ECO CHALLENGE - SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

I did it!!....

I paid RM35-00 for this. The race was supposed scheduled in August but had to be postponed to October.

The race supposed to start at 9.30am (???) but dragged to 10.30am (???).

The Organizer

Register here and get your breakfast

Serenity Lake

Surrounding area

The blow pipe target

my navigation map..i need to bring this...

private moment..

Other bloggers opt to join the Nike and hooha run (boring...) today, but i just want something different.

The Eco Challenge is organized by Global Martial Arts Entertainment something...

Paddy field or paddy garden...?

Looks like a paddy field to me...

best kan?

in sorry state due to wear and tear...

making a paddy field round

ni la kot tempat start dia...

Before we start, let see what the organizer prepared for the runners...yeay...!  :

Not yet...

Presentation of award - 3 or 4 of them for contributing their service in martial art community

Then, there were more martial art demonstrations, quite scary....

mesmerized by the kuntau team

taking their positon

Real weapon was used

The kuntau group..

They even request few of the award winner to present martial art demonstration and surprisingly one of them was a singer...nyanyi la pulak

relax..have fun...

Then there were ceremony to free the 'ikan keli' to officially launch the eco challenge race

This is the 'Ikan Keli' (minus the sting)

Still got time for aerobic session...

Then, there were aerobic session to burn the 'selulit' with a hip hop pounding music.

Aerobic some more...relax...

Then, there were briefing of the race

Then, the kids start first

Then, its our turn

The Run

Hills, hills and more hills...then there were trail, then there were swamp mud...yahoo...

The Kenyans are in front, Jasni and few elite runners are in front too...

'sep bang sep!!'...running around the paddy field

Mr Onn (wearing the Bidor Half Marathon Digi shirt)...he is 62 by the way..

Conquering the hill

More hill...

Sikit lagi nak sampai atas...

bukit sapu tangan...1.8km je..piece of cake...

my god...! the longest 1.8km in my life.!..feeling like want to 'mampus' already...

Finally!...the bukit sapu tangan tower...ooo..yeah...

They should put a drink station here

This is the entrance of trail run...

Then, there were 'sumpit' (blow pipe)...5 times try...then there were 'tangkap ikan keli' (catch the fish and put it in the basket' session...finish.

Actually, i didn't expect of winning or anything as the Kenyans were there, whole bunch of them, there were elite runners from Chap Ayam too...Jasni and the gang...fuh...tough one...
I thought my winning chance from zero to none!!

Elite gang...some of them were lost in the woods...

alamak...serius la pulak muka masing2...tension sebab lambat start...huhu

Guess what? I won!! I'm in the 15 fast runners (with the Kenyans of course) who will take the podium.

For that, I've been awarded with a medal, cert and.....jeng, jeng...RM50-00 cash...!!! wooohooo....!!!

Not long after that i knew that many of the elite runners like one of the many Kenyans, sawoto and few elite runners had been lost during the trail run....quite scary...

The Trail Run

From bukit sapu tangan with love...entering the trail...

so scary...no one infront of you, none at the back either...huhu....you're all alone...

The red and white stripes plastic - our hope for not getting lost..

been following this chick since the trail...she's good!!

She got 3rd placing in Women Open...RM500-00...whooaaa...!!

Eh...ni mcm mana ada org kawin kat sini ni?....

Some people love to make a different this year...

Congratulations to the couple...Ken and nazidah...

The trail run...the almost 2km distance covering slippery ascending hills, mud swamp, dead trees along your way, they even have this 'mengkuang leave' protruding from side way. The only label mark was the red and white stripes plastic hanging by the tree branches, you have to exactly follow these, if you fail, the consequences of not winning the RM50-00 is high....he, he...

The blow pipe...or sumpit time....3 kali baru kena...

'sedut ke hembus ni'?

Its really confusing inside the jungle, you can easily misguided by multiple trails, i know I've  lost my way a few steps but managed to keep on track.....maybe if you patience enough you may find your way..
There were 4 officials in the trails....2 photographers at the middle (i think) the other 2 at almost the end.

The 'tangkap Ikan Keli' part..a little bit drama there...

suka la tu...dah dapat ikan...!!..

There were no water station!!! I repeat....there were NONE!!!...The organizer should inform the runners about this, but they failed!! How disappointing...!!

The runners had to endure 4km of tarmac hills running, 2km of trails and another 2 km of tarmac towards the end...with no water!!!

How did i overcome dehydration? jeng..jeng....my choice of purchasing camel bak dehydration pack that saved me...but sadly, while you were enjoying your precious electrolytes, others had no choice just to keep on running...(where is Kash's kedai runcit when you need one?)...I've managed to get a cup of mineral water (just co-incidentally asking the official) then I hand it over to the awek running beside me since at the trail.
She needed the drink more than I am (my hydration pack of 1.5L finished already...at the trail!!).

Last man standing...

Nasib je..lambat sikit abis dah..

alamak muka penat!

with the gang...basuh kasut berjemaah session

ni dah basuh ni, air longkang ni bersih ke tak ni?

The Prize Presentation Session

I completed the race about 1hr and 10 minutes or so (8km only ma..) at around 11.30am, but the prize giving ceremony comes around at almost 1.00pm!! If it wasn't for the 15th placing (last in my category), I'd be on my way home...(and the lucky draw of a vacation in Bandung and Beijing makes me stay a little longer...huhu)

aku dapat RM50-00, lepas duit minyak...yahoo..!!

The proof of success!! (Nasib baik je tu..)...with all the Kenyans in the background...

It touches your heart when there were 2 running team clubs from Ipoh and Teluk Intan. They stayed overnight at a chalet nearby, running today, journey back to Perak then going back to school tomorrow. Most of them took a place at the podium. Congratulations to all the kids!!...and the teacher too...

I've dedicated this run to the Teluk Intan Running club for their excellent job!!

Their teacher is in white vest in front..didn't get his name..dang!!

The small boy (orange vest) in front succumbed to the fatigueness after the race..(he's having a fever)..pitty him...

The Bad About The Race

1) NO WATER STATION - EVER!!! - they only served us drink before and after the race...not during...ceh!!

2) too many ceremony or presentation before the race

3) Late start - 10.30am - most of the runners are getting fade up

4) Insufficient of marsyal in the trail to guide you or to assist you in case you tumbling down at the cliff of death!

5) Insufficient of mark in the trail - people do get lost (and cry)

6) Prize giving ceremony at 1.00pm and they request us to gather around the main stage for a sun bath!! - makin gelap la aku!!..

The Good About the Race

1) the winning prize - wohoo!!...RM1,000 for top runners

2) something different - catching the fish and blow pipe

Will I take part for another race with the same organizer?...yes and no....
Thanks for reading....