Mizuno Wave Run 2006

Darkness still prevailed when I woke up this morning. Crept out of bed, showered, changed into my running gear, ate a half-ripe banana and drank a glass of milk, and then went out to the nearby bus-stop to wait for Hedgehog. He's supposed to flag down a cab from his place, come over and pick me up, and then send both of us to Kovan Hub for the 10-km Mizuno Wave Run (route below).



But Hedgehog never managed to flag down a cab...all the cabbies were busy changing shifts and didn't want to pick up any passengers. :( But there was a kind lady by the name of Siew Hoon who stopped her car and offered Hedgehog (and later me) a lift to Kovan. Even though Siew Hoon and the two of us were total strangers, she could tell from our garb that we were bound for Kovan. Since she was also headed for the same race, she graciously allowed us to hop into her car. This is what I call the runners' spirit of unison! Thanks for your helpful gesture, Siew Hoon! We really appreciate it!

When we reached Kovan, Hedgehog and I thanked Siew Hoon for the ride, and then went on our own to register ourselves. We then caught up with the rest of the SgRunners who were there, gathered around the STC (Sotong Car) and the TLV (Teelee Van). Great turnout, as usual. :) We did our stretching, warm-up runs, chit-chatting, and not too long after, it was time for the race to begin.



As expected, there was a terrible jam at the start of the race, and it took quite a while before I was able to shake off the crowd and establish my own pace and momentum. I knew I was going too fast and too early, but I didn't want to slow down. I have never done a sub-50 for 10-km before, and I didn't have many chances left...so I kept pushing myself.

But I paid the price about 7 km into the race. :( Fatigue, coupled with an extremely boring scenery, made me slow down significantly. But fellow SgRunners like Nemo encouraged me to go on, so that was much appreciated! :)

Nearing the end-point, I saw this runner clutching onto a lamppost for support and looking as if he was going to collapse. Suspecting that he had probably overexerted himself, I went over to ask him if he was okay, but the man was too exhausted to reply. I had to support his body from behind because he was going limp and he didn't even have the strength to keep his head up. Luckily, another runner (called Eng Teck, if I didn't remember wrongly) came over to help as well. And also a road marshal, who brought along some water which we offered to the runner to drink and rinse his mouth. An ambulance came a couple of minutes later, and much to my displeasure, the nurse took her own sweet time to alight from the vehicle and stroll towards us. We kept calling for her to hurry up because the runner was almost unconscious, but she still maintained her own leisurely pace. :p (But on hindsight, I suppose she has probably seen dozens of such cases, and based on her professional judgement, she probably figured that this runner was in no serious danger.)

Once the nurse and the road marshal began to attend to the runner, Eng Teck and I continued on our run to the end-point. My timing was around 57 min, a marked deprovement from last year's 52 min. :( Ah well, I have aged...

Back at Kovan Hub, I met up with some DSTA runners, such Mingjern and Kenny, as well as folks from the SAFRA Running Club, such as Ong, Jaime and Kumaran. I heard Teelee came in with an impressive 37 min! I also saw Nanyan and Ah Khen, who had decided to pop by Kovan for breakfast. :) My university pal, Gen, also met up with me there. As he's going to participate in the NUS Triathlon, I took the opportunity to introduce him to the other SgRunners, who may be able to provide him with some options for training venues and regimes.

This year, unlike the previous year, the organisers did not give away small bottle of mineral water to the runners. Instead, they gave out plastic cups, and had water distributed from dispensers at a central location. Smart move. Wastage of water minimised, and people got their hydration. But no isotonic drinks were given, which was a shame. Luckily, I brought along my own 1-litre 100-Plus bottle and drank it heartily. (",)



There was the usual grand photo-taking session with our fantastic SgRunners banner. And then, there was the mandatory makan session. :) We trooped over a couple of blocks to have prata...plates upon plates upon plates of prata. :) I ordered two pratas with egg, and downed a cup of teh halia (ginger tea). Later on, on my way back towards the MRT station, I stopped for a bowl of longan with almond jelly. Yes, sweet cravings...hard to resist, but I think longans and almond jelly don't contain too much calories, so that's ok.



I felt extremely happy on the way back home today. I guess the morning's adrenaline and endorphins had kicked in, and lifted my spirits. The cold dessert probably helped as well :) Another great day, spent with great company. Love it.