Sundown Marathon - Finished A 2 Years Run

Sundown Marathon
Date: 29 May 2010
Time: 6pm
Distance: 84km
Start Point: Changi Expo
Cutoff time: 15hrs

2 years back, i signed up for the first edition of Sundown Ultra Marathon with full of enthusiasm. Unfortunately the world "collapse" and i am force to settle for a Marathon.

After spending a long period recuperating and getting to know my body once again. Sundown is always on my mind. I don't like to left thing unfinished. Everything has to have a ending once started.

Building up for the event isn't as great as expected, but will do. Starting with MR Ultra end of last year, Pacesetters 30km in January, combine with Australia IM in March. I should have enough "fuel" to last the distance.

Injures and lack of fitness after Australia is obvious. Body don't have enough recovery and off i am doing marathon distance kind of training put further stress on the body. 2 months in between event, just isn't enough. I have to learn from these.

We are slightly late and the gun went off. By the time we crossed the starting point it was 3mins later. We could have started off about 1min behind, if not because of over zealous race marshalls insisted that we have to start off from the back of the pent(but there isn't any runners inside the pent!) What the difference? Idiot!

It is a warm 6pm when we started off. Yankee, myself and Fennel troop along. Shortly only Yankee and myself are left. Fennel nowhere to be seem in front. We stick to 25mins/5mins strategy.

This evening have distance marking in every km. Distance is accurate(which is a plus). Given my body condition, i try to stick to the strategy and see how far it gonna take.

Before i reached 20km. I have tired up. This is bad. I should have been more realistic. Now i have still such a long way to go. Mind start to get negative and the situation is getting bad. Once this bad thinking start creeping in and spiral, it is going to be a "short run".

Fortunately Yankee is accompany me and refuse to push forward without me. From there onwards, it is short objective runs until we reached F2(28-29km) support point. It was a heaven pit stop.

We recharge with cold drink, fruits, cake, cold towel, sng pow etc. The support team is great.

Ray join us for the next phrase. I felt much positive and stronger after the break. Being positive or negative do really make a lot of difference.

We ran/walk from there onwards till end of first loop within 6hrs. I believe on the watch is around 5:46hr.

We took a short break at the transition area. Regroup and proceed a few mins before the full marathon event start at midnight. Fennel joined us on the 2nd loop.

We are still on the runway, when my leg injury decide to call it a day. I know this might happen. It actually did. Sigh. Can endure a marathon distance is good enough IMO. I shouldn't be too disappointed. I informed them on the situation and request them to move forward.

Ray stick with me walking while the rest proceed. At coastal road, Fennel joined us on our long march. Her PF is making her bad and she don't mind walking.

We are swap by runners among the marathon runners. We are surprise also that we walk pass some runners too(and they are not ultra runner!).

We try to run alittle bit, but the leg feel bad. So no choice but to walk. It was until the end of coastal road that the leg feel much better to do some running. Yes, the leg sort of recovery and i manage to run/walk till 24km mark.

Before that we did another stop at the support station at F2. At this time, there are about 10pax of supporters. Thanks everyone for staying so late for us.

I was good and we continue until 24km when HR went North. It has threaten to erupt from time to time, but finally succumb to it. Sigh. At this stage of the event, i shouldn't have problem meeting the cutoff time(which is a blessing), even by strolling back. But a sub 7hrs for 2nd loop is out of the question. No choice but to march on.

Took the medicine and it took a while before HR went down a bit. It took another 20-30mins before it subside to a decent rate. Finally make it back at F2 once again.

Drop off Ray(he did a marathon distance with me, thanks pal). Together with Fennel we start our last stretch of walk. By then, HR had recovered. But my feel at that time is that, there is nothing else more important than health. No point running/timing or whatever is out there. Finishing with minimum injuries is the best thing could have asked for given the circumstanace.

We could have finished under 13hrs. I am confidence we can do it. At whatever the price we are going to pay later, just wasn't worth it. I have learn throughout many events, finish without injure is much better than getting a neither here nor there result and need a longer recovery period.

It was a long walk along coastal road and aviation road. With time, we manage to count down km at a time and walking along the runway with sunrise on the horizon. It was beautiful.

13:16hr...and 13:20(on the clock), we finally completed.

I finished a run that is 2 years late. I am glad that i make it. Without my wonderful friends that could not be possible. Thanks everyone.