Today’s was perfect for running. The cool early morning, the charged-up atmosphere, the sight of thousands and thousands of runners lining up; some were causally chatting away, some were in deep thoughts….in prayer…each soul has a goal, a purpose this morning. To some it was just another run, to others it means much more. No right and wrong, each are entitled to their own perception.
My goal was simple; to maintain a 6min pace for as long as possible….and hopefully to do a sub 4:30.
Jo Wang came from behind and tapped my shoulder at 1km and we exchanged a warm hand shake and best wishes. Off he went ….nice : ). Next came Sean, he has came so far in such a short time. Still remember how he struggled in his LSD runs with us to Thomson, today he was gliding smoothly and at a good pace. Glad for him. Zoom… off he went.
Took me quite a while to get the engine cranking (3km to be exact) before I hit the goal pace. After that, it felt good to chase down the 5:00 pacer, then 4:45, then 4:30…smiling inside : )
The rest of the way was uneventful until I hit the 28K mark. Pain surfaced at the bottom outer area of my right foot. Kept the pace going and hope that the pain would go away. It did not. It got worst at 30K; the pain got louder and refused to go away. Decided to have more walking breaks and see how it goes. The pain got progressively worst; by the 36K mark I was walking at every 50m of jogging. Can’t run, the pain was killing!
At 37K, enough of pain! So decided to walk all the way. Since I can’t achieve my goal, must as well enjoy the occasion and take time to look around. The sight of so many of us who struggling in our own race and so many casualties along the way brought back to mind the article in Saturday’s ST by Jeanette Wang “Plodders have place in marathon” which I at 1am read this morning.
I like the marathon because no 2 races is the same; each has its own lessons to learn and each has its surprises. It’s like our lives; full of uncertainty and surprises. We might be strong now but down and out the next moment. Even the fit and seasoned runners are not spared; Jeanette Wang who clocked an incredible 8:47 at the 84K Sundown Marathon was not spared in the NF100. So do the scores of very fit looking runners who littered the road side today. Many were limping….but we were still moving….still trying…..still plodding….It mirrored our lives; some are weaker than others. So to say that plodders have no place in the marathon is like saying get all the weak out of our sight out of our lives.
“Come on! Keep going! DON’T WALK!!!” shouted the race marshals and supporters. Again in real life, some people just don’t understand that sometimes we simply have got to walk! They don’t understand the pain that we are going through, it’s just too plain easy to tell someone to GET GOING! Sometimes, when we are down, depressed and deflated, we just need to slow down to recuperate. We don’t need someone to shout in our ears to KEEP MOVING! I believe it would works wonders if the marshals would say, “I know you are in pain, take your time and walk if you have to but don’t give up!” : )
Then Wen Yuan woke me up as I was lost in my thoughts at the F1 pit. She was having leg cramps and was like us, plodding our way home. Then suddenly Mr.Giraffe tower over us! Now I saw a different look in his eyes….the Mandai Hill look was gone…in its place the revived spirit! He was so courteous that he could have walk with us all the way to the end but we decided to set him free! LOL!! Well done Sandip, always a pleasure to meet you along the route. Your Dad would be very proud of you today, coz you ran all the way without stopping!
Wen Yuan made her way forward and merged into the crowd in no time. I carried on with my sight seeing and day dreaming. Then, she appeared from behind again! Wow, so scary!... luckily it’s not the Ghost month now!
What she said next makes me dunno to laugh or cry; she said those irresponsible ladies were leaving their “tea bags” all over the toilet booth! Yacks!...Goodness gracious me! LOL!!! Then she disappeared just as quickly….she certainly is a civic minded person.
Among our plodders were:
• Lady who moved like the Tower of Pisa; her head was heading one way and the body was pulling it back! Amazing that she can keep her balance and still travel in a straight line!
• Gentleman who conduct “live firing” in broad daylight with the Flyer as backdrop!
• The father who carried his son on his shoulder and the mum pushing another in the pram
• Our friend from Thailand raising his hands as if practicing his final pose at the finishing line
• Lovers walking hand-in-hand; dunno they came for the run or dates
• Overweight plodders who walked pass strong young men nursing their wounds by the road side (who say tortoise never win)
The final surprise came at the final 1k mark. Ronald, who I have never met but was introduced thru a fren thru Facebook, was waiting and scanning faces…and came up to say hello! He has in fact been on the lookout in all the races he participated hoping to catch a glimpse of my handsome face…LOL! Ronald is an Ironman and hope to link him up with Perry n frens. Then we ran together towards the finish line. Thanks Ronald for adding another memorable moment to my day.
The time spent walking and watching was not in vain. It has turned a disastrous outing into a good day. Have the honor of coming in 1st among our group of multiple marathon runners…in the reverse order lah! : ) ….but so what?! ........Completing the race is what counts : )
Time: 5hrs 25mins
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