Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2015
This year I reached the start point at about 4.30am with my cousin, we took the mrt train there. For the first time, I slept really well even though it was only 3 hours of sleep. I intended to be as relax as possible and I managed to do just that. I was feeling extremely relax and with my cousin's company, the waiting time passed very quickly. I did not try to move closer to the start line like what I did in previous year which I think save me a lot of trouble.
The race started at 5 am sharp for the elite runners, I started in the second batch at about 5:04 am. As usual, it was a slow start. Covered the 1st km in 6:15, which was faster than I expected. But one thing to note is that only about 62 percent of the full marathon slots was filled, which was why I found that it felt less crowded when I was running. The second km was slower at 6:51 and passed through the only enclosed place on the route, it was the Fort Canning tunnel. The third km was clocked at 6:14 but from the 4th km onwards, my Garmin 620 seemed to start clocking faster time than it actually should, 5:37 and 5:39 for the 5th km. I was quite disappointed with the way my watch was working, but I try my best to avoid the inaccurate data from affecting my run. I only look at the time when I passed each km marker, which work well. I passed the 10km mark in 1 hour 3min 53sec. I was feeling good, and just kept 6min-6min15sec for the next 10km. I reached 20km in exactly 2hour 5min and the half marathon mark in 2 hour 11min 48sec. I reached the 25km mark in 2 hour 38min, this block of 5km was covered in 33 min, about 6min36sec per km.
From 25 to 30km, I was struggling, getting tired and start to slow down. 40min 12 sec for this block of 5km. As the route entered the garden by the bay; I started to get muscle cramp on both thighs and calf. I had to rub down the muscle every km. I continue to run and managed to get to the 35km mark in a surprising 37min 15sec. The killer in the garden is the stretch just beside the Sheare bridge, directly opposite Sands, there is no shade along the almost 1 km. I did not stop and tried my best to slow run the whole stretch and only stop to drink and pour water over my head to cool down. I walked a short stretch and started to run slowly again, about 37 km and the clock read 4hr15min. I asked myself how am I going to finish 5 km in 30 min to break my pb, which seems impossible at the point in time. I wanted to walk the whole 5 km, but I did not do so. After about 30 metres, I started to run really slowly up the bridge. By the time I reached about 38km at the top of the bridge, I started to walk again, but only for a short while and I slow run down the bridge.
After the bridge, it's about 39km mark, I walked a little bit more and then slow run again. At this point, it's really the mind against the body, the body is so weak and it was the mind that keep the body going. And finally I reached the 40km mark and my watch read 4hr45min. I told myself one last time, after this drink station, I cannot stop, I will just put one feet in front of the other and run to the end, I want to at least go under 5 hours. I just run and I was still having muscle cramp, and I did one last rub down of my thigh and calf at the 41km mark. Then I just pushed on, and I finally turned onto the Esplanade bridge. I just tried my best to run a little bit faster and faster. Finally, the turn onto Anderson bridge, and the last 200m, I was really exhausted and the whole body just seems like it was burning. But I just summoned all the strength that was available and just sprinted down this last stretch. I crossed the finishing line and I managed to dip under the sub 5 hours mark.
What a relief, but was 12min1sec slower than 2014. I ran my fastest last 2.195 km ever in a marathon 14 min 10 sec ! I will try again next year 2016, to beat my personal best !
The race started at 5 am sharp for the elite runners, I started in the second batch at about 5:04 am. As usual, it was a slow start. Covered the 1st km in 6:15, which was faster than I expected. But one thing to note is that only about 62 percent of the full marathon slots was filled, which was why I found that it felt less crowded when I was running. The second km was slower at 6:51 and passed through the only enclosed place on the route, it was the Fort Canning tunnel. The third km was clocked at 6:14 but from the 4th km onwards, my Garmin 620 seemed to start clocking faster time than it actually should, 5:37 and 5:39 for the 5th km. I was quite disappointed with the way my watch was working, but I try my best to avoid the inaccurate data from affecting my run. I only look at the time when I passed each km marker, which work well. I passed the 10km mark in 1 hour 3min 53sec. I was feeling good, and just kept 6min-6min15sec for the next 10km. I reached 20km in exactly 2hour 5min and the half marathon mark in 2 hour 11min 48sec. I reached the 25km mark in 2 hour 38min, this block of 5km was covered in 33 min, about 6min36sec per km.
From 25 to 30km, I was struggling, getting tired and start to slow down. 40min 12 sec for this block of 5km. As the route entered the garden by the bay; I started to get muscle cramp on both thighs and calf. I had to rub down the muscle every km. I continue to run and managed to get to the 35km mark in a surprising 37min 15sec. The killer in the garden is the stretch just beside the Sheare bridge, directly opposite Sands, there is no shade along the almost 1 km. I did not stop and tried my best to slow run the whole stretch and only stop to drink and pour water over my head to cool down. I walked a short stretch and started to run slowly again, about 37 km and the clock read 4hr15min. I asked myself how am I going to finish 5 km in 30 min to break my pb, which seems impossible at the point in time. I wanted to walk the whole 5 km, but I did not do so. After about 30 metres, I started to run really slowly up the bridge. By the time I reached about 38km at the top of the bridge, I started to walk again, but only for a short while and I slow run down the bridge.
After the bridge, it's about 39km mark, I walked a little bit more and then slow run again. At this point, it's really the mind against the body, the body is so weak and it was the mind that keep the body going. And finally I reached the 40km mark and my watch read 4hr45min. I told myself one last time, after this drink station, I cannot stop, I will just put one feet in front of the other and run to the end, I want to at least go under 5 hours. I just run and I was still having muscle cramp, and I did one last rub down of my thigh and calf at the 41km mark. Then I just pushed on, and I finally turned onto the Esplanade bridge. I just tried my best to run a little bit faster and faster. Finally, the turn onto Anderson bridge, and the last 200m, I was really exhausted and the whole body just seems like it was burning. But I just summoned all the strength that was available and just sprinted down this last stretch. I crossed the finishing line and I managed to dip under the sub 5 hours mark.
What a relief, but was 12min1sec slower than 2014. I ran my fastest last 2.195 km ever in a marathon 14 min 10 sec ! I will try again next year 2016, to beat my personal best !
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