cameron-ultra-trail-2017-55km

Posted on July 24, 2017  •  7 minutes  • 1387 words

Few months back, I was thinking whether to sign up for TMMT or Cultra. The reason for TMMT is because of the 70KM category (I wanted to try longer than 50KM, but shorter than 100KM), ended up I decided to sign up Cultra. I was attracted by the nice scenary.

Jul 21, 2017 (Friday)

This time also the same, I drove up to Cameron alone, and meet up my friend there. Initially I worried I’m not able to reach the race kit collection place before it closed, so I passed all the documents to my friend.

But when I reached there, is about 5pm (closed at 6pm). So I quickly get the documents from him and collect myself.

Can see long queue in the registration counter.

When I reached the mandatory items checking counter, I noticed I lost my blinker, then I quickly borrow 1 from my friend and pass through the checking.

Reminder for you, keep all the mandatory items inside zip-compartment.

After done everything, I drove to homestay to meet up with friends and go for dinner.

Eat steamboat in such a cold weather, really cool~

Jul 22, 2017 (Saturday)

I woke up at 3am (the race started at 5am), and eat Bak kut teh as breakfast 😂 . One of the team member prepare this, and is my first time to eat Bak kut teh before the race. Very nice experience.

Then we carpool to the race site.

And start at 5am sharp!!

Race

I heard some of my friends said, we must run fast at the beginning, because in the trail is at the beginning, and will jam like hell. Then I run with a normal speed, and still stuck in the traffic jam…

When I reached CP1, the distance was 7.39KM, and the time was 1hr 12min. I just refill water and continue to move

When I reached CP2, the distance was 10.94KM, and the time was 2hr 13min. Around 1 hour for 3KM distance, can see how the traffic was. By the time already 7am+, already bright.

Same, I drink some soft-drink, refill water and continue to move on.

This CP also take longer time, 16.49KM, and the time was 4hr 03min. Because was in trail… Again, I did the same thing, drink soft-drink, refill, go toilet and move on…

Now onwards, the path become easier

I didn’t take too long to rest in CP4 too, this CP has orange, so I take some orange (because started to feel hungry) and refill some water.

From here onward, not much trail, thus I pour out some tiny stones from my shoes.

Can see from CP4 to CP5, the path was not that tough, just the weather a bit hot, due to high altitude and the UV higher.

I really hungry at this moment, I asked the volunteer: “Bro, pisang ada tak? " (I asked for banana). “Pisang tak ada, biskut pisang ada.” (only banana snack), LoL~

No choice, so just refill water and move on… Because from CP5 to CP6 only 2.8KM.

Also, I take 1 set Double X & 2x glucosamine, as I started to feel my knee not very comfortable.

So happened that there’s a cafe halfway, I heard a sound “Lim… Lim…”, then I turned my head… Omg!! is Kenny, my friend. Then I went up and have a small slice of chocolate cake (very tasty), and a sausage bread. It was one of my greatest lunch on this trip.

Immediately right after I finished the food, then I move on again, because 14 hours for 55KM trail run, is some how quite tight (for a beginner).

Very soon, reached CP6, so far completed 30KM, and 12pm at that moment.

There are lot’s of runner in this CP. I just refill water, put in Phytopowder in 1 of water bag (500ml), and move…

The best view of this race should be here. No matter how I snap, also nice…

Great!! This is the drop bag CP (for 55KM category), I thought there are some nice food here…

Cup noodle (spicy flavour) was provided, of course, there are coffee & tea as well. But I don’t felt like want to eat hot spicy food during the race, thus I skip the lunch provided. Luckily I have drop my secret food here 😏 .

Refilled nutrition that body needs. Fantastic!!!

Then I changed my T-shirt as well, and take out my jacket. The used T-shirt put back to drop bag, and jacket put in my hydration bag, just in case…

I met 2 of my friends here, but I didn’t wait for them, as my speed was slow, I’m pretty sure they will chase me up afterward. So I move on…

About 1~2KM, I notice I left my race bib on CP7, oh shit!!!! What can I do??? I tried to call Kenny, tried to get the phone number of the 2 friends just now. But not in… The only thing I can do now is, U-turn back to the CP7 😭 …

Thanks god, still here… I took off because of changing T-shirt, omg…

Then I move on immediately, at this moment my mood level down a bit, I think at least 20~30 minutes wasted… What to do?

I walked all the way up back to CP6, so under the hot sun.

When I reached CP6, I felt so tired, thus I refilled water and take a couple of minutes of break here.

Same thing, I walked all the way to CP5. Because my leg felt a bit painful…

This is really a long long path! Getting less and less runners here, so I walked alone back to CP4.

Also, I consumed 1 set of Double X & 1x Co Q10, to fill up some nutrition for my body.

2 hours 50 minutes left. Same thing, refilled water here, but the orange was finished. So just move, because the remaining time getting shorter, and I afraid not able to complete within the cutoff time.

Just about start to run, Kenny called my name. He told me 6KM left, gambateh~ And I’m the last 1 (among our team members) until this CP. So just run lah!!

After 1KM+ of slow jog, my leg really painful, so I switch to “walk mode” 😅 …

Just kept walking… Until the last part of trail, which is going up hill few hundreds meter elevation. In this part, my leg felt better when up hill, I also don’t know why. So I overtake some runners here, including one of my team member (met at CP7 that guy), he asked for chocolate from me, and I just finished it. LoL~

So I didn’t stop, and keep walking, until CP3, I saw not much volunteers there, and the gate also closed, then I didn’t stop as well, because about 1KM left to the finishing line.

Walk… jog… walk… jog… Finally…

Yeah!!! The official time is 12 hours 40 minutes. After couple of minutes, the guy ask for chocolate from me, also reached, without rest, another friend came, and asked both of us get up to the car, we went back to homestay!

If a picture worth of thousand words, then a video must worth for million words. Watch the video below:

Here is my official result, and certificate

Summary

This is my second trail race, the first 1 was Penang ECO 100 (of course I went for 50KM category). If you ask me, Penang ECO 100 VS Cameron Ultra Trail, which 1 more challenging? I would say, Penang ECO is 2x harder than Cameron Ultra Trail:

1. There are more trail in Penang ECO.
2. The starting time of Penang ECO 50KM started at 12am, I can said I almost no sleep before that; whereas, Cameron Ultra Trail 50KM started at 5am, at least I still have few hours of sleeping time.

Even though Penang ECO has longer hours (20 hours COT).

A lesson learned here, must always prepare sufficient food for the race. Because is hard to guarantee the organiser provide the food that we needed/wanted.

Nutrition/food taken during the race:

• 2x Nutrilite All Plant Protein
• 1x Nutrilite BodyKey Meal Replacement (Chocolate)
• 2x Nutrilite Double X
• 2x Nutrilite Glucosamine
• 1x Nutrilite Co Q10
• 4x Nutrilite Phytopowder (Orange)
• 3x Snickers

PM me if you interested about the nutrition :)