100-Milers are Extra Special and Stay with You Forever ❣️

Introduction…

Back in March, whilst pondering whether or not to run the Ultron Ultimate Trails of Penang or the Tailwind Penang Eco 100 trail run, I had a conversation with Ng Seow Kong (one of the Organisers of both) that went something like this...

Me: Why would I want to run a 100 Miles when I've done the C2C*?

SK: Because a 100 Milers in one shot is a special thing.

Me: But wasn't C2C special?

SK: Of course it was but 100 Milers are extra special and stay with you forever!

I heard these words and chose eventually to do both runs. However, I did not really understand what Seow Kong meant and, have, to confess, that I remained a serious "Doubting Thomas" of Seow Kong's logic up until I reached CP6 on Saturday evening some 126kms into the race!

Before I explain what happened there though, let me start at the beginning of this latest TriHard Rustman Adventure. Be warned it’s pointless to expect a short story though. You can expect 5 discrete elements in the story (let’s call them chapters). Each one ends with some bold text that gives a synopsis of the chapters’ headlines. That is apart from the last one. This will just have a list of bullet points of the key takeaways.

Hopefully, this’ll give those readers that suffer from time scarcity or those that find my prolixity tedious, the means of ‘cutting to the chase’ and accessing a condensed version of the story and key facts/lessons of this “special thing”.

*C2C was a 444kms run from the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia to the East Coast. It involved up 5 days of running to complete it and Ng Seow Kong was also the organiser of this. By the way, he also ran it! Hence the huge respect I hold for the man and his events business Endurance Nature :-)

CHAPTER 1

The Prep…

These days I’m heavily into ‘lean’, ‘agile’, ‘sprints’ & ‘scrums’ in both my business and my personal life. They are I believe the fuel and the oxygen that we need to help create a productive “Live More” type of life and get the best out of ourselves.

The spark needed to ignite these elements though is the need to have a mindset that creates a laboratory like and experimental attitude to our lives. This requires us to take risks, use our intuitive wisdom and be confident enough to treat every day as an improvisation rather than a scripted plot.

That’s why I have these personal mantras posted in some visible locations in my home…

“Everyday is an exercise in improvisation”

“If we have the confidence to start we’ll find what we need to finish”

I truly like to think this way. Why? Because it’s risky, it’s edgy and it’s unconventional. At least in terms of the way that I was trained and brought up it is. Back then we had it drilled in to us to be disciplined, to stick to the process and that if you “Fail to plan. You plan to fail”.

Despite seeing qualities like having a “cutting edge” and being “anti establishment” as healthy signs of a continued youthful vitality which I want to maintain until the day I drop down “brown bread” (cockney rhyming slang for ‘dead’). The traditionalist training I received means that I am also a strong advocate of a good old 3 month plan. Especially, if you want to have the means and the ability to get yourself through some seriously tough challenge and that you want to make changes that are sustainable and permanent.

Rather than leave things to chance and rely on my intuition therefore whenever I have had to do anything personally, professionally and particularly physically demanding things, like the Project Triple 8 Challenge, which you can read more about here, I have reverted to type by creating and following a precise and proper plan.

So, in spite of the new looser and exciting ambiguity of the new order of doing things, I had every intention of doing the same thing for the Tailwind Penang Eco 100. My summary of my plan was to start slow, gradually rack up mileage as I did for the Triple 8 Challenge culminating in multiple day marathons where I’d run a half marathon before breakfast and another half marathon before bed with at least one ultra run at the weekend of 50km+.

This never quite happened thanks to a combination of the pace and priorities of other work and personal preferences. Another reason too I confess was perhaps this element of scepticism that I eluded to in my introduction.

I mean how “special” could a 100-miler be when you had run a lot further than that.

In hindsight, I realise now that I used this as an excuse for focusing on other work and personal things rather than getting out and simply executing the plan and running. This meant that whilst I ran regularly these were short and sharp sessions rather than long & steady ones. As a result, all I managed in terms of long & steady was 1 solitary run of 37kms which I did back on the 9th of June.

In fairness, as well as running regularly, I was keeping myself in trim with my biking and swimming though. In fact, arguably, at the moment, swimming, which is my weakest discipline, has become my “Numero Uno” priority for improvement. As I have a longer term project to significantly improve my performance in this discipline and set myself up for some significant success in several Triathlon events I’m targeting for the future.

In summary, the plan to prepare for running my 1st 100-milers was woefully light in terms of the volume of mileage that traditional and serious plans say you need.

All was not doom and gloom though as I had a few secret ingredients up my sleeve. Although, I didn’t realise it at the time and, I confess, these came about more by accident than design.

On reflection now, one of these was something that I had totally overlooked for the C2C Challenge and something that most coaches, still to this day, fail pretty miserably at to put in to their clients training plans.

This secret ingredient is something that we call SLEEP!

For C2C I did not train to keep going without it and I also failed to train my body to snatch little bits of it to sustain me over multiple days. Fortuitously, for me, given that one of mine and Elsa's passions with her Live More Events business, has been to start organising multi-summit Daypack Hikes which involve little or no sleep.

In Europe, you'd call these an Alpinist style of hiking e.g. light, fast with minimal gears. The alternative of this is a Siege style of hiking. This means you (usually your Porter) would carry everything that you might need or desire including the proverbial "kitchen sink”.

At Live More Events, we’ve labelled these light and fast with minimal gears experiences as a Condensed style of hiking. This is named after the condensed milk that goes into the famous local Mamak shop tea that is known as Teh Tarik (aka pulled tea). One tiny tin of this stuff has over 1300 calories in it and similarly, our hikes are short in time but big in terms of distance, elevation and summits.

Since the start of the year we have done 3 of these types of hikes which amongst other things have had me freezing my "Butt" off up a summit in the pouring rain whilst dealing with the effects of serious sleep deprivation. Namely, for those of you that might not appreciate this - I didn’t - some very weird and wonderfully bizarre hallucinations that, as amusing as they sound, could be potentially seriously dangerous.

As a result, whilst I was definitely well short of physical preparation to do a 100-miler. As my plan of attack was a simple one, namely - start at 3am and not stop until I finished it. We knew that I had in my back pocket some superb experiences that might give me the mental edge and resilience needed to tackle this challenge.

For the observant reader, you will have noticed that I have just used the word “we” for the first time. This is significant because as well as SLEEP I had another very important and significant other ingredient in the approach we were going to take to the race and this was also a word that began with “S”.

It was the key factor in being successful at the C2C Challenge and, in my opinion, is the secret factor behind everyone's successes no matter what they are embarking on or how big or small they are. This S word refers, of course, to the word SUPPORT.

As, as well as having read and studied the local maps to get our bearings, we memorised the route, its topography as much as we could. Elsa also diligently read the rules and checked with the organiser when there was a little bit of ambiguity as to what was precisely defined as permissible support.

Why was this so important? Well other than the obvious things like…

Ensuring I was oriented and able to minimise the risk of getting lost, and; understanding what the rules are of the game were that we are playing in;

Additionally, I have a fundamental belief that we are only ever alone if we consciously and deliberately choose to be. In fact, should we be that sad and lonely to completely turn our backs on our relationships and our loved ones. Most likely, they will not choose to do the same and therefore from a spiritual perspective we are never alone as there should and hopefully will always be somebody supporting you.

As a result, knowing as I do that I am at my best when I am part of a team. Whenever I embark on a big challenge such as this 100 mile trail run, I’d be an absolute fool if I didn’t leverage on all the assets at my disposal and, Oh Boy, am I blessed with an incredible asset in the form of my partnership with Elsa ❣️

Chapter 1 Synopsis…

• Mileage is important but mindset beats mileage every day.
• Training plans must include sleeping & recovery plans. The ability to get enough of it and, where necessary, the ability to do without it.
• The devil is in the detail. Routes and Rules are not produced for the benefit of the organiser and the press. They are for the participants. Read, absorb and understand them and if you don’t ask for clarity.
• Summon up all the support you can and, where possible, form a team and a support network. Together you are definitely stronger.

CHAPTER 2

The Race - Phase 1 

100 Miles Route

100 Miles Elevation Graph

100 Miles Cut-Off Time

It's not entirely obvious from the race map but the course is split into 3 discrete elements all around 50-60 kms in length. The initial phase took us out west towards the coast around the estuary of the Jawi River and along the bank’s of the Juru River. As you’ll imagine, it was pretty much completely flat and was a mix of road and trails that weave their way alongside river banks and man made irrigation channels. 

We started promptly at 3am and were blessed with beautiful running weather in light rain. This eventually stopped as dawn broke just before 7am and left us with a perfectly overcast sky to protect us from the usual ravages of the sun as it rose in the sky. 

I deliberately tried to keep myself in check throughout this initial 3rd of the race. But, given the perfect conditions for distance running, I think I failed miserably really with this “staying in check” objective. I say this because on subsequently checking Strava, I foolishly did personal bests (PB’s) for 30km, 42km & 50km distances. 

I intuitively knew that I had ran this section too quickly though and that this wasn't perhaps the best of ideas given the distance that was still remaining. That said, it was really lovely running and since I was there to enjoy myself as much as possible I've absolutely no regrets of this either now or later on in the race. 

This initial phase of the race had 5 CP's (A-F) and Elsa was at everyone, as she said she would be. As I eluded to earlier, this was a real and significant blessing both physically and psychologically for me and on top of that the event volunteers themselves were absolutely top draw too.

Sat 04:10:46 at CP A

Sat 09:21:27 at CP E

Despite the risk of going too fast the only blip on this initial third of the course was that shortly after leaving Checkpoint E. As I dipped under a barrier and entered a section of palm plantation I became the subject of an aerial attack from two hornets. For some bizarre reason the two of them had targeted my left thigh and seemed to score two simultaneous direct hits in practically the same spot. 

If you have never been stung by a hornet, take it from me you do not want to be. These little beasts pack a punch well above their weight and size and the pain their sting inflicts is searing and excruciating. 

Having been not just calm and collected but serene and truly in the ‘flow’ for the past six plus hours of running. I was reduced rather embarrassingly to cursing these wee beasties then wishing them violent and very quick deaths and to then whimpering pathetically to myself for the next few kilometres.

Luckily by the time I got into the next checkpoint (which was our drop bag zone) this had subsided to nothing more than some serious discomfort and I was just a little bit grumpy because of them. To try and deal with it as properly as I could, I got the medic to apply some antihistamine cream as a precaution more than anything else and thanks to the fresh shoes, several hot coffees and the sight of Elsa again I pretty much forgot about the incident.

That said, I am thankfully very fortunate that having been stung by these aggressive little beasts before, I know that I do not react too badly to their stings like others can. 

To further distract the discomfort from the hornet stings I was bolstered by the rather unbelievable news that I was actually in 5th place which was a complete shock. Especially as the only runners in front of me were apparently considered as the elite entry runners who were competing for points in the Asia Trail Master Championship that this race is a key component of. Up to this point, I had absolutely zero idea, interest or expectation of my position in this race as I was there to complete it not compete in it and, if I could finish it, to do it in a time of 30 hours (ten hours inside the official cut off).

This explains why my initial reaction to this news was utter amazement only to be followed up with the statement to Kris Van de Velde, the organiser of the Asia Trail Master, who broke this news to me, that "I'm sure the wheels will fall off at some point to ensure that I don't finish in this position". As I said that, as if to prove the point, the next two runners arrived and whilst I casually took my time chatting with Elsa and savouring my coffee they did what they had to do and left pretty promptly ahead of me. 

Chapter 2 Synopsis… 

• Whilst having a plan and thinking ahead it is more important to find your flow and enjoy it for what it is. After all as Dwight D. Eisenhower said “Planning is indispensable but plans are useless” once the enemy has been engaged. 
• Being in this ‘moment’ helps you see the “gains” rather than the “gaps” and is a purer form of gratitude not just of others around you but to yourself too. 

CHAPTER 3 

The Race - Phase 2 

From CPF aka CP5 & the Finish Line at SPK Sungi Lembu the next phase of the race heads directly North. It crosses the Butterworth/Kulim Highway (BKE) around Lunas and loops back round in an anti clock wise direction along the Kulim River and the plains along its banks before returning you to your drop bag again. 

My intention was to get back here for dinner which I’d hope would be before I lost the daylight. There was an option to leave our head torches here but I chose not to take that risk and carried both of mine as I couldn’t be sure I’d make it back in time or when there was going to be a mandatory equipment check. 

The terrain of this next third of the race course was again generally flat. Starting in palm plantations then pineapple plantations and finally finishing across the paddy fields. In the final 5-6km after we recross the BKE via a drainage tunnel. It was only here that we experienced the our first really serious climb up a tar road to the summit of Suling Hill where CP4 was located. 

After taking my own sweet time at CPF I left feeling refreshed and appreciative of both my pair of fresh shoes and the hot coffee and food that Elsa had sourced for me. Pleasantly, I found my running rhythm again pretty quickly and surprisingly the other two runners who had done their business at CPF very efficiently and left ahead of me came into view pretty quickly as we wound our way through the palm plantations. 

The terrain here was gentle and rolling and my marching up the inclines proved faster than theirs. Surprisingly they did not re-pass me on the flatter sections and very quickly they were no longer in view. This meant I had reclaimed, for now, my 5th placing. But it was also worrying in that it might mean that I was still going too fast and that I was unwittingly setting myself up for the “wheels” to fall off in a big way some time soon. 

I came into CP1 which was at an area referred to as Lombong Kampung Jarak Atas. There I was greeted by not just Elsa but another excellent and joy filled team of volunteers and casually chatted and joked with everyone there. They smiled as they told me I had to climb a small rocky outcrop that overlooked the CP and some wetlands that nature was busily reclaiming from the abandoned mining that had gone on there. At the summit of this I casually gave Elsa and the CP team a wave. 

After descending I went to the Portaloo before moving on. Here I took my time to lubricate my more private pieces that I’d forgotten to do at CPF. From my arrival until I finally left the view of CP1 I estimated I had taken 20 or so minutes. 

I mention the time it took me only because I was rather surprised that the 6th & 7th placed runners still had not appeared in this time. I once again concluded that I was moving too fast for such a long distance race and that I needed to force myself to seriously slow down. 

As the heat of the day was setting in now and I had definitely drank most of the 700ml that I was carrying in getting to CP1 I took the tactical decision to slow myself down by moving to my military march and to use this all the way to CP2.

Sat 13:23:02 at CP2

There were several reasons for this. The primary one was to keep myself as cool as possible. As when we’re hot, our hearts work harder and the harder and longer they do this the less sustainable it is. As importantly, given my limited carrying capacity, I needed to conserve my fluid. Not packing my soft foldable water bottle was a mistake I regret in hindsight and something that I won’t do again. This would have been worth it’s weight in gold on the hotter and longer stages of an event like this one! 

My intention was to also allow the other runners behind me to close the gap and overtake me as this would be proof that I was slowing myself down relative to them. As I marched in to CP2 this still had not happened though. So, after taking my usual sweet time here with the volunteers and my Sweetheart who was also here waiting for me to encourage and cajole me as she’d been doing all day, I decided to do the same thing to CP3 so that they could catch me by there.

However, once again I marched into CP3 to the cheers of another group of volunteers and Elsa having been passed by no one. Once again whilst we were not rushing the time in the CP’s I kept up the momentum and moved on relentlessly towards CP4 .

Sat 15:10:05 at CP3

Shortly after leaving CP3 which is just short of the 100km mark at 96.2km I was finally relieved to hear another runner approaching behind me. When this chap passed me at a real pace though I have to confess that this took me by surprise. I shouted out after them at how amazingly strong they were looking for a 100 miles runner and to my surprise, the runner that looked round to acknowledge my compliment was none other than Alessandro Sherpa the Italian Ultra runner. He chirpily confirmed that he was not a 100-miler but the lead 100km runner who had set off at 1pm. Meaning that in just over 2 hours he had covered almost 30km of the 100km course. 😱 

With this knowledge I felt an urge to run myself. As we were still on very flat and perfectly runnable terrain. I refrained from doing so though and continued my march towards CP4. As whilst the approach seem to be failing to let others catch and pass me, it was definitely helping me manage the heat and my hydration. 

As I started climbing up Sunling Hill to CP4 the 2nd and 3rd placed runners (a lady) for the 100km also caught and passed me. Too my surprise though there was still no sign of the next 100 Miler runner though.

Sat 17:34:16 at CP4

CP4 was relatively busy compared to the other CP’s as there were lots of “tourists” frequenting the tea house and viewing point at the top of this hill. Whilst Elsa was still there being her amazingly super supporter self and the volunteer team were just as welcoming as all the others, I felt less like staying around with all the “tourists” watching on. As a result, after the refuel I moved on swiftly this time, as not only was I less comfortable with all the tourists looking on, I was also keen to reach CP5 for my dinner. So realising that the clock was ticking and it was approaching 6pm and we’d soon be losing light again I pressed on. 

I did however continue to march versus run as whilst I was in a rush to reach CP5 before night fell I was still not in a race and really wanted the other 100 miles runners to start catching me, if nothing else to reassure me that I was not going too fast. 

As one or two more 100km runners caught and passed me I was relieved to see 2 other 100 miles runners finally catch and pass me. They were both running along the road beneath the Mengkuang dam and as I was on the right hand side facing the on coming traffic and they were, for some reason best known to themselves on the left hand lane, all I could do was shout across my congratulations and applaud their progress and prowess. 

Before reaching the school and my dinner we were taken, I was relieved to say, back off of the road which was especially busy compared to all the other roads we had been on throughout the day. This took us on to a rough and recently cut trail that went up a steep incline before popping us out into a palm plantation and the school entrance. In the climb I caught and passed one of the 100 miles runners and gently trotted into the drop bag zone for the 2nd and final time in what was confirmed as 6th place. 

No sooner had I reached the CP than Elsa had magically appeared with not just coffee’s to fuel me through a second consecutive night but my “go to” endurance meal of a KFC (aka Keep for Crisis). This consists of a big tub of their mash potato and gravy plus 2 large pieces of chicken. Ordinarily I don’t touch this stuff preferring a more healthy nutrient rich heavily veggie and fruit based diet. However, this was a proven fuel source for me from the C2C Challenge and as part of our prep we’d agreed we’d use it again. 

Usually this fuel doesn’t touch the sides and serves as a kind of “comfort” food too. It’s also very kind on the stomach and is proof for me that once my fire is burning it will burn any log I throw on it. After several more coffees without an ounce of guilt of being such a voracious carnivore I felt ready to go and with headlight at the ready I left with a little daylight in hand for CP6 in 5th place again. As with two thirds of the distance now under my belt I had a serious sense of purpose and was far less casual in the Checkpoint and meaning that I left ahead of the other 100 miles runner that beat me into to CP5 earlier.

Sat 18:58:23 at CP5

Chapter 3 Synopsis… 

• Staying as cool and as well hydrated as possible in the heat of the day is a crucial part of success in an Ultra in this part of the world. 
• Marching/Walking is nothing to be ashamed off and a really important technique to adopt on a regular basis throughout an Ultra event. 
• Sticking to a tried and tested source of fuel like a seriously unhealthy KFC meal is a good strategy even if it’s not what you eat ordinarily. 

CHAPTER 4 

The Race - Phase 3 

Moving off when I did with some daylight, all be it dusk, was I feel in hindsight extremely fortuitous for me. As the trail here started to confuse me. I knew there was a climb to make it up to the reservoir and whilst there seemed like an obvious route up to a ridge line. The route became labyrinth like with the trail twisting and turning up and down and around orchards, ponds and farm buildings. 

The course continued to be impeccably marked as it had been all day. However, time attention and, most importantly, alertness in the failing light was needed to stay on the correct track and not get disoriented. 

Additionally, knowledge of what you were heading for was equally important factor too I feel. Fortunately, from the prep I had done prior to the race, I knew I needed to find the perimeter of the reservoir which was on the other side of the hill that I was currently traversing and I then had to eventually leave the reservoir with a left turn up what seemed like a very steep climb. 

With this image clearly in my mind I reached the reservoir not in record time but in my trademark relentless forward progress manner and to my pleasant surprise found a nice relatively flat and very runnable service road that the trail followed. 

I forced myself to resist the urge to run this and continued my brisk military like march. This gave me another couple of advantages 1) I could turn my headlamp to its dimmest setting saving battery life for later in the night when I might need more of its power, 2) I could see what else was going on around me rather than just the area immediately under my nose, and; 3) I was moving quietly which allowed me to hear and absorb the sounds around me too. 

These two final factors meant that I knew when the left turn away from the reservoir was coming before I even saw it. As, firstly I heard dogs barking loudly to my left and then I saw the headlights of the 100km runners up ahead of me up in the hillside to my left who were clearly the reason for the dogs barks. 

As I climbed, I also realised the reasons for the dogs as they were there to keep people out of what was probably one of the most abundant areas for durians that I had ever seen. After twisting and turning up through this durian orchard the trail reverted to a a very raw and roughly cut trail used only by this race and the local hashing community which took us down an equally long and seriously technical descent. Where I was definitely grateful for the extra lumens from the high intensity setting of my head torch. As I descended 2 other runners both 100km guys caught and passed me and I followed them into CP6 still incredulously in 5th place. 

Dawn was still many hours away as it was only 9:30pm. However, it was at this point with a further 54.1kms to go that it finally dawned upon me what Seow Kong meant when he said those words that your first “100 Miler is special” 

As for the first time I faced the absolute enormity of what I was doing. 

I realised that here I was at a CP in the middle of no where that in spite of of having ran, OK marched quite a lot too, 126kms and not really having stopped moving for the past 18.5 hours that I still had to do an ultra marathon over terrain that was way tougher than the previous 126kms before I could finish. 

As I reflect back, at this point, I could have reacted one of two ways… 

One, could be delirious happiness that I was now on the final stretch. Given 54kms and almost 3,000 metres of elevation gain and, more importantly (at least for my knees) elevation loss as well, I think I can be forgiven for not feeling a sense of happiness quite yet. 

Two, could be with a sense of complete and utter hopelessness just like a startled rabbit staring down the road into the headlights of the oncoming car that is going to squish him. As the fact that I was not anywhere nearly done yet crept into my consciousness. 

Surprisingly and what is “special" for me was neither of these happened. Instead, there was a very real realisation that I still literally had several “mountains to climb (and descend) but this fact was actually and rather peculiarly not at all daunting. In fact, it rested quite calmly and matter of factly with me. 

This may have been due to tiredness and some sleep deprived emotional numbness that I was suffering from. But, given my mood and general demeanour here, I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t. The calm acceptance of only having scratched the surface is what makes this moment and this distance more “special” than when I actually got to the finish line. As for me it was the conscious recognition that our bodies really are incredible machines and when we realise this, it is a truly special Live More moment for those of us that are fortunate enough to seek out and find these feelings. 

CP6 was my moment of this realisation metamorphosing in my mind and Seow Kong is spot on when he said that this moment will live on with you for the rest of your life. Additionally, I know that I can use it as I’m sure to try to raise the bar in some other way or push for another boundary and personal best, as is my way. 

After resuming my normal leisurely pace in the CP were I was fed coffee and food from Elsa and the rest of the enthusiastic support crew I left CP6 with a few of the other 100km runners who had passed me on the descent and started climbing back up another hill in the Cherok Tokun Nature Park we were in. 

After reaching a service road which I assume led to the RTM/Telekom Towers on the summit of the hills in this Nature Park, we took a sharp right and had another, even longer and more treacherous descent. During this descent I heard a seriously large tree falling in the forest to my left. Thankfully, it was a long way to my left, although the noise it made, sent shivers down my spine. 

Eventually the technical descent reverted back into the pathways of yet another durian orchard that we had to twist and turn through disturbing the sleeping canine security system that was protecting this prized fruit. Eventually we popped out back on to more tarred road through a Buddhist Temple which was very steep and where my knees for really the very first time started to scream at me. 

A few more runners all 100km runners caught and passed me here and it wasn’t until we got out on to the residential road heading to CP7 that a 100 miles runner passed me. This was a young Japanese runner who had clearly done an exceptional job of pacing himself as he was running (at that point anyway). He was also equipped with poles, as some of the 100km runners had been, which made me wonder if these could have helped my poor old knees. 

I entered CP7 to refuel and top up with more coffee and cake in 6th place therefore. I have to confess, and did so to Elsa, that rather than be disappointed about this loss of position I was actually relieved. As with no one catching and passing me in my category I was starting to seriously worry that I was naively still going too fast and risked imploding in the final stages of the race. 

I remember specifically wanting 100-milers to catch me therefore. Although, being the competitive beast that I am, I had set a limit on this as I seriously wanted to hold on to a top 10 position.

Despite moving into 6th spot I was feeling very satisfied and as there was now quite a bit of tarmac and flattish terrain to CP8 I continued to march to protect my knees without a care in the world about Kawano san, the young Japanese Lad, who had quickly scampered off in front of me. 

Along the way I was instead joined by Ryna (the 2nd placed 100km female runner) & Steve (the 10th placed 100km male runner) and, despite it now being 1am in the morning, we conversed while we marched our way together into CP8 which made the 2+ hours whizz by really rather pleasantly. 

From CP8 the next CP was only 5kms away rather than the usual 10+ but in between us and CP9 was the challenge of reascending Bukit Mertajam. This seemed very doable though and to be honest I felt better climbing than descending. As a result, after the usual refuelling and coffee for my caffeine infusion Steve and I set off and got our teeth into the hill. 

Both of us seemed to cope with the climb pretty well but the descent, that seemed to go on for ever, was a different story all together. As we descended deeper and deeper into what seemed to me like a bottomless pit my mood got darker and darker and with each step my eyes just got heavier and heavier. 

For the previous 150kms I had had a light inside of me that, like my head torch, was burning brightly and reliably. This gave me not only (I hope Elsa and the various volunteer teams at the CP’s could/would confirm) a generally pleasant and positive disposition towards them but a genuine and deep inner sense of gratitude for being in this event and “in the moment”. 

However, whilst Elsa and I knew there were going to be some dark moments, there always are with me, I had even started to think that maybe I was going to avoid these for once. Sadly, this wasn’t to be though. As after being on the move for almost 26 hours non stop I started to feel the very real and serious signs of tiredness. 

I feel I was very fortunate that Steve was with me at this point. As he was neither in a hurry and he was also very talkative and to be honest had it not been for his conversation and companionship I might have settled on to the trail and taken a seriously long nap. Thanks to him though, I didn’t and with him taking a very definite lead I nervously and gingerly descended behind him and eventually made it into CP9 by 4:30am. 

Sun 04:27:29 at CP9

At CP9 though, even with Elsa's enthusiastic and smiling demeanour along with the as ever supportive group of volunteers. I was present but not really there. I could feel myself slipping into a dark hole and my appetite and thirst had completely disappeared down it along with my, up to now, chirpy disposition. 

When Elsa asked me how I was doing my response was an abrupt and gruff one stating that “I’m thinking of DNF’ing”! 

She responded with not a word but a simple action which was to get up and walk away. Now I reflect back on this, I realise that this was the perfect and most emotionally intelligent response possible. As by totally ignoring the remark and pretending I hadn’t said anything she did the absolutely right thing. 

If she had responded with a “You can’t do that…” we might of had a long and possibly heated conversation where my stubbornness could have caused me to convince myself that being a DNF was the ‘right’ thing to do! Without someone to converse with though I was forced to have the conversation with myself and this conversation went something like this instead… 

“DNF!!! Do you not realise there are only F@#king 20kms to go! You are a complete Cretin to want to quit now! What the F@#k are you thinking of! Stop whining like a F@#king Baby and get the job done!” 

Conversation & thought of being a DNF statistic over! 

My mind immediately reverted to thinking of something much more positive. Namely, visualising the future and the expected outcomes you want. Earlier in the evening whilst navigating my way alongside the reservoir I had naively calculated that assuming I maintained my pace we’d be done by 7:30am. 

With the help of Steve’s insights, from having done this section 2 years ago and the fact that this last 5km had taken over 2 hours. I did some recalculating and I didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to work out that this estimate was now absolutely and totally unrealistic. 

Even though we just had a mere 20kms to go on the descent Steve had told me that this 20km was likely to take us another 5 hours. My petulant child response to Elsa’s well intended question was a consequence of the false hope I had given myself earlier and the horrid realisation that I was going to have to stretch beyond 30 hours without sleep and run the risk of those hilariously sounding but deadly dangerous hallucinations again. 

There were only 3kms to CP10 which I now knew where going to be very long and tough 3 kilometres and that they were not going to get done by me moaning about them. So, after recalibrating my ETA at the finish line to now be there before 10am, I simply topped up my bottles with enough water and fuel and joined Steve for another tough march to the next CP. 

Shortly after setting out the leader of the 50km passed us. He was flying and just like Alessandro, the 100km leader, he was a long, long way ahead of the next runner who I didn’t see until I was well on the way to CP11.

Soon after he passed it started to rain. We’d been hearing thunder around us for some time now and getting flashes of the lightening associated with this through the canopy. So, when it started it was no real surprise. It wasn’t pleasant though! As whilst it started slowly, within a few minutes it was your full on torrential tropical storm and there was no let up. 

As a consequence, the descents became extra slippery and muddy! Ironically, earlier we’d been talking about flowing like water as a mindset/technique for descending technical trail. Now we were literally putting that into practice as the trails had become serious streams. 

My cautiousness was now accentuated as I knew that turning an ankle or something worse out here in these conditions was easily done and would not be clever. Looking at this positively I distinctly remember feeling far less tired at this point though as I was focused and found my, all be it slow and steady, flow down and through the trails. 

The other benefit of this filthy weather was that the thought of stopping was no longer an option as to do so would render us very cold very quickly. So we pressed on resolutely and finally after just under 90 minutes we arrived at CP10. 

Once again Elsa was waiting along with all the other support crew and a few other 100km runners. Their enthusiasm and support was in no way dampened due to the weather and while Elsa and the other volunteers where preparing what seemed like endless cups of coffee for me and hot chocolate for Steve we both sat quietly and took stock for a few more minutes than usual in the hope that the rain would let up. 

After having my fill of coffee I got no sense that this was going to happen anytime soon though and before I started to get cold I told Steve I was pressing on. He said he’d see me out there. So I left alone. 

Having had Steve as a companion for the last 3 CP’s was a real blessing. I don’t mind confessing here and now, that being out there on your complete “Jack Jones” (cockney rhyming slang for ‘own’) was not at all pleasant. Especially, now the weather had taken a turn for the worse. 

So after a short sharp climb up out of CP10 to a hut where I momentarily lost the trail, I was very relieved to see a headlight coming in my direction and secretly hoped it was Steve which thankfully it was! 

Together we relocated the trail, which actually went through the hut, rather than round it, where I had been looking. Thanks again Steve! Shortly after this, the weather that had been really shocking, started to ease a little as well and, although I hadn’t really shaken off my personal dark clouds completely, things started to seem physically and psychologically a little brighter ;-) 

That said, it was increasingly harder for me to stay with Steve and the posse of other 100km runners that had now collected around us. I was struggling particularly with the descents as the impact on my knees was really taking its toll now. As a result, I gave up trying and resigned myself to going at what was now my own tortoise like pace. 

I have to confess that this was quite frustrating as a few of the lead runners for the 50km came flying past me on this section and the trail in the early morning drizzle was just like the trails on the 1st section yesterday morning. Namely, wonderfully runnable and after giving them a shout of encouragement about their strength and speed, I couldn’t resist a little pang of jealousy at seeing them moving with such speed and fluidity. 

On several occasions, I actually broke out into a run thinking I could and should be doing as they were doing. That way, I could properly enjoy what was now, as dawn broke, wonderful trails and, as importantly, cover the remaining distance in double quick time. 

This attempt was very short lived though as sadly my knees and the soles of my feet were almost instantly screaming back at me not to be so stupid and I reverted back to my military march.

Eventually though, at just after 8:40am I marched into CP11, our final Checkpoint. It turns out that I was at this point a little over 10 minutes behind Steve which given how slow I felt I was moving actually surprises me. The CP was located at the top of a very steep hill in the middle of yet another durian orchard. I distinctly recall being rather concerned at our ancient old truck getting up it and it was actually a bit of relief to find that Elsa had erred on the side of caution and skipped this CP. 

On the one hand I was sorry not to see her smiling face but I was also happy that hopefully she was getting some well deserved sleep of her own and knew that she’d be waiting for me at the finish line which was now the only thing on my mind. 

Having survived up to this point on water, salt and the Tailwind (which is surprisingly good as it’s both gentle on your gut and is not sickly sweet like some liquid fuels) as my hydration. I decided, on a bit of a whim, that I would take iced coke and salt into both of my 350ml bottles. This is not something I would ordinarily ever drink as I know it rots my teeth. However, I was out of gels, there was no coffee at this CP but I knew I needed caffeine. The caffeine surprisingly kicked in quickly and I set about getting the final 8kms done as quickly as I could. 

As I progressed, a bevy of other runners bounced by, relative to how I was moving. As these were either 50km or 100km runners I enjoyed helping them kick on to their finish line with words of encouragement and again thanks to the euphoria of the caffeine had a bit of a kick on of my own momentarily at least. 

As well as these pleasant distractions my own thoughts were mixed with feelings of serious remorse that I could not sustain these kicks though as by now I’d recalibrated the ETA again and had to push this back to 11am now :-( I also confess to having some other much darker feeling of wanting to do rather savage acts of torture towards Seow Kong & Allan the individuals I was blaming for the sadistic torture of the last 3-4km of trail. As they were making us repeatedly ascend and descend what seemed like increasingly steep sections of trail. 

Finally, after just over 2 hours I completed the final last 8kms and mustered up a gentle trot that I could sustain for the final 400-500 metres into the finishing chute and over the line. 

Sun 10:50:45 at Finish Line

I always try to finish everything I do in as strong and positive a way possible. In fact on a number of cases Elsa and I had spoken about doing just that over the past 2 nights. Normally, this would involve wringing every little bit of juice left in my tank and converting this into speed. 

That way, I leave everything I have out there on the race course as they say. More importantly, this helps to avoid anyone passing me and, if they do, well they’ll deserve it and really earned the right to have done so. Alternatively, it can also help me catch and pass others. 

It felt rather strange therefore to not be able to do this and now I know what it really feels like to be “running on fumes alone”. My tanks were completely dry. Physical and emotional. 

As I reflect back I’m worried that this lack of emotion on reaching the line could have been perceived as being bit nonchalant on part. That certainly wasn’t the intention it was simply because I was totally and utterly drained. Trying to dig any deeper was both impossible and pointless. I was completely drained and empty. However, inside I was incredibly sated and proud that I had achieved the feat and truly felt that it was a special thing. 

Chapter 4 Synopsis… 

• Not surprisingly phase 3 of the race took the longest of them all. 
• It was only 54.1kms in distance but it took almost 16 hours to complete which was almost as long as the previous 2 phases combined. 
• Manage your own expectations and keep reworking these so that you do not become either delusional or demotivated. 
• Finding the means and people to converse with during your toughest times is a complete and utter blessing. Thanks to everyone out there for these and especially to Ryna & Steve for their camaraderie and leadership.
• When the dark moments arrive, as they will, don’t be so silly as to try and have a logical conversation to justify your weakness. Suck it up and deal with it yourself. 
• There is only way to ensure that you can find your Live More moments and these will always require us to invest in a relentless forward progress mindset. 

CHAPTER 5 

The Takeaways...

Before I summarise my main takeaways of this truly epic journey I’d like to end with a few words of thanks to everyone that supported me on this latest crazy adventure. 

This extends to the 100’s of well wishers from my many friends and acquaintances on Facebook and other social media. It also extends more personally to all the fellow participants who I met out there. I thank and salute you all. As no matter what time of day or what other personal demons you were dealing with you were always friendly and pleasant. This applies especially to Steve & Ryna who I spoke with mostly in the small hours of Sunday morning and who’s camaraderie meant the most to me. 

Special mention though must go to the organisers, Seow Kong & Allan @ Endurance Nature. Their Emcee Razlan, their timers (the tracking function was I hear awesome), the logistics teams and, of course, the 17 teams of amazingly enthusiastic and totally fantastic volunteer teams who were at every CP and at the finish line. This includes the Medics, the Photographers, the Marshalls and Officials but especially all the superb students that made the volunteers at this event the best I’ve ever seen.

Finally, I’d like to say a special thank you to the course markers! I have marked trail for races myself and I know not only how hard this job is, I also know how thankless it is too. All I want to say to you is to cover 170kms of mixed terrain trails is a truly an awesome feat as running them and you Guys & Gals did it immaculately. Thank You ❣️ 

In closing, I could not and would not be writing about these experiences if it was not for Elsa, the best single handed support team in the world. You have yet again given me a very special Live More moment doing this event with me and it will stay with me, as I hope and pray you will, forever ❣️

Before the lessons that I have gleaned from this experience are read and which I hope that you will find useful if you ever choose to do anything so stunningly silly. Please note that I have referred to times and positions in my story above. I apologies if these are a little inaccurate or if my memory is a little fuzzy. The correct details of my times and placings at the various CP’s can be found here… 

https://live.raceyaya.com/tailwind-penang-eco-100-2019/100-Miles 

5th Man Overall

100 miles top ten men

OK here are my takeaway’s… 

1. Some of the lessons and “takeaways” are embodied in the chapter synopsis’s that I have written above to avert you getting too bored. If I were you I would refer back to these as within them are useful insights into my mindset and physche both before and during this race and believe me, this game, the 100 miles game is above all else about your mind rather than your body!
2. Please note that my equipment was neither new, anywhere close to being new, expensive or state of the art. Neither does yours need to be. It needs to be comfortable, proven to be reliable and fit for purpose. It is not a fashion show out there and no one cares if you look good including, eventually, you 😂 
3. Being able to make relentless forward progress as Bryon Powell says in his book by the same name is the key thing you need for success in a quest to cover anything but particularly a 100 miles. I marched at least half the course am proud of it and so can you be. 
4. Run when you want to and slow down when you need to. Relying on our intuitive gut instincts of survival are rarely used in the convenient and modern world we have created for ourselves. They are still within us though, coded into our DNA. All we need to do to tap into them is risk being wrong. Most of the time you won’t be I wasn’t. 
5. Finally, Vaseline is a wonderful invention. As a Ultra Runner and potential 100 Miler you must never leave home without it! As chaffing and blisters will take the edge off even the strongest and most stubborn of wills. Poles are I believe also worth considering. I certainly will for the next time. 😱 …did I say next time 😂🤣😂

Till next time, D