Saturday, October 18, 2014

KL Marathon - 12 October 2014

It's my 6th marathon. My target was to do below 4:30, which is better than last year of 5:06.My mileage this year is better, at average of 35km per week. I was even more prepared physically and mentally. It was tiring, as, the previous day was the speech contest.

Furthermore, the route has been changed this year, with more highway. As the race started, I was somewhere at the back, thus it took, 3 minutes for us to reach the starting line. There were at least 5000 runners. I was slow at the beginning till Maju junction. My colleague was pacing me from behind. After reaching Jalan sultan Ismail, I overtook the 5:30 pacers. Thereafter I was hunting for 5 hour pacers and 4:30 pacers as I want to be in front of them.

Upon reaching KLCC, manage to overtake them and the group was splinting. It was freed upon reaching the embassy road, where I took a light pit stop. The humidity was there as I was already sweating at 5km.

When we reached AKLEH, I was thinking it's going to be tougher. It was proven by high slopes, but the cool weather made us to go further. I could see the haze was there but it didn't really affect us. From AKLEH, we went to MRR2 and I saw Jessica was struggling to run.

We had chance to pass by Zoo Negara junction, thereafter move into DUKE. At that place, I meet Shivan, one of regular runner. He was pacing me but took a 5 minute break at 20km and I continued. DUKE was challenging at the part where there were slopes, but thereafter it was smooth.

Previous route pass by my Taman, but this route has it's specialty too, it bypass my housing area too through DUKE. I should appreciate all the volunteers whom kept cheering for us at every water station and junction.

At DUKE, it was 30km, and I was running at 3 hours. So if I were to maintain the pace, I would have finished at below 4 hours. But the actual disaster started only after 30km. Upon reaching Jalan Kuching, it was still going fine, until I reached Jalan Kuching roundabout and Bukit Tunku. My calf was feeling heavy where I need to slowdown. The last 10km is always the toughest where you have the hilly route. Upon reaching bank rakyat, the 10km,5km, and 21km joined us. So it became very crowded.

21km runners followed us until the finishing. It became worse for me when reaching Parliament where I have 2 slopes to encounter. Only upon reaching KTM station, I knew, there's only 1km more, so I pushed myself. After reaching finishing line, I had the satisfation of completion of the race and more grander, I made it below 4:30. My hand time was 4:12 and net time was 4:11.

With maximum mileage of 30km once and most of the time, doing 25km with weekly mileage of 40km, made me to perform at this level.

Thanks to all those whom ran with me during the LSD and during the race. It was good memorable time.









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