Pre / During / Post Jurong Lake Run 2013 ! :)

Today marks the end of my race, as it would be the last one before I enlist. Reason being, my mum forbids me from joining anymore marathon/races after this Jurong Lake Run, (JLR ins short).

Okay let me talk about what I did for last night hahaha !! Last night was a great night, mum whipped up a simple yet sumptuous meal. I had fried eggs with big onions, tofu with mushrooms and minced-meat, baby kailan & salmon soup. Loved the soup the most because of it's natural sweetness in it :D Thinking about it now makes my mouth water, and I think I'll be drooling if I continue to think of it at a timing like this LOLLL !

After dinner, as usual, washed  the dishes and headed back into my room, using the computer to adjust the songs I wanted it to go for Sunday's run. You guys must be thinking why do I need to adjust my playlist. Reason is being I listen to fast songs and I follow the tempo which affects my pace. Loaded in my favourite songs by Justin Timberlake ! His fast and catchy tempo never fails to capture my attention and rhythm to it ! After much 'adjusting' to my playlist, it was quite late, around 11 plus so I put on my compression tights and calf guards. Compression helps to promote/improve blood circulation around my thighs and calves. So that it will prevent cramps and ache during the race ! Here's a picture !

Doing Compression on my thighs and calves 

#2XU #Compression 

Slept at around 1am and woke up at 5.15am. Woke up feeling excited about the race in 2 hours time, my stomach felt like there was butterflies in it hahaha !! Nervous yet excited because I have broken my Personal Best (PB) once during training (10km - 48mins 56 seconds) and hoping I could do it under that timing. Of course my ideal timing was to aim for under 10km - Under 45 mins. Cooked some scrambled eggs and had a BA BA BA BA BA NA NA ( following the minions because its too cute :D ) for my breakfast/energy fuel for the race ! Here's a picture again ! 

Pre-Energy fuel for the race ! 

Ba ba ba ba ba na na & Eggssssss 

Dad then drove me to the racing venue, I told him not to because it was only at Jurong East but he insisted ! Thanks Dad ! :) Reached the baggage deposit at around 6.30am and the flag-off time was at 7am so after depositing my bag, I went for a quick jog, sorta like a quick warm-up for my race. Did a bit of sprinting, leg raises, stretching from head to toe, I went to the starting line. When I got there, I saw a lot of elite and professional runners, some were last year's winners on the podium. I saw angmohs, mixed blood, japanese, army personnel, and the people whom I respect the most, THE KENYANS !!!  Yes ! They ! They are one hell of a runner. If there were to be a zombie apocalypse and it hit the Kenyans, everyone will turn into a zombie in no time LOL ! Okay, jokes aside, I mean Kenyans are really really fast ! They can complete a 10km in 29 mins, 21km in 1hour 9 mins and a full marathon, 42.195km in 2 hours and 17 mins ! That's totally insane ! It's either they have a V8 engine inside them or they have got super huge lungs ! I was quite excited as its my second time to be so close to the starting line. 

Soon it was 7am and the it was flagged off by the Finance Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmuganratnum pressed my watch as I ran past the starting point. The first 2.4km wasn't really good reason due to going at a faster pace then usual, from a 4.35min/km to 3.30min/km. That's about 1min/km pace difference and I tell you my body wasn't feeling natural, in a sense, quite weird. Grabbed some water at the first hydration point then continued on with a 4.45min/km pace till the next hydration point at the 4km mark, took a 100 plus drink this time round and took a few sips and continued. Something happened at the 5km mark, saw my taekwondo friend, Angelia Ong who was volunteering there ! Shouted her name and she looked felt and right, feeling puzzled who called her ! Her look on her face was priceless until she saw me and said hi ! HAHA ! Continued on with a pace of 4.53min/km to the 6km mark, took another 100 plus drink and continued at a pace of 4.45min/km to the 7km mark. Here I saw another friend of mine, Jonathan Tay, he said : " You're left with the last 3km ! All the way ! It's now all never ! " He gave me the courage to go all the way ! I bolted my legs and increased my pace to 4.25min/km, maintaining that all the way till the 8th & 9th mark. I saw a photographer and she called my name, I turned around and realised it was Norafida ! Haha ! Such a coincidence ! I didn't expect her to be there taking photos ! :D The volunteers had cheered me on, giving me 'Hi-5s' along the way and the signs showing ' Hang On ', ' Chiong Ah '. Some even cheered and shouted so loudly with so much enthusiasm ! Then the 9km mark, 1 more km to the finishing line, I checked my watch, 40 mins 44 secs, I thought to myself, " YES I CAN DEFINITELY BEAT MY PB AND GET A TIMING OF LESS THAN 45 MINS ! "So I decided to chiong all the way at a very fast pace, I pass by all the runners that over took me at the 3km mark, it made me have some 'shiokness' but in a race, you compete against yourself, not the others.Left with the last 400 metres and my watch showed 43 mins 30 secs, I literally sprinted, sprinted all the way like I was chased by a cheetah and I saw another friend of mine who was taking pictures too ! Sebastian Wong AKA Iron Man Runner !Soon I crossed the finishing line and saw the gun time on the clock : 44 mins & 15 secs it read ! I pressed stop on my watch too and it showed 44 mins 52 secs ! When I crossed the finishing line, I was overwhelmed by happiness and so surprised, really over the moon ! I could actually hit a 45 mins for a 10km ! :DDD #HAPPYBOY93 !!!! :DDD So I'm now waiting for the official timing to be out ! Here's a picture of me with my medal feeling happy and excited ! :D

New Personal Best ! 

10KM - 44 MINS 15 SECS 

#Recordsmashed ! 

I went to collect my bag, and met up with a few of my friends who participated in the Jurong Lake Run and took photos with them ! Here are the pictures ! : 

Finally a photo with Narfirus ! :D 

With my running buddy, Dedrick ! :D
Congratulations on his PB too ! :)

With Jun Jie ! ;D

With the Taekwondo Pro !!!!

Christopher !!!! :D 

Met Norafida finally ! :D 

Friendly and a nice person to chat with ! :)

Finally able to take a photo with SG Blade Runner !
He ran despite having a fever the days before and sinus problem !
#Respect #Salute !

Got to know new running kakis , Ezekiel & Mynelle ! 

Thanks to Norafida ! :)

Then I and Norafida waited for Gerrard AKA Mr Lim Ah Siao. Those who don't know who is Mr Lim Ah Siao, he ran with a 14KG tyre at last year's Standard Chartered Full Marathon (SCM 42.194KM). He's an ambassador of the the bone marrow foundation. Those who still don't know who is he, you can visit the web page on Facebook to know more about him : www.fb.com/AHSIAO69 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help to like the page ! Thanks ! :D Today, I really admire, respect and in awe for both SG Blade Runner and Mr Lim Ah Siao ! One is sick and still ran ! The other, had fractured his right ankle/instep persisted to run pulling a 14KG tyre, BUT BUT that's not all ! He 'ran' in crutches !!!!! I bet when most people are injured, including me, myself will rest at home till the injury heal then run again. But he was different, he was willing to go through the pain that he thinks that this pain he's suffering cannot be compared to the patients who are suffering the pain from the bone marrow disease ! I accompanied him , during his last 1km or so and we 'ran' together, supporting him, encouraging him ! Below is a picture ! 

I'm 'running' next to Ah Siao ! Encouraging and motivating him ! Tan Caibao (raising his hands) also did that ! The group of volunteers were cheering him on !!! He showed no signs of stopping and went even faster ! #Respect #Salute

This was near the finishing line, a few more metres ! As you can see from the looks of his eyes, he shows the fire burning, his spirit, his will to complete it is so determined ! We were all cheering him on !! Go Ah Siao ! Go Ah Siao ! 

This picture shows me carrying the tyre for him because he was rushing to another venue to receive an award ! Mr Ah Siao talking on the phone like a boss LOL !  XD 

Mr Lim Ah Siao received a prize from Finance Minister, Mr Tharman Shanmuganratnum !

Next we had a photo-shoot with Mr Lim Ah Siao by one of the newspaper reporters I think ! I & Caibao were asked to come inside ! :D 

Support Mr Lim Ah Siao okay ? 

Find out more at www.fb.com/AHSIAO69 ! :)

We then headed to Jurong Point to have our lunch ! Here's our group photo ! From clockwise, Weitin (Ah Siao's Gf), Mr Ah Siao, Tan Caibao and Me 

AKA GERMS/GERMANIUM :D 

Credits to : Norafida ! :)

My Pepper Lunch ! :D Pepper Salmon Rice with Egg ! :D Yum Yum ! :)

Reached home feeling tired, exhausted but happy ! :) Jurong Lake Run 2013 will be a memorable and unforgettable one ! :) Because it's indeed more than just a 10KM run !

Till next year ! See you JLR ! :)