Jakmar 2016 – The Power of Moral Support

Minggu, 23 October 2016, 5am.

Pagi-pagi gue udah bangun dan siap-siap untuk ke lokasi rute Jakmar 2016. Nop, I did not participate. For those who asked me why, karena gue pengen menghabiskan akhir tahun ini dengan santai-santai aja, no hard training buat persiapan FM yang gue tau, sangat menguras tenaga.

Tapi pagi-pagi mendung ini, gue seakan merasakan excitement para runner yang bersiap untuk memulai 4-5-6 hours journey mereka untuk berlari 42K keliling Jakarta.

Gue cuma mau nongkrong aja – cheering and taking photograph.

Udah niat dan udah bikin strategi supaya gue bisa banyak waktu untuk spending time di satu spot, lalu bergegas nyari jalan untuk menuju ke spot kedua. Tadinya gue pikir, gue mau duduk di daerah Kota sekitar KM8-9, tapi katanya Transjakarta gak beroperasi, jadi gue pindahin aja ke spot depan Istiqlal-Katedral di KM14 – dari sana lebih gampang untuk nyari jalan menuju spot kedua gue di Setiabudi One, KM 21 & KM 36 seberangan.

Masih di taxi, jam 5.30 hujan. Bukan gerimis, tapi hujan lebat. Kebayang para runners yang mungkin sudah melewati KM5-6 kehujanan. Berteduh atau tidak berteduh, that’s the challenge.

Untungnya sampai di Istiqlal, hujan sedikit reda, hanya gerimis dan perlahan menghilang.

Dan gue masih beruntung lagi, masih melihat pelari-pelari dari negeri hitam melintas dengan pace 3. Lalu perlahan tapi pasti, pelari-pelari lokal mulai muncul, makin lama makin ramai. Wajah-wajah masih segar, meski satu dua gue lihat runner dengan BIB FM sudah ada yang mulai berjalan kaki – and I wonder …. masih 28K lagi 🙁

I was a little bit envy when seeing the happy faces one by one passed me by. I was not one of them. Few fallow runners noticed me taking photo on their left and asked me why not joined. I tried to look happy.

I took a lot of pictures – many blurred by the way – karena runner terus bergerak [ya iyalah!!!], meanwhile gue kan bukan professional photographer [excuse!], padahal gue pengen ngambil foto sebanyak-banyaknya.

So many happy faces, so little time.

I then felt happy too… it was a reward feeling how one runner excited to see someone with camera standing in front of them.

Then the tired faces changed into like having a second spirit.

And those tired legs strided more energetic.

Posture stood tall.

Smiling.

Seeing those happy faces, remind me how exciting running is.

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7am, lewat sedikit – setelah menunggu fellow runner Fifi yang gue janji untuk fotoin, dan ternyata gak muncul-muncul, gue harus pergi [maaf ya, Fi :p]. Tempat mangkal kedua di di Setiabudi One menunggu gue. Gue agak telat, karena kalau marathoners mulai start jam 5, by 2 hours harusnya udah pada masuk ke KM 21. Sedangkan jalan macet, karena gue harus lewat jalan alternatif menuju Setiabudi.

Untungnya posko KM 21 seberang-seberangan dengan posko KM 36, jadi gue masih bisa bergabung dengan komunitas Senayan Runner yang jaga pos KM36 itu.

It has been 2 years I think since Jakmar organizer invited running communities to participate in cheering squad by providing them with booth – and let’s the rest to be done. They, the running communities, know what to do.

Sediain water

Sediain cemilan-cemilan buat refreshment.

Sediain anti leg cramp spray or cream.

Sediain ice water sponge for cooling down.

And in the case for this Senayan Runner: sediain es teh manis dalam bungkus plastik.

Atau di posko seberang, sediain cendol!

Malam sebelumnya gue sebenarnya menyempatkan ke pharmacy di mall buat nyari anti cramp spray – tapi pada habis. Pantesan, pasti diborong sama runner communities.

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Gue sampai di posko Km 21-36 sedikit telat seperti perkiraan gue. Udah hampir 3 jam, most runners sebenarnya sudah melewati KM 21. Tapi good timing, karena posko KM 36 seperti baru mulai berdatangan pelari-pelari pace 5 – 6 (kecuali professional athlete yang ngebut dengan pace 3-nya).

Satu persatu runner berdatangan – tired faces tapi juga pasti sedikit bersemangat ketika diteriakin “6 kilo more!!!!!!”. Many, and many runners muncul dengan kaki mulai kram bahkan dengan wajah kesakitan – tapi wajah-wajah lega ketika rekan-rekan Senayan Runner menawarkan semprotan-semprotan di kaki.

Been there done that. I knew the feeling when you had leg cramp and you felt helpless, and how you felt blessed when someone offer you to give you anti cramp spray. Or even just asked “Are you OK?”

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It’s really amazing to see how many running communities voluntarily give support for runners. As most people said, after the wall of 30K, it’s not only about physical, but more about mental. You started to run with the thought of “Should I stop? Should I keep going? What am I doing here?????? This will be my first and last marathon!”.

And that’s when a moral support really worth a thousand.

Even a soft toss or tap on shoulder will cheer you up!

What a feeling!

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Fa, will-cheer-you-up

PS. for more cerita lari picture, please check my facebook of cerita lari.