Tips No 3 for Marathoner Wannabes - Distract

Down to 1 and a half week. So exciting! Got sleepless night or not?

Okay you are running running running and tired as hell. When is this race going to end? “Why”, you asked yourself, “did I sign up for this torture”; “how am I going to finish this?”

When you are physically drained, when all the gels and salt and isotonic drinks doesn’t work and all you want to do is to lie down and sleep, how do you keep yourself focused and continue to run? This is what you need to do - Distract Yourself. Yes contrary to all the other experts’ advices out there to focus on the race, I am telling you – distract yourself. Guess that’s why I am not an expertJ

Distract yourself. Look at the other participants. Look at the hot bod in front of you or the sexy bum. Read the captions on the bibs. Get inspirations from them. Look at everybody just don’t look at yourself.  Look at the old fogey in front. If he can do it, so can you.

Distract yourself. Look at the scenery/surroundings. Hopefully the lights will still be on in Orchard Road but once past that place, look at the sea, the surf, and the people lining the streets. Look at the impatient guy in the car stuck in the traffic jam because of all these crazy runners and laugh at him. Look up, look down, look left, look right anything and anywhere just to take your mind off the agony of the run.

Distract yourself. Listen to music. Get a MP3 player. The Walkman 252 is great for this. Power it up with some real macho songs, not Jay Chou(I learnt my lesson!). And make sure there is enough juice to last the number of hours you expect to run. Dance to the music and you find your feet gliding so smoothly through the kilometers.

Distract yourself. Got no MP3 player? Sing out loud. Er a caveat here. If your singing is that sort that will wake the dead or give goosebumps to everybody, maybe better to hum silently in your head. Sing those silly songs like Lemon Tree, Mice love Rice, Umbrella Song you know those types that have the silly and catchy chorus that keeps you singing them over and over again.

Distract yourself. Visualise the char kway teow; swee char-boh; ice cream waiting for you at the finishing line. Visualise the sensual massage you going to get at the Thai massage bar in Geylang. Visualise the pride you going to feel when you recall every single step of the race to your children, colleagues and family. Visualise yourself crossing the finishing line – hands held up in pride!

Yes you did it! You are a marathoner!