A Very Wet Sundown Marathon 2012

This morning, I completed my 21K race at the Sundown Marathon. The day before, I ran a tempo run with my coach Craig ‘Fox’ Holland, who was in town on business. He advised me to treat it as a training session, taking it easy for 10K, cranking it up slightly for 6K more, and then winding it up for the last 5K. I am pleased to announce that my plan was executed closely, and I returned a 1:38:55 (nett timing), far better than the 1:45 I was aiming for. My negative split was a bonus as it is hard to do so, unless you pay close attention to your pacing and racing tactics. Dr Phil Maffetone categorises racing as anaerobic workouts, which requires slight more recovery time.

Preliminary Results.

Due to lightning and the eventual heavy rain (torrential downpour), the music and announcements were, momentarily, discontinued. The international emcee and ‘Voice of Ironman Asia’, Whit Raymond apologized for not calling me in. I appreciated his presence, as also that of Adrian Mok, co-organiser (Hi-Velocity) and uber-triathlete/marathoner. The race met Category 1 conditions (meaning highest lightning-risk) and urged participants to seek shelter where possible. Participants were sent a thoughtful but serious text message to seek shelter.

My Garmin data for the entire half-marathon. On-target for my Ironman marathon.

I spent the next hour chatting, firstly, with Terrence D'Silva and then with Singapore Blade Runner (and coterie). Shariff, who is physically-challenged on one leg did his 10K in a commendable one hour. He recently completed the prestigious Boston Marathon. I noticed many new faces in the refreshment tent, and it is suggestive of the growth of endurance sports among the masses. The Singapore Sports Council’s initiative of ‘Sports For All’ seems successful in the past decade, with large subscriptions for local-branded races like the Singapore Marathon, Sundown Marathon, Army Half-Marathon, Yellow Ribbon Run, Mount Faber Run, and the wide mix of triathlons including the Ironman 70.3.

Published results of actual winners on that rainy morning. This time, I am still behind Lim Baoying (Dr) and Rachel See (21K Women's Open).

Congratulations to Ironman Chris Smith for completing the marathon. That means he has completed his last longest run before our Ironman Switzerland challenge. I still have my work cut out for me in the next six weeks, and need to be smart in my workouts. My nutritional plan seems reliable, with no gastro-intestinal (GI) distress. This morning, I subsisted on water and electrolytes at the aid-stations, with a pre-race protein drink (breakfast) and Hammer Nutrition’s Perpeteum Solids (tablets).

Additional considerations for runners doing a night race include:

1)    Take smaller steps in dim lighting conditions.

2)    Walk, if the terrain is grassy, wet or bumpy.

3)    Be cognizant and aware of other runners when you race with musical devices.

Have yourself a very happy Sunday!