Sunday, October 10, 2010

TNF (The North Face) 100.

This morning is TNF 100. My first time running this, my first DNF run and my first in an ambulance.

Signed up with Stanley as a team to tackle the 100km DUO. Each need to run 50km and the cutoff time is 9 hours.

With not much training and coupled with the "toughness" of the race, i expect my self to DNF and i really did DNF.

From MacRitchie Reservoir to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve to Zheng Hua Park to Lorong Asrama (SAF traing area) and back to start point. More than 90% are on trail road.

Woke up at 0400 hrs. Prepared myself, packed my water bag (compulsory) to carry 1.5km of hydration. Meet up with punggol runners at Sengkang CC to hitch a trip down to start point at 0500 hrs. Reach MacRitchie carpark at around 0520 hrs. Registration start at 0600 hrs and the race start at 0700 hrs.

Meet up with Stanley at the carpark and proceed to the starting point. There is actually no registration, Just a weighing machine to weigh competitors bag to ensure there is water and handphone. I weigh my bag is it was 4.5kg. 1.5kg of 100 plus. Lots of ice cube and power gels, coins, money inside.

There are tons of slope in this run on trail, Trail consist of small rocks, big rocks, mud trail.

Someone advise me to just walk up the slope and jog down the slope.
My run consist of the below stages.
1) Fast walk up slope. Even managed to overtake slower walkers. Jog down the slope till the next up slope. Managed to keep doing this till 15-20km mark.
2) Fast walk up slope. Jog down the slope but stop jogging below the next up slope. This means that i walk down the slope also. As the distance increases, the jog duration decreases.
3) Fast walk up slope and jog for a short distance for the down slope because of the lack of energy.
4) Fast walk up slope, and fast walk down slope with some jog down slope whenever i can muster enough energy.
5) Just walk up slope (get to the damn top of the slope) and walk down slope.
6) Eventually just before i reach the exit of Lorong Asrama, i need to stop to rest when i was tackling the up slope.

By the time i exit Lorong Asrama (32km) mark, it was 5 hrs and 45 minutes. There is no way i can make it to the end point before the 9 hrs cutoff timing. And i do not want to walk for another few hours to complete the 18km and get myself in worst state or get myself injured. So i decided to call it a day and earn myself my first DNF.

Also met Teo at the checkpoint and chit chat with him. Ask the volunteer whether can hitch a ride back to the starting point. Luckily the ambulance is ferrying some other runners back and so i took a ride back to starting point. Msg Stanley on the way. The ambulance dropped us off the starting point.

There are subway sandwiches provided for all runners and so i took one and drank 1 can of 100 plus. After taking the sandwich, i proceeded back to the starting point near the carpark to wait for Stanley. He also called it a day at the 32km mark. He took a cab back to starting point.

After a while, Stanley went home first. I stay on for a while to watch other runners coming in. At around 1500 hrs, i decide to take a bus back home. Took bus 74 and eat something at Hougang Central. Reach home at 1640 hrs.

The North Face route.

http://classic.mapmyrun.com/run/singapore/singapore/435128236369022121

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

A few of the punggol runners.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Picture of Stanley and me before the race.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Ambulances standing by.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Runners ready to go.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Weighing machine to weigh the weight of the runner's bag.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


At the Bukit Timah visitor centre which is about 10.5km to 11km. Time is 8:41.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


1 hr 40 mins.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Stanley not far behind.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Marshallers.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Entrance of Lorong Asrama.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Time taken : 3hrs and 30 mins. This is about 21km mark.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

A very tired face.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Training shed 52. Time taken : 4hrs 21 mins. Distance : unknown. Inbetween 21km and 32km.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Behind is the muddy long upslope.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Top of the slope looking down.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


30km mark.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Time taken : 5hrs 14mins.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Me with the 30km mark and the last distance marker that i would be seeing.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Exit of Lorong Asrama, 32km.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Time taken : 5hrs 45mins.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Inside the shed.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


This is the SMS that i send to Stanley on 1258 hrs.



Hitching an ambulance ride back to start point.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

Back to start point. About 15 minutes ride.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.


Food for runners.
From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

From 2010 Oct HTC Desire pictures.

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