Ecotrail Putrajaya 2019

Event: Ecotrail Putrajaya 50km
Venue: Taman Botani, Putrajaya
Date: 26/10/2019
Time: 7.00am
Actual Distance: 53km
Time: 8:16:22
Shoes: Asics Sonama 2

Running Ecotrail Putrajaya 2019 wasn't in my initial plan at all. One fine day at the end of September my friend Steven Ong, a well known elite ultra runner, contacted me and invited me to join.  I've been running road races for 10 years, but have never had the courage to try any trail yet, let alone the ultra distance of 50km.

I contemplated Steven's offer for almost three days before I finally gathered enough courage to sign it up. By then it's only less than a month to the race, and I was totally unprepared. And I didn't even have a pair of trail running shoes!

After gotten my trail shoes with a discounted price of RM149 (Asics Sonama), I started my trail training at a small hill near my house. Every evening after work, I trained for about an hour trekking up and down the hill. Besides, I also trained at Bear Hill in a couple of times. One week before Ecotrail Putrajaya, I joined my very first 8km trail run. Which I managed to complete without much difficulty.

Training at my backyard.

Ecotrail Putrajaya 50km category was flagged off at 7am at Taman Botani. Together with another one hundred runners, I started slowly and with persistent pace.

The first 10km was running the path and trails around Taman Botani, which were generally manageable. After 10km mark the sun came out and weather was getting very hot. We ran along the main roads of Putrajaya under the scorching sun to reach WS2 at 21km mark.

After refilled my water bag I continued my journey to climb up to a hilly road in a very quiet park. I ran along the deserted road happily oblivious of a signage indicating a turn into the jungle. By the time I realized I must have missed the route, I was quite panic and took out my phone to check my location. The location map confirmed that I had overshot for almost a km.

Devastatingly, I turned and slowly ran back. A worker in the park offered to drive me back with his motorbike, but I declined. After about a km I finally found my correct way which was a small trail leading to the jungle.

I've never thought such jungle existed in the morden city of Putrajaya. The terrain was not especially steep and technical, but slippery after a whole week rain. I struggled quite a lot in the jungle until I finally reached the WS3 located at 30km.

After a brief stop, the journey became even tougher. After miles of very steep hills I reached a small town near Kajang. The time was about 1pm and the heat was almost unbearable. An ice cream vendor passing and deliberately slowed down. I was so craving for the sweet cold ice cream, but unfortunately I forgotten to bring some cash.

Then at km-38 I bumped into a herd of buffaloes by the lake. There must be more than a hundred of them, and it's my first encounter with such a big buffaloes. The "cowboy" repeatedly chanting "mandi mandi mandi!"  And to my amusement, the buffaloes jumping one by one into the lake.

Picture by Alvin Tew

At km-40 was the final WS4, lunch was served. There were rice, curry chicken, fried eggs, vegetable and sambal. I was too exhausted I only managed to swallowed a small scoop of rice with two eggs.

"What doesn't break you makes you stronger." My good friend Lee Lee sent me this message. I pondered it while continued fighting, and I just couldn't agree more about it.

I always learned and thrived via distance running. Approaching 50, maybe physically I'm not as strong as the younger me, but my mental is strengthening with age.

The rain was getting more heavy. Luckily the remaining route was road and no more hills to climb. At 47km I received a text message from my wife, informing that she and our two children were waiting at the finish point.

Be it a 5km or 100km, finishing a race is always the most exhilarating moment.Finishing Ecotrail Putrajaya 2019 in the rain was especially meaningful and comforting for me, knowing that my wife and children were awaiting at the finish line.

It's tough, but the tough is what makes it great.

Ecotrail Putrajaya 50km is my first attempt of ultra trail running. It's probably my toughest race so far.

As a newbie on the ultra trail, I made a mistake for missing a turn in the jungle and hence got a bonus of extra 2km. There's also over distance for 1km, so I ended up running 53km in total.

Anyway, I was happy and proud of myself for completing this challenge. Will I be doing any more ultra trail run? Well, I really have no answer at the moment.