Malakoff Duathlon - UNITEN 2009

My second MUDS was very uninspiring. Although we got to be 5th in the category, was not as good as it should be. I should try to warn Ali and Ayman to just proceed with doing Men’s relay next time, otherwise, try and find another REAL GIRL RUNNER to be in the mixed relay category.

Seperti biasa, tiadalah saya ber-training. Have not been running, konon concentrate on exam. [Padahal alasan je tu].

Sebelum start race, as usual, I think this is what most people would do. At least, most people like me.

Tengok sekeliling, and determine siapakah antara the participants that you think you can take. So, cari lah orang yang gemuk-gemuk [lebih gemuk dari saya], badan besar-besar, yang macam tak terror, just to be comfortable with myself. So afraid that I would be the last one to reach the transition area.

Tapi sedar lah wahai Izrin, lebih gemuk, lebih besar tak semestinya lebih lembab! Yes, put that in mind. Walaubagaimana pun, harapan agak hancur melihat keadaan sekeliling. Semua nampak pro. Dengan baju pro, kasut pro, basikal pro, adoihh! Then I told myself again and again.

“Didn’t I say I never wanted to join MUDS again, at least not until I can really run? Then why am I here again?”

“Macam mana kalau last sampai kat transition area?”

“What if kalau pengsan tengah jalan?”

“What’s gonna happen if aku tak mampu langsung nak lari?”

Tiada jawapan.

At the starting point, Ayman (the second runner) asked me if I can finish the first 3km in half an hour. I wasn’t confident at all, because I have not been running and I don’t know what my timing is like. Although I ran for about half and hour in last year’s MUDS. But that was last year. I could be better this time, I could be worse. But he answered the question himself, “Boleh, boleh, boleh…”. Dalam hati berkata, mungkin half an hour is the right time for 3km kot. Ntah lah.. yang penting cuba.

Kali ni, saya tukar strategi. Selalu start lari kat depan-depan, sebab takut mula-mula lagi dah kene tinggal jauh kat blakang. Then, in the end, I’ll be pancit like hell sebab kat depan-depan tu selalunya pro, and kalau start sekali dengan deorang, sure gatal ikut their pace, lepas tu semput. Last-last jalan jer.

So this time, I started at the back. Sedar diri sikit. Start kat belakang, konon-konon nak ikut own pace so tak pressured by the pros.

I can’t really talk about the running trail. I am not good in determining which kind of route is ok and which is not. But the weather……..oh my god! Sangat terik. Menyesal tak pakai shades and topi.

Tak sampai 1km lagi… I couldn’t even see the people in front of me. Where have they gone to? Then, one nice lady passed by and she said “Come, run with me, just you and me”.

But she kept on running. And I couldn’t follow the pace, so I let her passed.

Tak lama lepas tu, I heard few people passed by. Gaya macam pro. Sekali Julie tegur dari belakang “berapa lap kene lari ni?”

For a moment, I got confused. “Are these people running their second lap?” Sebab tak mungkin Julie has been at my back sepanjang 1km yang lepas. Tak mungkin! “Maybe deorang saja start lambat kot. Test power”, kata hati kecil ku.

1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8… Julie pun hilang dari pandangan.

Sampai di transition area, achieving Ayman’s earlier expectation to finish in 30 minutes tapi, Ali je la cyclist yang tinggal. Kesian…However, Ali finished his 14km cycle much lesser than half an hour, Ayman continued running his last 3km in about 20 minutes if not less. Mereka lah wira saya.

Congratulations to Day-O for getting 4th place in her category. Pingat tu dia pakai sambil bawak kereta. :)

Also, to Julie, tak payah cakap lah kan? Always winning... congratulations.

To Ali, Ayman and myself, congratulations dapat nombor 5 (out of 5.. haha).. next time cuba lagi. Kalau ye pun nak menang, cari lah perempuan yang power sikit... haha..

Ali cakap, “You lari slow, lah!”

Well, HELLO!!! Bukan I yang lari slow, DEORANG YANG LAJU SANGAT!