Day 1 of #bangkitbersama
Distance: 15km
Venue: Larian Sukan SEA 2017, Putrajaya
Swept by the enthusiasm and the spirit to support our marathoners, I headed to Putrajaya to witness our very own Muhaizar and Leo Tan against other South East Asian athletes in the SEA Games 2017. At the same venue there was the Larian Sukan Sea all ready to flag off. I did not register for this event but after a lot of thinking, since I was there to support the athletes participating in marathon that day, might as well I run too. I needed the mileage anyways, it was too hard not to say no to 15km. As I did not pay for the run, I shall reserve my comments about the race to those who are entitled to give feedback ie the participants who paid.
I was not in this picture because I was still running nonetheless, it made me feel so proud to be one of the supporters. (Picture courtesy of Running Malaysia Magazine)
First rule of running in an event that you did not register: Bring your own water, or a whole hydration pack like I did. The drinks at the water station are reserved for the participants only. If you don’t pay, you don’t drink.
Before the run I had the opportunity to witness world-class, professional athletes run for at least 10km. Graceful, yet swift and powerful like cheetahs, their beautiful running form made running seemed effortless. All of these take years of practice and coaching. In my eyes, even the last finisher among the countries were already winners for going all out. I may not have the chance to represent Malaysia in the SEA Games, but at least I can learn to improve myself from watching these athletes. I was proud to hear that Malaysia finished 3rd, behind Singapore and Indonesia. Another medal of Malaysia, yeay!
The front pack was too fast for my camera
Day 2 of #bangkitbersama
Distance: 21km
Venue: CICM Responsible Care Run 2017, Shah Alam
I cannot deny that I woke up contemplating if running again was a good idea. Yesterday’s event was not really a hard run however I woke up feeling lethargic, probably from not taking enough protein and water. However, as another ultramarathon looms ahead, every mileage counts. Plus, Taman Botani Shah Alam was a good, hilly training ground so I knew I had to do it.
Total elevation gained was over 400m. To put that elevation into perspective, running from Gombak to Genting Sempah will give over 500m elevation.
The hills are never going to end in this route, aren’t they
Despite the hilly route Taman Botani is secretly one of my favourite places for running events because of the well-maintained roads and lush greenery inside the park. It was not hot despite running at 9am although it was more humid than usual. However, the organizers prepared water station every 3km so it was sufficient. As I was running, I spotted areas inside the park such as the open theatre and a few facilities that were not maintained which is a shame. The park had many visitors who came there for picnics, cycling, or just walking around with their family, hence the facilities should be fully utilized to maximise the visitor’s experience. There was also a clogged drain or blocked irrigation which lead to a mini-flood on the running route, soaking the participant’s pants and shoes.
No where was it stated that there will be a “river crossing” in this event. Did I miss the memo?
You can’t avoid it too because there is a checkpoint at the end of this road
Probably the organizers wanted to have a feel of trail runs but on road conditions?
Other than that, it was a small-scaled, simple, yet good event because it met my expectations. The water station was sufficient, medic and volunteers were helpful, the quality of the medal, event tee, and finisher tee matches the price point, and Taman Botani Shah Alam is a beautiful venue. Taman Botani, I will be back for more!
Views like this serves as an inspiration to just keep going
