I hardly ever blog about stuff that happen nowadays (or blog even) but when something epic happens, I need to write it down. This is a chronicle of my entire 42 kilometers (plus a lil' bit of the before and after), and it starts here.
I did not train that robustly for this marathon. My entire training mileage was 93km. 93km might sound quite a bit but adjacent to the actual race distance (93km to 42km), 93 is certainly not enough. Anyway, here were my runs:
On hindsight I would have started earlier (duh), instead of training only 23 days before the race. And I would have inserted more 20kms and perhaps increase that 30km run to a 35.
Getting to Nicoll Highway was pretty easy. It's quite a central location, and with everyone walking the same direction you can pretty much find your way. Getting to a urinal to release some pre-marathon pee is not though. The toilets had excruciatingly long queues (yes, even for males). This is when I decided to take the train one station down, from Nicoll Highway to Promenade MRT to use the toilet. Considering each trip was around 70cents, I spent about $1.40 relieving myself.
I did not do a warm up run, which in retrospect I should have done. I think warm up runs help to warm up your muscles which make stretching a far more effective and pleasant process.
Running can be a rather peculiar activity. Unless you train with somebody intensively, get used to his/her pace, running patterns, behavior, signals etc. chances are running with someone on race day is going to be slightly awkward. With each bump of the elbow you make a conscious effort to apologize, when you feel the need to run faster you're worried the other party might feel offended about leaving him/her behind. When the other party runs faster you wonder if you should catch up? Or stick to your own pace. And when you guys are finally side by side there is relief that another bout of awkwardness has been avoided.
So that was how I roughly started my first 3 kilometers. My race companion was my neighbor. Convenience dictated my dad drive her there as well so we were performed pre-race rituals together and started off together. I finally lost her by accident, when I decided to take a cup of Ice Mountain mineral water at the 3km mark while she probably didn't and she was gone.
My first 10km was rather blase. I did remember feeling slightly lethargic running the first 10 but it passed by pretty quickly. I do remember getting to the 10km mark which was after the Marina Bay Sands stretch and feeling very happy. A quarter down! 3 more quarters to go. The run pass MBS was pretty cool, there were zealous angmors cheering from the bars, and seeing Avalon go all out on Saturday night led me to think I was doing another kind of partying. With more sweat.
My first gel! At around the 17km mark. My plan was to take gel at 15 and then 25 and 35 but I kept drinking 100 plus (something that wasn't available during training) so I decided to save the gel for sometime after. This stretch was characterized by random bouts of feeling the need to shit. This is clearly uncomfortable, you do not want to feel the need to shit when running a marathon. I was praying for the adrenaline to override basic human urges and it was largely an on-off affair.
At around the 17km mark I realized that while I was running on the right, there was also a path on the left! And there was this 35km sign. I felt quite sick at this thought right then. The thought of having to return to this exact same spot only 20 kilometers later turned me off a little.
Because half marathoners and full marathoners started at the same time and had largely the same track at the start of the race, I carried with me this inane fear that I would accidentally run on the wrong track and end up on the half marathoner's route. So I kept checking to make sure there were red bibs around me (the bib for my race category).
Starting off with halfies also pose another challenge because your perception of pacing is all screwed up. Since halfies effectively run half your distance, their pace should be faster too. So there was this nigging feeling whenever I saw people running at far faster paces and wondering if they were halfies or just pro-er marathoners.
I started to feel muscle strains so I made myself stretch, even though that technically took up precious running time. I figured out it would pay off in the long run when I would be running the rest of the marathon with less cramps but you cannot escape the sense of despair when you see everyone run ahead of you.
I also tightened my shoelaces by quite a bit because I felt the slightest bit of abrasion at the rear section of my right sole. That proved to be a game changer because I realised my shoes were supposedto be tied this tightly and the cushioning and support all seem to have doubled. I think my pace increased from 7min/km to around 5.5min/km the moment I tied my shoelaces properly.
This was a rather epic moment. I tied my shoelaces properly, I stretched properly. My legs felt awesome. At the half-way point I felt way more energized then I felt at the start. I was thinking, this is good, I'm so comfortable.
Which was when I felt the need to shit.
I did a Paula Radcliffe at the East Coast Park toilet near the MacDonalds/Long Beach area.
After the dump, I scooted off quickly, eager to catchup with all the people who had overtaken me. Thankfully the energized effect would last all the way until 30+ kilometers.
At this moment I was happily overtaking too many people. Too many runners were walking. Which was when I suddenly felt a blast of air-con from my side. I was wondering how the organizers managed to install massive air conditioners and why they would do it when I realized it wasn't air-conditioning but the sea breeze.
Then the wind grew stronger and little raindrops started falling. To my army conditioned mind I was pretty certain that CAT1 meant cancelling the marathon. I kept looking at the marshallers volunteers wondering when they'd sound off tell us to get into shade. But they didn't
25km came the turning point at East Coast Park and the rain started. It started slowly at first then it poured. And poured and poured and poured.
Whether rain improves performance or not is debatable. My neighbor said the combination of strong wind and rain was too unbearably cold and the only way to stay warm was to run. I on the other hand, felt that the wind could sometimes act as a force against you. This is more apparent of you are skating but I nevertheless felt it at certain times. In retrospect, I would have appreciated dry weather more.
25km-32km
Overtaking people in the rain. I think I made it a point to stretch again at the 32km mark. I also consumed my second gel around this period.
The 35km mark was rather significant for me. Largely because I felt the end was nigh. I clearly remembered the 17km moment and feeling slightly depressed before I realized it was over and I was back! It then dawned on me that the marathon was about to end, and as much as I dreaded the pain, I was actually enjoying myself. I think running prompts rather antithetical emotions. On one hand you want to finish, to get to the end as fast as you can so that you can have a timing to brag about but on the other hand you are actually enjoying yourself and running faster just means ending faster.
I also started to rub muscle rub on my calves and thighs. I figured I'd do the last 7 kilometers as best as I could. The muscle rub burned. But ultimately burning and running fast is better than aching, cramping and walking. Mind over matter.
For some reason, I did not hit the wall. The post 35 kilometer mark is usually when that happens for a lot of people. So the number of walkers really shot up. I felt quite sad for them. You are almost at the end, you do not want to walk almost at the end.
So while they walked, I made an effort to keep at least a 6.5min/km pace, which proved difficult because my muscles were finally crying out in defiance. I think every 2-3 kilometers I would spam more muscle rub.
There were parts of the route where it was pretty dark and between the concrete paths there were suddenly grass patches. This was very annoying. Grass patches are wet and uneven and could potentially aggravate a cramp. Cursing, I rushed through those patches.
I think something snapped when I saw that it was no longer thirty something kilometers but 40. As I kept running, to the 40.5 mark, the volunteers were screaming: Come on, only 1.5km left to go. 1.5. That's shorter that primary school kid's NAPFA.
Forty-one kilometers. How did it manage to end so quickly? The muscles were not in a good state now and I just spammed almost the rest of my muscle rub on the calves and decided to go for it. The iPod was playing Fighter by Darren Criss in Glee and I was quite mad.
As the baggage tents came into view, I thought, it's really happening. It's really over. I crossed the finishing line and couldn't believe the timing up there.
Four hours and thirty-five minutes. I don't deserve this! I only ran 93km! Two years ago it was 5 hours 35 minutes. I shaved off an hour.
After all that euphoria, when you finally go get your finisher tee, bananas and 100 plus cans and whatnot, there is a strong sense of anti-climax. The volunteers are tired, their faces betray all of it. You walk into the Marathoner's Welfare Tent and it is packed by everyone who ran faster than you.
I decide to get my bag and the baggage counter was a full 200-300 meters away from the end point. The ground is soggy with mud, the wind is blowing at full blast, and the cold rain drops go pitter patter. I was half wondering if I would get hypothermia.
But nothing erases that sense of happiness. Finishing a marathon, and on top of that, shaving one hour off your previous timing.
So I got into the baggage tent, and started the cool down. Standard Chartered here I come.
Never overtake for the sake of overtaking. It might feel shitty (especially at the start) when you are doing your 7min/km pace and EVERYONE seems to be faster than you (halfies don't help this phenomenon). But you should really stick to how you wanted to run and how you trained in the first place. If you want to overtake, you better make sure it is because that is you want to run and not because you're pissed that the uncle is running faster than you.
Marathons are marathons for a reason. They are long. They are arduous. Getting a leg up in the first 10km is not going to guarantee you a better timing at the end of 42. So stick to your plan, don't feel pressured. Anyway you are probably never gonna meet that old uncle ever again so even if he runs faster than you at the start you will never see him again (or care). What matters is your time. That sticks forever.
Salt is awesome. I took a salt tablet about 2 hours before the race this time and I drank 100 plus every chance I got. This coupled with the gels I brought along (high in salt content) meant that my salt intake was probably sufficient. Which is why I didn't seriously cramp throughout the 42.
Take care of your nipples! I stepped into the shower and once the water hit my body I knew I kennaed nipple abrasion. Sigh.
