I'm alive! Hurrah! The race went better than expected and I am proud to say that I made it back in one piece and under one hour.
Being my first time taking part in a mass running event as such, I didn't really know what to expect.We were pretty lucky in that the sky looked omnious and threatening as we were about to start but in the end, it was perfect because it was not too sunny and there was a gentle breeze. The atmosphere was one of anticipation and excitement as everyone made their way from their various corporate tents to the start area on Anderson Bridge. Everyone was chatting and joking, with some even grooving to the music blasting from the various speakers put up for the event. All in all, the atmosphere is truly a big part of the appeal in events such as these. I suppose running is as well, but perhaps not so much for me. I started off the race, good intentions and all, with a steady jog, not too ambitious and not too slow that people behind would curse at me. ( you wouldn't have thought it, but runners at these type of events can be quite scary when you block them) The first 1km went by without too much pain, after passing that milestone, it all began to unravel. The legs started to get tight, my mouth began to feel parched and I was sweating profusely. Trust me, I NEVER sweat. Breathing was getting laboured and I was starting to slow down, runners were over taking me left and right. It was then that I chanced upon my two colleagues, (in our bumble bee outfits how could I possibly miss them,) whom I mistakenly thought I could pace with. I encountered a huge ass rock, courtesy of the road works and construction going on around the millenia area which thankfully only tripped not to mention scared the bejeebers out of me. I soldiered on for another 200m ( maybe?) at which point I gave up and ended up brisk walking.It was at this point that the race leader passed me, running on the OTHER side and the time flashed behind him. 10.54, are you kidding?! This joker had already U-turned and here I was, clutching my side and feeling like my feet/head/legs/chest was about to explode. So here I began the cycle of jog-walks that were to repeat themselves for the next 4km or so. Looking ahead I could not see the U-turn point and it was pretty demoralising, I grabbed a bottle of water from the drink station which momentarily eased the parched mouth feeling, but did nothing for the rest of the body.
Nevertheless, I soldiered on and amidst the breathless and shooting pain in every inch of my being, sprinted my way down the last straight of the race to finish in the time of;45:40
Not too shabby if I don't say so myself. All in all, I did have fun, kinda.
But for now, I'm resting my tired and aching body.Ed: I cannot walk down the stairs without holding up the rest of the pple behind.
