GEWR 2014

Woke up 3.10am today to catch the $6 shuttle bus to Great Eastern Women Run 2014. It was raining and the weather was chilly when me and Eunice were waiting at the starting point. I'm glad that they didn't push back the event due to the rain though, unlike the KOTR run last year which was cancelled due to the heavy rain. With the MC shouting all optimistic messages into the microphone, we set off already wet from the rain, running on the slippery roads.

This is our first run ever without any from of trainings. The idea was to run at our own pace because from experience, i need to run faster at the start, with wide strides in order to make it till the end while Eunice needed to start slow to warm up first. But we will always catch up with each other near the finishing point.

The first 10km was going really well for me, running ahead of the 2hrs 30mins pacers as the rain made the air really cooling to run in. The elite runners from Nepal were such inspiration as they throng ahead of everyone, sprinting the entire journey. Things started to get real as i crossed the 10km mark. My incessant toothache was made worst due to the cold air that manage to get into my mouth even though i kept my mouth close the entire time. Had to resort to screwing my my face, slapping and poking my right cheek to remove my attention from the hell painful toothache. Tried my best to run as far as possible before i finally started walking at 16km. The 2h 30mins pacers were long ahead of me by then.

5km more to go.

It was a real bad idea to start walking as it stopped the momentum and the aches in my thighs and knees rushed in all of a sudden. Half limping, half running, i suddenly thought of the aunties i saw that do race walking. Tried mimicking their quick walking pace and sustained for another km before i started walking again.

4km to go.

I walked really long for the next km, trying to keep a look out for Eunice. She should be nearby now, i thought. She caught up with me somewhere here during our last sundown 21km run.

3km to go.

I stopped a few times beside to road to get a few quick leg stretches. My knees and thighs were practically on fire now. It felt like someone just squeezed freshly made lemon juice on my raw muscles... And then, i heard this loud cheering ahead... a group of supporters were donning their all-so-prominent striking luminous yellow and orange singlets. It was the running department members! Holding big encouragement signs, handing out coke and gummy bears, i can't help but laugh out loud at their silly but heartwarming appearance. And i started running for awhile...

2km to go.

PRESSING ON!!!... was talking in my own head when a familiar figure jogged past me. "Eunice!" I tapped her and we embraced each other's company, chatting and lamenting about how tired we were. Continued running together for awhile before i had to walk again... Had a cup of 100plus, which tasted so delicious, walked awhile more before running again.

1km to go.

I was walking again. Eunice was ahead but waited for me when she realize i was walking. "C'mmon, it's 1 last km, lets go!" And she tugged my wrist and i ran... at least for awhile. Nearer and nearer we got, before the familiar sight of the finish line and timing came into sight. The sound of the carnival ahead grew louder with ever step we took, and we ran our very last lap of the race together.

FINALLY! And we stopped running altogether. It wasn't a good timing, 2hrs 55mins? Compared to our timing of 2hr 44mins last year (which wasn't good either), it is 10 minutes slower. But i didn't care! I COMPLETED the race! All i wanted for this run was just to complete it, no pressure, no timing in mind. What can i expect without training and putting on those extra kilos of weight. I honestly felt like a winner for pushing myself so hard, despite the crazy toothache, the unbearable aches i never ever had in my knees for any of my runs, and enduring the blisters in my feet.

Reeking with sweat, we went to get some free food from the carnival before proudly changing into our 21km blue finisher shirt and went somerset to reward ourselves with a hearty breakfast and honey creme ice cream! YumYum. Expecting much aches in my legs tomorrow!