Singapore International Marathon 7 Dec '08

Another edition of the Singapore International Marathon has passed. As I've mentioned before, this is probably the closest thing we have to a world-class running event in and around our immediate geographical location. As always, the event was well run, although there are some things I would like to comment on this years' race:-

1. The race collection centre, located at the Singapore Exhibition and Expo Centre, while convenient and easily accessible by MRT (i.e. there is a station there), is a tad far.

2. The women's vest has changed slightly in design, which is a welcome change. Sadly though, the men's vest is exactly the same as the previous years'. I understand the need to keep the sponsors' colours but it was dead boring.

3. This years' race pack was pathetic. Only a Berocca, with (yawn) and another Deep Heat sachet.

As usual, the race collection centre was filled with poseurs who are more interested in style over substance. Plenty of branded stuff worn, plenty of BS being talked. I'd say, let your running do the talking!

Time for 21k- 1'41.11. Not too bad considering my lack of training in the crucial final 2 weeks (or less) leading up to the event. The 21k route has been changed and the marathoners and half-marathoners were pretty much separated from each other, so there were no usual problems associated with the half marathoners and marathoners merging and running along the same route. Although it was relatively flat, it was nonetheless tough. Not to mention the pain I experienced which felt like what can be best described as a hammer continuously knocking my right middle toe. When I removed my sock, I saw the "souvenir" in the form of a nice black toenail. Midway during the run as I began to suffer and the pain became more apparent, I was questioning myself-why do I choose to put myself through this torture every year. When I crossed the finishing line, I got my answer- a direct quote from Steve Prefontaine, who said "You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."

Some sidenotes-
1. I ran in the Lunar Racers. The only time I truly felt comfortable running in them was my 2nd or 3rd time in them. Since then, the right shoe has developed 3 holes at the shoes upper. The so-called Flywire technology amounted to nought if you ask me. Maybe its the way that I run. I've had to perform emergency patch-work by placing a piece of cloth underneath the hole and sewing it with gray coloured thread over it.

2. Despite getting proper Nike socks for the shoes, I developed a blister on the same spot- my right Achilles. And after the race my right middle toe has developed a blood clot, which means that that particular toe nail will come off sometime in the next week or month, maybe.

3. I bought a new Timex watch at the expo when I went to collect my goodie bag. Before I could even put it on, the strap came off. I tried in vain to reconnect the pin into the strap and onto the watch. Thereafter I went to a City Chain store and the sales assistant successfully reconnected the strap to the watch, but when she pulled the strap ever so slightly it came off. She mentioned that there was something wrong with the pin. I tried calling the vendor of the watch yesterday but they were closed. With the marathon expo ending yesterday, I couldn't even ask for an exchange. And I'm going back to KL on Monday already, so it seems that there I can't change it in Singapore. Their warranty card does state that there is a dealer in Malaysia I can refer to, so I shall either go to one of those small watch shops and hopefully they'll store a pin of that size, or I'll go to the dealer in Malaysia.

So the shoes and the watch were the 2 things that irritated me because I had these things to do a day before my race. I wore the Lunar Racers anyway (hence the black toenail), and I wore one of my old watches, without any split function. If I do send it to the authorised dealer in Malaysia, they had better not charge me for the repair. I will see to that that does not happen.

Anyway enough of that. I have something to look forward to- my trip back to KL tomorrow! Will probably leave only in the afternoon, so no chance of a run. With my black toenail, I can barely walk on it anyway- I've been treading around gingerly, so I think I'll cycle on the stationary bike.