It's One Darn Expensive LSD

when I joined the UKM Victory Run II with a notoriously hilly route. Paid RM40 just so I can do some hill training? Can't blame Zain for grumbling about it. Darn expensive to just do hill training.

I registered quite late for this event as I was having doubts about how well it would organised. But after realising I've gotten really lazy to wake p early in the morning for my LSD (that's Long Slow Distance run OK folks. Not some hallucinogenic drugs. heh) so the only way to force myself to wake up is to sign up to races. Hence, despite my doubts I paid RM40 to run 15KM in the UKM Victory Run II.

First sign of trouble. I transferred the fee via M2U to the staff's CIMB account, filled up the registration form and waited for a confirmation. It didn't came. I contacted the admin and was informed that transfers made from other banks to CIMB clicks needed 7 days to process. WTH? How stupid or clueless does the admin took me for? There's instant bank transfer and there's GIRO bank transfer now. Instant means well... instant. GIRO took a day. Same day if transaction is done before 12 and the next day if it's done after 12pm. UKM staff never do online banking izit????????

Never mind. I guess some people still live in P-Ramlee era. So P Ramlee that they put up a blog about the run with scant information in it. Why bother? Then, the FB page that they put up seems to have no one maintaining it. Can't muster up enough enthusiasm to reply to questions there? So yeah, we all ask stupid questions there and the UKM budak maintaining it must feel it beneath them to answer our stupid questions.

Also, I don't think the organiser did anything much in terms of promoting this run. Can't even attract own UKM's students to the run?

Then come race kit collection day. Instead of the blue UKM Victory Run II tee they posted up in both their blog and FB page, we got a generic, Milo must-have-dumped-the-tees to them as our event tee.

A day before the event and I'm already complaining about the run at FB and tweeting about it. ho hum

I mean, I don't think I'm demanding but to get this t-shirt after paying RM40? They didn't even make an effort to print out the event's name on the back of the tee!

Okayyyy. I'm taking a deep breath now.

So fine. That's RM40 down the drain for me for a hill training LSD run. Have to listen to hubby grumbling about it and can't even retort back. I should've joined GCAM Group Run on Saturday and Sunday's SCKLM running clinic instead and do 8 loops around Lake Garden. That one is free. Got timing chip some more. This one? Nada.

Our run started 21min late (according to my watch). It's supposed to start at 6.30am but at 6:39am, I saw the volunteers/crews still being briefed and got onto a pickup truck to be sent to their respective station. What?????

No announcement no nothing at 6.30am. All was quiet. It was at around 6.50am that we heard an announcement that the run will start at the stadium's entrance.

I wanted to pee again at this time but as the 15K runners were so few (I think there's less than 50), I didn't want to get left behind and become the last runner to finish so I decided to hold my pee and head to the start area. So clever, right?

National mountain climber or something was supposed to flag us off but I don't think the guy who did was Malaysia No 1 climber. No offense Sir.

As you can see from the photo above, runners went to the right as they started their run. Wrong direction. We were supposed to head to the left. *slap forehead*

Barely 1km into the run, we faced our first incline.  And from that point forward, it was up, down, up, down. Flat stretches were a few. The inclines are mostly short but man, they are steep! It's steep when you gotta tilt your head up A LOT.

There were 5 water stations and four checkpoints. It was mentioned that 100-Plus sponsored drinks and Milo too. Drinks at water stations was just mineral water. ALL FIVE WATER STATIONS. The 100-Plus served was at the stadium. I guess 100-Plus only sponsored a dozen bottles for this run. Seriously.

For most part of the run, it really felt like I was doing an LSD. Occasionally saw other runners especially at the stretch where they looped back. Around KM8, saw a GC runner Azril who told me the UKM route was worse than the Dragonback route. I've never done Dragonback but now I will think of Bukit Aman-Double Hill route fondly. Hur hur

Around KM12, I saw no one in front of me and no one behind me so I was in doubt whether I followed the correct route. I slowed down and waited till I saw a male runner heading towards me. OK, so I wasn't lost. xD Further up ahead, saw a crew on motorbike waiting and I followed him for a bit. Then, it was solo run again.

All through the run, I kept on thinking about finding a toilet as I had been holding my pee from the start of the run. After a while, I told myself to stop thinking about peeing and just run. Because of this, I wasn't hydrating well. Scared to drink lest I need to make an emergency stop to search for toilet.

At this point, I was fervently hoping the route is under-distanced. LOL

No such luck.

Faced more inclines at around KM13.50. Hills on hills. Up to Dataran Gemilang or something. *cries* Then from the top of the hill (can see the stadium and other runners finishing their run down below) it was  a decline. Wheeeee.... But tarak much energy to pia anymore.

The last 400m was done on the stadium's track. Maintain posture. So near yet so far. Huhuhu

Finished my 15K run at 1hr 54min. Passed my water bottle to hubby and sprinted (owh, now got energy to sprint pulak?) to the toilet. Wanted to pangsai also, but the toilet was being cleaned. I actually asked the cleaner if it's OK to barge in the toilet since cannot hold my pee already.

Pee already, wash sweat off body, drank Milo and 100-Plus, helped arriving runners by showing the way to run as they approached the track (most including me got confused since the area outside the track was filled with runners that had already finished, Milo van and tents too).

Took photos with Rashid (he managed to get no 7. Top 4 was all Kenyans. Congrats Rashid!) and his friend. Loitered around a bit then decided to head home.

Ran 15K, didn't stop at all WS to drink (it was just stopping to get the checkpoint rubber bands) and didn't even finish my own Ribena drink. Why? Need to pee punya pasal lah.

What did I get for the run?

4 multi-coloured rubber bands at the checkpoints. I will use these rubber bands and will think of this race. heh

One dinky Milo t-shirt.

Two pens.

Wow! Such an awesome goodie bag! NOT!

Overall, despite good reviews on previous year's UKM run; this year is such a letdown. The organisers from previous years all had graduated izit? If they are doing this for their credit point, I give them a big fat ZERO.

Race organisation was mind bogglingly bad but still, a big thank you to the volunteers/staff/crew/students manning the water station & junctions for spending their mornings for us.

Route was a tough one. Which was great for those wanting to put in hill training. I suppose I can call this my hill training run except that I walked most of the steep ones. Wuss! hehehe

Anyway, I'll run in the Alpha Run on June 22nd. RM8 race only. No medal but they promised they'll give out t-shirt. No t-shirt also I don't  mind. It's RM8. See you there. But not before I do the 16K Mizuno Wave Run next week first. :)