ipoh international run 2014

i signed up for the ipoh run sometime in april. the run was meant to be in june, but the sultan of perak died, so, they had to postpone it, because did you know when the sultan of a state dies, the state can't have any events for 3 months? well now you know. 

so instead of the penang bridge marathon, where everyone was headed, i was headed to ipoh. the up side was, maybe, just maybe, i could place. i was really eggcited about this weekend roadtrip. it was with my cousin, karen, and i haven't traveled with her for quite some time. the last time i traveled with her was to barcelona, and that was 2 years back. so i was super excited. and the prospect, my dream of placing, was playing in my head over and over again. 

off we went, saturday morning. mcdonalds breakfast, and then, all the way to ipoh. first stop was to collect our race pack. we arrived at the stadium, and i said to karen, hmm i wonder whether there will be any kenyans, since this clashed with pbim and scm bangkok. right when i finished my sentence, i saw 2 kenyans, right in front of me. then at registration, i asked how many people were in the 21km category. the guy replied 59 people, but half kenyans. and right there and then, my dream was crushed. 

so yeah. woke up at 550am the next day, again questioning my sanity when i signed up for the race. i was thinking to myself, i should have signed up for the 10km instead of the 21km, then i can come back to the hotel and sleep after an hour. but as always happens, i wake up questioning my sanity, but finish the race, thankful of my running spirit. we arrived, just in time for flagoff. despite having my dreams crushed, i still went to the very front to start, because i knew placing was based on gun time and not net time - for the very obvious reason that they had no timing chip. 

so i stood there, among a sea of kenyans. it was my first time, standing among them. i looked at them. the mc announced, 3, 2, 1, go and, in a split second, i could see none of them no more. they sprinted away, and i was left behind. throughout the entire race, i did not see them. not even a glimpse of them from a distance. i kid you not.

the course was pretty flat, flat as a pancake. i saw no girl in front, nor behind me throughout the entire course. i paced steadily with some of the men from the mens open 21km. the part i liked most about the route was when we ran through the ipoh old town. that was pretty nice. 

i have to admit, at the 10km marker point, i did think i should have joined the 10km run. but it wasn't like i had a choice. i couldnt' let myself stop and walk. i would have never forgiven myself if i did. it was a good race, thought my left ankle did hurt abit towards the end. i crossed the finishing line at 1h 46 minutes ish. it would be a new pb, but i think that the distance was a little short of 21km. when i was handed out the position 10th card, i was in joy. so there weren't that many kenyans afterall. placed first to seventh were kenyans, eight was an ethopian, ninth a thai and i placed tenth. i was on the moon. my first proper placing and my first cash. 

so i won a towel, a 200 ringgit cash prize, a medal, and a lifetime happiness like nothing i can ever describe. and of course i am really proud of my cousin, karen who ran the 10km in 1 hour and 10 seconds. she was over the moon too. and this is what running does to you. somehow or rather, you find happiness in the simplest of things. 

and a very special thanks to rachelle kaur, who brought my around ipoh, to eat, to shop, to chill, and to eat again. 

it wasn't the best organized race, the race tee i got was L size and super huge, and here and there things could have been better, but, i feel like all in all it was a great race. let's acknowledge the effort of everyone who has worked hard to put together a great race, instead of focusing on the negative elements of the race. i will be back in 2015. ipoh friends, it's time to step up your game and join this with me next year.