So, that was it. I did my very first trail run today (or rather yesterday), a full trail run since the one that I did in Muar was not really a full trail run but more like a combination with a road run. I noticed how the registration fees for trail runs are more expensive than those of road runs which are probably due to the logistics. I mean, most of the trails are not reachable by car so they probably have to hire people to carry all the necessities and set things up at the drink stations and all. They need more physical and labor arrangements compared to road runs which are probably much easier to pull off.
I actually registered for Kemensah Krazy Trail Run almost on an impulse. I mean, I didn’t really check all the terms and regulations which I found out later were quite too much. I mean, I really don’t understand why they would ask each of the participants to buy an emergency blanket and a whistle and even made them compulsory – or you will not be allowed to run – as they put it on their website. I found it quite so meh. A quick search on emergency blankets – which is also known as space blankets – had led me to the discovery that Space blankets are often given to marathoners and other endurance athletes at the end of races, or while waiting before races if the weather is CHILLY! (Wikipedia).
Seriously, the organizer had an organizing problem. I’m not even sure if any of them had ever run before. They flagged the runners off at 9am which was already hot and expected people to freeze while running under the blazing hot sun. Not surprisingly at all, the organizer published on their website that emergency blankets could be bought at the registration counter for RM10 as opposed to RM5 at which it is sold for at most sports shops in KL. I mean, I know running events have become a good money-making business nowadays but I found this one is a bit overboard.
So, trusting my hiking experiences in the past, and knowing for sure that that piece of shit called emergency blanket would not be necessary in a hot and humid place like Kemensah, I didn’t buy any. And true enough, they never checked on all these compulsory things as opposed to what they had stated in their terms and regulations, that they’d check every bag and if they saw something was amiss that participant will not be allowed to run. Grrrr!
Then the brochure. My gosh, I had to laugh at how they elaborate the trail to every detail of nooks and crannies. I mean, seriously, who would want to read through all the repetitive turn-rights and turn-lefts? I do appreciate how they try to elaborate the trail so that the participants would know what to expect but haven’t they heard of something called map?
So, it was not really a good first impression for me. I didn’t like it when I got stuck in a long line of people because the trail could only accommodate one single line at a time. There was one time when I had to wait for almost half an hour just to get down a quite steep trail where (most) participants had to use the help of a rope. Then I didn’t like it when I had to hunch down every time I came upon something so low over my head or I’d get it scratched. It really was tiring and made my neck stiffen. The ups and downs were quite expected and I had to stifle myself from bursting into laughter when a young female runner – also a first-timer – complained to me as to why the organizer made us run up a hill when they knew that we would have to run back down later. I mean, what did she expect? We were running in a very hilly area. LOL!
I have no complaints about the water stations and all. I think they were quite sufficient. And I gotta say the trail was very challenging for a first timer like me but the scenery that came with it was really breath-taking. I mean I am a frequent visitor to the Rimbawan Kemensah where the run started and finished but I never knew that there was more to it than just the beautiful creeks, fishing ponds, return-to-basics chalets and the run-down (intentionally) close-to-nature cafes.
We ran through beautiful farms from where we could see part of the beautiful Titiwangsa Crocker which is more like the backbone of the whole of Malaysian peninsular, then through Orang Asli villages where I came upon a lovely couple of pigs – my first sighting of pigs since I moved to KL about 4 years ago, and the Orang Asli kids were there to cheer us on and of course the beautiful jungle (or bushes). The funny thing is, they are all only a stone’s throw away from KL. They’d really make a good brief escapade from the hustle and bustle of the city and thanks to Kemensah Krazy Run – I now know where to head to when I feel like getting close to nature. Heh.
I’d say I went to Kemensah Krazy Run quite unprepared. I mean, I had always wanted to buy a trail run shoes but I didn’t manage to get around to it – not quite in time for the run. I had no choice but putting on my old New Balance shoes which were more for road-running. The trails were quite dry so I didn’t encounter much of grip problems but problems came when I ran downhill when I felt a pain to my toes probably because the shoes had not been designed to hold my feet from slipping down while running on an extreme downhill trail. I spent most of the time looking at other runner’s shoes and I’ve come to one conclusion – that Salomon is still the most popular brand among trail runners. I still remain indecisive on which shoes to buy though.
All in all, I did enjoy the run. There’s still so much to learn especially when running downhill which I’m not good at but of course it is a learning process. I saw how some of the runners were really struggling not because of their stamina but more on their lack of skills which came with lack of confidence. They were afraid that they might stumble so they were being a little bit too careful then they probably needed to.
Yippie!
As for now, I’m fixing my eyes on another run next week. In fact, the Kemensah Krazy run is more like part of my preparatory training. Then I’m gonna have to figure out whether I should run for another trail run or sticking to road runs. Let’s see how it goes.
My RunKeeper tracking