Malakoff Penang 2012 - The 4th Year

You know what I realized today? Other than the fact that I need to add speed sessions and tempo runs in my routine, is that I lack the mental toughness needed in short distance races.

It's true. Halfway into the run, when my tummy starts to twist, when my throat feels parched, when my breathing get heavier, my mind will automatically switch on to wimp mode.

Today, after running Malakoff Penang's 7K, it came to me that I have to do something about this.

This year is my fourth year joining Malakoff Penang. I say join and not run because I missed Malakoff Penang 2011 in which I registered but DNSed because last minute WW had some thing to attend to and I was malas to go through Penang traffic alone.
And since my first ever road race started with Penang Malakoff 6K back in 2009, this race has a special place in my heart. Tempat jatuh lagi dikenang, kan?

Cool shirt ! 

Cool bibs!

I think the last 3 races was held in Taman Perbandaran Penang but I have no idea why they decided to change the venue this year. Furthermore, they shortened the long run distance from 26K to 17K this time around.  And they started a bit late too, because the 17K people were flagged off at 7 am and I remember doing the 26K back in 2010, back then we were flagged off at 5.30 am kalau tak silap.

Suddenly they decided to turn on the lights - everyone oohed and aahed 

  Anyway, this year's venue is kinda a nice change. Looking at the race route map, we anticipated that the 7K run will go through exactly the same route as Larian Merdeka Penang which is held religiously every year in Padang Kota. With a nice coastal scene to begin with, runners will run through town in a loop and then come back to the starting point. No hills, only tiny tiny inclines ( satu je kot?) and mostly flat tarmac, if you don't count the potholes la.

Bunyik cam senang kan? Tapi bila hidung suda mula bau itu asap bandar, diselang-seli dengan the strong sea breeze, no scratch that, sea wind blowing against you causing major wind resistance, and then the fact that Penang runners are really fast to compete with, maka bermulalah mind games.

There were about 400 of us so called fun runners. Right after we were flagged off 10 minutes after the 17K runners, I told myself to try keep a 8:45 minute/mile pace. Ye la, sebelum ni main hentam pecut je bila start pastu bila nak habis, mula la nak lemau. Konon, we were gonna treat this race as a tempo run although I've never done any before.
Planning memang best. Execution hampeh.
First 2 miles macam baik punya boleh setel. Coming into the 3rd mile,when the crowd started thinning and the runners were stronger, my mind started contemplating.and whining.

" Alah, it's just a fun run. No placing, what"
" Wahh, sedapnya tengok mamat ni jalan"
" Nyesalnya lari hari ni. Tido lagi bagus"
" That girl in the black shorts is too fast, I'll never catch up."
" Stiff muscles, stomach cramp, stiff muscles, stomach cramp" 

And it went on and on right until my eyes met a colonial building in the distance. Now, the significance of this colonial building is that our starting point is  the town hall which is one of the many white colonial buildings in Penang. When I see a white majestic building with roman pillars, I automatically think that the end of the race is near.
Tapi alangkah psaikonya bila I got the wrong building. But at this time, knowing I'm just a kilometer away from finish, I tell myself to buck up and suck it up. But  either it was too late or the synapses of my nervous system was a bit lagged, I didn't get to finish the race with my planned pace. Berangan nak pasang turbo kat finishing line pun cam tak jadi.
Hamendela.

Finished in 38'38" with 8:56 min/mile atau 5:33 min/K average pace .

Takpe, dah cuba. Next time Gadget, next time. 

I have no idea of my placing since it's an open category for men and women. Maybe a few days after this, kalau timbul results kat website Malakoff boleh la tengok kot.

 WW's 31'11". Mok aih 7:13 min/mile.

Yang best, WW who sped off early in the race sampai tak nampak bayang pun, finished 2nd for 7K fun run. Nombor satu dapat kat mamat expat orangputeh manantah.  Didn't get any prizes though since it's just a fun run and they only gave out prizes to the 17K runners and 7K school children category. But he did get a 1.5l bottle of mineral water as opposed to the rest of us yang dapat botol 500 ml je, if it's any consolation.
Heh heh.
He's saying things like all the other fast runners have joined the 17k category or other races in KL but to me getting 2nd out of 400 people, fun run ke apa ke still counts. No need to cut himself short because I'm still proud of him, nevertheless.

Anyway, overall, mental toughness lacking aside, it was a great race. Mencapai standard Malakoff Penang seperti biasa la. Traffic okay je tapi traffic kat Penang selalu well-manned if not mungkin these motorist dah biasa ngan race-race kat sini so you don't hear any impatient honking. At least , I didn't hear any.

Goodie bag ada banyak faedah. 

Siap bagi sabun ajaib lagi tau. 

There was either no post run breakfast sebab goodie bag was filled with all breakfasty things or we didn't wait long enough for the usual pakcik-makcik breakfast to come. Tapi okla, bukan penah makan pun post breakfast meal dia.

Cadang baik punya lepas race nak pekena nasik kandaq kat Kampung Melayu. Yes, nasik kandaq here is served as early as 7 am. Tapi pikir cam malas la sebab
a) mak dah masak nasi lemak kat kampung
b) calorie burnt post race takat 350 cal je, ada hati nak nyumbat over-over.

Tapi, balik makan nasik lemak tu cam sama je.
Hantam saja la.

Minggu ni on call week. Running will be temporarily replaced with stationary bike.
Oh bontotku.

Kami sampai dulu