DESPITE a slower finish compared to his debut outing last year, veteran competitor Yee Choi fulfilled his goal to be among the finishers in the men’s veteran (above 40 years) section for the second consecutive year at the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah recently.
After clocking a respectable 5’23 to finish in 28th position last year, the 56-year-old businessman returned with a time of 6’09 in his second appearance at the gruelling race.
Yee Choi admitted that it was easier to complete the challenging route in the veteran section because of the less demanding cut-off mark to reach Low’s Peak, covering a distance of 8.72km on the uphill climb within three-and-half hours before the three-hour regulation period on the downhill return trip to the finish line near the Kinabalu Park headquarters.
“I was not as fast as last year. I got to the summit nine minutes before the cut-off time (3’21) and took a brief breather to soak up the atmosphere.
“I also asked someone to take a picture of me. I was in a more relaxed mood in my second attempt. From my previous experience, I knew that I do not need to rush on the way down and I will make it to the finish line in three hours,” he said.
For the past 15 years, Yee Choi has been keeping fit through his exploits in running and trekking.
“I have developed the endurance foundation through running. I have been featuring in road races between seven to 100km over the years. But, it is a totally different ball game tackling the Mount Kinabalu climb. It is not a walk in the park because only a small percentage of entries will last the distance. Although it was not an easy task, it is achievable with proper preparation for the climb.
“I have complemented my training programme with trekking to adapt to the rough trail terrain. I have also learned the techniques to ascend and descend quicker with the experiences gained from trekking.
“The trick is to be ready to push hard right from the start to get to the Low’s Peak. The first half is the toughest and it is less taxing on the way down,” said Yee Choi.
After clocking a respectable 5’23 to finish in 28th position last year, the 56-year-old businessman returned with a time of 6’09 in his second appearance at the gruelling race.
Yee Choi admitted that it was easier to complete the challenging route in the veteran section because of the less demanding cut-off mark to reach Low’s Peak, covering a distance of 8.72km on the uphill climb within three-and-half hours before the three-hour regulation period on the downhill return trip to the finish line near the Kinabalu Park headquarters.
“I was not as fast as last year. I got to the summit nine minutes before the cut-off time (3’21) and took a brief breather to soak up the atmosphere.
“I also asked someone to take a picture of me. I was in a more relaxed mood in my second attempt. From my previous experience, I knew that I do not need to rush on the way down and I will make it to the finish line in three hours,” he said.
For the past 15 years, Yee Choi has been keeping fit through his exploits in running and trekking.
“I have developed the endurance foundation through running. I have been featuring in road races between seven to 100km over the years. But, it is a totally different ball game tackling the Mount Kinabalu climb. It is not a walk in the park because only a small percentage of entries will last the distance. Although it was not an easy task, it is achievable with proper preparation for the climb.
“I have complemented my training programme with trekking to adapt to the rough trail terrain. I have also learned the techniques to ascend and descend quicker with the experiences gained from trekking.
“The trick is to be ready to push hard right from the start to get to the Low’s Peak. The first half is the toughest and it is less taxing on the way down,” said Yee Choi.
Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: Mount Kinabalu Climbathon brings out the best in veterans
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