Salomon X-Trail 10km Run

I signed up for the Salomon X-Trail Run cos I wanted the red color event tee.  Also, this event would be held at the Tampines Mountain Bike Park & Trail, in which part of the it was the official Mountain Bike venue during the Singapore Youth Olympics in 2010.  Though I had ran part of the route before, but none in a race setting.

I arrived half an hour before race start which was at 7:30am.  Met and exchanged some words with Jeri and Shafiqah, as well as some runners from the F1 Runners Team.  The competitive Men's Open was flagged off first before the rest of Men's Veteran, Women's Open and Women's Veteran some 10 minutes later, probably due to the narrow path.  The ground was soft and wet.  The first 2km was tougher than I thought.  It felt more like 5km.  The biggest challenge was the soft ground, muddy areas and the numerous turnings, up and down the slopes.  Though the slopes were not steep, it was not easy to maintain a steady, even pace, especially when some runners tend to slow down on the way up or trying to avoid the muddy spots.  Although the trail was not wide enough for 2 runners to run side by side comfortably, I could still overtake runners if I picked up the right moment to overtake them.  I had my work cut out and I almost twisted my ankle.

 Photos by Grace Chen

After coming down from the small knoll, we completed a small u-turn before going up to another portion of the trail.  I saw Flip zooming past me!  Then Brokie!  This was also the start of the fun, if running through muddy water was your type of fun!  I was able to run through the muddy area with some care.  But for those area flooded with higher than ankle-high water, I just waded through slowly.  At first, I was kind of sian since I was wearing my newly bought TNF Double Track.  I didn't expect my trail shoes to stay clean but neither did I expect it to submerge totally in the muddy water.  After crossing 3~4 more of such muddy terrain, I was resigned to the fate of having to wash my shoes after the run.  The marshallers were very helpful.  Alerting us to all kinds of dangers like sharp bends, steep slopes, low branches, etc, although some of the description of the dangers were grossly inaccurate.  It didn't seemed to bother them that their shoes would be muddy and dirty by the end of the volunteer work.  They were also very positive and encouraging, urging us to push on.

By the 7km (or 8km) marker, we seemed to come out of the trail but was quickly diverted to another section of the trail.  Luckily, this section was not too long and soon, we came running out onto a big open patch.  Just before the open patch area, there was a clear "stream" and I sort of tried "washing" my dirty shoes in it by stepping hard through it.  But sadly, it was useless.  Cos about 500m from the end, there was another 2 portion of mud bath!  I felt so heavy in my shoes but found just enough motivation to cheong past the finishing line and completed the intense 10km run in 1hr 12mins 54secs and ranked 17 out of 53 Women's Veterans. :)  Given the condition of the trail, I should be happy and satisfied with my result.

After the race, I saw Brokie and Flip near the finishing line.  It's been a long time since I last saw Flip.  We chit-chat while trying to find out if there was any water-point nearby to get ourselves cleaned up - another friend shared with us where he washed up and we quickened out steps towards the direction.  There were a few queues but we queued at the longest one as the water of the tap was the strongest!  We didn't have to wait long for our turns.  After washing up, we all looked cleaned enough to take public transport home.  :)  While this race was not easy, it was lots of fun (at least for me) to run through so many obstacles.  I enjoyed myself tremendously though I might not run this race again.

Dirty Shoes, Filthy Legs

Brokie: Time To Do Some Washing!

Post Race Photo: Flip and Ripley

Ozark Trail 100 Miles Endurance Run

I waited until the 2nd last day (27 Oct) of the closing date before registering for the Ozark Trail 100 Miles Endurance Run in Missouri.  I had to wait until the last minute as I was not sure if I had recovered fully from the CDR.  Even then, I knew I had ran out of time to properly prepare myself for a 100 mile race.  My only expectation was to have fun while trying to cover as many miles as possible.  Before my trip, I tried to find out more about the Mark Twain National Forest, where the 100 Miles race would be held.  For comparison, Singapore (where I come from) has a land area of 694 km².  In contrast, the Mark Twain National Forest, while not the biggest in USA, still has a land area of 6,100 km², of which 320 km² are Wilderness and National Scenic River area.  I.e. the forest is almost 9 times the size of Singapore!  The race would be a point-to-point course, with several water crossings, 12,000 to 15,000 ft of elevation and most importantly, with lots of leaves covering the trail.  Hmmmmmm...

Pre-Race

I arrived at the Bass River Resort 2 days before race day.  The weather was great.  And I slept the rest of the day.  On Friday, I picked up my race packet and went back to my cabin to pack my items into the drop bags.  After dropping off the drop bags, I went back to take a nap and didn't wake up till it was time to attend the pre-race briefing and dinner.  I took note of some important information, like to always make sure the course marking is on my right, to not be worried about a fire which was burning in another part of the Mark Twain National Forest, etc.  There was a lucky draw conducted after the brief and runners won additional race event tee or a year's subscription to Trail Runner Magazine (if I remembered correctly).  I went back to my cabin to rest early, since runners taking the bus ride to the race start would have to report at 3:00am for the 3:30 bus ride.  I didn't sleep well, waking up every hour to check on the time.  Maybe I had slept too much in the day.  Or maybe I was just too excited or too worried.  I finally woke up again at 2:45am, changed into my race attire, took my hydration bag with my other race items, and walked to the Race HQ.

Race Packet Pick-up

Deposit of Drop Bags

Race Briefing and Pasta Dinner

It was not very cold but if you weren't doing anything at 3:00am in the morning but waiting, in November, in USA, it could be cold.  I took shelter inside the Bass River Resort's store with some other runners.  Then, someone mentioned that the buses were here and we went out to check-in for the race before boarding the bus.  I spoke briefly to a Filipino runner.  The rest of the runners looked so experienced and prepared, while I was nervous.  Journey to the race start was about 1hrs 30mis.  I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but couldn't.  I endured for the rest of the journey and when we eventually reached, I stayed on the bus to keep myself warm.  :p  But soon, everyone was getting down the bus and I followed.  It was about 5:50am, another 10 minutes before race start.  Luckily, there was a fire burning in a furnace right next to the Start Point.  I went over and stood right next to it, with a few other runners.  Then, I removed my windbreaker and gloves.  I was ready!  And at 6:00am, the Race Director, flagged off the start and off we ran.

Race Reporting at 3:00am

Gathering of Runners, Volunteers and Supporters at Race Start

Ozark Trail Endurance Run

Distance to 1st Aid Station @ Grasshopper Hollow: 8 Miles; Time taken: 2hrs 05mins

We cheong into the darkness with our headlamp and/or hand-held lamp.  The trail was like what was mentioned by the Race Director during the briefing, covered with leaves and leaves and leaves.  It was soft but not too slippery.  I enjoyed myself following the runners in front at a comfortable pace.  Occasionally, we walked on the uphill portion although it was runnable.  Well, better saved the legs early. Weather was great and I wasn't feeling cold.  By 7:35am, the sky was bright and I could switch off my headlamp.  The runners were also spread out by then.  I arrived at the 1st aid station just after 8:00am.  I took some photos, grabbed some food, drank my favourite milo in my hydration bag, thanked the volunteers, before I left.

Total Time Taken: 2hrs 05mins (8:05am)

1st Aid Station: Grasshopper Hollow

Distance to 2nd Aid Station @ Sutton Bluff: 9.6 Miles; Total: 17.6 Miles Time taken: 3hrs

By the time I left the aid station, I was alone.  But soon, some runners caught up with me while I stopped to take more photos of the trail.  I ran for a while with a young man.  It was his 2nd attempt at the 100 Miles distance and hoped to complete it.  From what I gathered, he should be still studying and I asked for his age.  I began to understand why his friends thought he was crazy.  I thought he was crazy as well.  Otherwise, why would a 16-year old be doing something like running a 100 Miles race?  After 20mins or so, I found myself trying hard to keep pace with him and I asked him to press on and wished him all the best.  Now, I was running on my own.  The trail markings were clear although the trail was not.  But I had to be alert as there were sharp turns along some parts.  On the whole, this leg was very enjoyable.  The hills weren't as bad as in CDR although the footing could be as treacherous as well since you couldn't see what's hidden beneath the leaves.  I fell once while running down.  It was very painful as my new tights had a thread coming off.  :(  I reached Sutton Bluff at around 11:05am.  I saw the Filipino runner (Kenneth if not wrong) and he told me he had to stopped as he twisted his ankle.  The volunteers there helped me to retrieve my drop bag and I unpacked 4 milos into my hydration bag.  I also removed my race belt (hanging around my neck since start of race, and then left it on the table for good!)  I took a some potatoes, more photos before leaving.

Total Time Taken: 5hrs 5mins (11:05am)

2nd Aid Station: Sutton Bluff

Distance to 3rd Aid Station @ Stillwell Hollow: 5.2 Miles; Total: 22.8 Miles Time taken: 1hr 30mins

After leaving Sutton Bluff, I walked the road portion and only started running when I reached the trail.  The trail was really beautiful and I was really enjoying myself.  Perhaps too much.  Then, half way through running, I felt it.  Sigh.  The back of my right knee was feeling sore.  The same kind of soreness that I felt after coming down from Mt Hamel in the CDR.  The same kind of strain that put me off running for over 2 months.  It was not a good sign.  I also realised that I left my race belt with my bib in the last aid station.  Sigh again.  Why on earth did I remove the race belt was beyond me.  Why ddin't I wear it on my waist was also beyond me.  I was clearly not thinking.  Feeling the strain and being demoralised, I slowed to a walk.  Just before I reached the 3rd aid station, a runner ran past me.  (I found out that he was Leonard Martin later on).  Upon reaching, I declared to the volunteers that I left my bib in the last aid station and asked if I could continue.  I also told them that I need my bib as I left the cabin key inside the race belt pouch.  They told me not to worry and promptly radioed to the 2nd aid station to arrange for the race belt to be brought back to the Race HQ back at the Bass River Resort finishing line!  That was a nice gesture!  Thanks!  2 more runners came into the aid station but Leonard didn't waste anytime.  He grabbed whatever he needed, and left in a jiffy.  I reckoned that was due to the next aid station being just 5.2 miles away.  In hind sight, I should've done the same.

Total Time Taken: 6hrs 35mins (12:35pm)

3rd Aid Station: Stillwell Hollow

Distance to 4th Aid Station @ Johnson Hollow: 5.2 Miles; Total: 28 Miles Time taken: 1hr 45mins

I decided to power walk to the next aid station as I did not want to aggravate my old injury.  Soon, the 2 runners I met at the earlier aid station passed me.  And I knew I was losing time to make the cut-off.  Along the way, I saw 2 different groups of riders on horses.  It was a pleasant distraction although the fresh horse dung along the way wasn't.  I decided to take more photos since I was walking.  I started running when I no longer felt the strain, and power walked whenever I felt it coming.  There was another creek crossing, just before reaching Johnson.  I only had 10mins spare.  I decided that I won't make the next cut off and spent even much time eating and taking photos.  I enjoyed some coke before I left.

Total Time Taken: 8hrs 20mins (14:20pm)

The Very Clear Course Markings

4th Aid Station: Johnson Hollow

Distance to 5th Aid Station @ Gunstock Hollow: 6.8 Miles; Total: 34.8 Miles Time taken: 1hr 56mins

I saw a 3rd group of horse riders just leaving for Gunstock Hollow.  By then, I accepted the fact that I won't make the next cut-off.  I was happily enjoying walking the trail.  After yet another bigger creek crossing, I tried running again.  Somehow, I was able to sustain for quite a distance.  Something which I wasn't able to in the last section.  I decided to adopt a run-walk system where I would slowly increased my running distance and decreased my walking distance.  I didn't feel any strain and I didn't anticipate the walking that I did previously would do me good and allow me to run for much of the way to the 5th aid station, though it was not at a fast pace.  I reckoned that I could perhaps just made the cut-off.  I pushed myself a little harder and I knew I was near.  If only I knew I was that near, I might have gone for an all-out sprint.  I arrived at Gunstock Hollow just after 4:16pm and saw my one and only drop bags at that aid station, while the volunteers had already cleared up the place.  The aid station captain informed me that she had to pull me off from the race as I had missed the cut-off, even though it was just over 1min.  Sigh.

Total Time Taken: 10hrs 16mins (16:16pm) - DNF!!!

To 5th Aid Station: Horse Riders, Creek Crossing, Gunstock Hollow & Totally Trashed TNF Rucky Chucky

Towards End-of-Race and Post-Race
I woke up the next day at 1pm plus and walked to the finishing line.  There was a small crowd gathered.  Everyone was excited.  Runners, volunteers and supporters.  At around 1:48pm, someone ran out from the trail and more people followed behind.  It was the last runner (Frank Dietiker)!  He crossed the finishing line in 31hrs 51mins and was the winner of the Last Mule in the Barn Award.  The award presentation followed quickly.  I was happy to hear that Logan, the 16-year old young man from Wisconsin completed his first 100-miler and congratulated him. :)  Well done, kiddo!  After almost everyone left, the last runner, Leonard Martin, came back and cross the finishing line at 32hrs 50mins!  Although he missed the cut-off, the Race Director presented his hard earned buckle to Leonard.  This is something I hope the orgainsers in Singapore could do.  No one signed up for an ultra to DNF and if the runner had completed it even though it was off the cut-off, he truly deserved the finishing buckle.

Races in USA were really different from Singapore in that the volunteers there were all spontaneous and awesome.  They were like a part of your family and made you feel part of them.  When you come into the aid station, they offered food and drink, and retrieved your drop bags without you asking for it.  Sometimes, you were so comfortable there that you wish you could stay longer with them but of course, we shouldn't, especially for a back-of-the-pack runner like me. :) I really enjoyed running inside the Mark Twain National Forest.  It felt surreal.  And while there is no easy 100 Miles Race, this race was actually pretty runnable.  As for myself, I could only wondered "what if".  What if I didn't take the 50 over photos that I took along the way?  What if I didn't fell down?  What if I just ran over all the creeks instead of wasting time to find the best spot to avoid getting wet?  What if and what if?  DNF the race by 1min plus was really painful.  All I could do is to register for next year's race, make sure I come into the race 100% fit, take lesser photos for my blog, run slightly harder and I am sure I could finish the race.  If I could cover 67km (approximately 42 miles) within 11 hours for the Canadian Death Race which is even much tougher, I'm sure I could complete the Ozark Trail Endurance Run.  Especially with this year's experience, I am very sure of that.  See you all next year!

From Top L (clockwise): Frank Dietiker (Last Mule in the Barn Award); 16-year old Logan Polfuss with Mum; Last Finisher Leonard Martin; 1st Female Masters Susan Connelly

Lab - My New Love

I love Lab.  It was love at first sight.  I was sure of it.  Damn sure.  :)  I met Lab about two weeks ago.  On 13 October afternoon, two days before my big race - TNF100 Singapore.  I had gone to Velocity at Novena to change my headlamp battery and to see if I could get a new backup headlamp after our department's Deepavali Lunch outing.  I got what I wanted at Outdoor Venture, a leading privately-owned sporting and outdoor equipment distributor in Singapore.  And went home extremely pleased.  On my way out from Velocity to the MRT Station, something caught my attention.  I was drawn to his immediate beauty.  There he was, standing near the entrance of the Salomon Concept Store.  I couldn't take my eyes off him.  "Wow!  Isn't he gorgeous?" I wondered quietly to myself.  I was completely mesmerised.  I walked towards him and learned that his name was Lab.  "Sounds cool." I thought.

But really, Lab was more than just cool.  :)  He seemed like a perfect match for me.  To perfect actually.  My heart skipped a beat when I laid my hands on him.  His texture was nowhere near the silky smooth of some of my top range dri-fit tees but I was okie with it.  Overall, he's one "fit" dude.  They said you never try anything new on race day.  But I had good fortune for trying new stuff on race day.  Like in 2005, I bought a pair of CW-X compression long tights and Wright Socks at the Richmond Marathon Expo and tried on both products during the following week's Philadelphia Marathon.  Both worked brilliantly.  So I decided to take my chance.  In came Lab.  Out went Nathan.

During TNF100 Singapore, Lab gave me all the support I ever needed.  He hugged me tight with his Sensifit's precise and secure fit.  I kept a 500ml bottle of H2O on the front left pocket and a handful of gels on the front right pocket.  During the race, the bottle and gels stayed where they were.  No bouncing around or obstructions.  The pockets were at the place where I had wanted them to be.  Nathan also had two pockets in front but they were not meant for water bottles as they were smaller and shallower.  There was also a whistle on the left side of Lab, which was easily accessible if the need arised.  Both Lab and Nathan treated me well, though Nathan tends to loosen his front grip during very long run.  As for the hydration bag, both Lab and Nathan had a 1.5L capacity.  The difference was Lab's Source Widepac 1.5L came with an easy, quick connect/release click so I could remove the hydration bag without having to pull the drinking tube out, plus and Isothermic Water Pouch that could keep liquid cool longer.  (* However, I didn't make use of the Hydration Pack so the part on if the water movement was significant could not be verified yet) Lab had 2 removable velco stick-on pockets which I didn't use during TNF100 Singapore and also a gold-colored space blanket (otherwise, also known as safety blanket) which I intended to use it for my next hiking trip.  The other useful item which I had yet to try out was the 4D Pole Holder.

Overall, the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Hydration Pack scored a cool 9.5/10.  It had everything I ever wanted on a hydration pack although I have yet to use all available functions.  The best 3 features are (1) the front chest pockets, (2) detachable drinking tube from hydration pack, and (3) adjustable Twin Link Lite system. :)

Twin Link Lite System, Chest Pockets For Bottles & Whistle

Back View - Back Top Pocket & Back Side Pockets

Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Hydration Pack

What Went Wrong/Right For TNF100 Singapore?

I read with great interests on some of the comments posted on TNF Singapore Facebook page.  While I had my own views of the race and how it should be conducted, I felt that the tone (or the way) some of the comments made by runners were not as constructive as it could be.  I guess in a way, these runners were fully justified to voice their displeasure when this year's race was not the inaugural race but 4th year running!  Come on, TNF Singapore!  On the other hand,  I was also very sure that no Race Director (RD) in the world would want to organise a race in order to get their runners run the extra mileage, or to let their runners suffered by not briefing the volunteers what to do at the aid station, or even to DNF.  The truth is, I had never run a perfect race.  So I did expect screw-up here and there.  Unfortunately, while some screw-up were not within your control, some others were totally unforgivable.  Every runner has differing ability, differing reasons on why they run, differing experience gained from the various races and hence, very differing expectations.  As part of the TNF Global Endurance Challenge, TNF Singapore should try to understand and address our various needs, instead of providing a one-size-fit-all solution.  This blog entry was exactly how I felt about this year's race and the RD and fellow runners may not agree with everything I said.  But whatever the case is, my point is to share with you the experiences I learned from other races.  Happy reading.  :)

Never ever change race time at the very last minute!

When you said you start the race at 0700hrs, you start the race at 0700hrs.  If you were still negotiating with the authority to start the race at 0700hrs, knowing that you may fail in your attempt, no matter what good reasons you had, you better indicated that in the website so that everyone, especially the overseas runners, were aware.  A simple "TO BE CONFIRMED" text inserted next to the 0700hrs or 0800hrs start time would be very useful so everyone knows that the race would start at 0800hrs if your negotiation was not successful, while 0700hrs would be a bonus.  While I was not affected by this change of time, I had friends, fellow marathon maniacs, who were affected as they had to rush down for another race in Malaysia.  It was either a DNS or DNF for them.  :(  Luckily though, common sense prevailed and I was glad the RD allowed those who requested to start early with the 100km soloists, although there were still runners who ran out of time to complete the race and had a DNF.  On a side note to this, even if you had to change the race time last minute due to safety issues (which I do appreciate), you had to inform the affected runners through all means available!  Never assumed that every participant got a Facebook account and a member of TNF Singapore Facebook page!  I had a few friends who entered the 100km duo but were not aware of the event Facebook page and change of time.  Good that this was rectified eventually through mass email and sms although it left a bitter taste in affected runners as the announcement was made too late.

Understand what the race provides and prepares for it!

When you sign up for a race, understand what the race provides.  If you think the race should provide certain amenities and it didn't, then either you ask them how they could assist you or don't sign up for the race at all.  I was appalled by runners blaming the RD for not providing bag deposit service, or that the official beverage is milo, or that there is no isotonic drink, or that only banana was the only fruit at the aid station, blah blah blah blah blah.  If you really think this event is not worth the amount you paid, then don't sign up.  If the race website did not state sufficient info for you to commit, then drop an email to clarify.  If you sign up knowing that only limited amenities are provided, please don't cry father cry mother.  Suck it up and plan how you should tackle these additional problem.  I never sign up for a race and blamed the RD for not providing this or that or that the race was not worth the fee paid.  I adapted to the race, to the drinks and food given, to the weather, the terrain and the environment.  Especially for ultra and trail races, being adaptive is a must.  Otherwise, you might as well go run around your neighborhood!  While many races provided bag deposit service, there are others like the Canadian Death Race that did not.  Don't ask me why - they just didn't and there wasn't any lockers around the start/end point which is in a huge hanger.  For Bataan Death March, which is a 102km/160km road race, no water support was even provided!  Everything is self-sufficient, just like Badwater. (* I'm excluding comparison with RTP as those are stage races).  The only support was medical and marshalers at critical junctions.  Comrades Marathon - the largest ultramarathon in the world with 12,000 runners, provided all their drinks (water, pepsi, isotonic, etc) in sachets.  In fact, all drinks are provided in sachets for South African races.  So you can't get used to it like me, BYOB and stop whining!

Get the basics right!  E.g. providing informative signage, correct timing, etc!

In any race, the basics are the least a runner expect from the organiser.  These includes, (1) sufficient info on the website to help runners prepare for the race, (2) a safe and well marked route, (3) adequate aid stations throughout the route and (4) correct timing, whether timed electronically or manually.  In these respects, there are much room for the organiser to improve for next year's race.  Take for example the information on the website. While the basic information was there, the route was not made known to runners till probably a week or two/three before the race.  I was not sure why must the RD be so secretive on this.  TNF is not an Amazing Race!  So why couldn't the RD shared the info on the race route earlier?  At least, the runners from Singapore would be able to familiarise with the route before the race and perhaps even help out the overseas runners if such situation ever arised.  While trail running is always more dangerous and exciting as we are running in the wild, a well marked route would ensure we had a better experience.  I didn't get lost like I did last year so I won't complain.  But there were a few critical junctions which were either not marked (a right turn after coming from Ranger Station and a left turn after the rocky terrain and stream on the way back from WP1), or misleading (T-junction at Berluka Trail, though I could be wrong as I knew I had to turn left towards Zheng Hua Park).  In the second scenario, what the RD could do, is to put up 2 signages (one turning left for the 100km soloist and duo and one turning right for the 50km duo) with a black/red background for those running 100km or 50km (wearing black or red color background bib) and green background for those running 25km (wearing green color background bib).  Such signages could also be captured in the event website, with detailed explanations.  The onus is on the runners to read up prior to the race.  As for adequate aid stations, this was at least something that the RD got it right this year.  Last year, there was only 3 aid stations including the start/end point, one at the Ranger Station and one at mid-point, entrance to Lorong Asrama.  Please keep it up.  Personally, I am not fascinated by results.  But I do mind about the time being captured at the various check-points.  The reason is that I could use such timing and distance to breakdown the whole race so that if I were to run it again next year, there is some basis for me to gauge how fast I must run for each segment of the race in order to finish within the cut-off. (* Provided its the same race route.)  If electronic system is susceptible to failure, then back it up with manual records.  To publish incorrect results due to the equipment failure or whatever, is really not cool.

I guess I have raised the issues.  Hope TNF Singapore could review the comments raised by the runners and that we runners should also self-reflect on how we would run our next trail race better.  Let's hope everyone of us would have a better race experience for next year's TNF. Happy running!

TNF100 Singapore - 1st Lap 50km Race Review

I decided to attempt the TNF100 Singapore 100km again this year to finish my unfinished business from last year.  But as luck would have it, I needed 2 months to recover from the Canadian Death Race and left with only 2 weeks to seriously prepare for TNF100 Singapore.  Also, even though I had started running, I knew I was not 100% fit.  I had to make a choice.  To either try my hardest to finish my unfinished business and risked getting injured again, or to just do a lap of 50km as part of my LSD for my next event.  TNF100 Singapore is a tough race with stringent cut-off.  For a slow runner like me, I had to be 100% fit and done all my preparation.  The choice was obviously easy.  :)

I took a day's leave on Friday to rest at home.  Everything was fine until I decided to leave home in the early afternoon to get something for my dad.  As I rushed off to Tampines, I left my EZLink card at home and had to use cash for my transport.  At the Tampines Bus Interchange, while dropping the coins into the cash box, I also dropped my sim card into it!  (Don't ask me why my sim card wasn't inside my cellphone!)  It was a total nightmare.  Luckily, a friend was kind enough to help me out to getting my stuff to my dad's place and went back to Tampines Mall's Singtel shop to get a replacement sim card.  Then I had to wait anxiously for the sim card to get activated!  At 955pm! Otherwise, I might have to DNS the race.  This seemed to be the start of some good fortune.  :)

At 1140pm thereabout, Alvin Low called me and told me he had arrived at MR, while I was just about to leave home.  I reached MR slightly before 12mn and met Henry Yang at the carpark entrance.  While passing the timing gantry, I commented to Henry that I hoped the organiser won't make us (the 100km soloists) walk the few hundred meters to the transition / drop-bag area to retrieve our bag.  But unfortunately, it was the same arrangement as last year.  :(  I had issue on this because no runner would like walking or running the extra few meters.  Besides, for slow runners like me, every seconds, every minutes counts. :p  If the same arrangement were to be made for next year, I know what I need to do - set-up my own support crew and make sure they had my drop-bag at the right location.  Further down the road where the tents were already set-up, I saw other 100km soloists.  The sight of some of them made me wonder if I should even be thinking of signing up for such races as I was a back-of-the-pack slow runner.  I felt intimidated by their ability and achievement.  A friend commented that runners of my speed would only take on 5km/10km type of races.  But I guessed it was too late to pull out of the race.

 Some Of The TNF100 Singapore100km Soloists

At around 12am plus, we were told to check in our gear and weigh in as well.  Had a little chat with Andre Blumberg from Hong Kong whom I met at the Hong Kong Trail Ultra and TNF100 Philippines, as well as Jeri Collett who did the UTMB (apologies Jeri - but I couldn't recall seeing you last year.  Age is certainly catching up with me. :p ), and Paulina who did the BDM 160 this year.  I also took some pics for/with Sim Whitley, Alvin and Khaliq.  At 1259hrs, the RD told us that 5mins more to the 0100hrs start time.  His watch was certainly faster than my Garmin 510 and I made a mental note that I had until 1004hrs for my 1st lap 50km.  There was not much fanfare since it was early morning.  Even the monkeys were sleeping!  I quickly fell back to the last runner after the race was flagged off.  As I reached the Amenities Centre, I almost slipped while running across the water fountain area!  Phew.  What a lucky escape.  As we ran towards the MR trail head, I talked to Karen from Malaysia.  She and her 100km duo partner were supposed to start the race at 0800hrs but as the race's start time was changed last minute, they had no way to catch their flight back to Malaysia.  Luckily for them, they were allowed to start with the 100km soloists.

 TNF100 Singapore - 100km Start - Photo by Carey Junior

From start to the first WP1, it was fairly straight forward as I ran this route a couple of times.  There was also someone at critical junctions (after I hit the road from the Northern Trail and at the Ranger Station).  After WP1, we ran along Rifle Range Road and were supposed to make a left turn.  Karen was standing at the junction as she wasn't sure which way to go.  This was a different route from last year but since there was a sign there showing a left-turn, I reckoned it should be correct.  I ran up the slope and noticed a biker in front.  Karen followed me closely behind.  Further up the road, there was a group of people clapping and cheering for us before we turned right into the trail again.  This was a short section as we were quickly out of of the trail before crossing the road into another part of the trail.  By then, Karen had ran ahead of me.  After yet another short section of the trail, I came to the carpark area of the Bukit Timah Visitor Centre and into the tricky part of the trail as I got lost there last year.  Luckily, this time round, I didn't get lost.  Somehow, I was able to find my way to WP2 just before we reached Diary Farm carpark.

Before I left WP2, I bumped into Karen and another runner!  Sometimes, such incidents could scar the hell out of you.  Apparently, they got lost inside the trail.  I continued running as Karen requested for some vaseline.  After I went into the trail towards Zheng Hua Park, Karen caught up with me again.  At a critical junction (Belukar Trail), there were 2 signs, one turning left and another turning right.  Karen took the wrong route but luckily for her, a marshaller on a bike shouted the correct route for her as I was too focus on the path in front of me.  I reached WP3 shortly, had a banana, 4 cups of milo before continuing my race.  As I approached Zheng Hua Park, I recalled my failed attempt during the TNF Progressive Run 2 which I had to stop after the BKE underpass.  I was glad that I was still doing fine.  My right leg was still running okie.  I was all alone in the trail and I loved every moment of it.  Just before I reached WP4, I saw some moving lights in front and moved to the side.  A group of runners ran past me and someone shouted for my name though I couldn't recognise the voice.  After a short while, Khaliq (I think) ran past me too!  I reached WP4 and saw Karen and another runner leaving the water point.

The route after WP4 was also different from last year.  Runners had to turn right to go towards Sembawang Park Connector.  When I reached there, there was a marshaller on a bike who followed me as I was the last runner.  At the end of the park connector, there were 2 more marshallers pointing out where I should go to avoid the muddy terrain.  Once inside Lorong Asrama, the biker marshaller followed me until I reached WP5.  Along the way, she gave me words of encouragement. At the WP5, I took some water before going up .265. According to the marshaller there, I had to look for a blue color tent at the 1 o'clock position once I reached the top.  .265 was really not a difficult hill to climb.  It was way too short to be considered a tough climb though it could be slippery.  I saw 3 blinking red lights as soon as I reached the top.  As I walked towards them, I heard someone calling out to me on my right!  It was Karen and the other guy runner again!  Scary man!  Somehow, they didn't notice the blinking lights.

 At WaterPoint 4 - Photo by Chris Voo

After we passed through the timing station, Karen and the other runner pushed ahead and I never saw them again.  I was fine as I enjoyed running alone.  Running at night inside Lorong Asrama was really nice.  It was cool probably due to the open terrain, as compared to running inside the trail earlier in the night.  Unfortunately, I could feel the back of my right knee acting up.  The soreness had returned!  I decided to fast march for the rest of the route until I reached back WP4.  By then, daylight had arrived and after drinking another 4 cups of milo, I continued my last part of the journey.  I whipped out my cellphone and text my remaining Ocean 9 who's doing the 100km duo about the muddy terrain.  Then, Alvin called me!  He said he was approaching the pipe lines and asked me how I was doing.  He also told me what he intended to do once he reached the transition / drop bag area.  I warned him not to rest too long as for some runners, it would be hard to get back into running again after loosing that momentum.

 Somewhere Out There - Photo by Andy Ng

For my remaining journey, which was about 16km, I walked as fast as I could.  Just after I hit WP3, I ran into the leader of the 100km race!  As I applauded him, I noticed his shock all over his face!  I wondered why.  Perhaps he thought I was the race leader.  :p  I had also hoped to complete the Rifle Range Road section of the race before I clashed into the 100km duo runners due to the extremely narrow lane being blocked out for the runners.  I managed just that, meeting Lexxus Tan just after WP1.  From then on, I bumped into more and more runners and many friends running the 100km duo race.  This was another aspect of running (or racing) which I loved.  I saw Kayano who told me that his partner, Shu Ming had to accompany his wife to the hospital and that Jeri Collett had a nasty fall and was sent to the hospital.  I guessed this was part and parcel of running.  Sometimes, you fell sick before the race and sometimes you fell during the race.  I hoped Jeri's injury wasn't too bad.  I also met Mohan, who was always so cheerful, and Winnie.  We took photos before wishing each other best of luck.

 With Mohan & Winnie - Photo by Adeline Lee

Just before I reached the start of the Norther Trail, I saw Alvin sitting on the rock!  He looked totally shagged and wanted to give up.  I told him he still had plenty of time and he should keep going.  I had to push on too as I wanted to finish the 50km lap before the race for the 50km duo race was flagged off at 1000hrs.  Otherwise, I might get crashed.  Somehow, my knee began to co-operate!  I felt better and I started running intermittently again.  As soon as I exited the trail head, I picked up my pace and completed my 50km in 8hrs 48mins!  At the finishing area, I declared to the volunteers that I won't be continuing my race, before going back to the tent for some nice food.  I loved the grapes but not the strawberry.  It was alright since I had no appetite to eat.

While my timing for 50km was about 38mins slower than last year, I felt great and had enough energy to follow Tekko to support the rest of our friends.  In fact, I even had the energy to pace Alvin for the last 16km from WP4 to the finishing line, to ensure he was the last runner, last finisher of this year's TNF!  I was happy that I could help a runner complete the 100km race within the cut-off of 18 hours.  The race had met most of my expectations:  I didn't get lost and I didn't get hungry.  The only 2 complaints I had which might have affected my race, was that I had to walk the extra distance to the transition / drop bag area, and that there wasn't a clear path for the 100km soloists to go through to the transit area.  TNF100 Singapore was already one tough race due to the humidity and heat.  We needed no other injects to make the already tough race an even tougher one to run.  Break All Boundaries but break no promise made to the participants.  :)

My Road to Recovery and TNF100 Singapore

Even since I sustained this irritable strained as diagnosed by Changi General Hospital's sports doctor in early August, I had been patiently resting.  I was able to sleep late and wake up late.  Once or twice my legs got itchy and I went back for a short run but found that I had not recovered.  Luckily, no damage was done and while the few acupuncture sessions helped to a certain extent, there is no way to rush back from an injury or strain, except really to take my time to rest sufficiently.  It was just 2 months and 2 weeks since the Canadian Death Race and while I didn't feel 100% yet, I knew my patience would pay off eventually.

This afternoon, I went back to CGH for a follow up with the sports doctor and physio.  My sports doctor asked how was my pain since the last time we met 3 weeks ago.  I told him that I had started running since last Monday for 5mins, followed by 10mins on Tuesday, 15mins on Wednesday, 20mins on Thursday, all on the treadmill.  I felt fine except on Thursday when I felt the same soreness towards the end of my run.  On Friday, I did a 30mins session on the treadmill, and on Saturday, I did a 45mins session at MR.  On both days, I felt the same soreness after about 20mins or so of running.  However, the soreness didn't persist like it did when I test-run it in early August and during the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run in mid August.  In fact, I was able to continue my run.

I told the doctor I continued running on Sunday and this morning, covering 65mins (8.8km) and 60min (8.3km) respectively.  For both sessions, the same soreness struck but didn't go beyond the scale of 1/10, so I was able to complete my run.  The doctor reminded me that because the Popliteus muscle is a muscle hidden deep inside the knee, it was not easy to recover.  I would need to see him again in 3 months time and if the soreness persists, he might need to send me for a MRI scan.  Since I have no problem in running now, I could return to running but I should not push too hard, too fast, too soon.  After visiting my sports doctor, I went for a follow-up with my physio, also at the CGH's Sports Clinic.  I went through how I got my injury as he was new to my case.  After assessment, he prescribed some glutes strengthening exercises and advised that I should stretch my calves and hamstrings.

I'm very happy to know that I'm certinly on my way back from injury although I also know I'm not 100% fitt.  I will continue to build up my fitness although the TNF100 Singapore race this coming weekend is 2 weeks too early for me to run the 100km.  The temptation to push through the pain barrier is there (I know I could if I want to) and I'm not helped at all by some runners, who have such strong believe that I'm an iron lady who definitely can do it.  (I know you meant no harm!)  The thing is, I'm not an iron lady at all.  If I am, I won't be injured in the first place.  Make sense right?  :)  Even if I've a iron mentality, I am too smart to risk my body to cover a 100km with only 2 weeks of build-up, if you consider running 5mins, 10mins, 15mins and 20mins your typical preparation for a 100km race.  :p  Perhaps they are trying to be polite or not to be discouraging.  I appreciate everyone's best wishes but I know what I need to do.  The Bib No. 2 is a spectacular number that's normally reserved for the elite.  So I will take good care of the Bib by jogging and walking the race so as not to damage it.  :)  Wish me luck!

TNF100 Singapore Goodie Bag and Bib Number 2

What To Do When You Are Down With An Injury?

Ever since I came back from the Canadian Death Race in early Aug, which I DNF, I didn't feel 100%.  I knew I was injured.  Just that I didn't know what kind of injury I had.  Actually, to be frank, I took care of myself very well and I hardly had any injury since I joined the force.  As far as I could recall, my one and only serious injury was when I fell awkwardly and twisted my left ankle while on my way back from a night mission.  My ankle grew to a size of an apple and I was excused from all physical activities for about 3 weeks.  Apart from that, I mainly suffered from small, niggling injuries that were part and parcel of training and racing.  Nothing serious at all.  After resting for a good 10 days, I went for a 10km run with the F1 Runners on National Day but the pain flared up after about 4km.  I managed to complete the 10km route due to the numerous pit-stops for photo-taking.

NDP City Run with F1 Runners

I decided I had enough and went to see a doctor 2 days later, who referred me to the Sports Clinic at CGH.  I was extremely lucky to get an appointment date the following Monday.  That morning, I decided to go for a run to be certain of where exactly was the pain and at what distance it occurred.  The run was a disaster as I could only last 15mins, running at 7.5km/hr speed.  The good thing was I knew exactly where the pain was so I was able to describe to the doctor specifically the problem area at the back of my knee.  He did a check on both my lower limps and commented that my range of motion was normal.  He pressed against the area where I could feel the dull pain before doing an ultrasound scan at the back of both my knees for comparison.  Then, I was sent for an X-ray on my right knee.  His diagnosis was that I had strained my ITB and Popliteus muscles - the Popliteus muscle is a thin, flat, triangular muscle in back of the knee, the action of which assists in bending the knee and in rotating the leg toward the body.  After making my physio appointment, I left but my knee couldn't bend at all and I was in a lot of pain.  A patient saw me limping and encouraged me to look for a certain professor who treats patients at the TCM clinic next to the Sports Clinic inside CGH.  Since I had nothing to loose, I went and the professor did acupuncture at the sore area - she poked 2 spots to release the "bad" blood (something like blood clot or blue-black).  After the procedure, the pain was gone totally and I could even walked normally to Simei MRT.  Before I left, she advised me to take some time off running, since I injured myself after completing 110km 2 weeks ago.

 My Acupuncture Sessions

I went for another acupuncture session 3 days later.  To overcome my boredom, I did some jogging and photo-taking during the TNF Progressive 1 Run that weekend.  It was fun taking photos and not running.  :)  I also managed to transfer my Lean Horse 100 race to 2012 after informing the RD of my injury.  Following weekend, which was end Aug, I went to Adidas King Of The Road to take more running photos!  It was shiok looking at all the expressions on the runners' faces.  But as soon as I uploaded the photos, I got kind of depressed again for not being able to run although I was enjoying giving myself a deserved break.  I decided to do some upper body strength training although I wasn't that motivated.  I chanced upon a trail maintenance session organised by TNF and had fun learning how to make the trail a better running surface.  The following weekend during AHM, I also managed to wake up early but the early start meant that the photos taken weren't that great.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed meeting up with my friends after the race for makan.  I did a final session of acupuncture as my professor would be returning to Beijing.  While I no longer felt any soreness or pain while walking up and down the stairs, the pain came after running about 2km during the TNF Progressive Run 2 the next day.  I reckoned I should rest more!

 Taking Photos & Volunteering For Trail Work

Well, being injured is really no fun.  It is especially tough when your friends are running and you are not.  Having to miss races that you already signed up is making things worse although I'm lucky that I managed to postpone mine to next year. So when will I start training again?  I'm not sure.  Will hear what the physio and doctor have to say this coming week.  I must be patient instead of rushing back.  Otherwise, more unnecessary down time!  :)  In conclusion, consider the following if you are ever injured and unable to run / exercise:

1. Rest, rest and more rest!  But active rest.  Do other exercises that can aid your recovery.  E.g. swim, weight training, stretching exercise, etc.  Whatever that can occupy your mind in a positive manner, is surely great.  :)

2. Support other runners!  What better time to cheer for your friends!  Be it taking photos along the race course or finishing line, setting up a ad-hoc aid station with food and drinks, or simply cheering them on during the race.  :)

3. Take on meaningful task like volunteering for trail maintenance work.  But if we are not committed to running, training and racing everyday / every week, we should play our part now instead of waiting till injury struck us.  :p