Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2006 -- Half-Marathon (21km)

I did it. It wasn't easy but I did it (I suppose that it is quite obvious what is it that I done earlier this morning just by looking at the title of this post and the pictures above).

At the beginning, I ran. Then, I ran at a slower pace. Then, I started to jog. Then, I began to jog at a slower pace. And, for the final 2-3 km, I was alternating between walking and jogging at a slow pace (but mostly, I think I walked). Fortunately, in the end, I still managed to cross the finishing line (Phew!)

Although I will only know my official timing when the results are released tomorrow, judging by the timing clock above the finishing line, I think my race timing should most probably be more or less around 2 hours & 53 minutes. It wasn't the timing I was hoping for but I think it's a good enough timing, considering that this is the time I'm running 21km and that the last time I ever ran a distance close to this was more or less 2 years ago when I ran 15km. (note: self-consolation in action)

Also, I was hoping to finish the entire distance without walking. However, for the final 2-3 km, my leg muscles cannot make it and thus I had to alternate between walking and jogging at a slow pace. Oh well, at least I managed to complete the run without stopping and jogged, and not walked, past the finishing line. (note: self-consolation again in action)

Briefly saw a few familar faces during the run. These include a primary school classmate of mine, a girl from my cohort in secondary school, my CCA senior from secondary school, a guy from my cohort in JC, a female CCA senior from JC and one of my BMTC sargeants. However, we passed one another so fast that I wasn't really able to see what colour their race tags were to see what running category they were participating in (white=full marathon, yellow=half-marathon, green/blue=10km). Oh yeah, I also spotted a few of my juniors from JC. No, I do not know them personally but they were wearing the "outstanding" PE T-shirts of my JC (I mean, who else but people from my JC will wear such an "outstanding" colour combination to go running?)

Hmm... 21km this year... Next year, 42km? Perhaps and hopefully... I am hoping to run & complete a marathon at least once in my life. Ok, I need to go. I need to find something and/or some way to soothe my aching knees...

"Every step I take is one step closer to the finishing line (or wherever I am going to)" -- Anonymous; LCC

P.S. (5/12/2006)

According to the results released by the organisers of the marathon, my gun timing (i.e. the timing which starts once the gun signalling the start of the run was fired) was 2 hours 53 minutes and 14 seconds while my chip timing (i.e. the timing which starts once the timing chip/champion chip attached to my shoe was detected at the start line) was 2 hours 48 minutes and 43 seconds. The difference between these 2 timings is due to the fact that when the gun was fired, I was not at the start line but moving with the rest of the runners towards the start line. Hope you all get what I mean.