Very late post - 6th December 2009 was my dad's birthday. Happy belated birthday dad, despite my old age, I do hope one day I can be as "amiable" as you are - I know you will always look at your youngest and only daughter with pride for what I have achieved over the years, by what you compared yourself to, but also you do not know what I feel about what I have not achieved. I am thankful for those rare quiet drives when I drive you and you listen to me rant because yes, I need to express some things, and yet, there are still so many things unsaid.
I took my parents to a trip in Singapore for a break, a holiday they could not afford now with the higher price per exchange for Singapore and also the expensive hotel room. Coincidentally it was also the weekend of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009. This year, I signed up earlier and signed up for 21km. I knew after KL Marathon I had no capability to train and run a full marathon and I was just tired of failing to run a better race. Two weeks earlier, in Penang, I had run a terrible race, and it resulted in me really very upset with myself for the poor timing. In the weekend in between, I powered up two 10km double hills and I felt I was ready for a better timing.
Arrived in Singapore on Friday morning, and collected the race pack at Singapore Expo - waited for Boone & friends, but was very tired waiting, because their flight was delayed, I was severely dehydrated, and tired from the early morning flight. Went back to hotel after meeting with them briefly, and started feeling the onset of a sore throat. By night of friday, I felt really uncomfortable, and ate the Tony Romas (a must do) with my parents in significant discomfort.
As such, the next day was purely about resting. I passed out on a trip to visit the singapore zoo, and instead opted to shop and visited the Singapore Flyer. The flyer was a really peaceful ride as I managed to take photos, have a relaxing spin and also appreciated the route I ran on the next day, although singapore is sorely messed up with the construction of a million and one things.
Race day, I got up early, for the 645 start time, and the walk from the hotel to the starting point was less than 5 mins about 100-200m, how cool is that!!! The race atmosphere was electrifying, and after visiting the loo and warming up, I was ready to go... As strange as it is, the races in singapore has always been me against myself, even though I seem to come with or know people who would run. I fault myself for being so crazy sometimes, but running... has given be a new perspective on peace... and something I - an ordinary girl who was once more of a brainy nerd than a sports person can claim fame to and enjoy as well...
Race route was very friendly, even though I was really surprised there were so many people at the 21km... I will definitely never run the 10km race - it must have been worse!!! I was not used to having so many people at the 21km race, that it was completely crowded all the way from start to the end. The route went passed the marina sands building, suntec city, then onto nicoll highway and turned back, came back through the f1 pits, the floating field, etc. The last 5km was a common finishing for all race categories, so the split start times suited very well, at least I did not hit too many 10km racers, as it was too slow for the men, and almost too fast for the women. Heheh...
It was cool that my company's singapore office managed to get us some adidas vests for the race, but it was really strange that they opted for the standard Stan Chart colors, which made me miss all the photos... so the photos above are from someone's iphone..
And though not a PB, redemption was 15 mins off Penang time, and a good comfortable run.
To next year's SCSM - now I itch for the 42km again... where you get roasted but at least treated well !!!
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