How Janda Baik Ultra has helped to overcome my fear of trail running again

I used to be able to do long distance run and I used to be an avid trail runner. However, for the past few months I only managed to run a few 10km-15km on the road. After running TMBT and not being able to complete it, I was scared about going off-road again. I could not face running in the dark, the muddy routes, the self-doubts…in short, I was traumatized.

Soon enough I realized that I could not allow my fears to overcome me. It could not suppress my need to be off-grid once in a while, spending hours totally to myself, and seeking new routes and adventures. I had to face my fears about trail running again. It’s time to show who is the boss here. I decided to go ahead with Janda Baik Ultra and use it as a ‘therapy’ to gain my confidence about long distance running and trail running. I went for the shortest distance available: 30km, with elevation of over 1,200m

Here are 5 points on how I used Janda Baik Ultra to overcome my fear of trail running again:

  1. Acknowledge that I have to face my fears

30km? I prefer to look at it as 5km runs, done over 6 rounds. Now, that distance sounds a lot more manageable compared to 30km

  • Denying your fears will not help to resolve it
  • It is ok to admit that you are nervous. Vent, tell to someone who is willing to listen, then let go.
  • Realize that if you can overcome this, you can overcome bigger challenges in life
  • If your fear is too big, break it up into smaller milestones. I set smaller goals by ensuring that I reach the aid stations first, so there were 5 milestones for me to reach my end goal of 30km. Now, 30km seems a whole lot bearable.
  1. Set a realistic expectation

  • The easiest goal would be aiming to finish within the cut off time. But where’s the fun, if there is nothing challenging about it? So strike a balance between being challenging and being realistic.
  • For example: Don’t try to aim for a sub 6 hour for a 30km trail run when your best timing for 30km road race is 4 hours 30 mins
  1. Be over-prepared, physically

Most of the things that I packed in that hydration bag were not mandatory items, but it bought great comfort and helped me to complete the run, such as my hat

  • Train for it! There is no short cut to building your endurance, except to condition your body to get used to it. Strengthen your glutes and quads for the elevation with weight training.
  • Double check your mandatory items. You don’t want to be denied getting into the race pen just because you forgot a whistle or water bottle. In addition to the mandatory items, think about anything you might need based on the weather condition and route. I bought poles, waterproof jacket, and a hat even though it was not mandatory.
  • Study the route. Be aware of the distances between water stations and the elevation profile to make sure you pack enough water. Check the weather forecast too.
  1. Be over-prepared, mentally

Keep calm and run tomorrow

  • Get enough sleep for a peace of mind
  • Talk yourself through it – Plant and visualize in your mind that you MUST FINISH IT. You’ve trained hard for this!
  • Find ways to keep yourself positive and uplifted. I have a few phrases that I say to myself when it gets tough, and a playlist of songs on my phone.
  1. Focus on the bright side of the challenge

The most rewarding part of a trail run is the view. No medals can replace that feeling

 

  • Enjoy the view. You can never get to see the vast open greenery if you are running on the road
  • Take in the fresh air. No traffic, no cars, and almost no pollution.
  • Have fun during the “runcation”. After all, you are on a holiday!

    More runcations, please!

    I hope my tips will help you to overcome your fears to be able to live life to the fullest. Fear should not get in the way to enjoy the things you love, and it will slowly become easy if you try.

    Share with us a scary experience, and how did you overcome it?

My kind of New Year Celebration

Other than an occasional 5-10km runs, I have been taking time off from long distance running. I just needed to give my feet some rest and explore other interests (and fell in love with Crossfit along the way, it will be a permanent part of my cross-trainings). So today, armed with a fresh and festive New Year spirit, I decided to take on a very ambitious route with a few friends to kick start my 2017 running schedule: Gombak – Genting Sempah – Gombak, which I affectionately call as the mini-Route68 Challenge. What better way to celebrate the New Year than to do some LSD, right?

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Route 68 Challenge is an ultra marathon that starts from Gombak to Genting Sempah, and then all the way up to Bentong, Janda Baik, Bukit Tinggi, etc. The mini-Route68 that I ran today (Gombak – Genting Sempah – Gombak) was only 34km. It is also a popular training route not just for runners, but for cyclist as well due to it’s elevation and winding roads. As early as 7am, the parking lot at the base of the route was already filled with people. There are not many vehicles along this route because there is a new highway to go to Genting Sempah, plus there are plenty of trees and wide open views. But running alone is not recommended as there are monkeys and dogs along the way. Plus, it is a self-support route – there are no petrol stations, toilets, or shops along the way. It is better to have at least a partner to run with you just in case you need additional food or water.

I did not take much photos along the way, but the route looks just the same as this Google photo

I did not take much photos along the way, but the route looks just the same as this Google photo. Lush greenery along the way, it was indeed a very beautiful route.

As a first timer on that route, I did not set very high expectations; I just wanted to complete 34km in under 5 hours. Unfortunately, we exceeded the target by about 30 minutes. It was raining all the way until we get to the Genting Sempah, and there was no shelter. Luckily, there was no thunderstorm so we were determined to complete the whole mini-Route68. We took about 2 hours 30 mins going up the 17km from Gombak, then stopped to refuel and dry up at Genting Sempah R&R. As I have not ran more than 10km for a really long time, I had to resort to run-walk-run-walk even when going downhill. I seriously need to build up my endurance and stamina again for some long distance events coming up!

Elevation profile, taken from the official Route 68 website. We did not run until 50km though

Elevation profile, taken from the official Route 68 website. We did not run until 50km though.

While running, I was imagining the actual Route 68 Challenge which will take place in April 2017. Will I have the guts to register for that event, given my not-so-stellar performance at today’s LSD training?

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner