the pain after the glory
i kind of regretted signing up for the half-marathon, despite it being an all women’s event. however, since i was unable to convince myself or my husband that i decided to give up on the run, i woke up with heavy eyelids.
the flag off was early, at 5.30 am, which was a good opportunity to avoid the sun and heat. distance indicators, together with motivation phrases, were well-placed and visible from far. hydration points were located comfortably at every 2km mark, and distribution of gel somewhere at the 15 km – 16 km hydration station. some hydration stations served only plain water, and those served in the last few stations were not cold.
the first 10 km took the runners along the f1 pit, towards nicoll highway, geylang road, the kallang river park connector and crawford street, then back to nicoll highway again towards the new sports hub. a familiar route, with a nice view of the sunrise along nicoll highway. i tried to stay cool and easy in the first 10 km, and stopped at hydration stations for drinks. i hit the wall, after the ascent of flyover, between the 11 km – 12 km mark.
i broke the race into 3 sections, 1 x 10km, 1 x 5km and 1 x 6km. the last 9 km was a struggle for me, as i looked ahead to spot the next km distance marker. the race took a bad turn, especially along the garden by the bay east and garden by the bay, where a jog was reduced to a walk, under the heat that was beginning to build up. the sheltered marina bay sands was a respite from the sun, before hitting marina boulevard, and the last 2 km to the finishing line.
i completed my first half-marathon, in an UN-glamorous note. hit by a sudden burst of giddiness, and collapsed a few meters away from the finishing line. one runner was helpful enough to lift me up to my feet and encouraged me to cross the finishing line with her. i rejected her kindly, held onto the railings, and managed to cross the finish line, before i slumped into a wheelchair for medical attention on the abrasions.
the next hour or more was spent in the medical tent. the past is history and i wouldn’t be writing this post should there be a mishap. it was a valuable lesson learnt – sufficient sleep, adequate hydration and proper training are just the few key components to finish the race strong.
i’m not nursing the abrasions and the pain on my calf. i can forgo running the penang bridge half-marathon this coming weekend as well. even my massage therapist advised me against running for at least 2 weeks. 🙁
