Penang Run 2013 - 2014 4th Series - Race Recap

The giant medal and finisher T-shirt.

The finale is here. The final series of running from Teluk Bahang back to Esplanade. Realising a dream of running around the island of 84km. During my childhood where people in Penang are generally much poorer than the present times, one of my most cherished childhood memories was traveling around Penang Island on a bus when I was in Standard 6. We could not afford to travel out of Malaysia or even out of Penang. So getting to travel around the island was an exciting experience. At that time, we could not even afford to own a motorcycle to travel around the island. Running around the island become a childhood memory revived.

Runners waiting at the starting point

The bus transport to the starting point seems longer than normal as they are more traffic lights along the way. But it was a great weather to run. Cool and breezy morning with no rain. The fireworks just before the start was fitting for the finale event. Although the starting time was slightly delayed due to the bus transport. The route was a lot of downhill but it was not a steep downhill as compared to the 3rd series. Because of the downhill I was trying to hold back not running too fast as I have a bad experience when I run too fast on the downhill, it really hurt my knees. The injury still linger until now. It only really become a flat route when it reached Tanjung Bungah.

Thanks to the all the photographers that have taken these photos

Running along the roads near the beach with a cool sea breeze is really an enjoyable run. Watching the sunrise along the way was an added bonus. Although I have been running at a faster pace than I normally would for this series. But for this run I have made a fueling mistake. I didn't take a gel before the race as I was trying finished off the Power Bar which I got it for free and did not want to carry along the run. I only took a energy gel at about an hour into race and I missed out on the sports drinks at the 12km mark. The missing of the sports drink was a real mistake. My body and mind was craving for it after 12km mark. I have must been too engrossed with the running and miss out the water stations that offered the sports drinks. My pace start to slow down and energy level dropped. At the 18km, there is another water station but no sports drinks only water !

I should have taken another gel at that point which I didn't. I was already reaching Gurney Drive then. The drop in energy level start to be more significant and I almost wanted to run into 7 eleven to buy a sports drinks and continue. But I didn't wanted to waste the extra few minutes and was just trying to fighting hard against the drop in energy level and the craving. Finallly at the 20km, there is a water station that serve water and sport drinks. I just decide that I will just take the sports drinks and forget about another gel. The energy level starts to pick up and I was trying to push very hard at the last km of the race to break the 2:30. However, I managed to complete the race 2:30:12 with a pace of 6:46 min/km and the course was over distance at 22.18km. More than a km as compared to the 3rd series. And I ran my fastest pace of the 4 series. Probably could slash 2 or 3 minutes if I didn't missed the sports drinks earlier. Still satisfied manage to run a faster pace with a longer distance. Need to rest for a week from running to let this knee injury recovered.

The organising committee and the volunteers for Penang Run 4th Series

The final medal and finisher t shirt is really what all the runners at Penang Run is hoping for. Running all 4 series is not just the difficulty involved but the time commitment. We have to schedule your time so that you could finished all 4 series. Unfortunately, Penang does not have 4 seasons. If not, it will be running through all the 4 seasons from summer, autumn, winter to spring. But we do run through the heritage zone, the city, the industrial area, the kampung area, the fishing village, the hills in Balik Pulau, the durian estates, the dam at Teluk Bahang, the road along the beach at Teluk Bahang and Batu Feringhi, the floating mosque in Tanjung Bungah, Tanjung Tokong and along Gurney Drive and back to Esplanade. A complete circle ! And many areas of Penang which I have discovered because of this run although I am staying in Penang for such a long time. This run really allows you to discover  Penang on foot ! A big thank you to the everybody involved in the run. You have made this an unforgettable experience.

Look forward for the next series so that I can filled up my running calendar for 2014.