Sundown Marathon 2016

Race Report

I had no intention to sign up for Sundown Marathon this year. I was satisfied that I had my full marathon ("FM") experience last year. Moreover, since Standard Chartered Marathon last year, I have not ran more than 10km in a single run. However, I was secretly hoping that there would be a free slot for me...

3 days before the race, a friend asked if I knew of anyone who would be interested to take over her slot to run a half marathon ("HM"). I gladly volunteered myself.

The week leading to the run, I had office run (5km only), CrossFit, swimming training and office outing at the ClimbMax. My body was aching from one of the killer obstacle where we had to move from swing to swing... Anyway, I totally rested for 2 days so that my muscles could recover.

My goal for Sundown HM was to complete without injury and to enjoy the run. Drink at every hydration station, eat a salt tablet every 7km and eat a gel at 10km. It was all good for the first 7km. Then I started to feel a little empty on the stomach and I did something dumb! I ate half a banana... I have NEVER eaten a banana in any of my races before and I always knew that we should not try anything new on race day. I think the tummy reacted to the banana; I suffered a stomach upset :(

Well, my toes started to cramp at 10-12km but I managed to run it off... At 15-16km, After taking a gel, I could feel some energy coming back and I cleared the Marina Golf loop pretty well... But my calves started to cramp again at Garden Bay East :( At 17km, we had to run up the ramp at Marina Barrage, many, including myself were walking up. As the legs felt better after that, I managed to jog slowly down the slope. But legs cramped badly at the last 2km and I had to alternate walk, limp and jog back to finishing line.

I could only say that I was relieved I did not take over a FM slot because I knew that I was not prepared for one. Every race is a lesson to be learnt and a total new experience. Never try new things on race day. 

Only ONE word to describe this run... PAINFUL :)

Run4Education - Charity Run

It all started in one of our post-training conversations. We wanted to convert our passion for sports into a fund-raising effort. The idea of running to raise funds for education was birthed. After much thought, we decided to raise funds for City College; a private school.

The idea was to raise at least $10 for every kilometre that we pledge to run. We shared the idea with City College, set up the Facebook and extended the invitation to other friends who were interested. The run was conducted over 3 days; November 28-30, 2015 at Kallang outdoor track so that we could stay accountable to the donors. Rubber bands were given for every completed round :)

Close to $4,000 was raised. Glad to have played my part :)

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2015

Every race is unique. SCMS was my 2nd marathon. I have heard many horrid stories about SCMS... About how people would collapsed due to dehydration and heat stroke... how the people would bottle neck at the end... how the crowd would end up walking just to complete a marathon etc etc...

But all these did not stop me from signing up because, after all, it's a national marathon :) I liked the tag line - Race As One.

I had up to 12 weeks to prepare for Sundown. However, due to holidays and unforeseen circumstances, I had a crash course to prepare myself for SCMS. Did mainly squats, leg drills, sprints and lunges to prepare the legs. The race plan for SCMS was different from Sundown.

Things I did differently for SCMS:
- I did not clock any long run prior to the race. The longest distance I did was 10km a day, which I did consecutively for 3 days for a charity run.
- I did a lot of leg works to strengthen the legs. If I cannot run fast, I needed to make sure that, at least, my legs could carry me for 6 hours.
- I ran with a HRM. I usually only wear my Garmin for time and pace, but this time I decided to let my HR lead me.
- I ran without music.
- I stopped and drank 2 cups of water at every aid station. My usual run would be 2 cups every 10km. But I knew that I would need that extra water later in the run...
- I applied sunblock on my face :) Yes, you heard it right... I usually ignore the sunblock part... But knowing that the sun might be merciless, I decided not to take any chances.

The day before the run, a friend sent me the weather forecast! I was excited to see "thunderstorm" and "mostly cloudly". That was good news :) Running in the rain would be fun!

Sad to say, the weather forecast failed... The rain came but too late...at about 12.30 p.m. But I guessed for anyone that endured the sun till noon to complete a marathon deserved the rain more :)

I only had 3 words to describe SCMS; HOT! HOTTER! and HOTTEST! SCMS 2015 concluded my race plan for this year.

Whether you ran sub-4, sub-5 or sub-6... Whether you were decked out in full 2XU gear or just plain run tee and shorts... The tagline for this year was Run As One. I probably forgot how I suffered under the hot sun because somewhere inside of me was looking forward to SCMS 2016 :)

Mediacorp Subaru Car Challenge 2015

Oct 14, 2015 (Wed) 
It was 8.30 p.m. and we were in the car, on our way to pick Debbie from her gym session. DJ Kimberly Wang from 98.7 opened the line for callers to call-in to participate in the Subaru Challenge. The prize this year was a Subaru XV, with COE and $5,000 petrol voucher from Shell. I have always loved a good challenge. With my Toyota going into its 10th year, it was too tempting not to give this Subaru Challenge a try. I got through on my first try! To cut the long story short, I got in :)

Oct 17, 2015 (Sat)
Heard from a friend that everyone had to go through a draw on the day to determine if they get to participate. I was a little disappointed but again if I don't get to participate, I don't have to suffer also :)

Oct 23, 2015 (Fri)
I received the letter from Mediacorp. I had to produce a medical certificate from a GP to certify that I was fit to take part in the competition.

Oct 26, 2015 (Mon)
Had my health check done at Raffles Medical. Cleared and ready to go :)

Oct 28, 2015 (Wed)
To prepare myself for the "numbness", coach advised me to soak my palm into ice water. He said I must get used to not feeling my palm :) I did that! It was unbearable at first; but I kind of got used to it after.

Oct 30, 2015 (Fri)
My final "combat" attire and diet plan after consulting the coach :)
- SPORTS BRA (good support without having wire or clasp poking me)
- COMPRESSION TIGHTS (it's comfortable, good for blood circulation and black is good for hiding  dirt and stains)
- TRACK SHOES, no socks and no lace (Good sole support, socks will trap heat, laceless to accommodate swelling of feet)

Contestants were given 5mins break for food, drink, toilet break, massage or stretching every 6 hours.
- Drink 2 cups of isotonic (Just enough to last 6 hours and not fill the bladder)
- Eat little (I only need 400cal to stand for 6 hours)
- Avoid banana (Excessive potassium and I don't want my stomach to react to the banana)

Oct 31, 2015 (Sat)
Woke up at 6.30 a.m.; had to reach Takashimaya by 7 a.m. for registration. After registration, it was confirmed that we had to draw lots at 10.30 a.m. to determine if we have a spot. Many were sleeping outside Taka or just sitting around, waiting for time to pass. We decided to drive to Killiney for possibly my last proper breakfast :) After breakfast at Killiney, we went back to Taka at 10 a.m.

First person from the right (wearing a red tee)

The queue started at 10.30 a.m. After waiting for 30min, it was my turn to go on stage. The first friend I made in Subaru Challenge was Stella, who was queuing in front of me, she didn't make it. I was mentally preparing myself for disappointment.

I picked R40!!! And was told to join a special queue for registration. Later I found out that local contestants were numbered from 81 to 400. R1-R80 were reserved for Regional Contestants from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The 10 were selected from similar competitions conducted in their countries. Each contestants had won a full expenses paid trip to Singapore for an Asian show-down in Singapore.

R40 belonged to a Hong Kong contestants that couldn't make it for the trip! I drew the WILD CARD! And it proved to be perfect because the foreigners were happy to share and chat with a local. And it was interesting to hear them chatting with their own countrymen throughout the competition :) That definitely kept me alert :)

The position was perfect! I was in Car 1 and my palm position was possibly the best position on that car. My standing position was just beside the railings. I was near to the supporters and air was cooler as I was near to the sides. Some contestants said that it was very humid under the tent. Air condition would only be switched on when PSI hit above 100. But the haze condition was perfect throughout the whole event.

At 12 p.m., we started the briefing and at 1 p.m., the competition started after a massive countdown. And here we go!

The highlight was breaks at 7 p.m., 1 a.m., 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Every car would take turns for their 5min break and the sequence would be determined by a draw. 

At 7 p.m. daily, 1 family member would be allowed to come into contact with the contestants. And every break became a massive mess...:) My strategy was to allocate 1min for every activity; 1min - toilet break, 1min - food, 1min - drink, 1min - massage, 1min - stretch and get back to position.

Eating a few mouthful of plain rice

Right side - drinking and get my massage

Sometimes I tried to save time by doing 2 activities at once. Like bringing the snack to the toilet while I pee :p Or drink and get a massage at the same time. That became my routine for all the breaks.

I didn't have a target timing to hit.... My goal was to take 6 hours at a time. The first contestant dropped out after 22mins!

6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours! I survived till Nov 1, 2015 (Sun), 1 p.m.

By then, many friends had heard about me and many started to come and support me at Taka. My dear friend shared about me on social media. That attracted many people to pray for me and to play the online game to help me earn an extra 5min break at the 3 hours mark.

I had MANY MANY friends that dropped by to cheer me on. Even strangers stopped by to chat with me. One Indian man offered to be my chauffeur if I win the car :p Many passer-bys took pictures of us. For a moment, I felt like a celebrity... Then later I felt more like an "animal" in a cage as my face got oiler, my hair got messier and I was sure I smelled bad. However, it was heartwarming to know that the public were so supportive and encouraging.

By this time, I definitely surprised myself for surviving thus far...

30 hours, 36 hours, 42 hours, 48 hours! I reached Nov 2, 2015 (Mon, 1 p.m.)

I was the last lady standing and only a few left from Car 1. There was more space to stretch and move around. However, I knew that the worst was yet to come. 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. had always been the hardest period to get by... Time would go extra slow and night turned extra looooooong... And terror really would come by night...

Sunday was bad and Monday was worse... The organiser was playing Ch5 from 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. for both nights. As it was Halloween Weekend, we were "made" to watch TEN episodes of Walking Dead! I am not a fan and was not converted after that... In fact, it was torturing having to watch it while feeling like a "Standing" dead! To keep ourselves awake through the night, the remaining contestants did "Yum Seng" and "Ole Ole" cheers. At 6 a.m., the locals even sang the National Anthem. I guess we were celebrating that the shows had ended and the night had passed...

I thought after surviving 2 nights of watching Walking Dead, what could be worse. Well, Tuesday 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. turned out to be the worst; a nightmare actually...

After all the supporters and friends left at 1 a.m., I immediately lost concentration at close to 2 a.m. I started to hallucinate! I was told that in my state of hallucination, I scolded the people around me and couldn't recall what got me there in the first place. I tried to stay on but I finally succumbed to exhaustion after 63 hours and 53 mins.

63 hours 53 mins! I completed my Subaru Challenge journey! I was Top 16 :) Was there anything I wished I could have done better? Any sense of loss over not winning the car? These were my after thoughts...

- First of all, this is not for the strongest; it is for the luckiest... You have to first call-in to qualify for the draw. Then you have to draw for a palm position.

- It is not a competition for the physical; it is super mental... The challenge is to last the 6 hours of "nothingness" until the next break.

- My greatest gain was the love and support that my family and friends had showed me. Many whom I did not know and might never know were playing online games to help me earn my bonus break. I was told that my picture went viral and the support poured in. Many whatsapp chat groups were discussing about supporting this friend's friend's friend's who needed help to win a bonus break. I didn't get both the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. bonus breaks. That got the supporters even more fervent :) Finally we got it right when I got my bonus break at Nov 2, 2015 (Mon), 10 p.m. It was our victory :)

- Any regrets of giving up? NO! Because I knew that I could not go on anymore... My body had shut down due to sleep deprivation.

Many commented that I kept my smiles throughout the competition. What kept me going was the love that was poured into my heart. Many came and showed their support. For the love that was shown, I could only return that with a smile. For everyone that came by to take a picture, I wished I could shake your hands or give you a hug. I could only hope that you could feel my appreciation from my smile.

I came home with 2 swollen ankles, 1 bruised toe (I tripped over the stairs during one of the breaks), a smaller appetite and a heart full of love!

Thank you everyone for walking this amazing journey with me. It was a priceless experience.

Especially to JX, sorry you had to go through this with me and the many more nonsense that are coming your way :) I have always loved a challenge and you had to accommodate my craziness. Overnight, you had to become the mother, the maid, the chauffeur and the doctor when Debbie had fever on Sunday night... You told me not to "kill" myself over a free car and that we can always buy one... That really warmed my heart :) And I'm glad I am still alive. Haha.

My BFFs for taking care of not just me, but also my family. You made sure my girls were well-fed and came to visit me after I've rested at home. You stood with me. You cheered me on. You made sure I had company all the time. You made sure I had my bonus breaks. You told me it was painful to watch me in pain. What have I done to deserve 3 of you!

And the many friends that came not just once but many times to cheer me on. Many brought their entire family along. You made the journey less painful and more meaningful :)

And to the Subaru Challenge community that I have come to know during this competition, you guys are amazing! I am amazed that many of you were participating for the 2nd, 4th, 6th and even 8th times!!!

So... the BIG question is... WILL I DO IT AGAIN?

While I could still feel the pain and the scary moments when I hallucinated, the answer is NO :)