I never imagined that i would be capable of running and completing a marathon in my lifetime. When i was a kid, the Olympics events was my favourite sport on the telly beside the football World Cups.
My favourite events in the Olympics was athletic, but the Marathon event itself is the highlight of my day – watching the history of Marathon itself gives me goose bumps, these Marathon runners running through pains and in the process inspired millions across the world. I loved spending all those times watching my heroes running – Abebe Bikila, Emil Zatopek and more recently Haile Gebrselassie. Never in million years i thought i could run a marathon, even 10k seems like a very loooong distance to me then.
Earlier in my life, as i loves running fast – i opted for track and fields sports, 100 metres, 200 metres and the longest 400 metres. I did pretty well, but never won Gold though, my personal best was silver medal in 200 metres.
I was encouraged to try the local road race when i read Fatini’s blog and later Haza the running mom’s blog. My first road race was 5km – Dukethon Nov 2009, then the 12km at KL Malakoff; which later upgraded to Half Marathon distance at Putrajaya Night Marathon (PNM) earlier this year.
I decided after the PNM to run at least 7 HM in 2010 or about year of intense running and training to prepare for the basic foundations of Marathon race. My plan was to celebrate the 2nd edition of PNM by running the Full Marathon distance next year (2011).
By PBIM 2010, i managed to complete 5 HM and several 10k/12k races locally; including two back-to-back run, Nike Run + Hooha Run and PBIM 21km + 10 km.
The Temptations
During the ride to Penang for PBIM, Yim said that PNM 2011 might be cancelled. I was thinking, darn there goes my Marathon plan – the earliest in 2011 would be the Energizer Night Race in March, that would be too long.
After PBIM, the lambong fiesta on me to do FM at SCMS started by none other than Mr. Cengkerang himself, texting me day and night to consider his proposal, then Ijam and Syed jumped into texting bandwagon. If that not enough, Deo joined in and spread the lambong through his blogs and FB, aiyoh…
Luckily the other RBUs and Queen FMV didn’t join the fiesta. I finally gave in when i assessed my trainings and the thought that the next Marathon event would be months away. I later said YES and bought Syed’s bib – thanks Syed (i might later cursed these guys during the race..he he). This is the only race that i never planned to do.
Pre Race
Took the same bus with Ziff and arrived at Harbour Front around 1:30 pm, and made a bee line towards the MRT going to the Float for our bib collection.
All smooth transaction at the collection counter – the only disappointment was the race Expo was really small. Come on Singapore, this was supposed to be an International event!
Meet the rest of the RBUs after collected our bibs. At the time, the weather in Singapore was cool and drizzling with rains, if this weather continues tomorrow we gonna have a wonderful race. I don’t mind getting wet, as long as it a cool weather for my first Marathon.
L-R: Azmar Iron Man, Zaki Otoromen, Diket Menchanak, Ra.Y, Ziff Cengkerang.
Afterwards we went to Novena Square for lunch and visited all the sports store there (ALL SPORTS STORE!), instead of resting our feets for tomorrow’s big day; we spend hours in the sports shops. We (zaki + me) only managed to check-in around 7 pm at Fort Canning Lodge, nearby Dhoby Gaut MRT. We hit the sack around 11.00 pm, after dinner at nearby Cathay Complex. Slept like a baby, even Zaki Otoromen snores…he he
Weapons of choice:-
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Adidas Entristar shoes
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Injinji Socks (new)
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Rocktape (PF taping – right feet)
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Insoles (HTP Heel Seats for my PF)
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Vaselin (for chaffing and blister prevention)
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iPod Nano + Nike Plus sensor
The Race
Set the alarm at 3:30 am, get dressed and off the door 5 minutes before 4 am. We’re walking towards the starting line about 2km away with a bunch of other runners, met a group of Singaporean runners and they inquired about FMV and June Malik. They said CAR and FMV are well known here among the runners, especially JM; wow we didn’t realised that we have a celebrity amongst us RBUs :)
We had ample time to warm up before the gun off, for some reason i felt calm and collected, not even a flicker of nervousness. Maybe i didn’t know what to expect for the FM race, we’ll soon find out after 21km.
Calm before the storm – few seconds after gun off.
I was excited to know my potential and limit for the FM, i guess most of the RBUs also wondered the same thing. My usual timing/pace for HM is around 2:15 ish, with my PB at 2:14. Well my main objective is to complete and enjoy my maiden FM without killing myself or get injured during the process. I guess to achieve the timing of 5:30 would be doable and if during the race i felt good with my pace, why not try achieving sub-5; to me there is no harms in trying and pushing your limits.
Objectives
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Sub-5
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Sub – 5:30
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Complete the FM within time limit.
Anyway, i didn’t tell Zaki and the rest of RBUs about my target, just a white lie saying that a completion of 42.2 km for my maiden run is good enough for me. I wish you could see the horror in Zaki’s face, when i entered the 5:00 – 6:00 pen (green and yellow bibs). We supposed to enter the grey bibs pen at the back for the second wave start. The officials were quite strict in allowing runners to enter their designated pen, i slipped into the pen when one the officials stopped a runner without a bib; then Zaki tried to enter the pen but to no avail as he was stopped at the entrance. Thinking Zaki would then enter the grey pen, i move on further towards starting line. Later i was surprised when Zaki appear besides me, he said to the official to chase me while he then entered the pen undetected – very smart this Otoromen..he he.
We met Ijam, azza and Lily in the pen, but there was no sign of the others – Ziff, DM, Azmar or even Yim. At 5.00 am, the our pen (the 1st waves) was flagged off and we (Ijam, Zaki and me) started the race with very slow jog.
For the first time ever – i pushed the Marathon distance workout on the Nike plus system. I was horrified later when my pace and distance was calculated in MILES! I only used km for pace and distance guidance – i was panicking a bit but decided to let it be and just do a mental calculation based on the route distance markers.
After a while, Ijam pick-up his pace and was gone into the morning darkness, i soon follow suit. I tried so hard not to push the pace too early, in fact my pace this time is slower than HM pace, felt a bit comfortable after the tunnel at Fort Canning and ran my comfortable pace. Felt a bit of pains on right feet – but a manageable pains at least, Rocktape was brilliant in hindering PF pains. I didn’t stopped at the earlier water stations as i was running with a bottle of 100plus, and every 45 minutes i gulped down a Powergel/GU Gels – for this race i emptied 5 gels along the way.
At 10km, i was clocking 1:08 and going strong, i passed the 5:30 and 5:00 pacer earlier. All system was doing great at 12km before entering the East Coast Park, legs felt light and PF pains contained by Rocktape.
19,000 runners ran the FM at this race and it’s was too many runners for my liking which sometimes disturb your steady pace, especially during the narrow route along the East Coast Park (ECP). Big mistakes on my part – i did not studied the route more carefully, the ECP felt like forever to arrive at the u-turn. At around 15km, we saw the first group of runners on the other side and i foolishly though that the U-turn was just few km in front – boy was i wrong!
Then i felt the urge to go for number 1 and number 2 simultaneously, but i think i can’t hold it for few more km, by this time many runners was doing a pit stop at the park’s toilet. I clocked 2:23 at 21km, from that point on it was a new experience and territory for me. I never ran pass 21km before, my LSD was 20km a week before and 21km+10km at PBIM. Now after the u-turn, i could see more runners on the other side and managed to shout out some words of encouragements to some them – did not see ziff, zaki, DM and Azmar though.
The East Coast Park route
The 5:00 pacer was still behind me at this time, i only stopped at several water stations to refill 100plus and consumed ORS. The first half of the race was superb and i’m on course for sub-5 timing. But at 26km, the cramp started attacking me, i was then reduced to walk and slow jog. I lost my running pace there, my legs was cramping badly – this is the start of walk-jog-walk till the end. Every time i walked, the cramps creeping up to my leg, being force to slow jog. Few minutes later, the 5:00 pacer ran passed me slowly – darn it!. There goes the 1st objective and i could only watch, couldn’t even muster a strength to do a proper run.
Then i felt the need to pangsai very badly at 27km, wasted few minutes there, karma at work for calling yim a bushman..hu hu sorry yim, learned my lesson now. Nevertheless, i used a proper toilet..he he
I was glad to be out from ECP, the sun was blazing hot when i ran through the construction work site and the Golf course. Met Fiki from DM, he was pacing very slowly and painfully – after a bit encouragement to him, he slowly moved forward to Marina Barage.
Many runners was seen stopping around these area to tend to their cramps, i was lucky as i managed to hold on and not to stop, just continue with my walk-jog routine. This is the best experience ever (Deo you should try this soon), i never had the ‘pleasure’ of having cramps before during my HM races. I could only cursed now the RBUs for lambong me earlier to take up this race.
At 36km, the worst came at East Coast Parkway in the form of 10k runners occupying all spaces of the road. Wasted a lot of energy to zig-zag them bunch which some of them were strolling and holding hands casually. By this time, the heat from the sun was super-hot. This is where the route lead us to a bridge – i think now KA misinformed me saying Singapore’s route is flat! Botak you owe me a good explanation, he he.
All of the sudden mizz bananaz came running from behind in a steady pace, i was about to walk then; she said there’s still time for sub-5, i followed her pace for while then i lost her sight in between the 10k runners. As the legs still felt heavy, i kept on doing the walk-jog routine till about 500 metres from the Finish line – the sight of peeps and supporter on both barricades made my day. Now i didn’t think about running – my brain was only focusing on the finish line, i absorbed the cheers and noise; the legs now working and i was doing a proper running. I held out my right hand high across the finish line and the mat – but wait a minute. Where’s the digital timing? I was fooled because the real finishing line is about 150 metres away – hopefully nobody seen that!
As i was approaching the finish line, i saw Tey on right side and i shouted his name – he responded by clicking his camera, thanks Tey – what we do without you. Then someone shouted my name – it was Azhar from DMer, i bet he completed his HM earlier in a supernatural time. I ran to him at the side of the barricade and give him a-high-five, thanks dude you made my day!
I was grinning ear-to-ear as i crossed the finish line with right hand up in the air showing No.1 (marathon). The timing was 5:20:58 (net), objectives No.2 and No.3 achieved. I’ll get better and sooner or later i will achieve objective No.1
I would remember and cherish this moment till the day i die :) . With that i’m no longer a FMV, made my way towards the ‘Padang’ and collected my medal and my first Finisher tee. There were too many peeps at the ‘Padang’ and i was depleted and disoriented – made a bee line towards the Hotel for much deserved R & R.
Syukran, i managed to completed the race in one piece, blister free and injury free. Injinji socks, vaselin and Rocktape saved my feet and on Monday i was walking normal – no sores and no pains, thankfully it was a quick recovery.
No 1 – Maiden Marathon
Thank you
I would like to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart in making this dream comes true.
Runners friends i met during the events, the RBUs which always encouraging each other to do better, the DMer gang, CAR gang, FMV Queen – for being always there at finishing line for the runners, you’re not only a celebrity but an icon for us runners, Syed + Ziff+Ijam for that extra push to do this special Marathon, Zaki Otoromen – LSD buddy, Abang Misai – Yim (always sharing tips – tq sifu), Fatini for sharing your experience in your blog and mostly to Running Mom – Haza, which influenced and inspired me the most through out the year, i dedicated this maiden FM to you. Keep running and inspires more people Haza :)
I’m still could not register the fact that i completed the Marathon distance, it’s still beyond my comprehension – how did i managed to do that?
Official Results
Ranking : 3128
Gun Start Time : 05:00:28
Chip Start Time : 05:03:26
CP10k : 01:08:21
CP21k : 02:23:11
CP30k : 03:37:48
Chip Finish Time : 05:20:58
