Surpass.
I signed up for this event months in advance, at Yirong's suggestion. Why a half? It was cheaper than the 10k, while remaining a reasonable distance (the full marathon would render me antalgic for some time).
With all that was going on in London, it was surprising that I actually got to run regularly in UK. Most of it came down to me wanting to explore and the fact that school didn't start anywhere as early as back home. Then again, schedules were very flexible as an elective student...
The race pack was delivered via mail without additional charge.
On race day, as I was scheduled for the first wave (based on my previous HM time), I was due for flag off at 9.00am. In Singapore, that would have been torture. In London, the weather was gloomy though thankfully it wasn't drizzling. Probably around 12-14 degrees Centigrade that morning. I wore my NTU top, shorts and my gloves. My thermoregulatory mechanisms seem to neglect my hands. Significantly.
After the tube ride to Zone 6, I headed over to the park. A quick security check, bag deposit and then a brief visit to the portable toilets. Portable urinals were certainly a significant time saver. It's certainly an idea worth adopting back home.
To prevent myself from gradually freezing, I tried to stay within any crowd I could find. Thankfully, it wasn't long till flag off.
To put my expectations into perspective, I had about three weeks of decent running (40-50km, with some workouts) in my legs. Prior to that, I had about 2 months of averaging 20km a week of slow running. I knew there were supposed to be pacers for 1:30 and 1:45. Following the former seemed rather risky yet the latter would have certainly been somewhat unfulfilling. A year ago, with about 3 months of solid mileage, I ran a sub 1:30 with about 20 hours notice. Under my present circumstances, I wasn't certain I could manage that again. But I was open to trying.
The first km was passed comfortably. Legs were good, lungs were brilliant. Many people passed me - considering I started only about 20 from the front. It's interesting how unlike in Singapore, the Brits don't cram themselves right to the start (at least in this race). There was so much room at the start line that I felt obligated to occupy the empty space.
Anyway, I knew I'd gradually be catching up with many that were passing me. First km in 4:15. Settled into a rhythm and clicked off the next couple of Ks in sub 4:10. I was breathing absolutely comfortably. However, it wasn't long till I felt the niggles in the thighs. Seems like the mileage (or lack thereof) was catching up with me. Aerobically I knew I wouldn't be in trouble. Paramount to a good race was therefore, to make sure my legs could keep up with my lungs.
The course took us through variable terrain - minimal grass, a fair amount of tarmac and gravel. As always, I gradually started catching up with runners over the first 10k. I passed 10k in sub-42min pace. The thighs were starting to get a little sore, which was worrying. I knew I could afford to slow down. It was going to be a fine line and I needed to make sure I threaded lightly in order to maximise my chances to arrive at the finish with functioning limbs.
There were a couple of hydration stations along the way. Unlike back at home, the low humidity here meant dehydration wasn't as noticeable. I drank at every occasion I could. Bottles were convenient to drink from, though I felt wasteful at the limited amounts I could consume before I'd toss the bottle to the side.
I found myself running beside a Caucasian lady for a substantial portion of the race. I noticed another Asian man as well. I was thankful for their company, though no words were spoken. The route was enjoyable, though I was gradually having trouble focusing on my surroundings.
I was certainly starting to hurt. Or at least the legs were. The breathing was still comfortable - judging by the respiratory rate. Towards the last third of the race, I knew I had lots of time in the bank for a sub 1:30 performance. I deliberately slowed down, in the hope that the legs would take less of a beating.
At some point towards the last few Ks, I was passed by a pacer. I knew the fastest pacers were 1:30 pacers - and I was certainly running sub 1:30 pace - whereas he was kinda flying past me. Then came a huge group of runners (about 6-8). I contemplated sticking with them, but realised the legs just could not.
Thankfully, the agony the legs encountered was soon over (only in retrospect). The last few Ks were miserably slower than the average pace (though then again, the terrain was slightly more challenging). I finished joyfully in 1:28:13. What a pleasant surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting this performance, considering the limited mileage over the past few months. In fact, over the previous 4 months, I had averaged less than a half-marathon per week. Per week.
 |
| The Start. Credit to Richmond Runfest's Facebook page. |
The first km was passed comfortably. Legs were good, lungs were brilliant. Many people passed me - considering I started only about 20 from the front. It's interesting how unlike in Singapore, the Brits don't cram themselves right to the start (at least in this race). There was so much room at the start line that I felt obligated to occupy the empty space.
Anyway, I knew I'd gradually be catching up with many that were passing me. First km in 4:15. Settled into a rhythm and clicked off the next couple of Ks in sub 4:10. I was breathing absolutely comfortably. However, it wasn't long till I felt the niggles in the thighs. Seems like the mileage (or lack thereof) was catching up with me. Aerobically I knew I wouldn't be in trouble. Paramount to a good race was therefore, to make sure my legs could keep up with my lungs.
The course took us through variable terrain - minimal grass, a fair amount of tarmac and gravel. As always, I gradually started catching up with runners over the first 10k. I passed 10k in sub-42min pace. The thighs were starting to get a little sore, which was worrying. I knew I could afford to slow down. It was going to be a fine line and I needed to make sure I threaded lightly in order to maximise my chances to arrive at the finish with functioning limbs.
There were a couple of hydration stations along the way. Unlike back at home, the low humidity here meant dehydration wasn't as noticeable. I drank at every occasion I could. Bottles were convenient to drink from, though I felt wasteful at the limited amounts I could consume before I'd toss the bottle to the side.
I found myself running beside a Caucasian lady for a substantial portion of the race. I noticed another Asian man as well. I was thankful for their company, though no words were spoken. The route was enjoyable, though I was gradually having trouble focusing on my surroundings.
I was certainly starting to hurt. Or at least the legs were. The breathing was still comfortable - judging by the respiratory rate. Towards the last third of the race, I knew I had lots of time in the bank for a sub 1:30 performance. I deliberately slowed down, in the hope that the legs would take less of a beating.
At some point towards the last few Ks, I was passed by a pacer. I knew the fastest pacers were 1:30 pacers - and I was certainly running sub 1:30 pace - whereas he was kinda flying past me. Then came a huge group of runners (about 6-8). I contemplated sticking with them, but realised the legs just could not.
Thankfully, the agony the legs encountered was soon over (only in retrospect). The last few Ks were miserably slower than the average pace (though then again, the terrain was slightly more challenging). I finished joyfully in 1:28:13. What a pleasant surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting this performance, considering the limited mileage over the past few months. In fact, over the previous 4 months, I had averaged less than a half-marathon per week. Per week.
Committing to surrender my running to God was no doubt a blessing. Not only did it free my time, but it freed my heart. And I was blessed with a satisfying performance in my first overseas race.
 |
| Towards the Finish. Credit to Prestige Events. |
 |
| The full marathon winner. |
 |
| Old shoes. |
 |
| Happy Singaporeans. |
