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Rara is an engineer by profession, a traveler by heart, a marathon runner by dreams and a certified scuba diver. She also blogs at http://muncity.blogspot.com
My 11th KL Marathon, since 2009.
And I clocked my personal best time, ran 42.195km in 5 hours 9 minutes 30 seconds.
This timing might be nothing to elite or fast runners. But it is a big achievement for me. Still stoked till today. Can’t believe I can actually run with this timing. Cos if you know me and my running history, I was never a fast runner. I run just for fun. To lose weight. No proper training.
I ran a personal best (PB) for Half Marathon at 2 hours 22 minutes 53 seconds just 2 weeks before, at Sultan Mahmud Bridge International Run. The PB definitely gave me a motivation boost. I was confident to finally do a sub 6 and perhaps pushed to 5.30 this time around based on the timing.
I don’t run regularly but I guess my time in the gym pays off. All those cardio, strength training and stretching yoga poses definitely helps me getting stronger and fitter and slimmer ;p
Still, I was really nervous prior to the marathon. Obviously Maybe because I didn’t have enough mileage. Maybe because of the haze. Maybe because I was recovering from flu, fever, cough, diarrhea. And then the red flag decided to come, just a day before the marathon. Period pain. Fine. At least I don’t have to stop for Subuh prayer during the run.
Come race day. It was drizzling at the beginning of the run. I kinda liked it because I hoped the weather would be cooler, although my feet would suffer with the wet socks and shoes. Lost my sister in the sea of runners just before KM1. Damnn it because I was planning to pace her.
But I did okay running alone. I ran alone all these while. All the time, I watched my pace with my trusted Garmin Fenix 5S (this is like the best investment I ever did for sports). At KM15, I was reunited with my sister but she wanted to stop at Petronas station to go to the toilet.
Hundred meters in front, I saw the 5 hours pacers so I caught up with them and continued running along Jalan Ampang, to MRR2 and then powered on to DUKE highway. Passed the 21km checkpoint and collected the wristband. Glanced at my watch. My time was 2:24. Okay not bad. A thought came to my mind, maybe if I pushed myself harder and didn’t lose sight of the 5 hours pacers I could do a sub 5.
Alhamdulillah so far no major cramps, no nature calls. But deep down, I knew I wasn’t ready. My pace started to slow down a bit as I started to run-walk on the highway. Mentally torturing, this one. I could still see the 5 hours pacers’ balloons in the distance but later missed them completely when I crossed the second checkpoint, just before exiting DUKE. There goes my sub 5 mission.
Ran through busy Jalan Kuching before we entered the dreaded Bukit Tunku. Walked uphill, ran downhill. Repeat a few times hahaha. When we merged again with the HM runners after Bukit Tunku, I was really lazy to run. Because most of the HM runners were walking and blocking the road.
Just after KM40, I met my friend, Nana. She encouraged me to do a sub 5.15. Challenge accepted! And so I continued running and crossed the finishing line with my best time ever. It could have been better but I’m grateful to finish the marathon safely.
