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Race Review: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018 (by Vincent Khor)

Vincent Khor
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Race Review: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018 (by Vincent Khor)

SCKLM2018: 10 Years Running (8 years running for me)

When Standard Chartered KL Marathon was first organised 10 years ago in 1999, I was still recovering from slipped dic and not into running yet. During that time, running was only starting to boom in Malaysia.  I remember I was dragged by my then-colleagues to run with them in mid 2010 in preparation for their Penang Bridge International Marathon. I could barely run 3km then!

Little did I know that my running life has grown over the years with Standard Chartered KL Marathon. And every year, I have been so looking forward to running the streets of Kuala Lumpur at SCKLM.

Great thanks to SCKLM’s new feature this year providing participants with their participation history! ere is my SCKLM participation history thus far:

  • 2011: I lost my half marathon virginity (HMV) to Standard Chartered KL Marathon (net time 01:54:07).
  • 2012: I lost my full marathon virginity (FMV) to Standard Chartered KL Marathon (net time 4:38:55).
  • 2013: I ran full marathon at Standard Chartered KL Marathon again with a mere 37 second improvement.
  • 2014: I finally broke sub 4:30 hour in full marathon at Standard Chartered KL Marathon (net time 4:06:42).
  • 2015: Standard Chartered KL Marathon was unfortunately canceled due to poor haze condition.
  • 2016: I finally broke into sub 4:00 hour in full marathon at Standard Chartered KL Marathon (net time 3:52:23)
  • 2017: I didn’t manage to finish within 4:00 hours at Standard Chartered KL Marathon but thankfully I still managed to make it within 4:30 hours (net time of 4:26:27). ?
7 years running + SCKLM2018 = 8 years running!

SCKLM2018: Run For A Reason (RFAR)

How about SCKLM2018? My 8th year running at SCKLM? Should I run 42km and attempt to do another sub 4:00 hour at SCKLM2018? Or should I downgrade myself to 21km? ? When I told my friends that I decided to run only 21km at SCKLM2018, their jaws dropped! They kept asking me again and again, “Are you sure, Vincent? You are going to run only 21km at SCKLM2018? I thought you never run 21km race and only 42km?” hahahahahaha!

My friends were right though! To date, I ran 32 full / ultra marathons and only 7 half marathons! I ran more full marathons than half marathons! lol! And my last half marathon race actually dated back to 2015’s Seremban Half Marathon until I won a complimentary free slot though Saucony Malaysia to run the Bukit Jalil Half Marathon 2018. lol!

Anyway, the main reason for me to register for only 21km at SCKLM2018 was because I have run five (5) full marathons within four (4) months, namely:

  • February 2018: Tokyo Marathon 2018 (net time 3:53)
  • January 2018: Twincity Marathon 2018 (net time 3:59)
  • December 2017: Klang City International Marathon 2017 (net time 4:19)
  • November 2017: Penang Bridge International Marathon 2017 (net time 4:33)
  • November 2017: Taiwan Rice Heaven Tianzhong Marathon 2017 (net time 3:49)

Crazy me, huh? haha! My physical body has been feeling rather tired from the 5 full marathons within 4 months. Hey! I’m no longer young, you know! haha! At 50, I think my age is taking a toll on me even though my heart is willing to run more full marathons in short span of time! I thought I should really listen to my body and give it a good rest. Anyway, if you are interested to read the race reviews, you can click here.

Meanwhile, I was thinking of giving back to the society by helping to raise funds for charity organisation through “Run For A Reason” program at SCKLM2018. The first charity organisation that came to my mind was Hospis Malaysia because I personally had three personal experiences with Hospis Malaysia helping out my close friends’ family.

I’m very grateful to the kindhearted supportive friends who generously donated a total of RM1,810 to this good cause. You know who you are! Thank you very much for your kindness! ? May you all be richly blessed! ?

Run For A Reason – Run for Hospis Malaysia

Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC)

The same with last year, SCKLM2018 race entry pack collection (REPC) was held at KL Convention Centre. I reached there at 5pm on the first REPC day (Thursday 5 April) and there was no crowd at all. It took me less than 5 minutes receive my race entry pack! Very fast and efficient indeed!

I understand that in the morning and on Saturday there were huge crowds. I was glad that I went there at perfect timing with no crowd! I didn’t spend much time at the exhibition because I just came back from the huge Tokyo Marathon Expo (with hundreds of exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors to the expo as large as Malaysia’s Travel Fair MATTA). And I already bought myself two new pairs of Saucony running shoes there. My running gear quota for 2018 is over! lol! ?

By the way, I told myself that for SCKLM2018, I wanted to find every single opportunity to give thanks to volunteers and the people who have worked relentlessly for this 10th anniversary. So I chatted with the volunteers thanking them for their work. They were really happy for the appreciation given to them.

Route Map: Half Marathon (21.1km)

SCKLM2018 Route Map – Half Marathon 21.1km

SCKLM Half Marathon (21.1km) has a new route in 2018. The route is totally different from the route I ran back in 2011. From the route map, we can see that the route brings runners to run pass beautiful KL landmarks – KL City Centre, KL Tower, National Museum and of course Merdeka Square.  This 21km route also covers hills and highway giving runners a very good variety of views and city elevations to enjoy! A little wish: it would be even more perfect if the half marathon runners can run along Jalan Ampang or Japan Sultan Ismail running passed the beautiful KLCC Petronas Twin Tower in future. ?

SCKLM2018 Half Marathon (21.1km) Flagoff

SCKLM2018 Half Marathon Flagoff

I woke up at 3.15am, took the 4:15am free LRT Sri Petaling line (thanks Digiro Events for providing free LRT train service!) to Masjid Jamid Station. I was glad to have bumped into a friend who was planing to run his first 21km. So we took the train together.

After putting my bag at the baggage bag counter. A very efficient and smooth process by the way! And yes, I also chatted with volunteer there who were there since 10pm the night before. I also thanked them for their contribution.

I then headed to the start line. My friend went to Pen 4 and I went to Pen 1. I was very glad to have met some running friends at Pen 1 whom we run together during Sunday LSDs at Padang Merbok.

Was I nervous? Not at all! ? In fact, I was totally relaxed because this wasn’t 42km mah! hahaha! It was already my off running season anyway! 🙂 I knew that if nothing unforeseen happened, I should be able to complete 21km within the 3:00 cut off time. Besides, I wasn’t putting much expectation to this run as I wanted to run by feel and enjoy this SCKLM2018 21km experience!

Most importantly, I was going to run for three reasons with a grateful heart:

  1. To honour my friends who donated to Hospis Malaysia.
  2. To show appreciation to the selfless workers behind Hospis Malaysia helping the sick.
  3. To remember our dear Evelyn Ang, who would have been one of SCKLM2018 pacers

We were all excited! As the flagoff started sharp at 5:30am, we were all ready to rock Kuala Lumpur – the whole 21.1km of it!!

SCKLM2018 Half Marathon (21.1km) Race

The weather was very kind to us at 24 degree celsius – much cooler than last year’s SCKLM2017. It made the whole running even more enjoyable!

If you know me well, you know that I usually wear running singlet to run. So far, I only ran twice with running tee before SCKLM2018 – Chiangmai Marathon 2014 and Tokyo Marathon 2018 – due to cooler weather. But I decided to wear the light blue RFAR (Run For A Reason) running tee to run at SCKLM2018 to further support the cause and reason for my run! Besides, I really love love love love love the light blue running tee! It’s so so so beautiful with the very light comfortable material! Great thanks to Brooks and Hospis Malaysia for the running tee! I felt great wearing it! With my white/blue Saucony Kinvara 8 which I also wore to run at Tokyo Marathon 2018, it was a perfect match in heaven!! lol! ?

Photo credit: Mr Chan WK. Thank you!

During the first few kilometres, I was running with TPRC’s beautiful Grace. Then I continued to run at my own pace without checking regularly on my Garmin Vivoactive GPS watch. I just wanted to run by feel, checking out the beautiful scenery along the route, and completing the race without injury. I also wanted to run prayerfully with the three reasons in mind. Now you know why I was so relaxed!! I could smile while running too! lol!

Photo credit: David Lau / MY Runners. Thank you!

As you could see from below analysis from my Garmin Vivoactive GPS watch, my pace continued to drop and drop and drop! haha! The fastest 1km was 4:07/km at the beginning when I was too excited! And the slowest pace was 6:00/km at KM16. I’m horrible in speed! I can’t really run speedily! I enjoy endurance running (ahem! yes yes – full marathons! lol!) more than speed running! I’m worried the heart of this old uncle couldn’t take the heart pounding stress of the speed! ?

Overall, I managed to achieve an average pace of 5:13/km, an average run cadence of 185 spm and average stride strength of 1.04m with maximum elevation gain of 224m. 

I really love the water stations. Virtually I could take a shower with about one water station for every 2km or so. And not to forget the ample supply of Luxozade Sport isotonic drink! Kudos to Dirigo Events for ensuring all runners were hydrated well! At any opportunity that I had, I also said thank you to the volunteers at the water stations with a smile!

May be that’s why there were also plenty of mobile toilets along the route. For the last few full marathons (including Tokyo Marathon, Twincity Marathon, etc) I had a habit to use mobile toilets. I remember during Penang Bridge International Bridge Marathon I used the mobile toilet twice! So hey runners – no need to worry if you need to go to pee frequently like me if you were to run SCKLM! ?

And yes, I managed to snap a banana to eat too. All the while I thought only full marathoners got to enjoy the banana station! I was happy to see banana at one of the stations around KM10. Awesome! Just in time for my hungry stomach on a beautiful Sunday morning! lol!
Oh – how could I forget the high-spirited performers along the route at strategic locations? They helped to put a smile on my face! It reminded me of Tokyo Marathon with may performers at strategic location as well. The only difference was that at Tokyo Marathon, the speakers were very loud making all runners wanna sing and dance along! haha! But hey – kudos to the local performers! You were great, awesome and entertaining! Great job! I smiled at them, said thank you to them, and waved my hands to them to show my appreciation! Without them, the streets would be silent with the running steps of runners!

 

Photo credit: SCKLM’s official photographer. Thank you!

I also noticed at various places, there were also quite a number of supporters cheering along, especially towards the finish line! It really made all of us runners pumped up for the last dash! Thank you!

And yes – I will never forget the safety measure taken by Dirigo Events! There were plenty of marshals and traffic controller at strategic locations. Roads were fully closed for runners to run peacefully! Safety cones were placed along the route. In comparison to Klang International City Marathon 2017, I could barely see a safety cone within my sight! But at SCKLM2018, I actually counted the number of safety cones at around KM18. My stride length was around 1.04m. And I counted that for every 15 steps I ran, I saw a safety cone! That was a safety cone for every 15 meters! I was really impressed by it! At that particular moment, I thought of the greatness and awesomeness, and selfless sacrifice of Evelyn Ang. Because of her, we have a better and safer races to run in Malaysia. Thank you @missyblurkit ! You will always be remembered!

Oh yes!! The awesome photographers along the route. Thank you thank you to all of you who snapped nice beautiful photos of us! You have done such a marvellous job! I really love the photos! I am going to make it my profile picture! hahaha! Thank you once again!

Photo credit: SCKLM’s official photographer. Thank you!

About the route, there were 2 places where full marathoners and half marathoners merged and ran together. If I remember correctly, it was at KM25 for FM (Duke Highway) and KM38 for FM close to Carcosa Seri Negara area.  

At Duke Highway, I saw Padang Merbok running friend Little Ling at Duke Highway! At that particular moment, I was thinking to myself, “Hey! How I wish I could run FM like him! I miss running full marathon!” Then I realised that full marathoners probably would have run for 2.5 hours already by then since they started 1.5 hour earlier! I then started to emphasise with full marathoners. I gave some encouraging word to Little Ling before I continued to run at my pace by feel again.

Then at Carcosa Seri Negara area, I saw Malaysia Women Open Champion Chooi Fern making a u-turn running down from Jalan Parliament to merge with us half marathoners! I was so excited for her! I shouted out her name but she was really focusing on her run! Shameless me – I thought I was running half marathon and I probably could try to follow behind her back to finish line. At that point, there were 4 more kilometres to go to finish line! In actual fact, I already slowed down with the hills. But seeing her run passed me, she really motivated me to pick up my speed again trying my best to follow behind! hahaha! I was really shameless! I couldn’t follow behind her for even 500 meters! She was so so fast!  I started to feel really old! hahaha! Just joking! Anyway, I felt so happy for her! A big congratulation to her for being the Malaysian female champion. Oh yes, I also saw another friend Cayson. I didn’t get to say hi to him though. He was behind Chooi Fern not far away at the point.

(Side note: I understand that more than 300 runners cheated at SCKLM2018. Some cheaters even finished within sub 4:00 hour! I suspect these two places (KM25 and KM38) provided the chance for the cheaters to take short cuts! I really don’t know! Just a guess! Sigh!)

After that, I just enjoyed the cheers along the route to the finish line. I saw one supporter showing the sign “Crispy Chicken Rendang”! I burst into laughter asking her if there was crispy chicken rendang at finish line! She jokingly said, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”.  Such a cheerful lady!

SCKLM2018 Finish Line

Yay! I finally completed a very enjoyable happy 21km race at SCKLM2018. I had so much fun indeed. Oh the finisher medal – it could revolve! The finisher medal was made with such a high quality! Instantly, I have fallen in love with it and it now becomes one of my most favourite finisher medals along with Tokyo Marathon finisher medal! Just love the design and quality!

Finish line – happy me!
Beautiful revolving medal! #10yearsrunning #scklm2018

Why I was so happy at finish line? I didn’t feel very tired – like running a full marathon! haha! I was also very happy because I could a chance to take photos with some friends whom I usually don’t get a chance to take photos with at all. Besides taking photo with Grace who completed with an awesome ranking and time at half marathon,

Beautiful Grace!

I also had a very very very very very rare opportunity to take photos with all the sub 4-hour elites!!! Hey – if I were to run full marathon, I might still be suffering on the way back to finish line!! But on SCKLM2018 finish line, I could happily greet my dear Ironman cousin Chan Jun Shen and some of my sub 4-hour elite friends (Khoo Kay Hao, Rooney, Cayson, and Lim Huat) ! What an honour to be able to take selfies with them! I could only smell their fart and see the smoke and probably I couldn’t even see their shadows at a full marathon! They are simply too too too fast for me! I was so inspired by them. At the same time, I also gotta accept the reality of my own ability and be contented with what I could achieve. After all, they are elites! I’m a regular runner mah! hehe!!

Selfies with all sub 4-hour FM Elites Chan Jun Shen, Khoo Kay Hao, Cayson, Rooney and Lim Huat! You inspire me!!

SCKLM2018 Results

I must say I’m very impressed by this year’s improved version of SCKLM mobile app! It provides Live Tracking, Results, Race Day Program, Course Map, and even Selfie! Wow! A really great mobile app indeed!

I love Live Tracking the most! I could track my friends and find out their finish times. Simply amazing!

Awesome SCKLM mobile app

The E-cert was immediately available the next day (Monday).  The e-certificate design is very nice with KL Skyline as the backdrop and “10 Years Running”.

How about my time? I managed to complete happily and rather relaxingly (compared to full marathon! haha!) with a net time of 1:51, ranked 35 at my veteran category. It wasn’t my best HM time but I wasn’t bothered by my time anyway. I was just happy to have completed SCKLM2018 21km race for the three reasons:

  1. To honour my friends who donated to Hospis Malaysia.
  2. To show appreciation to the selfless workers behind Hospis Malaysia helping the sick.
  3. To remember our dear Evelyn Ang, who would have been one of SCKLM2018 pacers

Everyelse came as a bonus! 🙂

Closing Thoughts

I must say that Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018 made the 10th anniversary a great success! It has improved greatly over the years! After running twenty over full marathon races in Malaysia, I would like to rate SCKLM as the most well-organised, most high-quality, and most technically-savvy running event in Malaysia. On the safety aspect, I would also like to rate it as #1 for city races, and closely after Penang Bridge International Marathon (due to the full road closure running on the bridge throughout 42 km) overall. Kudos to Dirigo Events!

Thank you once again to friends who donated a total of RM1,810 for Hospis Malaysia. This run was a special dedication to you!

And thank you Dirigo Events for the complimentary running slot for media. I really appreciate this chance-of-a-lifetime experience as a blogger. A blogger? me? hahaha! I actually just enjoy writing to share my experiences to inspire one or two runners out there to do their best! I don’t even quality myself as a blogger! I’m forever remembering this life experience in my blogging journey.

And yes – to our beloved Evelyn Ang. I managed to live, laugh, love, and run. (I have written an article about Evelyn Ang’s life motto. You can read it by clicking here. )

Will I join SCKLM2019? Most certainly! For me, SCKLM2018 was my 8 years running. And I would continue my 9 years running, 10 years running, etc with Standard Chartered KL Marathon in future!

Aerobic vs Anaerobic Training For Runners

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Aerobic vs Anaerobic Training For Runners

Our body primarily has 2 ways of meeting our energy demands – aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Different sport uses different systems to produce the required energy. The secret here is to train specific to the distance you are running. This means that if your sport primarily uses the aerobic system to produce energy, this is the system that you should pay most attention to during your training, vice-versa.

Aerobic

Aerobic respiration is when the body produces energy in the presence of oxygen. The oxygen you breath in is sufficient to sustain the intensity of your workout. The waste products of this process are carbon dioxide and water.

You can look at aerobic exercises as one that involves sustained effort such as marathon running.

Anaerobic

Anaerobic respiration is when the body produces energy without the presence of oxygen. When you are undergoing anaerobic training, your body is not supplied with sufficient oxygen to produce the energy to meet the demands of your body. During this process, instead of producing just carbon dioxide and water as a waste product, it also produces lactate. It is this lactate that causes the burning sensation in your muscles.

You can look at anaerobic exercises as one that involves high-intensity effort such as an all-out sprint.

What You Need To Know?

You should be training for the particular distance or event you will be taking part in. For instance, if you’re training for the marathon distance, you should be training your aerobic system – the ability to sustain an effort. You should not be training your anaerobic system. Doing 5 all-out sprints of 100 meters every day won’t get you a good marathon-timing. This is because your time, effort and dedication is spent training up your body’s anaerobic system to be more efficient instead of the aerobic system – the system that matters in the marathon distance. For the marathon distance – the more time you spend training aerobically, the more benefits you will reap.

What You Need To Do?

First of all, you need to determine the energy system that is being primarily used for your sport. Think of the intensity and whether the effort is a sustained or intermittent one. Design your training programme to simulate the sport by training the same energy systems employed during your sport. But remember that most sport will employ both energy systems, so it is good to cross-train.

For instance, during the final kilometers of your marathon, you will try and push up your pace. At this point, oxygen levels in your body may not be sufficient to meet the energy demands of your body. It is also at this point that your body may start using the anaerobic system to produce energy.

This is why it is also important to include interval training even if you are training for a marathon!

Iskandar Puteri Night Marathon 2018: Flag-off Times, Road Closures and Last Minute Information

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Iskandar Puteri Night Marathon 2018: Flag-off Times, Road Closures and Last Minute Information

It’s happening this weekend! Runners will take the streets of Johor to conquer the distance of their choice!

It’s going to be a magnificent day to attempt personal bests and achieve a new distance. As we are psyched for the flag-off, here are some important last minute information for all runners.

Flag-off times

The first flag-off (42 km) will be at 20:00 pm. This will be followed by the 21 km flag off at 20:30 pm, 10 km flag off at 20:45 pm and finally the 5 km flag off at 21:00 pm.

Route & Hydration Information

Log your time at JustRaceLah! – The Free App for Runners

Keep track of your results and progress by adding any of the 1000+ races of our database to your own portfolio. Keep your running memories organised and see your timings improving!

Download for free of iOS and Android via: www.justracelah.com

Road Closure Advisory

Parking Venues

Shuttle Bus Information

Race-Pack Collection Information

We hope you have a great race experience! Don’t forget to tag your photos with #justrunlah on Instagram!

See you at the finish line!

Recovery Runs: Why Are They So Important!

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Recovery Runs: Why Are They So Important!

It may seem somewhat counter-intuitive. After a hard run or race, we are more inclined to sit back, relax, chill and do nothing. However, what your body really needs after a hard race is for you to go out on a run – the recovery run.

What Is The Recovery Run?

The purpose of the Recovery Run is to facilitate recovery. It is designed to be short and easy-paced and most importantly relaxing. You should not come out of a recovery run feeling exhausted and breathless. Do not defeat its purpose by going any faster than necessary.

The Kenyans know how to train hard, but also know how to recover well. They start off their recovery runs at a 6min/km pace and end at a 5min/km pace. Bear in mind this is given their 3.30min/km tempo run pace. This probably gives you a gauge on how slow a recovery run should be. Recovery runs may seem painstakingly slow, but that is the point of the run – to recover, not to make yourself more tired.

Why The Recovery Run?

It is believed that the recovery run has multiple physical benefits. Firstly it promotes blood circulation and hence increases the rate of removal of waste products in our body. This increase blood flow also helps promote the recovery of the microscopic tears that happen to our muscles. These tears are usually the aftermath of a hard and tough session.

How?

Pick a gentle flat course to do your recovery run. If you’re already having muscle soreness and fatigue, running on a hilly or undulating course may induce even more fatigue. Hilly courses tend to cause your heart rate to spike up which is the opposite of what you want during a recovery run.

Running on soft surfaces such as grass also makes for a good recovery run. You could even go into the trails and go for a leisure hike as your recovery process. Just be sure that it’s a leisure hike, not a tough trail run.

Photo Credit: Runtastic

Always remind yourself the purpose of the recovery run – it is to facilitate recovery, not induce more fatigue. You should feel comfortable throughout your whole run. In fact, it is best to do this with a running buddy and be able to chit chat all the way. This is a sure way to ensure that you aren’t going too fast.

Cover Photo Credits: Realbuzz

Read More:

  1. 4 Tips To Help You Recover From Your Marathon Faster 
  2. 6 Tips To Recover Like An Olympian
  3. Run A Faster 10 km or 21 km With These 5 Key Workouts 

Malaysian Woman Set To Create History To Be The First Malaysian Woman To Complete The Marathon des Sables

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Malaysian Woman Set To Create History To Be The First Malaysian Woman To Complete The Marathon des Sables

Datin’ Sue Ding is set to create a historic moment for Malaysia. She is flying the Malaysian flag high in the Marathon des Sables (MdS) and is on her way to become the first Malaysian woman to complete this race. She is currently on day 4 of the race, with 2 more stages to complete.

The Marathon des Sables is a grueling challenging 250 km set in the Sahara desert, Morocco. It is a race for you to go beyond your limits. You race under crazy conditions for 6 days. This race has been considered the toughest footrace on the planet. You really need to be fit – both mentally and physically.

Datin’ Sue Ding is a lawyer based in London. She is running to raise money for 2 causes – Make A Wish Malaysia (MAWM) and Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB). MAWM fulfills the wishes of children with critical illnesses. They make their dreams come true. MDDB, on the other hand, gives street dogs a better home. If you would like to commend her for her bravery, grit, and strength – click here!

Datin’ Sue Ding is running with the bib number 784. You can drop her words of admiration and encouragement over here! She is a true inspiration.

Source & Photo Credits: The Star Online

Hiking in Malaysia – 5 Mountains To Conquer

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Hiking in Malaysia – 5 Mountains To Conquer

Here are 5 hiking trails that will challenge you but give you an overwhelming sense of satisfaction upon arriving at the summit. Challenge yourself to a new adventure by conquering all these mountain trails.

#1 Gunung Ledang, Johor

Photo Credits: Hikingrifting

Gunung Ledang stands 1267m high and is the highest mountain in Johor. It takes a reasonably fit person 5 -6 hours to arrive at the summit and 4 -5 hours back down. You will come across steep rocky faces that you would need to climb with the aid of ropes. This is why it is mandatory to engage with a guide in order to be permitted to hike this mountain. There are 2 main trails you – via Asahan or via Sagil. The via Asahan distance is slightly longer but with more challenging rock climbs.

#2 Gunung Yong Belar, Perak

Gunung Yong Belar is the 3rd highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia, standing at 2,181m high. It takes a reasonably fit person 5 – 6 hours to summit and 4 – 5 hours back down. The trails are undulating, but, gives you great views from atop. The total distance to be traveled is 10.5 km in and another 10.5 km out, making it 21 km in total. You start from Blue Valley in Cameron. You have options to park at the Kwan Tee Temple or Kampung Raja and arrange for a 4 wheel drive to bring you to the trailhead.

#3 Gunung Korbu & Gunung Gayong, Perak

Photo Credits: SOS Malaysia

Standing at 2,183m high, Gunung Korbu is the 2nd highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia. It is mandatory to get a permit from the forestry department in order to be able to summit Korbu. Many people will plan to conquer Mount Gayong in the same expedition because Mount Gayong stands 2.4 km away from Korbu. Mount Gayong is the 4th highest peak at 2,173m high. This trek is known as Korga.

#4 Gunung Trusmadi, Sabah

Gunung Trusmadi is the 2nd highest peak in Sabah after Kinabalu standing at 2,642m. The trail is less tourist-friendly, offering you a thrilling adventure experience. You will also need to engage a mountain guide for this hike. There are 3 different trails you can take to the peak, but the most popular trail is via Tambunan which is only a distance of 4.9 km to the peak. Most people take 2 days 1 night to complete this hike.

#5 Gunung Tahan, Pahang

Photo Credits: The Skop

Conquer the highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia standing at 2,187m. It challenges you. If you’re looking to do this in a day hike – the Tahan Climbathon in your chance to conquer this peak in a day. The climb up and down is 32 km in distance. Look out for the dates of the 2019 edition!

Cover Photo Credits: Travelled Paths

Read More:

  1. 6 Cool Staircases To Climb Around The World
  2. 4 Most Anticipated Trail Races Across Asia Pacific
  3. 6 Races In Australia You Must Run

Why You Should & How To Watch The 2018 Boston Marathon

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Why You Should & How To Watch The 2018 Boston Marathon

It’s going to be an exciting race to watch, especially the women’s race considering the depth of the competition. This could very well be the first time an American woman wins the race in 33 years.

Why You Should Watch The Boston Marathon?

Jordan Hasay – Jordan Hasay killed it last year by destroying the US marathon debut time by almost 3 minutes. Her 2:23:00 clocking is by far the fastest debut ever for an American woman. Jordan Hasay’s marathon wasn’t just a great debut, it was a fantastic marathon. She then went on to run the second fastest marathon time ever ran by an American in the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:20:22. She is going to be one to watch.

Photo Credits: Boston Marathon

Shalene Flanagan – Boston Marathon has always held a special significance to Shalene Flanagan. Back in 2017, she edged out current Marathon World Record Holder and 3-time event champion Mary Keitany to be crowned Champion. She took home a major title under her belt. The 4 time Olympian crossed the line with a time of 2:26:53 and can she do it one more time in Boston?

Molly Huddle – Molly Huddle is a two-time Olympian that holds the 5,000m Amercian Record (broken by Shannon Rowbury) and the 10,000m American Record. She is also the American half-marathon Record holder. Just in March, Molly Huddle beat Jordan Hasay by 50 seconds in the 2018 US 15k champs. The Boston Marathon will be the 2nd marathon she will run and we look forward to seeing the things she can do at her Boston debut.

Photo Credits: Flotrack

Desiree Linden – The two-time Olympian needs no introduction. She represented the United States in the marathon distance at the London Olympics back in 2012 and the Rio Olympics in 2016. Her personal best of 2:22:38 is a competitive time that could challenge for the title.

Deena Kastor – Deena Kastor is a star. She holds the American Record in the marathon distance and half marathon distance (recently broken by Molly Huddle). Her American Record in the marathon set back in 2006 still stands She is also an Olympic Medallist – winning the bronze in the Athens Olympics back in 2004. Last year, Edna Kiplagat (age 38) showed us that old is gold when she won the Boston Marathon and completely destroying her competition. Can Deena Kastor show us old is gold once again?

Photo Credits: deenakastor.com

Edna Kiplagat – Defending champion Edna Kiplagat destroyed her competition back in Boston Marathon 2017. She ran so fast that the camera could not even capture her with her competition in the same frame. She ran a monster surge of 3 minute/km split on heartbreak hill, to which her competition could not give a response. Can she do it one more time?

How To Watch?

CBS Boston will be live-streaming the race. However, their online streaming rights end at the borders of New England.

Cover Photo Credits: AP Photos

Read More:

  1. Boston Marathon 2017 Moments
  2. What To Expect At The 2018 Boston Marathon – Fierce Competition
  3. Interview With A New Mum of 10 Months – Qualified For Boston Marathon

 

My Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2018 [HM] (by Lingderella)

Lingderella
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My Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2018 [HM] (by Lingderella)

This is my third SCKLM, just when I thought I remembered myself saying no more SCKLM last year and taadaa I’m back again! I can’t be trusted when I say no more signing up for runs! ? (I also don’t believe many of my running friends when they say no more races because exactly at the next moment we are looking up what’s up for races and registering again ?) Since past year runners have the privilege to register again for the run so why not? ?

Last year, Willis and I ran the 42.195km marathon category when I was having a terrible flu, which now I thought I was crazy to show up and run. This year, we ran the half marathon and the consideration of no show even crossed my mind because I didn’t have enough sleep ? It’s easy to find excuses not to run but told myself it’s silly to DNS just because of lack of sleep and we traveled all the way from Singapore, took a flight then Grab from KLIA to REPC at KLCC. I slept around 10pm the night before the run but woke up around 2am and couldn’t sleep though I set my alarm to 4.40am. Flag off was at 5.30am and this 4.40am was good enough timing for us to get prepared and get to the event venue but I was awake and couldn’t get back to sleep. We stayed at Pacific Express Hotel which is about 5 minutes walk to the start point at Merdeka Square and the whole hotel is full of runners running SCKLM from all over the world and runners from all over Malaysia as well (runners is pretty easy to identify with the watch, shoes and tee shirts ?).

Though I’ve stayed there two years ago but it didn’t seem so bad last time. Shall try out other hotel next time as there’s plenty of hotels nearby the start as well. We spotted cockroach in the room and hoped that we won’t take it back home with us accidentally ? I also woke up with both my hands and legs itchy with what seems like insects bites, which we thought might be bed bugs ? Still got many things for me to rant on about the hotel such as the lift is super slow waited super long and etc but well, I’ll just try other place next time.

Flag off was on time and we reached the race site just minutes before flag off. What I like about these major races is that you’re already assigned to a pen based on your estimated finishing time, so there’s not a need to go to the start pen early ?

SCKLM route is well known for its many killer upslopes but luckily I have Willis. He had been accompanying me, running by my side from start to finish for all the runs that we’re participating in together, supporting me and motivating me ? Thanks to him the 21km was easier because he literally support me by giving me a slight push at all the upslopes which had made the slopes so much easier to beat ? Is that considered “cheating”? ? Well.. After my last 42.195km in SCHKM, I’m on battery low mode, like I’m in the “red bar blinking” zone that the battery will be flat any moment, I simply have no energy and motivation to do long runs and only runs like 5kms and 10kms at most and attempted a 14km which is my longest distance since SCHKM, just 2 weeks prior to SCKLM. So I’m actually quite worried I would get puncture and walk a lot. It’s like that SCHKM in January had took away all my energy, passion and motivation to run. I’m even using SCKLM and the upcomings half marathons such as the Iskandar Puteri Night Marathon (MY) and Income Eco Run (SG) as LSD for the upcoming Gold Coast Marathon. Honestly, to me it’s scary and not easy to run a 42.195km ? But like I said, next moment I may be signing up another marathon again because I have that very contradicting love hate relationship with running ? Really hands, knees and head down to those Supermans and Wonderwomans who do countless of marathons and ultras a year.

The temperature was considered cooling to me at 25 degrees when we were flagged off and this 21km is a just nice distance category for me, not too long, not too short. What’s best was when we completed the run, the sun isn’t out yet to BBQ us. But I was sweaty and I really enjoyed the sponges given out at the hydration points. I think I was holding sponges for more than half the distance throughout. It’s simply awesome! Dabbing it on my neck and face is super shiok and refreshing ? If it’s soaked in iced water it would be even more perfect ?

Other than the hilly route, I think it’s time the roads got to do some repairs ? Many big holes and road is pretty uneven eh ? Hope everyone eyes got open big big and had a safe run and no runners trip and fall. I must say that I really love the support along the route, hydration points loaded with cold water and Lucozade, bananas and cold sponges and volunteers and supporters are so full of energy and they are so supportive. Love the live bands along the way too! ? Like always, the last 1km is just great, with many supporters just cheering and holding signboards with motivational words for runners to go all out for the last distance to the finishing line

A gesture that I always appreciates at end of the run is that the medals is hanged on the runners neck and not passed to wrapped in a plastic bag. Thank you volunteers! ? This year’s medal design is very nice! A new addition added to my collection ? It can spin and the lanyard have pretty floral design! ? Makes me wonder should I head back SCHKM again next year for their pretty running human pendant on their finished medal?
? Conclusion: Pretty medals is one of my motivation to show up and run ? This is my run for a reason ?

4 Things To Remember When Buying Your Next Running Shoe

Mel
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4 Things To Remember When Buying Your Next Running Shoe

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to running shoes. The perfect shoe for me, may not feel the same to you. However, you yourself know what you want from a shoe – whether it is lightweight, support, cushioning or just a comfortable fit. Here are some things to take note of before buying your next pair of shoes. Afterall, you are going to be logging hundreds of miles in it, you’d want to make sure they are the right shoes for you. Plus, shoes these days don’t come cheap.

Weight

Photo Credits: Street Pro Running

Some runners love lightweight shoes. However, remember that light shoes normally come at the expense of cushioning. For example, the Mizuno Wave Rider that weighs in at 270 grams definitely has much more cushioning than the Mizuno Wave Emperor that only weighs in at 180 grams. However, the Wave Emperor makes a great racing shoe given its minimal weight. If you’re going the distance, you may want to consider a shoe that offers you some cushioning. So, the Mizuno Ekiden that weighs in at 140 grams may not be a suitable long run or marathon shoe. 

Drop

The shoe drop is the difference in height between the heel and the forefoot measurements. Regular shoes offer a 9 – 12mm drop, whereas minimalist shoes offer a lose to zero heel-to-toe drop. Examples of shoes with a low heel-to-toe drop are Vibram, Altra and Hoka One one. What is important here is to buy a shoe with a drop range that you’re comfortable with. If the pair of shoes you are currently wearing has a heel-to-toe drop of 6mm, you may want to buy a shoe in the similar range when you’re purchasing your next shoe.

Cushioning

Cushioning helps to absorb impact when you’re foot strikes the ground. People on the heavier side have tended to enjoy shoes with a bit more cushioning. They will tend to find lightweight shoes a little lacking. Also, if you intend to run plenty of long runs, cushioning is something you may want to consider when buying your shoe. Although cushioning and lightweight don’t always come hand in hand, there are examples of light shoes that do offer you cushioning. An example would be the Saucony Fast Twitch 8 which weighs in at 180 grams, yet offers you a touch of stability and cushioning.

Stack

Stack height is simply how much material is between the bottom of your foot and the ground. This is different from the heel-to-toe drop. You can have a high stack height but a low heel-to-toe drop. A great example would be the Hoke One One shoes. You will notice the great stack height of the Hoka Challenger or Tracer as compared to an adidas.

Photo Credits: Running Monkey

A lower stack height shoe will deliver a more ground feel as compared to a shoe with a high stack height. So, it depends what kind of feel you want your shoe to deliver.

Remember to take note of what you like in a shoe before buying your next shoe!

Read More:

  1. 4 Must-Have Running Gear For Any Running Geek 
  2. How Often Should You Replace Your Running Shoes?
  3. 6 Tips For Your GPS Watch & Heart Rate Monitor

New Indoor Marathon World Record

Mel
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New Indoor Marathon World Record

Running a marathon is tough enough. How one can run a marathon distance in loops of 200 meters s mind-boggling. Imagine running 211 laps on a 200-meter track to make up the marathon distance. This is exactly what went down at the Uptown Manhattan’s famed Armory for 2 women and 5 men. The 7 of them tackled the marathon distance in 211 loops of 200 meters in an indoor stadium.

The Annual Armory NYC Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge Presented by New York Road Runners is a yearly event. This year, the champions both broke the Indoor Marathon World Record. Lindsey Scherf took home the title with a timing of 2:40:55 and Malcolm Richard was crowned Champion with a timing of 2:19:01.

Both of them had paced themselves meticulously and their pacing was on point. Scherf ran all her laps between 44 – 48 seconds, whereas Richard ran all his laps between 36 – 40 seconds.

They both walked away with a $7,000 prize – $3,000 for winning and a bonus $4,000 for breaking the World Record.

Note that the Indoor World Record and the regular Outdoor (not in an indoor track) World Record is different.

Source: Runner’s World

Cover Photo Credits: Justin Gaymon

More News:

  1. No Finishers For The Barkley Marathon 2018 – Toughest Ultra On The Planet 
  2. New World Record At The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships 2018
  3. Jake Robertson breaks 34-year-old New Zealand Marathon Record

Race Review: 2XU Compression Run 2018 [Half Marathon] (by Maylindateo)

Maylindateo
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Race Review: 2XU Compression Run 2018 [Half Marathon] (by Maylindateo)
  • Race Date: 8 April 2018
  • Venue: F1 Pit Building
  • Flag off time: 04:30AM

I woke up at 2:30AM to prepare and slow jogged to the shuttle bus pick up point. Did some calf stretching before that as my right calf usually give me unbearable burning sensation when running for the first 3 – 4KM. It normally force me to stop and massage it before continuing. I didn’t want this to happen so I did massaging and stretching and slow jog to warm up the muscle, hoping that the problem will not surface. Thank goodness, I did not experience this issue during the race. I rested for the past 3 days without running so that I could run with fresh legs for this long run. Rest is a serious business.

At the race village, the F1 runners were having their warm up jog around the area as usual. Without wasting time, I proceeded to the start pen and positioned myself somewhere near the front, so that I could be flagged off at wave 1 and finished early. Race flagged off at 4:30am and I was running at a constant pace together with 2:20 pacers for a good 8km before they left me behind. I was wondering: “did they just pick up pace or I am slowing down?” The answer was obvious, I was slowing down. Goodbye pacers, thanks for having me. I never see them again, and I also didn’t want to see 2:30 pacers passing me, so I kept running. I knew that if they pass me, my finish time would be a disappointing one. With the gentle breeze, I pushed hard.

I made sure I ran with correct form. Run tall, relaxed, swinging my arms for power and land on the ball of my foot. Having Plantar Fasciitis injury is no joke. It is so persistent and takes a long time to recover and keep coming back. So I never want to land on heel again. But even if I land on my forefoot, my heel still hurt after run, just less severe.

The hydration stations were good. Water and Pocari Sweat were cold. There were also plenty of energy gels and bananas on a separate table. Volunteers handling out water to ease the congestion and yes I did not experience congestion at the hydration points. Just like all other races, many runners threw their cups all over the floor and causing others to step onto them which was not good and hazardous.  Running route was good except that there were a couple of U-turns.

The distance markers seemed to be appearing faster than usual as I kept running non stop and ensured I did not slow down too much. I was able to power up the Jubilee bridge at a good speed passing many people. Although I was tired, I kept telling myself to maintain my pace and run with shorter strides with quick cadence. At 18KM mark, I told myself that I was going to finish very soon and pushed on… reminding myself that after I crossed that finish line, I can stop and drink to my heart’s content. 19KM… 20KM… and I was finally making my final turn to the beautiful arched finish. The clock was showing 2 hour 25 minutes. And then I’ve done it. I’ve finally stopped.

I rested for a while before walking around the race village to explore. It was just slightly over 7AM and I noticed those large 2XU displays and other photo booths for runners to take photos were still empty! Nobody was queuing to take photos yet! Most people were still running. So I went to have some photos taken freely and happily before returning home. In my past experiences, I had to join the long queues and sometimes I just gave up and went home.

My half marathon journey started with a timing of 3 hour 2 minutes in 2015, reducing to 2 hour 41 minutes in 2017 and then to 2 hour 25 minutes today. In between these period, the timing was like roller coaster, went up and down. Progress is slow but I am improving. I will continue to work hard and hope to make another breakthrough in the near future.

2XU Compression Run is always a well-organised race. Kudos to the organiser.

Results & Photos: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018

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Results & Photos: Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018

More than 38,000 runners celebrate 10th Anniversary of SCKLM!

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 April 2018: More than 38,000 runners descended on Dataran Merdeka to take part in and celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon (SCKLM) today. SCKLM has firmly cemented its position as the premier running event in Malaysia and its popularity continues to grow, as evidenced by its race slots selling out in a day when public registrations opened.

Cosmas Matolo Muteti, from Kenya won the Full Marathon Men’s Open category for the second year running, successfully defending his title in a time of 2:16:47 to take home USD17,500 while the Full Marathon Women’s Open category was won by Elizabeth Chepkanan Rumokol from Kenya in a time of 2:38:48 also earning USD17,500 in the process.

Kiprop Tonui from Kenya came in second in the Full Marathon Men’s Open with a time of 2:17:13 while Kennedy Kiproo Lilan from Kenya finished third in a time of 2:18:44. In the Full Marathon Women’s Open, Nancy Joan Rotich from Kenya took second place in a time of 2:58:25 and Susan Merrie Swier from USA had to settle for third place with a time of 3:29:53.

The Full Marathon Malaysian Men’s category lived up to its pre-race billing as a hotly contested affair as Muhaizar, Leo Tan and Nik Fakaruddin were neck-to-neck for a large portion of the race. Muhaizar reaffirmed his superiority on home soil when he won his fourth consecutive title in a time of 2:37:04. Nik Fakaruddin finished second in 2:37:26 while Leo Tan Huong Leong came in third in a time of 2:38:48. The Full Marathon Malaysian Women’s category saw a brand new winner this year when Loh Chooi Fern won in a time of 3:18:44 while Yap Yee Ling clocked 3:30:13 to come in second and Yee Pei Ni got third place in a time of 03:32:26

FM Open winner Cosmas was delighted with his second consecutive Standard Chartered KL Marathon win. “This event is becoming quite special for me. My first was last year and I recorded a personal best when I won” Cosmas said. “This year the course was slightly different and more challenging but my training was good and I just kept to my game plan to stay ahead of the others and thankfully, I managed to win again,”

Muhaizar was also thrilled to have retained his title, especially after the intense competition with Nik Fakaruddin and Leo Tan. “It was a tough race especially as all three of us recently competed in the Tokyo marathon which has affected our preparations for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon,” he said. “Still, I’m very happy to have won the 10th Anniversary edition and my fourth title,” he continued.

Rainer Biemans, Project Director of SCKLM and Director of Dirigo Events, said “It has been an amazing couple of days at SCKLM2018 and we couldn’t be happier with the turn-out, which has been our biggest yet, befitting our 10th Anniversary celebrations. We sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful time and that this 10th Anniversary meant as much to you as it has done for us at Dirigo, as well as for everyone else who had a hand in organising and executing this event.”

The Full and Half Marathon were flagged off by Khairul Anuar Bin Mhd Juri, Director of Culture, Tourism, Arts and Sports, DBKL, along with senior executives from title sponsor Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, led by their Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abrar. A. Anwar, amid showers of confetti and pumping music to celebrate the event’s 10th Anniversary.

“As title sponsor for the last 10 years, Standard Chartered Malaysia is proud to be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of SCKLM with its biggest event yet. It is heart-warming to see so many running enthusiasts from all over Malaysia and the world come together,” said Abrar.

Abrar who also took part in yesterday’s Friendship Run, was happy to see growing competitive spirit within the race. “While SCKLM is largely a community event, there is a significant competitive element to it with local runners vying to come out on top of their respective categories. This can only be good for the sport in Malaysia,” he added.

The community element of the event is symbolised by SCKLM’s charity programme called Run For A Reason (RFAR), which aims to raise funds for deserving charities that assist underprivileged communities and those in dire need. This year the participating beneficiaries are Seeing Is Believing, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Dignity for Children Foundation and Hospis Malaysia. Being SCKLM’s 10th Anniversary, participation in RFAR was extended to all SCKLM Pacers, as well as media participating in SCKLM’s Media Challenge, courtesy of Dirigo Events. “With our initiatives, the total number of RFAR runners have increased and we hope to make this 10th Anniversary even more memorable by raising more money than we ever have before,” said Rainer. Donations can still be made until the closing date on 30 April.

The cut-off time for the Full Marathon was extended to 7 hours and 15 minutes this year to compensate runners who have to start from the back, who would take almost 15 mins to get to the Start Line. The continuous efforts to make the marathon more competitive have been embraced by runners who signed up in unprecedented numbers for the Full Marathon, with over 10,000 signing up. There were also over 1,800 running tourists from 70 countries and 79 nationalities involved, making SCKLM a truly international event.

The 10th Anniversary celebrations in conjunction with SCKLM2018 began with the Friendship Run yesterday morning, where over 180 runners took part in a 5km run which ended with a carbo-loading pasta breakfast. The event was meant to be a warm-up run for those taking part in the Full Marathon, as well as an opportunity for runners from around the world to meet and forge friendships.

The Friendship Run was followed by the Kids Dash categories on Saturday evening, which was also a first for SCKLM. This year, the 1km and 3km Kids Dash categories took place a day before the main event so that these categories would have their own prominence rather than be overshadowed by all the other categories on Race Day. For the first time, the kids who took part in these categories got to start under the main SCKLM Arch at Dataran Merdeka, which was pretty exciting for them.

The objective of the organisers this year was to give back as much as possible to its loyal runners in appreciation of their steadfast support of the event over the last 10 years. One particular group of runners were accorded the special honour of having participated in all 10 editions of SCKLM thus far. The SCKLM Juggernauts were able to choose customised bib numbers and personalised Race Entry Tees, and were hosted by title sponsor Standard Chartered Bank in their hospitality Marquee.

SCKLM’s 10th Anniversary celebrations also incorporated new routes for the Full and Half Marathons which took in more of KL’s iconic landmarks but remained as challenging as usual with its route undulations. The hilly stretch beginning from Km32 was especially gruelling for a lot of runners, who thankfully had SCKLM Pacers encouraging and motivating them all the way. One of these Pacers was Kin K. Yum, a regular Pacer for SCKLM who ran his 100th marathon today. “Today I’m truly ecstatic as looking back, I have covered approximately 4,518 kms spanning 26 countries in this running journey of mine,” said KK.

The award-winning SCKLM mobile App was also given a cool update that incorporated a new photo feature that enabled runners to download photos of them taken by strategic cameras along the routes. The Apps seamless social media connectivity then allowed runners to instantly post their memorable running moments on their preferred social media channels.

To commemorate SCKLM’s 10th Anniversary, the last finishers to approach the Finish Line were given a rousing end with confetti blasts and cheering spectators urging the runners home.

Apart from the Full and Half Marathons, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018 also featured a 10km distance and a 5km Fun Run for social runners. There were also several categories like the Corporate Challenge, Media Challenge, Universities Challenge and Ministries Challenge to either raise money for charity or provide friendly competition and confer bragging rights to the eventual winners.

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon has grown to become the premier running event in Malaysia, drawing thousands of local and international runners to the country whilst firmly establishing Malaysia in the global running calendar. The 2018 and 10th Anniversary edition of the race once again saw Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia returning as title sponsor, along with a host of returning sponsors, including Seiko, Brooks, Lucozade and Pacific Regency. The event is owned and organised by Dirigo Events with co-organiser Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

Standard Chartered KL Marathon is sanctioned and supported by the Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF), Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Athletic Federation (FTKLAA), International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Association of International Marathons, Distance Races (AIMS).

Winners of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2018

For more information and updates on SCKLM, please visit:

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Last Minute Pre-Marathon Tips

Mel
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Last Minute Pre-Marathon Tips

It’s pretty scary that months of training culminates to one big day – one day makes or breaks all the effort you’ve put in. However, here’s to remind you that you’ve put in the hard work. It’s important to trust your training and trust the process. Don’t worry too much! Here’s some last minute pre-marathon tips to make sure you don’t mess up!

#1 Don’t Try Anything New On Race Day

This is the cardinal rule of marathon running. If you’ve never worn that shoe, or that sock, or that tee to run before – do not try them! If you’ve never had a peanut butter banana sandwich for your pre-race meal – do not try it! If you’ve never taken gels before – do not try them! In short, never try anything new on race day. You could possibly get chafing, or a blister, or a tummy upset. Don’t risk months of training to wear that new shirt you just bought!

Read More: 3 Tips To Run A Sub-4 Hour Marathon

#2 Keep It Simple With The Food

Photo credit: Pixabay

You’ve got to eat carefully the day before your race. Try not to take anything new. If you’re traveling, save the food indulgence for post-marathon. Make sure your meals are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber. It is important to avoid street food and spicy food! You really wouldn’t appreciate an unscheduled toilet pitstop mid-race! Remember to keep your food plain and simple, and try to replicate what you’ve been eating the nights before your long runs.

Read More: What To Eat The Week Of Your Marathon? 

#3 Study The Course

It’s good to get yourself familiar with the race course. From there, you can strategize. For example, if the race course has more elevation in the 2nd half of the course, you may want to run a faster first half to cover for a potentially slower second half due to it being more hilly. If you are targetting a sub-4 hour marathon, the strategy could be to run a 1 hour 55 minutes first half, to give yourself 1 5 minutes leeway to hit the sub-4 hour mark. This is why it is important to study the race course.

#4 Pacing Is Everything

Pacing is very important when running a marathon. You should feel comfortable at least up till the 32 km mark. If you’re already out of breath at the 10 km mark, how are you going to run well for the remaining 32 km? It’s important to have a realistic target and make sure that the pace you are going at matches with your target finish time. If you are targetting a sub-4-hour marathon, running a 5 minute pace for the first 20 km may result in you having to walk the remaining 12 km.

There are little tips, but can make or break your race! Good Luck!

Read More: 4 Tips To Help You Recover From Your Marathon Faster 

Animo Interschool Triathlon on April 15 in Imus City, Cavite

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Animo Interschool Triathlon on April 15 in Imus City, Cavite

PHILIPPINE TRIATHLON is expected to get a big boost with the staging of the First Animo Interschool Triathlon this April 15 at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City, Cavite.  The one-day event will feature several age categories ranging from 11 to 17 years and is held in cooperation with the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) for the benefit of the De La Salle-Zobel Sports Development Foundation.

Aside from enhancing TRAP’s grassroots program, the event hopes to foster school pride as participants must represent a school.  Already, several schools have already placed triathlon among its varsity programs.

Online registration is still ongoing up to April 8 at Manila Box Office and race kits will be claimed on race day.  Entry fee is PHP 3,150.00 for all individual events while relay teams will be charged PHP 4,500.00.

Kids aged 11 to 12 will be subjected to a 250-meter swim, eight-kilometer bike ride and two-kilometer run.  The distance will increase to a 500-meter swim, 15-kilometer bike ride and three-kilometer run for the 13-14, 15-17 and relay races.

TRAP hopes to build up on their recent success of winning all four gold medals available in the last two editions of the Southeast Asian Games thus raising the profile of the sport.  The Philippines is slated to host the biennial meet next year and would like to continue its winning ways on home soil.

Meanwhile, all participants are expected to enjoy to modern facilities of Vermosa which formally opened this year. Vermosa boasts of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, well-paved roads and a track oval among others.

2XU Compression Run Singapore 2018: Flag-off Times, Road Closures and Last-Minute Information

Yvonne Siew
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2XU Compression Run Singapore 2018: Flag-off Times, Road Closures and Last-Minute Information

Are you ready for your yearly affair, the 2XU Compression Run Singapore 2018?

It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to procrastinate on the race day. We hope you will have a hassle-free race day morning, so here we list down all the important information that you need. Read on, take note and get excited about your upcoming run!

Getting There

Date: April 8th, 2018
Venue: F1 Pit Building
Time: 4:30 am
Categories: Half Marathon, 10 km & 5 km

By MRT: Runners are to alight at Promenade Station (Circle Line, CC5). Take a 5-minute walk to Singapore Flyer from Exit A. Look out for direction signage leading to the event site.

By Car: The coach park of F1 Pit Building will be closed on the event day. Runners driving to the race site are encouraged to park at the following car parks:

Road Closure

Flag-off Time & Cut-off Time

IMPORTANT: You are encouraged to be at the starting point 30 minutes before the flag off time. Please be informed that runners who are late or start in another category will be disqualified. 

Race Day Programme

Race Routes

21.1 km Race Route

10 km Race Route

5 km Race Route

We hope you will enjoy the race! Don’t forget to tag your photos with #justrunlah on Instagram!

Finish strong, and we shall see you at the finish line!

Source / More info: www.2xucompressionrun.com.sg

What To Eat The Week Of Your Marathon?

Mel
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What To Eat The Week Of Your Marathon?

It’s marathon week! Many of us love taper week – it’s a much-welcomed break after a bout of hard intense training. However, what you eat during this week can make or break our marathon. We are all familiar with the term carbo-loading. But we have to remember this does not mean – eat whatever we want, as much as we want. It’s about quality as much as it is about quantity.

3 Days Out

Photo Credits: Giphy

It’s carbo-loading time! You should be increasing your carbohydrates intake to top up your glycogen stores. The cardinal rule is to consume 3.5 grams for every pound of bodyweight. So, a 110 pounds/50 kilos person should take 385 grams of carbohydrates during the carbo-loading period. The key takeaway point is that you this is called carbo-loading, not calorie-loading. You should be backing up on the protein and fat intake such that your calorie intake does remain the same. This is to prevent any weight gain during your carbo-loading week. A good example of a high-carb meal is pasta!

2 Days Out

Photo Credits: Bustle

Cut down on fiber 2 days from your race. You should especially take note of food high in fiber such as oats, bran cereal, wholemeal, fruits, and vegetables. Cutting down on these food can help to prevent an unwanted toilet pitstop mid-race. A diet high in fiber can potentially cause stomach upsets – especially because you will be consuming gels, salts and what-not during your marathon.

3 Hours Out

It’s almost showtime! You should not run a marathon empty. A pre-race meal will help increase your glycogen stores especially your liver stores. Don’t skimp on the carbohydrates. A good example of a high carb pre-marathon meal could be a slice of white bread topped with bananas and peanut butter. It’s a favourite of many runners.

Race Time

Photo Credits: Beyond the mud

Remember to never try anything new on race day! You have got to have your nutrition strategy planned out and nail it. The number of gels you take, how often you take them, the brand of gels you take can all affect how your stomach reacts to them. If you are accustomed to taking gels every 8 km, don’t try to take gels every 5 km. You may be overloading your stomach with too much gel and cause a stomach upset.

Remember, you’ve done all your training! Trust in your training and enjoy your race! Good luck!

Cover Photo Credits: Giphy

Read More:

  1. 3 Tips To Run A Sub 4 Hour Marathon 
  2. 4 Tips To Help You Recover From Your Marathon Faster
  3. 6 Tips To Recover Like An Olympian
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