A Running on Old Legs Race Review Powerman Malaysia 2017
EVENT. NAME: PowerMan Malaysia Asia Duathlon Championships
VENUE: Putrajaya
DATE: 5 March 2017 Time: 7:00 [7:05]
Weather: Heavy rain and thunderstorms just a few hours prior to the event created an excessively humid atmosphere but otherwise the day was good with a short sharp welcome rain shower mid-way through.
Headline Event Owners: Powerman Malaysia
Event Organising Company: E Plus Malaysia
Race Director: ?
Timing company: ?
Registration company: Spacebib.com
THE EVENT
EVENT SCORE CARD SUMMARY
PRE RACE.
Entry and information:
Event information and updates: Initial information was very explicit and updates were continuous and generally relevant to the event. 10/10.
Contact details: Facebook, Web-site & E-mail were available, although unused by me there was plenty of evidence that the organisers made every effort to answer any queries that had not been covered in the race details. 10/10.
Value of entry: Priced at RM290 early-bird 329.55 normal and 430 for late comers. Yes, expensive but, in my opinion, a fair value for money price. 16/20.
Race registration and kit collection:
Collection point, ease of collection: A single pre-race day collection point at the venue and at the same time as the bike deposit. Registration was very well organised and proved to be swift and efficient. As a bonus, there was also a proper expo laid on, good job the wife was with me, some of the kit and bikes were really good. 19/20. 55/60
Race site Facilities:
Space at the venue: Plenty of space but little in the way of green areas. 8/10.
Facilities: There were ample toilets and all in clean condition. There were a few pre-race food vendors open for business and more opened during and after. Water was available pre-race and throughout the event. 10/10.
Start area staffing and information: There were plenty of knowledgeable volunteers around at relevant points plus an information point. 10/10.
Parking and transport: No transport was laid on which meant car or taxis as there is no form of public transport at that time of the day. Coaches from relevant points maybe something that the organisers could consider for the future. There are ample parking areas around the start finish area, even so the Malaysian park anywhere close was in full evidence. 8/10. 36/40
Care of Competitors:
Pre-race and start: The organised mass warm up gimmick doesn’t seem to have crept its way into this event, hooray. There was sufficient space around the starting area for warming up, I personally used the area between the start and my parked car, it also doubled up as I could collect all the bits I LEFT BEHIND. The start was delayed, without any announcement, by five minutes. At a guess, it was solely because it took an inordinate amount of time to load the starting chute BECAUSE they chose to load it from the front, why do they do that? It can only ever cause problems and solve none, it also takes away any possible chance of control in the chute. 5/10.
Medical facilities [at start/finish and on course]: They were first class, there was a full first-aid service at the start and finish area and motor cycle first-aiders out on the course were all too evident, several crash sites, ouch! I did hear that no one was badly hurt at the event. 20/20. 25/30
THE RACE.
Organisation:
Course and course management: Both courses were used for the full and short distance events. The full distance athlete doing two loops of each course per leg.
The run course was a tad boring but it is always difficult to do much in an urban environment, the not insignificant incline right at the end of the loop did spice up the heart rate though.
The bike course was at the very least undulating which made for a good ride with some speedy down-hill sections.
Traffic control was for the best part brilliant; however, I feel I must mention one individual police officer on the run course who seemed to think his job was to keep the traffic moving. During my four loops he TRIED to stop me, and other runners, to allow traffic to cross our path on two separate occasions. He soon changed his mind and stopped the cars when I continued running, calling out to him that I was not stopping. There are high fees for events that require roads to be closed or for traffic to be stopped for competitors safety, what we pay for, in our entrance fee, is safe passage through the traffic, not a rest while we watch drivers making their way to their after-breakfast, pre-lunch makan.
Both courses offered plenty of safe space, signage was rarely needed, due to the great work done by the volunteers, but where it was it was big, bright and well positioned. Both courses were not difficult and had a good enjoyment factor and safety was obviously always foremost during the course design. 27/30.
Enjoyment factor: Excellent - High – Medium - Low. 17/20.
Marshaling: Quantity and quality, I will leave the mark to show my opinion. 15/15.
Aid stations: On the run course, they could not have been better in every aspect. As for the bike course, there seemed to me, a complete novice, to be adequate opportunity to pick up additional fluids, if, unlike me, you were sufficiently skilled at collecting on the go. I tried once, missed completely and gave up. NOTE TO SELF practice, practice and practice. 15/15. 74/80
POST RACE.
Finish line: The finish line was well organised and efficient for your medal collection.
If food was available for the competitors it was not evident to me. There was water available as you finished. 5/10.
Resting and cool down areas: Nothing provided in the way of shaded seating etc. 6/10.
Event information: Top placings were posted as they were finalised, but, you had to know where to look as it was not at the finishing area and was not signposted. Announcements were in effect just a running commentary of the prize ceremony, which was slick and without the, all too often, speeches by all and sundry. 8/10. 19/30
AFTER EVENT
Results: The full results were out super quick and in great detail. http://runnersunite.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16634&RId=67 19/20.
Post event communication: I have yet to see anything, apart from a link to the results and some photographs, from the organisers since the event, which is such a pity. I am sure that there are a million stories to be told, people to publicly thank and information regarding next year. Please not let this be a ‘we have your cash for this year, we’ll speak next year when we want some more’ 4/10. 23/30 Total 232/270 overall score for this event is 85.9%
COMMENTS: Just a great event.
Would I return to this event: No – Possibly – Yes Next year and aiming for a sub3:45
Happy Running and riding.
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
My personal race.
3:58:19
23rd. of 96 Veteran [50 plus]. 345th. of 1351 Overall.
My first long course duathlon, my only other attempt at competitive cycling was in a short course event last year. I deem it a personal success and a step into a new and exciting sport.
Pacing an event that you have no knowledge of is always going to be a challenge, but, what I had been doing in training was telling me that I should finish in around 4:20:00. So, me being me, set my sights firmly on a sub4 finish.
The plan: Run one: Ten-kilometres at twenty percent above PB pace which should be very comfortable.
Cycle: Sixty-kilometres as fast as I could, because I don’t know any other way.
Run two: Ten-kilometres as fast as whatever energy I had left would allow me to go.
The transitions would take care of themselves, how hard can it be to eat, drink, grab gels, change shirt, remove/put on helmet and gloves inside a couple of minutes?
The reality:
Run one aiming for a steady run at 5:38 pace it would see me in three-minutes under the hour, so all should be okay to be out through transition inside an hour. From the middle of the starting chute I picked my way through the crowd in just under 6:00 for the first kilometre, fine a slower start is always good for me. Into my second k and those rumblings from the nether regions started, I am plagued with GI problems at the beginning of many of my runs and once started they do not go away. A couple of k’s under my belt and I am beginning to look for a suitable place to get to when around a bend and into sight a porta-potty loomed. I have never been so happy to see one of those plastic monstrosities in all my life. Aid station one had come to my rescue. In, squat, out. So now to make up lost time over the next seven k’s. I picked up where I had left off and started to overtake many of the runners I had previously passed, some very quizzical looks, I think some thought I had a twin brother. Keeping the run steady, on the border of hard-work I clawed back the lost time and clocked a 55:27 opening leg.
Transition one was an eye-opener, nothing went quite right, fumble, drop, wrong end or up-side-down, you name it. Through transition in 4:38, just five-seconds off target and still in the hunt.
The cycle, I really don’t know what to write other than I had a ball. Living and training on the coast I have had very little to do with hills. All my training rides, on the flat, indicate that a speed of 30kph is about my limit. Two hours on this undulating course was going to be a hard ask for this novice rider. I just put my head down and did what I could. Holding my own against many on the flat, flying past many on the down-hill sections – sort of kamikaze style but being passed by just about everyone going up-hill NOTE TO SELF find some hills and practice, practice, practice. I had no idea of what time I had taken so reaching transition in 1:57:06 was a delight, and, a surprise.
Transition two, so one was an eye-opener, this was a disaster! Everything that could have, did. I even started by delving into someone else’s kit bag. Beam me up Scotty came to mind. 7:46 and out onto the last section needing a negative split from my first run and feeling just about spent.
Run two was always going to be just do what you can and that is all I could muster, I knew I needed to be pacing at under 5:20 but I couldn’t run to the clock, I could only do what my body would allow. At about three k’s into my final ten I really started to flag, my legs became even heavier, my breathing lost its rhythm and I was slowing, slowing badly. It was just at this point when I was reminded of just how great our sport, our sportsmen, our sportswomen and our worldwide family of runners really are.
Coming along-side me, on his finishing lap, was one of my good running buddies, Mohd. Puzi Dolah, amongst the fastest Old[er] Legs in the business.
He could obviously see that I was struggling and without hesitation or thought for his own finishing time or place he slowed to my pace and proceeded to push and encourage me through my bad patch, he stayed by my side until he had finished. I can never thank him enough.
It was amazing because once through that bad patch and up the incline to the finish I felt as fresh as when I had started. But I now need a sub25 minute five to go sub4, I doubted it was on but I gave it my best.
Low and behold with just two k to go, and well inside my required time for a sub4, I was joined by a young lad I had met last year at Back 2 Endurance, where we ran several laps together, we chatted a little as we ran but then out of the blue he just said "you go on I am finished".
So very soon, my opportunity to repay the very kindness that Mohd. had shown me just five kilometres earlier.
I slowed and said Aiman "we will finish this together", rolls reversed it was now me encouraging, pushing and cajoling. We gradually picked up the pace and we finally crossed the line, exhusted, happy and together. We were sub4 finishers.
