running amok

Dec 03, 2008 11:18

this friday i'm flying to the merlion state primarily to run the half at the standard chartered singapore marathon. i say primarily, because the itinerary also includes bingeing on chili crabs at no signboard as well as some gadget gawking/ogling/shopping, and anything else that we can possibly squeeze into the slightly less-than-3-day stay in the island city. i am not wont to making declarations, although last year, when i spoke with my singapore-based vietnamese friend khoa, he asked me to run the marathon with him. however, given the state of things this year, i knew that there was no way in heaven i would be ready for 42 kilometers come december -- and i knew this with actually ample time to prepare. but committing myself to training would have been a task just as herculean as running the actual marathon. even my goals for the half aren't so special. in my application, i penciled in 2 hours and 15 minutes as the estimated time i would finish, although it would be great to do it in under 2 hours. however, given my propensity to cave in to the little complaints of my body, and based on the kilometers i have dedicated to actual training, i would be just too happy to run the first 10k, then alternately run and walk the last 11.

however, what compounds this weekend's road race is that i was fortunate to be included in a list of 55 filipino runners to be outfitted by nike. am i a lucky bastard or what? i think i managed to be included because of the size of my running shoes: 12! i'm really just a 10.5 US, but with nike, even the 11 is a little tight, particularly because i have wide feet (2E). so if my time this sunday turns out a tad embarrassing, i expect nike to disavow any knowledge of my participation, and that they're furnishing me with a shirt and a pair of running shoes to boot!

so given the rather dim outlook on this sunday's long run, i sought out other international marathons where i could possibly take part. i read a news article somewhere which said that about 800 marathons are held across the world each year. it's not like i have suddenly realized that finishing a full marathon has become a pressing objective for me, and i have never declared it in the past, but i am not getting any younger, and definitely not getting any stronger, so if i should submit myself to the pains 42 kilometers long, it had better be before i turn 35. the thing is, i don't want to just finish a marathon. i would want to finish my first in decent time. i wouldn't want to be obscenely late, leaving behind several hours before i cross the finish line, towing behind me the last few dawdlers and laggards. and so committing to a long and dedicated training is compulsory: and that's where the trouble is. i have problems with both commitment and dedication.



when i opened the website for the standard chartered hong kong marathon 2009, i was actually a little relieved to find out it was already full: at least there is neither pressure nor reason to suddenly train in the space of 2 months. but being inquisitive and all, i sent an email to the organizers, and they replied to me saying that there are slots reserved for overseas runners such as myself, and i could register before the scheduled race day. so that's a huge load off my back: i don't have to sign up for a full marathon now. i could just show up a day before february 8, 2009, and choose a category that's more or less achievable given the state of my fitness two months from now.

so wish me luck for this sunday's half marathon in singapore. and here's hoping that my knees hold up so i can keep running, amok or otherwise.

road race, fitness, marathon, running, singapore

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