BII Maybank Bali Marathon 2012

It was my dream to do a marathon in as many countries as possible.  So when I heard that there was a Bali Marathon in Indonesia, I signed up for the full marathon without any hesitation.  (Few years back, I read about the Bali Marathon but the Half Marathon category was the longest distance being offered.)  Registration via the website was very easy.  I paid US$40.00 - the early bird price for international runners.  (After early bird period, international runners had to pay US$60.00.)  The website also contained recommendation for hotels and beach resorts, as well as free shuttle to transport runners to and from the race start/finish.  By end of 2011, I have also booked my return flights to/from Bali!  :)

Race Packet Collection

I arrived in Bali on the same Jetstar flight as Ben Swee, Tee Lee, Joanne, David Wong, and Esther.  Tee Lee, Joanne, Ben and I shared a cab to Sanur Beach Hotel, also the host hotel, to collect our race packet, which cost us 95,000 Rupiah.  Traffic was slow in the first half of the journey but smooth flowing in the second half of the journey.  The trip to Sanur Beach Hotel was about 30~40mins from the airport.  At the entrance of the hotel we saw a few Kenyan runners with their race packets.  While walking towards the rack packet collection point, we saw more Kenyan runners!  We met David Wong at the race packet collection.  Collection was smooth as the queue was short.  After collecting our packets, we had to activate our timing chip at the chip counter.  Then we walked around the expo though we didn't venture much as we had yet to have lunch and were all very hungry.  We called for a taxi to take us to Sanur Agung Hotel, where I stayed and the rest to Diwankara Holiday Villa Beach Resort, which was about 600m away.  Before they left, we agreed to meet again in an hour's time - either I walked to their beach resort, or they walked to my hotel.

 Host Hotel - Sanur Beach Hotel Race Packet Collection

Carbo Loading Dinner

After I checked into my hotel, I connected my Facebook account via the hotel's free wifi and sent Dewi a message.  Dewi and I would be sharing the room but she took a afternoon flight and would arrive later.  I checked the items in my race packet and put Dewi's one on her side of the bed.  Then, I took a slow walk to Diwankara Beach Resort.  About 300m from my hotel, stood the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel next to the main junction - this was where runners would assemble to board the pick-up shuttle to the race start/finish.  Another 300m later, I was standing at the entrance of Diwankara Beach Resort.  I went into the resort's lobby where I saw Ben Swee, Tee Lee and Joanne.  They were busy trying to login to their Whatsapp when I got a sms from Dewi.  She had just settled in nicely in our room and wondered where I was!  I replied to tell her that I would walk back to Sanur Agung Hotel while the rest decide where to have dinner.  Before I left, we agreed that once they were ready to move, they would walk towards my hotel's direction to check out the restaurants and cafes along that stretch of road.

It took me about 10mins to get back to Sanur Agung Hotel.  Dewi had just checked out the contents in her race packet.  I told her the plan and we both walked towards Diwankara Beach Resort's direction.  Crossing the road at the main junction was a big challenge.  You just had to be extra careful.  Even Dewi wasn't sure of their traffic light system even though she was from Jakarta.  We met up with them at the Dunkin Donuts located next to the junction.  After looking at the various options available, we went back to Made Two Bar & Restaurant when the waitress promised us a free serving of ice-cream!  I ordered a plate of Nasir Goreng.  The serving was alright but I still felt hungry after finishing my main course and ice cream.  Apparently, Ben Swee and Tee Lee also felt the same way.  So we went to KFC for 2nd round of dinner!  Unfortunately, they didn't have meshed potato nor coleslaw.  :(  So I ordered a Pepsi while Ben had a soup and Tee Lee had vegetable salad.  After part 2 of the program, we went back to our respective hotel for an early rest since we had to catch the 3.30am bus to the start.

Bali Marathon 2012

I had no problem to fall asleep and woke up at around 2.40am.  Dewi was awake by then.  We quickly changed into our gear before leaving for Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel.  We saw many buses at the hotel as well as Tekko and Molly, who arrived in Bali a day earlier than us.  As soon as a bus was filled with runners, it moved off to the start.  Traffic was smooth and we reached the start/finish point about 20~25mins later.  We (Dewi, Ben, Tee Lee, Joanne and me) agreed that we would wait at the entrance just after the start/finish point, and take the 12.30 bus back to the hotel.  I decided to use the mobile toilet to relieve myself before the start of the race.  Luckily I made my decision earlier while the queue was short.  I made my way to the start as participants for the full marathon would be flagged off at 5.00am while those running the half would be flagged off at 5.30am and the 10km runners would start at 6.00am.  As soon as the race started, I settled into my easy pace (or so I thought) while many runners zoomed past me.  I noticed some volunteers holding on to some kind of bamboo stick with fire lighted up at the top of the stick in their traditional costumes for the first 200~300m.  The street was very dark as there were no street lights.  Luckily it was a highway although I noted some cracks.  That stretch of road is mostly flat.  I crossed the 5km timing mat at around 32mins (which I thought was a little fast).  I tried to slow down but I still clocked around 32mins when I crossed the timing mat at 10km.  I reckoned that it was due to the cool weather in the morning.  Also, Bali seemed to be less humid as compared to Singapore.  I took about 34mins for the next 5km and the sun soon rose.

We ran through a few villages and at every village, there were many young kids in uniformed lining up and cheering us!  There were also adults, some with babies and young children, sitting outside their homes and clapping for us as we ran past them.  You won't find such support running in Singapore.  There were police presence at every junction to direct traffic.  In fact, the locals didn't seem to get frustrated at not being able to use the road.  At some villages, there were traditional performances and I just had to stop to take in the atmosphere.  It was awesome.  As for the aid stations, which was positioned approximately about every 2.5km, they served mainly water although some had isotonic drink and fruits.  As the day got brighter, the weather got warmer though surprisingly, I could still feel the cool wind even at 8am.  However, I had by then slowed down a great deal as it was difficult to pick up my momentum after stopping for photos every now and then.  :p  It was a great excuse to slow down and high-five with the children lining the streets!  Besides the supporters along some parts of the route, you could see some local infrastructures, monuments, and building for worship, as well as padi fields at other sections.

After around the 25~28km, I was running / walking stride for stride with an ang moh man.  I asked him if we were able to complete by 11am (6 hours) if we continued at that speed.  He commented that we would probably finished at around 10.15am.  (Really? That was too fast!)  This was because the last 7km was a slight downhill.  So I decided to slow down even more!  But more importantly, I was trying to conserve my water as it was getting hotter.  At one point, I almost ran out of water after gulping down a large chunk while trying to push down a packet of GU power gel, which tasted horrible and almost made me puked.  Luckily, there was a group of volunteers on a small roving truck, handing out bottle of water to the runners!  At around 31.5km, we merged with the half marathoners and I began to countdown the km markers.  The last quarter of the marathon did had a downhill profile but some sections of the road had no shade and the sun was scorching hot.  There were still supporters out there but were mostly young kids.

After I saw the 41km mark, I knew the end was really close.  After about 200~300m, we ran out onto the highway back to the start / finish point!  There was almost zero shade along the highway but most runners would still ran the width of the highway to reach the other side of the road where little shade could be found along some pockets of the highway.  At about 100m away from the start / finish point, I heard a familiar voice shouting encouragement to me - Esther!  By then, I was quite fried and barely had enough energy to cross the finish line in 5:51:09 (gun time).  Marathon in Indonesia - CHECKED!  Finisher then had to make their way into the Bali Safari Marine Park to collect their finisher medal and tee-shirt, as well as returning the timing chip.  I saw Dewi, who looked well rested at the timing chip area.  According to her, there were still volunteers who helped them cut the cable tie when she finished at around 10.10am (Dewi's gun time was 5:11:01).  We merry up with the rest, exchanged our war stories before managing to hitch hike a ride back to Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel.  We managed to check out of our hotel by 1pm before I left for the airport.  (Visitors to Bali might wish to take note of the 150,000 ruppiah airport tax requirement when flying out of Bali).

Conclusion:  The organisation of the race was top notch.  Buses were provided at major towns (Sanur, Kuta, Ubud and Nusa Dua) to and from the race start / finish.  There were sufficient aid stations along the route although one or two of the stations almost ran out of water.  We have to applaud the organiser who was quick addressed the situation by getting roving vehicles to assist runners who ran out of water.  The supporters were really friendly.  Some of them would probably had to wake up early to put on their traditional costumes while other would continue waiting for the back-of-the-pack runners.  They deserved a big THANK YOU!  The route was generally easy, saved for some sections of the route with steep hill (up and down), which made running kind of dangerous.  If only they stationed the collection of baggage, medal, tee-shirt, and food/drink nearer to the start / finish point, it would have been a perfect race (less the weather).  A highly recommended must-do race.  :)  Race Ratings: 9.5/10.

Jeju Ultramarathon 2012

Race Registration

I heard about the Jeju Ultramarathon (which was also the IAU 100km Asian Challenge) from a friend's post in Facebook.  And within the next few days, there were more and more sharing in the Facebook about the race.  What made it so attractive was the free race registration for overseas participants.  On top of that, international runners were given a free night stay on the eve of the race, free event tee and a free day-trip to some of Jeju's attractions on Sunday, the day after the completion of the shorter distances like 50km road, 50 miles trail and 100km road.  I took an immediate interest as the race offered a 200km road ultramarathon option!  I thought it would be very cool (weather wise) to do a 200km road race in Jeju, South Korea due to the nice weather at the time of the year - April. [Point to note: Due to a smaller budget, it was made known to us that there was no free event tee or free day-trip on 8 Apr.]

The website did not contain much info about the race though I managed to find out the race route for the different category.  And if there were info, they were mostly in Korean.  :(  But I managed to deduce that all races would start at the same point somewhere quite near the airport.  For the 50km, it would be about 1/4 round the island.  For the 100km, they would continue another 50km round the island.  For the 50 mile trail run, runners would cut across the island, up and down the Hallasan Mountain - a shield volcano and also the highest mountain in South Korea, to end at the same point as the 100km runners.  And for the 200km, it was simply one round of Jeju Island.  :)  It seemed cool but the elevation did show the runners having to go over a "peak" although those running the trail had to overcome 2 peaks!

The Jeju Ultramarathon Route and Elevation

I followed the instructions given and email to the race organiser and got a reply soon.  So I was IN the race.  I found making traveling plans to Jeju a little more difficult as there was no direct flight.  I had to fly into Incheon International Airport in Seoul, before taking a train or bus to Gimpo Airport for the flight to Jeju.  A bus trip to Gimpo would cost 7,000 Won (if you bought the bus ticket at the counter inside the airport) or 5,000 Won (if you pay on board the bus outside the airport) - not sure why though, while a non-express train would cost 3,050 Won (using their T-Money Card - something like our EZ Link Card) - it would cost more than 4,000 Won using cash).  Bus ride would take about 45~60mins and train ride would take about 33~40mins.  The flight to Jeju took about an hour.  A check on Google Weather showed that the temperature would be around 6~8 Degree Celsius though past years' weather were recorded between 16~18 Degree Celsius.  I enjoyed the cool weather though I began to realise that Jeju was a little too windy for my liking.

The night prior to the race, there was a briefing conducted for the runners.  Runners would be allowed to deposit their own special drink from the 15km mark and every 5km (or was it 10km?) thereafter.  (Runners were told that the special drink would be disposed of so we should not put anything valuable).  Aid stations would be available at every 5km interval.  For the 50km and 100km runners, runners could deposit their drop bag containing their warm clothes at the finishing while waiting for transport back to the hotel while for the 200km runners, they could deposit a drop bag containing change of clothes/shoes at the 100km mid point with their bag being brought to the start/finishing point.  Hot noodle soup would also be made available at the 100km mark for all 50 miler, 100km and 200km runners.

Race Packet Collection and Race Briefing

The Race Day

I woke up early for breakfast at 4.30am at the host hotel.  I had a small bowl of porridge, 2 slices of bread, a sunny side up and 2 glasses of orange.  Then I went up to pack my drop bag - hydration bag,  shoes, socks, gloves, jacket, cap, headlamp, 3 cans of Milo, 2 packets of Vespa, a short-sleeved tee and a long-sleeved tee.  It was always better to overpack, then to underpack.  Then I changed into my running gear (long-sleeved over short-sleeved, long tights, gloves, hydration bag and cap) and went down to assemble at the hotel lobby.  After handed over my drop bag, I went outside the hotel to check out the weather.  It was cooling but not that cold.  More importantly, it was not windy.  I went back into the hotel lobby to wait for further instructions.  More and more runners came down to deposit their drop bags.  I saw BrokenRunner, Vincent, Josephine and Joyce.  Everyone was excited, except probably me.  I was as nervous as usual.  At about 5.30am, the race organisers led us to the starting point which was about 10mins walk from the host hotel.

 Race Day Morning and Race Start

At 6.00am sharp, the organiser flagged us off.  I reckoned there were probably about 200~300 runners.  I started slow as usual.  But even before 5km, I was feeling warm.  I started looking out for toilet to change.  There were plenty of toilets in South Korea, so it wasn't difficult for me to find one.  I dashed into the toilet and found a man making his way into one of the ladies cubicle as well!  Hmmmm.  I quickly went into one of the cubicle, changed and got out.  After running for a few steps, I noticed my hydration bag was not sitting nicely where it should be.  I decided to stop and throw out everything to pack nicely.  It was a good decision as I was able to continue running without feeling anything brushing against my back.  As this is a road ultramarathon, we were essentially running next to the road.  On sections where there were pavement, I would run on pavement instead.  Soon, I reached the first water station at 10km mark.  As I had enough water, I didn't refill my bottle.  Instead, I took a cup of water before I continued my journey.

The sky was getting brighter and I could see the sea along certain section of the route.  Soon, the sun came out but the weather was still very cooling at that time of the year.  I didn't really notice the marker on the road as I could see the runners in front which was not too far away.  This was not a wise decision so I reminded myself to look out for the signs whenever I crossed any junctions.  Eventually, I saw the signs and they looked exactly like what the organiser said they would look like!  An arrow, followed by the word UM.  The next water station at 15km came soon after, and so did the next one.  At one of the water stations, they gave out mini tomatoes and they tasted so sweet and nice!  As I wasn't sure if I could make the 200km cut-off at 34 hours, there was a cut-off at 50km (7 hours), 100km (15 hours), 150km (24 hours), I decided to just concentrate on covering as far as I could and not to waste time taking pictures along the way.  I didn't check on my watch.  After passing the 45km mark, I saw someone very familiar.  Someone in pink top!

I didn't attempt to give chase but continued my same pace.  Eventually, I managed to catch up with BrokenRunner in her pink top because she stopped to take photos.  Brokie was surprised to see me.  I helped her took a picture before I continue and eventually, reached the 50km check-point at 12.12pm (6hrs 12mins of running).  Brokie also finished her race shortly after and I asked if she could help me brought back my camera and extra clothing which were weighing me down.  She was concerned if I may need my extra clothing later so I assured her that I had another long sleeved and jacket with me at the 100km check-point.  Brokie agreed and I dashed off to a corner inside a building to change.  Then I handed over my stuff before continuing my next 50km.  My name aim was to reach the 90km mark within 12 hours.  I reckoned that if I could do that, I could make it for the 150km and 200km cut-off.

I slowed down considerably after the 50km check-point.  I reached the 55km just before 7 hours (I should have completed 60km instead, using the Two Oceans Marathon 56km in 2010 that I completed in 6hrs 53mins 37secs which had a much tougher terrain).  It didn't help when the afternoon sun began to work harder. I began walking more even though it was mostly flat.  I just didn't have the wind or desire to run.  :(  Then, more and more runners overtook me.  But after a short while, I overtook them.  So it became something like a game of passing runners and being passed by them later.  There was also a roving vehicle who stopped at the road side to ask runners if they needed anything.  Not sure if that was official but I saw they had Coke!  I asked for 1/2 a cup, drank, thanked them and continued.  At around 70~75km, I ran past the locality where they shot "大长今" (I learnt that from Brokie the day before the race while visiting Jeju)!

That was not the only tourist attraction.  There was a temple further up at the 85km mark with many tourists.  While most runners may curse at the climb up towards the temple up the hill, I enjoyed it.  During this section, I ran 50 steps and walked 50 steps continuously till I reached the top, and I had no guilt walking.  But I failed in my attempt to cover 90km within the 12 hours.  Luckily, I managed to sustain this pace through to the 95km mark, while running through a small town with eateries, shops and cherry blossom on both side of the road.  The sky was also getting darker.  It was almost 8pm (almost 14 hours) and I estimated I would reach between 8.30~8.45pm, just before the 15 hours cut-off limit.  More and more runners passed me on the "home stretch" towards the end-point of the 100km race, which was at the World Cup Stadium.  I eventually reached the 100km check-point at 8.33pm (14hrs 33mins of running).  Unfortunately, the check-point is kind of "choatic" (not sure if it was the right word).  The volunteers were trying to find the name of the 100km finishers who came in just before me.  After waiting for about 2 minutes, when they eventually came to me, I told them that I won't be continuing.  Instead, I went into the tend to have a bowl of hot soup noddle, where I met Melvin who had just completed his 50 mile trail run. We shared our stories before catching the bus back to the hotel.

What I Learnt From Jeju Ultramarathon

The Jeju Ultramarathon was a great experience for me even though I only managed 100km instead of 200km.  I learnt that it was much easier to push myself when I was running along a route with thousands of other runners, with supporters cheering throughout the race.  This was probably the reason why I was able to complete the Comrades Marathon (90km) within the 12-hour cut-off time with minutes to spare and not able to achieve my aim of reaching the 90km mark within 12 hours in Jeju.  Perhaps next year, I would bring along my ipod and listen to music from live concert with thousands of screaming fans in the background.  :)

The other thing I learnt was that it was definitely easier to run a route with undulating terrain as compared to one that was almost flat as a pancake.  Okie, Comrades Marathon was definitely not an easy race.  Its 5 hills were even more undulating than the famous Boston Marathon.  But when running in an undulating terrain spread along the entire route, it gave me the chance to do power walk or run at quite a regular interval.  In Jeju Ultramarathon, the terrain was mostly flat, with a noticeable climb towards the 85km mark.  Hence I was using the same muscles most of the time.  No wonder I got slower and slower - EXCUSE!  :p

Overall, it was a very well organised race.  With water and food provided at every 5km distance, carrying a 500ml water bottle would suffice.  (Though I would prefer to have the info on the special drink arrangement earlier to prepare rather than learning about it during the race brief, at least for me.)  However, as foreign runners might not get used to the type of local food or fruits provided, I would recommend packing your own food, fruits or gel.  Runners should also make use of the water points where special drinks were allowed, instead of carrying with you during the run.  During any ultramarathon, especially for slower runners like myself, it was important to run with as light a load as possible.  It would also be very useful if the race organiser could consider a further drop bag at the 150km water station for those running the 200km event.  Would I try this again next year?  Definitely.  Having ran in this year's race and after analyzing my race performance, I know how to better prepare myself for the race.

Availability of Race Info: 8/10 (Give organiser a few days to reply to your query via email).

Quality of Aid Station: 9/10 (Aid stations at every 5km was fantastic. However, we may not get used to their food provided. Variety is also limited.)

Drop Bag (Special Drink): 10/10 (Such practices is rarely provided at marathons and ultramarathons but the information could be given earlier for planning).

Drop Bag (Others):  5/10 (There was only 1 drop bag for special gear for the 200km runners and none for the 100km runners. It would be good to cater another drop bag at the 50km and 150km marks where 100km and 200km runners could put their essential items (e.g. lights, extra batteries.)  Otherwise, runners would have to have these items with them right from the start of race or to till the end of race.)

Others: 5.5/10 (1) There should be different time-keeper to look out for the 50 miles, 100km and 200km runners.  Otherwise, the 200km runners would be wasting unnecessary time to be checked-in before continuing their race.  Especially important for back-of-the-pack runners where every seconds count. (2) There were photographers stationed at some part of the race to capture our race photos, which was nice.

Race Ratings: 7.5/10.

2XU Compression Run 2012

This was my first local race in 2012.  I wanted to do 6 local races which I had never run before previously.  Karen was supposed to run the 10km while I registered for the 15km.  But something cropped up last minute and I went for the race on my own although I know of many other runner friends who had also signed up for the run.  By the time I reached the start point along Nicoll Highway at around 6.45am, I could see from the overhead bridge that thousands of runners had already lined up and ready to race!  Since I did not have any bag deposit, I went straight to join in the queue at the back in the 2nd wave starting group.  The race did not start on time, with the first wave being flagged off at 7.15am instead of 7.00am and the second wave being flagged off at 7.30am instead of 7.15am.

Forming up of 1st Wave, Baggage Deposit & Info Counter

The second wave was flagged off by Mr Vivian Balakrishnan, the event's guest-of-honour.  Prior to the second wave's flag-off, a cheque for S$20,000 was presented to the Singapore Cancer Society (I think).  As the run was my last "long" run prior to the Jeju Ultramarathon the next weekend, I decided to run it steady and slow, and take photos at all the km markers.  :)

 Runners from 1st Wave & Flagging Off for 2nd Wave

The route brought us to the junction near Suntec Convention Centre before making a u-turn.  We then ran back the whole stretch of Nicoll Highway till Mountbatten Road (about 3.5km).  Along the way, I saw Roonz and TheLonelyRunner zooming past me on the other side of the road in the opposite direction!  They were so fast that I didn't even have time to snap their pictures!  At the end of the Nicoll Highway junction and Mountbatten Road, there was a water point and I happily refilled my 2nd cup of water, drank it, and threw away!  "I wasn't supposed to do that", I reminded myself to re-use my cup before continuing my run.

 1Km Marker, 2Km Marker, 3Km Marker & Aid Station

The route into the stadium was a short one but there were lots of shades to shield us from the hot sun.  We then had to make a 2nd u-turn back to Mountbatten Road and into Nicoll Highway.  This brought us past the 4km and 5km markers.  After the 5km marker, the 2nd water point appeared and I refilled my cup twice.  After I passed the 6km marker onto the Merdeka Bridge, there was little shade along this stretch of road and I didn't enjoy one bit.  At the 7km marker, we made a left turn into the Nicoll Highway MRT Station where we had formed up earlier for the race start.  I looked at my watch and knew I was jogging at a pretty slow pace although my legs were feeling somewhat lethargic.  :p

 4Km to 7Km Markers

After 50m past the 7km marker, we made another right turn before a 3rd u-turn led us into the Republic Avenue towards the old 火城's (Lavendar MRT Station's) direction.  Just before we reached Lavendar MRT Station, we ran past the 8km marker, another water station and 9km marker.  A short distance after the 9km marker, those who were running the 10km race turned right back to the end point while the rest of us continued till we almost reached the entrance of the People's Association along Kallang Road.  This was also the 10km marker as well as the 4th u-turn point of the route!  :(  We ran back the bridge and onto the park leading to Kallang Riverside Park.  This stretch was shady, cooling with nice scenery of the Kallang River.  I refilled my cup at the water station just before the 11km marker.

Towards Lavendar MRT Station @ 9Km Marker

 U-Turn Point @ 10Km and Scenic Route from 11Km

I didn't want to pick up my pace as that was the most scenic stretch of the entire route and I wanted to enjoy myself before we hit the F1 Track at around the 12.5km.  I saw 2 runners taking pictures of one another and offered to help them take a picture.  In return, I requested if one of them could help me take a picture of me with her friend in it. It was always nice to have someone else besides you in photos.  :)  I was glad that they were sporty to oblige my request.  Just after the 13km marker near the Singapore Flyer was the last water station.  I refilled my cup for the last time before picking up my pace for the last 2kms.

Photo with a stranger @ 12Km & Singapore Flyer @ 13km

The Final Stretch and Finishing Line!

I crossed the finishing line at around 9.23am, and according to the official result, I completed the race with a Gun Time of 2hrs 8mins 3secs and a Nett Time of 1hr 49mins 18secs to rank 521 among 962 finishers!  All finishers were then given a gender specific medal as well as banana and water.  Further up, another set of volunteers draped around an ice, cold finishing towel!  What a finale indeed.  :)  Overall, this was a very well organised race with sufficient water points placed at strategic points of the route.  Organiser, though, could have laid out the drink tables over a distance of 40m~50m, rather than next to each other.  This would help spread out the crowding of the runners at the water points.  The 4 x u-turn points in the 15km category were a big turn-off even for slower runners like me (fast runners might complain more as it might slow down their momentum).  Although some parts of the route were a little narrow, I wasn't affected by runners who were blocking my way.  Maybe I was too slow.  The gender specific finishing medal was unique and of high quality, and the finishing towel was literally an icing on a hot body.  Would I sign up for the race again?  Maybe, if the cost was not as expensive as S$48.00 (for early bird) and S$$60.00 (during normal period registration).  Race Ratings: 8.5/10.

Disclaimer: The baggage deposit service seemed orderly but as I did not make use of the service, I won't be able to advise if the deposit and retrieval process was prompt.  The same comment for the toilet facilities provided at the start/finish line.

 Finishing Medal, Event Tee & Towel

Volunteering For Run & Raisin' 2012

The best way to give back to the running community is to volunteer for a running event and when such an opportunity presented itself, I had no hesitation to put my name forward.  Run & Raisin' 2012 was held on 31 Mar 2012 and organised by the TOUCH Young Arrows (TYA), whose mission is to nurture the young (children & teens), holistically and help them realize their potential by providing educational, social, emotional and mental support to them and their families.  Besides me, Christopher, Molly, BrokenRunner, Terence, Kayano and daughter, PassionRunner, Ayin, Zco, ACLeong, etc. also volunteered for the event.  We were all grouped together to man the u-turn cum aid station at the 5km mark.

On the morning of 31 Mar, it rained rather heavily in the early morning and I wished I could sleep in.  Thankfully, some of us were told to report slightly later and I managed to steal another 30mins of sleep.  At around 7.20am, we arrived at one of the carpark along ECP and proceeded to our aid station location about 1.5km away, at the entrance of some golf course.  As it was still drizzling, the OIC in charge of us informed us that there would be a delay to the start of the race.  Hence, there was no need to setup the aid station until further instructions were given.  So we waited and chatted and took photographs.  It wasn't until about 8.45am that the timing company started to setup their timing system while we began to move the tables, water and cups from the shed.  There was also a need to layout the trash boxes some distances after the aid station - something that only runners could think of.

At around 9.10am, I heard the 2 men setting up the timing system commented that the race already started and no one had informed them.  Luckily, they had finished testing the system.  As for our aid station, we were still pouring water into the cups when we saw the first few runners running towards our direction some 5mins later!  Someone took a cone to place after the timing system that marked the u-turn point.  And the rest of us quickly split ourselves into 3 groups - one group in charge of filling the water into cups, one group handing out water on the other side of the path and one group handing out water on the near side of the aid station.  I took 2 cups and joined PassionRunner on the near side of the path nearer to the tables, handling out the water.  Slowly, as we became more efficient in our task, we started to grab 3 cups at a time, and then 4 cups at a time.  Then came the mid-pack runners and business soared for a while.  It probably lasted for about 30mins or so before we were able to relax a bit.

At around 10am, Tekko and ACLeong (who positioned themselves further up the route to spot the fast runners and the last few runners) came back to the aid station.  But we had to keep the aid station open until the organiser gave us the green light to pack up.  We then spotted a few more back-of-the-pack runners.  After sending the last runners off, we packed up every thing less a table and some cups of water for the OIC to man before leaving.  I thought we did a great job.  The only complaint that I had was the way we were told to "handle" the water during the packing up.  Water was poured away - rather needlessly although the amount was not significant.  There are people around the world who do not have water to bath or clean water to drink and here we are, pouring away perfectly drinkable water onto the grass patch!  It's a sin that I hope I would not witness again.  Overall, I enjoyed myself and hope there would be more of such opportunity to volunteer.

Seoul International Marathon 2012

It was almost a week after I completed the 1st All Women Ultra Marathon in Cebu before I flew into Seoul, South Korea for my next marathon.  The reason for running the Seoul International Marathon was to get a slightly faster timing (below 4:40) so as to get a better seeding for Comrades.  And since I achieved my marathon PB here in Seoul 3 years ago, I was confident of running within the cut-off time of 5 hours.  However, I was not sure if my legs had the speed required to run fast after AWUM in Cebu.  Hoped the sports massage I did on Thursday night was enough and that I had recovered well just in time.

Seoul International Marathon - Road Race Gold Label Awarded by IAAF

I arrived on Sat morning, the eve of the marathon.  Had breakfast at the airport before taking a bus ride into Seoul city centre.  After checking into the hostel, I went to the Donga Daily News Building to collect my race packet.  The instructions given to overseas participants were precise and accurate - after reaching the Chungjeongno Station, and exit through Exit #8 along Line 5, I saw the Holly's Coffee as mentioned by the race organiser on the ground floor of the building.  I took a lift to the 3rd level and saw 2 staff attending to calls.  A guy then came over to ask for my identification, before retrieving my race packet from a box.  I acknowledged by signing on a form before going to Holly's Coffee for brunch.  Then, it was back to the hostel to catch up on my sleep before carbo loading dinner.  I also tried out their milk tea before returning to the hostel for early lights out.

 Things That I Did After Arriving In Seoul

 Race Pick-up @ Donga Daily News Building

 Breakfast @ Holly's Coffee & Inspecting Race Packet

Dinner Time - Appetizer & Dinner

The Pre-Race

I woke up at 5.30am to have my bun and drink.  The weather was cool but not as cold as in 2009 where it was 1 degree Celsius.  The bed was inviting so I went back to sleep before forcing myself to wake up and change at 6.30am.  I put on my long sleeved tee over my short sleeved tee, CW-X long pants and packed my jacket into my bag deposit.  And then I realised I didn't bring along my gloves!  :(  After checking my timing chip, I left for the start line.  Out on the streets, I easily spotted other runners walking towards the start line direction.  I followed them instead of taking the subway.  I reached there around 7am and saw a few stalls selling all types of sporting stuff, including hot soup, gels, caps, shades, and GLOVES!  And I bought one for 1,000 Won.  Depositing my bag at the counter was an ease - they had many counters and you just need to look for one in which your bib number fell within the range.  Every counter had 3~4 assistants and took care of 260 runners (xx001 to xx260).  There was no queue at all the counters.  After taking care of my bag, I went to Sector C and saw runners following to the music beat and exercise moves of the "model".  The atmosphere was electric and the runners well mannered.  Everyone gave each other their space and there was no shoving around unlike other big city marathons.  Okie, maybe Seoul International Marathon wasn't as big scale as other big city marathons but it was a race that attracts Kenyan runners and worthy of fast times.  I walked back to my Sector E to await the race start.  In South Korea, races were started in waves.  There were human chains standing in front of every waves to prevent runners from joining the front wave.  Each wave given 3~4mins to clear before the next wave was flagged off.  Being in the last pent meant that the runners won't start until 15~20mins after start for the elites.  This was to avoid the route being too congested.

Layout of Starting Point

The Race

I looked at my watch when the race was officially started: 8:02am for the elites.  And I didn't dare look at the watch again as I was not confident of running my sub-4:40 target.  Soon, the last wave was flagged off and I just ran hard!  The weather was nice and soon, I was heating up.  Gosh, should have trusted my instinct and wore only my short-sleeved tee.  Even before the 5km marker, I had to roll up my long-sleeved tee while wondering if I should remove it altogether.  At the 5km marker, the timing clock showed "00:54" and I saw the sweeper bus on the opposite side of the road!  I was worried that I might be caught by the sweeper bus and I ran even harder.  At around 7km thereabout, I had a chance to look at the elite front runners.  I loved the way they run.  They were so fast and looked so effortless, while my every step looked laboured and hard.  I ran past a group of performers hitting the drums but unfortunately, I didn't quite appreciate it as it sound like some death tune.  :(  At the 10km marker, we passed another timing mat and the clock showed "01:26".  So far so good.  I was able to maintain my pace by focusing on my run especially as this stretch of road along Cheonggyecheon was typical city centre, with a lot of shops, buildings, and nothing scenic.

We made another u-turn at the Gosanja Bridge and I was happy that the sun was behind my back again.  I made a mental note to consume my 1st GU Gel at the 15km marker, which I reached at around "01:58" - the 3rd short section of the route in which I walked and drank.  (The water point was positioned every 5km apart, with sponges available from the 17.5km mark and subsequently every 5km.)  Just after the 16km, we made another u-turn and I ran past the hostel where I was staying!  I was very tempted to go back to my room to take a quick toilet break but I resisted.  I tried my best to hold my pace but I was beginning to slow down.  There were a few more performances along the way but I didn't stop for any photos.  I reached the 20km marker at "02:33".  Big city marathons could be boring especially if there wasn't any interesting sights to see along the way nor big crowds to cheer you on.  There were crowds cheering us along part of the streets though I didn't understand.  I made another mental note for my 2nd GU Gel at 25km marker, which I crossed in "03:04".  Even before I swallowed the GU Gel, I felt sick in my stomach.  I dislike the texture.  Makes me sick.  It took me a good 3mins to force it down my throat with some plain water.  Yiaks!

 Starting to 20km Marker

Soon, we passed Ganja Street and made a right turn towards the Children's Grand Park.  I was beginning to feel urgent from all the water that I drank but there was no mobile toilet in sight.  At the 27.5km marker, I took a sponge to cool myself.  Another right turn brought us towards Seongdong Bridge Crossroad and I hit the 30km marker at "03:38" just before the Seoul Forest.  I quickly took a bottle of plain water and went to the back lane, hid behind some vehicles before releasing myself.  I did a quick cleaning up with the sponge, quenched my thirst before I continued.  By then, my legs were getting heavy.  We had to go through a short underground pass, some turnings before approaching the Jayang 2dong Crossroad towards the Jamsil Bridge.  The "climb" towards Jamsil Bridge was rather slow.  I finally reached the aid station at the 35km marker at "04:14" and then saw the 4:40 pace group zoomed past me!  I was demoralised as I didn't have the strength to chase after them.  Maybe I had pushed myself too early.  The weather along the bridge was not as cold as in 2009.  There were no strong head wind.  Towards the end of the bridge, we passed the sponge station at 37.5km marker and I somehow managed to pick up my speed going down the bridge.

 20km Marker to Finishing

Turning right after the Seokchonhosu Crossroad, I saw the 38km marker and continued running hard till I reached the part of the road where there were some constructions and the road had metal coverings on them.  This made it uncomfortable to run on and I slowed down.  The 40km marker did perk me up a little but the clock showed "04:48".  I was sure I couldn't make it below 4:40 chip time even if I pushed hard.  And although I tried, I was getting tired.  Turning right after the 41km marker, we could see the Sports Complex right ahead.  Another right turn brought us onto the road entrance towards the stadium and there were may people on both sides of the barriers cheering the runners for that final push.  I entered the stadium with other runners and we had to cover approximately 3/4 of the track.  By then, I could hardly pick up my pace and slowly trudged home in "05:05" gun time.

 The Finishing

The Post Race

I kind of regretted not to push harder and I knew it would be very close whether I made the sub 4:40 target or not.  But there was nothing I could do after the race but hope for the best.  After walking out from the stadium, runners were ushered to collect their packet of refreshment and medal.  I returned the timing chip before going to retrieved my bag from the bag deposit counter, which again, was a breeze.  In fact, the volunteers were extremely efficient: they would spot you from a distance even before you approached the counter and handed over the bag to you!  I quickly went into one of a few changing tents where runner could change into their fresh clothing.  Overall, the organisation of the race was top-notch.  Unlike most big cities marathons, Seoul International Marathon had no big expo to attract local and overseas runners but what counts were how the race was organised.  Having sufficient aid stations every 5km (since weather was a cool 5~8 degree Celsius), with tables that were spaced out well to avoid the collision among runners, food (bananas, chocolate) at strategic aid stations, etc were all examples of how the race was nicely planned.  Their volunteers were enthusiastic and while I didn't appreciate the music performances located along the course, there were dance performances and overall, I still had a great time running in Seoul again.  For the cost of US$40.00, this was a high quality race that I would definitely do it again in future, especially if one is gunning for a fast time.  Race Ratings: 9/10.

Official Results

5km: 31:30

10km: 31:54

15km: 32:22

20km: 33:16

25km: 32:46

30km: 33:50

35km: 35:35

40km: 34:36

2.195km: 13:04:42

42.195km: 4:41:27
So in the end, I didn't quite make it.  If only I ran 1min 28secs faster, I would have gotten my G seeding for Comrades.  Well, I will try harder next year. :)

 Post Race @ Sports Complex

Support For "Ultimate Race For Cancer Research - Frank Chong"

I met up with a good friend for a run last weekend and was amazed that she didn't wear her usual The North Face running gear.  :p  Instead, Karen was wearing this white color, short-sleeved tee with a "The Ultimate Race For Cancer Research - 3 Jun 2012" red wordings printed on it.  Out of curiosity, I asked her what race would she be running on 3 Jun 2012.  Her reply was "You going to some overseas country in Jun, right?  What race was that?"  Comrades Marathon!  She remembered I would be going to South Africa for Comrades on 3 Jun!  Karen then told me how she got the tee and the person (Frank Chong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) who was doing the charity project.  As I would be attempting for my 4th Comrades this year, I thought why not help Frank on his charity project.  Details of the fund raiser, as well as the charity project are below:

Bio Data of Frank and his Accomplishment

Recently, Frank had qualified as one of the 2 Malaysians for the world's largest and oldest 90km ultramarathon race called Comrades Marathon, taking place on 3 June 2012 in South Africa.  The race requires participants to complete the run in 12 hours, with a number of cut-off points along the routes which runners must reached by a prescribed time or be forced to retire from the race.  The objective of the race is to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during World War I.  Comrades was run for the first time on 24 May 1921 (Empire Day), and with the exception of a break during World War II, it has been run every year since.  To date, over 300,000 runners have completed in the race.  For more information about Comrades, you can visit Comrades Marathon.

Frank is eager in giving back to the society, particularly for cancer patients.  An example is the Terry Fox Foundation where he helped to raise fund that will benefit the foundation in the continuous research towards battling the disease.  In order to further his involvement in this, Frank intends to run the Comrades Marathon for a good cause and benefiting CARIF - CAncer Research Initiatives Foundation.  And since I would be returning to South Africa to run Comrades too, I might as well lend him a helping hand in his fund raising efforts.  Hence, if you believe in Frank and me, please join the CARIF - Frank "The Ultimate Race for Cancer Research" Campaign.  You can pledge your support towards the campaign through the following ways:

1) Purchase the "special edition" t-shirts at RM60 or SGD30 each.  The tees are available at CARIF and Running Lab, Tropicana City Mall.

2) Donation: Cash or cheque (payable to Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation) can be deposited at CARIF or Running Lab, Tropicana City Mall.

3) "Like" and share the official Facebook page at The Ultimate Race for Cancer Research.

You can also view Frank's updates on his race preparation recorded on his personal blog - Runnerz Circle....  For those residing in Singapore and is interested in purchasing the special edition tee, which is made of VaporSkin micro-fiber mesh and designed by 2ndskin (2ndskin is actually the company and brand that helped design the shirt), you can leave a comment at the end of this blog entry and I will get in touch with you.  The last date of ordering is 30 Apr 2012 with the estimated delivery (pickup) by 31 May 2012 (latest).  The sizing of the tee is as shown below:

Sizing of Special Edition Tee - RM60 or SGD30

1st All-Women Ultra Marathon, Cebu, Philippines

Race Intro

I first heard of this race on Facebook and I was immediately intrigued as it was an all-women ultramarathon!  The "1st All-Women Ultra Marathon (AWUM) 50km" run was organised by the Cebu Ultra Runners Club (CURC) and Ungo Runners, which would start from the Ayala Active Zone and end at a beach resort in Lapu-Lapu City.  The race coincided with the International Women's Day in March and the organiser's intend was to use the race to promote women empowerment, and at the same time, for the men to show their support to all women participating in the run.  :)  I loved all-women races mainly because I dislike men squeezing against me at the start of races and during the races.  :p  Since I had never been to Cebu City, and the cost of registration was an affordable US$20.00 for overseas runners, I decided this would be a must-do race for me this year.  The other important factor was the starting of the race at 10pm!  I loved running when the sun was no longer around, so I paid up while on another running trip to Philippines in January and had been looking forward to the race since.  :)

Pre Race

Chantel decided to join me for the race although she would be flying there a day earlier on Friday.  Both of us were unable to attend the race briefing held few days prior to race day.  So Jacob (the race organiser) offered to get another fellow organiser, Tony, to send our race packets to our hotel!  It was an extremely nice gesture and I doubt there would be a race where overseas runners were so pampered.  :p  I reached Cebu on Saturday around 9am.  After breakfast, I took a 2-hour nap.  As Cebu's weather was somewhat like Singapore (Chantel claimed it was much hotter), we decided to take a quick lunch at a nearby fastfood outlet before going back to the hotel for more rest!  At about 4pm, both of us were awoken from our sleep - Tony was here at the hotel's lobby with our race packs!  Both of us went down to meet him.   Tony also explained the key points (safety and minor changes to route) highlighted during the race brief before he left.  As we were still rather full, I bought a bun instead of having a full dinner meal.  Then, we got our stuff ready before going back for more sleep.  But I was too excited to sleep well while Chantel was battling with her stomach upset.  By 9pm, we decided it was time to leave for the Ayala Active Zone to check ourselves in for the race.

All Women Ultra Marathon - The Race

The Ayala Active Zone was vibrant with many runners and supporters!  The race organisers did a final briefing before gathering all the runners at the starting line for a mass photoshoot.  I bumped into Napoleon, a talented runner whom I first met in the Hong Kong Vibram 100km last year (and who also did the TNF100 Philippines and Sundown Ultramarathon 100km), and Merlita, an extremely fast runner from Philippines whom I met in 2010's TNF100 Philippines.  At about 9.59pm, with the countdown timer moving closer and closer to 0:00, the race organisers got everyone at the race countdown for a 10pm blast.

 Courtesy of reynan.opada - Race Starting

For the first 1~2km, we were running on the right side of the lane before finding ourselves running near the centre divider with light traffic on the right lane.  Not sure why we weren't running on the side of the road but I just followed the front runners.  :p  Luckily, we were directed to the side after a major traffic junction.  I kept looking out for Chantel, hoping to see her following me as she still wasn't feeling too good.  After a few upslopes sections, I lost sight of her.  :(  Then I saw Merlita zoomed past on the opposite side of the road!  She was fast while I just plodded along, probably because she was going downhill while I was still going uphill.  Soon, I saw the u-turn and aid station.  I took a banana before picking up the pace going downhill.  Then I saw Chantel on the other side of the road.  She said that depending on how she felt, she might not press on.  And that's the last time I saw her on the course.  I decided that I would do a slow run and not push myself too hard, since this was not my key race.  As long as I could complete it by 6am, before the sun came out, I would be satisfied.  The aid stations at every 5km came soon, one after another, all well-stocked with drinks and food. :) At some of the aid stations, even before I arrived, there would be a volunteer encouraging me and running with me for the next 50m or so.  Then a few of them would ask me what I like to eat or drink.  Some would ask, "chocolate? banana? water?" etc.  I was overwhelmed by their kindness and enthusiasm.

Courtesy of Sydney Photography - The Extremely Enthusiastic Volunteers!

I found myself running alone most of the time, which I rather enjoyed.  There were marshallers at critical junctions when you need to make a turn.  Roving marshallers could also be seen (on bicycles and vehicles) prowling along the route.  As we moved away from the city centre and further into the night, there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, although there were still a small crowd whenever I ran past some karaoke pubs.  Soon, I had to make a right turn somewhere around the 20-something km mark.  I began to enjoy more when I knew I would be going up and over the bridge.  Somehow, I loved running gentle uphill.  I had to put in more effort but corresponding, I could slow down.  Near the top of the bridge, I ran past a runner.  Chatted with her for a while before I signalled her to run downhill together.  But she didn't follow.  Near the end of the bridge, a marshaller instructed me to make a right turn, without taking the stairs.  I reached the next aid station that served water melon!  It was refreshing and I took 2 pieces of it as I had not been eating since the banana at the 5km aid station.  I saw another lady in front and tried to keep pace with her but she was too strong.  Another right turn brought me to the old Mactan Bridge (I was told) and at the end of the bridge, someone gave me a band which I hang it over my neck.  I made a right turn but kept to the left side of the road.  It was about 1km plus before I reached the junction where I turned right onto the new bridge earlier.

More Photos on Volunteers Helping Out in Ensuring Success to the 1st AWUM

This time, I was told to run straight ahead.  Then, I saw other runners running towards me.  This was the short out and back loop where we could see the front runners.  As we past each other, we greeted each other with "good morning" - it was 2am plus.  It was definitely more fun seeing other runners.  I crossed a small bridge before coming to the u-turn point aid stations where I was given another band.  Someone asked about Chantel and I told them she should be somewhere behind.  I then start pursuing the runner which just left the aid station.  I didn't manage to catch up with her until at about the 37.5km mark aid station.  There was another runner with her .  I took a quick drink and passed them, knowing I had about 12.5km to go.  Approaching the junction, I made a left turn which would lead me to the same new bridge but on the left side.  Somehow, I got back my running rhythm and I was able to pushed harder than I could earlier.  I took the road instead of the stairs coming down from the bridge and a policeman guided me forward.  As the aid stations were now 2.5km apart (since the 20km marker), psychologically it took a shorter time to reach the next "check-point".  I caught up with another runner just before the 42.5km mark.  I talked to her for short while before I picked up my pace again.  Just before the 45km mark, instead of offering me the usual stuff, one the volunteers holding a mirror asked me if I would like freshen up myself!  I declined politely and took off.

 Courtesy of Sydney Photography - Make Up Aid Station (Last 5km)!

Then I reached the 47.5km aid station and was thrilled that the end was near.  A volunteer gave me a rose.  I thanked him and pushed hard before I caught 2 more runners.  All these while, my fingers being pricked by the thorns on the stick of rose.  :(  Someone signalled me to go to the other side of the road soon after, before entering the compound of a resort.  Finally!  The finishing line, which I crossed in a time of 6hrs 45mins!  The announcer made the announcement before someone shook my hand, hung the finisher medal around my neck, and led me to the photo area.  I was then given my finisher pack, which included my finisher tee and certificate.  While waiting for Chantel, I already start to replenish myself with food, fruits and drink.  Daylight came, shower came and more runners came through the finishing line.  I finally saw Chantel at around 7am plus.  Glad that she pulled this off despite her condition.  At around 8am, after the 10-hours cut-off, the race organisers gathered all the ladies to don our finishing tees to pose for a mass photoshoot at the beach front.

Courtesy of Napoleon de la Torre

Courtesy of Ervin Limpag

It was a very well organised race, extremely value for money.  The volunteers and marshallers were very encouraging and supportive at all times.  Even after the we had reached the cut-off time limit, I was glad that the race organisers allowed the remaining ladies still out on the course to complete what they set out to do.  In all, every women participants, 175 ladies in total, completed the 1st AWUM in Cebu!  These were the messages about women empowerment and about the men (and women) giving their fullest support.  I was indeed very privilege and proud to be part of this inaugural run.  :)  THANK YOU!