Maybe its due to the excitement. The anxiousness. Keep falling asleep for a short moment and woke up till around 0400Hr. Cannot sleep anymore. Sigh ..
Went to bath and had breakfast. A heavy one.
Was expecting a morning call from Sandy at 0445Hr. She's on time. Ha .. Agreed to SMS each other to make sure each other is up for our respective races. I am going for North Face, she is going to Human Race.
Was worried that I will miss out any items for the race. Had checked through again and again the night before.
The hydration bag was filled the night before. Added 2 Nuun tablets into it.
Energy supplement. Also had bought snickers. This is my first ultra marathon. Do not know how will my body cope with it. Better be safe than sorry. Dont want to feel drained when I am somewhere out in the open with no other runners beside me.
IDBand. The black band was bought a while ago. The orange band was given together in the race package. 1518. That's my team's BIB number. Team M&J. Why M&J? My teammate and I were not sure of what to name ourselves. In the end, we used the first alphabet in our names. Simple eh .. kekeke .. :)
Reached Macritchie Reservoir at 0545Hr. Met Aileen, Gary and Azhar at the visitor center. Deposited our stuff into the lockers and we were off to the starting line at beside the zig-zag bridge.
This is my team mate. She's cool eh. Hahaha .. :)
Our category was supposed to start at 0700Hr. Taking part in the 100km Duo. Each member will run 50km and the timing added up. As the time approaches the flag-off time, more and more participants arrived. The place was getting more and more crowded. People were taking photos of each other, wishing each other best of luck. Some saw friends which they always meet at races.
There were veterans. There were newbies. Some were prepared, some came telling themselves that they should have did more training. Some just hope for the best .. Me loh .. hahaha .. :)
Looking good .. cos the race have not start .. hurhurhur .. :)
We were flagged off at 0700Hr sharp. There were cheers and runners were waving at the cameras as they went through the starting line.
The strategy is simple. 14:1 run walk. Upslope, walk. Downslope, run. Split the 50km into five 10km intervals, each with a timing of 1.5hr. Its less stressful on the mind to look at 10km instead of 50km. I had done a time trail on my own doing 1 loop around Macritchie Reservoir (around 10km) and clocked 1hr 20min. So 1.5hr should not be a big problem. Yah right .. it is assuming that the entire 50km route is similar to the loop around MR .. hahaha .. :)
The first 5km was along Northern Trail. Was running beside Lin from the starting line to the start of the Northern Trail when she switched to walking up the slope. I chose to slowly run up. She would zoom pass me a while later. Wah lau eh .. I would not see her again until later in the race.
Northern Trail is narrow. Just wide enough for 2 persons going abreast. I was going at a slow pace so I had to keep running at the side to let people overtake me. My mind was thinking "you all go first, I will catch up with you all later". Hahaha .. :)
At the end of the 5km is the ranger station. One person shouted "10% down!" .. hahaha .. have to do such things to encourage ourselves. :)
Next was running along Pierce Track towards Rifle Range Road. Met Perry and Fia there. Ran there several times during my own training runs. Not much of a problem. Over at Rifle Range Road, the organisers places barricades along the road for the runners but its too narrow for us to run! In the end, some of us had to run on the grass patch when we want to overtake the people in the front. There was a aid station just below Mumane Service Reservoir. They had mineral water, 100+, bananas and snicker bars.
"They also had snickers!", I was thinking. Maybe I should not have bought it. Well, but its still better to have my own stock so I can have it as and when needed. :)
Went up the slope beside the service reservoir. At the road just before turning into Durain Loop, saw a 100km Solo runner going past us. Still going strong. The time was around 0810Hr. Their flag-off time was at 0400Hr. At that point in time, he had already done more than 40km.
Durain Loop was ok. Saw another 100km Solo zooming past us in there.
Next came Kampong Trail. Went past the 10km mark in there. No problem. The time on my watch was at 1hr 20min. On time. :)
There was an aid station at the bottom of Bukit Timah when turning into Hindhede Drive. Met Gary there. Up we went along the steep steep slope of Bukit Timah. Walked up. Not so garang to run up. This is not a training run. Hahaha .. :)
We did not go to the summit but cut into Rengas Path followed by North View Path. North View Path was a steep way down. There was a part where there were steep steps down. Had to do it 1 step at a time. Went past Dairy Farm Hut and turned into Belukar Track. Was walking a lot in the steep slopes of Bukit Timah. Ate up a lot of time inside. :(
Was running along Belukar Track towards Zhenghua Park when I heard a very familiar voice ahead. Looked closely and I recognised the back view. Uncle Robert! 68 years young and still running avidly! He was running with Fia and Perry.
He had crashed this event and he was running without any hydration bag! Wow .. :)
There was an aid station at Zhenghua Park Meeting Point 3. Drank some water and off I go again. The next part of the route would go into Bukit Panjang along BKE and beyond. It was into areas which I totally had not ran before.
This part of the route was ok. There were very few steep slopes. We would take Gangsa Track towards Mandai Road. Still doing good. The runners were still running relatively close to each other. The weather was getting hotter by the minute though. The sunlight was becoming more and more harsh each step we moved forward. Where were the clouds?
Just before turning into Mandai Road, I saw a training shed at the shed. It caused a section of my memory to flash back in front of me. It was during my SISPEC days. Our whole company was there after a 3D2N attack exercise. The whole platoon was tekan left right center in front of the training shed. That time I was the section commander.
We ran a short distance (ok .. it did not seem that short during the run) along Mandai Road and reached the entrance of Lorong Asrama. Refilled my hydration bag at the aid station and ate a couple of bananas. Off I went into Lorong Asrama, not knowing what it was like inside.
Around this moment received a SMS from Sandy. "Go, Jacky! Go!" Hahaha .. thanks ah .. :)
Asrama was hell. Little vegetation covering the route so we were exposed to the sun. Never ending twists of left and right turns, up and down slopes. Coupled with the heat from the sun, the place really put a check on most of the runners. The most spectacular part of Asrama is this Hill 265.
Its the kind of slope when Singaporean guys see it would instantly remind them of their NS days. Steep. Minimal grass covering the red soil due to consistent stamping by army boots. It's a classical "leap and bound" slope where people will charge up during NS trainings. I had to hold onto trees to climb up. At some parts I even felt like sliding downwards. Notice in the photo there are 2 people in red. Look somewhere near my right hand. Very small in the photo, right? Those were people at the downhill.
Turning around, there was still a way to go before reaching the hill top. The organisers were cunning enough to have someone stationed up the hill with a sensor to tag the BIB of the runners who ran up. This was to prevent people who knew the route to do any detour around the hill.
There was still a distance to go before reaching the exit of Asrama. It was the same as the entrance point. I was feeling so happy when I reached it. The weather was so hot that I drank so much water while running in Asrama that I had to refill my hydration bag again. I even poured water onto my head to cool myself down.
There were people sitting at the side resting. I chose not to. This was what an experienced ultra marathoner told me before: you can run, you can walk, do not sit down. Your body will lose the momentum.
Now, its onto the return journey of the run.
30km mark. The time was 4hr 50min. 20km more to go. Yeah! :)
At first I had thought Bukit Timah would be the killer. In fact, Asrama was more of a killer. Before entering Asrama, the runners were still close in sight of each other. After coming out of Asrama, the runners were all stretched out. Look far ahead or behind you would be able to see only one or two. That's it. Some point in time you would even be running alone.
The time now was at mid day. The weather was at its hottest. It had really taken its toil on me. I was going slower and slower.
35km mark. 5hr 45min.
Finally, I managed to reach Zhenghua Park Meeting Point 3. Was feeling so relieved. Its familiar terrain again. There was a small group of volunteers manning a support station along Belukar Track serving runners cold 100+. It was heavenly.
Came running in the open along the big pipe area. There was another support group at the highest point. However, the volunteers here were standing out in the open, taking in all the heat of the unforgiving sun. They offered every runner ice cold 100+ and even had grapes. The grapes were the sweetest I had tasted.
Reaching back the the aid station below Bukit Timah, I refilled my almost empty hydration bag. Made sure it was full as I tend to drink more in such a hot weather. The weight did not matter now as my shoulders are already used to it (read numb) after all the running.
40km mark. 6hr 45min.
Last 10km to go. Feeling very happy. Yet this last 10km would be more mental then the previous 40km.
Kampon Trail, Durain Loop, Rifle Range Road and I was back into Macritchie Reservoir! Hahaha .. :)
45km mark. 7hr 45min.
The 5km home run was so straining. Switched to doing brisk walking. Overtook some other runners, who were running, along the way.
A very big thanks to Sandy who tried to run alongside with me towards the finishing line. She was waiting somewhere near the finishing line for all her friends who were taking part.
There was a photographer somewhere at the finishing line. I was adjusting myself to make sure I looked good running towards the finishing line. Hurhurhur .. The photographer said: "Wah! This one dressed to kill." .. Hahaha .. :)
Tah dah .. !! .. Must always look good even though underneath you were shagged like a piece of shit .. hahaha .. :)
I made it!
12km Split: 01:33:20.00
25km Split: 04:11:54.00
38km Split: 06:26:38.00
50km Net Time: 08:19:50.86
We all did it!
A very special mention of this runner. Ran past him along Kampong Trail on the way back. Really gained a lot of motivation by just watching him run. The amount of determination shown by him to complete the run would put a lot of other people to shame.
*****
Running such long distances, you might find it boring at some point in time. So it was natural for you to strike a conversation with fellow participants. Most of the people took part for the purpose of completion so they would not be running at cut-throat speeds. Thus it was easy to start a conversation with them. No matter how short. Below are some of those which I remember.
Just a short distance after the flag-off, all of us were just running past the multi storey carpark.
Me: OK, I can already see the finishing line!
Ang Mo (running beside me): Yes, its just behind you.
Just a short distance after the flag-off, all of us were just running past the multi storey carpark.
Alber: Comon people, we are almost there!
Somewhere along Northern Trail, seeing a small plastic bag hanging bah long long from a person's hydration bag.
Me: What's inside the bag hanging from your bag?
Guy1: Monkey food.
Me: oh ..
Guy1: I am the big monkey!
Me: Hahaha .. OK .. Later spare some for me.
(Running for a short moment later)
Me (seeing a bag hanging in the same way on a guy in front): I can tell that the person in front is your buddy.
Guy1: Ha .. Yes.
Guy2 (guy in front): Yah, we used the same recipe.
Along Pierce Track, just before reaching Rifle Range Road.
Me: I had ran this slope several times during my training. Today it seems exceptionally steep.
Guy: They adjusted it last night.
Somewhere before water point at Zhenghua Park, I was running with Uncle Robert.
Marshaller: Water point just in front. There's water and 100+.
Uncle Robert: Got guinness stout or not?
Marshaller: ???!
At Asrama, going up a slope (Not Hill 265) beside Fia and Perry.
Me: I got 3 words to say.
Perry: What?
Me: 他妈的!
Perry: Nem'mind. Think of the medal!
"Think of the medal!" This phrase was in my mind for a large part of the remaining journey and it was this phrase that kept me going.
At Asrama, running with a group of other runners.
Me: Are we even halfway there?!!
Aug Mo: Well, according to the GPS on my watch, we are not quite there yet.
Me: ...
*****
One of the things I saw which left an impression in me was runners actually stopping to help other runners who were in trouble. More than once, I saw runners stopping over to attend to people who had cramped. For this race, there was not only a cut off time at the finishing line. There were cut off times at some intermediate points too. Yet, people were willing to stop and help other runners. I remembered somebody once told me he prefers doing ultra marathons because the people are more helpful. Each of them wants to complete the race but will still willingly stop to help people who are in trouble as they themselves would also need help when they are in trouble too. This is compared to shorter races where people run at a faster pace and speed through without paying much attention to the people around them.
I did what I can to help by offering runners who suffered cramps my electrolyte tablets which I had broken into smaller bits to chew. I am not sure whether if it was of much help to them though.
Overall, it was a great experience doing this 50km run. Pushing everyone of us into new regions to explore. Be it physically or mentally.
I will go back again for it. The North Face 100 Singapore 2010. :)
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