Phew, the ordeal is over. I've completed my 3rd marathon. Depending on how you look at it, it's both a success and a failure. But well, for now, I'm just thankful it wasn't any worse. Here's how things went. I'm going to be long-winded so be prepared =)

I spent the day sleeping in the afternoon in order to get my body atunned to the 0000hrs starting time. The condition of my ITB was good, with no feeling or sensation at all as I cycled to the start point. But damn, it was kinda far. Compared to the Stand Chart where 25 min would get me there, I spent about 1hr 15min or so cycling there. Along the way I stopped to support the "Ride from the Heart - 1000 miles for the kids" charity, which was selling stuff to raise funds for the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund. Ok fine, I admit, I just wanted to buy their Jersey and Bibs Shorts for $70 =). And due to poor planning, I let myself get robbed by paying $2 for a Mars bar at a shop at ECP.

Along the way as I made it through ECP, I mades some observations about the 84km run. Well, it had already started at 8:30, and I could see some of the runners running along ECP. But sad to say due to it being a Saturday night and about 10pm, the running path was crowded with oblivious kids, which got in the way of the few runners who were streaming in. And I made some observations of some of the 84km 'runners'. They were already walking, and really just taking their time. I dunno, but I was just thinking that it didn't make any sense at all to sign up and walk 84km. What's the point? Ok, more on that later. That aside, I had a run-in with the turning point gantry! Yeah man, I cycled through the turning point gantry with my number tag in my bag, and *BEEP* it sounded! Great, my race had not started and I was already through the turning point. Shit, gonna be DQed, I thought.

I finally reached the start point area of the inaugural Sundown Marathon, at Changi Beach Park. It was crowded. I had locked my bike somewhere, and was secretly confident it wouldnt be stolen thanks to the cover of darkness. There were a few thousand runners I think, and I quickly made for the bag deposit area. Time was short and I only had slightly more than 30 mins to the start. I couldn't get any of the light stick/bands being distributed as they had run out by then... Ok, so I went to inform the guy at the information, that I'd already passed the turning point gantry. He was like -_-'' and radioed his people, well, it wasn't really settled by we figured it was a small issue so I headed for the starting pen. In the starting pen, there were demarkations for runners: <3:30, 3:30-4:00, 4:00-4:30 etc. Well, I was going to stand in the 3:30-4:00 area. But thinking Singaporeans would be kiasu, I moved into the back of the <3:30 part. Well, it was kinda strange, as there were still quite a lot of people there. And the race started and the pace was disgustingly slow!! I think those peeps infront of me lined up in the <3:30 pen were heading for 4:30.... Singaporeans.... sigh. Ok, I'm one of them.

Yeah, so the run started. Basically, I was running, and had no plan or expectations. What was to unfold, I had no idea.

I felt fine, in fact I felt really good at the start. I was making my way forward through the field at a very steady pace. Nothing felt wrong. My body was intact, although I wasn't striding properly, but bouncing from left to right as I ran, in fear of aggravating some unused muscled or the ITB i guess. I felt so good, I passed my ex-team mates MAJ Chia and Richard. I was like thanking God for this impending miracle. Heck, it felt like I was going to run about 3:30-3:45 at this rate. Counting my chickens before they hatch. Then after about 6km, the first signs of distress appeared.

I noticed slight tightness in my ITB precisely at the knee area. But well, what could I do? Nothing, and there was 36km left, so I knew I was going to just run through it. My pace dropped... How? Was I going to just maintain this dwindling pace to the end? Or was I going to put some umph into my running? Some runners were already surging past me. MAJ Chia and Richard finally caught up with me, and invited me to follow their pace. Well, I realised I had no concept of pacing anymore, so why not? I think I wasn't thinking very clearly, cos MAJ Chia was churning out 5:00 min /km using his Polar RS800, which was equivalent to 3:30 marathon pace. I wonder why it didn't dawn on me then that I had only trained 2 weeks, stopped training completely in the last week, and had an ITB injury, and really shouldn't be running 3:30.

Anyway, what transpired next was the most fun part of the run. I felt that it was like a cycling race. I latched on to their pace, and fought to close the gaps whever I lagged by drafting runners who were moving up from the back. Even at the low speeds, drafting helped, at least psychologically. Following the pace is so much easier than setting the pace. An interesting observation were these 2 runners who doing some sort of trial I think. Basically they were doing some run / walk kind of strategy. They would for cetain amount of time, then stop to walk fro a certain amount of time, the run again. And they were keeping up with us!

It was pretty cool following the pace of my ex teammates, as they literally started reeling in the field. I was 3rd wheel all the time, as they took turns to lead. On the narrow sections of the park it was really single file, and some other runners joined us. We picked up other runners along the way and passed other groups of runners. In the end, the majority of this part of the run was done with some other guy, the 4 of us running down ECP. Along the way I suffered a 'mechanical' and had to stop to change a wheel and chace back myself. Ha ha. Basically stopped to tie my shoe lace that had come lose. To sum it up, the first 21km was covered in 1:45. There were instances of knee pain behind my joint, and the ITB was tingling a little, but I simply shifted my weight a little and ran through it. I think a few times I was hobbling on my left leg, but still managed to keep the pace.

Then reality set in. At 21km, my right calf blew. It cramped. Shit. Cardiovascularly I was fine. I felt a 3:40 in the run. But that was to change. I shifted my weight to the left leg, and kept up till 22km in 1:50, and then the left calf also blew. Richard and MAJ Chia vanished into the distance. Game over. My race had ended. Argh. I thought: 20km left, I have 2:15 to do 20km to sub-4.

In the end, I realised things weret going to be bad at 25km. The cramps were getting overboard. Even slow running led to a gradual increaed tightness of my calf muscles. I started walking. Yeah, the remainder of the run was done walking and ultra-slow jogging. I think a million people must have passed me. I was passed by like dozens of scantily clad ladies, old men, young boys. And the supporters were cheering me on. But my heat rate I guess was probably at about 55%? A few friends passed me, and I basically answered their encouraging invitations to follow them by STOPPING to WALK. haha. Eg. Friend: "Hey, come on let's go! Reaching soon!" Me:" Hey, you carry on, all the best, I'm stopping to walk. Have been walking for the past hour..."

I spent the last hours of the race with some mood fluctuations. Sigh, I pondered if it was worth it, coming here to finish the race when I was clearly already gone? I mean, what's the point in signing up for a marathon if you are unable to run your heart out? Walking and slow jogging with cramps is totally NOT the way to run a marathon. I felt I might as well not run or sign up. I mean, ANYONE fool could just go and walk and kill himself and take like hours and hours to complete long distances. What's the point? It made me think in disgust of some of the 84km runners. What the hell were they doing signining up for 84km to WALK? The poor volunteers had to stay up the whole night just to watch these fools waste their time. I mean, if you're so ill-prepared and not even intending to put in the decent effort to sustain a slow jog for the entire journey, then you might as well be walking on your own at your own leisure time. Heck, the comandos all do 84km route marches, and I think they deserve 10 times the respect than some of these 84km runners.

Anyway it was a weird situation. When I stopped to walk and stretch, my calves had some respite, but my ITB started flaring up slightly. When I continued running, my ITB went away, but my calfs started to die. Some embarrasing situations: Volunteer cheers me on, I I promtly stop to walk infront of him. Another group of volunteers cheer me on, and I suddenly freeze dead in my tracks on the small inclined step: calf cramp and stuck. I have to thank the dude who came over to rub deep heat on my legs as i was self-immobilised though. Comforting. But at the same time made me feel disgusted with myself. Sigh, really should have been more prepared. There were also some bridges I had to cross, which I promptly walked up and down.

Yeah, so this walking and on-the-spot-jogging lasted for 20km. The only good thing was that I certainly had ample to to get ready and pose for the cameras. And they confirm had no problem capturing me at such low speeds. Ha ha ha. Yeah, I have to take comfort in little things.

The ordeal ended. 4:20. I ran my ITB from slight feeling, to strong feeling, to slight pain, to no pain. And I was eager to get back on my bike before the pain came back. Wanted to get back homw to begin recovery ASAP, in fear of jeapardizing Amanda's hydration study the following saturday. Sorry to Irene and Belle and Wee Jin (was he infront of me??) that I couldn't stay and wait. Changi's kinda far from my house. What's new?

All in all, God gave me half miracles. I completed at least. Although my sub-4hr marathon streak has been shattered.