Now, we will fast forward to our next destination... Kuching (I know by now these names mean nothing to anyone but me). Here is where we were greeted with a drama- free check in at a hotel style suite, and where we were guilty of really REALLY enjoying the daily cleaning service. So to get right down to it, we spent a few days relaxing by the pool, working, and preparing for Kolja's 100KM race that was to begin on Saturday.
Being forced to run with Kolja.
If anyone is or has a close friend/family member that is a long distance runner, then you know the struggle of attempting to pack the right clothes, snacks, having the right supplements in your back pack, doing your best to avoid the inevitable chafing, and preparing the drop bag for half way through the race. It's madness and not to mention this race was Kolja's first 100 KM strictly on the road and in high heat and humidity, so we really had no idea what to prepare for.
He hadn't packed marathon attire, as we obviously had no idea what our future held when leaving Shanghai in January. Luckily, we found a store that sold quite a few of the essentials (you wouldn't believe the length of required race items) like night lights, heat blankets, flashlights, extra batteries, reusable bowls and utensils, water bottles, etc. By some miracle he had packed the running backpack I bought him for his birthday, and his stress was finally alleviated after he picked up his bib number and received the OK that his bags were properly prepared, the day before the race.
On race day we arrived early and were ready to rock and roll when the race began around 4 PM. Kolja started in the front of the pack which led to great pictures and videos, but later I heard was a big regret as he experienced major fatigue and exhaustion way too early on.
Knowing full well he'd be running long into the night; I left as soon as all the runners cleared out and had myself a little evening strolling along the river that runs straight through the city center. I walked well over 15,000 steps, mainly out of sheer guilt, because I knew Kolja was running in over 90 degree heat and high humidity until the sun went down.
My evening ended with ice cream in bed as I watched my bible "Eat, Pray, Love" and sporadically received messages from Kolja saying he was exhausted, dehydrated, he missed an aid station, had to retrace steps because he was lost, etc, etc, etc. Eventually I fell asleep and thank god, I had set an alarm around 4 am to check in with him, because I woke up to him telling me he only had about 10 KM left. Now it's important to remember 10 KM can be done relatively quickly when you are a runner, but this was different. I knew 10 KM could be another 2 hours or so, considering he had already been running for more than 12 hours.
By sheer luck I woke up an hour later before my alarm, to messages that he was close to the finish line, and I bolted out of bed threw on my clothes and called a Grab to come pick me up. I was in proper panic mode, knowing he'd kill me if I didn't make it in time. When I arrived it was such a relief to see he still wasn't there, but also it was a very different scene from the other 100 KM race I had been to. That was in Hong Kong and was a very big, sponsored event. I also was blessed to have Kolja's mother to share in the stress and anxiety. In Hong Kong we waited at the finish line and watched many people cross it with a proper cheering section rooting them on. In Kuching, on the other hand, there were far less participants and I had been waiting for Kolja for 30 minutes already with not one person finishing in that time.
Eventually I got a message saying he thought he was 1 KM away, and we saw his headlamp barreling down the road. It was funny because he was in such a daze that he almost continued running in a different direction away from the finish line until we screamed at him.
I was so proud and I knew he was too, because this was the first race I had received voice messages that he was really struggling like never before. We were so amazed to learn that he was actually the 5th male finisher and 6th overall. Such an accomplishment for this first road race and first time running in a tropical climate!
He received his medals and was invited to an award ceremony for being in the top 5 finishers. Then, we went home and passed out. That next morning was filled with so much chaos, that it deserves a post of its own..... so stay tuned (I promise it won't take so long for the next one).
Kuching March 4- 13, 2020
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