Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007

The journey to my debut marathon started Friday morning with a crappy bus trip from Batu Pahat. The bus was supposed to send us to Lavender Street, but all four of us got dumped at the Singapore check-point coz the immigration clearance was too long. Mark that bus company, it's called Hasry! Blardy idiot.

We booked a room for 2 night's stay for four at this marvelous B&B called Summer Tavern at Clarke Quay. The room is air-conditioned, and the owner Mr. Khalil charged us S$120.00 per night. Very affordable, considering it's location which is right next to Boat Quay and Clarke Quay. And most importantly it's just a 10minute's walk to the marathon starting point. The night life... oooh ma ma! Should Dr. Ray had contacted me earlier, he wouldn't have to be all alone bunking in a cheap motel at Chinatown on a Friday night. LOL!

The guys went jalan-jalan around Marina Bay while I met up with my uncle in Bedok, who was kind enough to collect our running packs. I was treated to dinner at Coffee Club at Siglap Road. Great food but no pictures, heheh! After dinner, met up with the guys and we went Clinic!

Located at Clarke Quay, Clinic has wheelchairs, IV drips, IM injections, ward blinds, operating tables, operating lights, morque chiller, sexy nurses etc. etc. A bunch of innocent med students are sure to inherently attracted to this kind of set-up. Haha! We ordered a jug of beer sans the IV drips, for slow-release action via oral route.

Clarke Quay was quite happening that night. Right in front of Clinic, we witnessed an ang moh collapse and banged his head on the pavement, rendering him unconscious. Instantaneously, we heard a number of apparently educated Singaporean shouting, "he's got epilepsy", and turned him to a right-lateral position. Another came and said, "he's got head injury", and turned the patient back supine and wrapped a piece of cloth to the ang moh's bleeding bald head. Another tried to wake him up by slapping on his cheek. Some security personnel tried to beam intense white LED torch into his pupil from 1 metre away, I suppose he's looking for unequal pupil size. While all that was happening, the four medically-trained youngsters, yours truly included, were sipping beer on wheelchairs. Go on, scrutinize us on medical ethics! Oh ya, then some security fellas were heard shouting "FCUK YIU" to another ang moh, apparently the victims's friend. Then the police came. We then adjourned to the central stage nearby and listened to some energetic Irish performance by Touch of Tartan. What a night! I love Singapore already!

We woke up pretty late the next day, and I met up with my relatives at Paramount Hotel (opp. Parkway Parade) for lunch. The Chinese restaurant has dim sum and Japanese food, what a combo! We had loads of dim sum, and some sushi and fresh raw salmon! Burpps! Met up with the guys after that at Harbourfront for a trip to Sentosa.

Besides the Luge ride, I think the trip to Sentosa is crappy, time- and cash-wasting. What are four grown-up mahlat-lou's doing watching dolphin show? Suffice to say, we spent the rest of our day (and cash) there and returned to Vivo City for dinner at this Greenhouse Cafe. Nothing marvelous. Let's go on to the marathon!

First and foremost, thanks to LM who provided me a two-stage turbo boost by means of 2 packets of GU gels. I topped up another 2 GU gels, 2 packets of GU2O sports drink, and 2 PowerBars. The running pack comes with a blue gym bag, a blue sling bag, an Adidas singlet, and some Berocca tablets and Deep Heating Rub sachets. And a packet of pasta too, wtf?! LOL!

The provided Adidas running singlet could easily cost RM40-60 over here in Malaysia. I was wearing a similar singlet, only white in colour sans the Standard Chartered logo.

L-R: KK, Zhang Duan, Siu Min

I woke up at 3am sharp, and immediately chewed on the awful tasting PowerBar complemented with the GU2O drink. I then prep my bowel by straining in the toilet. From then on it was stretching all the way till starting time.

L-R: Daniel, KK, Siu Min, Zhang Duan

L-R: Kok Fang, KK, Siu Min, Daniel, Zhang Duan

All five of us started from Pen 3, designated for those aiming for sub-5hr timing. I picked Zhang Duan and Daniel as my pacers as they have trained at least a little compared to the other two fellas. But Daniel scrammed off the first few metres looking for a loo. That left me and Zhang Duan pacing each other at a very much steady, constant and "slowish" pace for the first 10km. I stopped for a 2-min pee at Raffles Ave before catching up with him further down the road. That's pretty much it really, we chatted a little, ran a little, and zig-zagged a little to pass the slower runners. Our aim was to finish our first marathon, and not develop nasty leg cramps.

Upon entering the ECP stretch from Mountbatten Road, Zhang Duan started to increase his pace. He might be frustrated with my slowish pace, but I needed to conserve energy for the last 10km. I found him running further and further away from me and the need to catch up with him. I could run ahead of him but I didn't, I tailed him from a slight distance, my speed constant. I let him set the pace. Until the 33km mark, Zhang Duan signalled me the sign of death - he asked me to run on, his cramps debilitating. I gave him a thumbs-up (as encouragement) and sped on. Gulped my 5th GU gel at 36km, and discovered I could possibly gun it for a sub-5hr timing. Due to the GU gel's turbo lag, I found myself walking a few metres every km thereafter, until the 39km mark. Cheered by Eric Clapton's "RUN" emanating from my MP3 player's earpiece, and the late onset turbo boost from the GU gel consumed earlier, I ran the final 2km non-stop. Not even for water or deep heating rubs. I needed the sub-5! Wishful, wishful thinking! Hahaha...

My champion chip clocked:
5h:04m:35s

We had to wait for our friend Mr. Kok Fang, who jovially finished his marathon in 8h:14m:5s. He vowed not to run another marathon ever again. Understandable, with his lack of training and improper shoewear, and a post-marathon Singapore trishaw ride back to Summer Tavern that cost him S$30.00, we felt his pain too!

We travelled back to Batu Pahat via Larkin bus terminal in JB, how tiring! Luckily the sumptuous dinner made up for the energy-sapping travelling.

I have only praises for Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, and would definitely join next year's event and thrash Uncle Ray's time. Hahaha. Oh yea guys, I might be joining OSIM Triathlon relay next year too! Hiak hiak hiak...

Damn the Marathon-Photos.com people!!! They didn't take my photo! Arrgghhh...