I decided to "race" as opposed to just join in this event as a tune up for Powerman in a couple of weeks. Normally I don't take running races too seriously and do them just to be with friends and add some diversity to my training. Every now and again though I have a crack at them and remind myself how painful running fast can be (trying to run fast at least).Shilpa was also taking part as was my business partner and buddy Ian. Shilpa hadn't trained for a couple of weeks so she was a bit nervous about it. Ian was hoping to go under 6min per kilometre pace and as Shilpa has been a little quicker until recently they decided to run together.
We met loads of friends prior to the start but then I had to go off and do a couple of k around the track to warm up properly. With a couple of minutes to go I joined Sam, Carmen and Jens at the front in the hope of avoiding all the idiots (no apologies about calling them that, in fact I'm being more polite than I'd like to) who start at the front, sprint 200m and then start walking (usually three abreast).
The gun went and somehow the idiot brigade had got ahead of me so I spent the first 300m weaving in and out of them. Then we were straight on to a steep oxygen sapping, lung busting, leg wobbling hill. As we crested it I passed Chris (58 years old, Senior Veteran, amazing runner who eventually came in just a couple of minutes behind me and 3rd in his category).
I'd introduced Ian to big Neil (The headmaster of Gardens School) before the race and Ian sized him up wondering if Neil had much to offer with his grey socks and ginormous height. I put Ian right and explained that he may not be the fastest but is useful to say the least. Little did I realize how useful; I saw him about 300m ahead of me and going like a train - amazing. It took me about 5k to catch him.
The race was based at UPM campus and is a fabulous venue. The course was undulating in places and flat in others with a monster hill at the start and even worse at the finish. Shilpa was saying that the views were lovely, sadly I missed most of them as I had my heart trying to leap out of my mouth and was focused with a tunnel vision etched in pain.
I spotted Goh with a group and slowly wound them in, a couple of the young Indian guys clearly didn't like a chubby old geezer passing them so they played the "surge game" as I like to call it. They'd run overtake me then walk. When i caught up again they'd run ahead...very annoying but hey that's allowed. Just got to keep a strong head and at some point they'll snap (and eventually they did).
Next on the agenda was Danny Feng, Danny is a fantastic cyclist but every year he comes and shows just what a great duathlete he is too at Powerman. Slowly, and I mean very very slowly I reeled him in. When he heard me coming (and he said he heard me coming like a herd of elephants - thanks Danny) he put his foot on the gas again and pulled away.
With about 3K to go I managed to pass him and soon was alone. Way in the distance I could see my next target and I was slowly catching him but then we came to the killer hill on the way back. Whose twisted sense of humour was it to put this here at this point in the race I don't know but certainly someone that wasn't talking part that's for sure!
The guy ahead was getting closer but was now looking behind, blow me down it was Don Khor, what a result being this close to him. He was cresting the hill now and he'd clocked me, with less than a K to go he wasn't going to let me get past him. Danny and Goh weren't far behind so I'd still need to dig deep to make it to the end in front of them.
I came down to the track and looked behind (an important lesson Cecil taught me once), blimey, where had Goh come from? and my goodness, how fast was he going. I whizzed around the track as fast as my little tired legs could carry me and crossed the line a few seconds ahead of him - a huge result as it turns out as I was 5th and that was the last prize spot in each age-group (sorry Goh). I was 14th overall which isn't too bad for an old porkie geezer either.Don was 4th in our category, Cecil was 7th in the Open Cat, Jens was 6th (I think), Sam scored his first placing in a run race with a 5th too in the Senior Vets. Shahrom was 5th in the Open Cat and as I mentioned earlier Chris was 3rd in the Senior Vets. Iwata said he was tired, had put on weight and didn't have a great race but still managed 2nd in our category - what a legend - he's heading back to Japan soon, he'll be majorly missed.
After I picked up the prizes - trophy, RM200 Mizuno voucher, Mizuno T-shirt, Powerbars, gels etc..., two pairs of running socks and most importantly (for Sid and Seb at least) an enormous tub of Milo (chocolate drink) - I passed them to Sam for safe keeping and ran home (about 4k) and then did another 6+k around Country Heights to bring my total to 23k for the day. Sweet!
Probably the biggest two results of the day were Ian and Shilpa. They started right at the back and had to pretty much walk for the first 500m due to all the numpties starting at the front and then walking. Even so they both crushed the hour target by several minutes at the 10k marker. Ian finished first, well under 66 minutes, with Shilpa coming in (also under 66 minutes), just a minute or so later.
2 comments:
well done Simon & Shilpa! Wah.... I'd love to see what a stuffed sachimi (Iwata San) looks like now... any photos??
In fact he didn't look any different to me and is clearly as fast as ever.
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