It took a while for me to take part for a 2nd marathon after the first one way back in 2011. It seems so difficult for me to be part of each marathon held in Malaysia when you are alone. And I don't mind being alone - while running.... I just need friends to push me.
The day has come and I've prepared myself mental and physical... I hope :)
The weather was fine when it was always raining all the time for a few days before. It was cool breezing even when the sun came out. Reached not really that early but still managed to get a by roadside parking near the Wilayah Persekutuan Mosque..... Could not find my friend while waiting at the starting line, while she was so nearby...... So I just run, alone, when the horn sound abruptly exactly at 7.00 am. But I'm not a professional runner so I did not even to think to survey the route area....
Running start at Menara Matrade, Kuala Lumpur....
The route was designed to run along Jalan Duta and Jalan Kuching then past across Publika Solaris Dutamas, Istana Negara and Hartamas Shopping centre. That I knew when given the route map a week earlier by the organizer. The thing that I was not prepared was to run when the route was full of hills. They require runners to run up and down the hills for several times and I feel like running up the hills have more distant than running down. It was damn tough!!
Luckily I was trained to hike mountains for hours so I was kind of fit to walk non-stop up the hills. Yes, walk ok. That's all I could do to finish the race by walking up with same tempo non-stop and then run easily down the terrain. I kind of respect for those runners who able to run all the way up and down till the finish line.
There were twists along the route whereby they provide an interesting obstacle for runners. Actually there were two of them. First, runners have to jump over water barriers while running uphill (of course for me I could only climb up the barrier while walking up the hill) and second, go through the mini labyrinth formed by metal barricades at the very end near the finish line.
After 2 hours and 7 minutes tough walk and run, I have finally reach the finish line. And I glad that able to finish it at 9.15 am before the race-cut-time at 9.30 am. Otherwise I would not be able to received the finisher medal.
Even though I was quite disappointed not able to achieve my target time for 1hr 30mins, I was proud I could finish it within the time. I realized that I need better training and motivation to run like a runner.
