Glad to make it out...
I knew about this trails just around my backyard, but not really having the motivation to check it out. Since TNF singapore is near, trails is a must for training.
So last Sunday, I decided to see if there's anything exciting about it. Bukit Hatamas can be conjured up as a valley of houses nested in between hills, and has quite a view. The hills to the east is actually hutan simpanan selangor.
I didn't really know the entry point, so had to hike up an exposed slope, which then further connects into the main route. Now, the route really looks well established with some occassional hikers and lots of paper indicator thrown out by hashers. Since it's a hilly area, not all routes are runnable, but the downhill is exciting.
There seems to be checkpoints with tents where hikers gather for chat & rest. I decided to take the rightmost turn from these checkpoints and see where this leads to. Luckily I brought my HTC phone which has GPS. Once in awhile I would checkout my location just to know the directions.
After awhile I stumbled upon a clearing, apparently private property, and I soon realize i was looking at Venice Condo at the back. There were a pack of dogs guarding, so it's backtracking now. Then there's a small waterfall, and the route becomes wilder. All I was depending on was the old discarded hash markers.
Soon, I was at the top of a hill checkpoint, and then downwards, until I finally exited somewhere further north from my entry point.
I would say, it's a pretty nice place for some outdoor trail running/hiking. Further googling reveals there's another entry point (which is much popular) near Taman Cuepacs, which is not far from where I started. And this route actually goes much further in the north east direction.
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I've finally got selected for TNF 100km solo. Now, actually I am not pretty daunted by the distance. The distance is doable, based on my past experience in MR 25 last year. Question is, how fast I could run this.
Here's some tips for trails. Focus on fore foot landing. If you notice, during trails running, forefoot landing provides the best balance and quick maneuver. Trails are filled with roots, rocks, soft mud, which requires quick reflexes and ability to hold a grip, while you transfer your movement foreward.
Now running uphill will be tough, so if you can't run, then powerwalk. Some parts are really just too steep to run.
Another main thing to train is your core and upper body. Note that road running is really just using the same set of running muscles but not much on the upper body, while trails force you to do things like jumping, docking and sometimes using your hands to pull your body up.
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I can't really run for now, since fasting obligations. So, it's mainly trails for 20-30 minutes and upper body strength training.
