A Journey to My First Marathon Part 17 (Final Part) - PBIM 2012

Collection Counters of Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM).

Collected my running vest and bib on Wednesday for Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) where there is less crowd. Having to decide whether I should wear the Asics green running vest given for the marathon. Eventually prefer to wear my red running vest which I have been wearing for my long runs. I have read you should not wear new clothes  or shoes to a marathon.

Crossing your 50th birthday and running my first marathon is big milestone in life. In addition, having my long time dream vacation complete this milestone. An eventful year indeed. Now my mission is to finish this first marathon. I remember telling a guy at my gym that I am 50 years OLD and training for my first marathon. His jaw dropped and look kind of disbelieved. That a guy at 50 and wanting to run his first marathon? Or he look disbelieve that I am 50 ? I would like to take the second one though. Doesn't he knows that Life Begins at 50 ??

A quote from Dean Karnazes, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.” It is going to be my mantra for this race.

Run Like a Siput

Reach the starting point of the place at 11.30pm and was just sitting at Coffee Bean. Trying not walk around too much so as not to tired the legs since I still have 2 and half hours before starting. Met a few friends who was also going for the race. But the biggest problem is the weather. I am sweating just sitting down. Really humid weather ! It is going to be a challenge with this humidity. Going into a race with no time goal is going to be a lie. Although we are given 7 hours to finish the race. If you want to stretch your marathon ringgit, you will want to fully utilised the 7 hours. My target for first race based on my half marathon for Green Run MPSP would be to finished sub 5:30 since I did 2:23 for Green Run MPSP. I felt it will be a realistic goal.


Everywhere I am reading the people always say if this is your first marathon, your goal is to finish the race, finish strong, enjoy the race regardless of the time. So you have a good experience and probably run more races. My only anxiety for the race is DNF which stands for DID NOT FINISHED. Such a dirty word in the runner's world. Makes you nervous thinking about it. I counter this by telling myself, "TRUST YOUR TRAINING". Although I almost DNS which stands for DID NOT START after the injury from my recent Japan trip.

A quick photo for remembrance

The race starts at 2am with 3,000 marathoners and the humid weather dampen my spirit of the excitement of the race. I have learned not to look at my pace at the beginning of race and just listen to my body and run. It was bottleneck at the beginning of the race as usual. And I didn't really feel good at the first 8km of the race. It was after 8km that the running high kicks in. But that was when I have the first problem at the race. I have the pain at the shin of my left leg which I have never encountered before during my long runs. It is only 8km....and I have 34 more to run. I still try maintaining my pace until 13km. This time I cramp on my abs. Fortunately I did the rightful thing. I brought the muscle relief roll-on medication which I bought from Japan. Just have to stop and did a roll-on the shin and the abs.  Have to slow down the running and it is only 13km !!

Running up the slope of the middle span is tough but the hill running I have done on the treadmill helps a lot. Run right to the end of the bridge and a turn back to Penang. Reaching 21km and I am feeling fine except the pain on the shin of left leg which is getting bearable. The humidity on my run back is really killing. At the water station, they give out those water bottles along the way. Not a green run but very useful. I took a few mouthfuls from the bottle and just shower the rest all over my body. It really helps ! I did that 4 times along the course of the race. Another slope at the middle span on running back. Manage to do some high fives with the cheering squad from AMD showing that I am still in good spirit.

After the 10km mark, I usually take short walk breaks at the water station. This walk breaks are useful to give your legs a short rest. The only problem as you go above 21km the walk breaks can get longer and longer. I have planned before hand that I will count to 40 and I will run whether I feel like it or not and even when I am in pain.

Reaching the end of the bridge and running into the Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway at 28km. That's when I hit the WALL !! I have encountered the wall during my 30 and 32km runs. It is when you just don't think you can run anymore. And I still have 14km to go. I stop and walked about a minute or two. A thought flashes through my mind.

"The Never Give Up" thought and staying strong for the race. I wouldn't want to go back and give crappy excuses to my family and friends why I didn't finish the race. You will never want to set an example to your children to give up when the going gets tough. I pushed myself to run.

The run on the Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway is really long and there are a few slopes along the way. And that's when the 6:00 pacer caught up with me. And I just couldn't keep up with them. No wonder Andrew have told me PBIM is not the ideal race for a first marathon. There are too many steep slopes and not a flat course. When I reached the 33km at the end of the point of Dr Lim Chong Eu expressway, I know I can finished the race and within the 7 hours mark. My decision is whether I would want to do sub 6 now. I decided otherwise. I would just enjoy the rest of the race but not slowing down intentionally. I know if I pick my pace I could finished in less than 6 hours.

When I reach the 36km, a sudden emotion hits me. 8 months of training, running over 1,200km and going to finish the race. The feeling is overwhelming !! Now I understand why people can cry finishing the marathon. However, the last 5km was much tougher than I anticipated. My legs are aching. My body is aching. I have to literally run through pain to complete race. Arriving at the last 2km, the finishing point in sight. Run..run..run...Cheers from the crowd at the last 1km and finishing at 6 hours and 7 mins. I finished my first marathon !!! Not the best time I wish for. But I did it !

Dean Karnazes is right. “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”

Finisher's Medal and T-shirt

A Journey to My First Marathon Part 16

The Beautiful Fully Lighted Penang Bridge.

It's Thursday morning. Time to find out whether the calf injury will affect the running and more than 7 months of training will be down the drain. Go to the my usual route where I do my morning run. Getting jitters even before my run. Have to start. Press start on my Garmin watch and here I go. After a few steps, the calf start to cramp. Damn !! Stop and try to massage my calf and hope it will not cramp. Not going to give up so easily. So not me! Try going into a very slow run. Slowly and slowly. The calf is not cramping. Although the slight pain is still there. 1km, 2km, 3km, 4km, still running at a very slow pace. Confidence coming back a bit. With the endorphins kicking in, the pain is getting more bearable. Picking up the pace a bit, 5km, 6km, 7km and 8km. Target achieved. Yup, I could run the 8km although with much a slower pace. Yes, the calf became less painful after a while and I could run the 8km. Can I say I am ready for the marathon ? Nope.

Have to find out if could run with my normal speed tomorrow. Friday morning, back to the same route. This time at my normal speed but this time I did some calf stretches and massages before my run. 1km, 2km, 3, 4, 5, 6km. The blazing sun is out early this morning. Done, although slightly slower than my fastest speed but I could run after that injury. The speed is coming back after 15 days of zero running. Can I say I am ready for the marathon? Nope, again.

The final test, my long run on Sunday morning for 20km. If I could do this long run at my normal speed, then I should be able to do my marathon. Waking up at 5.15am in the morning and started to run at 6am. As usual, I get to be king of the road, running so early in the morning. After 10km, my legs still holding up. Another 10km to go. The weather has turned cloudy and it is really a nice day to run without the hot weather. Take a gel at 10km and continue my run. After skipping long runs for two weeks, this is the real test. Fortunately, the endurance has not dropped. I could still keep running after 10km and the body is feeling great. 15km...16km...20km...20.5km. Yes ! My body is ready. The slight pain in the calf do not pose any problem in the long run. My body can still run the longer distances.

My first marathon I am ready !! Tapering for the next week. Only 12 km for the long run. More than 8 months of training and more than 1,200km from my running log. Have to get myself mentally psyched up for the race and get the pre-race anxiety off my system. Running a marathon is 50% mental that's what they said.  Collecting my bibs and running vest this week. Penang Bridge International Marathon here I come !!

The Final Part of the Marathon Journey....continues...

A Journey to My First Marathon Part 2

Running up the middle span for the second time is one of the toughest run I have ever done. It is really more like a "crawl". The thought of "The Hare and Tortoise" story crosses my mind. Will I make it in 3 and a half hour for the medal? Or should I just start walking for the rest of the race? But my positive mantra of "I must never stop running" kept me going. Slow and slowly I ran...up and down the middle span. It is still a very long way to the finishing line. The water stops only served water and 100 plus and no food in sight. I was damn hungry !! Tired and hungry at the same time.

I have never ran so slow in my life until I notice that people were walking faster than my running. This is tortoise speed. The finishing of 3 and a half hour crossed my mind. A bridge too far I supposed. At that moment, I was passing some flats and I heard the morning prayers from a nearby mosque and I knew it was about 5.45am. The finishing line was not far from there. I have to dig deep into any reserve energy that I have left in a hungry stomach. Yes, at last I saw the turning into Queensbay Mall the final stretch to the finishing mark. A guy who has finished and holding a medal was walking along the final stretch shouted at us "Run, you are about to finish". That kind of add petrol to an empty fuel tank and I just ran as fast as I could to the finishing line. Finishing in 3 hrs and 10mins. 20 mins to spare to get my medal !! The "Thortoise" finished the race, YEAH !! It is nice when the volunteer hang the medal over your neck.

My finishing medal 

After the race, the first thing I look for is FOOD!! Never been so hungry in my life. So many runners were queueing up for food at the kiosk. Luckily there was one kiosk without queueing because they only give bananas. Beggars can't be choosers. I took 3 bananas and finished them immediately. I am just hungry beyond words. 3 hours 10 mins is such a long run. Took me 3 months to get over the fear of running after the run. Running for a marathon, no way....it will take me more than 6 hours !! Although technically you are given 7 hours to finish the race. Can't imagine myself wanting to run more than 6 hours on the road. Running a half marathon is already such a torture. Why would anybody want to "Embrace the Suck" again...

But what makes me run again? Not only run but running a marathon...

To be continued....

A Journey to My First Marathon Part 1

Having completed my 10K run (in 2010) two years ago and a Half Marathon (2011) a year ago, I have mentally psyched myself to run The Penang Bridge International Marathon(PBIM) this year. 42km is really a long distance.

Night View of Penang Bridge

I was training for my half marathon for PBIM with no training program or information but just a passion to run. I spend most of my training on the treadmill running from 40 mins to 60 mins. And at times a 60 mins to 90 mins run around my "taman"(housing area) on a Sunday morning. Never knew anything  about nutrition or what to eat before or after a run. A real newbie in long distance running. Probably it is because I attempted a half marathon 25 years ago doing the same thing. But I have forgotten that I am 25 years older now with a heavier body and a much deteriorated stamina. I have stopped running after that half marathon due to the amount of training I have put into that. I just become scared of running.

What get me back to running after 25 years? I would not say that I have not run during these 25 years. I have still been running on the treadmill over these years but the passion is not there and running is just an exercise. I spend most of my time doing weight training. Ending up with a much much heavier body. I have moved to a new gym about two years back where the treadmill is mostly not fully utilised all the time. So I started running on treadmill most of the time. I started with a walk/run routine. I could not run 20 mins continuously not even at a 7.5km/hour speed. That is actually very slow!! So I later drop the speed to 6.0km/hour speed which is almost like walking speed. It took me a few weeks before I could run for 20 - 30 mins without walking. And the maximum speed was probably at 6.8km/hour. The interesting part is I was hooked!!

I have read that if you do endurance exercise for a longer period the endorphins will kick in mostly referred to as the runner's high. I started to run 3 times a week on a regular basis on a treadmill and slowly increasing it to 40mins and then 60mins on weekends. After about 4 or 5 months of running I thought I would entered a half marathon of PBIM at the end of the year. But later I decided to do a 10km which was in 2010. The 10km run that year was  not that difficult as I was already running about 6 -7 km at that time for 60mins.

My 10km Medal

As I like to take on challenges as it comes, the next race will be a half marathon next year. Continuing my training on a treadmill most of the time and occasionally doing longer runs around my "taman"(housing area) on Sunday. My runs was only about 45 mins to a maximum of 90 mins. I did not even bothered what is the distance that I have covered. I did not really find a training program or information on long distance running. That was really a big mistake !!!


On the race day, the run starts at 2am for full marathon and 3am for half marathon. I did not sleep for the night and never ate anything before the race except for the dinner the night before. And I have to finish before 3 and a half hour for a medal. I was calculating my speed earlier that I ran on a treadmill and I was doubtful I could even finished in 3 and a half hour.

When I was at the race venue, I was wondering why some of the runners was carrying bananas and energy gels for the race. Probably I would not need that. The atmosphere of the marathon is great. Very fanfare type. Gets you into a happy mood. And we saw the full marathoners running off from the start. We will be the next at 3am. You really see that runners come in all shapes and sizes and age too. There are really so many older runners in the race. The good thing is it makes you feel young !! Although I have been used to people calling me "uncle".

The race starts...and I was running with a group of runners and going at my leisurely pace. The stamina was good although I really did not know about my pacing. The running up of the mid span was the first toughest challenge of the race and you have to run so far before you can do a U-turn back on the bridge. After that you have another run up the middle span of the bridge. Gosh! This is really tough! This is like hitting the wall !! You just run out of energy at that point of time. The insufficient training and nutrition really come to bite me at this moment. The mental strength was the only thing that keeps me going. My only mantra was "I must never stop running".

To be continued....