From Taiping With LOVE... My PB HM 2012... =D

Helo there fellow followers and Happy Flyday to all of us... I would like to reminisce my previous 7th HM so far, the so called Taiping "International" Marathon 2012. This is because although it was poorly organized running event I've entered by far, I still managed to get my PB of this year for HM... Woot2... So bear with me along this memory lane, shall we...

Sunset and sunrise view... i love it both equally so much!!!

Me and my best friend went to Taiping a day before the event, Saturday 15th September... since I've heard the accomodation around Taiping was full house, at first I planned to stay in Kuala Kangsar. Luckily we found a decent motel, comfy enough and within our budget too. Plus, it was not that far from the starting line. *double yayy. After we've checked in, it's time to chillax and get ready to take my racekit near the Majlis Perbandaran Taiping in the evenining. Then the drama began unexpectedly. It took a very long time to collect mine despite the queue was not that long. Imagine queuing up under the hot evening sun, around 4pm for quite a long time. So snail pace the organizers... I even heard the they were running out of M size running vest  for the male runners. Instead they only had the female size and L, XL male vest... So pathetic.. So much for their international level... Sigh...

Strategizing for tomorrow's HM perhaps? Hehehe.. 

Once collected my racekit, we went to Maxwell Hill and the famous Taiping Lake Garden for a spin and photography shootings... Hehehe.. As usual, I was the model most of the time... Feeling2 Malaysia Next Top Model sat... LOL... Cannot tahan watching some avid runners and joggers running around the Lake Garden at that time. The weather was perfectly awesome for outdoor activities. Later on we went to the gerai nearby for a late lunch and cendol time hehee...

Welcome to Taiping Lake Garden.. =D

On that night we went to a Mamak Restaurant to watch ManU football match. We were supposed to watch Arsenal's instead but the majority rules right? A lot of hardcore Red Devils in Malaysia... Any way, I just had my mee goreng mamak. Not that spicy though. I must sleep early coz I was supposed to wake up around 5am the next morning. @..@ Insanely wee hours... 

Here we go!

As expected I woke up around 4.45am, felt sooo freakingly sleepy. Managed to find some inner strength to wake up, had a shower, doing number 2 asap and wore my warhead equipments consisted of my compression tight, utility belt, one water bottle, energy gels, sport armband and earphone. As I was about to depart towards the starting line, I saw a Chinese uncle, runner of course was having problem in starting his 4WD vehicle. He asked me to give him a ride coz he'll be doing a FM and he was already late. 

Thank goodness we arrived just in time for him to take off with other fellow FM runners while I was informed that HM will be flagged off on 6.30am, I guessed. So plenty of time for me to do warm ups and stretching =D Suddenly I need to do my number 2 business. So i went to the nearest McD asap. Can't afford to have an upset tummy while running. Totally disastrous! 

Kak Lina Bunny with yours truly... Tengah neves lg time nih... Hohoo...

Around 6am, I met with my respected Running Sista, Hot hot Honey Bunny Kak Lina with her hubby, Abg Zaini and their son, Raimie. She's so easily recognised for her Bunny Ears and I forgot to bring along  my Purr-ple Cat Ears.. hohoo... And I must tell you, This Mak Arnab manyak laju jugak woo... Respect... Hehee... Around 6.30am we were being flagged off. 

The first inclining hilly road was Bukit Doraemon, known among the local Taipingites... It was still dark so we barely felt the inclinations. How awesome. Then we ran along Kamunting Industrial Park, where it was raining drizzle around KM8-9. It was pretty cool to run in a rain, except it should not be a heavy downpour one lah with all the thunderstorms .. Hehehe... As I read last year's review, the FM runners were running in a rain during this same event too. I managed to clock in 1:08:10 and 7'02" pace for my 1st 10km. 

The awesome HM route... It was raining that morning.. Super cool!!!

After that we ran along the normal route towards Penjara Taiping and King Edwards VII school. The route was pretty scenic. The weather on that morning was helping us, still shady with crispy fresh air, banyak pokok-pokok la katakan along the way. Unfortunately i didn't have a camera to capture the breathtaking view along the route. Then we ran along the iconic Lake Garden. I was inspired by this one Pakcik running barefoot. Really determined to finish the race. I started to increase my pace to overtake him. Youngsters like me must be faster than this otai-otai you know... Hahahaa... I met with him again around 500m before the finishing line. His left toe was bleeding due to some sharp objects left on the road, I bet. Poor him...

My running picture... Almost there... Must looked chirpy and cheerful! Credits to  Mr Photographer

Nevertheless I managed to finish my 7th HM on Malaysia Day some more with a PB of 2:23. Yayyy....  Coincidentally I finished along side with a renowned avid G-Marathonner Ilyanna. She ran Chicago Marathon with Captain G. Woot2... One of my dreams to run the Big  6 Major Marathons in the world too... Goshhh!!! Still far far away ahead indeed... hehee (^v^)  

A must do pose... Smiling like crazy with my finisher medal... =) Credits to Zaid

After getting my limited finisher medal as I was informed by Kak Lina Bunny, I went to redeem my goodies bag.  It was a hell of a post running event, lack of  goodies bags for us runners, We have to push each others to get that lousy goodies bag by the way. It was chaotic! the guy asked for the runners to show our receipt first before redeem our bag. What the F.... By that time all the receipts lunyai already, esp after FM n HM... I dun have mine coz I paid online... What a mess... Anyhow I lined up to get our mini nasi lemak and skipped the Milo truck because the queue was insanely loooooooong.... Better I go to the McD and ordered for a nice cool MILO instead and I did afterwards... hehee...

Front view

Rear view... My first pewter medal!!!!

The only highlights of the event was the volunteers were giving out Spritzer's POP carbonated mineral water... X pernah dibuat dek orang ok... Mentang-mentanglah Spritzer tuh memang kilang besarnya di Taiping, must be the main sponsor for so called "isotonic" drink nih. Baik diorang provide spritzer mineral bottle instead... Haiyohhh... @..@ 

So that's my sincere review for Taiping Local Marathon 2012... My 1st time ever running in Perak Darul Ridzuan.  Standard kampung2 sangat penganjuran event ini. Even worst than the previous year, I was mentioned from other runners. the late FM finishers were not being provided with drinks, sponges and even no more finisher tees... How cruel is that? Terus trauma xmahu buat FM di Taiping ni... Hahhaa... Better join any other running event in Perak. Ciao bella!

Yayyyy Got my PB in Taiping this year... Surpisingly... LOL!!!