Now that the race is over and the kids have gone out with their dad, I am left to write about the experience on my facebook wall. And what an interesting experience it was!
This time we were early, and this time both myself and my boyfriend participated in the race, although he was doing 10km and myself, forcefully lumped into the 'veteran' category (I still find it hard to believe...whatever), w...as supposed to be doing 7km run.
*****
While we were waiting around for things to start, a facebook friend came up to say hello. I used to hate it when people came to me and they know my name, and I have absolutely no idea who they are...but I find nowadays people are less offended. The same thing happened during the Putrajaya night half marathon and I am still left wondering until today, who was that friend?
*****
Then I saw Nitahain Hashim Kamal in her gear, looking all ready to hit the road. We introduced each other, talked about shoes and bicycles and the upcoming Women's Marathon, and how we are supposed to get a pacer...
*****
If I am not mistaken the conversation went something like this:
Friend: You can ask your husband to be your pacer.
Me: Why do we need a pacer (I mean I have my phone & app)?
Friend: The men cant participate because its a women's marathon.
Me: Oh (well, for the first time in my life, I actually felt sorry for them LOL).
Friend: You can use your husband or someone else's husband.
Me: Excuse me? Someone else's husband? Interesting...
*****
It was exciting, the buzz before the run, everyone pumped up and ready to go. First it was the 10km runners. They handed out these colour coded ribbon that you wear around your neck at the beginning, that was a light blue one.
Then the gun went off and the race begun. Next, us 7km people entered the pit (I don't know what to call it). At this stage, its still fun. There was a celebrity of some sort who was a bit late and we had to wait one or two minutes for her, then there was something wrong with the starting gun.
Myself and Nita glanced to the back before it started and I can see there weren't that many people. Nita said "there's a chance of winning" and I told her "you will definitely win!". I might even get a chance qualifying for the medal. My hopes were up.
In the car earlier on the way to the venue, my boyfriend and I had been discussing about the medal. There are only 50 for each category. Because I had no idea about the number of participants, I honestly did not think that I stood a chance. But I wished for it. I also wondered if there was any certificate. I was hoping for some kind of memento to remind me of the suffering, I mean, experience.
The gun went off and that was the second last time I would see Nita. The other time was when our paths crossed, hers heading the other direction after making a U-turn at the 3.5km halfway mark, and me, slowly jogging towards the U-turn. I wouldn't have seen her had she not called out my name. Wow, I was impressed to see her massive strides. So that is what elite athlete's look like when they run.
It was pretty much monotonous for the next few kilometres. Kept monitoring my pace. I was a bit uncomfortable with the heat because the sun had started to rise and not all of the path was shaded. At one of the water stations, I decided to splash water on my face, which I did at least three times during the PNM. It was a mistake because I applied my eye cream this morning, (I should have washed it off), and that stuff stings if it gets into the eyes, I didn't wear it during the PNHM. And I had my shades on. So for a few moments I was running with my eyes closed. That was fun yet cooling.
At the 3.5km mark they give you another ribbon to wear around your neck and this one was yellow. I saw quite a lot of other runners wearing blue and purple so I presumed they were doing 10km.
When my phone showed 6km, I decided I should pick up the pace. I felt fine, I was confident I could run at a faster pace till the end. Funny thing was, it started to go uphill for about half a kilometre and this really nearly killed me. My pace doubled what I normally run during practise. But I saw other runners suffer too. During this moment of painful silent suffering, it dawned on me this was what the Penang Bridge Run will be like. Uphill for 10.5km. Scary thought. Let's not go there and remain in denial.
Finally the path started to even out again at about 6.5km. I was thinking I should really pick up the pace but I couldn't see anything near the finish line. It seemed pretty far away. As my phone went past 7km, at about 7.5km I stopped to ask one of the officials and he confirmed my assumption, I was off the 7km track and was doing the 10km instead. Well, no wonder I couldn't see anyone else wearing the yellow ribbon. That was it, I thought, my chance to get the medal was gone, I can kiss it goodbye.
To console myself, I just played the usual mind games. This suffering is nothing in comparison to what the people in Gaza have to face. They may not even make it past their 36th birthday like I did. Nor have the chance to complain about not getting a stupid medal for some charity run.
I played all the survivor and power songs I could think of in my mind. I thought about my enemies. That normally gives me a surge of energy. And other things I cant write on my facebook wall.
At 8km, the cramps started. Why oh why did I not drink that pickle juice. Well, no use regretting now. I did everything else except drink pickle juice. I deserved it.
Luckily, it was not 10km. Soon I was in familiar territory and the race actually ended at 8.7km. To my pleasant surprise, I was handed at finisher medal. Yay! But the story isn't over. I took some pictures with my facebook friend and headed to the car with my boyfriend. I just wanted to go home and eat and shower. And massage my crampy legs.
The unthinkable happened. As I swung myself to enter the car (its a bit high because its an SUV), my left leg went into the most painful cramp/spasm I have ever had my entire life. The pain I can say would equal that of childbirth, where I was left speechless and completely consumed. I could not shout, I could not think. All there was, was this awful pain in my left leg, I was frozen, unable to get into the car, half in, half out, making the situation worse.
My husband had to help me into the car. Had I been alone, I would have had to stay like that until the pain subsided, or I might have fell onto the ground if I couldn't keep my balance. I never thought I would use the breathing techniques I learnt during antenatal class ever again, but boy, were they handy. It took a few moments, eventually the intensity reduced and the pain went away on its own.
It's during times like these when you question yourself, why am I doing this? Is it worth it?
Now, alone at home, limping around the house, I consider this an achievement compared to the kimono walk I had after my first HM.
It is definitely worth and I would do it again and again.
For Gaza.
This time we were early, and this time both myself and my boyfriend participated in the race, although he was doing 10km and myself, forcefully lumped into the 'veteran' category (I still find it hard to believe...whatever), w...as supposed to be doing 7km run.
*****
While we were waiting around for things to start, a facebook friend came up to say hello. I used to hate it when people came to me and they know my name, and I have absolutely no idea who they are...but I find nowadays people are less offended. The same thing happened during the Putrajaya night half marathon and I am still left wondering until today, who was that friend?
*****
Then I saw Nitahain Hashim Kamal in her gear, looking all ready to hit the road. We introduced each other, talked about shoes and bicycles and the upcoming Women's Marathon, and how we are supposed to get a pacer...
*****
If I am not mistaken the conversation went something like this:
Friend: You can ask your husband to be your pacer.
Me: Why do we need a pacer (I mean I have my phone & app)?
Friend: The men cant participate because its a women's marathon.
Me: Oh (well, for the first time in my life, I actually felt sorry for them LOL).
Friend: You can use your husband or someone else's husband.
Me: Excuse me? Someone else's husband? Interesting...
*****
It was exciting, the buzz before the run, everyone pumped up and ready to go. First it was the 10km runners. They handed out these colour coded ribbon that you wear around your neck at the beginning, that was a light blue one.
Then the gun went off and the race begun. Next, us 7km people entered the pit (I don't know what to call it). At this stage, its still fun. There was a celebrity of some sort who was a bit late and we had to wait one or two minutes for her, then there was something wrong with the starting gun.
Myself and Nita glanced to the back before it started and I can see there weren't that many people. Nita said "there's a chance of winning" and I told her "you will definitely win!". I might even get a chance qualifying for the medal. My hopes were up.
In the car earlier on the way to the venue, my boyfriend and I had been discussing about the medal. There are only 50 for each category. Because I had no idea about the number of participants, I honestly did not think that I stood a chance. But I wished for it. I also wondered if there was any certificate. I was hoping for some kind of memento to remind me of the suffering, I mean, experience.
The gun went off and that was the second last time I would see Nita. The other time was when our paths crossed, hers heading the other direction after making a U-turn at the 3.5km halfway mark, and me, slowly jogging towards the U-turn. I wouldn't have seen her had she not called out my name. Wow, I was impressed to see her massive strides. So that is what elite athlete's look like when they run.
It was pretty much monotonous for the next few kilometres. Kept monitoring my pace. I was a bit uncomfortable with the heat because the sun had started to rise and not all of the path was shaded. At one of the water stations, I decided to splash water on my face, which I did at least three times during the PNM. It was a mistake because I applied my eye cream this morning, (I should have washed it off), and that stuff stings if it gets into the eyes, I didn't wear it during the PNHM. And I had my shades on. So for a few moments I was running with my eyes closed. That was fun yet cooling.
At the 3.5km mark they give you another ribbon to wear around your neck and this one was yellow. I saw quite a lot of other runners wearing blue and purple so I presumed they were doing 10km.
When my phone showed 6km, I decided I should pick up the pace. I felt fine, I was confident I could run at a faster pace till the end. Funny thing was, it started to go uphill for about half a kilometre and this really nearly killed me. My pace doubled what I normally run during practise. But I saw other runners suffer too. During this moment of painful silent suffering, it dawned on me this was what the Penang Bridge Run will be like. Uphill for 10.5km. Scary thought. Let's not go there and remain in denial.
Finally the path started to even out again at about 6.5km. I was thinking I should really pick up the pace but I couldn't see anything near the finish line. It seemed pretty far away. As my phone went past 7km, at about 7.5km I stopped to ask one of the officials and he confirmed my assumption, I was off the 7km track and was doing the 10km instead. Well, no wonder I couldn't see anyone else wearing the yellow ribbon. That was it, I thought, my chance to get the medal was gone, I can kiss it goodbye.
To console myself, I just played the usual mind games. This suffering is nothing in comparison to what the people in Gaza have to face. They may not even make it past their 36th birthday like I did. Nor have the chance to complain about not getting a stupid medal for some charity run.
I played all the survivor and power songs I could think of in my mind. I thought about my enemies. That normally gives me a surge of energy. And other things I cant write on my facebook wall.
At 8km, the cramps started. Why oh why did I not drink that pickle juice. Well, no use regretting now. I did everything else except drink pickle juice. I deserved it.
Luckily, it was not 10km. Soon I was in familiar territory and the race actually ended at 8.7km. To my pleasant surprise, I was handed at finisher medal. Yay! But the story isn't over. I took some pictures with my facebook friend and headed to the car with my boyfriend. I just wanted to go home and eat and shower. And massage my crampy legs.
The unthinkable happened. As I swung myself to enter the car (its a bit high because its an SUV), my left leg went into the most painful cramp/spasm I have ever had my entire life. The pain I can say would equal that of childbirth, where I was left speechless and completely consumed. I could not shout, I could not think. All there was, was this awful pain in my left leg, I was frozen, unable to get into the car, half in, half out, making the situation worse.
My husband had to help me into the car. Had I been alone, I would have had to stay like that until the pain subsided, or I might have fell onto the ground if I couldn't keep my balance. I never thought I would use the breathing techniques I learnt during antenatal class ever again, but boy, were they handy. It took a few moments, eventually the intensity reduced and the pain went away on its own.
It's during times like these when you question yourself, why am I doing this? Is it worth it?
Now, alone at home, limping around the house, I consider this an achievement compared to the kimono walk I had after my first HM.
It is definitely worth and I would do it again and again.
For Gaza.
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