I think the Sabah book was a nice gift...
I'll have to admit. The first time I saw the distance of 60km of trails over two days, I thought it was easy game. After having done them, easy isn't a suitable description.
Initially we're supposed to run 30km day 1 and 30km day 2. However the last few days, with incessant rain pouring over Sabah, they had to changed the route for both ultra runners & adventure racers, due to landslides.
Tony, Lai Kuan, and Edwin, departed in the same flight from LCCT and we arrived at the hotel at KK for registration. Nothing much really, just checking in our name & getting the bib. Then we're all transported via bus to Tambunan.
As for accomodation, I think our homestay owner is one of the nicest person I ever known, called Helena. She has let us stayed for 3 nights and cooked dinner too. Coincidentally it's the starting line for day 2 as well, located at Kampung Mansok. There were 5 of us there, 3 from Singapore (james, Ching Soon, Teo) , and 1 french guy (Vincent Casanova...I am jealous of his name).
Day1 Race:
Julie had told me of Dydimus Talaji, who had clocked 3:41 at Kinabalu Climbathon 2006, doing the race as well. Now, I've tried twice and failed at both accounts. So this is indeed serious competition.
We started running from the Tambunan Village Resort Center, then headed north eastwards for 4km. The adventure racers have to run the same distance as us, and they'll continue with the bikes after the run.
No sooner, Dydimus came to the fore, and I joined in as well. I think we're doing quite a fast pace. Earlier the Aussie Solomon team was ahead. After like 20 minutes, there's a sharp right uphill, which leads to CP1. I wasn't sure and asked him if it was the right trail. After checking the map, it looks like it is. I think I've never seen such a steep trail before, and we had to walked.
After signing in at CP1, it was some more uphill before we reached a gate that can be opened. Then there was 2 roads. One uphill on the right, the other straight ahead. Dydimus took the right, and I was once again questioning if it's the right one. After checking the compass, it was wrong, and we went the other way.
Then we reached a bamboo gate, which you had to climbed over. Some halting here, and the rest of the pack reached us, including the solomon guys, and some other runners. After this, it was kind of like a chase pack. We kept running, and slipping over muddy terrain, with each one of us not willing to slow down.
As the route became smaller & wilder, it was harder to find. Some stop was needed to verify our bearings, but we didn't got lost. I noticed the solomon guys had a tow line tied to each other, something I haven't seen before. The guy at the back would read the map while the front guy ran ahead.
After CP2, it was heading downhill abit towards a stream. Dydimus and some others took a short cut, but the solomon guys, and another guy named Matthiew Ling, proceeded to take the main road. I joined this group thinking it was better to run further instead of getting lost. Anyway, soon we reached the earlier group who had stopped by a hut to ask for directions. I guess not much difference anyway, as we ran together again.
Then we went down some really seriously steep & muddy slopes. I had to slow down considerably. It was here that Matthiew strained his ankle. Dydimus and the front pack soon disappeared ahead.
After the stream crossing, it was uphill again. Now, certain hill sections here are pretty steep. Running is a waste of energy. I think all of us walked, but the solomon guys walking pace is way faster than my walking pace. Soon, they dissapeared as well.
I fell twice on the course. Once during downhill while stepping on a hard stone, and another time after crossing a bridge just before CP4. 2 adventure racers team caught up with me here as well.
As I reached CP 3, a huge guy in white shirt caught up with me (adventure race), we kept on running. Then we bumped into the solomon guys who had headed the wrong direction into a village. Yet after that, they still run/walk faster than my pace.
As I approaced CP 4, the route was made of concrete pavement, which went down a bridge. As I signed in, I was surprised to see no runners had passed. I had actually reached CP4 first. However I still had this feeling that that couldn't be true, until I saw Dydimus running on the opposite direction. Perplexed, I asked him, and he said he had got lost. So he was running to CP4 to get his name there.
Anyway, it's still a long way towards CP4a (ending). The route was made tougher by the heat & many more uphills & downhills. I was just glad to see the finishing, when I spotted some 4wds and tents.
Now at this point I didn't believe I was first until I really checked in. They had a rafia string as the crossing, and some camera men was there. I couldn't be more happy. I finally won a running race. But I wasn't too overjoyed. Dydimus came in second with Abdul Khaliq (Singaporean) together just 5 minutes apart.
Distance: 32km Time:4:12:41
Day2:
The adventure racers would bike from TVRC, and doing the same route from CP2 onwards. The runners starts at CP2. I've been memorizing the instructions from the map, and could recall every single thing. Rumors had it, that today would be easier.
But easy it was not, as the start is a road that's so steep and long, the only comparison is the sharp turn up Genting Peak. And that was a hundred meters. This was almost 1km or more. We were let off after 7:30am. Immediately I pushed the pace. I think Dydimus followed. I know I had to lost them on the uphill, or just to test if they could really follow my pace. Soon afterwards I couldn't see them. I was confident that if I pushed the same intensity, I could game this race. I had wanted to win this race convincingly & decisively.
Today's route wasn't as confusing as day 1. I went along until CP4 doing 2 hours. Saw some bikes lying there, which means the adventure racers had reached. But it was a hard sight to see some of them pushing their bikes uphill. Running up these steep slopes had been hard. I think pushing a 10kg bike is harder still.
From the start until CP5 (which is also CP2), I was in first position, with Dydimus probably 10 min behind. Now here was my mistake. There's 2 routes up CP6. I took the longer one, which had some stream crossing. CP6 sits on top of hamburger hill, which is a bloody steep hill with uphills & downhills that can kill your legs.
When I reached CP6, the leader had came in 40 minutes earlier. I know then, it was hard to chase them. But I kept on going. By this time it was getting hotter. Had to stopped at a small house to get some water just in case. The 10km almost flat route in the heat back was probably the worst journey of all. I was also low in energy. I had taken only 1 cereal bar & energy drink, and I think it wasn't enough. So the journey back was more to run/walk. My only motivation was sitting at the restaurant at TVRC having iced milo.
Some runners soon caught up, including Abdul Khaliq. But I somehow managed to get ahead until the finishing in 4th place with a time of 5:09:28, that had placed me overall 3rd.
Distance: 37km Time:5:09:28
The next morning, with no race ahead, only did I realized Tambunan is a very idyllic place, with cool breeze, and unique vegetation, unlike any other I have seen. I haven't been paying attention to the scenery much during race, so today was more into savoring what went by.
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Some thoughts on the event. It's very well managed, with very punctual timing. If the organiser said it starts at 8, they really mean at 8 and not 5 minutes later. I think one of the nice feeling you'll have, is the organiser makes it as though you mattered. Almost everything is taken care off, so you don't need to worry on the directions & logistics.
Tambunan is really a beautiful placed, situated 500m above sea level. It could be hot, but generally it was cooling after evening. But one thing I didn't anticipate was the hills. If you thought FRIM steroid hill is a killer one, try imagining multiples of that in one race course, and some even steeper and longer too.
By the way, the same organiser will organised a 100km trail run in Sabah in November 2011. I might join this one.
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2 comments:
Congratz and well done Yip! Great report too... felt like I was virtually along for the ride.....
FOA,congrats!! and your details report for the race is very nice..
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