This was my first ever Sundown event and my 3rd FM, which by far was my worst - a new record - PW!
I have not trained since the Tioman Trails two weeks prior due to personal commitment. My last run was 20km 12 days before SD42 with KA. In addition i was sick with fever for three days from Tuesday, but somehow managed to recover on Friday. I really was planning to DNS this if i'm NOT recovered from the fever.
So this was a risky Marathon ran with lack of trainings and just barely recovering from a fever!
Met so many familiar faces at SD Marathon, plus this year the Malaysian contingent was the biggest foreign runners at 1,800 participants.
The race for FM started around 10 pm, after the 10km and HM event started 2 hours apart from each other. The weather was so freakin humid and immediately you sweats buckets, this gonna be one long night i said to myself.
I started running with Deo, and the first 10km I was on a good running pace, not too fast not too slow - a happy pace, 10km done in 1:03, but at 12km disaster struck!!
All of the sudden i felt light headed and dizzy,tell myself that i’m not gonna risk fainted during running, so i decided to walk, all my hard work earlier gone in minutes, all the runner that i overtook earlier came blazing passed me walking. So competitive mode is OFF and LSD mode is ON!
After a few km the nausea and dizzy feeling still linger plus now my bowel demanded to be emptied. Stopped at the nearest WC inside the ECP, but it was a false alarm. Started to walk again before stopped a few minutes later for the second false alarm! Damn u bowel movement! At this point the dizziness was so severed that i feared i would DNF this! I was searching for volunteer and a place a lie down at that time! I feared i ran the last my good race that nite and it's time to call it quit!
Then i saw Mohan and his entourage ran passed me, magically my feet started running again, so followed Mohan, Puisan, Winnie group throughout the East Coast Park. It was a run - walk routine through out the ECP. LSD mode OFF, Survival mode ON! Thanks Mohan you saved me again!
I finally got my second wind after 30km, from then on i ran and never stopped for a walk! I overtook 525 runners in the last 11km and saved my energy for the 100 meters sprint at the finishing line. Yeah i still got the leg for that final sprint! I scream like a madman soon after crossing the finish line, yeah managed to overtook several runners during that final sprint!
Splits:
5 km - 0:30:28.72
10 km - 01:03:09
21 km - 2:51:07.64
30 km - 4:21:34.41
42 km - 05:45:09
http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event.py?event=Sports/2011/Sundown%20Marathon&new_search=1&match=E6085
Thankfully i completed another Marathon without injury or cramps, although this is my PW timing but it was the most valuable experience in turning a potential DNF into a completed Marathon. Now it’s so much easier to choose for next year event – Hatyai or SD. No contest there!
Event Photos.
