P.A.R.

Please click here to view photos taken by KC.
x
Written by Chee Wee

Pacemakers Anniversary Run
Happy Anniversary! Pacemakers, wishing you forever young & strong & fast...

On Saturday morning, 3 June 2006 at 7:30am which was a public holiday (Agong's Birthday) cum school holidays, Penguin-1 (KC), P2 (Meng), P3 (Tony), P10 (Eric) and P11 (Chee Wee) attended one of the most interesting & exciting running events. It was the 2nd Pacemakers Anniversary Run for the pacemakers & non-pacemakers members. It was a privilege that Penguins Runners were invited to participate & compete in the event which was actually limited to 36 runners only. It was a relay event which was different from the last year's format. Certainly, it was good to have a different type of race as it would create a different result, inspiration and atmosphere to the runners.

As agreed among Penguin Runners on Friday, 2nd June 2006, we were to arrive at the agreed place & time. On Saturday morning, I met P2 at the parking lot, and then followed by P1. We parked our cars next to one another. After a quick change, I walked with P2 to the track to do a slow run and warm-up exercise. Before we started, all the sudden, P3 showed up from nowhere (did he put up a night in the Park? It puzzled us.) & he has started his warm-up by running a few laps at the track.

Warming Up

Three of us were running slowly and on the look up for P10. We met quite a number of our running friends at the course and we greeted each other. Everyone seemed serious about the race, but we were quit relax as we chit-chatted to one another along the track.
After one easy lap, P10 & his loved one turned out at the starting area; we were happily greeting each other & P3 insisted that we ran another lap to warm up further our sleeping mind & body. So, here we went again; teasing one another about the latest development and where was the unseen "secret weapon" that has lost itself in the one of Southeast Asia's Oceans.

It was a very special event as we didn't need to put up any bid number for the race; instead, each team was given a unique baton. The main organizer, Ronnie, also known as Pacemaker 1; the race director, known as DK, and other volunteers have demonstrated a well organized race & given us the best to all runners for taking part in this memorable day. It set the standard for other groups of runners to celebrate their own "anniversary".

36 runners or 9 teams with their own special team names given and few creative displays have been designed and put up at the popular PM1's blog before the actual race commenced. The team members were enthusiastically promoting their own and proudly announced that their team would outrun other teams.

Flag Off

Each member of a team was required to run 2 laps (app. 2.6 km) at the famous & challenging KLCC's track (one of the popular tourists spot). The starting & finishing point was at the 700th meter marker and the race was flagged off by our dear main sponsor, Tan Sri Rohaizad at 7:30am sharp. Before that, there was a group photo taken by few "local-made" photographers and one of Penguin Runners, KC, has volunteered himself to be a photographer for the event. As a matter of fact, he is a fast runner in the Penguin Runners family.

P2, being the first runner of our team, took off as if he was chased by a dog. From far, I noticed that he was doing well to run together with others in the first lap. But he started to show a bit fatigue, I guessed it must be due to the previous night intensive badminton games. In the second lap, his run seemed to be slow down. Nevertheless, he made a strong transition at the 700 meter maker.

In the Loop

I firmly grasped the baton from P2 & ran with my full energy to see how fast I could come back to the transition point. I felt strong in the first lap but when I was in the second lap, suddenly I felt very pressurized; having a bad feeling that I was going down & slow; so worried that I couldn't make it back as P3 & others were waiting patiently for me at the transition area. My self-talk re-affirmed that I couldn't let them down; I must keep on running & kicking my legs. It was tough in the second lap as I already used out my energy in the first lap; it was bad performance, the reason was I am not used to run fast & inexperience in a relay race.

Furthermore, I was running alone throughout the whole two laps. No pacer!!! But, the actual root cause was the lack of speed training. So far, all the practice runs were relating to the LSD training, to build the long-lasting stamina & enhance the endurance. But, somehow I managed to complete the run with a desired timing before passing the baton to P3. At the finishing area, P2 gave me an encouraging pat at my shoulder. He said: "Well done." Thank you, P2 for the kind words. I was feeling at the out of breath stage & trying to breathing as much as oxygen into my lung.

I could feel that once P3 received the baton, he just blazed through the track without looking back. He recorded an excellent pace with a consistent timing through up the entailed two laps. Without any problem, he passed the baton to P10 seamlessly; he did it with his own style like a "flying" penguin. Surely, he is an experience runner or sprinter in the track & field event.

Recovering from Injury

Next, our last runner, P10 was standing tall & confidence at the transition point to wait for P3. He was brave enough to take up the challenge in view of his incomplete recovery (not sure how many %) from his neck injury at the unexpected cycling accident happened in Jan 2006. Believe me, he is yet to have a full recovery and regain his fitness fully; at first, we were quit worry for him on the after effect of the race; especially his loved one, who kept reminding him to go steady & slow.

We were happy to see P10 did a remarkable run in his first lap; at the second lap, P2, P3 & I were running together with him and we actually asked him to slow down and paced with him to the finishing line. P3 said it loudly: "Don't push; take care of your injury". We all knew that as a runner like P10 who always wants to excel & give his best in any race even though he is still not fully recovery. Salute him for his strong determination and spirit of sportsmanship.

Personal Record

All runners simply gave it everything they had from the beginning to end: some runners finished the lap with new PR, but not everyone was at his/her top form. Some lost their forms due to their lately races & encounters. Nevertheless, we were happily running with the strong & fast Pacemakers runners, these young & energetic pacemakers didn't give chance to others & didn't know the word of "quit". The winners were gracious in victory; and the beaten runners were equally gracious as everyone was a winner. Taking up the challenge & showing up for the race, it was a success to everyone already.

At about 8:55am, it was getting cloudy & the prize presentation was almost coming to the end. We wanted to stay longer to exchange notes but I got to go as I needed to go back to my hometown after the breakfast. What a coincidence! I met few Pacemakers while having the breakfast with my family at the famous restaurant (i.e. Pacesetters used to come here for their breakfast after their Sunday morning runs) located at the road next to Jalan Ah Loh.

One thing was certainly, we sure left KLCC park with heads held high, convinced that next year will produce different personal best. Hopefully, Pacemakers will continue to organize this special & memorable event again & again - simply the best!

Cheers,

Chee Wee