...Army Half Marathon...
Post race report...one word for the run...LOUSY!!!...timing was atrocious!!...let's rewind back to the start and see where did I started going downhill....
Attempted to sleep early the night before...but only got to bed at about 10.30pm...by then, I didn't think I will have sufficient sleep...true enough, not sure if I was excited or nervous or what, couldn't really get proper rest through out the night...the next thing I know..it was already time to get up at 4am...yes!!...another ungodly hour...I pay to torture myself!! Took a quick shower, made my breakkie and waited for Bob to pick me up...somehow...the moment I woke up...it just felt like a lousy running day...you know you have days where you run like the wind but yet there are days you run like you would have to slog your whole body across the finishing line...today felt like the later...=(
By the time we got there...many people were getting ready for the run...deposited my bag...and did a slow jog to the starting line for warm ups..and by the time we got to the starting point...we could start already...didn't have anytime to like chit chat or what, unlike my other 2 runs...Bob told me to go ahead first because he'll be running with his fried..and I told him likewise...but eventually I did run along first...paced myself for the first few kilometers until I hit the bridge...The Benjamin Sheares Bridge!...it felt like eternity getting to the top...my left ITB started to ache a little whilst running up the slope...and that was the first 3 or 4km only...I was thinking to myself how I was gonna carry on for the next 17km?!?!?...Ignoring the feeling...I continued to run...by the time we hit Fort Road...I think that's where everything took for a turn...my body didn't wanna cooperate with me...I felt breathless...the running route was so cramp...all the sweaty bodies side by side each other...VERY claustrophobic for a while...it wasn't even 10km yet and I already felt like that...i felt lousy and a little demoralise...but still pushed myself further...it was until I hit MacDonald's that I knew I wouldn't be able to hit the timing I was aiming for...I had a very bad tummy ache...stopped and went to the toilet...when I knew my target timing was out of reach...I didn't even bother taking more power gels...I just ran and stopped whenever I felt breathless...told myself to at least finish the last 5km without stopping...and it helped when they had live music along the way...thought that was a good idea...especially for someone who was rather demoralise already...that really helped to brighten the atmosphere...checked my watch...and I told myself to at least get in there by 2hr 45mins!
When i cross the finishing line, my timex watch reads 2hr46mins...a minute shy of the targeted time...I was a little disappointed with myself...and when Bob asked me "Will this affect your end year run psychologically??"...it probably does...but I told him hopefully these negative feelings will fade away along the months...so I thought...since I didn't do well...I should reflect on what went wrong or what went well for me...
What Went Wrong
- Lack of sleep
- Didn't hyrdate well for past few days
- Eating too much rubbish for the past few days
- Never do proper stretching
- Train too much??!?!
- Running route at ECP was terrible
- Donated blood day before (dunno if this affects but I think I won't donate a day before again in future)
- Didn't say a short prayer before I start my run (usually do that..but everythng happened so fast)
What Went Well
- Took only one power gel (an improvement from previous run)
The list is a little imbalance...but at least I have one plus point from the run...we win some we lose some...hopefully the next run would be a better one!...
Attempted to sleep early the night before...but only got to bed at about 10.30pm...by then, I didn't think I will have sufficient sleep...true enough, not sure if I was excited or nervous or what, couldn't really get proper rest through out the night...the next thing I know..it was already time to get up at 4am...yes!!...another ungodly hour...I pay to torture myself!! Took a quick shower, made my breakkie and waited for Bob to pick me up...somehow...the moment I woke up...it just felt like a lousy running day...you know you have days where you run like the wind but yet there are days you run like you would have to slog your whole body across the finishing line...today felt like the later...=(
By the time we got there...many people were getting ready for the run...deposited my bag...and did a slow jog to the starting line for warm ups..and by the time we got to the starting point...we could start already...didn't have anytime to like chit chat or what, unlike my other 2 runs...Bob told me to go ahead first because he'll be running with his fried..and I told him likewise...but eventually I did run along first...paced myself for the first few kilometers until I hit the bridge...The Benjamin Sheares Bridge!...it felt like eternity getting to the top...my left ITB started to ache a little whilst running up the slope...and that was the first 3 or 4km only...I was thinking to myself how I was gonna carry on for the next 17km?!?!?...Ignoring the feeling...I continued to run...by the time we hit Fort Road...I think that's where everything took for a turn...my body didn't wanna cooperate with me...I felt breathless...the running route was so cramp...all the sweaty bodies side by side each other...VERY claustrophobic for a while...it wasn't even 10km yet and I already felt like that...i felt lousy and a little demoralise...but still pushed myself further...it was until I hit MacDonald's that I knew I wouldn't be able to hit the timing I was aiming for...I had a very bad tummy ache...stopped and went to the toilet...when I knew my target timing was out of reach...I didn't even bother taking more power gels...I just ran and stopped whenever I felt breathless...told myself to at least finish the last 5km without stopping...and it helped when they had live music along the way...thought that was a good idea...especially for someone who was rather demoralise already...that really helped to brighten the atmosphere...checked my watch...and I told myself to at least get in there by 2hr 45mins!
When i cross the finishing line, my timex watch reads 2hr46mins...a minute shy of the targeted time...I was a little disappointed with myself...and when Bob asked me "Will this affect your end year run psychologically??"...it probably does...but I told him hopefully these negative feelings will fade away along the months...so I thought...since I didn't do well...I should reflect on what went wrong or what went well for me...
What Went Wrong
- Lack of sleep
- Didn't hyrdate well for past few days
- Eating too much rubbish for the past few days
- Never do proper stretching
- Train too much??!?!
- Running route at ECP was terrible
- Donated blood day before (dunno if this affects but I think I won't donate a day before again in future)
- Didn't say a short prayer before I start my run (usually do that..but everythng happened so fast)
What Went Well
- Took only one power gel (an improvement from previous run)
The list is a little imbalance...but at least I have one plus point from the run...we win some we lose some...hopefully the next run would be a better one!...