I did it.

7:59:55

That was the time taken off my watch. Will have to wait for the official confirmation from the organisers to know my actual time.

But...yes. I did it...all 42.195 km of it.

It's great to have done something I have always thought of doing...but also always putting off to "next year la".

I have mixed feelings about this marathon though. I'm glad I finished what I started. At certain points, it really seemed so easy to hop on the bus or just stop and give it all up.
But at the same time...I kinda wished I had better preparation. Could have trained more so I didn't have to walk so much. Its a marathon...not a walkathon!

But I think I will just savour this little accomplishment first. That I did something I've always thought was a meaningful challenge that had to be accomplished once in a lifetime.

I think it must be that diet of Braveheart and Gladiator movies...where they keep asking you : "Someday when you are old and lying in bed, what can you tell your grandchildren about the things you accomplished in this life?"

I'm not exactly looking for a legacy...and I don't intend to forge an empire. But I know now that I have another story to share with my grandkids...

How this grandpa shuddered with hunger at the 39km mark when he saw and smelt the food being eaten by the marathon marshals and how he almost lunged forward to grab the fried chicken pieces from their lunch boxes. (My last meal was at 330am...and that was near 1pm!)

How walking around the 30-40km stretch was like a funeral procession cause everybody was so quiet and yet you could hear each silent scream and protest as we kept on pushing ourselves to the next painful step.

How some people can really dress up for 42.195km...do they do the marathon at orchard road too?

How inspirational the older uncles and aunties IN FRONT OF ME were...I salute you. I hope at your age...I too can still do a marathon.

How I met this uncle and he reminded me of myself, doing the marathon for the first time and telling me he's "just gotta do this before he's too old for it"

Well...I could go on i guess. Not exactly the runner's perspective of the marathon. Just your average joe.

I'm done. I did it. And for the next few days...I will carry a smile, knowing I've accomplished something special in my life.

PS: At this point in time, I'm debating if I should put myself through this torture again...next year. Hmmm...

Coming full circle

It's funny how some things seem to come back to you. Full circle...
Inane happenings or a curious chain of events or an innocuous purchase...

Last night I went out looking for a cheap watch. Needed one to do the Army Half Marathon 21km. I have a timex, but the strap broke and it will take a week to replace according to the agent I called. My other watches are either too new or not suitable to the rigours of a hot, sweaty run.

So off I went to Mustafa - that amazing provision mama-shop gone wrong. I had a CASIO in mind...one of those "Terrorist-bomb" models. It's cheap, has a stop watch function and is often used by terrorist to fashion bombs. Hence the moniker...ha!

Lo and behold...look what I found for $15! (amazingly cheap Jap tech)

A sweet uber-retro Casio with Time, alarm and Stop-watch. Water resistant no less.

You gotta hand it to the guys at CASIO. They've got a way of making everything function for real value. Nowadays, its not so fashionable...maybe some of the G-shock range.

What's this thing about coming full circle? Well...if memory serves me well. This was like my first watch when I was 8-9 years old. I guess I was a tad nolstagic when I saw it last night.

Yup. Brings me back to when I was a 'wee' chap. And now I hope it will serve me well...as that cheap stopwatch I can totally trash for my runs.

The runs are still on track. This sunday...its the Singapore Bay Run...21km!
Flagging off at 530am. I hope to complete under 3hours. Best timing should be 2hr 45min.

Here's the route:-

Wish me luck folks. Think if you come at 830...can see me cross the line...hahaha.

I promise I will not collapse and start rolling across it...
Must cross with style...

Staying the course...

It hasn't been easy...but at least there are the runs.

I'm quite comfortable doing a 20km now...with the help of some buddies...its been a nice way to spend a Saturday morning.

Weight hasn't been going down...and neiter is the body looking any better. HAHAHA!

But still I've done what I once thought was impossible.

I signed up for the Army Half Marathon 21km...and the Standard Chartered Full Marathon 42.195km.

God...what have I gotten myself into.
I do a nice and slow 20km in about 3hours.
I'll probably finish the marathon in 7 hours.
OMG OMG OMG OMG...

The WALL

I've tried hard to stay the course.
Last weekend was a 6km undulating run at Macritchie and this weekend was another 6km at Pierce...complete with slopes.
In between, I had a gym session on Thursday.
So I need more gym work...and at least a weekday run. Trying hard to fit it all in.

What I found out though was pretty rough...
My gym work is horrible...weights I could do before...leave me cramping now. I had to rather embarassingly shift to lower weights. No running from the truth...so I decided to start small again...and build my way up. Trying to be careful also...cause I dun want to end up looking montrous. If you overload and build wrongly...it happens. I see it all the time...huge clunky guys with scary improportionate lumps.

Did some lunges and realised I had knee joint pains...so i gotta work the legs or I might not survive the 42km. Might try some glucosamine too. A fren's mum very kindly decided to donate me her supply of pills. Heard from another friend that the topical gel is also quite good. I gotta take care of me knees...

As for the runs...I hit the "wall" on each occassion. I can't explain it.
I'd be running and then suddenly I feel really light headed...
The lightheadedness washes over me...from head to toes...and next thing I know... everything just shuts down. Brain doesn't want to run...and body just becomes damn sluggish.

*some folks are concerned that I might be pushing myself too hard. I assure you, I haven't really pushed yet. Dat said...I also have a heart specialist appointment on Wednesday 17 January at SGH. Doing an echo cardiogram and ultrasound to determine if everything is ok...considering my heart murmur and all. Will reveal results.

I'm trying to understand this. Perhaps its from lack of prolonged distance running. (I seldom run pass 5km) In any case, each time I resolve to overcome it. Usually need to walk a bit and then slowly psyche myself up to run again. I figure its something "mental"...because somehow I know my lungs and legs can still continue. Its jus this "wall" I got.

Ok...looking to join a first race soon. Jus for the fun of it.

Bak bak sprained her ankle badly. No exercise for 3 weeks. Poor thing...

Things to look forward to in 2007 - RUN!

There are some things you know you just have got to do once in your life.
Me...I have a little list... (which can easily grow into a big list)

1. Bungee Jumping
2. SCUBA diving with a Great White Shark / Whale Shark / Dolphins...
3. Standing in the shadow of the Grand Canyon
4. Nepal / Tibet tour
5. A full marathon.

A full marathon...all 42.195km of it.

A long time ago, I promised myself that I'd attempt it at least once in my life. i wanted to do it last year...but procrastination set in and took rot.

2007 seems a fine year to give it a whopping KICKSTART.

I'm getting a little help from a cousin and his running group. So I'm looking forward to this. I dun care how long it would take me to do it. But I will not give up till its done.

See you at the finishing line. I hope you'll be there to cheer me on.

For further inspiration...look at the video below.



I'm only planning to run 1 marathon in 2007.

As of June 2005, Team Hoyt had participated in a total of 911 events, including 206 Triathlons (6 of which were Ironman competitions), 20 Duathlons, and 64 Marathons, including 24 consecutive Boston Marathons. They also biked and ran across the USA in 1992 — a 3,735 mile journey that took them 45 days.
When asked what one thing Rick wished he could give his father, his reply was "The thing I'd most like is that my dad would sit in the chair and I would push him once."
(thanks to wikipedia)

Dick Hoyt is 65. His son Rick is 44.
Son cannot race without father, and the father will not race without Son.

It is an amazing feat, not just a physical, mental exertion, but it tells of a father-son bond that is so inspiring. The first time I watched the video, my eyes teared.

If they can do it...so can I.

Trying again...

I was never one to make new year's resolutions. I'd try...and I'd fail.
There would be stuff I wanted to do or change...and I'd get them done, or that'd be stuff I couldn't accomplish for reasons whatsoever. The funniest and most interesting bits are doing stuff you never knew you would be doing at the start of the year. As for the unaccomplished tasks, I would disappoint myself in failing to meet my own expectations. It's a horrible feeling. And after a few years of trying...I gave up altogether on resolutions.

So...I give up on expectations...and instead go about life with a "Take-it-as-it-comes" attitude. I choose my feelings as I live the year. I'm happy...I am sad. There is no expectation of what the year ahead will be. It kinda makes me ready for anything that happens. And its rather exciting...kinda like living on the edge.

Frankly, its also double-edge. Because there is this inherent lack of structure. Or a lack of motivation to do something meaningful. (the counter argument is that I keep finding meaning in a lot of stuff I do anyways!...but that's for another day of musing)

I've been thinking a lot. And I realise...I gotta start planning somehow. To maybe try again...and start with new perspectives or just "refresh" the page...you know. After a while...I start feeling aimless...and it scares me to the bone. It really does.

Having a blog makes it interesting as well. I could post it up...and review it as the year goes by. There's also the pressure from YOU, the avid reader, friend and relative, who will probably see this...and start making fun of me. And I will have to take it in my stride...because I wanted to share this in the first place. In the end...YOU'd probably help me achieve what I wanted to...by encouragement or taunt. Heh heh.

I won't call them RESOLUTIONS. Cause resolution sounds "resolute", like I couldn't review and modify if necessary. Instead...I present in a series of blog posts...

"THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2007"

Stay tuned...