Kaabah's Calling.. The Journey Towards

 Alhamdulillah, MasyaAllah, TabarAllah.

Such a blessing that we finally made our way to the Almighty's home, to our Prophet's land. Thank you Allah for giving us the chance to be your guest.

Frankly, it wasn't really my main intention to be performing umrah so early. The cost is just too overwhelming. And I cannot bear the fact of us going without the kids. 

But somehow, everything just seems to fall into place.

Main reason for the hubs was none other for making early preparation for Qaid's SPM. Quite frankly, even this wasn't strong enough reason for me. For the sole reason that not everyone would have the opportunity to do that. But somehow, these other factors just served as triggering factor; not always that we are going to have both our moms around, not always they will still be in good health to be performing such tasks, and both Qaid and Qays are strong enough to be lending their extra hands. And 1 final reason. Suddenly it coincides with Chinese New Year break, which left us with very minimal leaves to consume. So that's it. To Mekah we'll go.

Prayed hard towards the day that everyone will be in the pink of health and for everything will be eased. 

And alhamdulillah it had. Especially for the health of our moms.

But there was some slight inconvenience just 2 days before we departed. 

There was a sudden shift in our schedule. 

Hubs gave a call to inform the news, the morning before the trip. And the way the news was conveyed was like it was the worst news imaginable. I thought the agency screw up and we've been cheated. Alhamdulillah, there wasn't anything like that. Hubs took it pretty negatively, because he wanted to catch Friday prayer in Madinah and the next week in Makkah. In the end, once we arrived, we had some slight issue with our mom’s wheelchair, and he ended up able to perform Friday prayer in Jeddah airport. The whole crew had to wait for us, but guess, we had our little blessing. Alhamdulillah

Then our journey to the blessed land began. Even in Jeddah, there lies a vast amount of land. Not yet fully developed as I thought it should, considering the continuous flocking of people from around the world to the area. The eateries were limited. We had to make do with what was there. The prayer room was very basic and unfrequented. 

But once we reached Al Haram, the vibe was totally different. For a first timer like me, seeing people performing their solat by the sidewalk was very unusual, and humbling. There was no particular segregation between men and women, unlike how we do it here. People were constantly in their prayer robe, so there isn’t a need to specifically change into it. 

As for the rooms, we had our first mishaps. What was supposed to be a 4 person per room among us girls (Me, Naela, Nenek and Opah), we had to deal with another patron to be our roommate. She came as a couple with her husband. But in order to save, opted for separate rooms. And we had to be the victim to the situation. But the frustration wasn’t long. The lady turned out a good company. Especially in Madinah where I get to squeeze in the room with the boys, the lady gracefully, indirectly, looked after our moms. 

Once arrived, we had to get ready for our first compulsory umrah. It was a very emotional journey towards Masjidil Haram. And I was so glad that the boys were just as present, if not better. We left the wheelchairs in the room after seeing how crowded it has gotten. We arrived just in time for maghrib and managed to get a decent spot right in front of Kaabah. Looking back, this was indeed a blessing that we didn’t notice. By the amount of crowd and with the day being Friday, there should be no way for you to be that near to Kaabah, that late towards Maghrib. But we did. And the first Adzan heard was the most beautiful sound ever. We made our way towards Mataf once Maghrib was done. But we had to split from the boys. Just us girls, me with no prior experience of Umrah, looking after 2 tired and weak senior citizen and 1 small, underage girls. It was a miracle that I’ve made it, if not for Allah’s wills. But we did, Alhamdulillah, MasyaAllah. It was so crowded, should you get detached from your group, there’s no way of getting back together. Not when you are not familiar with the area and havent had the chance to sync up your regroup area. 

We got reunited after tawaf and before sai’e. And managed to go together. Our moms quickly asked for wheelchair. And that is a drama in itself as well. Opah’s wheelchair was sorted but Mak’s wasn’t. We didn’t have small change, but requested the helpers to proceed first. Midway, he was worried that we wouldn’t be paying him. He stopped and left midway. Long story short, this was sorted. Angah was lost midway too during sai’e and it was a while before we regroup again. It was the first day and first time for most of us, with kids in tow. So anxiety was somewhat all over.

After this was completed, it was the most tiring time ever. At least for the elders. We had to walk far back to get to the where we could head back to hotel. Everyone was so hungry, we didn’t have any dinner. Hubs decided to send the moms back to hotel while I brought the kids to find dinner at 12 midnight. Once found, it was the most delicious food. Don’t think the food there tasted as nice after, but it wasn’t too bad still. The extreme hunger and tireness from the long journey and lack of sleep from when we started our journey must have made the food tasted much the nicer. 

So that was it for the 1st day of our umrah. 

SCKLM 2019 the buildup and the run... and the aftermath

Training for SCKLM 2019 was good and strong in the sense that I sort of had changed the training theme onto longer mileage theme since Twincity, and then on towards MWM. I had lesser obstacles in the adaptation of sudden mileage rampup, longer sessions day in day out compared to before and lack of sleep. I could also introduced a new element than what I had for Twincity, now that I got the longer weekday mileage covered, which is with more workout type runs instead of only 1 workout a week. I could have opted for a 20weeks plan, but I couldn't since it coincided with Ramadhan. So I opted with a 16 weeks one instead. The earlier 4 weeks for Ramadhan, I just run it for normal maintenance, maybe some speed here and there, whenever time seemed limited. All in all, I had quite a good, #runmadhan in the end.

#runmadhan2019 highlights

Total distance: 110.93 km
Total runs: 12 runs
Longest run: 17km@6:13, 82%
Night run versus fasted run: 100.83/10.1
Overall average pace: 5:49 min/km
Overall average effort: 83%
Fastest pace: 5:25 for 6km @ 84%

So that has helped to hamper decline in fitness quite a bit. Post raya working week was the immediate WEEK 1 if you're opting for a 16 weeks training window. So it was very perfectly timed. Kudos SCKLM maybe, for giving a good enough time for us to train, not more not less?

The first 2 weeks was a lot of struggle though. The paces were about there but the paces was more than 80% mostly, even for the supposed easy ones. I had to change my house looping even, so that I had to encounter less uphills and the heart rate was a bit relaxed. Due to kiasuness though, the 2 longruns post syawal was 20 and 21km (MRP+10) was done at 5:57 & 5:56. Good in the sense that, I got a good pace in. Bad because, I kind of have the idea that the longruns, has to be at sub6 pace, nothing else.

3rd weekend I had KOKK 2019. 3 weeks after that was trying to get back into #marathontraining groove. All 21, 25 and 28kms was done at sub 6 pace as well. Broke 2 hours on WEEK 7 with 3 mins PB improvement. And one of the biggest achievement was on WEEK 8, where I could do midweek long of 17km (alternate 2 mins@10km pace) at 5:48 with 79% effort. Vo2 max seemed to be stabilised at 52, and I ended the week with the dreaded 30km, supposed to be done at MRP+10-20 from km 4 onwards for 27kms (target pace was 5:55-6:01). The outcome was:

• 27km average of 5:48, way lower than the target pace 
• ended comfortably with a lot to spare, without much trouble in the middle and with very minimal food intake
• 79% effort, maintained vo2 max 52 and status was peaking after and
• runalyze gave me a 3:53 target marathon timing. 

The last part was almost surreal. I would not even dare of dreaming of a sub 4, not in these few years at least. So again, this was both good and bad. And keeping tabs of my blog here have managed to put things into perspective a bit.

DO NOT GET OVER REACTED WITH THE PROJECTED TIMING.

That can be easier said than done. But one thing to be sure of, this seemed to work with my breaking 2 strategy and can be adopted for race day:

• Take at least 10 mins off from the target. This is as evidenced with the runalyze right before my PIIACUF breaking 2. It was exactly 10 mins off. 
• What I had targeted for myself at the start was ambitious enough. Just stay true to that. No further adjustment required. Because it is hard to even do that
• I may have adjusted the HM pace quite a bit, because it felt relatively quite easy. So I had shaved about 10secs off from supposed HM effort in 1 of the workout.
• If I did really get better fitness wise, let it work itself out at the final leg of the marathon as a surprise, as much as it had for the breaking 2 race. Rather than adjust your timing, expecting a very good ambitious outcome. 

So week 8 was almost the pinnacle of this cycle. Things was not as easy on week 9. After it got to peak, it on recovery, then maintaining. I had also adjusted my target easy run pace to about very low 6 pace. And the run didn't feel that much easier as well. I should know full well that this is wrong. I should be embracing the slower pace, as I am embracing the faster pace.

Among the key things that I have done differently this time.

• 70km above weekly mileage seemed to be too huge for me. Now I'm talking about 80km weekly from Week 8 (there was a dip at week 9 due to Eid but the workout was in, only deferred).
• 3 sets of 30km, including PJHM. 

***

After more than 5 years, an attempt to continue what was started begins

***

The earlier writeup was a very good build up. At this point of writing (Dec 24, 2024) a lot has happened. And that is a story for another time. 

Simply put, the good things didn't last. My shinsplint came back again. I had to make a tough decision of getting off running. and it was a complete off for a good 3-4 weeks. Cannot really remember it by now

I compensated runs with indoor cycle. Cycling, zwifting was already an in thing at that time. Had some good friends already into cycling, so I had some good tips on how to maintain some aerobic fitness. They recommended to do 90 rpm cycle, which is not easy. May have tried for some minor runs prior to the event day just to see if I could run. May have bought my 1st 2XU shin sleeve at that time as well, which has proved to be effective and so much worth the money considering that it has lasted a good 5 years. I almost had never run without it until 2023. Even then, I was only running without it for a very short time, until my shin started to show some signs of aches again. And I have been diligently having it on again. 

So come race day, I remember that I had almost given up. It was a devastating feeling cause I know I was at my fittest ever. It was the year that sub 2 was in my hand. I had the best training runs during this time. But due to the pain, I came into the race thinking that I would not be able to finish it. The pain would have gotten so bad that I couldn't even go one. These thoughts was both my safety net (from feeling too depressed for not being able to finish it) and also as an alternative approach by convincing myself to even get to the starting line.

The race didn't go as bad as I thought it would. 

I could run and run. The flickering pain was there. But nothing agonizing. The fitness wasn't that bad as well. I remember to have finished it enjoyably. It was slightly more than 4:30 but lower than 4:40. My best KLSCM Full Marathon definitely. 

Too bad, right after the race was also the time that I finally decided that I needed to take full time off, in order to fully recover. It was the time time that I had finally considered cycling. When I have made a statement before that "Never, will I ever, take up cycling". Well, as they always say, never say never. 

Yaya was one of the motivator. Not long after the run, I went to find a cheap bicycle. And I got hooked up ever since. 

I was off running completely for 6 weeks after. But I think I might have tried to run mildly after that 6 weeks. Will check again and update if I'm feeling it. 

Nevertheless, it was a good write up at that time back in 2019. Recalling how good and obsessed I was with my performance at that time. From 52, I am at mere 46 now. Hope to be able to bring this back up. Age, shouldn't be a factor. 

Confinement Story Part 2

First initiated 29 Sept 2015

***

I have been looking forward for my comeback to running. I had long envisioned a run, once cleared by the doctor exactly on the 45th day post baby (confinement would be over by 44th). I hoped I wouldn't be having the perineum issue that I had with Qaisar last time, that I had to wait until 60 days post partum to start my run. SCKLM would be on 11 weeks post partum. I would only have 5 weeks post confinement to start the training.

So my comeback worked slightly earlier than that though. But only in terms of basic strengthening and conditioning. Runner's World says I can get Up and Running starting from the 2nd week post partum. May have started around the 4 weeks since chinese's confinement is also over by 4 weeks, or 28 days to be exact. I was not that daring to do anything that has leg split until after confinement though, and with doctor's clearance. Being in confinement, somehow allowed me to do the exercises more. Once it was over, I barely have the time. I was either bringing the kids out, cooking, or looking after baby. During confinement, no one expect much from me, so what better thing to do than occupy your time with exercises, if you are able to. So it wasn't anything much, just some planks, wall sit, bridges variations.

Went for my 6 weeks checkup exactly on the 45th day. Had nasi lemak immediately in the morning, while waiting for my turn. Thank God, it didn't upset Naela's tummy after that. The doctor said everything was ok, and asked specifically if can start running, and she said ok. So right the very evening, I had the first run after about exactly 10 weeks of no running. 4 weeks from the fasting month, 6 weeks being post confinement. Yeah I left running that long, despite having ran throughout pregnancy. I devised my own 1st comeback run though. 20 mins of walk-run, with walk for uphill and run for downhill. I had a lower abdominal pain, more than I expected it to be and more than I can remember. I've been running since I had my second baby, and I never remember having this kind of pain specifically. It was as if my uterus was not that fully recovered. I kept it to myself of course. The legs felt sore more than it should as well. In conclusion, the first run didn't feel good at all. That had me worried more now. It only meant that getting back would need to be more gradual. And as suggested by the article, the initial runs should be on alternate days until I was feeling better and no particular soreness.

***

Resume attempt Aug 21, 2024

Glad that I had these notes then. Had no recollection of it whatsoever, and it is nice to look back 

***

Despite the tough first run, I think I had quite a good comeback after. 

Within the first 2 weeks of back to running, I ramped up my run to almost 7km around 6:46 pave. Some of my recorded watch shots back then on 4 Sept and 13 Sept respectively. They were indeed good runs

My first event postpartum was 31 October 2015, about 3.5 months postpartum for 2XU Run 2015. It was around 10 weeks back to running, 15 weeks postpartum. Aggressive timewise, but modest training wise. 5 long runs with only 1 at maximum of 16km. KLSCM 2015 was cancelled due to haze. I think this was supposed to be my first run postpartum. Looking back, I'm proud of what I had pulled out.

All in all, 9 years after, running priorities have changed. Some intentional for the better. Some, I wish I would be as efficient as before (earlier start, so I get more done). Here's to more stronger years ahead, and may this serve as future reminder to future me. 

2XU Run 2015

Date: 31 Oct 2015
Venue: Putrajaya
Distance: 22.22 km
Position: ??
Personal Time: 2:21:27
Pace: 6:22

Confinement Story Part 1

First drafted Sept 29, 2015.

***

Finally got posted Aug 21, 2024

***

Caution. This entry might contain some unnecessary and crude details.

I am actually half way through confinement actually (24 days as of the draft is first written. My post always take many days to be finished). I had no intention on putting a special notes on this, but somehow I think I should. Just solely as a personal recollection, so I can reflect how sweet, or suffering confinement was.

So confinement started right after discharged from hospital. While in the hospital, everything was normal and you don't feel the need for one. but the after labour contraction still trouble you, and at that point, but I was glad that I didn't have to resort to any painkillers this time. Maybe that's why I felt the post delivery abdominal pain more intense this time around. For those who doesn't know, the pain is from the uterine contraction, trying hard to get back to its normal form. Imagine from housing the baby, placenta and whatever is in there, to the little organ that it normally is. Other than that, there was no other unusual or extreme pain.

I have always worried about jaundice, ever after my first. Will always skip any herbs for at least the 1st week post partum. And so I did this time around as well. But to my surprise, Naela was clear from jaundice. She was cleared when discharged from hospital. There was no follow ups from hospital, so she could have had it while she was out, like Qays, but from the skin and the eyes, I know she didn't. She shouldn't even, with the B+ blood type, and untraumatic labour unlike the brothers. She was completely fine and healthy, Alhamdulillah, my prayers was answered. But problems will come during confinement no matter what. I had a severe and most intense constipation and hemorrhoid this time around. I never had as bad before, with the previous 3. Maybe cos I didn't take any laxative medicine as well. SJMC gave one at the hospital when I had Qaid. I can't remember whether the hospital gave any from Pantai when I had Qays, but I had definitely prepared my own chinese herb to ease my toilet visit. Qaisar's was at DEMC and DEMC is known to have provided duphalac even when in hospital, even when constipation hasn't emerged yet. So there was no food buildup that would make it worse. This time, I think maybe I was hopeful that things will be very ok, since I had an unvacuumed delivery. Little I know that constipation can still emerge for various reasons; diet and hormones. While my diet was fine, with constant fiber and fluid, I think the hormones is otherwise. The very next day after gotten out from hospital, I had the biggest constipation of my life. Seriously no kidding there. It was the first time that I cried while having my number 2. I may have had a bad experience myself when I had Qaid, but I quickly consumed the chinese herb, and it made u purge like no one's business. So the problem was not prolonged there. This time, I couldn't hold it in, it was just raging to come out. And I think nothing even come out, as I had decided that I had to contain it still. I couldn't press (and that's the only way to have it out) as I didn't want to ruin my stitches. I thought that some medication might do it. So I hold. And I had pushed hubs to go get me any medication possible. So he bought me both Duphalac and Dulcolax (this is the medicine that SJMC gave). It was not helping much as well. But I think the waste amount was so much in there, it had to come out.

The thing with Duphalac is, it will soften your stool as you are taking them. If the stool is already in production, in your intestine, it cannot help much still. So the earlier stool that came out was as hard as the rock, and I think I literally mean this, the latter ones was softer. That's how I come to such conclusion for Duphalac. I think I cried the 2nd time that time, but at least that cry managed to end the misery at that time. The hubs shared with a doctor's friend, and the doctor shared that as much as possible, I should avoid consuming it, since my condition seemed to be not as bad and we want to protect our precious milk as much as possible. Any kind of medication consumed orally can somehow get into our bloodstream.  So she suggestion another medication, which is in the form of a cream, which is applied locally. I did that, and it didn't help with my next bowel movement. I consumed duphalac, it didn't help as well. I consumed dulcolax, also the same. Ok, another finding with dulcolax now is that, it also works about the same with duphalac. it only help while the stool is being processed. So to cut the story short, I was suffering again. I think I had my 3rd cry in the toilet, and this one worried me the most, cause I had checked on my wound, to see how it's doing there, and I think I saw a line of blood. So the cry didn't stop while at the toilet, it prolonged afterwards as well. And I cried like a baby, seriously. So much worry then, With my hemorrhoid, the constipation, now I have the stitches to worry for. I looked and looked over the net, and nothing seems to help much. What's being suggested so many times is to get the shaklee powder. Since I know that my confinement set of Nona Roguy will always ease the bowel movement, and since it was about 1 week already, So I consumed it. And that was the end of my misery. So in summary, no number 2 until 4th day post partum. 1st bowel movement on 5th day. 6th day found out that all the medication couldn't help. 7th day with the bloodline. 8th day, had to give in to Nona Roguy, which was the winner. I consumed around 5 pills at the onset I think and gradually reduced to 2 per intake. And I had regular, daily bowel movement since then. However, the tablet was only 90, and before confinement ends, the tablet had finished. I had to resort back to Duphalac and Dulcolax again.

It was very weird and surprising that my system couldn't get back to producing the normal stool even after many days post labour, and of course, despite numerous fiber and fluid. I had to be on something to ease that particular call of nature, else, nothing will come out and I couldn't take the chance of letting it build up. Delayed bowel movement means build up, build up means, it's going to be nasty. So I was back to consuming duphalac, which I had left after finding out that the Phytonatal worked for me. Once it was done, I continued on with Dulcolax. I tried delaying the intake, in order to see whether I can do the call of nature naturally, but it couldn't of course. This went on until after confinement was over. 7 weeks to be exact. I almost ran out of everything on the 7 weeks, and I was beyond happy that I managed to go normally on exactly 53 days. Yes it was such a big thing that I count up everything.

So that was it. Part 1 was about that big problem of my confinement, that I need to have a very detailed recollection of things. I was looking hard over the net when I had the problem, but somehow, since I didn't have any firm answer, I had to resort to a conclusion myself. Having undergone through the problem, this entry here, hopefully, will somehow help anyone out there who might be suffering the same problem as me. 

How it started

This was initiated Mar 13, 2015

Never get finished. 

***

16 Aug 2024

***

I started running officially, systematically in 22 July 2009. It was my first Nike Plus record at the following details. See how bad the pace was. It was just outside of my house, doing the loops. Probably after I delivered Qays. I had no idea what a pace was. I had to figured it out myself after few runs. I remember thinking "why does it get lesser everytime", I should have gone faster, hence it should be more instead of less. Little did I know that pace was a different measure from speed. Speed has always been a measure for .... speed...be it in physics, vehicle speed. I know what pace means, but I never thought that it's denominated by time over distance, and not the other way around. That's how I started. So naive and innocent.

Then there was nothing much further until the Penang Bridge International Marathon Drive in 2011. Where Digi CEO at that time, Henrik Clausen was an avid marathoner. I started the run alone. With no one else for motivation. I get motivated and knowledge only from Runner's World. Learnt everything from scratch on my own. Many years on, Alhamdulillah, I am still at it. Less inquisitive than before, hopefully because everything is very much at the back of my head. Though the thrills of doing races is less now, I am more at ease at the relationship that I have with running now. I do miss the sense of discipline I had. Very early hours. Early sleeps. Finish things early and not much distraction. Hoping that I have the strength and the health to continue running till later. 

King of Kg Kemensah 2019

31 Aug 2019

***

KoKK 2019, 3rd year running it, and I couldn't hold on to the 2nd position for my 30km

2019 was a tricky year. I registered less races. But things have been good in terms of training wise and fitness wise. I had the most mileage, longer session each runs and in turn, the fitness was at the peak as well. KoKK was held right after Eid, just 3 weeks after. It was good that I managed to log 2 decent runs of 20km and 21km. So fitness was minimally sufficient albeit it could have been better.

So I went in with minimal expectation. But since I was feeling quite good since the injury seemed to be gone, or barely noticeable, I had some slight expectation if things could be the same like last year at least. Last year's fitness was quite good though, since it was just few weeks after SCKLM 2018 and fitness was still about there. So it was quite a tough challenge to beat.

The week of KoKK was also fasting week. Took opportunity of supposed taper week for a slightly lesser weekday mileage. Which was not that less anyway. Had 12km just 2 days before the event. In retrospect, I didn't taper off the mileage, nor I had enough carbo going into the race. But that was the fun part. When it was not put as a key race, there was less stress and the run was enjoyable.

Just a few days before the race though, all my wireless listening device (except for the JVC headset though) decided to stop working. I had my 2nd Huawei Honor, just bought in fasting month, probably just a month old, and it had stopped working. All the old ones had stopped working as well. So I had to give in to a more reliable headset once and for all, yet again, the Jaybird Tarah. Bought it just the day before the race, with the heavy syawal weekend traffic. To make things worse, it was raining and the traffic conditioned were the worst ever.

The race also started earlier this year. Last year's 30km was held at 6:30 am, I didn't have any Subuh prayer problem. This year, it started at 5:30, not to mention the running in the dark challenge. After much contemplation (of whether to wait for the prayer, pray properly at the starting line and started the race later or, just start like everyone else and stop midway), I decided to just start with the rest, contain the wudhu, and pray as soon as you get to the first checkpoint.

So I had prepared all the normal gears which are known to be required by the organisers; heat blanket for both of us, get fresh batteries for the headlight, fill up the water, prep my telekung to name a few. I got everything mostly covered and made my way to the starting line. As the MC was giving some briefing, I thought of checking the headlight. My headlight did not turn on. I might have wrongly reinserted the used battery. Went back inside to try my luck if anyone had any spare batteries, asked a few but to no avail and out of nowhere, I saw Maza. I was in big luck. Asked for some batteries, she asked her brother to share his, but it didn't work. I then I asked for hers instead and ended up using hers. I got everything settled right before gun time, and managed to get back in line and started from quite some way behind.

I started a bit faster than I should in order to try to keep up with the front pack, and tried to give some buffer for the prayer. The azan started about 10-20 mins into the race. So the timing was quite about right. The first checkpoint was just not long after. I might have been the first to even stop for Subuh. It was done in a jiff. I was so anxious on getting back on track that I had hastily put on my shoe and skipped a very important process: Tying the shoe properly. I made that rookie mistake, the early 30s me did, that had costed me my toenails.

It was all good still. I slowly get back with the rest of the pack, in the darkness, catching up one after another at my comfortable pace. At that I was thinking, boy, these people really went fast. The track were already very muddy but still very much bearable. After a while, I got to be where it was a bit more comfortable and stopped overtaking too much. It was very dark. I tried so much not to be too far away from other runners for safety reason and for some guidance on the track ahead. The markers were clearly visible and properly indicated as well even in the dark. They used proper reflecting tapes to indicate the track. It was even much more visible compared to day time due to its reflectiveness. The track were not as tough at the early stretch, but it was quite blinding, I had no clue of where I was. The track then led to a steep downhill with its famous, beaten motorcycle track. It will be hard to maneuver yourself along this track. Very narrow banks on the side and deep wheel track in the middle. With minimal lighting. It was not that much into the race probably around 6km. I was following behind this lady runner. The lady seemed very competitive by trying to make sure that I would never overtake her. It was still very much early in the race, so I simply followed my own pace. I got to finally overtook her.

We got to the next checkpoint soon after. I had a refill and may have grabbed some food. The lady caught up and didn't stop long and continued on. I took that as indicator to leave as well. I was behind her for quite a while along with 2 more guys. We had about similar pace so I decided that maybe we should stick along. Especially good when one of the guys had hand torchlight, so it gave added visibility. Couldn't remember when but at one point, the lady seemed not able to keep up, and later on the other guy as well. So it was up to me and the guy with the torch. I like the pack, except for the lady. You can sense it when the pack welcomes you, or try to leave you. The pack here was welcoming. Too bad one of the guy couldn't keep up. I was with the torch guy for quite a long time. Until it got bright. And he finally broke the silence and we started to chat. He's a Sabahan and registered the race the very last minute. Would be joining SCKLM later. Has been joining BUTM etc. We ran together almost all the way towards Pondok Repin. The toughest stretch of the race. The track was nothing but upwards there. It was never ending and nerve wrecking. It was raining for a bit as well. Not too heavy, but enough to spoil the track with mud. My calf were affected the most from the constant climb. It was only a matter of time before cramping occurs.

I had to leave the torch guy when he had seemed to be slowing down, just some distance away from Pondok Repin. Met Aqwa who was steadily and strongly heading down. When I was very much close to Pondok Repin, saw 2 lady making their way down. It was the first time that I had some idea of where I was. I might have been 3rd. Once reached the Checkpoint, the volunteers informed that I was actually 2nd. The other lady runner is under the veteran category. That was a good one, considering I was crawling back up from the prayer break, and saw many people were actually upfront. But, while I was hoping that I could spend some time there, the lady, which was me from the start has caught up. She had a very brief break and continued on, like how she did at the 2nd CP. I was beaten at CP again. I had no way but to continue on as well. It was fun going down, my favourite. Although I really need to be careful with my ankle and my toes. I was mostly behind here for quite a while and I like it. It was fun trailing behind her like that, when she seemed to be struggling and I enjoyed pushing her. Had slight chat. She was struggling with her fascia as it turned out. Not too long after I had to overtake her as well, and she seemed to be letting me go. So I was on my own afterwards.

It was a very long way down, and my toes started to hurt. Really hurt. It was a very wrong move of not tying the shoe properly and I was paying it then. As if the hurt toe wasn't enough, the track were also very muddy and severely beaten by then. There was no way for you to walk properly, let alone run. It would have helped a lot if I had some poles with me.

I managed to catchup with 1 lady runner upfront after a while, around Lubuk Tedung. She was more welcoming than the earlier lady. I managed to be in front until Bukit Roket, the 2nd CP. While I was there, my arch nemesis caught up again. She couldn't give me a break at all, could she. But I managed to leave first. The other 18km participants were so helpful and asked other runner to leave some room for me. After that CP, it was all the common finishing leg of KoKK. Any where upwards, I would surely walk. And that has made the 2 ladies to finally caught up with me again, once and for all. I had given up my fighting spirit then. What was more important at that time, was for me to be able to find my own sustainable pace. The finishing was tough, even for the short about 2km tarmac section towards the finish. I was hoping that I could do better, but that was all I could.

The overall track was definitely tougher than the year before. Not only that distance wise was further, elevation gain was higher by 600m as well. My timing and pace in 2018 was 4:28:23 at 9:36. in 2019 it was 5:16:41 at 10:17. The early, in the dark start time was not helping with the timing as well. But it was a very good fun experience, running in the dark.

It was a competitive race, even with the champion runners from both category. The gap between me and the champion was a mere 5 minutes. The champion veteran was with me quite some time of the race. Good for her for being able to come back and caught up with the 2nd women open. The veteran got ahead of me just before we left for the tarmac section. She had enough buffer in her to push in the end definitely. Once finished

KOKK 30km 2019

Date: 30 June 2019
Venue: Kg Kemensah
Distance: 30 km
Position: 3
Official Time: 5:16:41
Personal Time: 5:16:41
Pace: 10:17

The BP Matter

Apr 10, 2014. 

The date when this post was first drafted. 

***

Fast forward to 10 years later (2024), it is still some matter of significance. Lessen. Improved. But still worth some discussion

***

I have long had deep relationship with my BP. Yes, the blood pressure that is. It started way back in 1998 or 99 (almost 16 years back, back in 2014) and it still haunts me until now.

At 19 or 18 years of age, I had never really paid enough attention to the body's vital signs. But I remember there was a blood donation drive in MMU, where I was studying. I was excited to donate my blood. And I was rejected.

By BP and my hemoglobin level was too low. 

And there were a streak of multiple rejections ever since. All for the same reasons. Few that I can vaguely recall:

1. Donation for a sick colleague, Leukemia. He later on passed to meet the Almighty

2. There might have been one at the mall. Where I simply walked in just to test myself out. And as anticipated, another rejection.

3. Blood donation drive when I was in Digi. There was around 1 or twice

So, back to why did "The BP matter" was created back in 2014, but never got finished. I think it was a time when my fitness started to drop for no apparent reason. I thought I was overtraining. So I took my training a step back that time. But instead of recovering, things gotten worse and worse. I was at my weakest moment, training wise that time. I gave it few months I think, then don’t know what triggered it, it occurred to me that my iron level might have been low. Did some quick google research, and I got iron pill right after. I could sense that my condition improved almost abruptly. I then went for some medical checkups and it was confirmed. But this has always been my condition since forever. Didn’t know it could affect me fitness wise in that manner. Like no amount of training will be enough to boost your fitness back up. And based on some google research, you may be losing iron from the amount of sweat that you lose as well. And this was very interesting. I was so lucky I was the kind who can sense small difference in my performance, and may be alert enough to identify the issue.

Long story short, I’ve been on iron pills ever since. I may have dare enough to stop only circa 2022 or 2023. Even then, I still try to supplement myself with the Pink Lady powder, where it supposed to boost your iron level as well.

But most importantly, I finally managed to donate my blood in November 2023. Such a moment in life. Alhamdulillah. Hope things really take on to be better (despite got rejected again for another time, but I hope it was just a temporary thing.