Monday, November 30, 2009

Help/ Opinion Needed.

So I'm planning to do the Pacesetters30K. (planning baru, daftar tak pun lagi). I have no qualms about doing the race except that itsy bitsy part about praying.
What I love about PBIM so much is that it starts way early in the morning and you still have time to do your subuh prayers by the time you're done racing. But I understand that this Pacesetters30K will start at 5.30 in the morning which means that I'll have to do my subuh on the road. Which will be the first for me.
I know that some Muslim runners opt to qadha their subuh but I really hate to think that I have to run for 4 hours in guilt.
What if there's no surau/ masjid along the way?
So how does it get done then? Especially for female runners?Hidden in the bushes ( is it safe?)?Open  under a street lamp ( is that too open?)?
Do you bring a telekung or just pray in your running attire?
I'm so caught up by this that sometimes I just feel macam malas je nak participate.
But that's just an excuse, right? Sampai bila nak elak, kan?
So how la how?

Oh yes, after my first half marathon, last week's running regime was just pitiful. I only accumulated 8Ks and one sorry 20 minutes session of lower leg exercises.
This week is predicted to be sadder ( running-wise). It's Zoom Malaysia time and we've declared it as cheat week ( if there is such a thing). Horreyyyy!!!
Nak buat Pacesetters30K kunun..heh.

9 comments:

  1. You'll see quite a number of runners leaving the route for 3 mins of solat. I'm not sure abt this route coz it'll be the first time it's held in Putrajaya. I haven't checked the route yet, maybe lalu some proper places where we can solat.

    On the old route, we prayed by the roadside, in guard houses etc. You might want to bring a piece of paper or plastic for alas, which you can dispose of afterwards.

    We take it like when we're overseas, no proper surau, so we pray wherever clean. Or macam solat time perang or like soldiers dalam hutan. As for ladies, ekceli the telekung is not mandatory, as long as the aurah is covered (alright, maybe not properly covered lah, but let's hope it'll do). Since there'll be many runners running, I guess it'll be safe to stop for a few mins. Cuma jangan solat kat tpt yg terlalu sunyi kot.

    The most important thing is our sincerity, and we hope Allah SWT accepts our solat and our niat in running.

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  2. Thanks kak Haza.. I originally planned to personally email you about this one but I figured kalau I post it then others can benefit as well kan?
    Thanks a bunch again. :)

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  3. my only eperience was KLIM where I stopped at a Masjid near Pandan roundabout. Of course it is a lot easier for guys, but I once red somewhere a guy ran in an old (old, not dirty) track bottom and in wudu', with a garbage bag. He'll stop and pray, and ditch the bag and pants.

    Do not know the new route too. But there are a lot of government buildings with toilets and clean plazas.

    don worry, let's masuk the GE30k

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  4. I really hope, the route passes a surau or something..tak pun the organizers provide a makeshift surau along the way..that would be super duper ( or is that wishful thinking?)

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  5. Definitely no makeshift surau en route. That has yet to happen.

    But in a funny way, solat on the run taps something spiritual inside. I don't know how to explain it coz I'm not a pious person or anything, and I hate to come off sounding like a brag. Riak is no good lah. Somehow it reminds us that Allah is watching, something like that, but more beautifully, it reminds us that everywhere is bumi Allah, and there are many people all over the world who do not have the luxury of nice masjids and suraus to solat in.

    But seriously, it'll just take a couple of minutes. Yeah, you can wear an old baggy shirt to pray in, then you can ditch after solat.

    Steven Yip started after subuh in GE30K 2008, he was ten minutes late, but of course he's a speed machine lah. Passed me effortlessly in front of Tijani. I did mine just beside the sidewalk in Padang Merbok, masa tu lots of runners were passing, I was partly hidden by the trees. Biggest challenge is wudhuk. I bring a bottle just in case. But since it starts at 5.30, adzan'll be in your first km, no trouble la kan. Can wudhuk before run.

    Just make sure you stop far far away from the guys who take a pit stop. hehe.

    Go, J, do the GE30k, then can consider a full marathon in March (heard there'll be a night marathon, tengah dirunding) or Sundown in May or KL/Phuket in June.

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  6. subuh time tu maybe around 6am, half an hour after race start, lebih kurang after 4k.

    what you could do is scout the route when collecting the bib. mark where you plan to stop and letak some water for wuduk, paper to alas and maybe kain. bring along the kiblat compas thingy.

    last scsm, i carry 500ml water for wuduk then stop somewhere kat depan office tower for solat.

    doable, so no excuse for not signing up the 30k...hehehe

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  7. Check my latest post!

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  8. an email from Nadia - confirmation from Pacesetters (En. Rustam) about the praying time and route.

    Dear Nadia,

    First of all, welcome to the running fraternity and I do hope you are able to participate.

    The route covers 3/4 of Putrajaya area.

    I have specifically map out the route to pass-by a mosque [called masjid besi] just in time for the subuh prayers especially for our Muslims runners. It is at the 5km mark.

    Please feel free to email me if you have further question on the race.



    Thank you
    Rustam Zaihan

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  9. Thanks for all the tunjuk ajar Kak Haza, Shuklazim and Amsyah and indirectly to Nadia..hehe.
    So I guess InsyaAllah I will join the Pacesetters 30k.
    Sorry for the late reply, baru balik cuti2 Malaysia.

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