5 hr 37 min.
When I got home I didnt know which to deal with first; I was dirty, dead tired and hungry. And my legs hurt like mad.
The timing fell way short of my target, but I know now 5 hours would've been pretty unrealistic. I never trained beyond 22km. My knees never knew the meaning of running beyond this distance. And last night they learnt the hard way.
The first 20km was breezy. I mean it was a really great experience; there was sea breeze; and I felt my energy levels were great. I did not have to stop running unless at the water stops. I felt really good. I felt I could do this all the way. The runway route did not feel endless like the last time. But at the 20km mark, my knees started to scream, and scream it did for the next 20km. It was awful. It got so bad sometimes I had to stop. I had to learn to deal with the pain, to put it at the back of my head as if its just a buzzing sound in my ear. it would work for a bit when my own fatigue sets in and then I stop to walk and then find that restarting the run would mean relearning to deal with the knee banshee.
20 km on was also a little demoralising because most people around me had by then merely walked. There were numerous overhead bridges to cross. At the SG Runners forum I discovered I wasnt the only one who thought some of the 2 km distance markers appear stretched. My ipod logged 43km in all. And so did many others. Perhaps the bridges made it longer.
At one point, quite near that strange suspension bridge with the photographer at the end, someone was running alongside me motivating people around him. I dont know if he was in the race, but he really cheered me up. I spoke to him at some point about the distance to the next park connector. A mature guy came along and spoke to him, "I am in my 60s" he declared, "and I can still do this!" and he shot off. Whoever they were, I wish to thank them because they brightened my spirits. And those guys who made delightful expressions of disbelief at the sight of the overhead bridge with the steps.
At 30k, the lactic acid in the legs have built up to the point that I get that constant dull ache. I felt sleepy. It was 4 am and I was lightheaded. When I looked up I saw stars. I dont think it was the galactic kind.
Throught the nasty up and down "gentle" slopes of the last few km, I found motivation in a topless guy. He did a run walk, which was what I did too, and found myself, ahead or behind him in turn until almost at the end.
I managed to almost run continuously, though slowly, the last 800m because everyone else were. At 400m to see everyone pushing themselves that last stretch really helped keep me going. It was quite a good feeling knowing you are so close to the end. I crossed the line, met TLR and congratulated him on his 84km. Then I sat down to enjoy a banana next to another lady, when it started to pour very very hard, with some lightning and thunder.
I was lucky enough to get myself under the massage tent. I took my luck with me and looked for the massage tent. I feel asleep and by the time I got up it was bright. And I made my way home. After lunch and a good hour's massage with Joey I slept the entire afternoon away.
My lower back is sore. My legs are recovering but I will probably be walking down staircases like a crab for the next couple of days. I remember suffering from this the first time I did a half marathon. By the second attempt, I did not ache like that.
I missed the rain by seconds but that night it was raining men. Maybe only 1 in 10 were women. And sometimes they (the men) rained perspiration on me.
Will I do it again? Of course. And again and again.
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