TMBT – The most beautiful thing

TMBT is an ultra trail marathon held this weekend in Sabah/Borneo and starts in categories of 25, 50 and 100 km.

When I signed in month ago for the 50 km run I was excited to run in the area around Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. When the date came closer I was more scared about the weather, then the route, because Sabah got hit by the tail of Typhoon Sanba which was out there going up north of the Philippines. Severe rain showers for hours and cold strong wind hit the area, not the best circumstances for running on a trail.

When I arrived Kota Kinabalu on Friday evening, Sabah was still an island in the sun, but a further as we came to the mountain area the rain and wind started. When I arrived the Kinabalu Park it was raining like hell and motorboat would have been a suitable vehicle at this moment.

After a sleepless night cause by the wind and rain I woke up on Saturday morning with week knees and grumpy stomach, but the first glance out of the window showed me a wonderful scenery with mountains, where the clouds were hanging low and I knew it’s going to be a wonderful day.

The run starts in a mild temperature and a light breeze, but went straight up hill, exactly like it need to be for a trail run, after 10 km we already gained 400 m on altitude. The path led us thru an amazing landscape around the mountain with hanging cabbage field and farms nestled on the bottom on the mountain. It was so amazingly beautiful that on some parts, that a got goose bumps and felt blessed of the opportunity to experience all this.

The run was a tough call and by noon the sun was burning down merciless and the temperature went up to 34 degree, then I wished a cooling rain shower would come.

Right after 12 km I felt a certain kind of pain on the arch of my left foot and I knew shortly that this was a blister, but I also knew if I’m taking off my shoe now I would never get back on track, so I decided to bite on a piece of wood and finished the remaining 38 km with the blister on my foot, because I also don’t wanted to drop out and might miss the chance to see more of the land around me, and after all pain is temporary, quitting hurts a lifetime, but pride is forever.