Celebrate!: What A Journey

Up till the last moment, i had doubts of starting, let alone completing a full marathon. It simply wasn't a nice feeling to stop running for 7 weeks due to the pain in my foot. The last time i blogged, i had actually decided to finally accept that this dream is not to be. But as the buzz of the marathon grew louder (through the frequent updates on the FB page), i began to hope: maybe, just maybe i run only as far as my body allows? i simply can't afford another injury when i have a vacation coming up.

i only managed to do 2 short practice runs of 8km before the marathon. Not very comforting, lol

But more importantly, i ran for my boys. i need to face the challenge that i set for myself in the first place, and not run away from it. Even if i only ran a 10km before giving up, i would have taught an invaluable lesson of courage to my boys.

Unlike my previous 2 runs, i only got ready my stuff like pinning the bib and tying the timing chip one day before. i brought along my EZ Link card as well as money to take taxi, just in case i can't go on and i'm like stranded in no man's land, lol. i slept badly 2 nights before the run, dreaming of forgetting to bring this or that, lol.

The afternoon before the run, we went to the Cangcos' for housewarming and it helped a great deal to receive encouragement from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It was also there i found out 3 others would also be running, 2 for the 10km and 1 for the 21km. 加油 everyone! We returned home in the evening and i slept from 7:30pm to 1:30am, cos i had to be at the neighbourhood stadium to catch a 3am chartered bus to Orchard Road, the starting point of the marathon. No prize for guessing, i didn't sleep very well, lol.

The Significant Other walked me to the stadium. i had to force down my carbo meal consisting of 4 pieces of wholemeal bread, omelete and a muesli bar. But some (or most?) of which went to the Signficant Other lah, cos i was just a bundle of nerves, lol

Talking about the Significant Other - he was the one who physically signed up for the marathon during the road show for me even though it could be done online. Being such a noob, i thought we would have the chance of getting an early bird gift of a sports watch (the very complicated kind) since he was attending a course near the road show that day. But at last, no chance lah, people actually queued overnight for the watch, lol.

The Significant Other is also the one who collected my race pack (consisting of T-shirt, timing chip, lots of sponsored discount vouchers) and bought the bus ticket. He has to put up with my incessant whining of being nervous. He came up with all kinds of hilarious suggestions so that i won't have to lose face if i had to call it quits half way, like bandaging my knees before the run and pretending to fall and mourn loudly that i can't go on any more, lol. Thanks da, couldn't have done it without you :)

Courtesy of SCMS 2010

The full marathon started at 5am. But since there were 19,000 of us, the flag off was staggered, starting from the elite runners. i was the last batch of course, lol. By the time i cross the starting line, it was 5:20am. i met a 52-year-old lady who was running her 3rd marathon. And she gave me so many tips. i never saw her again when the run started. She must have finished way ahead of me, lol.

It was really good to run before sunrise. The Christmas lighting along Orchard Rd was so so lah, maybe i wasn't in the mood to enjoy. The first 2 to 3 hours of my run was the best. i didn't stop and it was cooling. The skyline of MBS and the surrounding was beautiful. i took some pictures along the way with my camera phone but i only managed to upload one to FB yesterday after the run, give up lah, load and load, lol

The run at East Coast was a killer. One end to the other end and then back again. The sun also was out by then and i was like perspiring like crazy. i drank at every drink station and ate at every refueling station. Bananas and energy gels were provided. i was thinking of char kway teow. i also needed deep heat to rub on my legs. By then the pain at my injury spot has set in and i downed 2 panadols.

Surprisingly i never thought of giving up even though somewhere along the 30km mark, i couldn't run anymore. i think it's because i wasn't alone in walking. Many have given up running at this point, might as well all walk together, lol. If i have to give an excuse for not running, it was the hot sun. i made a mental note that if i'm ever able to run long distance again, i will sign up for the sun-down marathon which starts at 7pm. Unless i'm so slow as to take 12 hours to complete, i will have the moon for company instead :)

It was also when i started to walk that i sent the first SMS update to some friends. Thank you all for your encouragement :) i needed that cos the next killer is the Benjamin Sheares Bridge. Oh, have i mentioned that after the 21km mark, many participants had to stop to rest and stretch. At the bridge, it was the worse, many couldn't take the heat and had to stop but alas no shade mah at the bridge. i just had to walk on and on. i had my cap on but i felt my shoulders burning.

Picture taken just before i crossed the finish line

i took the time to cross the Finish line. After i took this picture, the event MC interviewed me to ask me how i was doing. Told him the first thing that came to my mind: it's worse than giving birth!

After the run, all full marathon finishers were to proceed to collect a T-shirt and medal. Alas, since i was incredibly slow at 7:30 hours, the only T-shirt size available is XL. To think that i've been coveting that T-shirt for so long, sigh, lol.

Since i wasn't even sure of completing the marathon, i told the Significant Other to go to church as usual and wait for my call. In the end, i took the MRT to near church to meet up with them. OK i'm smelly lah, who cares, lol. And fortunately i didn't use the baggage deposit service. Runners had to walk from Padang to the F1 pit to collect their bags. Imagine a prolonged marathon, lol.

My boys told me that they are proud of me :)

But i feel more thankful than anything else. It was a run i knew God ran with me :)

To Him be the Glory!