After finishing my 2 half iron triathlons, I was told I didn't know the discipline needed for a full marathon. Hmm challenge accepted. Coach David had also mentioned plans to ditch bike and swim and just focus on runs in preparation of SCMS2015. Sounded like a good plan, and heck I've had many firsts this year already so why not throw in a marathon.
As I've mentioned before, run is my weakest in triathlon, last year I focused on swim and improved enough to be more confident in it. Again, I'm not athletic, so I know I needed to work hard to get some results. And when I say results I'm still slower then most people, but races are a race against myself, and to prove that if I can do it, so can anyone.
Races for me are goals for the year. If I sign for a race, I'm gonna make sure I train for it. Why bother otherwise? So the training plan kicked in about 6 months before.
I'm following Hal Higdon's marathon training plan novice 1. I went to novice 2 about a month before race day to bring in a bit more speed work. The plan incorporates a 4 day run week with cross training on Sundays. Means I can still cycle on Sundays! The plan builds mileage progressively so your body can adapt and reduce the chance of injury. Tuesdays are a low warm up run(3-5km), Wednesday mid mileage (8-13km), Thursdays low warm down (3-5km) and LSDs on Saturday.
Of course with the haze, the new baby and so on, training didn't always go to plan. Most of my trainings were early in the morning starting at 5:30am, and even 5am on Saturdays. Sometimes I just couldn't wake up on Wednesday mornings especially after Tuesday night swims. Still I did what I could. The ultimate was running one Wednesday night, puking after 500m, struggling on another 4km, walking back 4km, and collapsing at home after bathing. My family called an ambulance and I had a terrible night at the hospital finally leaving at 3am.
Well this is the path to my marathon journey. No easy way, I covered roughly 750km in 6 months. Most of them in the early hours of the morning with scarcely a soul in sight.
So race day approached and race pack collection was at Singapore Expo. I went to collect it after work, strangely there were more full marathoners in the queue then half-marathoners. Took about 15mins to queue, and went to find my name on the board. So Ironman! Walked around the expo a bit and got some socks and a fuel belt.
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| Spot my name! |
We had arranged to meet at the Christmas tree outside ION on race day. I decided to take the MRT as the finishing point would be at the Padang, so taking the train back to Orchard, well 2 more stops and I would be home. I've never been on a MRT so early and it was full of runners! Went to the last carriage and met up with #teambm. Always nice to have company.
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| Selfie while waiting for the train |
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| Team BM! |
A quick bag deposit and bumped into Peilin, and we took some pics before proceeding to the Christmas tree at ION, where we met up with Jasper, and walked down to find Andrew and Jerlyn.
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| Peilin regrets standing in the center |
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| All ready! |
Andrew, Jasper and me headed into Pen 4 (below 6 hours) and waited for the start. The crowd moved forward and somehow we ended in Pen 3 ( below 5 hours). Er ok whatever, though I noticed a few people looking at our bibs. They didn't look below 5 hours type either so....
At 5 a.m the elite wave headed off and we were flagged off 7 mins later.
Perhaps it was because we were in Pen 3, everybody started off pretty fast. Jasper and Andrew sped off too and I lost them within 1km. At the canal after Orchard Central, there were lots of people lining up peeing!
It was also really hot even though the sun wasn't out yet and I was already drenched with sweat. My garmin beeped 1km at 6:36min, HR was 170 and I knew I was going too fast too soon.
An important part of training is the weekly LSD. Not only does it condition you for long distance running, both physically and mentally, on your LSDs, you figure out what is the pace and HR you can maintain for long distances. You also figure out your nutrition and hydration needs and how to fit it in. That's why I run fully loaded, gels, Bonkbreakers, and water. Water stations for me is to drink up isotonics, and refill my water if needed.
I realized after PJ and Desaru, drinking 2 half-full cups of fluids at each water station is definitely not enough. Also I cannot depend on aid stations having gels, at the times I need them. I also know I get hungry after 2 hours, which no gel can relief, so I take my trusty Bonkbreakers. On my LSDs, I've trained myself to be able to eat while running.
And so I told myself, we're 2km into a long race, time to slow down and get the heartrate down. Marathons are not a sprint, but to be able to maintain your speed thruout the race. There is no use banking time, I.E going fast first to get a lead time for later. The trick is either a negative split (which I've never been able to do), or ensure your km splits are within 30 secs of each other.
And this was my race plan, which had worked during the Newton 32km. This course too had many turns and curves as we wound our way thru the CBD and ECP, and another trick I learned was to take the shortest, straightest route thru the bends. On a long course this can add up to a lot of mileage saved!
And so we entered East Coast Park where most of the route would be. Flat long and winding, shady most of the way, so not much of an issue. Hit the U-turn point and I felt like a milestone had been reached.
After the 21km mark, I realized I felt similar to how I felt after the 90km bike on a half Ironman course. I continued on as best as I could but I knew I was starting to tire. Around the 24km mark, I felt a commotion behind me. It was the 5:15 pacers!
I knew I had started maybe 5 mins before them so I was going to be in trouble. I decided to run with them, and it felt like drafting in a bike peloton! They cut thru the crowds, blocked any headwind and gave you motivation! I stuck with them as long as I could but they were going thru water stations fast too and it was a bit tough catching up with them after water stations. Still, I managed to stick with them till around Fort Rd and got dropped hahaha. However, I'm grateful they helped me get thru the worst of ECP.
They say a marathon starts after 32km and exiting ECP was 32km. And that's when the pain really started. The sun was blazing hot by then and there was little shade now for the rest of the course.
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| Around 34km at Gardens by the Bay East. Smiling coz it's Sotong from Running Shots! |
I had been running with my top rolled up most of the race, finding out why ol skool triathletes loved racing in half tops. Now it was so hot my cap and singlet had dried up! There were lots of people at the sides stretching, some were vomiting, most were walking some just seating down with the heat overcoming them. I have to say though PJ was hotter, but there were ice baths and sponges there.
By now I was on a roughly 4min run/1 min walk schedule, if my HR was too high I would walk more. And then I was greeted with the Benjamin Sheares bridge.
No shade, long and towering. I shortened my steps and swung my arms more to make it up, walking after every 4mins. To be honest, it looked worse then it was, as although it was long, the gradient wasn't very steep. Finally crested the apex and went down slope the rest of the way.
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| After Benjamin Sheares bridge. Phew! |
3 more km to the finish! I was almost there! Flashbacks of all the time and effort I had put into training came to me, and I knew I was almost done. The 5:30 pacers caught up with me then and I actually swore lol. Thinking ah heck can't make it 5:30, but as close as I can would be good enough! So I jumped on the peloton and followed them.
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| Anderson Bridge...almost there! |
Somewhere at the esplanade bridge, we were all surprised to see a Kenyan runner, and we actually overtook him. First and only time we probably would do that! Either he was injured or sick or er maybe running his second round.
The pacers then shouted "Go ahead, go ahead if you can!" to all those around them, and I did so. Thank you Running Department pacers, you guys saved me twice on this race!
And so I rounded the last bend with the finish line in sight...I slowed down a bit to relish the feeling...and as tradition now, jumped over the finish line. I am Triumphant!
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| Jump shot! |
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| I am Triumphant!!! |
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| The happy finishers! |
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| Race certificate... Not a bad timing for a first timer I hope |
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| Another hard earned medal |
A big thank you to the family for being supportive, and to the Triumphant family for always making the impossible seem possible, and fun too!
