Thursday, September 30, 2010

Post-Marathon Lessons

Hello, readers!


It has been a week since my last post. I ran and completed the Berlin Marathon on Sunday. It was a cold and wet day, and I did not achieved any of my intended PBs.


Having said this, I am grateful for racing successfully and safely on this beautiful and flat course. There is so much richness of history in Berlin's land and air that the mist that enveloped the city that morning at 9.00am concealed the wondrousness of this foreign land.


I raced in Berlin to get a PB and entry to next year's Boston Marathon - the Kona of marathons. Having suffered through a cold and wet day, and racing in wet shoes (dozens of puddles and water-traps) I had to jettison all my plans for a new one - to finish the race in a respectable time. I crossed the line in 3:37:06, half a minute off my best time last year at the Singapore Marathon. Plus, more than 7,000 runners separated me and the finish-line. I emerged only top-20 percent in the 40,000-strong field of enthusiastic runners. In Singapore, I was top-2 percent, so that was humbling. I suspect my preference for warmer climates and mild injuries held me back both physically and psychologically. More on these later.


My friend Charles considers this course to be 'as flat as a pancake, and more so than Singapore's'. I tend to agree with him. The only challenge was the racing conditions; the spectators were great throughout and I enjoyed the recognition from volunteers, supporters, and entertainers. We had percussion bands, jazz bands, blues bands and  even a rock and roll band! Nutritional support was more than adequate to keep you focused on your next step. The views of the city was splendid, with postcard scenery at every turn of the street.


Will I come back to race? Certainly. I may need to work on my insulation strategy, though.


I will post more over the next few days. Thank you for your patience.

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