Lesson learned during a Marathon. (with Race report.)

Developing blisters in new, exciting places.

Chafing occurs in new, exciting places.

Pain in new , exciting places.

Stories you've heard about the last 10k of the race is 100% true and NOT exaggerated At All.

Eat the not so tasty gels first, Save the tasties for later.

Sub 5 hour marathon can be done with only 10 km training.!

The power of hearing someone call your name is amazing.

A Friend running with you during your 30km breaching point, just awesome.

The 4 words mantra "Feeling Strong, Going strong" ROCKS!.

Friends and strangers cheering you on is incredibly moving and inspiring.

Having a 10 meter sprint with another marathoner and won after 42.1 km:PRICELESS.


12 Hrs before Race Day

Registered at 11.00 ,thanks to Arif and Senn for it. quite huge crowd at registration at Queensbay mall. Looks like a ticket counter for a carnival rather than a marathon registration.

So we checked in at THE G-hotel...yeah it sounds corny. but it does seems pretty nice. Ronald , Peter and me placed our stuff in there before meeting up with Senn and Arif , we head down to the back streets of penang for lunch.

So whats the essential nutrition for marathon runners prior the Penang Bridge run.

Kari ayam, kari ikan, Kari sotong , every darn curry that a Nasi Kandar stall can mix it in. We had it + plenty of papadum! to top it off with excellent Penang cendol.

( asking for trouble isnt it )

We head down back to the G-hotel to have some rest. Being hyper and not wanting to sleep arif and Senn decided to see Fantastic 4. ( I said lets go ) Whats a cheesy movie oh well , thats another story.

So after the movie we went back to our separate rooms to chill down. Peter , Ronald and Me decided to go to have dinner @ 7 while Arif and Sennn was getting some shut eye.

7 hours prior to a full marathon , We had high calorie nutritious intake of Char kueh teow, Fried Osyters, Ikan bakar, Sotong Bakar and Rojak buah. ( We are suicidal kamikaze marathoners but we are also in penang! )

Went back took a dump a shower and slept.


RACE DAY

Wohoo.

Woke up at 12.30 ( said to myself, shit this is the time , everyone is out clubbing )
So we preped up , smack it up and got it going to the parking area.

Saw none of the familiar faces in there. So we joked and mess about in the "elite area" where we were quarantined. Saw Lesley and Alex some kaki tri.

Soon the flood gates open , the officials turn us loose at the Start point at 3.00 am. Saying our good luck. we initiated.

And we began this journey.i broke away but starting out regulated no wanting to burst out everything. so the first 20 was really good. The running environment was dark at 3-6 am all you can focus on is the road and yourself + the other marathoner around.

It was a pretty lonely journey of drinking and smacking on gels with the legs constantly on a stride. Untill I saw those kenyans running. its quite an awesome sight to see them just vanish on a 2 km road in less than 4 mins!

And also until i saw that Asley with kenyan legs + sherpa lungs too. She was like chasing the kenyans as though the kenyans stole her mp3 player.

I was happy to see Elain when she came into my sight. ( meaning i was dropping in speed. )Saw jasmine on the other side of the bridge ( going strong ) while we both run along side. i harpooned her for easy 13- 14k until the last 10 km where i start to drop due to the pain on my legs. Our conversation was just really fun during that duration so positive and full of energy. The first half was a dream pretty surreal. I kept up easily with a good pace team and was militant about storing up energy for later. Everything was on track for a best-case scenario. Enlighten to think on the stuff that really matters to me on run and when its over when i get back.

However in a journey like this the truth prevails and something got to give. Having never breaching a 15 km run nor a half marathon at the most with several 10 km runs.
I'd expected not to last 25 km. but i was going strong, feeling strong all the way until 35 km. Where the last 7 did takes its toll on the knees.i think everyone can vouch on the Intel stretch of road being a very mentally and physically challenging distance but it was much further, nearer to Queensbay mall where my legs was giving me the middle finger. Along the way i saw Arif who looks fine and dandy "how far more? "quite a bit" i said.

At the last 7 was really mind to the body. not body to the mind.Then I detected a blister on my left foot. Strange, I thought. I'd never gotten a blister from running, and I was wearing a safely worn-in pair of shoes. Fortunately, the pain was minimal, and I was able to forget about it and keep moving.
But I couldn't ignore my tired legs. Soon, after holding out as long as possible, I had to stop and walk a few feet then several few feet's. i was hoping to make it in 4hrs 30 mins.

Kind-hearted spectators near 40km shouted their encouragement, and I kept moving so as not to disappoint them.

So it is made good that i manage to finsh it in 4hrs 40+ mins. pretty happy indeed.

Congrats to those who entered, to those i have started with , to those i have met half way thru , and to those who reached back :)

( More stories and pictures later. i am tired. i wanna sleep. nite and lights out.)

at Monday, June 25, 2007  

4 comments:

Adrian said... Tue Jun 26, 12:40:00 PM 2007  

well done mate!!!!!!!!!!

Vicious Cycle said... Tue Jun 26, 01:18:00 PM 2007  

Adrian you were fast asleep dreaming on a carbon tt bike while i was stomping the bridge!

thx for ur sms btw..!

fook said... Tue Jun 26, 05:06:00 PM 2007  

proud of u Bro! u were strong runner!

Vicious Cycle said... Tue Jun 26, 11:34:00 PM 2007  

thx fook, i understand now what it is like. From 10 to 42.2 is life changing.

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