April Full Marathons 2019

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Editor’s Note

This April must be a good month for marathons because for the first time, 3 Full Marathons will take place simultaneously in Pahang, Perlis & Sabah on the same weekend.

To impress their friends, I would imagine some Marathoners will even try to run both Perlis Marathon on Saturday & Kuantan Marathon on the next day!

Although, it’s nice to have more Marathons in different States, it’s too bad that 3 of them have conflicting dates despite the fact there are 52 weekends from which to choose.

Last Big Clash

The last time such a big clash of Marathon dates happened in 2014, when Putrajaya Night Marathon 2014 took place on Saturday 11th October, and for some unknown reason, Dirigo Events decided to change SCKLM 2014 date to Sunday 12th October!! Oh brother, there were so many zombies running in Kuala Lumpur that fateful Sunday – including me!

Hellish Sore Feet

Two hours after having finished the first 42km in Putrajaya, when all the pain-numbing adrenaline had vanished, the unstoppable and massive lactic acid build up had manifested itself into the mother of all muscle soreness, and I remember every part of my body screaming in pain! What had I gained from having endured such unbearable pain?

It was a great lesson for me to run back-to-back full marathons for my first and last time. The agony of running 2 consecutive marathons was much worse than running 84km Penang Round Island Ultra, and the key difference between the ultra & fm x2 challenge was the long break between finishing PNM 2014 & starting SCKLM 2014. When you try to run after the muscles have cooled down and you’re in recovery mode, your legs become so sluggish, numb and even detached. It felt like gravity had increased 10-fold and everything moved at half the speed – a surreal feeling.

Searching New Challenges

The unknown pain & soreness of your virgin Full Marathon is unforgettable because you have never felt such unique pain like that before, and you’ll never feel it like that ever again because muscle memory kicks in when you run in subsequent marathons. I guess there’s a masochistic streak in some of us who feel the constant need to raise the running bar for new pain by increasing the challenge & distance. Could this be part of the reason why some marathoners move on to ultra running?

Entering Uncharted Territory

Despite knowing very well the hardships of running a single 42km, I suspect that some runners will still push themselves to run two marathons in two days out of curiosity and to test their strength when pushed to their absolute physical & mental limits, and beyond.

Getting Battle Ready

Here’s my 2FM Wish List, if I ever decide to run back-to-back marathons again :-

Train adequately to run one full marathon beforehand.
Prepare two full sets of running gears, including two running shoes.
Double up on the onboard electrolytes & energy gels/bars.
Run the first marathon at a comfortable pace, and imagine the first 42km as a elongated halfway point.
After first marathon, start eating and drinking for recovery & energy within 20 minutes after crossing the finish line.
Have a cold shower after first marathon to reduce muscle soreness.
Massage & rub muscles with deep heat.
Secure 6 hours uninterrupted sleep between the two marathons.
For second marathon, start first 3-5km at slow running pace.
Spare 30 minutes allowance before cut-off time in case of emergencies.
Be absolutely focused and only think about putting one foot in front of the other.
Don’t let other runner’s pace distract you.
Be very determined & stubborn to override the feeling of wanting to stop or give-up.
Keep pushing yourself with inspirational quotes and positive thoughts until you see the finish line.

Foolish Thoughts Again

After writing this piece, I have unexpectedly pumped myself up to run more marathons.

How can I test my theory if I haven’t even registered for any marathons in 2019? I wonder where and when will be my next marathon challenge…

FM Start & Cut Off Times

Malaysia Women Marathon

Date: 04 March 2019

Start Time: 3:00am
Cut Off Time: 6 hours 30 minutes

Perlis Marathon

Date: 27 April 2019

Start Time: 00:01am

Cut Off Time: 7 hours 30 minutes

Run Out Kuantan

Date: 28 April 2019

Start Time: 3:00am
Cut Off Time: 7 hours

Borneo Marathon

Date: 28 April 2019

Start Time: ??
Cut Off Time: 7 hours

Penang Bridge International Marathon

Date: 25 November 2019

Start Time: 1:30am
Cut Off Time: 7 hours

*Disclaimer*
To the best of my knowledge, all of the information provided herein is accurate at the time of publishing and the views expressed are based on my own personal opinions and findings, and they don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Product Manufacturer, Event Organiser or any Third Party unless explicitly specified otherwise.

About The Author

Gus Ghani is the Founder of Running Toons and Virtual Sports ; a HIIT Fitness Coach, and Magazine Columnist. He has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia Magazine, and Cycling Malaysia Magazine. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.

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About Gus Ghani

Hi:) My name is Gus and I am a Fitness Coach who enjoys outdoor adventures. In particular, I like to run marathons & ultra marathons, and compete in triathlons and century rides for fitness, fun & friendship. My passion is to motivate my friends to exercise more so that they can live life to the fullest. The purpose of this blog is five-fold:- 1) I find writing very therapeutic & beats paying for a psychiatrist to keep sane 2) I like to share & inspire others into engaging in any healthy pursuits 3) This is a great way to keep track of my progress in all my sporting endeavours 4) This also keeps me honest & spurs me on to do more 5) Even if you are a couch potatoe, I hope you will find my entries entertaining and/or informative. In summary, this blog is helping me help others help myself...get it?

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