Mission Accomplished

On Sunday, 1 October 2023, I achieved one of my main goals for the year when I successfully completed the 2023 Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon (KLSCM). Over the weekend, I was one of the 40,000 runners who descended on Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the 15th edition of the KLSCM. This was the first year that the event operated with the recognition from the World Athletics as a Road Race Label event, making it the only distance running event in Malaysia accorded that status.

Kirrop Tonui of Kenya was the Full Marathon Men’s Open champion with a time of 02:13:49 and in the Full Malaysian Men’s category, Poo Vasanthan defended his title with a time of 2:37:38. Beatrice Jelagat Cherop from Kenya won the Full Marathon Women’s Open category in a course record time of 02:32:51. She erased the previous mark of 02:34:37 set by Rose Kerubo Nyangacha in 2011. ?Michelle Chua Khit Yeng won the Full Marathon Malaysian Women’s category with a time of 03:13:07. Under arid, hot, and humid conditions, I completed the grueling rolling course with a time of 05:26:20.

According to Peter Ciaccia, director of the New York City Marathon, on average it takes 4 ? hours for men and women to complete a marathon, but that time can vary drastically among racers. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge holds the world record for men with a time of 02:01:09 set in September 2022 at the Berlin Marathon, and Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia holds the world record for women with a time of 02:11:53 set in September 2023 in Berlin.

The time, the medal, and T-shirts for me does not really matter. For the next couple of days, I will take lots of pride walking with my wobbly legs waddling like Donald Duck or penguin. I will take pride in standing when I desperately want to sit or sitting when I have a fierce desire to stand. This is simply because of extremely sore and excruciatingly painful muscles. I will endure the agony of cramping in parts of my limbs and muscles that I previously had no idea could cramp. Over the next couple of days, I will nurse my toenails, but I am very confident I will lose 2 or 3 toenails. I will share the story of my damaged toenails later.

For me, there are 2 things that mattered most about running a marathon. First, is the fact that I accomplished my mission. As I shared in my post The Joys of Running, at the start of the year, I set two relatively simple running goals. First, I committed to running 1 official full marathon before the end of 2023, and consequently in April I took the bold decision to register for the 2023 KLSCM. Second, as part of my preparation, I initially targeted running 3 or 4 half marathons either as part of my training program or at officially organized events. This I also accomplished and shared in an my post The Joys of Running. For me successfully completing the 2023 KLSCM is a mission accomplished. Unashamedly, in my excitement I am delighted to quote Neil Armstrong “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Like he said as he stepped on the moon, July 20, 1969, this was my giant step. For me it is the best cliché I can used to exaggerate my sense of accomplishment in completing my second full marathon.

Second, I cherish that the benefits of a marathon go beyond the fact that I am in good health and physical fitness. A marathon is by and large an individual extreme sporting activity which helps to make you a stronger individual and boost self-confidence. It requires discipline to be consistent. Constancy is required to rigidly follow a suitable training program. You must be motivated to have fun and set attainable goals. It requires awareness to pay attention to your feelings and listen to your body. Running a marathon requires discipline, dedication, and determination.

The KLSCM is my second marathon, my first was the 2022 NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon. I cannot begin to find words to describe the indescribable sense of joy I am going through despite the grueling training, the suffering during the race, and sore legs the days after. This is my victory, my goal met, my challenge overcome. When I am asked how I manage it all, I usually quote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who said, "The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” Routinely, I am usually in bed by latest 10.30 pm most nights and up before cock crows at crack of dawn around 4.30 am/5.00 am most days. By 7,00 am most mornings, I have already accomplished my first goal for the day, and ready to take on the world ahead of me.

Kindly allow me to share with you 4 lessons or takeaways from my experience, they are:

1.?????? Choose carefully whom you follow;

2.?????? Make hay while the sun shines;

3.?????? It is okay to be vulnerable and let others know you are in pain; and

4.?????? It takes fortitude and resilience to overcome obstacles and hurdles that seem impossible.

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1.?????? Choose carefully whom you follow

Whether in your training or during the actual event, you must be very careful whom you follow. In general, in your daily lives, you must be careful whom you follow. This is especially true in an era of social media like Instagram, Tik Tok, etc. Today, there is no shortage of people who you can like and follow on such platforms. According to Sherlock M., and Wagstaff, D. L., from Psychology of Popular Media, Social Media platforms including Instagram have been linked to low-self-esteem, depression and high level of anxiety. My point here is there are risks of following the wrong leader or shepherd.

It is very important in a marathon that you run your own race. Towards the end of my run on the morning of Monday, 18 September 2023, I ran the last 2 km with my friend, Samir. We ran at a pace of slightly under 5.30 minutes per km. For me, Samir’s strength and speed is admirable, but his pace is one that I am unable to sustain beyond 2 to 5 km. Whether 10 km, 21 km or a full marathon (42 km) I am not at the level to run at Samir’s pace. I am cognizant of my limitations .

To further emphasize my point on being careful whom you follow, please allow me to share a story. Recently, I read about the story of Senbere Teferi who was running in the Women’s elite category of the 54th Annual Fourth of July Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, the world’s largest 10 km. She apparently led for most of the race, but on her approach to the finish line, running behind three police motorcycle escorts, she inadvertently followed an officer who, for unbeknown reasons, turned onto a side street. In exhaustion she followed the wrong officer, and the unfortunate mixed-up cost her the race. ?Teferi learned the critical lesson: Be careful whom you follow because he or she may be leading you the wrong way.

During my race on Sunday, I kept to my race strategy. At the start line, I encouraged Samir to go in pen station 1 as noted on his race bid and I went straight to pen station 3. During the race, there were lots of runners around me, but I was extremely careful which of the runners I followed. For example, approaching the first water stop, I fell in steps with a gentleman, and we chatted briefly. However, when I stopped for water, he carried on and I lost all sight of him. On the climb up the hill to Pavilion Mall around the 6 km marker, I followed a lady who was climbing at a relatively moderate pace that I was accustomed to. I followed her for about 2 km, after which she merely disappeared in the sea of runners on the road ahead. On the climb at around 29 km, I met a gentleman from Sabbah, he was walking up the hill. We chatted briefly. He told me he was in Kuala Lumpur for business and his friends encouraged him to join the KLSCM and this was his first marathon. He also told me that the longest he had ever run was about 12 km. He also told me that cycling was his main activity, and he was 2 months in recovering from a serious cycling accident. In June, he broke his left shoulder collar bone in a Time Trail race. I tapped him on the shoulder and told him, good job and that he was doing well. For about 2 – 3 km we ran together, and when I started cramping at about 31 km marker, I stopped to stretch, and he carried on. I never saw him again.

After I collected my wrist band at 35 km marker, I saw the lady whom I followed earlier in the race at the 6 km marker. She was walking. I tapped her on the shoulder and expressed my appreciation for her pacing me earlier in the race. I also encouraged her to fall in line with my pace and let me pace her to the finish line. She obliged for a little and fell in line with my slow, steady, and easy pace as I gingerly grit and grind my way toward the end. However, I could not tell how far she followed me because I had tunnel vision and all I was focused on was getting through those last 7.2 km.

At around the 37 km marker, I was suffering from excruciating cramping and in lots of pain and all I wanted to do was to get to the end. At that point, I looked back and saw the balloons of the 5.30 finishers’ pacers about 100m behind me. Then, I decided that I would do my utmost to ensure that they remained behind as that would guarantee that I would finish the race in under 5 and half hours. I believe I did well in keeping the 5.30 finishers’ pacers at bay as I was able to stop and stretch once and even take a bathroom break with them still behind me. At around the 39 km marker, I was caught and at that stage, my goal became to stick with them to the end. However, when they stopped at the last water station, I grabbed my water and carried on. Stopping was not an option for me at that crucial stage in the race as it would have severely disrupted my focus and rhythm.

At the climb at the 41 km marker, I was again caught by the 5.30 finishers’ pacers, but I could only manage to walk up the hill. At that point I recorded a video for my family and loved ones expressing my appreciation for their support and encouragement. Peter, my brother in Denver, Colorado, Marchelle, my daughter in Toronto, and Michelle, my wife and Marisa, my younger daughter were all tracking my progress on the KLSCM’s app.

According to Robert E. Lee, you must be careful how you walk and where you go, for there are those following you will set their feet where yours are set. Sheep tend to follow their leaders foolishly. We also have a common tendency to play “follow the leader” whether there is good reason for it or not. We adopt the latest business philosophy because everyone else is doing it. We use the newest technological device, often simply because someone else has it. When we enter a store, we unthinkingly get in line – just because everyone else is in line. This tendency uncannily strongly resembles the behaviour of wooly creatures we call sheep. However, we must be cautious whom we follow, so we are not led astray – and if we are in leadership roles, to take seriously and soberly our responsibility to properly “shepherd” those entrusted to our care and direction.

In as much as marathon running is an individual activity it is not uncommon to have a pacer or seek out a pacer. The reality is that we all need a shepherd.?We tend to believe we can function independently, without the assistance or guidance of anyone. However, like sheep, we all can become misguided by wrong thinking, motives and objectives. Attempting to keep pace with a runner that is faster than you is a recipe for failure.

Some people in positions of leadership can sound very convincing, assuring us they have our best interests at heart. We must be cautious, however, to make certain we want to go where they are leading. On Sunday, I was careful whom I followed. I sought out pacers whom I believe could shepherd me to achieving my goal. The right shepherd is one we can trust.

2.?????? Make hay while the sun shines

When you can do something, do it. Don’t delay or put it off because you never know what lies ahead of you. The idiom ‘make hay while the sun shines’ captures this excellent. This idiom is very old, dating back to Medieval times. Rain would often ruin the process of making hay. So, farmers had no choice but to make hay when the sun was shining. Today, the expression is not just applicable to farmers. It essentially means that when conditions are favourable we should take advantage of the situation while it lasts as we never know what is around the corner. We must make the most of our opportunities, and I believe that was applicable to me during my preparation for the KLSCM especially given that in early August I tested positive for covid19 and was unable to train for about a week.

On the morning of Thursday, 10 August 2023 I was out for one of my regular training runs in preparation for the KLSCM. My goal was 10 km. Around the halfway mark, 5 km, I had absolutely no energy. I was exhausted. I had to stop running. I was concerned, but I did not panic especially because I was able to walk the remaining 5 km home. To cut a long story short, that day I decided to visit the doctor and tested positive for Covid19. Based on my diagnosis and the Malaysian Health Authority’s Standard Operating Procedures, I was placed under home isolation for 5 days, that was until Monday, 14 August 2023. I had to cancel my business trip to Manila for SEACEN’s course on ICT Risk, including Cybersecurity.

My covid19 diagnosis instantly threatened to undermine my goal of running in the KLSCM, and I panicked. As far as I was aware I should not exercise. In October 2020, a panel of experts published a return-to-sport pathway – the?Graduated Return To Play (GRTP) protocol?– in the?British Medical Journal. All athletes testing positive – including professionals and Olympians, with fitness levels most of us can only dream of – should have a minimum of 10 days’ rest and be symptom-free for seven days before starting again, which they should do very gradually. This applied to totally asymptomatic cases, too. Anyone with more serious, prolonged or complicated symptoms was advised they might need further investigations, including blood testing, cardiac monitoring and respiratory function assessment.

We are long past October 2020 and the recommendations for returning to exercise are slightly less cautious. It is imperative to note we all need to be careful. There are provisos and red flags, and we should not ignore the warning signs or take generic advice over what’s right for us. As always, we must be careful to listen to our bodies. But for those who experience relatively light or asymptomatic Covid – which thankfully is still the vast majority of us – ?it’s positive news. The medical fraternity now thinks in terms of 48 hours when you don’t do any physical activity. Then, you can get back into some light exercise – within the parameters of isolation. Light, however, really does mean light: keeping your heart rate low, and never trying to make up for missed sessions. Realistically, just a couple of days off may not be nearly long enough for many. The recovery period from Covid is variable, and some symptoms are more persistent than others.

Thankfully, I was fortunately not too sick, but I could not go out to run because of the home isolation. For the first 2 days, I basically rested, and after that I took out my yoga mat and focused on my stretching and mobility. Approximately 7 days after my diagnosis, I resumed training outdoors. I believe I benefited from all the work I did earlier during the year. As mentioned in my post The Joys of Running, this year I ran 6 unofficial half marathons in 6 different countries in 6 months. The bottom line is I took advantage of all the opportunities I had to train when conditions were favourable. Essentially, I made hay while the sun shines. We never know what obstacles or hurdles or challenges we are going to face along the way, so we must always make use of the time we have when conditions are favourable. Thankfully, I was not too affected by covid19, and I was able to return to training very quickly, and this helped me tremendously in achieving my goal of running the KLSCM.?

Making hay while the sun shines does not imply that in your race you should blast across the starting line and run faster than your targeted pace because you are excited and energized. At the start of the race, I tried my utmost not to get caught in the oscillation of the sea of runners. Throughout the race, I remained cognizant that at some point I would lose energy, that is, my sunlight would dim. To minimize the risk, I made use of the nutrition gels and bars I had with me, and when my supply ran out towards the end of the race, I took a gel from one of the volunteers, that gel gave me the last burst of energy I needed to finish the KLSCM. I stopped at every water station to rehydrate to avoid the risk at the next station could run out of water or electrolyte drinks. At one feeding station, I took a banana even when I could have gone without it. ?I employed Jeff Galloway’s Run-Walk-Run Method around the water and feeding stations. I used cooling sponges and cooling stations. Towards the end of the race when I was suffering from excruciating cramping, I made use of first aid stations to get my legs rubbed with muscle relaxers. At one of the first aid stations, I was desperately in need of a massage, but they had run out of muscle relaxers. Consequently, I had to soldier on seeking out the next station. In marathon, don’t miss the opportunities to hydrate or feed, it can cause your immense disappointment later in the race.

3.?????? It is okay to be vulnerable and let others know you are in pain

When you are hurting or feeling stressed it is useful to talk about it with someone as it can help you release pent-up feelings. As soon as I received my covid19 diagnosis I immediately started worrying about whether I would recover in time to continue my preparation. I told the members of my Soar To Excellence Pacers (S.T.E.Ps) running group that my participation in the KLSCM was in jeopardy. It was tenuous.

Around the same time other members of S.T.E.Ps were also bigging to have doubts about their own participation. For example, Yassier had just changed job, he was busy getting settled, and as such was unable to train as planned. To lift up Yassier, I invited him to join for one of my long runs at the Botanical Gardens. He eventually switched his registration to the Half Marathon and completed it in a time of 02:49:12. Ali ‘Ghiyaz’ Mohammad from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion registered for his very first half marathon. He was very excited but apprehensive because his longest run to date was 15km. Ghiyaz was busy with family and work. He too was unable to train as planned. I told Ghiyaz that it was a mind game. We know he can run 15 km, so I encouraged him to get to 15 km during the KLSCM and from there to started taking it 1 km at a time, counting each of the next 6 km remaining, 1…2….3…4….5…6 because a journey of a thousand steps begins with the first step. Ghiyaz successfully completed his first half marathon in a time of 03:09:38. Ahmed Barakat, a seasoned runner, training was also disrupted, and he completed the half marathon in a time of 02:06:09.

Samir Bandaogo, we call him the ‘Blistering Beast’ because of his natural speed. For 2022 Penang Full Marathon his goal was to complete it in a time of 03:30. He ran the entire race video recording his race and narrating it in a time of 3:45. The next day he tested positive for covid19. Sound crazy!? For the 2023 KLSCM, Samir was hoping to attempting his target of 3:30. However, like other members of S.T.E.Ps, Samir was busy traveling for work and contemplated either switching his registration to the half marathon or not running at all. I told Samir to believe in himself and create a race strategy. A few days after he told me his strategy would be to follow the 4.00 finishers’ pacers. Saturday night, I spent the night at Samir’s place because he lives less than 1 km away from the starting line for KLSCM at Merdeka Square. Interestingly, on Saturday he arrived home at around 7.15 pm from a business trip overseas. He was exhausted. On Sunday, Samir completed the KLSCM in a time of 03:56:11. For me this is just amazing! With training and rest I believe he is capable of running under 3.30 in his next marathon.

We were all having doubts especially because we were not getting our training runs in or face different challenges building up mileage. In addition to sharing my doubts with the members of S.T.E.Ps I also sent a WhatsApp message to Leef h. Dierks, current Professor of International Capital Markets at Luebeck University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Leef is a seasoned marathoner, and he encouraged me to take my time to recover from covid19 and not rush. He shared his experience about when he wanted to do his first half marathon. As the season's end was approaching, he caught the flu two weeks before the event. His friends convinced him to postpone the race - which he did - into the new season. He told me that anything else would have likely led to a negative experience and in my case, I would likely blame it on running. However, as the KLSCM was the end of September, roughly 2 months away, Leef encouraged me to keep my fingers crossed and hope that I recover to resume training. Leef message me almost daily up to the morning of the KLSCM, always checking on my preparation or offering words of encouragement.

Sharing my doubts with Leef was helpful in giving me a bit of hope. On Wednesday, 16 August 2023, I resumed running outside with a schedule for doing 10 consecutive morning runs ending on Friday, 25 August 2023. I rested on the weekend and restarted my regular training schedule during the last week of August. On Saturday, 2 September I ran 21 km. The following week, I was in Manila for a work trip, and I ran 3 times an average of about 10 km each. For each of the next Saturdays in September ending on the 23rd I kept on increasing my mileage. Just as Leef encouraged me, I also did my best to reassure and encourage the members of S.T.E.Ps.

On Sunday, the KLSCM was a grueling course of rolling hills. Based on rudimentary course date, the ascent was about 2634 ft (41% of the course) and decent was about 2631 ft (47%). Between 25 km and 27 km marker there one hill at which point I stopped and took out my mobile phone and recorded a video. At that point, I decided that if I was going to be suffering, I was going to make the world know I was in pain. Knowing that others around me were enduring the same pian, I turned around to the racers behind and asked everyone to just wave. From that point onwards, every now and then when I passed a runner, male or female, I would slightly tap the runner on the shoulder and say “excellent job, we just need to keep on going, we will get to the end.”

Somewhere between 28 km and 32 km there was another wretched climb and at that point I entered a mental zone where I fully locked-in and I started singing a military cadence or jody calls from my boyhood days in the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force. I believe at that point other runners were clearly aware how much I was suffering as they were too. In normal course of events, military cadences are a call and response structure and are excellent for building teamwork and camaraderie for completion of tasks. They also produce significant physiological effects allowing you to take deeper breaths and exhale more forcefully and thus increases oxygen to the lungs and gives the body more energy. This in turn makes a military unit or team healthier and better prepared.

It can be hard to share with others how you feel. You may be worried that they won't take your feelings seriously. You may also be worried about what will happen after you tell them your problems. The truth is talking to someone outside of the situation may help you find a solution to the problem. In a marathon, everyone is running the same course, there is a common experience which helps to create trust and respect. When you show your vulnerability along the course other runners understand and they serve as inspiration to lift you up along the way. In a marathon, it is okay to appear vulnerable. A marathon is a monumental endeavour, and there is nothing embarrassing or inappropriate about exhaustion. If you inspire and motivate others, others will inspire and motivate you to achieve your goals.

4.?????? It takes fortitude and resilience to overcome obstacles and hurdles that seem impossible

As mentioned above, I am at risk of losing 2 or 3 toenails. From past experiences, I have dealt with severe calf injury, chafed thighs and nipples, stressed knees, just to name a few. Let me tell you about my blistered toenails.

I ended the KLSCM with severe blisters on my 2 hallux or big toes and may lose the toenails. My first experience with blisters from running started during the penultimate week of preparation. One morning after my run, I encountered slight pain on the second or long toe on my right foot, and it was then that I noticed the bloodshot under the nail and the blister on the side. This for me was not a good sign. This for me was a sign I may not be able to participate in the 2023 KLSCM if the blister does not heal in time.

Runners, cyclists and hikers are slightly insane individuals with a high threshold for ‘self-inflicted’ pain. I say ‘self-inflicted’ because most of the time the pain will go away if we stop the activity. Regrettably, as we are seemingly senseless or irrational thinkers, stopping is very rarely an option for us. It is an addiction, culture, characteristics, lifestyle, whatever you name it. Frankly, we all know it is unhealthy but that’s just how we are, we are nuts! I share this to say, for me not participating in the 2023 KLSCM was never an option!

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For crazy me, this meant I had to threat the blister on long toe as priority. I had to seek immediate medical attention and believe it or not, that meant consultation with Google or ChatGPT. And of course, Michelle and Marisa served as my sounding board for the best course of treatment. Blisters form as the result of shearing forces within the skin caused by friction. Shearing force occurs when two forces act on something in parallel to each other but in different directions. The outer part of your skin is called the epidermis, and it is made up of four or five layers (depending on the type of skin). The shearing forces caused by running or walking distort the skin cells in the epidermis. When this happens too frequently and/or with too much pressure, it damages the cells in the prickle layer of the epidermis, which connects the outer epidermal layers to the deeper down basal cell layer. The connection is destroyed, and fluid then seeps into this split, separating the basal cell layer from the outer layers, with the latter forming the “roof” or “dome” of the blister.

I believe the source of my problem was my running shoes. Running is one of the best forms of exercise to improve health and life expectancy. It builds bone, muscle and cardiovascular strength. However, running also demands a lot of the body. It is one of the highest impact and intense forms of physical activity. When we run, our momentum generates a lot of force up to 5 times our body weight. Each time our feet strike the ground, our weight-bearing joints have to absorb this force. That’s a very heavy burden (literally). The shock from this impact is felt in the feet and travels up our spine. This can cause stress and strain on the joints, which can lead to pain and injury over time.

As our body’s foundation, the feet play a crucial role in absorbing our body weight and force of impact when we run. They also keep us moving. So it’s important to make sure they’re protected. And there’s no better protection for your feet than shoes. Proper footwear can provide you stability and support to keep your body feeling its best. This will improve foot health, and increase the longevity of your activity level as you age. Consequently, running shoes are the only protective equipment runners have to safeguard themselves from injury. While they may not always make you run faster, they can help reduce pain and the repeated strain and stress of high-impact activity on the joints.

In early September I purchased a pair of Hoka One One running sneakers which I was hoping to use during the KLSCM. Since I started running seriously in January 2022, I have always used Asics Gel Kayano 28. I absolutely love the Asics Gel Kayano 28 for the support, comfort and stability. I have never had blisters with Asics, so I believe Hoka is not a good fit for me.

With all the anxiety of the final week including tapering off, now I had to worry about my running shoes, socks and blisters. From the end of the penultimate week up to the morning before the race, I applied a heavy dosage of antiseptic spray and cream to my long toe. I wrapped it in bandages.?

I also thought about purchasing a new pair of Asics Gel Kayano 28 or even switch entirely to the Nike Alphafly worn by Eliud Kipchoge. Two days before race day, I decided against a new pair of running shoes and made the decision to run in my Asics Gel Kayano 28 which I trained in for most of the summer.

Sunday morning before the race, my long toe was still bloodshot, but it was not as painful. Nevertheless, for the race, I applied another heavy dosage of antiseptic spray and cream to my long toe and wrapped it in bandages. I wore my CompresSport shock absorb socks with my Asics.

Towards the end of the race, I could feel pain in my toes, and I knew instantly that I would have severe blisters by the end. I believe my footwear was the main source of my blisters. In addition, I also believe the racecourse being rolling hills as well as the hot and humid weather conditions also contributed to the damages I experienced with my big toes.

Encountering the blister on my second toe during the penultimate week of my preparation for the KLSCM was a slight setback that I had to face and deal with. In life we are faced with many obstacles and challenges that we are required to overcome. Sometimes we are faced with hurdles that seem impossible, where overcoming or winning seems like a nightmare but we are compelled to succeed against all odds. The KLSCM is my second marathon, and like the first it has rejuvenated my approach towards facing failures. I know I may stumble but not fall, and if I fall, I have the temerity and will power to get back on my feet and start again to step forward towards my goals. The human body and mind are amazing. It takes planning, preparation and conditioning to get to the end of 42.2 km and it starts with the desire to take a single step. You must trust your plan and the work you have done. You must set goals and continuously refine your goals. Listen to your body and take care of your health and nutrition. Control the things within your domain and forget about the rest, and most important enjoy life, enjoy every single breath you take.