The Singapore Front Runners at the race Budi, Bryan and me
IT all started when I started to look for races to join in this year, of course after planning all the biggies. I started to look around for nearer races to participate like in Malaysia or Thailand.
Somehow the Malaysian races now jack up their road race pricing for foreigners, the cost evens out to almost the same as Singapore. After browsing through, I realise there are not many marathons but a lot of Half marathons being organised this year in Malaysia. Cyberjaya HM was introduced by my Singapore Front Runners friends, after chatting in our chat group, there were 2 interested parties, Budi and Bryan. So I decided to sign up since the early bird is only RM90 which is lesser than S$20.00 for the race, with 2 tees , 1 medal and finisher cert!
Dinner at the Malay thai food store
Signing Up
Jomrun is the organiser, although they are not that massive, but up and coming in organising sports activities in the region. While writing this, I decided to check out on this company and was shocked to know that the founder is a very young chap who wants to promote sporting activities into people’s life , making signing up for sports races easy. The Jom Run app is one stop easy access for participants to sign up for races around the region. Almost all the Malaysian races can be found on this site.
https://www.jomrun.com/
I signed up for the race at this website and managed to clinch the early bird. This time I invited Richard and luckily he was free in his schedule to join. In turn, he got Debbie to come and support us. So the Desaru team is once again on the roads. Debbie is a sketcher and she loves taking photos also, somehow she seemed to enjoy coming to these sort of sporting event and support us which most of our family members are not that keen about.
The Plan
Race pack collection at D pulze
Start line
Now that there are 3 people, I decided to drive up since my car is going to be expedited next year, might as well make the full use of it. As there are nothing much in Cyberjaya except for some Singaporean favorite past time of shopping and eating, I thought making it a 2 day 1 night trip will do. We started off in the early morning the day before, driving up to Cyberjaya was pretty fast and we were lucky that we cleared the customs fast in the morning.
Stopped by Port Dickson for a quick breakfast around 9am-10am, the food was really good and Richard loved his fish soup bee hoon which turned out more like a whole fish in the soup. After a nice breakfast we headed to Cyber Jaya and we were too early to check in. We lingered around the Dpulze mall to get the race bib and we were given Rm10 voucher for the Decathlon, so again we did some shopping. As the check in time was still early, we had lunch at Nandos, had a bowl of good ceasar salad and the chicken was grilled perfect and tender. We walked around before finally checking in.
The Air BNB had two double beds but one of them was in the living room where the TV was. There was a kitchenette and one bathroom. Richard was disappointed because no washing machine but since it is a short trip , I told him to wash when we go back!
Race Proper
On the roads
The night before the race was just a simple dinner and getting ready. We all slept early. Woke up around 4am the race day, since we were near to the start line. I was supposed to meet Budi and Bryan at the start line but I miscalculated the timing and was rather late when I dropped the bag. So I had to say sorry to Budi and say maybe we meet after the race. This race had more people than the Desaru one. The flag off was on time, weather was pretty fine no rain but slight drizzles. As me and Richard were quite in the middle of the pack, we had to fight a bit to get to the front pack to be less crowded. This is usually the part I hate because it is really taking a lot of energy.
Walking to the start line
After 2km , the first slope came and we had to conquer it. The slopes in Cyber jaya were more of gradual slow grind type.
Soon after that was the first water point, I skipped the first few water points to gain more time. Drinking from my hydration bottle with Pocari sweat inside. I did not eat anything thing time, popped in one Himalayan sweet as I began to slow down around 16km mark. Couldn’t keep up the speed I wanted. The water points towards the end seemed like further apart. I slowed down to drink a fast one for the last two point and around 18km mark a lady overtook me. I knew that I had slowed down , which was usually my problem, unable to sustain.
Our own team Debbie, Richard and Me
With my new GPS setting, my watch showed only 19 plus km where it was almost to the end and when a final turn I saw the Finish line, I dashed for my life crossing it at around 1:50hr. Not really that my ideal target but I figured I will fare around there this time. Was pretty happy to end it at just the brink of dawn. I was handed 2nd Women Veteran Potential and that was when I knew the lady in front was the champion! With this timing and able to clinch a placing, I was rather elated already.
Professional Pic for the Boss
Before the race I was still contemplating to wear the Vibram or my fake Hoka for the cushion as the planta and ball of my feet were getting very sore from the Vibrams. But luckily with some taping, the pain was bearable for the race, not sure if I can Vibram with five fingers again. Sometimes I feel it needs to be retrained back.
Finishing
Clinching the podium
There were Oat biscuit, banana , water at the end point, the medals were also dished out here. I saw Richard and Debbie at the end point , I guessed he probably came in ten minutes earlier. Quickly took my drop bag to change to slippers and got the Finisher tee from the tee tentage. We took pictures and waited for Budi to come back. This time I managed to catch him and he found Bryan for us also.
Finisher Shirt
On stage
We took a lot of pictures and then we chatted, it was then we realise that the competition for the men’s cat is very tough as Bryan was 1:37 hr and he did not even get a placing. I guess the Malaysian runners are getting very strong.
After a quick change of clothes and bath. I quickly went to the prize ceremony which happened on the dot at 09:20am. We had more cameos there and we bid farewell to Budi and Bryan.
Had one last breakfast at a Soya beancurd shop at the mall and we drove out. Overall, a short but fun and purposeful trip.