Conquer the Trails @ Kiara 2017 Race Report

Me: You feed Ava tonight!

Angela: No you!

I've managed to convince the Mrs that unless I get some uninterrupted sleep over the weekend, my race will be over even before it begins.

Me: And just so you know, I've signed up for several races in February too.

Angela: NO YOU'VE NOT.

(Yeah, but I thought it was worth a shot.)

***

We're 10 minutes away from the start. The organiser's choice of music (Static Dubstep Remix ft. Race Director Kelvin Wong) is interesting if a little odd. But it's cool and after a few false starts, Kelvin gets his act together and his message across. Suggestion: Bring a hailer for backup!

The countdown begins and we're off. I'm with a group who are moving at about 5ish pace. After the initial road segment, we hit the trails and remain within sight of each other on the Magic Carpet ride and loop through 4K. I've always liked 4K -- short ascents, short descents, nice greenery and completely runnable.

Entering 2K, I bump into Natasya, a friend who's volunteering at the race. The group I was originally with has now separated; some are behind me and some, ahead. Kawan-Kawan provides some downhill relief after the run up through 2K. Then it's a quick hike upstream and some road before we reconnect to what I believe are JLN-made trails. Steps have been carved into the slope and a descent to Sungai follows. Sungai is one of the lushest and prettiest trails in all of Kiara and it's nice to see it featured on the race course.

Exiting onto the road via Sungai--Lower Short, we arrive at Water Station 1. I do not stop, as I have my hydration vest on. After this, it's downhill along gravel paths and trails until we reach another stream. There's fencing along the side and rusty bolts that stick out -- so if you're not careful (and I never am), you might just end up grazing your arm (as I did on Friday, whilst showing Angela part of the course and AGAIN, today). The Race Guide mentions this but what can I say? Ouch.

[Flash back to Friday]

Me: I will cleanse my wounds in these waters!
Angela: Just use the water from your pack and get on with it.
Me: You're no fun.

[Flash forward]

From here on is a series of 3 climbs that extend all the way to Twin Peaks. Pain and suffering abound.

Me: If <pant> you'd like to pass, just let me know, ya?
Runner behind: I'd like to <pant> but I can't!

Sow Mun, another friend and volunteer, is stationed at Dirty Deeds (Climb #3) and it's nice to see a familiar face. She and all the volunteers I've encountered have been great. After reaching Twin Peaks, the mostly downhill Pure Quill is a welcome respite -- we double back onto Quill Killer for a bit before taking a right onto what is a slippery and muddy downhill segment. There's a busted pipe and water spilling all over the trail. I get my X-Talons muddy for the first time (how awful!) and wonder if things can get any worse (they can). It's like a frickin' trail race or something ;-)

What's next? Another climb, unsurprisingly, up and over the Penchala Link tunnel and then a U-turn via Boner into Janie's Addiction. It gets easier from here and I'm trying to pick up the pace on the flats and downhills. Unfortunately, after running through a series of switchbacks and down into Rock Garden, I miss the sign that marks the final climb of the day. 

Perhaps I had my head down, or perhaps I just lost focus -- I don't know. But I'm going up the wrong way and realise after a while that my present course will only lead back to those switchbacks -- arghh! I retrace my steps and eventually meet a group of runners whom I last saw on Janie's Addiction. 

They have just begun their ascent. It's torture and we struggle up to Twin Peaks together. I see Natasya again, who gives me a huge cheer. It's just downhill from here, she says, and I know it -- I leave the group behind and pass two other runners en route to the Finish. My time is 2:06; I'm 26th in my category, the 40th guy in and 47th Overall.

I'm happy with my performance. I'm still base-building and probably shouldn't be racing but it's hard to pass up an event in Kiara (where I do all my trail running). Will I be back next year? Definitely! I liked the route and look forward to seeing what Kelvin and crew come up with in future. I thought the event was well-managed and I had no issues whatsoever -- from REPC to Race Day. Kudos to the organisers and their excellent volunteers!

Ava and Angela join me a little later. We hang around, chat with friends and leave shortly after the prize-giving ceremony. All in all, a great morning out.

Q&A with Kelvin Wong (Conquer the Trails @ Kiara 2017)

SB: When did you decide that organising a race was something you wanted to do? How did it all begin? 

KW: I believe that organizing a race is the ultimate extension of any sport enthusiast. Years ago I did organize a mountain bike race series, that's when I was actively mountain biking. So same goes for trail running. Organizing an event is like having a blank canvas, and you can put whatever you want on it. 

SB: Conquer the Trails appears to have established itself as THE trail run for January -- you must feel encouraged and gratified with the amount of support you've received from the running community, and perhaps a little anxious too. How have you and your crew coped with the burden of expectation? What has the preparation for this year's race been like? 

KW: The reception for 2017 was a surprise as I didn't expect it to be so encouraging. It's just the 2nd edition, considered young for an event. I suppose January can be a boring month too for trail running events. Anyway, thank you so much to the participants and sponsors to make it an exciting event. And what we have in store will be commensurate with the response from the participants. 

With a higher number of participants, we had to increase certain aspects of the event like water stations, medical personnel, number of crew and other safety measures. 

SB: What were the main issues that you (and participants) had to deal with in 2016 and what have you done to rectify them? 

KW: The 2016 event was, believe it or not, a pretty smooth one. Two problems we had, one was the traffic at the venue which is always an issue, and with such an event there it became quite a handful for the traffic police to handle. Second was the water station running out of water. Not really an issue as we managed to replenish it, but such things shouldn't happen. So for 2017, it will not happen. 

SB: Are there any significant changes to this year's race other than the route? 

KW: Not really. We have sponsors this time. Hopefully we meet their expectations. 

SB: What's your favourite trail in Kiara and why? Will it feature in this year's race? 

KW: I don't really have a favorite trail in Kiara. I just enjoy being out there. Well the event route this year is something like a regular training route for me. It’s tougher than last year, and at the same time it’s a whole lot more enjoyable that the previous one. 

SB: With a network of trails as intricate as Kiara's, a route change seems a viable option for subsequent editions of the race. Is this something you hope to do every year -- just to keep things fresh and interesting? Are there any plans for a race category above 15KM? 

KW: We plan to have additional new trails for subsequent years, but we have to consider the environmental impact as well. Not all the trails in there can take 700 pairs of legs at one go. A longer race category – hmmm, have to figure out a bigger loop. We'll see. 

SB: Kiara is home to a huge mountain biking, hiking and running community. The passage of over 700 runners on Sunday may be cause for concern to some. What have you done or what will you do to allay such concerns? 

KW: We have communicated this event to the various users of the trails over the past few months. Everyone is pretty cooperative in sharing the trails. After all we only do this once a year. The trails are reopened as fast as the last participants. We have 2 sweepers that do the clean up as the event is still ongoing so the other trail users can start using the trails. 

SB: Amongst other useful pointers in your Race Guide, you suggested cheering on the Trail Marshals who are there so that participants may enjoy their race -- a nice gesture, I thought. Able and committed volunteers are the backbone of any successful event -- what are your thoughts on your crew? 

KW: Our crew mostly have a background of participating in running events. They know how a participant feels and what goes on in their minds. So I'm pretty confident that the crew would know what to do when they see a participant running by. The crew are always the unsung heroes of any events. We hope to do more to bring them closer to the front and be duly recognized by everyone that their effort is very much appreciated and valued. 

SB: Thanks for the Q&A and all the best for Sunday.