TMMT 2017 Part 1: The Pre-Race

I am drafting this out just a few hours before we drive towards Pahang for The Magnificent Merapoh Trail (TMMT) 2017. I will be doing the shortest distance available: 35km. My main motivation to enter this race was because I have never ran in that part of Malaysia before. It is also one of the National Parks in Malaysia. Don’t you just love how running takes you to extraordinary places that you could not think of if you’re just a regular traveller?

The pre-race is always the most exciting yet nerve-wrecking part of the race. What if I didn’t train enough? Did I miss something from the mandatory item? Do I have enough equipment? There are many aspects  To make things more manageable, I have prepared a to-do list to ensure that (hopefully) I have covered everything.

  • The training

I admit that this is one of the areas that I lacked the most. I have not been running any longer than 21km for quite some time, although I do run 5-7 km on weekdays and more than 15km on weekends. Due to my busy work schedule, I had the time to attend my CrossFit class for once a week only, and that is insufficient. Therefore, I had to set realistic expectations for this 35km race: Just finish it within the cut off time (COT).

Training also involves route studying. For my ease of reference, I have printed out the elevation profile along with vital information required. I didn’t print the map because I’m going to be really honest here: I don’t understand maps. As long as I keep up with the crowd and don’t steer off course, I shouldn’t get lost.

Why printing out the elevation profile is important, especially for trail running at long distances:

  1. Your GPS watch will be inaccurate. It will not state the actual distance covered.
  2. Since your GPS watch is not accurate, you have to use a different method to gauge your distance – the elevation. For example, the highest elevation point that you will hit first is at roughly KM8-9.
  3. You will know which checkpoints have drinks/food/bag drop/toilet etc. This is also important if you want to quit from the race as not all checkpoints are accessible by car/ 4 wheel drive.
  4. You will know the COT at each check point to ensure you’re not disqualified

The most cost-effective yet crude method to ‘laminate’ your elevation profile. Sloppy workmanship, but oh well, as long as it gets the job done!

  • Equipment

Always always always refer to the mandatory list as a guideline for packing. They are important for a reason. Many participants take the mandatory list too lightly, but most trail run especially long distances will have a mandatory item check-in to ensure participants comply. Usually, at the race site there will also be several booths selling the mandatory items but at a very high price.

Hence, the packing begins. Luckily, I did not have to buy a lot of new stuff as I can still use some of the mandatory items from Cultra 2016 and my previous trail runs. Here is a #flatlay of the items I will be bringing. In the end, I decided not to bring the jacket. I also added some painkiller and socks into my bag later. Not in the flatlay is also my headlamp.

I think that covers pretty much most of my pre-race to-do list. Time to head off to Merapoh, wish me luck!

Taman Negara Pahang (Pahang National Park)

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.”- John Muir, Father of National Parks.

I don’t hate modern technology and the comforts of modern, civilized city. But, we are getting too dependent on them, it’s unhealthy and borderline addictive. It hit me that I was one of those addicts when I freaked out that Taman Negara Pahang has no wi-fi or 3G! How am I going to get in touch with everyone? What if an important email comes in? Will I miss out on an important news or announcement?

So I took up the challenge for a gadget-free weekend of ‘Digital Detox’. Deprived of the 21st century amenities except for a simple room with mattress and running water, I embarked on a simpler way of life. Electricity and telephone reception was available, but it was unstable. We weren’t deprived of food, but it was a non-fussy ‘kampung’ method of cooking.

I tried not to dwell on what was not available. Instead, I wanted to focus with the fact that I was in one of the oldest rainforest in the world. Surely there is plenty to look around then looking at the screen of my phone. My friend and I walked around the small village, chatted with other visitors and locals while waiting for our night walk.

After dinner, we proceeded with our night walk. Some of the interesting animals and insects we spotted were:

IMG_3851A poisonous cave centipede 

IMG_3856A docile, domesticated tapir comfortably taking a nap despite surrounded by a crowd. According to the guide, the tapir was orphaned since it was a baby so park rangers raised him instead. From time to time, it will appear on the hotel ground.

A trip to the rainforest would not be complete without any jungle trekking. The highlight of the trekking was a canopy walk and the view on Bukit Terisek. It was a very mild hike as most of the path had platforms or stairs, so it’s suitable for family trips or beginners. We went to an Orang Asli (aboriginals) settlement too to learn about their culture and way of life. Since this National Park is protected, it is interesting to note that only a few of the Orang Asli tribes are allowed to hunt and harvest in the jungle as they are still living their traditional, nomadic way of life.

 

IMG_3901Canopy walk. The suspended bridge was hanging 40-50 meters above the ground.

IMG_3894IMG_3900The hike to the top of Bukit Terisek for a view of Gunung Tahan, the highest point in the Peninsular of Malaysia. It’s about 7 days of hiking and trekking to get to the top from Kuala Tahan. 

Our last activity was called “Rapid Shooting”. As the name suggests, the guide will zoom us on the Tembeling River with a lot of splashing, and ending it with a swim in the river. By this point, we realized that there is no point in bringing along our gadgets. We locked them safely back in our room. We did not have any camera to capture the moment, but the fun memories were safely stored in our brains for us to relive it over and over again. While everyone was fumbling with keeping their phones/ cameras dry and busy pressing buttons, we did not have to pose for photos, we weren’t concerned if our gadgets will get wet or fall into the river – We were totally focused on living in the moment! It was very liberating.

In the end, I didn’t manage to totally cure myself from depending too much on the comforts of modern society, and I don’t think I ever will be. But it did made me think about “So what did I miss out on?” The main answer was: Nothing much. People will still proceed as their normal lives would, and the world will continue to spin like it should. Perhaps I should go for another round of ‘Digital Detox’, this time it will be longer than 2 days.

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner