No Finish Line...

Done and Dusted

Pain. Pain. And even more pain. That's what I'm feeling now. More specifically, since Sunday morning. The pain and soreness has slowly ebbed away since then, but its gonna take some time before I can walk up the stairs normally again... And prob a week before the corn/blister the size of Manhattan on my right sole is healed... I'm actually walking like a duck now, according to my colleague. Yea right. YOU try running the bridge.

Cut to the chase.... I completed the 22.3km within the time limits and put to rest the fiasco of my Shah Alam 10km run no-show thingy (so don't EVER mention it again)... And to cap it all off, my last 5kms were spent walking (I just couldn't put more than 4 running steps together) in agonizing pain due to severe cramping in my left leg, my right leg, my ass, my chest and my back. I suspect it was due to severe dehydration and lack of REAL fitness. Lesson learnt: Never attempt to run a 1/2 marathon (much less a full one) if you're 20 pounds overweight.


My race number

In fact, the run started off smooth, and I was pounding the tarmac like nobody's business. I think thats where the problem started, I went out too fast too soon. At the Prai turn on mainland side, I started to feel the effects... short of breath and gasping for water. I was way within my target time at the halfway distance, but then it was downhill all the way... (my performance, not the route)...

8kms to go, and I was jolted by spasms in my left shin akin to 8.5 on the Richter scale. I slowed to a walk and stopped at the next medical station to get some liniment and ice. Rubbed the shin down a while and continued running... 7kms or so to go, and my right thigh cramped, together with my left calf. Limping to the side, I stretched the affected muscles and walked to the next med station to get some temp relief.

.....Continued running (more like jogging / shuffling from then on) till about the 17km mark when my chest and back started going into spasms. It was like electric pulses searing thru my nipples and I frantically pulled my arms back to try and stretch my chest as much as I could.... calves and thighs started cramping again and I was literally reduced to walking the last 5kms.

Time was running out and all sorts of negative thoughts rushed thru my tired mind. I was trying to concentrate on the songs churning in my ipod, but little voices kept shutting them out... "Shit, you've come this far and can't finish in time???"... "You're such a loser!!"... "You should have gone running instead of that bloody dim sum breakfast last weekend"... "You're the definition of embarassment, you fat ass!!!".... Your mind does play tricks on you when you're dead exhausted...

However, I guess the fast start had a silver lining as well... Becos, with all the walking and slowing down at the end of the race, I still managed to meet the qualifying time for a certificate and a finisher's medal. Upon crossing the finish line, I headed straight to the replenishment booth and gulped down 9 cups of isotonic drinks. Liquid never ever tasted sooooo GOOD!!!


Half-marathon finisher's medal


Proof of finishing within stipulated time


My faithful companion...

I'm sure as hell not proud of my timing of 2:50:33 (which is 5 mins more than my target) but I'm real proud of my effort in the face of adversity... and pain!!!

I'm definitely going to do this again next year; who's game to join me???

UPDATE:

According to RunnersWorld, I lost 1826 calories that morning. Now, that's a LOT of Dim Sum!!!!

And.... this is what my foot looks like now... Corns on my sole and my toe. Bloody hurts.


Don't gross yourself out

Yes, I know. I got meself a deformed toe.

posted by CapArnabBrand @ 1:16:00 PM