Borneo International Marathon 2014 - my first marathon race report

42.195km marathon checked =)

Finally I've ran a marathon! I could not imagined this happening when I first started running in my local 6k back in 2011. Progressing from 10k runs to half-marathons, I really took my time. Trying to enjoy all there is to be offered in shorter races with my friends. It's been a long time coming. Running in a marathon seems to be the obvious next step in my little running adventure. 

WHY SABAH?

Since last year I've already decided that 2014 would be the year I would be running in full-marathon. No more delaying it. I originally planned to run my maiden marathon at SCKLM simply because it's the biggest marathon stage in the country with big crowds and even bigger number of participants. Unfortunately SCKLM changed their usual marathon date from June to October. I believed it's because it clashes with Ramadhan which this year starts at the end of June. I didn't want to wait that long, so Borneo Marathon got the pick. 

TRAINING

By the end of March, I injured my right ankle while out running with my friend. I was running in my minimal shoes(Merrell Roadglove) which is my training shoes and I usually run hard in them. I twitched a muscle and could felt a sharp pain every time I put pressure on my right leg. With that said, my marathon training for the month of April were shorten to only 10km runs as I didn't want to further aggravate the injury. I got in more miles as my ankle were getting better and stronger. I did 10km, 20km, 30km and 40km cumulatively for the first, second, third and fourth week respectively.   

Do or do not, there is no try - Yoda

The run was on Sunday and I arrived in Sabah on Thursday night. I was joined by Faiz on this trip. He ran in the half-marathon category. On Friday, I went to Pulau Manukan for a quick getaway to get some island feel and collected my race kit afterwards at Suria Sabah Shopping Mall which is just beside Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. We stayed at Iskandar Sinsuran Guesthouse right in front of Filipino Market. Nothing fancy just enough to accommodate two low-budget runners.

Taxi charges in Kota Kinabalu are known to be expensive so we decided to rent a motorbike for rm45 per day to get around and to the race venue at Stadium Likas. With a motorbike on deck, we decided to grab chicken wings or as the locals called it sayap for dinner and checked out the sunset at Tanjung Aru. After that, we headed back to our room to grab some shut eyes as the full-marathon category starts at 3.00 am.    

Sunset at Tanjung Aru before race day

RACE DAY



I think I had about an hour of sleep. Then I went to watch Manchester United's match alone that night and grab some supper while I'm at it. If you've been living under a rock the past year or do not follow football, you would not know that United had a torrid season and they lost yet another game that night. Not a vibe that I was looking for. Went back to the room, woke Faiz up who was sleeping like a baby. His run starts at 5.00 a.m but he had to follow me because he doesn't know how to ride the motorbike. Stadium Likas is only a 15 minutes ride from the city center. Reached the stadium around 2.00 a.m, left our bags at the bag drop counter and chilled at the track area to snap some pre-run pictures and did some stretches.

With Tey Eng Tiong before the run

You can say that I was damn nervous. Anxious of what would happen to my body. Could my legs hold up? When would my newly healed ankle give in and starts causing discomfort? I've read books about running. I watched Youtube videos on everything running related. I watched movies about marathons. I heard people's stories running marathons. All those have inspired and motivated me to be where I was right then, at the back of the starting line of my maiden marathon run. I gave my shoe laces a last tie and exactly 3.00 a.m we were flagged-off. 

In the first 10km, the course took us to a loop towards the city center and back to Stadium Likas via an alternative route. I made a friend along the way. I noticed this Chinese boy was following my pace beside me for while. Then we started chatting. He goes by the name Chan Zen and it was his first marathon too. He said his mom is also running in the marathon and pointed at her who's not quite far in front of us. The first 10k as expected, felt great. Even confidently told Chan Zen that I aimed to finish within 5-5:30 hours much to his surprise. Little that I knew what was coming for me later on. After passing Stadium Likas then we head north pass Likas Bay towards Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Here was where I wished I had enough sleep because I felt I need a bed with a comfy pillow to rest my head on.   

 The next half was the hardest under the blazing hot sun

We had to run the loop in UMS where there were two hill climbs. Ran the first one. Walked the second one. After passing the half way mark I felt my legs were fast starting to give out on me. Exited UMS and continued further North towards Sepangar. The morning sun already up and bright by then and it was a good thing I brought along my 4 bucks shades with me. At KM26 I caught up with Chan Zen's mother and started chatting with her. Along that mark too, little Ben slowly like a turtle ran passed me. 

Tks to that note behind me, I got a lot support from other runners
Tks everybody for the encouragement
I managed to get 2.5 seconds of sleep there =P
[Photos by Tey Eng Tiong] 

I looked at the faces of the runners that had made the U-turn far far ahead. Few had smiles on their faces but relieved nonetheless knowing that they're heading back towards the stadium. Beyond KM26, all I did was walk, and walk and walk. Every time I felt like I had walked long enough, I would try to run and managed to get as far as 10-20 meters. Every thing hurts. My knees, the bottom of my feet and every single muscles on my legs, all screaming STOP!!! I had my hands on my knees countless times. I was mad and frustrated with myself. Perplexed on why my legs couldn't run even at a snail pace. After I got my head cleared up, I finally realized that I hit The Wall or rather it hits me and it hits me hard!! The Wall is something I heard before but never took it seriously. Basically I felt like shit.

Almost at the KM29.5 U-turn =)
[photos by Tey Eng Tiong]

After reaching the U-turn at KM29.5, I would pour cups of water on my head at every water station to cool myself off from the hot sun. I saw some runners grabbing refreshments at the road side stalls. I wished I had brought along some cash with me. At KM38 water station there were cut oranges and watermelons which put a smile on my face. At KM40 I started looking at my watch and picking up my pace. The cut-off time is 6:30 hours and I was already 6 hours in. Caught back with Chan Zen and his mom where we pushed each other to run the last km. All three of us ran, giving all that was left in our legs trying to make it within the cut-off time. When I entered the stadium the crowd weren't as many as when I started the run. All the 10k, half and most full-marathon runners had already gone back. I kept running and said to myself "just don't collapse now". Crossed the finish line with a time of 6:32'55" (unofficial) on my stopwatch. I was greeted by Ben, Faiz, Chan Zen and his mom. Those who ran it totally understands it. They say a marathon can humble you. For me it definitely did.

The last 10km was the hardest.. look at that time.. I was totally surprised =0  

With Chan Zen and his mom after the run. Both helped me a lot =)

We are officially marathoners!!! With Ben after the run =)