Romancing the TRAILS

Hello from the other side...

It was like the first time you met up with a person and getting to know each other and at the same time feeling quite reserve and full of doubts. After a while, gradual meet ups and scheduled appointments, little by little the wall starting to dissipate and trust slowly built its way throughout the unpredeictable journey.

That's how my romance with the trail began. I fell for jungle trekking and nature's primitive challenges soon after i first signed up for 30km route with Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon (BUTM) on 18th Feb 2017 last year at Kiulu Valley, Sabah. I underestimated the trescherous terrain and wasn't prepared for the unbelievable humidity, the very steep up/down hills and i gave up after reaching W8 (waterstation #8 out of 3 warterstation i.e. W6, W8 and W9) with accumulative total of 900m+ ascents/descents hills at 16.3km distance. I have no regrets giving up, I know my limits and I wouldn't want to push myself too far...this is just temporary setbacks. Since the hiccups, deep down the intense sight set on BUTM like an eagle eyeing for its prey 😸

I SEE YOU!!

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The second attempt

We (@awsf and I), felt strongly to return back and finish what we have started. For the 2nd time, we registered online on 1/11/17 to secure our bib numbers and to make sure it's the beginning of serious preparation. So, here we are now, fully geared up, mentally psyched, physically prepared to start romancing the trails again. We registered for the same distance as last year and were given 12 hours to complete the race. The flag off time for 30km route was at 7am and we HAVE TO REACH the finishing line before 7pm.

Things to bring

The BUTM organizers has strict rules and provided a mandatory list for self-support during the ultramarathon race.

• Trekking pole
• Hydration bag (2ltr water)
• 3in1 coffee in a sealed tumbler cup
• First aid kit
• Energy food supplies (hard boiled eggs, apples, energy bar, chocolates)
• Spray for instant relief aching muscles and joints
• Head lamp and torch light
• Power bank
• Small change (for local vendors selling cold drinks along the way)
• Long Sleeve cover
• Cap / Sunglasses
• Insect repellent stickers
• Raincoat
• Emergency blanket
• All of the above should be kept in a sealed zipper bags (safe from getting soaking wet with the unpredictable weather)

Please make sure, at least two days prior from the race day.... that you have ample rest, have a good healthy meal and cut your toe nails / finger nails to avoid getting unnecessary self inflicted injury.

BUTM18_30k_Map A brief guide and details of the 30km trail journey.

Map of Kiulu Trails

It's a must to take a picture of the official backdrop while waiting for the flag off time at 7am.

And the race begin...about 564 marathoners in this category going uphill at 200m elevation for the first 1km paved road.

The 1km uphill seems like forever but the morning fog on the horizon landscape kept us cool

A beautiful clear background view of Mount Kinabalu at 480m elevation about 4km distance on gravel/dirt road. A breathtaking site to be kept in the memory bank forever

Finally we reached the first waterstation #6 (W6) after 1.5hrs of running/walking. Time to take a short break

Local fruits were being served, ready packed coffee and hard boiled egg to re-fuel.

Time is precious and continued our journey despite the tremendous heat

Saw the blue canopy? For the 50km/100km categories, there were directed to split, taking the right side of the trail and the opposite is for the 30km competitors.

I was so happy to see something different for a change "it's the hanging bridge!" besides the long winding gravel/dirt road. It only took less than a 100 meters away to cross the Kiulu River.

After 6.5hrs of trekking, we finally reached the second waterstation, W8 at 16.5km away from the starting line. Taking a short break to refuel again and hide from the scorching heat for a while. This was the station that we gave up last year. So, this time...there's no turning back

See the hill behind @awsf (with all smiles ready for a brandnew obstacle), that's the final and highest hill of 520m elevation and about 5.5km up/down hill distance. This was it, the moment of truth...facing the biggest trail challenge of 2018 chapter.

Keep moving forward and never lose faith in yourself

When we finally reached W9 at 5.20pm (total of 10.20hrs of journey) at distance of 25km, I was exhausted and weak. After we had our light meal, regained the energy back, took out the raincoat and continued the extreme challenge. There were no pictures taken after that, it was raining heavily and we had 1.5hrs with 4km distance more to go to reach the finishing line. We ran non-stop, through the muddy trails, it was getting dark and we kept on running.

Yesssss!!!! The Proud owner of BUTM medal and a finisher t-shirt.

This unbelievable ultra trail marathon is one of the most fulfiling and rewarding adventure of a lifetime. It was a moment of relief when we reached 2 minutes before the cut off time. We jumped and screamed for joy. I'm still reminiscing this unforgettable journey, it is truly a romantic experience worth remembering.

If you are interested, you may check out the next marathon at this site Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon

That's all for now...Cheerio fellow Steemians...till my next post again.
Thank you for your time 😚 😘