k r i s a n d r o

Yeah I did it! I finished the whole of 21km despite my initial worries about the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon 2009.

It is my very 1st time participating in a public mass running event (The Big Walk doesn’t count right?) and the very first time at attempting to run a distance of 21km.

I did predict that I would probably finish the race in 2hrs 30mins – 2hrs 45 mins and my timing is very far off from the predictions but I didn’t expect it to be a painful one! My body started to breakdown at the 14km mark and I had to adopt a run-walk-run method to be able to finish the race.

I knew I was putting in too much effort when my heart rate monitor told me that my heart was beating at 189 beats per minute which is the highest I have ever seen from all the runs I did before in my training runs. The over-exertion was also confirmed by the chills running through my body when my heart rate was that high.

There was mostly sweaty men surrounding me and no babes around me to attribute the high heart rate to and so from the 14km – 15km mark, I decided to run based on my heart rate which was probably the smartest decision made that day. I stopped to walk when my heart rate started to hit a high and started to run again when it’s lower and stabilized.

At the 17km – 18km mark, I started to develop cramps on both of my lower quads and eventually my left ankle. It was very punishing to walk much less to run but I told myself to ‘finish strong’ and I made myself run the last 1.5km – 2km through the finishing line.

I don’t have the experience of running other races to compare how well the organizers did for this one but I think I enjoyed it pretty much. The water points are plenty and nicely spaced out; there were many musical performances throughout the route that provided morale boosting beats; queues at the end of the race for the medals are almost non-existent.

Other runners also provided great entertainment. There was a runner whose watch beeped constantly throughout his run. In my head I went, “BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPP…….”. There was an uncle who let out a pretty wet fart when I was jogging right behind him though it could have been the sound of his turbo boost as he sped away after that.

Much thanks to KuKuNehNeh for waking up early with me at 3am to prepare breakfast and to drive me there where she waited a good 3 hrs and more for me to finish the run.

*MUACKS*!!!!

I am quite looking forward to the full marathon in December despite aching from head to toe right now. Now pardon me as I end this post to get up painfully from this chair to get a drink by walking like a guy with swollen testicles heading for the fridge.

Without sounding like a drama queen who has been denied to eat her favourite McDonald’s Seaweed Shaker Fries…

I am so dead. I am so DEAD. I AM SO DEAD. I AM SOOOOOO DEADDDD!!!!!!!!!

Ok. Fine. That really sounded like a drama queen who has been denied to eat her favourite Shaker Fries.

My running routine was interrupted by a bout of flu some time back and I had to steer clear of my jogging shoes while I recovered from the nasty bugs for 3 whole weeks.

Not only did I miss at least 90km of training but after trying to run again after the 3 week long break, I realized my mind, body and heart were so much weaker and I could not go back to the same intensity I was training prior to the flu. I should be hitting 22km for my long run this weak but instead, I have only managed to run a furthest distance of 12km so far.

With the Army Half Marathon only 11 days away, I am in serious deep shit.

I have thoughts about forgoing the 21km race next Sunday and concentrate on the year end’s Standard Chartered Marathon instead but I find it such a pity to not run when I have paid up and actually asked friends to join me for the run.

So I am probably going to generously adjust my pace so that I run as fast as a Shaker Fries deprived drama queen to make sure I am slow enough to finish the run.

I am so dead.