay with 7 min pace all the way and wraps up 2012 by achieving this goal too. 12 more days to go.