KL Tower International Night Towerthon Challenge 2012, 19May2012

Saturday, May 26, 2012

KL Tower International Night Towerthon Challenge 2012, 19May2012

Time: 2:55pm

Category: Men Junior Veteran

Tower height: 421 meter

Number of steps: 2058

Finishing time: 27:28.65

This is the first time I participate in this tower run race. I have always wanted to do this run in the past but did not take the courage to register for it, as my knees were weak and always gave me pain during previous mountain hiking trips.

However this year I feel I am ready to give it a try. The successful Gunung Tahan trip last year have given me confidence to tackle unknown climbing events. And I had completed two full marathons in November and December 2011. So the twin requisites of strength and endurance are there to give this event a go!

Two weeks prior to the big day I embarked on some self-prescribed training regime as follow: Squatting (S)20 times, stepping up dinning chair (SU) 15 time, cross leg half squat (CL) 5-10 times.

Date Morning Afternoon Night

             (S/SU/CL) (S/SU/CL) (S/SU/CL)

4/5/12- 20/15/10 20/0/10 0/10/5

5/5/12- 20/0/10 0/0/5 20/10/5

6/5/12- - >10 km long run -

7/5/12- 0/0/5 0/15/10 20/0/10

8/5/12- 20/15/10 20/15/10 20/15/5

9/5/12- 20/0/10 20/0/10 25/15/0

10/5/12- 0/15/0 20/0/10 0/0/0

11/5/12- 20/15/5 20/15/10 20/15/10

12/5/12- ->10km long run-

13/5/12 -rest-

14/5/12- 20/0/10 0/15/5 20/15/10

16/5/12- 20/15/15 20/0/10 20/0/10

17/5/12- 20/0/5 20/15/5 20/0/0

18/9/12- 0/0/10 0/0/0 0/0/0    

With this training regime, to which I did not adhered strictly as shown by the record, I was able to finish the the whole race in 27:28.65 minutes.

The race involves a short 1~2km run before reaching the tower entrance to the staircase. I jogged slowly on this stretch so as not to exert myself too much. When I reached the staircase and started to climb, I was feeling comfortable, so I ran up the steps, one step a time, and counting the steps. 

 

By 800 steps I was already panting, the pace slowed down, was no more running but walking. By this time exhaustion was taking over the ability to count steps. I was more interested in completing the remaining 1200 steps than keeping track the progress. I passed by 3 or 4 water stations, did not finish the drink in one gulp but slowly seeped it, occasionally toasted the cup to a poster on the wall and shouted "cheers" to the actor.

The race was quite strenuous so much so that I really shrieked for joy when I crossed the finishing line and excitedly high-fived those volunteers. The finishing medal was wrapped around my neck by one sweet lady, and I wore it for the next one hour loitering around the tower, sampling free Milo, 100Plus and other drinks, as well as enjoying a live rock band which blasted away any audible conversation and could possibly woke up any dead from ground.

Veteran? I felt funny to be grouped as this, look at my face people might think I try to fake my age to gain advantage to compete with the elders, but deceive yourself don't- the champion in this category finished in 13 minutes!!

Thumbed up before the race. The dry and clean body would soon be drenched thoroughly with sweats.

Mr Oliver Ker, the evergreen runner, at 70 years old, was preparing to dash up the tower after jogging 1km up the slope.