HK Marathon - A Harbour Race

Date: 4th March
Time: 7:40am
Event: Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon 2007
Distance: 42.1295km

I was prepared for KL Marathon. Alas, the date changed and i ended up in Hong Kong. Since sweetheart have been asking me to go Hong Kong many years back and she have agreed to go Shenzhen with Bing, so this trip(Macau-Hong Kong-Shenzhen) is a trip to kill 2 birds in 1. The official registration is over by the time the news on KL marathon postpone have came in. I am thinking of registering on the spot(with higher registration fees), fortunately aichai have informed me that he can't make it to HK event and i gladly accept his slot. Thanks to Luke, i have a free run! Hehe. Someone ask me, why not register and get your name on the certificate? To me, that is not crucial. I am out there to enjoy the run, with or without certification is a secondary factor.

The preparation for HK is pretty decent. I might be a little slack, but should be sufficient. The M(Marathon) week is decent(in term of exercise)? Monday and Tuesday are okay. Wed/thurs are filled with lots of food & no exercise, unless walking/shopping consider! Friday did a half-hearted run in the morning whereas Saturday have a swim. I feel that i should do more short distance run in M week to get my body warm up to the race on Sunday. Is that the factor that cause my run on race day? I think that could be the factor, but i might be wrong. Only time will tell when i gained more experience in the future and get to know my body better.

I woke up at 6:20am on D Day. Didn't feel like waking up! The first time i felt this way on racing day! It is not that i fear the distance(42km) coming up. I am looking forward to the race. Somehow i don't feel the excitement and hype i used to feel for Marathon. My feel is that the mentality of running 42km have changed. I might need to evaluate my race/events in the future.

I did my typical pre-race preparation and left the hotel room at 7:05am. Went across the street downstairs to the baggage deposit bus before heading towards the starting point which is about a few hundreds meter. There is a lot of runners on the street when i left the hotel, which drum up the excitement. I can see the faces of anticipation from many runners which i hope will rub onto myself.

The weather was pretty decent(21 deg). I expect the weather to be cold before i come over to HK, alas that is not the reality. That is the reason, i choose to change to my backup clothing of knee length cwx and Great Eastern Running Tee for the run.

I reached the start point at 7:25am. Along the way i saw some SAFRA runners, have a chat with Bug too. I couldn't meet up with Heeshen at his lodging place(downstairs) and i didn't locate him throughout the race too.

The race start at 7:40am sharp. 10km and 21km runners have long gone by now. From the look of runners, this is a small running crowd. The sky are fully bright as the run was flagged off. I took me about a min or 2 before i crossed the start point. It was pretty congested as expected during the start and i did a slow jog following the pace of the crowd.

For the first 10km. I was running in a decent pace. It wasn't fast due to the slow start(I believe the split time is 1:03). A bit of slopes here and there, but they are pretty far apart though which is fine with me. The weather is slightly cooler by a few deg compare to Singapore weather. Not much advantage in my opinion for me, since we(Singapore race) normally start much early compare to HK. Humidity isn't much different too, as i perspiring as though back in Singapore. This is the first time i ran in HK and all seems new and interesting.

The next 10km is abit of struggle for me. I do not know what exactly went wrong, but it seems that my mind just went lame! When i reach Tsing Ma bridge, i can feel the drain in my energy level. To make things worst, the two side of bridges are covered with smog. OMG, this is the level of pollution standard in HK? I know about the pollution problem in HK, but the few days while i am out on the road, the smog wasn't that oblivious. That day when i went up to the PEAK, it wasn't that bad too when i look across HK from the top. Knowing about pollution problem is one matter, experiencing it is another. In fact, i can smell the smog while i run. Pui...the level of smog i read on the paper is around 70+PSI. Does seem to be worst than that while i ran.

Mind keep playing trick on me, and how i wish i signed up for 21km event. Alas, i keep asking myself, why am i running 42km today! I shouldn't be running 42km anymore. It is too damaging to the body and i struggle to come out with reasons to justify the run! I know i can complete 42km if i want to. I know i can the run the distance at a decent pace. Questions after question keep popping in the mind as i head towards 21km. I just wish i can have an option to quit the run with dignity intact! To make matter worst, i can feel the stress on my right kneecap as the run progress. Alas, the run still goes on and hopefully i will feel better or recover in the latter part in the run.

20-30km, I know my energy level is draining very fast. Struggling to reach another water points(which are 2km apart) without walking in between is part of the current startegy. I remember the slopes along this part of the route awaiting infront from the marathon route guide(which the organiser provide), and i doubt i can sustain the strategy of running towards each water nonstop given the current condition. In reality when i reach Cheung Tsing Tunnel i have start to walk the slopes as i know i ought to save whatever energy is left for the run later. It is still a long way to go till the end! I am not the "superhero" that push the pace and pray for the best that i can drag myself to the end point and risk collapse at the end or before the end. I crossed 21km in 2:14.

I put on my knee guard on my right knee at 29km due to the persistence ache on the right knee which refuse to go away. I do not wish to aggravate it anymore. I was hoping the ache will go away, alas it didn't. The muscle almost feel clamp like when i start to run with the knee guard. Fortunately i carry my own "yoko yoko" that soothe the cramp. It was a struggle for the next few km to get use to the new running style.

There are quite a few runners that collapse along the route. Most of them are from Hong Kong. Not surprising since the bulk of the runners are from HK. These few days of my interaction with HK people, i find that they are rather competitive in nature compare to Singaporean. They don't believe in slowing down, just want to chiong whatever they are doing! According to my sister that did the 10km race, when the gun goes off, everybody just surge forward! She expected to walk about a couple of hundreds metre due to the hugh/congested crowd before going into her strides, but nope she is on the strides very much early. Around 4km mark, where the slope starts to climb, almost 95% of the folks had started to walk/crawl! The people of HK just can't take it easy couldn't it from the look from a foreignor?

Along the way, the support tables are equip with water & isotonic drinks. Some table have sponges, banana, pear and chocolate. I try the banana and didn't feel good with it so skip the rest of the "untested" products, like pear and chocolate. There is no gel provided and i only carry 1 powergel which was consumed at 27km.

30km onwards, the air in the tunnel is very bad. I feel difficult to breath when i am running inside. The body feel okay, not much different compare to the last 10km covered. I was tired and looking forward to see the ending point. Occasionally there are some folks on the overhead bridge that cheer you on, the rest are just as a ghost town similiar to Malaysia and Singapore events. Anyway, running on the highway, who is going to be there to cheer you especially in Asia!

Bit by bit, i edge closer to the end point. Whenever there is slope i will be walking. In fact, some of the slopes are pretty long and i have walk/run up the slope. I could have run all the way up the slopes if i wanna to, but somehow my mind will telling me to slack. What's the point on pushing the pace? What am i going to gain from it? Well, i do not know why i am having those thoughts. Did i lose my interest in the run? How i wish i would take off my running shoes and walk till the end point. I just don't feel like running anymore! If not because of the ego, that is gently challenging me on to the fact that so many runners are not giving up, how can i? How can you give up a run halfway!

The last tunnel before reaching the CENTRAL is as equally bad as the last few. I feel suffocating inside the stuffy tunnel. I know after this tunnel, i should be very close to the finishing line. It was a relieve when i emerge out of the tunnel to a breeze of cool air. Finally the last stretch to the end point do have much more supporters cheering. Runners falling down by the sides are common sight now! Cramps? Weather? As long as you are down, there are 2 scenario, either medical team give u muscle rubs or oxygen mask! Fortunately for me, i don't need neither.

I am glad i reached the finish in 1 piece! The end was very disappointing. Normally there are a straight long route to run to the end. But for HK, it is twist and turn and suddenly abit more than 20 meters away, it is the end point! KNS. Don't even have time to tidy up the hair for my finishing photos!

I finished the run in a net time of 4:36hr.

There are a few interesting encounters during the run.

The Shark Couple - Wearing Shark costume reminding the public of eating endangered shark fins.
The China Flag Bearer - A Chinese guy carry a big China Flag on a long pole taking part in 42km. The Oldest competitor - A 90 years old Hong Kong man doing 42km. Slow and steady, i hope he will finished within the cutoff time.
The old hero from China - Running with a young man, puffing and growling away from the start and finished way in front of me!
Toilet Mishap - Runner getting cramps after attempting to get into the potable loos. Shouting for help!
Sweeping Bus - Runners volunteer to get out the sweeping bus even though they could have finished well within the cutoff time!
Blind Runners - I have come across at least 4 pairs of runners that is combination of one able body and one blind runners doing 42km

I met with my Singapore Indian friend(Haha, u r still my Indian friend) after the run. He did 4:10+. He improve alot since i last saw him. He has the intent to do KL, Xiamen and Paris after HK which is his plan until April. I believe more is to come for him!

I walk across to the stadium and pick up water and goodies bag along the way. Collect the baggage in the stadium and proceed to stretch and changed up. Took MTR back to Tsim Tsai Sha.

I have completed 7th of 42km or longer events. I will give this event a miss in the future.