Finally! 6 months of tough training and perseverance have paid off. After 5 hours of pounding the roads and pavements of Singapore, I completed the gruelling 42.195km Full Marathon in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007!

It was no easy feat. That is probably the under-statement of the year! For a first-timer such as myself, there were many challenges faced and conquered leading up to and during the marathon.

To skip the pre-race prep and read all about the race itself, skip to the BOLD heading a few paragraphs on.

Prior to the marathon, I had to:

• Condition my body
• Get the necessary equipment (running tee, running shorts, socks, shoes, watch)
• Adhere to a strict diet (no caffeine, no carbonated drinks, less fats, more protein, more carbohydrates)
• Train up and increase the weekly mileage

That was the easy part (not really easy, mind, but easy as compared to race day!)

On 01 Dec 07, the eve of the race day, I completed my carbo loading programme with a meal of pasta and some sushi. Then, I planned to get some sleep. But despite sleeping at 10pm, I couldn’t get any sleep at all! Probably a combination of nervousness (could I complete that long 42+km?) and excitement (yes! all my hard work boils down to this day!) kept my mind from finding rest. I tossed and turned, checked football results on my handphone via GPRS (twas a Sat night, EPL action galore), drew the window blinds, moved to the sofa outside, but I still couldn’t sleep. I gave up at 2am and watched some hockey between Spain and Pakistan instead.

3am was my scheduled waking up time. The hockey ended at 3.10am. I dressed, cleared my bowels, had a quick breakfast, and was on my way to Choa Chu Kang Stadium where chartered buses would fetch us runners to the Esplanade area.

Once there, I did my pre-race stretches, some psyching up, and said a prayer. Then, I moved to the form-up area, ready to embark upon a journey. The elite runners (from Ethiopia, Kenya, other African countries, America, and some other countries) were lined up right in front. Guest-of-honour Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam promptly arrived at 5.25pm to flag us off.

And off I went! The adrenaline flowing, the pulse racing, the body willing. There was a cool breeze as we started down Esplanade Drive towards Marina South. The morning was still young and I thoroughly enjoyed the first 10km as we circled Marina South and headed back up towards the Esplanade. I was ahead of my pace of 1km every 5min30s and feeling comfortable. There were hardly any supporters in the Marina area (secluded, ungodly hour of 6am) but the bands and cheerleaders in the Esplanade area certainly lifted our spirits. Jeremy was there too to cheer me on as I passed the starting line, headed towards East Coast Park (He was taking part in the 10k, starting at 7.15am. Joel took part in the half-marathon, started 6.15am).

As I neared East Coast Park (15km mark), the sun was already up. I anticipated a good run in the scenic park. My body was still feeling good and man, was I ready to finish this!

However, as I got to the 20km mark, I started feeling the beginnings of cramps in my calves. It did not slow me down much initially as I continued on. The numerous supporters, bands, cheerleaders all did their part to lift the spirits and morale of the many runners. It was a great atmosphere I must say.

At the 22km mark, my hamstring started feeling tight too. I was more than halfway into the park now. I slowed my pace, and, eventually, walked, to loosen the muscles. I made it a point to walk with big strides to stretch the muscles and not lose too much time.

However, the cramps and aches were clearly not going away. As I neared the turning point in East Coast Park, it was already past 8am, the sun’s rays were coming through, and it was getting more humid. I walked more than I wanted to as I was bothered by the tightness.

I soon started upon a jog as I passed the turning point (roughly 26km mark) and embarked upon the journey back. The cramps were killing me (the PowerGels distributed at the turning point helped slightly for about 1-2km) and it was getting more arduous and torturous as time wore on. The 15+ km back seemed an endless road.

As I made my way out of East Coast Park, back onto the public roads (which were cordoned off), my spirits lifted slightly. I could see the end, even if Mount Everest still loomed ahead. 35km in, 7 km left, I couldn’t give up now, could I? No. Be gone, lactic acid. Scoot off, aches and cramps. I will finish this. But I was now quite woefully behind my estimated finishing time of 4 hours. How I had underestimated the beast this marathon could be. It fights like a lion and never gives in. But I soon settled upon a new aim of 5 hours.

Into the last 2km, as the Esplanade Theaters On The Bay came into view, I geared up for that last, final push. As I approached the Padang, I was pleasantly surprised to see my Dad cheering me on. That gave me the push I needed for that final spurt. I picked up the pace as I entered the finishing stretch. Joel and Jeremy (who had already completed their races) were at the finishing line to cheer too. It was heartening, even though I was too tired out then to acknowledge them.

Yes! The beast had been slain! The 42.195km trodden under foot, put back in its place in the ground. What relief, and satisfaction. The finisher’s tee and medal paled in comparison to the joy of knowing you had conquered and won. Even though my calves were screaming, my hamstrings aching, they could not take the delight away from the occasion.

To all potential marathoners out there, I recommend steady and consistent training for at least 7 months before you run. You will need the mileage. But on race day, endurance, spirit, and willpower count for much more.

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