When being strong, is the only option you have. BTS 30K race recap

reminder : This is going to be a LOOOOONNNG POST!

The idea of taking this race came up when I decided to ditch my Bromo Marathon bib.Since I fell in love with Bromo since my first  visit , it feels like an urge to come back #aih
I asked Aniza, an experienced trail runner from KL whether she’d be back for BromoTenggerSemeru100ultra this year and she said yes….and Farah said yes. So this going to be our little reunion and our first race together.  Niza would took 70km tho.

 

My long hilly trail practice was on August, nailed 20km in 5 hours with Jurian and Sinta. Thru slippery and steep hill somewhere between Gunung Pancar and Pondok Pemburu, I was in doubt whether I can conquer the course. Others, I combine hilly run and long run as I was about to have my first FM.

Week(s) before
Contacted everybody I knew who has done their trail race, reconnected with mas Dori, who participated in this event last year. reassured myself, no turning back.
My intake before the race is similar with the diet Rizkidd share before my Full Marathon.

D-1
Decided to ditch my hydrapack and borrowed Ira’s. So, before I left on Friday morning gw gedor rumah orang jam 5 pagi pinjem hydrapack-nya -__-
Arrived at Juanda Airport around 9, gathered with other participant. off we go to Cemoro Lawang.

peserta perjalanan ke barat mencari kitab suci *copas status Jurian*

What is race without drama :))

After I the hydropack drama, I forgot to bring power bank with me #meh
Then after berjam-jam pantat panas ngga sampe-sampe, our rented car had problem with its machine we have to stop just around 30 mins before Lava View, our hotel.
While Paul, decided to have a warm up lari-lari kecil di bukit keriing berpasir, gw duduk di warung aja makan mangga yang dikupasin,dipotongin, dibayarin Om Petrus =))
gw tinggal ngunyah aja.
These two gentlemen took 70K.

Ok, we arrived at the hotel. Thank you Jurian who arranged all of these.

Picked up the bib, went to our room which I shared with Penny, Chia and Mita from Surabaya. We prepared our things right away for tomorrow. Then I met Farah within next 30 mins. I bought another Raqtive hijbabs :p.

Farah shared me her tips for tomorrow race. She even wanted to have the map laminated but too bad we couldn’t get an iron.  I wrote down note of personal COT in each water station. I was busy muttering o’o…what was I thinking 5 months ago? After several serious discusion #halah I Decided not to wear the gaiter I bought before but made my own from socks. Niza showed me how to do it.
When we were waiting for 170Km flag off, surprise, I bumped into (literally) the boy next door when I was a kid, Andre, who took 70K. He lives in Singapore now.

with Andre

Last time I saw him was in JakMar last year when he nailed his 5th FM in 3 hours 45 mins. too bad, We didn’t talk much. it always nice to have short reunion with your childhood friend heh? Later I know, Andre lost for 20km (so he ran 90km in total) still with in 16 hours. wwwwwooooohoo.

170km category participant  start  at 5 pm. Only one female in this category

170km Participants

 

After we had dinner, I pushed my self to bed. Mita came to the room and we had small talk and she mentioned she had nailed RAR last August before COT. Kembali gw mikir, salah bener ini sih gw yang cuma hidup susah pas berjuang naik commuter line doank ikut-ikut ini. …. bahahhahahah
We woke up at 11.00pm to wish the 70K and 102K participants good luck. I didn’t see Andre and Niza hugged me and said “good luck for tomorrow”

102K and 70Km about to start

feeling ngga enak gw bhahahahhahah

D-day

Woke up, decided to have a shower ^_^ had breakfast (Farah knew what I had for breakfast hahahahha) and went to start line . sibuk doa. 6 am sharp, the race started. Farah and Ejah run right away I couldn’t get their sight anymore.gee, these ladies sure practice well in Gunung Nuang.
Here’s the recap:

• There we went running thru the sandy and dry hill with BEAUTIFUL sceneries on both of your side. Mr Sun creates beautiful shade and gradual color between yellow, red and orange. BEAUTIFUL!!!!
• At around KM 3, after (of course) series of undulating track, there was a steep and slippery downhill. A malaysian participant is asking me whether she can pass me as I took a very careful step. This is how it look I don’t know who own this pic. Get it somewhere. Credit goes to you. 
  
• 

What come down of course, must come up. We have to conquer the famous B29, which look like this!!!!! From KM 5 to KM 7. yes, from the very bottom, until the very top of that.

closer look?

                                                             see the zig zag pattern?

untungnya…kalo masih dibilang untung, pas nanjak masih teduh karena kehalang bukit. Kalo pas matahari diatas, hmmm…. wassaaalmmmmmm udah merangkak nanjak panas pulak.

Here I realized I made another stupid mistake.
First, I forgot to wear my road Id bracelet. Gw sibuk berdoa semoga gw ngga kenapa napa. Gw suggest banget untuk makai road id ini yaw yang suka aktivitas di luar.
second..
ok…
compare these two pics, go figure!

Based on Garmin, it took 1 hour 59 seconds for me from start line to the  first water station, and over 1 hour to conquer this steep —  2 km, zig zag hill!

• I poured more water in B29 WaterStation to my hydropack. I already took 2 salt sticks down there.
  Hamdalah, I said to my self, “This couldn’t get any worse” while the Nature (and the one who create the route said) “Challenge accepted, WANNA BET?” in the next 15 km. -___- keep reading…. 😀
• now easier track to run walk…I could catch up with my breath and keep moving. I run if I could since tracknya emang sulit aja buat dilari-kan.

• I took this pic around Km 10 – Km 13. BAGUS BAGUS BAGUS…Istighfar sampe pengen nangis. Ngga usah dihadapan Tuhan, di kaki Bromo tadi aja gw ngga ada apa-apanya. Just tiny little thing who could easily swept away! *edisi mamah dedeh* sepatu udah mulai penuh sama pasir by this time.
• I checked the map over and over again. Only few participants within my sight.  afraid of getting lost. wondering where the next water station is. Km 16.3 it was.
• At around Km 14 there was intersection, I looked for the sign. I learned trail gitu harus jeli with marker and anything. You can’t depend on anyone, terlihat cat di jalan BTS 30km belok kanan, so we run on the road now until KM 16.3 where the second water station is. I love the asphalt smell yang kena panas matahari. With woods on both side of the road. Reminds me of my early years when I still live in Rumbai and Duri and dad took me for either morning or evening walk. Yes, with wood on both side.

• arrive at Water station Jemplang with in 3 hours 41 minutes (from start line) I heard Iqbal’s voice. He took 70KM get lost in Ranu Pane and declare himself DNF. In Jemplang water station they provide food. Gw makan apel malang gilak manis banged…..tetiba ingat film Tabula Rasa, adegan si emak beli bawang local yang lebih mahal instead of bawang import yang murahan namun rasanya juga kurang enak. Same goes with Apel Malang gw rasa yang kalah pamor sama Apel Washington. rasa nationalisme gw bangkit #halah

• Continued my run, downhill sandy track. Duileh debunyaaaa….this is about KM 18. I repeat for hundreds time, BEAUTIFUL view on both side. Realizing I had to undergo another 12 km with approx 1 hour 30 mins left, I know I wouldn’t make it before COT. In fact, when I conquer the B29 at 8.00 am, far after my personal target of 7.20am I knew I’d failed. But I assured myself I want to finish what I’ve started. Cieh….
• Run in Lautan Pasir is one though track. I barely run, my heart rate monitor was beeping constantly even my pace was in 10’-11’/km. The wind was very strong don’t ask with the sand as un-avoided bonus. Tiba-tiba dapat telpon dari Putu, “woy, lo jadi ke sini ngga sih??” bahahha….miss understanding di antara kami. I planed to stay overnight in Putu’s house later in that evening.

• I saw this jeep in around Km 20. Oh my goodness. I feel like I just saw a heaven. Gw minum Vsoy ampe kenyang, makan apel malang yang manis banged itu sampe gw ambil 2. 😀
• Nah, gw ngerti sekarang kenapa tuh jeep adanya disitu. Track setelah jeep adalah sebagai berikut

*drum  rollll*

                                                  

BUKIT…
PASIR….I repeat
PASIR….
STRONG WIND
11.30 AM

This, when the nature answered the “WANNA BET” question.

THIS
WAS
THE
HARDEST
TRACK
EVER!

between Km 20 – Km 25.
gw, dengan sisa sisa tenaga yang gw punya.
Prosa ini mungkin yang tepat gambarin suasana hati gw saat itu #duileh
“The Quitter”- by Gene Thibeault

When you’re lost on the trail with the speed of a snail
And defeat looks you straight in the eye
And you’re needing to sit, your whole being says quit
You’re certain it’s your time to die.
But the code of the trail is “move forward don’t fail”
Though your knees and ego are scarred.
All the swelling and pain is just part of the game
In the long run it’s quitting that’s hard!

• I climbed 3 steps, merosot 1 step. Sepatu sudah penuh sama pasir. Mau duduk ngelepas sepatu ngeluarin pasir juga sulit. No steady surface. How do I know? Believed me I TRIED!  My Godness! I made a wish Let me finished it in one piece. I t was 25 mins before COT. I don’t care. I don’t run for a medal anymore nor the finisher tee *kecuali finisher tee-nya Under Amour*.
  Mungkin soundtrack yang tepat untuk adegan ini lagunya Chumbawamba :p

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never going to keep me down
*singing*

• I saw some participant just duduk-duduk bagai piknik di bukit pasir. Not sure what to do next, seem hopeless.

“I’m sick of the pain!” Well, now, that’s a shame
But you’re strong, you’re healthy, and bright.
So you’ve had a bad stretch and you’re ready to retch,
Shoulders back, move forward, and fight.
It’s the plugging away that will win you the day,
Now don’t be a loser my friend!
So the goal isn’t near, why advance to the rear.
All struggles eventually end.

• After conquering one hill, I thought it was the end of brutal bukit pasir, but I saw there was another hill nun jauh di depan sana. How do I know? Ya karena melihat siluet peseta dari kejauhan. Ngeliat orang yang pake walking stick sempat ngumpat juga kenapa ngga minjem punya Ira aja sekalian. Oh ya, sebagian property yang gw pake emang punya ibu enginer pintar , strong dan kaya raya ini, and owh with VALID driving license…ma kasih ya Mak :-* lantjar pindahan ke Jazirah Arabnya…

• Then I saw a  guy who just sat in somewhere in that bukit pasir asked me “elo mau lanjut mbak? kan udah COT”  I don’t know what to answer. If I make a short cut I was clueless where to go in the middle of nowhere.  So i told him, “yes, gw lanjut. At least this route is do-able” and continue my perjuangan ntah kesekian kali.
• It was near tangga ke kawah bromo my sister called me as Roy and her quite worried. I said I’m fine. COT has passed 15 mins earlier, ntah kenapa gw tetep mau naik ke kawah Bromo #NGOK, the last check point! I saw Mita baru turun dari kawah. “lah, ngga finish juga blio”
  Took picture in Kawah Bromo plus timingnya

• Turun lagi, Sampe bawah gw beli….tentunya…TEH BOTOL! hihihihihih
  nah baru disini gw bisa lepas sepatu, di bantuin si ibu penjual teh. Si ibu mah geleng-geleng ama kelakukan gw.
  “lain kali naik jeepnya aja mbak”
  “ya Hooh bu……5 tahun lalu saya ke sini juga naik kuda dari bawah sana!!! *gw jawab setengah meringis*
  Ibu Min, nama ibu ini,baek banget deh, Aqua gw dibukain, diisiin ke hydropack, ditutup lagi botolnya. bantuin gw make sepatu.
  Harusnya gw minta dipijitin bentar yaaa. *oportunis* 😀 Disiapin air juga buat gw cuci tangan ama cuci muka *whooosah*

• After 10-15 min rest, then I said good bye, I promise her I’ll be back again with my kids. I want to finish the rest of the track. Yes, di lautan berpasir itu. “tinggal” ikutin umbul-umbul kuning yang berderet rapih. masang marker kayak gini perjuangan juga lah ya…sama sulitnya sama yang ikut lomba. Thank you for the volunteer, whoever you are. meanwhile tukang ojek betebaran nawarin diri. bhahahahhhahah
  Now, 1 km to go, I have to climb to Lava View again.

It’s simple to cry that your finished; and die.
It’s easy to whimper and whine.
Move forward and fight, though there’s no help in sight
You’ll soon cross the lost finish line.

• Few hundreds meter before finish line, I saw Farah who was on the way back to her home stay. She took  pic of me. She said either she nor Ejah make it before COT. It was 6 hours 15 mins for her.

You’ll come out of the black, with the wind at your back.

As the clouds start to part; there’s the sun.

Then you’ll know in your heart, as you did at the start.
You’re I,m not a quitter. You’ve I’ve Won!!

FIUHHHH!!!!
glad I crushed the whole track
glad I finished it in one piece
ALHAMDULILAH!!!

• 
• I took V soy dan pudding sampe 2 biji, enak banged sumpah tuh pudding. hahahahahha
  Neither Chia or Penny finished it before COT. Only Riefa did, but we sure had FUN! and we are not lying. I’m Speechless now.
  I may come home empty handed, but I’m 100% agree with Iqbal

• will I be back for another trail  race ?Ha, you know the answer.  Andre encouraged  me to find  points for Chamonix Courmayeur Champex in 2016 as he will take part in 2015.  Ya kali….-____-

Anyway, Thank you all for the pray and support!