My journey starts from training itself. After I told the whole world (actually just my colleagues' at a skip-level offsite in front of 80 people), I was training on-and-off. If I did up again, I would train consistently increasing my mileage only by 10+% every week, so 2-3KM rather than what I did. In about 6-8weeks before the race, I should clock mileage per week to exceed 20-25km so my body starts to get used to the length at 15-17km. I should have allowed only 2-days max to recover not too long. What I did was I ramped up my training only in 2weeks before the race (clocking total 25km, then week-1 19km), too short. I paid for it since after km 13, my legs are feeling it.
The strategy:
So the carbon-loading, or just a generally satisfying meal helps the day before the race. I went to the pasta brunch at Pete's Place. They served good salad bar, 2 types of pasta (aglio olio with creamy and tomato sauce) and shell pasta with lamb. They also had other mains like beef cheeks (which is yummy) and red drum fish with tartare sauce. I love their bread with good olive oil + vinegar, and especially good tiramisu and choco-hazelnut bars. Their soup when I went was pumpkin soup and minestrone.
I went to bed about 9pm plus, couldn't sleep for a while. Turning off aircon was a good idea (to warm-up body - so should try again). but I was awake half past midnight as it was too hot and I was sweating. So on the aircon for 2.5 hours. At 4+am, my brother woke me up! Time to prepare for the race.
I laid my runner's t, tag, socks, gels x2, house key - the night before the race. I went to take on banana and a cup of icecold 100plus. Then at 430-440am we were starting the walk warmup to the starting line at Pitstop. It was timely. We almost got into a pen with first wave, when we were stopped by security guard... congestion happened. So we got into the 2nd wave and started 12 mins after 530. I read there's a third wave that started 24 mins past 530.
My run started at 12:34 past the guntime. I was feeling calm and doesn't want to be rushed by runners especially young men rushing and zig-zaging. I was annoyed at some of them for wasting energy so early in the race. First km was very congested... but I was keeping up to my slow pace. I know I had to preserve my energy or I would waste the run. The first 5km were a breeze, my spirit was up even when relaxed. There's a confusion point at 4km loop and 7km. But the plus point is that there's a lot of water points with water and Pocari Sweat at every 2km. That really helps as I normally feeling slightly recharged with the cold pocari sweat. After 5km, I started to push myself this is at the loop point and I know it's normal because I often do 10km. After 1 hour, which is after my split of 8km my timing was pretty good. I started to sip on the energy gel. And finally consumed one at waterpoint 9km. I keep in telling myself once I hit 10-11km, I would have done the race halfway :)
The turnabout at Kallang to PCN, was fully congested. That's km 11 point, and the standstill was among a crowd of runners sweating and trying to pass the narrow lane. After that, it's continuous jog thru PCN, up to km13 where Tanjong Rhu is. I started to stop and walk because I had to. I was pushing myself continuously and luckily those were the route where I normally train. The km13 all the way to 15 was the Garden By the Bay East, and I settled into a nice slow jog with calmness of mind. Then I hit the km where Marine Barrage, all the way to Marina Bay Sands, these are passing in a blur but I know I was in pain and started to look for signs of 16, 17 km mark. They ran out of pocari sweat at km 17! I was finishing up my last gell by then. Then I jogged to and settled into that calmness again when turning from Marina bay Sands. I almost gave-up when a nice girl encouraged me and say "Come on". That helps :) so nice.
So final 2-4km was step by step, the sun was so hot then because it was 8.10am past. I kept looking at my watch to encourage myself to hit the 3hours mark I was looking for. After the bridge, I felt my energy back especially after passing the upward slope of MBS road. Then I saw my bro and Mimi already finished and smiled. Mimi was trying to encourage me and even run. I had to stop at final waterpoint and consumed 2 cups of cold Pocari Sweat. Wow luckily it was very cold (some waterpoint was not very cold) and then tried to finish the final 1km through the sideway and circleback for final 200m that merges with the 10km.
Yay! I finally jog steadily throughout final stretch. I pushed to be faster but my legs and body just steady and cannot jog faster. Then I passed the finish line at 3:15... greeted by medal, banana, pocari, and cold wet towel. The final one was a nice gesture. Oooh I was so "kaput".
My knees were hurting. I know my legs were shaking a little bit at km 17-18 which I ignored. Home shower was very nice. So moral of the story is because I didn't train after 12km, my body was working on reserve. I was crazy to try that luckily my proud body can do it. I am so proud of you. I also lost 400-600gr during the race, mainly water.
