MPSJ 10k

First and foremost I would like to thank Jeanne for organising the surprise birthday party for me, and all my running friends for turning up!  I was really touched by the gesture.  You guys hid it well!  I had absolutely no inkling that it was going to happen!

 

Pre-race

 

Going into the SJ 10k, I was not feeling very confident.  I had barely recovered from the fever, cold and sore throat that bugged me from the middle of last week.  After last Sunday’s 4 x 3km race, I ran less in an effort to rid myself completely of my afflictions.  I was about 90% healed by Friday, but the fact that I didn’t run much gave me less confidence to run the time which I planned to run. 

 

There was some excitement among the Pacemaker Group and friends.  Ronnie’s shoutbox, and our lunches were filled with how we were to approach the race and so forth.  With 100 medals at stake, there was genuine optimism that all (or at least, most) of us would medal.  Everyone was rapidly improving, which was fantastic.  We are all engaging in friendly competition, raising the level of our running and supporting each other in our journey of life and running.  If you listen to Bill Bowerman’s words in Without Limits, you will note that there are parallels between life and running (but I’m digressing here so let’s get back to the race).

 

My last run was on Thursday with Kenny.  I didn’t run on Friday.  Azwar had called me to ask me where I bought the Livestrong Nike band and I offered to follow him to Terence’s shop (Ultimate Sports, located at CitiSquare).  I met him about 630pm and we headed to Ultimate Sports where he bought 2 bands.  Not exactly when you consider the fact that it is merely a rubber material wrist band but there’s somehow an element of pride (at least on my part) when I wear it.  As endurance athletes (cough cough!) we know the amount of work that is required to achieve excellence.  And as a cancer survivor who has gone on, to date, to win the Tour De France 6 times, it is no mean feat.  Wearing the band makes you feel a part of Lance’s world, and a part of the cause he so believes in.

 

I didn’t run on Saturday either.  Not a step.  Saturday consisted of reading the Star over breakfast and their write-up about the 10k, and the rest of the resting my legs.

 

 

Race Day

 

Woke up at 615am.  Had a drink and was getting ready when Kenneth called me at 640am.  Said he was already outside my house.  I let him in and we chatted a little before putting on our shoes and walking to the MPSJ stadium.  Put on my Nike Prestos.  Now the circle is complete!  In my maiden first race I wore the Nike Prestos and now, 3 years later I’m wearing another pair!  On our way to the stadium, I remarked to him that I couldn’t feel the excitement that was normally evident in races.  I was wrong- when we approached the stadium I could see the field filled with many people and the track was being utilized by the runners for their warm-ups.  There was a buzz within the stadium and I saw Tey doing his warm-up on the track.  We then headed to the starting line and I started doing my strides and warm-up.  Before the start I saw some of the usual gang (Jamie, Ronnie, Azwar, Rohaizad), most of them from a distance because everyone seemed very focused and concentrated on the race at hand (Intense, man!)

 

 

Race

 

BANG! The gun goes off and so do the runners.  In the midst of the mad-cows-out-of-the-kandang rush, I think many of us forgot the actual pace we were to run.  My first km time was proof of that- 3:30!!! I knew I was running way to fast and I made a conscious effort to slow down the pace.  I ran my 2^nd km in 4:30, which then averaged my pace per km at 4:00, my intended pace.  At around the 2.4km mark, I saw Azwar and Chen running side by side and I was just about to catch up with them when Azwar surged and left Chen behind.  I decided that I should follow Azwar too, so I put in a slight surged that carried me past Chen (we acknowledged each other) and next to Azwar.   We overtook a few more runners before, as it turned out, our positions more or less remained.  At the 5km mark, I caught a glimpse of my watch- the time was 20:51.  Before that, we had caught this tiny Malay runner in an orange vest.  The 3 of us ran together up to around the 8km mark.  This tiny fella is one feisty runner who ran a very consistent pace and refused to give up his place even when his position was under threat by the both of us.  Kudos to him for running tough.  Ronnie was always ahead, some 100-150 meters away, and he was very consistent, so I was no threat to him.

 

The 3 of us (me, Azwar and the tiny fella) ran the downhills, the flats and the slight uphills hard.  By the 8km mark I was starting to feel the effects of the pace and I dropped back up to around 15 meters behind them while they pushed on relentlessly.  On to the final 1.5km or so where there is a slight (but killer) uphill when you’re at the end of the race and all you want to see is the finish line. I was suffering but I maintained the pace.  Before the U-turn at the traffic lights, I turned around to see how far ahead I was of the remainder of the pack- I could see Kenny in the distance, probably 70-80 meters behind. 

 

Into the stadium, I ran as hard as I could.  Finishing time- 41: 46.  A PR in the distance for me, and I was 24^th placed.

 

Was given a letter to collect a gift for our efforts.  I got this wrapped box- the contents turned out to be Uncle Toby’s bars and some Cappuccino biscuits. 

 

 

Post race analysis

 

Overall I’m satisfied with my performance.  Having been in a bit of a funk since the NB 15k race, this was a good finishing time for me.  I wasn’t feeling well, and my aim was to complete the race within 45 minutes. 

 

In my excitement I started off too fast (3:30 in the first km) but I adjusted and more or less kept my pace.  I started lagging behind by the 8km mark, so I know now what my weakness is.  Compared to Ronnie and Azwar, I wasn’t as sharp as they were.  They just had that extra snap which I didn’t have. 

 

Still, let’s put my performance into perspective- the SJ 10k in 2002 was my first ever race, which I completed in 52 minutes.  Since then, I’ve improved my timing by almost 11 minutes.  A sub 40 minutes 10k is within reach..  More training is required to work on those weaknesses.

 

 

Post race breakfast

 

Jeanne, Kenneth and I walked back to my house.  I went into the kitchen and I saw plenty of eggs there- I didn’t know that nasi lemak has already been prepared for my running friends.  I thought there was no breakfast and we were all either going to a nearby mamak, or we were gonna ta-pau our food and eat it at my place.  Anyway more of the runners turned up for the breakfast before I was completely taken by surprise- Jeanne walked out with a birthday cake and everyone started signing me the “Happy Birthday” song!  I was quite shy and embarrassed!!! But I was also very pleasantly and happily surprised!  Thereafter Ronnie and gang presented me with a birthday gift- a Nike Pegasus shoes!  I was so overwhelmed and touched with the gesture.  So, to everyone who made it for breakfast at my house, and those who didn’t but contributed to the gift, a BIG THANK YOU to all!  I really appreciate it. 

 

·                     LIST OF RUNNERS:

·                     RONNIE SEE

·                     RACHEL LEE

·                     JAMIE PANG

·                     RYAN TEOH

·                     TEY ENG TIONG

·                     PHYLLIS KOK 

·                     JASON LIM

·                     ROHAIZAD

·                     ADAM LOH

·                     HAIRUL AZWAR

·                     AZWAR WIFE

·                     KENNETH TEH

·                     JULIAN CHAN

·                     KELVIN NG

·                     YONG FROM KLCC

BUSY CANT MAKE IT

·                     JOVIET SIM BOON HAW

·                     CHEN KEAT HOONG

·                     KENNY TAN

·                     WOOFY WOOF

·                     NEWTON YAP

 

After breakfast we visited Ajeep who is recuperating at the Sunway Medical Centre.  He seemed in good spirits.  Get well soon, dude.   We hope our loud presence made you feel better. 

 

Crashed at home for the rest of the day.