Sundown 10KM Marathon - DONE :D

 Sundown 10 KM - DONE

Hello people! Yes I just finished my Sundown 10KM marathon! It's sundown so of course it's a night marathon. The first ever time in my life that I run past 9 O clock so yeah. But it was great! I truly enjoyed running past the Singapore night line though we didn't pass by the flyer, MBS and so on. But nevertheless I loved the run and it was great :)

Well as I once said in my blog (a few days or a week ago) that running Sundown is truly something like defying gravity for me. Not only that I only trained for one month, I have not been running for like 2 or 3 months before that. Tracing back I started running on 29th April. So yup about a month. Along the way I've been feeling afraid that I won't be able to make it and I'll feel really tired and so on.

Well today I proved everything wrong :)

I've been also telling myself that well since I've only been training for one month, it's alright for me to not reach my target (of beating my PB). I was already targetting that a 1h20m is my target or worst a 1h30m. And once again I broke those words and prove myself wrong. So I'm very happy with that. Even though my PB is 1h10m from Standchart, and that this time round I ran for 1h12m, I'm still very happy :)

The thing is I'm not really an avid runner. Not someone who's crazy into running and would love to run fast, beat my PB everytime and so on. Well of course I do want to beat my PB. I just enjoy running. Cause one, I feel that running is an activity where I can forget about life. Just run and be focused about the race. Hit my target, hit my goal and cross the finish line. Life was somehow left behind at the starting line.

Running is something I do to prove myself wrong, to prove others wrong. As you read from above along the 4 months of training I kept on telling myself that it's alright for me to hit 1h20m for this race. And I've been feeling scared and so forth. But hey I did it last night. I ran Sundown and I even ran before the time that I thought would finish my race.

And of course running is an awesome sport I enjoy doing. Kinda funny how I only started to enjoy running last year when I wanted to sign up for Standchart. Then it just becomes something I enjoy doing and then a weekly affair. Then it was Poly50, KK trip, Standchart and now Sundown. More races to come of course!

Of course deep down I'm disappointed that I couldn't beat my PB. I'm sad that well perhaps I could have trained harder, pushed harder during the race, could have done this and that. But it's all over, I may not break my PB but all I know is I've given all my best and I've truly enjoyed my race just now. And honestly speaking, enjoying my race and finishing it are the two things that I want to achieve in my race.

I realised the more I'm worried about time, about the distance as I was running just now. As I listened to my songs I was telling myself "Oh no I've reached this song that means the time is about ____" and when I looked at the distance I've ran I was "Oh my I have __ KM more to go!" And well whenever I have those thoughts in my mind, I'll shut it off and continue running. To an extend I started lip-syncing to the songs as I ran.

The thing is, I learnt not to be bothered so much by the time. By the distance. I want to enjoy running. I learnt from my past experiences that doing things for the reason that you want to enjoy it, for the sake of joy and just because you love doing it, is much more enjoyable. Sometimes we try so hard to be perfect, to do well, to be the best and we totally forgot to enjoy the thing we are doing! :)

I can't imagine running and looking at the time every KM or so, then feeling so insecure and stressed out cause I will feel the need to run faster, or the thought that I've been really running slowly for the past KM and so on. It will feel sucky really (for me that is).

Of course it's important to have a goal or mindset as well. I mean we wouldn't want to just run a marathon for the sake of running only eh? I did have a goal, to beat my PB. I don't really care (keyword: really) about my timing. Because to me every run is just something that I give my best for. Something I will enjoy about and something I will love.

So if at the end of the day I don't run before my targeted timing, I will feel disappointed of course. But I won't be devastated by it. I won't regret and blame myself for not running faster and so on. As long as I enjoyed my race and I gave it all, I will be contented with the result.

You can call me a loser, I guess this is one "loser" part of me. But this is my philosophy to running.  It will just be something I enjoy doing, and I love doing. I just want to remain in a part, in a place where running is something I do for joy and not for achievements. Well, of course it is for achievements too.

It's for self-achievements :)

Congratulations to all runners! Don't be too saddened by your timing. Runs like these are just something that tell you there's another time for you to prove yourself wrong. And thus to run faster. And to those who are still running as I'm writing this now, all the best and don't give up! :) Alright going to bed now, see you!

Another race down, many more to go, many more to prove myself wrong. It's alright when others defeat you. But it is when you let yourself defeat you, then you should be ashamed of yourself.

Standard Chartered Marathon 2011 10KM - DONE

Today was such an awesomely crazy day! Cause....

I FINISHED THE STANDARD CHARTERED MARATHON 10 KILOMETRE RACE!

It felt so awesome! It was my first marathon after all, my first 10 KM, my first race, and wow I finished it! Felt so good seriously. And the best part is I finished it in 1h 10m! Okay even though my target was one hour, but I think it's alright cause I was expecting to run for at least 1h30m :P But oh well, it's not the time that matters but the distance we've covered! :)

Anyway met Doreen, Alicia and Saeyeoh at City Hall and we make out way there. Deposit our bags and then we head to the start point. Kayheng was late so he caught up with us later. The journey to the start point was.... Quite horrible. We're supposed to start at 7.15 but I crossed the start line at about 8 AM. Wow really. But nevertheless thankfully we're not like disqualified or something like that. We're quite close to the closing of the gantry. But we made it in time.

So I ran and ran and ran. I think my run was awesome! No pain at all, just that my feet were burning woosh. And some part of the race it was rather hot cause of the sun while some is shady cause of the trees and buildings. Quite funny I always tell myself whenever I see the marking. "Oh it's just 9 KM more" "Halfway more to go...." and lastly "LAST 2 KM goddamnit!!" and then I crossed the finish line! :D

I drank on every water station. Was on the urge of peeing but I hold my urine and skipped all the toilets, just the water stations. Was quite scared that I'll get stitches while drinking but turned out nope. I think the hardest parts of the race were the 5-8 KM route, where there was quite a slope so I slowed down. And the 8-10 KM! I think the last part of the race is the determining point where you want to give up, or not.

I wanted to walk my way from 8KM onwards. But then... I decided not to cause I was just telling myself that I can do it! I can push it! And I was really looking for the finishing line, but I was deceived by the big banner. I thought it was the finishing line but turn out I have 200 metres to go. So I just sprinted to reach the line and when I crossed the finishing line, I just put my hands up and felt a wave of euphoria rushing within me. It just felt so good. Like all those you've been fighting for has been paid off. Swoosh.

I think this marathon is one life-changing experience. Firstly, it was my first marathon. So I didn't really know what to expect. Turned out my run was quite alright so it was good. The one thing that I'm super proud of myself is the fact that I didn't stop running for the ENTIRE race (minus the taking water part). I was on the verge of walking but I kept on telling myself that I can do this, I can do this, keep on running I can do this and there I go, 10KM run.

Anyway I told myself that in this marathon, I won't stop running. And I never did! :)

The race itself was also a motivational and inspirational event. While running today, I saw two people that really motivated me. First was a man with only one leg. His other leg was a prosthetic blade. I was stunned when I saw his prosthetic leg! The next person was this blind man who joined the 10KM marathon! Well even though he wasn't running, but I still salute him for taking part in the event! :)

After seeing these two people, I feel so ashamed if I were to give up in life. It feels like if they can do it, if they've the strength to pick themselves and step up in the marathon despite of their disabilities, I see no reason why we, normal human beings, can't do the same thing too. In fact after seeing these two people, I felt so energised and spirited that I ran faster! :)  

I read this article in Reader Digest once and I came across this phrase: Impossibility is the state of the mind. Which is really true! After seeing the two people above, I was just telling myself impossibility is the state of the mind. I have to get rid of the thoughts and just continue running and push myself further. I won't give up till my body gives in. Which... I would never let that happen.

I guess we can all relate this marathon to life. Impossibility is the state of the mind. No matter how weak we all thought we are, we never know how far we can go in life. There are times where we would tell ourselves no I can't do it. I won't be able to do it and so on. Actually, we can. Just that our mind tells is we can't. It's all in the mind I guess, right? :)

Whenever I see advertisements of marathons in the past, I would tell myself that I won't be able to do it. Even seeing the 10KM category is like running a hundred kilo race or something like that (of course I'm just exaggerating). But hey, look, I just ran a freaking TEN KILOMETRE marathon and nothing can ever change that fact! :D

I remember when I first posted on Facebook that I'm going for this marathon, someone commented "You can meh?". And now I can happily say in front of that person's face. Yes I fcuking can (sorry for vulgarity). Isn't it just so lovely to prove yourself and prove others wrong? It's such a lovely feeling. But of course the most lovely feeling in the world is to prove yourself wrong. To realise you can do it when you once thought you couldn't. The feeling can only be enjoyed by you, hmm?

During the marathon, I purposely changed my song in the last few hundreds meter or so to "Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros". When I was running/sprinting the last 200 metres or so, yes I can honestly say this, I cried. I don't know how to explain it but I was just damn happy to be able to finish and run this marathon. With the song blasting in my ears, I feel like I can just fly to the finishing line. It feels like all my hardwork has been paid off and that my dream has come true. Such an awesome feeling.

And at the same time I think I feel this sense of accomplishment where I can reflect to in life. It's like if I can do this, I'm sure I can take up more challenges in life. I've proved myself that if I don;t give up, things that we've been working hard for will be there. I really don't know how to put it into words but yeah, just an extreme sense of euphoria and accomplishment I guess. After all it's my first marathon :)

So people, I truly recommend you to take part in a marathon. It's a life changing experience (depends how you take it actually) but yeah, it will be one. It's a motivational and inspirational event you can participate to and you can also take what you learn and put it in real life. Some people believe that life is a race, and death is the finishing line we all need to cross. How you run your race, that's life.

I'm hoping of joining the 21K marathon next year, hopefully I can take part in another 10K marathon before that. To train for my 21. If time lets me, I'll run the 42 two years later before I graduate heh. Running, as some people would say are like drugs. You'll get addicted to it! :) I'm not a runner, or someone who's into running. I just enjoy running. Just like walking, running takes my mind off somewhere. And... Who doesn't love activities that give you instant endorphins? :D

My time is running short. I guess I have to seize every opportunity in life that I can take to do things that I've been wanting to do. I've never thought I would run a marathon, but I just did. And well, what else can I say? I want to run another, and another, and as much as possible. Life is too short really. I don't want to die telling myself that I regret doing this, regret doing that.

So here I am saying that I'm a proud SCMS 10K marathon finisher! :D One item each from my new year resolution and my life's to-do-list crossed off. But getting it crossed doesn't mean I won't do it again. I'll always do it! Whenever I can. Life is a race, your race. And not others! :)

And last but not least I would like to thank the following people: Ahpa, Doreen, Alicia and Kayheng who ran today. Vjie for coming and have breakfast with us. The two people I mentioned above. All the runners who gave me motivation. Everyone who has trained with me in one way or another. Last but not least, to Coldplay, Jonsi, Sigur Ros for the wonderful songs that kept me going throughout my race. Music keeps me going! Sweet~

Zaki's first half marathon! And Saeyeoh's and my first 10K :D

And there we go kissing our medals away mwahaha

[Photos courtesy of Saeyeoh's camera]

Great job to everyone who ran today. Do take a good rest and stud hard for those who are having their MSTs and exams and tests! See ya soon :)

I run for the sake of overtaking myself. Not others.

My medal! :D