Nike We Run KL 2016 Review

The Nike We Run KL 2016 on Sunday, 10 April was a success. I was among the lucky 8,987 runners who participated in this monumental event in the Malaysia running calendar. I thought I'd do the  recap early for this race instead of waiting for a few days like I normally do till the results are out.  There are so many exciting things about this race to share with my readers, I just can't wait to get started while everything is still fresh in my memory.

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REGISTRATION 

Registration for the event was not without drama: one of us team members experienced a near heart-attack 'moment' when on clicking to pay for her registration, she was greeted with a message stating that her payment was unsuccessful. Subsequent attempts with all off the credit cards failed and her registration timed out. She had no choice but to start the whole registration process again but by this time traffic on the registration site was super heavy. She was kept waiting for three hours just to get to the payment page again. I kid you not! To say it was agonising for her is putting it mildly. All of us on the team, communicating via Whatsapp chat were at the edge of our seats thinking the unthinkable: she will be eliminated from our team should she fail to register. It was only at the eleventh hour that the unfortunate member managed to get a place in the race. It goes to show that, persistence pays off.

PRE-RACE EVENTS 

From the day of registration on 16 January,   a specially curated 12-week training programme by the Nike Malaysia team was activated digitally, the details of which were sent to Nike We Run KL registrants every Wednesday. Not surprisingly, maximum capacity was reached within hours of online registration for each and every of their weekly training events. By the time I arrived home from work to register for the event, my excitement turned to disappointment when I found out that there were no spots left for the training session. Recalling the lesson in persistence, I answered the last call from Coach Shaharudin and Coach Sue Ling, and successfully secured a spot for training. How did I do it? Oh well, no biggie... I stayed back at the office and waited for the email invitation from Nike Malaysia to come into my inbox and that's how I successfully registered. I had the honour of meeting the dedicated coaches Din and Sue, the pacers team and Jean Pierre, the special coach of the day at Desa Park City on a scorching Sunday morning. As it was the final prep session, participants were tested with a five-loop run with a total distance of 10km. I ran with the 2:00 pacers at 5:30 min/km and managed to keep up with them for the entire exercise. I was upbeat to have found the right pacer on race day.

Final training session by Nike Malaysia at Desa Park City

Tested these Nike Lunar Tempo 2 runners

Ready to log the overdue miles on this hot Sunday, 2 April

Coach Din and Coach Sue with the pacers looking really cool

Happy faces after a 10km workout

Posed with Coach Din after getting some valuable advice

RACE PACK COLLECTION

This year the race pack collection was at the Race Village itself over a period of three days leading up to race day. The self-appointed representative, I went to Semasa Parking at KL Sentral on Thursday 7 April to pick up those money-can't-buy Nike race packs. The contents of the race pack were: a Nike running tee in cheerful orange with a unique registration number/ID, a multi-sport tag for the ankle for timing purposes and a color-coded wristband with designated start pen based on the participant's predicted finishing time.

My race pack

Photo opportunity at the race collection venue

First class service rendered by volunteers at the counter

Main tent in Race Village which served as race collection centre before race day

PRE-RACE DAY

Our team of four checked in at Royce Hotel in Jalan Tun Sambanthan. We chose this hotel because of its proximity to the Race Village. We booked the hotel early - on the day when we received the race guide through email. A few days before the race, we wanted to request for a room upgrade but was informed by the hotel staff that the hotel was fully booked on Saturday. I'm sure there were other runners like us who just passed on the idea of having to drive or take public transport in the wee hours of the morning on race day. This year complimentary monorail and LRT services were provided for the runners to get to the Race Village. Kudos to the organisers for the arrangement.  But sleep is a luxury that I was not going to deprive myself of; I reckon that every extra minute of shut-eye goes to benefit the mind, heart and body which amount to better performance on race day. Our team of four went out for an early dinner at Nu Sentral, where we had pasta to load up the carbs, followed by a relaxing chit-chat filled with laughter and discussion centered around running. In case anyone is interested to know, my power song for running is "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas.

Royce Hotel

Single room with King size bed

Spaghetti with chicken bolognese for dinner at Sam's Deli, Nu Sentral

RACE DAY

The Nike We Run KL morning came early as we gathered outside the hotel at 4:30. Danny took longer than expected to come downstairs due to his dodgy belly from the night before. While waiting for Danny, my cousin, Mike who's an experienced runner with numerous FM's under his belt (but refuses to be called an elite runner)  showed up to give us moral support. It was a confidence booster for the team indeed. The team of four were all psyched up. Ladies and gentlemen, we were now the Fantastic Four!

Mike wearing the perfect matching color shoes for the race

At this point, I'd like to introduce the team members:

Danny: Has several 10k titles, first time running a HM, only just recovered from a recent gastrointestinal problem. Goal is to cross the finish line.

Cheng Yee: Ran her first HM in Nike We Run KL 2015, aims to improve her time by avoiding the use of port a potty this year which (she claims) cost her 10 minutes last year

Me: Four HM's in 2 years, all with a finishing time of between 2:05-2:07. Consistence is my middle name. 

Queen: Excited to run her first HM. Goal is to beat the 4:00 cut off time and avoid the sweeper.

Group pic before proceeding to the start pen

RACE DAY (part 2)

We arrived just after 5 a.m at the Race Village where I checked in my bag. There were no queues which was a pleasant surprise to me. I noted there were plenty of mobile toilets by gender and  again, there were no long queues seen. The marshals were strict in not allowing any non runners/non-registered runners into the race village through which registered runners enter the start pens. The orange Nike race tee with a unique number is proof of one's identity as a registered runner. Whereas other race organisers disqualify runners without a bib, this one takes it a step further: no running tee - no run. I actually liked the idea that runners were united in color, running tee and Nike in this event.

I was ushered into my sub 2:30 pen behind the sub 2:00 group and elite runners. As the 8,987 runners waited for the clock to strike 5:30 a.m, deejays JJ and Azura roused the crowd with their animated and lively presentation style. I whipped out my phone and took a selfie, then surveyed the crowd. IT was quite a spectacle to see a sea of orange. There were many young runners age 25 and below around me. A guy behind me was wearing a head band just like mine and earbuds stuck in his ear. He was busy shooting video on his phone to capture every moment leading to the flag-off. And like me, he had the Nike Plus app on standby. And then, the countdown began: 5... 4...3...2..1...

Runners were guided to their respective start pen

JJ and Azura were atop a wave of orange runners

A selfie before flag off

 

What followed next was something I have never seen in a race: fireworks! It was indeed a spectacular visual extravaganza for all. I was mesmerised by the colorful display for a minute or so and then it was time for me to move to the start line. The atmosphere was electrifying! As I walked to the start line to place my foot on the sensor, I found myself standing under thousands of sparks falling from the sky. It was an incredible experience, if a little unnerving...  Confetti was splattered under the start arch which lends splendor to this extraordinary flag-off.  Today, KL came to life at 5:30 a.m!

I ran at a comfortable pace of 5:30-5:45 min/km for the first 10km. There was an elevation gain at 9.07 km on Jalan Tun Razak. which I managed with a pace of 6.15 min/km. I picked up my pace again for the next few kilometers until Jalan Parlimen at the 16th kilometer. The hills got to me and my pace dropped to 6:45 min/km.

I should point out that my favourite pacer (2:00) was in sight in the first 12km of the run, but from then on, she left me behind. Or I should say I began to slow down and trailed behind her. Considerably. At that point, I realised that my goal for a sub 2:00 finish was next to impossible, but I was still aiming for a respectable time. Just Do It.  I managed to keep a good pace till kilometer 14. And from 15th km my pace went progressively downhill so that I was not able to run under 6 min/km all the way to the finish line. I was rapidly burning out.

Elevation versus distance

Pace versus distance

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On Jalan Parlimen where the thought of giving up was attractive to most runners (photo courtesy of Victor Chong)

A turnaround came in the last 200 meters, wherein I drew energy from my reserves and sprinted to the finish line. And you can see that I pushed myself to the limit in this photo finish.

Victory is mine

Physiotherapists on hand to help runners after the race

Gave the lovely pacer a good chase in the course but she beat me to the finish line

At the Race Village, finishers were treated like athletes with post-run stretching performed by Physiotherapists from Universiti Malaya  and ice-bath to cool off  their sore feet. I benefited from a good stretch of my tight hamstrings. With such VIP treatments, I felt like a champion.Come to think of it,  all the participants came and conquered the 21k distance on the day 100416 were champions. Congratulations too all who ran!

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Nike Plus summary

Records fell on 10.04.16

Official results: 
Gun time: 2:07:26
Nett time: 2:05:47
Rank: #449 Overall (M), #355 (Above 25)


Final thoughts on the race:

What I liked:
- Nice running tee with printed number
- Good looking finisher medal
- Plenty of water and isotonic drinks station with sufficient volunteers
- Friendly marshals who directed runners throughout course
- Motivational messages at every kilometer
- Well thought out route with iconic landmarks
- Stretching by physiotherapist and ice-bath
- Week by week email from Nike Malaysia on training progress
- Training programme ebook available to all registrants

 I thought the event was so well-organised that I could not find anything which I disliked.

What could have been improved:
- Ankle tag with a different chip number from ID/bib number could have been labeled with name of the participant. With no other identifiers, there's a risk of mixing the tags among runners in the case of group race pack collection
 - More cheers by volunteers to motivate the runners. There were few of them and they were mostly working alone.

Singapore Green Corridor Run

 As a city dweller, most of my running has been done on roads. I have dabbled in trail running in the past (review of Blood Runner in Putrajaya), but the event was not a full trail run. Lately, I've been looping my local park (Lembah Kiara in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail) since its upgrading was completed and that has renewed my interest in trail running.

So when I heard that the Singapore Green Corridor Run in its third edition would be its final (part of the corridor will be closed for construction of the Murnane pipeline), I took a plunge and registered for the race! I thought that was reason enough to go across the Causeway for a short holiday and participate in a running event, i.e. a "runcation."

The Green Corridor Run was held on Sunday, 8th March and the starting point was at the former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. The guest-of-honour, the Singapore Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources.flagged off the race at 8 a.m. Along with 11,000 other enthusiastic runners, I was happy to be present at this important event, which was held in conjunction with the Singapore World Water Day celebrations.

The majestic former Tanjong Pagar Rail Station which has been preserved

   

My first time not wearing the official running vest in an event to announce my entry into trail running

Throngs of people heading to the starting line

Water challenge to raise money for charity

The course, previously part of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM's) rail network was a 10.5 km of greenery and woodlands. The terrain was varied - rocky paths, lush greenery fields, muddy trails and hills featured along the way.  Being a road runner, I thought the scenery was stunning, quite a change from all the road races that I participated in.  The air was cool, and my body did not feel overheated. It's hard to believe, but here I was in the city state of Singapore, away from the noise and pollution of the city and running in this beautiful green corridor.

There were three water stations - at 3.5km, 5km and 7.5km and they were all well-manned by volunteers. I also noted that the medics were quick to respond to injured/unwell runners. Two volunteers were seen carrying a stretcher and running at a remarkably quick pace to provide aid to a participant in need of medical assistance. 

The course at 9.5km was the most challenging part of the run as it involved running uphill for a long stretch. I managed the conquer the inclines this time and was rewarded with a downhill slope en route to the finish line at the old Bukit Timah Rail Station.    

At the end of the race, I was exhausted but at the same time exhilarated that I completed my first trail run. The varied terrain under my foot gave a more challenging workout for my body. The best part was definitely the surroundings which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Finisher's entitlements - Volvic mineral water and souvenir towel

Finisher medal

My first trail race completed

Results:
Chip time: 56:00:37
Overall position: 815

Media:
AsiaOne
Today
Channel News Asia

Costume night run

Remember I said that the PBIM 2015 was my final run for 2015? Well, I lied.

When I learned about a night run taking place on New Year's Eve in my neck of the woods that is Mutiara Damansara, I could not resist signing up for it even if it meant that I would have to hold back having a tipple until after I break a sweat for the run on the last day of the year. I'm one to try different things and I like the idea of celebrating one's efforts..

Themed "A Running Start to 2016",  the MDCC Costume Nite Run is part of a celebration event organised by Boustead Curve (The Curve), Ikano Corporation (IPC) and Damansara Entertainment Sdn Bhd (eCurve). For the record, I have spent my past four NYE's in Mutiara Damansara and I can say that I enjoyed the exciting entertainment events and the spectacular fireworks over the years.

Publicity Poster was seen a month before the race at The Curve

The run is divided into three main categories - Men's and Women's Open (5km) and the costume Fun Run for families (3km). An inaugural event, the MDCC Nite Run is open to runners of all ages and abilities. The top five finishers in the Men's Open and Women's Open, as well as the top five best dressed runners in the Fun Run will each receive a trophy.  However, I found out that the 5km run was not a timed race as there was no timer given to the registered runners. So I didn't actually lie about PBIM being the last run for me in 2015; the MDCC Nite Run in my book is a fun run and definitely and thus, does not count as a race. There was no pressure whatever for this run. The important word to remember is fun! Furthermore, running on the last day of the year just hours before the stroke of midnight is certainly a different and interesting way to ring in the ring in the new year.

Race tee in striking color to match my shoes

 
I collected the race pack last Saturday... liked the color and design of the t-shirt - a perfect match for my unmistakable Brooks Racer X5. Another pleasant surprise, which sets this new running event apart from the other races was the goody bag which was packed with vouchers from various retail shops, services and F&B outlets at the The Curve, eCurve and IPC.It goes without saying, I'd be making use of my 50% discount voucher at O'Brien's.

A short spell of showers in the evening worried me me a little but as luck would have it, the rain subsided by 7:15 p.m making it conducive for night running. I left my bag at the Fitness First at the Curve and went straight to the race corral (The Curve is my preferred lifestyle shopping place). From my observation, the participants gathered there looked more like a crowd you would see on a weekend at the Curve, IPC, eCurve or Ikea - the only difference was they were all dressed in their running gear, with a smile on their face! It warmed my heart to see  there were a handful of couples with young children in attendance. They came from near and far to run on this busy evening because running is a fun way to bond for family members. I also noted there were a few adults in the open category who came dressed up as their superhero. How cool is that!

Posing just before it was dark

Interesting mix of people in the crowd

Flag off with great fanfare

After safety briefing by the chief marshal, the race was flagged off by the Group Managing Director of Boustead Holdings Berhad. I felt a great sense of freedom running on the street outside IPC, Ikea Tesco and Kidzania with little concern about traffic, thanks to the hardworking RELA officials on duty. The main road i.e. PJU 7/2 was closed to traffic because of the the NYE events taking place all evening. Running uphill on PJU 8/8 passing Empire Damansara towards the PJ Trade Centre was not an easy task as it involved a significant elevation gain. The route of this run was testing for most runners. Fortunately, I managed to stay a close distance to the leader of the pack which a great.

After passing Neo Damansara, it was downhill all the way towards the finishing line.  I should also mention that there were two water stations in the 5km course and they were manned by sufficient number of volunteers at both the stations.  At the downhill station, I felt as if the drinking water was a treat as I made sure to thank the girl who handed me the paper cup. After the second water station, I picked up speed and raced to the finish line, clocking 21:22 on my Garmin. However, I also noted that the distance shown was 4:24 km so I would not be able to use the stats from this run for my 5k records.

But that's OK. As I said, it was meant to be a fun run and it certainly was! I enjoyed running in this nite run thoroughly. Would I do it again next year?  Yes, of course!


And so it's a wrap for 2015 and what a year it was!

A summary of my running journey in 2015 in figures:
3      -    number of Half Marathon's, night runs and 10k's completed
2      -    obstacles run survived and international events outside Malaysia (Sundown Marathon 
             Singapore and Athens Marathon, Greece)

6      -   number of participants in the family in PBIM
1      -  average number of races I registered in a month
189  -   position in the PBIM Half Marathon Men's Open 

Run while you still can....

Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) 2015

This post took a little longer than usual as I had to wait until the official results of my run in the 2015 PBIM Half Marathon Men Open category were published. It was a long time coming (believe me, if you were an enthusiastic runner like me, anything more than two days is a long wait for the results) but finally, the results were available on the website http://www.penangmarathon.gov.my/portal/ today. 

The 31st edition of the PBIM was held on 22 Nov 2015

As I waited for the results to come out, it gave me time to think about what to report on this race, which I participated for the first time last year. Since this will be my final race for 2015, I reflected on my running journey for the year. So instead of the usual report, I thought it would be timely to contemplate how wonderful it is that I am able to run in race events. Or just being able to run. It may be a simple activity and most of us take it for granted. Having the ability to run is indeed a blessing and I am humbled when I see people living with disabilities run in races. 

Running has brought immeasurable joy into my life. For some, perhaps running is just running. But I beg to differ. Running is not merely putting one foot in front of the other; it's not just about clocking those miles - it's much more than that. The training, the goals, the commitment involved in achieving those goals, the challenges and rewards from the effort put in, the bond of friendship in the running community, the support of family and friends (both runners and non-runners alike) whether online or offline, and the sense of accomplishment when I achieve new milestones (in life and in running), the strength to not give up when the going gets tough - all of these have made me become a better version of myself since I took up running in past two years or more.

You can imagine my excitement for PBIM this year as I had my family join me in the race. My folks came along too! Although they didn't register to run, they were enthusiastic and happily offered to tag along to enjoy a short holiday in George Town, Penang. There were six of us in our team of runners. For those who have been following my blog, you would already know that my sister and bro-in-law have joined me in past events; this time there were additional three members in the family who joined me for the first time. How incredible is that! I registered for the HM, everyone else in the 10k. We registered back in June to enjoy the early bird rates, set up a group chat to motivate one another and planned our activities for the weekend in Penang in conjunction with the race. Duties were distributed fairly and they included registration of runners, collection of race packs, securing accommodation and coming up with an itinerary in Penang (which basically centered around tasty local food) and printing of the e-certs.

As for the race, the event overall was well organized this year and credit must be given to the organizer. This year the organizer engaged the services of Rapid Penang and it's a wise move on their part (last year the main complaints were on transportation to the starting point). My event was scheduled to start at 3 a.m. I arrived at the Komtar bus terminal just after 2 a.m. only to see the Rapid Penang shuttle bus departing from the station. Fortunately, the next bus arrived shortly after and once filled up, it was ready to go to the race village in the outdoor parking area of Queensbay Mall. I didn't mind paying the RM1 fare for the quality shuttle service. 

Participants in bright pink and green vests gathered at the corral

However, the distance from the drop-off point to the starting line was longer than I expected. I think it easily took a 20-minute walk on average pace - I did hear some runners whinge about the additional distance they were made to cover even before the race started. After bag check-in and a quick stretch, I quickly joined the crowd gathered behind the starting line and before I could drink my Gu, the gun went off sharp at 3 a.m. for the Half Marathon Men's flag-off. And off the strong crowd in excess of 5000 runners went.

I would just give a brief review on the race. This year the race was held on the old bridge, as it has always been since 1985, with the exception of last year when it was held on the newly opened second Penang bridge, namely the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge. It was my first time running on the old bridge - it needs to be pointed out that I only ran about five kilometers on the bridge as the rest of the course was off the bridge. I can only guess the organizers planned it this way so that the runners of the HM do not run into the other runners in the FM category. The course at times was challenging with slopes, and inclined planes and slanted surfaces. It was definitely different from the second bridge which was flat throughout.

The were a total of six hydration stations which was quite generous of the organizer; however, the first one came only at 6.5 km. I wished there was one earlier, say at 5 km as most people would need a sip of water after that distance. Fortunately, the weather was mostly cloudy in the wee hours of the morning on 22 November, with a temperature of 23.9 degree Celsius so I hadn't felt overly thirsty or experienced any overheating of my body when I stopped at the first water station.

It was dark throughout the race and there were stretches where it was pitch dark. I nearly ran into people in some stretches. I regretted not bringing along my headlamp (perhaps this item should be listed as an essential in the race guide). It's handy to have a torch/headlamp when you're running as early as 1 a.m. (full marathon) and 3 a.m. (half-marathon). 

Kelvin and I posing for the camera 

At kilometer 16, my primary school friend Kelvin crossed path with me. He recognised me from behind which was indeed remarkable and shouted my name. What a pleasant surprise it was when I turned around to see Kelvin my friend whom I have to seen in ages! After a quick exchange of greetings, we ran side by side for the next few kilometers. I lost time at one of the hydration stations, but we got back together before the finish line and crossed the finish line in near synchronicity. It was an extraordinary experience! On reflection -  I have not seen Kelvin for over 20 years - we have recently been communicating on Facebook talking about race events and the like but never got the chance to meet until this day. I may never have met Kelvin if it wasn't for running. And more remarkable was the fact that we both traveled to Penang to run in this race but did not make concrete plans to meet..  But here we were in Penang on an early Sunday morning, after crossing the finish line together, catching up with each other.

More reflection:

Thanks to running and racing, I have been on an amazing journey that took me on wonderful trips in Malaysia and overseas. I have met people, every day runners who have done extraordinary things in their running journey and become friends with people who inspire be to continue running. Personally, 2015 turned out to be a fantastic year in my running, with new memories, moments and experiences to cherish. Along the way, I achieved new PR's which is deeply satisfying.

As for the results, I couldn't be happier with my performance this year in the PBIM.

My 2nd appearance in the PBIM half marathon Men Open

My sister and her hubby getting better and stronger in the 10k

My brother with his wife and father-in-law finished the race happy

Strength and beauty in number

PBIM 2014 first HM and PBIM 2015 HM

Official Result for PBIM 2015:                                 Official results PBIM 2014:
Gun time: 2:06:40                                                      Gun time: 2:08:42
Nett time: 2:05:11                                                      Nett time: 2:05:59
Rank: 189/5289                                                          Rank: 613/10654

2XU Compression Run Putrajaya

So I took the bull by the horns last Sunday and went ahead with running 21.1km despite the fact that my training hadn't added up in the weeks leading to the 2XU Compression Run Malaysia on 1 November. The 2XU Compression Run Malaysia would be the second half-marathon in 2015 for me after Nike We Run KL (Read report here) back in February.

The prolonged and dreadful haze had severely impacted the training schedule of most runners living in the Klang Valley. As the air quality improved in the week leading up to the race, I wanted more than ever to go for an event that didn't end up getting cancelled because of the haze. The thought of being out there for a run with other runners and enjoying the camaraderie of the running community were an impetus to get down to business and train for the race. Time was of the essence so I tried to cram in the miles every day of the week beginning 26 October. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not on my side on Monday - heavy rain in the evening forced me to make alternative plans so I hit the gym and went for Body Combat Class. Determined to put in training on Tuesday,  I went on a long run but that session was curtailed due to heavy showers in Lembah Kiara in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail.

On Wednesday, I joined the Puma Night Running Club in Desa Park City for their weekly training. It was great to see a big turnout of runners on that day, many of whom were training for the Puma Night Run on 31 October. The program for that evening was negative split training and I had a rewarding session on my speed/tempo work (incidentally, I achieved a new record for the fastest 5km time at 25:52). A big thank you goes out to the fun and energetic pacers of the group!

On to the review of the 2XU Compression Run on 1 November.

Around 3700 runners congregated in Precinct 6 of Putrajaya at 6:30 a.m. for the flag off. I could feel it in the air the excitement of the runners in anticipation of a race on this fine day which was about to get underway. I started with a pace of 5:53 min/km and gradually picked up speed to 5:23 min/km and 5:10 min/km. I settled into a decent tempo and felt good for about 10km. At kilometer 11, I was surprised to see that the marker showed 10km. It appeared that there was a discrepancy in the distance showed on my Garmin and the distance marker placed by the organizer. The realisation that I was not at halfway point rattled me slightly. I reached into my pouch and tore open a pack of gel to power up.

Spectator area in the indoor stadium in Precinct 5, Putrajaya

I tried to hold on to my pace after the unpleasant discovery but I could see that the 2:00 hour pacers - who were running just ahead of me up to kilometer 11 - started to move further ahead of me. It was impossible to catch up with them and soon after they disappeared from sight. I could accept that I was not going to achieve a 2 hour half-marathon. Certainly not in this race as there was insufficient training put in to begin with.

Those ramps in Persiaran Timur were all familiar with me. I thought I could conquer them as I did in the past but as the distance progressed and my legs increasingly weighed down on me, I resorted to walk/run method on those inclines/ramps. Later, it became clear I was doing more walking than running on the inclines as more and more runners past me by. Not only did I not conquer the inclines, the inclines got me. Actually, I think the inclines ate me! I had no answer for them and my pace dropped from 6:45 min/km to 7:38 min/km.

After what felt like an eternity, I caught a glimpse of the marker for the final kilometer. It was a perfect time to push myself to pick up the pace again. I managed maintain to a steady jog but not without a struggle. My legs by this time were aching, my feet soaked in sweat. With every step I could feel the balls of my feet pounding the paved surface of the park in Precinct 5. Numb to the pain in my feet, I recited my mantra, "stay strong.. you are stronger than you think".

Forcing a smile to pose with my sister.. bare foot

The usual suspects with podium finishing

A new look with the Buff head wear

At the finish line, I immediately removed my shoes to relieve the pins and needles in my feet. My legs could hardly carry me as I walked to the refreshment station. My calves were tight as wound springs and I allowed myself to take a fall. Sitting on my haunches, I looked at my watch and it showed 2:12:40. With a grimace on my face and excruciating pain in my legs, I was indeed a happy if not tearful survivor of yet another half marathon.

This was a tough one to acquire and it's beautiful

Results:
Clock time: 2:14:15
Net time: 2:12:40
Rank: 148 out of 1202

Post script:The writer has all but recovered from the ache in my calves and I'm ready to take on the next challenge. His Garmin recorded 22.25km on that day, the furthest distance he had ever done.