SC Singapore Marathon 2005

Bad Bad Bad! Big flop this year. Instead of bettering last year time, this year came in worse and to think I was actually aiming for 4.30.

Met up with a few of the sgrunners at the fountain just before the start of race. Finally get to meet Sotong. Boy is he tall! When the race started, it was every man or lady for himself.

The strategy was to run slow initially and pick up the speed later on. Covered the first 2 km in 14.25 mins. Just before turning to Marina Village, the first of the international runners were already running back. They sure are fast! Covered the next 18 km in an average speed of about 6.30 mins per km. At this stage, I was confident of completing in the target time. Along the way, saw the Lonely Runner zoom past and then Ironman Dreamer caught up and also in an twinking of an eye, disappeared.

By the time reached Nicholl Highway, it was real hot. The blind Kenyan runner doing the 21km was already turning back. Felt the muscle in my left leg tightening up. Thought it was the patt strap blocking blood flow and removed it. At the 22 km mark, stop at the toilet to apply some tiger rub. The legs was starting to act up! Walk a bit and then stopped again - this time to take a packet of hammergel. Thereafter, couldn't find the willpower to run and slowed down to a jog. Just before the u-turn at ECP, slowed down completely to a walk Both calves were now very tight. Decided then to follow Lim Ngee Huat's advice on walk 5 minutes run 30 minutes. Strange - never felt like this before! Definitely not at this distance since I have covered longer distance without any problem.

After the u-turn - decided to resume running - and wham it happened again! Immediately, both legs cramped up! Got no choice but to sit down at the turn off to Bedok Jetty and apply more tiger rub and stretch massage the legs - but no dice, cramps started appearing all over even the hamstring. Shit! Spent half an hour there trying to get my legs back before giving up and deciding to walk. Took slightly over 10 mins to walk the next 1 km and continued walking until reached the sgrunners support table. Stop and chitchat for a while. Renohtaram gave me a hydralite (whatever that is) to drink. Poor him. He had to give up running today because of some insect bit. Showed me his leg. One big ugly patch!

After that decided was well enough to run but had not even ran 50 paces before the cramp on the right calves came back. No choice, more tiger rub - no more stretching as it seems to make it worse and walk again until the 32 km. Already slightly over 4 hours. Realised there was no way I can cover the balance 10km and better my last year timing with my condition. Decided not to push myself and just enjoyed the rest of the ran.

Surprisingly, the legs choosed to behave themselves and managed to start running. First at 9 min pace for the next km increasing by 1 minutes per kim until my Red Bull from Cho manning the waterpoint at the 34 km and doing a 6km pace by the 35 km. Must have ran too fast cos at the 38 km when I stopped for a drink, the legs seized up again. sigh! so close and yet so far!

Resume walking from 38 to 39 before running again. Seems okay but bladdy hell at 41km with just 1 more km to go, the left calves cramped again. No choice got to walk. At the tunnel entrance to the Padang - there was Broken Runner and some other sgrunners. Wah - she very sexy in her red outfit. Finally after the tunnel - cannot lose face at the end - force myself to run to the end.

Total time taken: app 5:39:11 (1 hour 9 minutes behind original target time) damn malu!

Not too sure whether it is a mental thing. Last year cramp also immediately after the EC u-turn. Maybe just can't beat through this psychological barrier?

5 December 2005:

Official Results:

Chip Time: 5h:37:44s
Gun Time: 5h:39:10s
Average: 7.5km per hour
8 min per km