[Running] Tiens Health Charity Run 10km 2014

Initially I thought I was gonna be on a complete standstill with running after the Hasuu Tasu 28km Trail Run last August.  This is due to the injury I had since last Feb this year which after misc checking and scanning at the hospital, they finally found the source of my injury.  I have a minor tear at my back, both my lower disc are drained according to the MRI.  May need operation but since I am somewhat on the road to recovery (from the testimonial and treatment I am getting at the hospital), I am somewhat okay, as long as my nerves do not touch certain area on my back and as long as I do not feel any numbness around my legs or hips, I am good.  I should ease up on the running but as per doctor advice, I could run a slower pace, gradually increase my speed with some core strengthening exercise.  I have been on a lighter running regime, 5-7km 3-4 times a week depending on my mood and how I feel on a certain day.  Somehow this injury makes me cranky, frustrated and depressed on certain days and I tend to shut down from everything and just sleep on occasion.

No worries, as long as I do not overdo workout or over push during runs, I am okay. 

But...being me, I cannot help myself.  I love to run.  So, last September, I went and register for Tiens Health Charity Run.  10km only mar.  No biggie.  And you think I would just do an easy run/walk?  Here's the thing about me.  I hate walking.  Walking drives me nuts on a training day.  Not unless it's a walk in the city that I never been, that's a different story.  But yeah.  In an event/race, I would run, unless I can't lift my leg, then that's a different story.  Registration for early bird for this event was RM35 but since I paid via PayPal, my card got charge at almost RM40 lol!  So you thought I would just light jog my way till the finishing line.  Nope, I actually have a target to PB my previous record which is at 58 mins for 10km.  Trained 4 times a week and all I feel is sore and pain on my back.  Only when I run below 6 mins pace for too long, my back starts to act up.  I know for a fact that I could not break my PB but I just have to wing it during the day of the event hee~

Collected the race pack a week before the run at Performance Sportz.

I got it all planned out.  I am just gonna maintain an average of 6:30 mins/pace.  I thought to myself.  Nope.

4-5 days before the event.  A friend posted that she would not be doing her PB but she will be running a below sub 60 mins and who's willing to join her are welcome.  Guess who decided to join in?  Yeap!

On top of that, I jokingly suggest to wear pink tutu to make her stand out.  One thing lead to the other, we (4 of us) decided to make the tutu ourselves with the help of DIY no sew tutu video on YouTube.

I went to Segama after work on Friday to look for the colors that I want.  I went to 6 shops till I finally decided to purchase.  Just cause I wanted hot pink.  I notice there's a difference in price range and material.  I couldn't find tulle.  Net material works in this case.  You could also use Organza.  Anyways, price range from RM2.30 per meter at Starlight Textiles to RM8.90 per meter at Kain Mewah.  There's an obvious 3 kinds, might be more net material available around town.  I have yet to explore the other shop.  But yeah from the rough kinds to the soft kinds.  Soft smaller holes kind are more expensive.

My friends have 1 or 2 color for their tutu while I had 6 cause I got greedy.  These net material cost me RM4.20 per meter but I got RM1 discount.  So that would be RM24 for the net materials.  RM2.20 for the 1" elastic band (black or white), also per meter.  You could also use ribbon to replace the elastic bands.

Since I got language class on Friday, I only started my DIY project after 9:30pm.  I got too excited and started with measuring the elastic band onto myself and sew it on spot, cut the extras and start cutting the net into a roughly 9cm width and divided into half after that.  I manage to do quarter of this till 2am cause I had to go to sleep and run the next day.  Woke up at 4:30am snoozed till 5am went running at 6am, ran 6:44km slow, went home and started doing it again.  So yeah, roughly it took me about 7 hours in total just to complete the tutu.  6 meters of it are all used up.  I had to readjust my elastic band cause making it close to each other, pulled the band somehow makes it becomes loose.  When I'm done, it's almost lunch time but I was satisfied. 

On race day.  Decided to meet up with the "teammates" at the parking area and make our way (in a group) to the starting line.  The event starts at 6:30am.  We start somewhere in the middle and followed Milly's pace (in blue tutu).  The plan is to maintain 5:50mins/pace.  We though stopped at the first water station cause some of our friends were volunteering there and we were excited to show off our tutus.  Manage to wefie before we continue our run.  It was funny and fun.

 

7km in, I got a bit tired and decided to fall back a bit with maintaining pace.  I ran slower at an average of 6:30mins/pace.  I nearly wanna stop.  Thankfully, Erwan (the one in green tutu) paced me so I was good till the finishing line.  Finished at 1h05mins though.  Didn't know that I actually could get a placement in my category but I only manage to place no. 12.  Good enough. 

Tons of photo snapping but the most exciting thing is lucky draw!  Bicycle! RAWR! YUNO pick my number?  Thanks to organizers, volunteers, friends etc etc for making this run a memorable and fun run.  Look at my medal.  Hey~ 1st 10km running medal lol.

Oh well, didn't win anything but went home happy.  Best run ever.  Though my back wasn't happy after lols.  I was curling the whole day.  So, what's my next run?  Next year!  Nike Run KL! Woot?  Who's going?  See ya guys there! :)