Navigating Kuala Lumpur and Marathon Number One

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In Singapore I caught the bus to Kuala Lumpur without event and even arrived at the bus station I was guessing I would be dropped off at. However, adventures began as soon as I made it to KL. Locating my hostel turned out to be an epic quest, replete with a number wrong turns, inaccurate maps, unlabeled streets, last minute research in not one but two internet cafes and a partridge in a pear tree. Though I am not known for innate navigational talents, I can say that Kuala Lumpur is worse than most towns in this regard. Eventually, my means of blazing my path bore an eery resemblence to my approach to math, namely utilizing the guess and check method. In my defense, look at a map of this city, and you will notice two items conspicuously absent, parallel streets and perpindicular streets. After quite some toil I did stumble upon my hostel, drenched in sweat and hungry. I immediately struck out to register for the KL marathon, and mercifully found the buiding (more by luck than anything) a whole 15 minutes before registration closed.

The marathon had a scheduled start time of 5 am, with a mandatory check in time of 4:30 am. So after a quick dinner, I set my alarm set for 3:30 and headed to bed at about 8. However, I ended up getting an early start to the morning when the party under my window broke up with a burst at 3:10, beating my alarm. I pulled on my gear, and briefly joined an employee of the hostel watching an American Action movie (Vin Diesel's XXX) while I munched down breakfast of some granola bars and water. At 3:50 I headed to the start of the race, which turned out to be much more interesting than the race iteself . . .

First off, for being 3:50 am, the streets were packed with people of all ages. I received some odd looks, and eventually a polite young man inquired, "excuse me sir, what are you doing?" That's when the light bulb flashed, and I realized that everybody around me must have been sure I just escaped from a local insane asylum, it's 4 am and here is a crazy white guy walking arond with a confused look on his face (yes, I was lost again), in running shorts - with their immodest inseam length, clad in a bright red t-shirt, and topping it all off, a number pinned on my chest. In retrospect, this appearance probably is the reason I got the race safely, as I ended up walking a route not on most tourist maps. Thoroughly unnerved and on the worst street I was to pass, I was comforted by the sight of two Americans lurching home after a night of revelry - not for any co-citizen camraderie - but secure in the fact that, like the two men in the woods with the bear, I need not outrun my attacker, just the other targets.

I safely made it to a busier street and promptly was offered a most unorthodox marathon warm-up, "Sir! Would you like young lady for night." I politely declined offer and proceeded on my way, after waiting for a rat to finish nosing through a pile of rubbish. I did find my way to the start when I eventually noticed a trickle of skinny guys with numbers pinned on them, all heading in the same direction. I latched onto a group, and asked the obvious question, (mind you this was to 5 guys in tank tops and running shorts, with numbers pinned to them) "Are you running the race?"

Soon enough I found myself at the starting line with the gun going off. As a pushed into the crowd, several thoughts went through my head "I wonder how hot it will be," "I wonder if the plethora of blisters on my feet with bother me," "I hope the course is well marked, I don't want to get lost again" and "Yeesh, Malayasians also go out too fast for a marathon." After a ways, I settled into a steady stride and with 600 others wandered the streets of Kuala Lumpur before dawn. Passing throught the steets I was greeted by: the Muslim call to prayer, two roosters annoucing the sunrise, and some of the marquee sights of downtown KL. Assisted by plenty of aid stations and the sun not coming up for the first two hours, I was comfortable the whole race. After about 6 miles everything loosened up, and I began running a strong pace, such that I don't think anybody passed me after the first 10K. I finished with a 3:32, not a PR by any means, but a strong training run.

After walking back to the hostel, followed by a quick shower and a nap, I headed out for some sightseeing. I can assure everybody that the world's tallest building is indeed a very large structure. I also made it to the Malayasian National Art Museum, before coming home for another nap, at which time the owner of the hostel showed me how to turn on the air conditioner that I was unaware of to that point, making for a pleasant nap and a sound night of sleep last night.

All in all, a solid workout merely finding the hostel, and an interesting journey to the race. I am a little sore (going up and down stairs elicits a grimace) with some blisters, but happy with the race and the day, and currently plotting the next city.

Adios,

Peter

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