Janda Baik International Run 2015 Race Report - Deo

Deo's Janda Baik Rainforest Run. Looking at the photos, I believed he has more fun running it as much as writing the race report for us to read. Thank you for sharing Deo and congrats on the finishing.

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Janda Baik International Rainforest Run - race report

After the completion of the Salomon Otterbox Trail Run in Janda Baik last year, I sort of fell in love with the trail there. As mentioned in my race report, it was like a mini version of the trail that I had experience in Sabah while taking part in the Sabah Adventure Challenge and TMBT100. With all mixtures of uphill and downhills, over tarmac and red clay sections, that took us crossing rivers, running at the side of vegetable farms, it was a great running course away from the city. So, naturally when the registration for this event opened, I did not hesitate to sign up for it and since it will be longer in distance (21km against 18km during the Salomon Otterbox Run), I thought it will give a greater challenge and will take a longer time to complete. 

After a long anticipation between the date I signed up for the race and the race day, the day itself arrived last Sunday. As my race bib has been collected a day earlier by Ijoy, I didn't have to drive to Janda Baik really early in the morning (as the race number pick-up on race day was to be done before 5am). It was a casual move to R&R Genting Sempah to meet up with few other friends before we made our move to the race site. We actually underestimated the time taken to the race site and arrived with just about ten minutes to spare before the flag off at 7.30am. With not much to time to spare, we hastily headed to the start line while bumping into familiar faces along the way. It was a small crowd at the start line - very much to my liking, around 500 of runners, according to my estimation. 

Panicking a bit as I arrived at the race site with just few minutes to spare from the start. For the race, I put on Skechers GOrun Ultra 2, a hybrid shoes that gives good traction on the trail while comfort and cushioning for road runs.
[photo by Ezamidola]
While I tried to move up to the front pack at the start, alongside Ezam and Ijoy, we were flagged off and the front runners were dashing out from the field towards the tarmac section. And I was one of them. It was really a fast start, just like in a 10km race and soon after I caught up with Ezam while trailing Ijoy. I glanced behind to Khairul to get him to tag along me but he stayed with his moderate pace. Upon checking the time splits later after the race, the first 2km that was done on tarmac section was done in 5:05 and 4:51 pace. Then the race went into the trail section.

It was uphill trail that we had to deal with, right away after we entered the trail section and it was already tough for me to continue running especially after running all my heart out during the first 2km earlier. Anyway, I told myself to keep going, even if I need to walk it has to be a very fast walk. There were not that many runners around me, the front bunch had sped away and disappeared from my sight while those behind me were sparsely following me from behind, closing in on me when I walked uphill while I distanced myself from them again during downhill and flat sections. 

The second climb was really badass! It was on concrete and was so steep! I wonder if anyone could run up this section? It was so steep that you can't stand up straight, otherwise you could fall behind and roll down the slope. I think it was about 17 degrees of climb. Luckily it wasn't too long of a climb, maybe around 500m. And once you've reached the peak, it was equivalently steep going downhill, also on concrete. It wasn't easy, either. But the momentum gained from running downhill really fast was that it pushed you up (at least halfway) to the next climbing section. 

Going up the badass concrete section.
[photo by CH Leong}

...and going downhill of the same section which looks like a roller coaster track to me...
[photo by Warren Mak] I did not notice any similarities between the route of this race and the Salomon Otterbox Run. But after the race when I checked the map on Garmin Connect, I noticed that there were five kilometers of similar route between the two races (KM10.5 to KM15.5) except that it was done on reverse direction.

The trail wasn't as bad and slippery as during the Salomon Otterbox Run, although I was told that it was raining heavily a day earlier. So, dashing downhill was pleasurable without worrying of slipping down the slope (or fell on my butt like what happened to me during the Salomon Otterbox Run). So, I got to recover my lost time going slow or walking uphill but running strongly downhill and along the flat sections. I got better traction this time and better cushioning for running on flat trail and road sections since I was wearing Skechers GOrun Ultra 2, that is suitable for both trail and road runs. 

The first of two river crossings. Cold, clear and refreshing water but I smiled when seeing photos of some runners taking off their shoes while crossing the river. C'mon, this is trail running, you don't want to keep your 4WD vehicle clean just like on the road...

I love the two river crossings, especially the first one that was about knee high deep. The current was quite strong coupled with the slippery rocks underneath the water. One has to be very careful to cross the river and I was lucky that when I arrived there, there were only me and one other runners so we didn't have to worry about human traffic jam during the river crossing. 

The route elevation profile. Nothing that was too hard, actually.
It was uphill and downhill all the way, except for the stretch between KM7 to KM10, and between KM15.5 to KM18.3 (finish line), where there were flat sections and mostly ran on tarmac. And I took advantage of these flat sections where I sped up and ran at below 5:30 pace. At the final stretch before the finish line, I even managed to overtake three other runners in front of me to finish in 12th position in 21km category for male. The race however was under-distance, my Garmin just managed to get around 18.3km, which is about 1km longer than the Salomon Otterbox Run. However, my timing was a lot better this time, 1:54:28, as compared to 2:11:12, thanks to the not-so-slippery trail condition and 30% of tarmac section that I could run my marathon pace.

Organizational wise, it was a brave effort put up by the organizer (known better from mountain biking events) to organize this race, with lots of logistics consideration to think of. I really commend the five (or was it six?) water stations along the route that served icy cold water and 100 Plus. It was so refreshing to get to gulp cold water and poured some onto the head. The route was awesome, great for hillworks and speedworks. Volunteers were very helpful and friendly, race start/finish location was suitable for the size of the event. There were also packed foods served at the finish line. But there were definitely some minus points. Firstly, the unavailability of water after the finish line. Bottled mineral water were just for VVIP tables, while runners were served with air sirap. Then, there were no toilets provided at the finish line and some runners had to use the facility at the nearby mosque which I think quite inappropriate. Then the finisher's t-shirt were not prepared as per the indicated sizes during the registration, they only have M and L sizes. 

With the happy faces of QMR Runners after the event
Overall, it was an event you have to try if you want something different from what was normally offered by other events around Klang Valley. As for myself, I would love to run this route (and race) again and I hope someone can organize a longer distance event on this route. 

For my race details at Garmin Connect, click here.
For official result of the Men's Open 21km (18km in actual) category, click here.

The North Face 100 Thailand Race Report Part 1 : Deo

"The North Face 100 Thailand" by Deo. Enough said, where do I sign up? The second part of the report will be ready soon. Meanwhile, enjoy Part Suffering 1.

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The North Face 100 Thailand Race Report Part 1 : Deo

Wow! As much as I was and am excited to write (type) this report, it is quite difficult to put it down so that this report would not be the same like my previous three TNF100 Thailand reports. I will try, will try to make it sounds different than the previous three editions and I will try to make you wanna do and sign up for the race next year!

TNF100 Thailand 2015 was the 4th ever edition of the race, having the first edition in a different place in (Amphawa) before the race was moved to Khao Yai in the second edition until today. It was also my 4th TNF100 Thailand, haven't missed a beat of the race. It was also my 9th 100km ultramarathon since my first one in 2012 which I did in Amphawa. So, TNF100 Thailand is my anniversary 100km ultramarathon, I would like to see it that way. As the unofficial results show and what I have recorded with my Garmin, I finished the race in 14 hours 35 minutes and 40 seconds. It was the best timing I ever had of all the four TNF100 Thailand editions. Although it was not much faster than the 14:36'06" I did in 2013, the 2013 route was a lot easier than this year, one section that was not in the 2013 edition was the hilly climb or I called it 'The Lord of the Rings Hill' that goes up to maximum elevation of almost 600 meters. My timing this year, however, was more than 40 minutes faster than what I did last year on a similar (about 90-95%) route. The marked difference between this year's and last year's race was the weather. It was all hot and bright and dry and energy-sapping, oven-like weather from 9am to 5pm last year (read my report here but this year, the weather was almost perfect - raining the night before the race, temperature in the teens at the start, the sun came out during the normal hours around noon for about 3 hours, and even when the sun was bright up in the sky, it remained windy throughout the race before it got cold again after sunset. I can saya that although I'm hearing some runners complaining about the hot weather in Khao Yai this year, I think they were a lot lucky with the weather this year! Just to recap, the inaugural edition in 2012 remains the easiest of all with relatively flat route all the way.

Actually, I had a slight ambition to run this race under 14 hours. I even told my traveling buddies, Ezam and Eijoy, that I would be really happy if I can do 13:59'59" but it didn't turn out as planned. As early as at around KM10 that I knew it was not achievable as I could not go any faster early on for some reasons. But in ultramarathon, the race is too long to finish that a lot of things can happen during the race that could hamper your plan or goal.

The official race course map for this year's race with minimal changes to last year's. I believe the 'Lord of the Rings Hills will be a mainstay of the race, as long as the race remains in Khao Yai.

 

However easy the race sounds to you, it was not spared from drama, of course...

Preparation-wise. I admit that I didn't prepare as hard as how I prepared for Penang 100. After Osaka Marathon in October last year, my training mileage took a dip, especially in November when I just recorded 170km before I realized that I need to pick it up again for this race. December mileage went up again to 301km despite the holiday and off-season for most runners. I continued with high mileage in January, clocking about 250km heading into the race. While I think the two-month mileage was sufficient for me to finish the race, I failed to do any 50km training run (which I'd always do before any of my 100km race) in the two months. The longest training runs I did was a marathon distance at the Cyberjaya Marathon in December and the two-loop of Padang Merbuk to Hartamas and back that was almost 40km long. And that kept me worried. I got really nervous when Ezam acknowledged my lack of training when he compared to how I trained for Penang 100. In the end, the experience and familiarity of the race, especially the weather and route, had helped me even with the little lack of preparation. I also didn't pack my stuff until the very night before my early morning flight. Without the checklist that I would've normally prepared, I thought I've packed everything I need but at the end, I realized I left the country without perskindol cool/hot spray that helped me to last throughout last year's race or perskindol cool gel that I had used a lot (and helped me a lot, too) during Penang 100. And I didn't bother to look for them in Bangkok, just praying that I would be ok without them.




Waiting for the big tuk-tuk to depart from Pakchong town to our resort in Khao Yai. It was a nervous journey altogether with the daredevil van driver from Bangkok and the slow-mo driver from Pakchong to Khao Yai as we were running late for the race briefing.
[photo by Ezamizudin] This year, I traveled to Bangkok alone but met a group of runners from Melaka at the airport and we boarded the same flight. I sat next to a newly-found friend, Paul Lee, in the flight and we talked about the race a bit (it was his first time doing TNF100). At one point, he mentioned that he read from a blog about the race, the accommodation, etc. without realizing that I am actually the author of the blog that he read and was quite stunned when I told him that. Ezam and Eijoy, who flew earlier, waited for me at the Don Mueng Airport before we went for some window shopping at the Siam Paragon area, had lunch and went to the Victory Monument to board the public van to Khao Yai. As usual, it was a long drive to Khao Yai, about 200km to the north of Bangkok, on a busy highway. We would not arrive earlier if the van driver was not a daredevil like the one we had, zigzagging around the vehicles on the highway and flying on the fast lane *sigh!* The van stopped at Pakchong town and as this was my first time taking public transport, I didn't know that it would take another almost one hour (including waiting time) via a large tuk-tuk from Pakchong town to Khao Yai. The tuk-tuk stopped in front of the Khao Yai Garden Lodge, where the three of us stayed. We met two other Malaysians, Foo and his lady friend (sorry forgot her name; but both of them finished the 100km race very strongly!) in the tuk-tuk and later traveled to Simalin Resort for the race briefing and race pack collection.

The race briefing that was held outdoor this year. The briefing was held outdoor this year, which I think is a more suitable, and the sight of the start/finish venue and gantry relived my memories (and the agonies) from last year's race. It was all too familiar and it felt like it was just a day before that I went through the hard time finishing the race and was really relieved to be able to cross the finish line in more than 15 hours but was a little heartbreaking knowing many friends did not finish the race, being victims to the torturous weather. Ezam was the most excited, expressing his disbelief to be able to be at the 'TNF100' race site and to compete in the race the next day. I was happy to have the two chaps together, to see the expression and the anticipation from a fresh perspective. Pictures taken, race pack collected and we arrived back at our resort when it was already dark. Dinner followed suit, then shopping for race essentials at the 7-Eleven next door where I met Emil Soderlund again. The funny part was that I did not remember his name but remembered him as 'the guy who wore the blue UTMB t-shirt last year' and he acknowledged that lol! He finished in fourth place this year. Next, in the room, prep all the gears and attire before lights off. It was a very short deep sleep for me before waking up again around 3am. The resort was kind enough to pack sandwiches for us as breakfast and I just had that before the race.

At the race site while waiting to be called to the start line. I wasn't feeling too excited for the race but more nervous as so many questions were playing in the mind, top up to the drama early in the morning before leaving the resort, all those...
[photo by Ezamizudin] The drama begun even before we headed to the race site. I left the room confidently and boarded the tuk-tuk to the race venue at Simalin Resort. When we were about to leave the resort, I realized that my hydration bag was without the two water bottles! Damn it I had to rush back to the room and there they were next to the sofa. A good adrenaline rush to kick start my day on a cold morning, I guess. Last year, I forgotten to bring along my cap to the race and raced all the way with just buff to shed my head from the notorious sun. In the tuk-tuk met a group of Singaporean who also happened to read this blog. Luckily it was dark in the tuk-tuk, otherwise everyone could see how blush my face was! Arrived not long after that at Simalin Resort and the venue was still quiet and calm with about one hour to go to the flag-off. Runners started to flock the race site from time to time, as I was sitting at the empty race expo tent quietly looking at all the happenings - people taking photos around, exchanging well wishes, some were doing their stretching and warm-ups and, all too familiar! About 15 minutes from the flag-off, we headed into the start area after checks on our phones and headlights. I stayed at the middle of the pack of the 100km and 50km runners while trying to keep calm. Although it was already my fourth TNF100 Thailand, I still feel nervous, not knowing how the day would turn out to be, whether my training was enough to carry me through the race, whether my body could cooperate with me, all those questions. Some speeches were made, a blessing by the monks, countdown and off we went at 5am sharp. The temperature shown on the race clock was around 17-degree Celcius and it was quite chilling that morning.

We think we're ready so let's go! With Ezam and Eijoy, my traveling buddies this year.
[photo by Pongsak Sarapukdee] It was a cautious start but after about 50 meters from the start line, before we headed into the sealed road, I tripped on something, and fell on my face, kissing the ground. I was shocked, my head spinning as Ezam tried to get me up on my feet. My palm were covered with sand, I could taste sand on my lips and both my knees hurt. As I heard, some people asking "are you ok?", I asked Ezam whether my lips were bleeding? Luckily it was not but both my knees were quite badly bruised and bleeding while my palms were in pain with some pinhole scars from the contact with the ground. Although I was in shock from the fall, I still managed to ensure that I did not drop any of the mandatory items, the water bottles and the headlight. Ezam was there at my side, kind enough to wait for me, and kept me in check. And I was just lucky that i didn't get stampeded by the charging runners who started behind me. After ensuring that all are in place, I continued running side-by-side with Ezam but I had the thought in my mind about "DNF". I was not sure how the bruises on the knees (and maybe the shaken head) from the fall would affect my race as there will be another 15 hours or so that I had to endure. But I told myself to keep going and see how long I would last in the race. Not long after it got stabilized again, I had to move to the roadside to pee and told Ezam to go ahead and I would try to catch up with him later. It was a long pee, strangely, although I've peed twice since arrived at the race site that morning and many runners overtook me during my pee-stop.

Going downhill as we exited the LOTR Hills. Ezam (in blue t-shirt) was seen here leading me going downhill.
[official photo of TNF100 Thailand] I continued my run and not long after the pee-stop, we got into the trail section where I could overtake some of the runners again but I could not continue doing so as we moved into a slightly-uphill, single trail section when runners in front of me either slowed down or walked. I had to keep calm and be patience as there will be more opportunities to overtake them later. It was a slightly different route from last year until we got to the CP1 at around KM7 where we had to move into a trail section, do a loop inside and headed out on the same route. I could only catch up with Ezam as we headed into the loop-section and everything seems ok for me by then, although I could still fell the pain from the bruises, I could still run at a decent pace. Ran into the loop with Ezam but lost him somewhere. As we headed out from the loop, we cross-path with oncoming runners but I could hardly recognize anybody as it was dark and the glare from the headlights weren't helping either. Right after CP1, like last year, where we headed into the uphill, single trail section all the way up to the peak of the 'Lord of the Rings Hill'. It was still dark and along the way to the peak, the day started to break. For the first timers here, it was an awesome sight but for me, all I cared was to finish this climb. It was a slow hike up and it was quite congested with runners moving on single file cautiously not to trip or fall off the cliff. The grass there seems to have grown taller, as tall as I am and some were thorny that I got scratches on my arms and calves as souvenirs. At times when those grass slapped my knees and touched the bruises points on my two knees, it felt so painful that I wanted to scream really loud. It was quite a torturous section for me. Moving downhill wasn't easier either as I couldn't set my own pace, afraid of bumping/crashing into runners in front of me who moved a little slowly downhill. By that time, Ezam caught up with me, as we headed into the open brown-sandy (or dusty) route, that surely will change the color of your shoes. It was a rolling section and I lost Ezam and never seen him again until the finish line some 15 hours later.

I was practically alone from there onward, nothing unusual for me, carefully moving myself with a sustainable pace, not to aggressively take on the uphill while going downhill in a defensive run mode (not too fast and not over-striding), taking quick but ample stops at each water stations to drink up one or two cups of iced water and the flavored energy drinks. At the same time and throughout the race, I ensured that I was disciplined enough to consume a pack of Hammer gel, two caps of Hammer electrolytes and two caps of Hammer Anti Fatigue Caps for every 10km. It worked well for me especially with the Hammer gel, when I got a feel of energy boost after every pack consumed that lasted for between 2-4km. However, for the Endurolytes, I wasn't sure why I still got cramp signs coming as early as 40km into the race despite the consumptions and consistent consumption of water throughout the race. After a while after the race, I think the cramps were due to the lack of water intake in the week before the race, especially on Friday the traveling day. On top of that, I was still taking coffee in office (as works are piling up) during the week prior to the race as normally I would quit taking caffeinated drinks a week before a race. Yes, as mentioned I had to deal with the cramps since KM40 of the race. It came attacking behind of my left then right thigh, and then attacking the front, then my calves. And how I dealt with them, to ignore them, stretched once a while, and not to over-stride especially going downhill. The cramps were notorious this time they even attacked when I slowly walking up the uphill sections.

Running alone during an ultramarathon has never been a problem to me, I have been trained in such way since my very first 100km ultramarathon, also in TNF100 Thailand, back in 2012. I believe this photo was taken with less than 10km from the halfway point of KM50 back in Simalin Resort.
[photo by www.shutterrunning.com]
So from the point I lost Ezam, the route went from tarmac into sandy, open trails, bushy, rocky (that I many times accidentally kicked those rocks followed by cramp-pinching moment duh!), forever rolling uphill and downhill sections, that you couldn't afford to get a loooonnggg flat or downhill section to run but instead, once you managed to run at a nice pace, you'll have uphill section to deal with not long after that. KM20 to KM40 was the same like last year, with a minor turns, probably, in one of those trail loops that we need to go through. I caught up with Eijoy around KM30 and it was nice to have someone to talk to again (although most of the times, it was drop dead silence between us). Running with Eijoy was kind of mix between bless and stress. It was stressful when he followed me close from behind that I could hear his foot steps - one of his foot step equals to two (or maybe three) of mine and it was a blessing as it caused me to move on a faster cadence to cope with his long strides (of his long legs). As much as I wished Eijoy could accompany me at least until we were back to Simalin Resort (KM50), I lost him somehow at CP4 (KM40) and I was alone again for the last 10km of the first loop.

This entry has gone too long, I guess. So, let's have the rest of the story in the next one. Stay tuned!

Kinabalu Climbathon Adventure Race Report - Deo AH

Our resident crazy ultra runner came back from Kinabalu Climbathon and sent us this report. He share about being realistic with his aim of just doing the Adventure section, and not the Summit race. For us here reading it, we can't help but be envy with the beautiful scenery of Mount Kinabalu. Oh, by the way, Deo then went on (the following week) to Osaka for a Marathon. That is story for another day. Enjoy Kinabalu Climbathon Race Report today!

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Kinabalu Climbathon Adventure Race Report - Deo AH
Before this, I never given much attention to Climbathon due to couple of reasons. Firstly, I think I am not good enough to complete the 33km Summit Race, which you need to go up from Kinabalu Park (1,500m+) to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu (4,095.2 m) within the cut-off time of 2 hours and 45 minutes before going through the Mesilau Trail and all the way to the finish line in Kundasang town within the overall cut-off time of 3 hours and 30 minutes. Secondly, there is the Adventure Race category for people like me. It is a 23km race that only goes up to Layang-Layang Hut (2760m) before finishing off in Kundasang town. Obviously this category looks more doable with 6-hour cut off time, but i had to think many times to decide to travel to Sabah just for a 23km trail run. But, with the rumor flying around saying that this year would be the last year for Climbathon races and after getting Saiful the Catman to commit to participate in this race, I didn't hesitate to register and make necessary arrangements.

Flying to Kota Kinabalu is now seems easier that driving on a busy highway to my home town up north in Ipoh and this trip marked the third time I set foot on the "Land Below the Wind" this year after Borneo Marathon in May and Beaufort 100 in August. As soon as Saiful and I arrived at the airport, we made our ways to Kota Kinabalu downtown via the cheaper option of airport shuttle bus. While waiting for the free shuttle bus to take us to Kinabalu Park provided by the organizer, Sabah Tourism Board, we hang around downtown area to have our lunch and buying essential rations for our 2-night stay up in Ranau. Race pack and number collection followed our arrival at the Kinabalu Park before we attended the race briefing and finally, we were able to check-in at the nearby Kinabalu Mountain Lodge - our home for the next two nights. It was a nice and clean hostel-like accommodation with shared bathrooms, toilets, and common area and located within walking (or running) distance from the Kinabalu Park entrance where the start line is located. The only setback about the place is that it does not provide wifi connection (well, I have to learn to 'nature networking' than relying on 'social networking') and Maxis connection in the area sucks!

On Saturday morning, we woke up early and headed to Kinabalu Park for the start of the Summit Race. It was such a sight seeing many elite runners at the start line, although we didn't have persona such as Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg, who ran here in 2012 race. However, there were still the likes of Japan's Dai Matsumoto who were the runner-up in 2013 but emerged champion this year, local heroes - last year's champion Daved Simpat who came in 2nd this year and Safrey Sumping, 4th place finisher while in the women category, there were Everest Marathon champion - Nepalese Ann Chhutin Sherpa, 2013 Women Veteran and the recent Penang 100 winner Deborah Chinn, and not forgetting the Vibram HK100 winner Claire Price from Hong Kong. A total of around 70 participants took part in the race and I can say half of them were local runners.
With Claire Price before the start of the Summit Race
After a short run around Kinabalu Park and transversing Kiau View Trail to acclimatize with the altitude and weather for tomorrow's race, Saiful and I headed to Kundasang town to enjoy life there - having breakfast while touring the morning market as well as the Pesta Kubis (Cabbage Festival) that was also happening on that weekend. Around noon, we waited for the first runner to come back to the finish line and soon followed by the second-, third- and fourth-place finishers. As it was getting late for us to wait any longer as we had to attend pre-race party organized by the TMBT Race Director, we had to leave Kundasang before we could see the rest of the runners coming home. By that time, we heard of news that many runners had to DNF the race as they couldn't reach the summit within the cut-off time. 

Saiful and I went trail-ing after the start of Summit Race to try to get ourselves acclimatized with the weather and elevation.

With the Summit Race winner, Dai Matsumoto from Japan. He finished in 4 hours and 11 minutes ahead of local-favorite and defending champion, Daved Simpat who came in eight minutes behind Dai.
After the party (and thank goodness I really had a good time carboloading!) we headed back to our 'home' for an early lights off as we need to rise early for the Adventure Race the next morning. It wasn't easy to get a good sleep as I was worried with the race, with what to expect from it, with the altitude, the elevation, and the cut-off time. One side of my head saying that it would be difficult to finish within 6 hours as I would have to deal with elevation as well as the high number of participants that will crowded up the trails (so I had to break away from the majority of the runners during the 4.5km uphill run on tarmac from the start line to Timpohon Gate) and I have not ran on trail since April except for one trip to Mt Nuang in August. On the other side of the head, I was confident to finish it well. The side of the head was even challenging myself to complete it under 4 hours. Reason being - I had done the route before during the Sabah Adventure Challenge in 2013 but it was done on reverse direction of Mesilau Trail where we started in Mesilau Nature Resort to Layang-Layang and went down to Timpohon Gate. So, I could not use that race to plan my race. At the end, I told myself to just be at the start line, soak up the atmosphere, run when I can run and walk when I cannot run and enjoy the race. After all, I would not be challenging for podium so why worry?

Woke up early on Sunday morning. Started the day with breakfast at the Lodge. Headed to Kinabalu Park with Arfian and friend who checked in at the Lodge late last night and Saiful. By the time we arrived at the start line, there were more familiar faces. Some did the Summit Race yesterday. So, naturally it was a friendly and warm atmosphere when you have familiar faces around you and that helped to get rid of the nervousness. It was a cold morning but bearable and I could take off my wind jacket way before the start of the race. As there will be adequate water stations along the route, I went on lightweight for the race but still have my Ultimate Direction hydration jacket on for me to keep my jacket, a bun (in case I got hungry during the race), my Hammer Nutrition supplements, as well as to carry my water bottles (as I do not prefer to stop at water stations). 

With Saiful and two Sabah-own strong runners, Erwan and Joe, who had become my friends after I've done many races in Sabah.
The race started at 7am and all the 600+ runners sped off like there is no tomorrow. I started maybe in the first quarter of the flock and with the thought to reach Timpohon Gate ahead of the majority runners, I ran from the start. But it did not take too long for me to start to walk as the elevation increases. Although it was not as nasty as Penang Hill, it was still tough to run at a decent speed as you went from 1500m+ to 1850m+ over the 4km stretch. It was all tarmac right up to Timpohon Gate. Reached there in 37 minutes. And then it was the start of trail section from Timpohon Gate towards Layang-Layang Hut at 2760m. This section will be about 4km long. Although it was a short section but the elevation is nearly 1000m and that really made my heart pumping like there is no tomorrow hahah... Although I have my Garmin FR910XT watch with me which accurately track the distance, I still could not stop wondering when will I reach Layang-Layang Hut? It felt like I was taking forever to cover the endless climb. The trail was a clear, with many 'stairs'-type of path that helped me with my footings. But I still had to put my focus on the trail so that I won't slip or miss my steps. It was also not jammed up with participants since (I think) I managed to get ahead of and arrived at Timpohon Gate in front of the majority runners. So it was about me chasing the cut-off time (or the crazy 4-hour target). Another thing to note, although we got higher on the elevation, it didn't feel as cold as at the start line since the sun was up in the sky and lighted up the open trail. So, it was just a nice weather and perfect body temperature for a run.

The uphill section to Layang-Layang Hut.
I arrived at Layang-Layang Hut feeling really blessed and relieved, knowing (or thought) that it would be mostly downhill from there towards the Mesilau Gate. It took me 70 minutes to cover that 4km stretch from Timpohon Gate to Layang-Layang Hut. Took a short break at the water station there and refilled my water bottle. It was a very much needed break as I did not stop at all up to this point. It had been hard work all the way. I did not stop or pause to catch my breath. I was taking my rest through slower hike up but kept myself moving. At times I wonder if I pushed too hard and would I be able to sustain my energy to last the remaining of the race. But I kept moving, talking myself not to stop as it will costs me lots of time and it will be hard to restart the momentum I already had. 

Layang-Layang Hut to Mesilau Gate. It was a 5.5km strecth and with a more, a lot more, technical and difficult trail section. The trail was a combination of man-made stairs and naturally rooted stairs and they were steep! As the man-made ones could be slippery when wen, the natural ones could cause you to tumble down the trail if you were not careful with and missed your steps. Focus is a priority here. And you can't move in small steps as one step of the stairs was too long or two steep for two of your footsteps. Taking two footsteps for one stair would slow you down. And at most times, you need to kind of hop down the stairs. I had to be careful with loose rocks too. Stepping inappropriately on them would not be a good thing. So, it was focus and foresighting on where would your foot lands next? It was not all downhill along Mesilau trail. There were nasty uphills too. Those were when I took my break, tackling the uphills a little slower than I went downhill. Thankfully the trail was dry despite the heavy rain the day before and that helped me a lot especially going downhill. 

On the way to Mesilau Gate. Look at the loose rocks. A simple missed step would make you tumbled down the downhill.
[official photo by Sabah Tourism Board]

And the man-made and natural stairs...
[photo by Mino Ersyah Arshad]
Finally, after spending 1 hour and 25 minutes in Mesilau trail, I reached at Mesilau gate to start the final section of the race - the 10km run on a tarmac along undulating stretch from Mesilau Gate to Kundasang town. As one thought this would be easier section compared to the other two trail sections earlier, he/she must be thinking wrongly. After laborously overcoming the hurdles during the trail section, it was hard to keep the already-jelly legs to run at a decent pace on tarmac. And the undulating stretch means there was hardly flat section, just either steep downhill or steep uphill. And to make it worse, the sun was high up in the sky, and I could really feel the heat as if my hair was burning. At each water stations, I poured water on my head and refilled my water bottles when necessary. Even my water bottles were emptied in no time as I drank more than I did before in the race. There was only one motivation for me that time - to finish the race under 6 hours and I knew I would be able to do it with lots of time to spare. Finally, I reached at the last climb of the race. It was a 1km section and about 100m uphill to the finish line.

With about 100m from the finish line, I caught up with three runner friends from Sabah, Erwan whom I have been running with since my SAC debut in 2012, and newly-made friends Johnny and Donny. Four of us crossed the finish line together which another friend commented as "like seeing a row of horses running..." I finished the race, safely under the cut-off time but missed the 4-hour ambitious target. But I'll take the 4 hours and 16 minutes finish time very happily as I had completed it safely, ahead of 75% of other runners and achieved it without much and proper trail training. 

Four horses?
[photo by Nicole Chin]
It was a great and unique experience taking part in the race. The organization was perfect with a lot of things being considered to assist the runners especially on the logistics arrangement. And thankfully this won't be the last year that this race is going to be held. It will continue to be held on 17th and 18th October 2015 but will be organized by a different organizer. My wish for the new organizer is to better or at least keep the standard of the organization and if possible, to attract 'big' names to run in the race. Would I be back next year? Not sure but if I would, it will be for the Adventure Race as the Summit Race (with the current cut-off time) would be too difficult for me.

For my race details at Garmin Connect, click here.
For full results, click here.

Team 2ndskin Running Workshop - Introduction to Trail Running

Skechers GoBionic Trail. Review at www.tristupe.com

Hey hey hey!!!!

We're doing it a bit different this time around with an introduction to trail/offroad running this weekend!

Team 2ndskin will be conducting the next running workshop and it will be an introduction to trail running as per below details:

Date: 26th July (Saturday)

Time: 0715 - 0900

Location: Taman Rekreasi Lembah Kiara (Jalan Abang Haji Openg opposite the SK TTDI(2)) - we will meet up outside the toilet building within the park

Registration: email your details to runningworkshop@2ndskin.asia to book your slot (first come, first get a slot)

Using Waze to get here? Click Here

Using Google Map to get here: Click Here

(we strongly advise you not to use your phone while driving, please set the destination prior to driving and utilise voice-guidance. ARRIVE SAFE so you can RUN!)

Please bring your own water/hydration and come in running attire and running shoes. Trail shoes are preferred but not a must. Punctuality is of utmost importance!

See you there!!

Skechers GoRun Ultra NiteOwl Edition Unboxing : Tri Stupe

Ed: Fresh out of the over, Stupe writes about the new NiteOwl in GoRun Ultra edition. It turned some of us in the team green with envy. But we are all happy it's glowing for him. Here is his unboxing review.
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Skechers GoRun Ultra NiteOwl Edition Unboxing
Skechers GoRunUltra has been in store for the past few months and I've used it past 250km to date specifically just for trail running and shorter run on the tarmac. If you missed the review and unboxing of this model, head over to these links:
Skechers GoRunUltra [Unboxing][Review 1][Review 2]
My last use of the shoe was at Sabah Adventure Challenge 2014 where it clocked no less than 80km over 3-days back to back. Cycled through a full dry-wet-dry condition over different type of terrain and soil condition. While clearly worn off at the sole, the shoe is still serving me for my runs in the trails and road. 

part of product testing (and torturing)

Then there were talk about "If The Trail Shoes comes with NiteOwl version". Imagine the shoe glowing in the trail or the darker/shadier part of the trail. It would be cool, isn't it?
And It Happened
I received a message last week asking me to head over to the HQ as there is a new stock of shoes arriving and the NiteOwl now comes in GoRunUltra and GoRunRide3 variant. Instantly, I could not resist to request for the GRU Niteowl. 

Hoot!

As it turned out, the new Niteowl now comes in different (color) glow. It was previously blue as seen on the GoRunRide2. Now, the additional would be Green and Fuchsia (pink). Ready for the Green RunUltra?
A Quick Unboxing
I was too excited that the GRU Niteowl came right out of the box the moment I got home. On the first impression, you will not noticed anything different compared to the existing GRU.

Glow, in capital E(xcitement)

That is until you take a longer look and realised that the shoe's material has been changed at most parts except the dual-density sole. Starting with the top layer of the new GoRunUltra, the material appears to be thinner and more cloth-like, lending even more flexibility. I am awaiting confirmation from Skechers on what they are naming this material.

The GoRunUltra NiteOwl

The 4-way mesh of GoRunUltra

 The side synthetic mesh and overlay too, received a refresh of new material.

More mesh-like to promote air circulation?

Original GRU with the closer mesh-like material

Essentially, there was the only differences (not counting one GLOW in the dark). The sole is the dual-density material that offer both stability and support. The Rigid Resagrip offers the stability while the softer midsole layer offers support. The design of the GoImpulse sensor or pods were the exact same. Other features of the shoes between the non-NiteOwl version and this is the same. M-Strike and integrated sewn down tongue just to name two obvious same.

Old (left) and New (Right)

One of the key issue is that the GRU pods doesn't seems to last too long. The wear and tear looked extreme when compared to the other model. I am not entirely sure if this is true or otherwise but I did noticed the differences especially the forefoot area. I have clocked about 250km on the older (red) GRU.

See the wear in the old shoe?

The grip or traction in the trails, however were the same as day 1 if you ask me. Seems the function of the pod to grip/provide traction did not diminish despite the seems like high wear rates. Perhaps there are material refresh for the GRU NiteOwl, and I can only tell once I put the shoe through the usual running route and abuse. 
A 360 view of the GRU NiteOwl
The GRU NiteOwl has Glow in dark material at the appropriate places such as the front, side, the back (heel cup) and the tongue. Reflective material was placed in the same location as the original.

Charging it under the sun

view from 7'oclock position

Back of Heel. The "Nite Owl" is reflective

The Tongue

The Glow
Ready? The photos will speak for itself. This was taken inside the home's slightly darker corner in mid afternoon, after leaving the shoe under the sun for about 2-hours. Photo as it is taken using my hand phone at approximate ISO1600 and 1/14s exposure.

Next: 

To be tested side by side in a run, soon?

Note: This pair of Skechers GoRunUltra in NiteOwl variation is sponsored by Skechers Malaysia via collaboration with 2ndSkin Asia Athletes program. Thank you Skechers Malaysia and 2ndSkin! This pair is retails for RM449(men) and RM429 (women) in Peninsular Malaysia and will be available in all stores this week. Opinion in this write up is my own and not influenced by Skechers Malaysia or 2ndSkin program.