mud | Nashata

After a few months taking some time off from running and exploring a new interest in crossfit, I am now back with a more consistent running schedule! Lately I’ve been more interested with trail running, and the most recent trail run that I participated was King of Kampung Kemensah in the 18km category. I had a good time running off-road, and here are 5 reasons why you participate in a trail run too:

My hijab is as cheerful as the race day vibes. It feels good to be back!

1)Less participants, less bottleneck and congestion

To avoid over-crowding the single lanes in the trail, organizers usually limit participants to less than 1000 in total
Parking is easy, because there are less cars too
Due to the small number of participants, it is easier for organizers to manage the welfare of participants, which means there is always an abundance of food!

2)Running is more challenging

There are various terrains that you can expect, such as muddy, sandy, or rocky. It takes time to get used to balancing and running on uneven surfaces.
It is more humid in the forest. This will also attract bugs such as mosquitoes and leaches.
Cuts and bruises are all part of the trail run package. Just think of them as souvenirs and battle scars from the event, embrace them and be proud of them!

3)It takes you to beautiful places

Such as this:
And this:
But if this view does not convince you to join a trail run, I don’t know what will:

4)You will appreciate nature

You will never take clean air for granted again
Take notice of the interesting leaves, foliage, and bugs surrounding you. Everything is beautiful in their own way!
Sometimes you just have to accept whatever Mother Nature throws at you. The weather can be unpredictable – it’s better to be over-prepared with the right equipment.
Most organizers are now implementing BYOB – Bring Your Own Bottle. Trails are cleaner thanks to this new rule, and I fully support this move.

5)You will learn to respect the distance

Running 21km on the road is not the same as 21km in the trails. Therefore, trail running requires a different training strategy than road races.
Elevation is always a part of trail running. Get used to running uphill, climbing the stairs, and strengthening your quads and glutes.

Let me start off with a confession: I am scared of heights. Maybe it’s because I overthink about the risk of falling, but most of the time it’s about having confidence that I can do it. The phobia is not mind crippling or hinders me in any way, but I wish I was one of those people who can confidently take the plunge to “Just do it”. (Cliché, but true)

So to challenge all the little voices of doubts in my mind, I signed up for an obstacle race called Spartan Race. The last time I entered an obstacle race was Viper Challenge (read about it here). In Viper Challenge, you were allowed to skip the obstacle if you’re not up for it, but this was not the case for Spartan Race; every incomplete obstacle will cost a penalty burpee. So, I had to choice but to suck it up, face my fears, and force myself to do it.

Spartan Race consisted of 6+km run and 22+ obstacles. The challenges will involve monkey bars, ‘burden runs’ such as running while carrying 20lbs sand bag or medicine ball, and yes, as expected, lots of climbing. The day before the race I kept saying to myself over and over again that I will not surrender to any challenges without a fight. Facing my fears in the eyes is the only way to overcome it, avoiding it will only make it worst.

This is moment that you have been waiting for: the most highest obstacle that you had to scale. (Picture courtesy of the Spartan Race Malaysia Facebook page)

There’s no turning back now.

There were lots of slippery mud too, and sometimes the safest way to descend a steep surface was just to slide down. Luckily, my Nashata compression pants came attached with a skirt so I was confident that the skirt will prevent any thorns or stones from getting into the pants or worse, cause the pants to tear. (Imagine the unnecessary bum show if that happened!)

This pants-skirt was a lifesaver.

Team Ayam Goreng 2.0 after a ‘refreshing’ swim in the mud.

Overall, it took me about 2 hours and 33 minutes (official timing) to complete the race. I believe it will take more than just an obstacle race to ‘cure’ myself from this fear of heights, but at least I have installed the confidence needed and remind myself that sometimes it’s just all in the head.

Sometimes it is more challenging to overcome your mind than it is to overcome a physical barrier. (Picture courtesy of @nakedspiritrunners)

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.

Nashata

Empowering Active Lifestyle

Tag Archives: mud

5 reasons why you should join a trail run

The Weekend Runner: Spartan Race 2015