A Great Run, A Better Finish!

The official race clock read 3:55:01 when I crossed the finishing line, marking the completion of my second full marathon. I was really glad with my timing, a result I was seriously aiming for but wasn't too confident of achieving due to problems with my left knee towards the later stages of my training.

This was one marathon I prepared sufficiently for (well, kinda.. I managed to clock in the high mileage runs at the very least! =p ) despite the meaningfully busy lifestyle I lead. The plan to stock up on glycogen during my week long sleep-deprived reservist period worked out well and my race strategy was to run, run, and not stop running.

The gun went off and to my surprise, the pace started off furiously. So many people were caught up with the adrenalin they started off way too quickly - especially for a marathon. Honestly, it was very easy to be sucked into flowing with the race tempo, but I knew from experience that I needed to watch myself from going too fast too early and staying on course with my race plan would be a better bet.

It worked very well and I averaged 5mins 32 secs for the entire course. The race analysis showed that I ran consistently and kept to my race plan well. Here's the breakdown in speed for the various segments of the course:

1st U-turn: 10.8 km/h
2nd U-turn: 11.3 km/h
3rd U-turn: 11.3 km/h
4th U-turn: 10.3 km/h

The group of tri-fam pacers who were running sub-4 hrs kept me motivated towards the final 8km when I began to feel the exhaustion and soreness in my legs. Those blokes were a great bunch and their high spirits kept me going all the way to the finish.

I saw Josh just entering into Marina Promenade and we ran all the way to the Esplande before he broke off and sprinted towards the Padang. Ok la, he still retains the title as the better runner! Well done bro! =)

Overall, a wonderful race and I thank God He preserved my knee. I knew it had to be God when I didn't experience any pain at all. It's times like these I know... He hears me. Finishing well was my goal and I'm glad I did it. This year has been a good one with 2 PBs set. Next year's aim - to go under 3:40.

Final Chip Timing - 3:53:48
Age Category Position - 52nd


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