Thursday, January 5, 2017

Kuching Marathon 2016 - NIGHTMARE Run on Meow Street!

 
Hahaa, I know I was way too late to post about all the fiasco that happened during Kuching Marathon 2016. Let's just do it chronologically, occay? 

I signed up for Kuching Marathon 2016 way before they announced the actual date for SCKLM 2016. Knowing that I had to go all out for SCKLM and might not be able to recover well for Kuching M, I just tried my best to finish within the COT, which is 6h30m. That's my strategy hehee... 
NGAP SAYOP beanie hat!
Before I go to Kuching, I went to collect my simple yet sweet Ngap Sayot beanie hat from MisFydKrafts. I just want to keep it simple and runnable despite the high humidity in Kuching hehe... Remember, we have to finish within the COT. Thanks Fid! XOXO

A welcoming must took pose hehee...
Went there on Saturday morning. There was quite a drama before I reached the airport just in time for the flight. Once I reached Kuching Airport, Izwan Mambo was already there waiting for me. Thanks pok!
Nang nyaman ilak laksa Sarawak tok.... Sik bulak bah hehee..
Starving, we went to have our Laksa Sarawak Special as our breakfast at Mom's Kitchen. Met Gjull there along with my old dear friend Dr. Ardif Damiri and his friend Dr. Ezam. What a small world, Kuching, I mean! Muahahaa...

I brought along several boxes of Marathon Baker homemade energy bars for all my beloved loyal customers, mostly Sarawakian runners. What a better way to deliver the lovely natural energy bars by waiting at the REPC. There were so many runners queuing up on Saturday. 

Thank you so much to all Kuchingites & Sarawakian runners for your endless support towards Marathon Baker!

Met so many new and familiar faces there. Everybody wanted to take photos with the nice backdrop and props. I just sat there and distributed the homemade energy bars to my customers. 

Food glorious food! Never fail to please my taste buds hoho...
Once everything is settled, we went for lunch at Swee Kang Jln Haji Taha. Still I did not order any rice dishes. Instead I tried some Sarawak delicacies like mee belacan, umai agar agar and kangkong sotong. Not forgetting White Lady! So delicious and refreshing!

After that we went around delivering the remaining boxes to the customer's hotels and Mambo dropped me at the hotel. I took a rest for a while and managed to doze off. Woke up when I received some messages from Marathon Baker Founder, Zet. She invited me for a dinner and giving me some MB bars. Finally I found Nasi Ayam Penyet in Kuching huhu... Thanks for the treat babe!
Dinner for two with the Founder @ Baker herself... It was such an honour, Zet huhu...

Went back to the hotel and tried to sleep early since we'll be running by 3am! Yikes... 
Checked in here, such a cozy place to stay in Kuching!
Woke up around 2am, prepped myself up just in time before made my way jogging from my hotel to the starting line, about 2km++... Frantically looking for deposit baggage, paid RM5 for the service and off I go joining the crowd. 

We're being flagged off by 3am sharp. Went to the same route as last year. Mostly flat course for the first 18km++. It was a bloody humid early morning. I was drenched in sweats. I managed to drink some water & isotonics at KM15/16, barely actually. Then the "Nightmare" started right after KM18...
Can you spot me? Hahaa... Dam n that was a longggg queue....
They ran out of drinking water and isotonic from KM18 until KM27! Imagine that we had to go to the nearest Shell in Samariang to purchase small drinking water bottle. Cramp started to attack while I was queueing up at the Shell. Dammit, I took several salt pills to overcome the threat. After that I kept on going to cover the time loss. Shuffled my way to discover more and more disastrous waterless Water Stations. I still remembered I heard the volunteers apologized for there's no water left for the slow runners like me. Must get going despite I was running out of water too... 

Luckily I saw many runners went into the JPAM building on the right side of Bako Road. They were scavenging some drinking water from the water dispenser. I just refilled my bottle with the tap water because I did not want to waste anymore time there. Hehee... Air paipsi pun sodap...

Finally after KM27/28, they served you with isotonic drinks. Fuhhh felt like I was running on a Sahara, it was quite mentally challenging hahaa... 


By that time we had to run the rolling and neverending stretch towards back to Kuching city. Cramps were started to accumulate and threatening me down. I just kept on jogging no matter how slow I was.
Once we entered the industrial zones, it was already bright. Managed to sip some energy gel at KM34 WS with isotonic drinks. There was a firefighter's engine to shower the FM runners. The sweeper vans was around when I reached the highway part towards KM36/37 indie water station. I had a refreshing coke there with a couple of Cadbury milk choc. So divine! That's the boost I needed!
The moment when I took some Cadbury chocolates & sipped a drink or two at this indie WS... TQVM!
Continued running untill I saw the last incline before I ran towards the city. Jogged myself up and ran all the way down gingerly. We had to make a loop in front of DBKS building before running towards Kuching Chinatown Padungan Street. Seriously it felt forever to reach the FL. It was already 6h30m++ but I was determined to finish what I've started. Didn't really care about the finisher medal and tee (Not a fan for white colour tee btw - blah). It's all about finish strong and in style. 



Once I could see the FL, I just gave my all and sprinted my way towards the final 300m. Yess... I did it within 6h48min I think..
Yatta!
After the run, I took the fin medal and tee. Was looking for some water to quench my thirst and they gave me one big bottle. Took some photos with all the running friends. Later I found out that the organizer has decided to extend the COT to 7hours after the NO WATER at the several Water Stations fiasco.
Group photo with Gjull, Rosman & Ashree..

Wefie with Raf & his hot chicks...

With She Musa
Collected my drop baggage and joined the rest of the runners for photothon and makanthon hahaa... 

Mee rebus satay for the breakfast
Super Agent MB Tharmen in his fancy traditional Iban custome
31st FULL MARATHON done and dusted hehee =D
The very next morning, I just went for a stroll (Read: Recovery walk) along the Riverfront towards the famous Mee Kolok Hj Taha in Satok.. Definitely worth walking for hehee! Bumped into Nana here... Thanks for the ride home babe!  Went to tapau several "Kek Lapis MIRA", the signature icon of Sarawak and ikan terubuk masin. 
Victory leap! Yeahhh....
The must have mee kolok Haji Tahar... Yummm!
Farewell Kuching! I'll miss you dearly! Thanks for everything...
E-Cert KM 2016
Despite the hiccups, will I be back? Hell yeah, I will.... Every body deserves a second chance, after all... This time around I'll be ready with extra hydration plan hohohi... Just to be more ready for any mishaps hehee! =D

Till then, toodles!