Monday, August 25, 2008
ran my first 21k ystd at the army half marathon (:
it was quite interesting, because when i arrived, i saw many many army guys, guys, and more guys. i think the ratio of men to women was like almost 10:1
but along the way i started seeing more females, in pairs and groups.
there were the ntu dragon boaters, meridien canoists, sp, tp, np guys/girls
and of course, the word "ARMY" was so very blinding.
but the race itself was quite funny, because i'll see people (read: ARMY GUYS) stop and look for their friends/team-mates, and they would joke and laugh along the way, making it quite a funny scene. then, there were live bands at the halfway mark and finishing line, which i thought was cool, because having bands playing at marathons/half-marathons are more common in the U.S.! and although there were many many water stops, the guys on duty were sweating more than the runners! honestly i found that rather funny, and i couldn't help grinning over that thought.
the first 7km was a breeze, but somehow after that i just couldn't move for the next 2km. but the 9-15km stretch was good long run after that. then, the pain from my hamstring kicked in at 16, and the last 5k was finished in alternate run-walk paces. gah. when the pain hits, somehow, even walking hurts. but nonetheless, i finished my first 21k! and the thing is, i've never ever ran that long a distance before sunday, and personally it was very rewarding (: also, i never went near my running shoes about 10 million weeks before race day, so i can't complain about my timing.
i'm not sure if i'll do another 21k anytime soon, but the standard chartered marathon at the end of the year is definitely a no-no. i can't really feel my legs yet, the hamstring hurts a whole lot, and the lactic acid hasn't completely gone away. all the more excuses to sleep in =D
though the hamstring is really really painful, i survived today! (:
and now, 10k is not long at all! (:
8:33 pm
