Dayz Of My Life...E Re Nata
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
  Activ-Care
Dear

It is so clear what is about to come
A bright beginning I must share
My heart leaps a thousand times
its rhythms soothes my fears
My heart says yes but my mind berates it so
My mind does not see what my heart is willing to follow

Oracles I am afriad to seek
Lest it confirm my mind's worries
Choosing this path is not easy
But my eyes believes my heart
I take you on my journey on my palms
and asked you to come visit me...


http://activ-care.blogspot.com


 
Sunday, December 06, 2009
  Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 6 Dec 2009
Woke up at 2am, had a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with generous servings of peanut butter. Took a shower, dressed myself in my black addidas singlet, UVEX sunglasses and reebok pants. Poured a redbull drink into my water bottle and diluted it with some water. Took a 20 minutes walk to my bus pick-up place at Yishun stadium.

At 3:30am, I took two handfuls of baked almonds while waiting for the bus to arrive. There were too many passengers and only 1 bus. Bus driver assured them that another bus will be on its way. Bus driver seems flustered and some of the runners who could not board the bus were frustrated.

By 4:15am, the bus departed Yishun and we alighted at the former Warrant Officers club. We made a beeline to the baggage deposit area and I was issued R0448 to claim the bag later on after the race. Trudged through the underground passage at the Esplanade to reach the starting point. There were many people stretching and limbering up, I followed suit.

In my mind, I was taking in the sights and sounds and the atmosphere. At 5am, the MC were talking and was trying to get us involved but most of us were too busy stretching and concentrating on our long race instead. I was giving myself a pep talk and. put on my UVEX variomatic (read: transition) sunglasses

At 5:30am, the air horn sounded and that signaled the start of the marathon, I made it a point to wave at any camera I saw (this is from my experience in 2008 when I did not get any photos of me running!).

Not even 1km from the start point, many male runners were peeing in the bushes. Some of them wanted to run to a nearby construction site to pee but were chased away by the security there.

At around, 2km a lady when to the kerb and held on to her right side, I think she is having a side stitch.

It was still dark and I was keeping a steady pace, saw the drink station and took a drink. I ran 10km non-stop which was good. Did it for another 5km, when I started this routine of walk-jog-run (that is 20 minutes of jogging, followed by 2 minutes of walking and running for another few minutes). I was disappointed as I could only do this routine for another few km or so when my body and mind was complaining, so at 21km, I was walking and jogging.

East Coast park was crowded with tents and groggy campers who stared at us. By this time, I could see many runners were caving in, some were down with cramps, others just stood by the side crouching down.

That is when runners stop and gave help to fellow runners and giving them the thumbs up, other runner without hesitation, stopped and gave fellow runners massages, their bananas (fruit), energy gels, water etc.

I made it a point to drink at every drink station, eat at every banana station (there were only 2 stations) and power bar station (only 1 power bar station). This constant replenishment helped.

At certain areas we passed, there were supporters who kept cheering us on. I gave hi 5 to 2 kids. As certain roads were closed to vehicles, some people had a picnic at the road.

There was this lady runner who dressed like a witch complete with a cone hat. Many runners were shouting, "Hi witch" in jest and she would reply with thank yous. I outrunned that witch. Mwahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay by 32 km, it seems I could not continue anymore, I was walking more than running but I soldiered on until by the 36km, I was walking more and as I around the bend near the finish line, I sprinted across the finish line.

The moment I crossed the finish line is something that my limited vocabulary can't describe. It is overwhelming, the fact that I did it. There were so many times during the race that I felt like giving in but did not. Can you imagine at 40km with 2.195 km to go, I wanted to throw in the towel???!!! Sure, it is easy to say, "don't give up" when you are at the sidelines but to battle physical fatigue and mind, it is not easy. To make myself to carry on, is a feat itself in my approximation.

I collected my medal and finisher's T-shirt. I was really really beat. I felt like crumpling to the grass and sleep. I did not do it because the grass was muddy. I walked to Suntec city and wiped myself with hygiene wipes, liberal amounts of deodorant, changed into my finisher's T-shirt and went home.

The moment I reached home, I switched on the air-con and just slept. Woke up a couple of hours later and slept again at 6:30pm. Woke up at 3:30am, slept again and woke up at 5:30am. I feel good and refreshed.

I finish my marathon in 5 hrs plus. I am not really happy with this time because I know that I can have a better result. The next marathon I am going to do must be below 5 hours, I'll be happy even if it is 4 hours and 55 minutes.

The marathon photos are not out yet, I'll post pics when it is out.

Recently, a journalist wrote in her column about plodders, people who joined the marathon and walked instead of running and many runners thought it was not fair as many of them had trained hard for the marathon and these plodders just plodded their way to the finish line and claim their medal and finishers tee.

I am quite neutral about this with the exception of groups of plodders who are friends who make their way to the front and walked when the air horn sounded thus creating a jam for everyone. There different pens for different timing. If you must walk, do it at the last pen which is sub 5 or 6. My mum told me that there were people walking around 1pm near my grandma's place which is in the Lavender area. So we'll see what happens in 2010 when we will have 80 000 participants. It is going to be an interesting race.

My congrats to Luke Kibet who once again win the Singapore Marathon.

Thoughts after the marathon:
(1) It was fun seeing people peeing in the bushes with police around.
(2) Volunteers should be more tactful. Volunteers were shouting, "Take it and go!" when handing out power bars. Or a volunteer in red polo shirts telling us that topical pain reliving cream were useless. Hello aunty, are you running? You look like you stopped running 20 years ago. Even if this relieves us of 5 minutes of strain, it is good. Don't go around belittling us.
(3) Littering the ground with paper cups and banana skins with the police around.
(4) 2010 Singapore Marathon will have 80 000 participants. It is only good if more improvements are made. I mean certain places are pretty narrow and we have to squeeze through throngs of walkers.

Volunteers with their medical sling bag were not beng really "medical". I saw some runners in pain and they were helped by other runners wheras the "medical" team were like standing there. No one expect them to be experienced or trained but at least make the effort to do something.

At the drinks station, most of the water cups were not even half-filled, you either had to grab 2 cups or choose a cup that had been filled this creates a bottle-neck as the runners were choosing their cups or asking the cup be filled to the brim.

"Run, run, don't walk!" was what some of the volunteers shouted. I do not know how this phrase can be used as an encouragement. It sounded like my teacher rushing us to class after recess. Or rushing to cross the traffic light before it turns red.

Would this phrase be better, "Yes you can!" be better? Firstly this phrase is shorter and secondly the volunteer shouter do not have to make the awkward effort to pronounce the "k" sound from walk. Think about it.
 
This blog shall be a happy one, full of mundane stuff. As HH Dalai Lama always said, every being wants happiness and kindness. Yes...Now it's the time for the Dayz of My Life.

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Location: Singapore
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