KL Towerthon 2010 done!

Another hard morning - thinking that KL Tower is just 30 mins-or-so drive away, I was leisurely walking around home packing my stuff after Subuh prayers, with wifey was fast asleep with yet another long night episode.

Picked a banana, and off I went. It was at the race site that I realised that the banana was not enough, and the fact that climbing the whole tower would require much of my strength. Whatever fat I have in me now will have to stick on me, but it was too late to eat as when I reached, they were already getting ready to let the first leg go. Gobbled down my water, and tried to do my warm up, while saying hellos to Fong and Faisal. But met Mariana who is recovering from nerve injuries (what?), and we spent time bitching and mengumpat-ing our old friends... hahaha, talk about shaking off nerves.

Went into the kandang, and immediately met Nik and Ian. After the compulsory photo-time, we were off with Ian leading us up the hill. I was immediately held back, trying to keep my pace, and Nik, being a first timer here, was happily running and snapping photos (Nik, kalau nak menang podium, you have to ditch the camera, lah ahahah).

When we hit the stairs, I was quickly taken back a year ago with its dim shaft, bad ventilation, and endless steps. I maintained a double step run/walk, pacing a Team Poyo member, passing many runners.

Running in between the Team Poy0. Nik was looking up in awe to the height of KL Tower, tapi pace tak terjejas hehehe

There is an improvement to the overall race this year where slower runners maintains to their left all the time, and at water stations, they keep most of the cups at the WS, less spillage, and no vomit on the staircase. Geez!

There were also less people hogging the traffic, and sitting at the landing area. So far, so good.

I stopped at WS3 and WS5, and kept my pacer within sight. Soon enough, we hit TH001, TH002 and TH003, and all of a sudden - we were done. I was so glad it's done without any pain on my knees. And finishing here is never short of offering you the celebrity treatment with many papparazzis at the door.

All in all, I felt better this year, and the stairs felt somewhat shorter, and run manageable. Not sure about time, though, but hopefully I'd be able to slash some off last year's.

After so many Milos and 100+ on our way back, I rushed to Melia Hotel for the Energizer race kit collection. It was around 9.30 when I reached there, but was told the collection starts at 11a.m.. Not only they put the collection in the middle of slump part of KL with expensive parking spots, which is quite hell to get into in the first place had you choose to go in the afternoon, they were NOT ready at all.

We are talking about Pacesetters here, with uncles and aunties manning the desk. At 9.30 a.m., they were chatting away. No sorting the bib (OK, the bib arrived slightly later), checking if the headlights are in working condition, table out the vouchers, put banners, name list etc. Those all happened around 10.15a.m. when the queue had already built up. Why did they stage it at 11.00 is beyond me, where most runners runs Bukit Aman and finishes around 9a.m. every week. And today, the KL Towerthon runners, who were just a stone's throw away from Bukit Bintang will automatically make their way to collect the kits before going off. And we all had to wait for more than an hour, most of us still with the vest from KL Tower, stinking, and shivering from the wet vests.

Anyway, I managed to get the uncle manning my category to get the pack ready, check the name etc, and by the time they said ON, I just grabbed the pack and go. O by the way, after that, we have to collect the vest from another counter, after checking our sizes. We were not allowed to try them on (how to try lah uncle? notwithstanding our lack of precision in Asian and Western sizing standard in Malaysia, we are left to guess only). The fact that we are choosing our sizes on that day itself instead of reserving while registering, will either make some later runners collecting theirs have to take awfully unfit sizes to their body sizes, or there will be many surplus of the vests that will be wasted, at the expense of our paid fees.

I was already late for my babysitting curfew when I met Doc Julin, and had to excuse myself from a longer chat (tak sempat jumpa your hubby pun) with her and Yim (sorry bro!). Doc Julin and family came all the way from Taiping for collection, and her without her grey pants made me doubt myself if it really was her... hahahah.

Doc, next time let us know... we'll be more than happy to pick race kits for you and hubby ok, no need to sacrifice your LSD hahaah.

A good Sunday workout. It spells chill looking at the marathon distance next week, as I am approaching it carelessly. I think this will punish me, and I will not be able to do a PB next week.

Hope all friends have enjoyed theirs, and gearing for another productive week ahead.