SCSM 2009

Did the usual pre-run stuff, deposit bag, went toilet (we have discover a nice place to release whatever extra burden we have without squeezing with the crowd), do the very minimum stretchings (did it because I have nothing to do while waiting).

Saw Bee & Ronnie before I proceed to the waiting area.

On my way to the waiting area, suddenly feel the need to pee again! Damned!
Was thinking, should I go and pee first? or forget it?
The mobile toilet at esplanade was SUPER LONG Q.
Damned again!
Ok .. decide not to be so "Garang", went back to the padang area for the toilet. Luckily, there wasnt really a Q.

I realise, this year to get into the waiting area, they only open a tiny entrance? And everyone was basically squeezing to go in! And while waiting to be squeezed in, I saw an interesting sight! Haha

There is a moment of silence before the horn sounded.
Still dont understand what's the logic? Shouldnt they hype up everyone feeling? Instead of a moment of silence? Really weird to me.

Anyway, off I went. Was feeling good. Just running at my own pace.
Not long into the run, I heard people saying, that is the 4:15 pacers and I overtook them.
Opps... am I running too fast?
Dont care, since Im feeling good, I will just listen to my body and run at my own pace.
Remember overtaking TLR & Teelee before entering East Coast.
Die .. I even overtake them, really too fast liao lor.
Again, I decide that I should just listen to my body.
Although the advice is for marathons, you need to pace yourself properly, I must say I dont know how and what is my pacing. I always listen to my body during my training runs.

Around 14km mark, the good feeling is gone!
My left leg, the base of the leg start to feel numb. I had this feeling before and that was during AHM and some of my own runs.
But this feeling never came back during my recent LSDs.
I dont know what causes it, what is wrong.

Die lor .. 14km, my leg dont feel good! @(!_@%(!@%(
The competitive streak in me also refuse to stop, dont want to waste time, I want to keep to my target of 4:30. Press on.
After a while, it become unbearable, I know I wont be able to run the rest of the distance if the leg continue to feel this way.

Decide to be sensible! Stop, loosen my shoelace, shake my leg abit, let the blood flow. Walk for a while. Took a deep breathe to calm myself down.
Also try to pyscho myself it will be ok if I walk for a short while as this is what happen during AHM also.

After some walking till the numbness went off, I decide to run again. Now it feels better, altot I can feel the numbness like wanting to come back.
I keep on telling my mind, it will be ok, it will go away, I will survive.
I shouldnt just stop like this.

After a while, the numbness did went off. Weird! I still dont know what is wrong?!

Slightly before the U-turn pt, start to feel hungry.
Aiyo .. so fast... not yet 20km mark.
I can literally hear this "Told you to carbo-load .. dont load la"

Ate 2 small pcs of museli bar. Yes .. my energy for my long runs are museli bars, I dont take power gel. The look of it just Gross me out.

Somehow my stomach was like not happy with the museli bars, 100 plus & water. It just feel weird.
After the U-turn pt, I felt I need to go toilet! *Big Biz*

Again, the competitive streak in me actually thought, maybe I can tahan till the ending pt?! haha.
But the sensible part say I should use the toilet at East cost ! What if halfway i LS? then die lor.

At this pt, I saw ZL running pass, actually want to follow her. haha
But I need to shit!
Saw the toilet, ran in, luckily the uncle just clean the toilet and there were toilet paper!

Wow. feel so good after releasing. Like can run faster with no fears!

Run on. I believe i wasted abit of time.
But Im still within my 4:30 target as I was below 1 hr for 10km, below 2 hrs for 20km.

Run run run, suddenly hear someone calling me. Its TLR and Teelee.
Shortly after, now its I feel *sitch* on the right hand side.
TMD!
1st, leg pain, pain finish .. stomachache, shit finish now sitch.
SBS

Have to stop and walk, take deep breathe.
Try to psycho myself again, start to tell my mind to relax, take deep breathe, the *sitch* will go away.

Was actually very tired here already, I think Im functioning on completely empty tank. And I dont feel like eating any museli bars.

Reaching the 30km mark soon, for some cheap trill, I ran abit faster, I want to keep it below 3 hrs for 30km too!
I must step on the mat before 3 hrs!

Some reasons for me to push on.

After 30km, the next motivation is to look out for tiwazz at the 34km mark. Got ice-cold ribena & hydralite!
Was also abit worried that we wont run pass them judging from the route we ran this morning.

There was a huge crowd near kallang area with the 21km runners running together.
Somehow, I was more motivated to run.

Yeah! 34km mark! errr .. but Tiwazz & Bala are on the opposite side of the route.
Har ....... still must run there. Aiyo ...........

Turn into the stadium, run out ...... how come still havent reach?!
Finally, reach the bus stop they are at.
So happy!

Took photos, my ribena, hydralite.
Comment that Im on completely empty tank. Really empty.

After this pt, I start to walk alot.
Walk alot, jog abit.
Somehow, no more energy to like run, not psycho-ing myself also.

Looking at the timming, I think i should be able to meet 4:30.
Although, judging from the 1st 30km, I should be able to do better than 4:30 if I tell my legs to run harder now!

My legs were tired, and my stomach is feeling very empty. Its that kind hungry till like ... dont know how to describe, abit want to puke yet nothing to puke.

Saw a few runners like me ... walk alot, run abit all the way to the finisher pts.
Actually wanted to ask an uncle, lets motivate each other to run faster leh. hahha

Even reaching esplanade bridge, I was still walking and running.

Near to VCH, I saw the clock, it read 4:13
Oh man ... im very near already.
ok .. i want to run below 4:15 !

Wow ... finally my legs have some energy to like move faster!!

The gun time reads: 4:15:27.

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I feel, things that are within your control, you can really control it, you have a choice
Like when my legs were numb at 14km, I could have choose to give up and just walk all the way.
The mind is really powerful, you can pyscho yourself, just need to tell yourself everything will be ok. The feeling is just temporary, it will go away.
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Chip time: 4:14:10
Breakdown:

10km: 53:14
20km: 1:54:14
30km: 2:51:11
32km: 3:07:09