Tuesday 24 October 2023
Trans Jeju is somewhat a revenge race after last year’s DNF. The experience made me realise the importance of proper gear for overnight running, e.g. good powerful headlamp and watch with navigation functions. Although pricey, these pieces of equipment are critical for long overnight races and can mean the difference between finishing and DNF. For that I have to thank COROS Apex 2 and Ledlenser NEO10R 600 lumens.
The race started well with nice weather, unlike 2022 where it started raining from the first few hours. After CP2 it was time for the first ascent up Hallasan. Scenery was beautiful but there was no time to stop and admire, just shoot video while walking and enjoy it later. Legs felt strong on the climb and descent, where we had our first encounter with the notorious Jeju lava rocks. Then it was a long slightly downhill road section to CP4 where our drop bags were waiting for us.
The race really started from CP4 (40km) because that’s where we ascended Hallasan for the 2nd time. This was longer and higher than the first ascent. I was mindful to conserve energy knowing how tough it was to ascend and descend. The strategy paid off as I was easily overtaking runners near the summit when they were out of gas. Once at the summit I quickly put on my goretex pants coz I learnt from previous experience that downhill is gonna be cold and windy. Overall I took 3hrs to reach the summit and slightly over 2hrs to descend to CP5. By then it was dark, time to activate my headlamp.
From CP5 it was “only” 40km to the finish, but it was a long and hard 40km. Fatigue had set in, quads were shattered from the 9km downhill, knees were hurting and abrasion formed where it never formed before. It became a long slow hike over slippery rocks (raining since evening) mostly alone in the forest. With the time buffer I accumulated I knew I just had to keep moving to finish. Maybe aim for sub24 hrs, that was my motivation to move faster.
After 23.5hrs i made it back to the World Cup stadium where Esther and my mum were waiting for me at the finish line. So happy and elated to see them and to finish this adventure.
After thoughts from a first time finishing a proper 100k trail race. Although it’s a finish, I’m annoyed at myself for not being able to jog more during the last 1/3 of the race. Wonder if I need to train with higher weekly mileage to finish strong, or get stronger with weights and downhill running. That’s for next year’s training plan. For immediate focus is Trans Lantau 50k and VTM70 in Jan.
Watch the full video here. https://youtu.be/n_d5o675B_k?si=RBrKOly2s02O6Kxh
Friday 30 December 2022
2022 in Review - The 1st Post Covid-19 Season of Adventure
The year is finally coming to an end, what a ride it has been! Many first-times, and first-time-since-Covid in 2022.
Borowing from Rená Koesler, a life coach from Summit Coach International, here are some reflection questions I wanna ask myself, in terms of adventuring in 2022.
What celebrations do you have from the year?
I can celebrate that I have finally completed the UTMB OCC (55km, 3500m+ from Switzerland to Chamonix), a dream that begun when I was a noob trail runner in 2015. It was a long ultra, not because of the distance nor the elevation, but from the 7 years of trying and pursuing and trying again. And I thought 12hrs 1min (2nd Singaporean overall) was not a bad timing as well!
To attempt the Trans Jeju 100km, barely 2 months after OCC! It was the first time I attempted a 3-digit distance with 4000m+ elevation (the only other 100km was in flat Singapore in 2021). It was a DNF, but was a good experience. There are so many more factors to manage in a 100km, not just fatigue. I am confident of crushing it next time!
What are you most proud of?
Proud that....I did not rest on my laurels just because I finished the OCC. I knew the Trans Jeju 100 was gonna be tough, high chance will DNF coz my mind was not 100% in it so soon after OCC, but I went for it and did what I could. A DNF doesn't look good on social media, doesn't do well for your ego, but hey I'd rather be constantly challenging myself (and fail) than just sit around and look good (and blabber on and on about the OCC).
Watch the video: Trans Jeju 100
What was the one thing that scared you?
100km. Overnight races. More than 20hrs of racing. Alone in the dark forest, what if the headlamps all stop working? What if I went off track and nobody could find me? So many what-ifs and many things could go wrong in a long race.
What worked well and what would I continue in 2023?
The long endurance weekend run/hike in Bukit Timah and clocking elevation gains by hiking up and down the summit countless times, sometimes with ankle weights. In big mountain races I felt that my legs were ready for the big climbs, even though we could only train on small hills.
What would I change or stop doing or pursuing?
I could do with a little more speed, especially on the roads or flat section. Having a better running economy certainly helps, even when you're just crawling along slowly at 15min/km.
Are my goals for 2023 aligned with my mission and values?
My goal for 2023 is to complete a 100km ultra trail, probably Trans Jeju 100. It's still something that scares and motivates me. It has its fair share of risks and chances of failure. That's why it's an adventure. My life value is Never Stop Adventuring. If it's too easy, it's probably not worth doing.
Am I the person I want to be?
I want to be someone who constantly challenges myself to be better in every aspect. Care for people around me especially family. And leave the world a little better for the next generation. I think I’m on the right track. 😉
Sunday 3 April 2022
Move Forward And Leave Covid-19 Behind
The last 3 weeks have been rough. Just before the weekend that Esther and I were supposed to do the Mountain GOAT Challenge, both of us were down with Covid-19! We had to stay at home and quarantine ourselves for at least 7 days and hardly did any exercise. It was tough to do any activities for long (including work) as we would be coughing and constantly feeling tired. As we exited from quarantine and started recovering, we did some easy jogs ranging from 4-9km. Nothing serious as we were both still coughing and lungs felt like they had not fully recovered. 3 weeks later we found ourselves staring at the last day of the Mountain GOAT Challenge, and we thought....let's give it a try and aim for 6 loops (28km, 1500m elevation). On the 3rd April, we started the Mountain GOAT Challenge at 1230pm. We were old and wise enough to take it easy and just chillax. Eventually we finished the damn 6 loops in 5hrs 40mins. There was unbridled joy in splashing around the teh-peng (iced tea) puddles after the rain! Giving and receiving encouragements with fellow runners and supporters was uplifting. Physical high 5s, offers of iced milo, coke and cold beer was something that was missing from 2 years of virtual races. And of course the smiles on people's faces without mask were priceless! I sincerely hope that the success of Mountain GOAT Challenge is just a taster for more physical trail races to come very soon in Singapore!
The Mountain GOAT Challenge was very much a reflection of the past 2 years of Covid-19. It was tough and frustrating when we had to hunker down and put our grand plans on hold. Ambitions gave way to being socially responsible so that we could keep the community safe. Hopefully the worst of Covid-19 is well and truly behind us and we can start chasing our dreams and passions again, albeit with a little caution. Just like the success of Mountain GOAT Challenge, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.
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