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

Run for Vitality @ the MHWH Night Run

The Nashata Runners made their second running debut at the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIAVitality yesterday in Putrajaya. The first was in Penang.  This time, we had a few runners running 12 km and 21 km while Nur Nahsuhah and Amie Kurtenbach paced the 21 km run.

Alhamdulillah : Nashata Runners Finished Happy & Strong

Alhamdulillah : Nashata Runners Finished Happy & Strong

Selamat Lari Raya

We had our little gathering before the run – a post Eid Celebration. We got a brownie cake specially made by Marathon Baker.  It was super duper yummeh, rich, chocolaty, Nutella frosting – everybody loved it.

Selamat Lari Raya

Less guilt eating a cake by Marathon Baker the Energy Bar Specialist

We shared the cake with others. The cake didn’t hurt our run, all of us – except the busy pacers had our share loving the cake!

Raya Cake Marathon Baker

Sharing the Raya Cake with Other Runners

Nashata Runners – The Pacers

Nahsuhah and Amie were the official pacers at the run. Nahsuhah was one of the official pacers at the Penang MHWH Night Run so she was pretty ok to shoulder the responsibilities. Amie was a little bit nervous as it was her first experience, but she did well.

MHWH Night Run by AIAVitality 21km Pacers

MHWH Night Run by AIAVitality 21km Pacers

Many pacers’s balloons popped along the way, unfortunately. Perhaps, they could wear a bib displaying pace timing on their backs as a back up measures in the future. Both enjoyed pacing, taking turns with other pacers from various running teams to drink and rest and catch up so that the other runners stayed on track and achieve running goals that night.

“Such a nice experience to run as an official pacer HM 2:40.. Monitoring the pace, cheering and motivating the runners are part of the responsibilities. One guy who just recovered from his dengue fever waited at the finishing line and thanked me for pacing him. He managed to finish the run at 2:39.. That moment made me really happy”, shared Amie. 

Official Pacers MHWH Night Run

Official Pacers MHWH Night Run : We dressed them up in yellow Iman Hijab so that runners could easily spot them

Running in the Rain 

At 6 pm, it started to rain heavily at Putrajaya, and everyone involved in the run was giving heads up via whatsapp about coming in late due to jams in town.  I didn’t want to get my shoes wet before running so I tried not to walking around on wet grounds much.  A lot of people were late for the run due to the downpour.  When the 21 km flagged off at 8 pm sharp, many were still running towards the starting point through the gates.

Starting Off

Can you Run Faster in a Cool Weather?

It was drizzling a bit till the first 2 km. I enjoyed the run because it was cool. It was my kind of a weather to run well. After the first 5 km, I felt both my right shoes and sock were damped –  a little discomfort but I kept running.

Just like the run in Penang, the traffic control was good; there were cones allocated along the highway giving a lot of space for runners to run and overtake each other. There were ambulances patrolling along the route and paramedics team was busy assisting runners with cramps at a few stops. One stretch was quite dark when the road lights went off due to circuit malfunction and we saw sparks of fire coming out from the lamp post on the other side of the road. If you plan to run at the MHWH Night Run in Johor, make sure you go to the toilet before the run as there were no mobile toilets along 21km in Penang and Putrajaya.

It was fun & rewarding for me as I get to run with my husband and brother. We ran together throughout the race, overtaking but not far from each other at times. My timing improved and I ran with zero injury – so I am happy.

My Hubby, Bro & I

My Hubby, Bro & I

Azlina, or better known as Along started off her 21 km late but she passed by us very fast and finished strong. She was amazing!

Along and Amie did their first Full Marathon together in 2015

Along and Amie did their first Full Marathon together in 2015

Veteran Runners & Newbies

A mix of new and veteran runners; Intan Suraya, Eda, Zabrina, Sarah and Najmi ran 12 km at 830 pm.

Intan Suraya, the modest veteran Runner

Intan Suraya, the Modest Veteran Marathon Runner, turned 42 recently

Newly Wed Running Couple

Eda & Borhan – The Newly Wed Running Couple is Back on the Scene

Sarah & Najmi : Exciting Times for Newbies

Exciting Times for Newbies like Sarah & Najmi

Every run offers unique experiences – that’s what make running a race meaningful. I look forward for the next MHWH Night Run in Johor for sure. #progressivemuslimah #positivityiscontagious

The Force of Nature: Newton Challenge 2016 30KM Run

I woke up at 4 a.m. to the sound of wind rushing and heavy clouds. It was still dark, yet I knew it was going to rain. True enough, as I was driving to the race venue it began to drizzle. The drizzling gradually turned to a torrential downpour. It wasn’t raining cats and dogs, but the rain was heavy. Yet, I was determined to go for the run. The organizers did not call off the race as there was no thunder and lightning. Upon lining up at the starting point, I was happy to see a few familiar faces and the energy was great – everyone was eager to run too!

By the first water station at 4km, I was already soaking wet. The rain came down on us in big fat droplets, leaving us drenched from head to toe.  Thankfully, I was wearing my black Mumtaz hijab, so it remained opaque even when wet. The wind was blowing, but it was heavy enough so it did not flip up, yet well-ventilated so it dries up quickly when the rain stops (optional: to securely attached your Mumtaz hijab, pin it at the shoulders).

IMG_5009My black Mumtaz Hijab was a life-saver!

IMG_5003We prayed Fajr (subuh) in the rain at the first water station. Nothing was going to stop us!

As expected from last year’s event, the route was hilly. Mental preparation is indeed important apart from physical training. I will keep a positive attitude, and I will not beat myself up if the race does not go as expected. It was just going to be me against myself. Through out the run, I could not help but think about how I felt compared to last year. I did not feel like the hills were mountains that were needed to conquer, but it was all part of the course that we must embrace. It wasn’t raining last year, but at least the weather is cool so we can go faster. Plus, I was glad that I invested in the right gear such as the right hijab, top, pants, and shoes.

I was feeling fine when I reached the 15km marker. Perhaps those cross-training were starting to pay off? Perhaps the additional mileages were starting to show results? I must have done something  right, and I am indeed grateful for all of the support I received.  I was on track to complete the 30km within 4 hours, however, just after midway I had a stomach ache attack. I spent precious minutes getting off track, looking for a toilet and calming my stomach down. The pain was seriously affecting my mental state, I really wanted to turn back to the 15km marker and hop on the ambulance. However, a volunteer encouraged me to keep on going no matter how slow I had to walk as I was already halfway. Finally, I found a toilet after asking at a few shop lots at the side of the road.

Despite not renewing my personal best for this event (I finished around the same time as I did last year), I finished the race feeling significantly stronger. It was definitely a challenging route, yet I had no regrets about signing up for it. Newton Challenge, I will be back again next year if my running calendar permits.

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner.