Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011

How time flies as I can still remember my disappointment over last year’s SCMS where my attempt for a sub 4 hour marathon fails miserably. I bonked so early at 27km and subsequently suffer cramps on both legs and in the end I was way off my target with a disastrous 4:23hr finish! It was a demoralizing race which I learned my lesson on how to better prepared myself for a marathon, especially for regional marathons where the weather conditions are usually harsher.

This is a race which I felt really excited and was looking forward to since I waited 1 year to finally have the chance to prove to myself that I am capable of going sub 4 hour in Singapore. Apart from the Taroko Gorge half marathon’s week where I had diarrhea and was forced to do a DNS, my overall preparation was good where I did a couple of more than 30km LSD.  I was all geared up for the race and I make sure that I had enough sleep by going to bed early at 7pm and wake up early at 2am for breakfast before making my way to the start line. I reaches the race site early at 3:45am so that I had ample time to settle down before going over to my designated start line about half an hour before race starts.

However at the start line I was greeted with a surprise when I was told that I belonged to the Sub 6 hour group (Green Bib) and I was refused entry into the Sub 4 hour start line. Feeling frustrated I was left with no choice but to move as near to the start line as possible. I could only hope that it won’t affect my race and won’t have a hard time over taking slower runners.

As I review my recent race results, particularly Penang Bridge International Marathon (1/2) I was quietly confident that I could do a sub 3:45 but at times I was in dilemma, since local full marathon races are always tougher and I do had thoughts of lowering my expectations for fear of some unexpected circumstances. Fear still struck me when I recalled suffering from cramps in the same event last year. But anyway anything above 4 hours will be a total failure, filled with all these thoughts in mind I was still undecided on the race strategy while standing on the start line. I was stuck with should I just go for 5:20 or 5:30 pace for first quarter or first half of the race and gradually up my pace or should I just run and gauge my condition accordingly?

Anyway before I could decide, the race started promptly at 5am and my sudden thought then was to run at 5:20 pace first. As expected there were many slower runners around which I had a hard time overtaking but luckily the situation soon improves just before I reaches 1km and I just managed a 5:19min/km. Soon after 2km and entering the Fort Canning Tunnel there was a loss of GPS (Garmin watch) connection, as it was also dark inside I was not sure did I ran so fast at 4:28min/km? Anyway so far so good and feeling comfortable with my pace as I soon rounded up my first 5km in 25:22min.

I was feeling great and unknowingly I was running faster with pace below 5min/km from 6 – 7km, probably feeling excited each time when I overtake the pacers, especially the sub 4 hour pacer groups. At 8km I was slowing down to 5:08min/km. At almost 9km I managed to catch up with the 3:45 hour pacers group where supposedly they should be running below 5:20min/km pace, and been the fastest pacers around I tried to tag along with them and it was a nice and encouraging to know that I was comfortable with their pace, and with that I completed 9km comfortably at 5:17min/km before I decide to move on with my own race. By 10km I was at 5:10min/km and with a 5k split of 25:30, a total of 50:52min for 10km.

After 10km I was slowing down, I was cautious not to run too fast as since I had just over taken the 3:45 hour pacers, my thought then was to just run above 5:20min/km pace and now running “alone” along Mountbatten Road towards Fort Road at 5:16 and 5:13min/km before I finally reaches my familiar LSD training ground at ECP (Fort Road entrance). Along ECP at 14km I saw Steven (Toa Payoh Safra committee) manning the Safra support point, surprisingly no support was offer. Anyway I just move on and completed 14 and 15km in 5:18 and 5:16min/km, a slow 5k split of 26:22min as compare to my first 10km but still well within 5:20min/km race pace target.

The long straight route along ECP towards the National Sailing Centre u-turn point was the annual routine marathon route, a familiar ground where I can concentrate on my pace and form as I started to pick up good running form from 16 to 17km, I was running consistently at 5:05min/km before slowing down to 5:11min/km to finish 18km along the East Coast Lagoon bend. The stretch of 19km to 20km was interesting as you get to see runners making u-turns back towards fort road. I managed to compete 19km in 5:02min/km before I finally finish 20km in 5:17min/km and with that the 5k splits took me 25:40min with an average pace of 5:08min/km.

With 1km to go before the u-turn point, I gradually up my pace again as I felt motivated to catch up with some familiar faces returning back towards Fort road. With that I finally crossed the 21km mark in 5:13min/km and while on my way back I was enthusiastic and was running faster, in the process I clocked 4:56min/km for 22km, I was hoping to catch up with some Safra runners ahead but I subsequently slowed down to 5:11 and 5:08min/km pace as I thought I was only halfway through and I needed to be consistent. Along the way I managed to overtake Safra runners Choon and Ow before I getting nice cold “Sng Bao” (ice pack) at Safra 24km support point! The 25km mark was a return route along East Coast Lagoon which took me 5:06min/km and with that another good 5k split in 25:34min and on average with a 5:08min/km pace.

After 25km it will now be a long straight route all the way towards Fort road where I seems to have struck form, I was running faster at below 5min/km pace. The feeling was great as I felt really strong and hope I that I can kept at this pace all the way. At 29km I managed to grab a banana as I knew I will need that extra fuel later on, managed to eat while on the run and so I was slowing down to 5:00min/km pace. By the time I leave Fort Road, it only took me 24:23min from 25 to 30km, with an average pace of 5:02min/km.

I was still on form from 31 to 32km running at 4:57 and 4:59min/km pace and at this stage I met some other Safra runners from Mount Faber. I was surprised to see Jackie walking, think he seems to have some problem. As I overtake him I urge him to run, and at this stage I too started to feel the strain on my legs but I was trying hard not to slow down. It was at this moment that I knew the real race had started! Nevertheless I still managed 5:05min/km for 33 and 34km while 35km took me 5:08min/km, and 25:14mins for 30 to 35km, on average a good 5:02min/km pace.

I was trying hard to motivate myself before I saw the last Safra Support Station (by Jurong Safra). I again opted for “Sng Bao” (ice pack) instead of Power Gel to quench my thirst and it helps as I passed 36km in 5min/km pace. It was 37km at Marina Bay and my legs were heavy but I still managed a 5:11min/km pace. At 38km my fear struck as I could feel that my legs were about to cramp! I knew I had to slow down but not to stop or it will surely trigger the cramp. Disappointingly I decide to drop my pace to around 5:30min/km, my thoughts then was its still better to be able to keep running then to stop and walk. Moreover I was already in the “safety zone” of going under 3:45 hour and again like previous SCMS it was the dreadful human jam again with the half marathoners blocking my way and with that I took 5:33min/km to complete 38km.

At 39km my pace continue to deteriorate to 5:44min/km as it was a long uphill run along Sheares Bridge, it was tougher to go below 5:30min/km but I kept telling myself not to stop, only 3km to go and just get over with it. Although it was downhill after 39km I could only up my pace slightly as my legs were heavy and was low on fuel, at this point I also opted to skip the last crowded water point as I knew I must not stop or my legs will surely give way, with that I competed 40km in 5:36min/km, clocking the slowest 5k splits of 27:04mins at an average 5:24min/km pace.

I was almost there and finally with less than 3km to go I zig-zag my way through the crowd along Raffles Avenue and completed 41km in 5:36min/km. I was really tired but so glad that I was reaching the Padang, I tried to run faster but instead I was slowing down to 5:44min/km, all I could do was to follow closely behind another runner ahead who was paving the way for me. It was only the final stretch of 650m that I could run faster at 5min/km to finally crosses the finish line!

It was a race which ends up with an almost even split of about 1 hour 50min over 2 halves of 21km, although my intention was to do a negative split. But it was still an encouraging run after 21km where if not for a drop of pace after 33km it would have been a strong finish (negative split). I have finally achieved a PB and sub4 hour for local Marathon races!

OFFICIAL TIME
OFFICIAL PLACE

AVERAGE PACE: 05:12

of 15,727 TOTAL finishers.

98.69%

of 13,330 MALE finishers.

98.65%

of 9,438 Singaporean Men finishers.

99.32%

SPLIT TIMES	split time	s/rank	race time	r/rank	distance	pace	speed
Split Time 1	00:51:10	482	00:51:10	3840	10.60	04:49	12.43
Split Time 2	00:57:37	386	01:48:47	993	10.50	05:29	10.93
Split Time 3	00:49:42	200	02:38:29	356	10.50	04:44	12.68
Split Time 4	00:11:24	197	02:49:53	306	1.40	08:08	7.37

Self-timed Garmin Splits

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace	5k Split	Split Avg Pace
1	05:19.2	1	5:19
2	04:28.0	1	4:28
3	05:10.1	1	5:10
4	05:13.7	1	5:14
5	05:11.2	1	5:11	25:22:00	5:04
6	04:57.4	1	4:57
7	04:58.0	1	4:58
8	05:07.9	1	5:08
9	05:17.1	1	5:17
10	05:10.5	1	5:10	25:30:00	5:06
11	05:15.5	1	5:16
12	05:12.6	1	5:13
13	05:19.5	1	5:19
14	05:17.6	1	5:18
15	05:15.7	1	5:16	26:22:00	5:16
16	05:04.9	1	5:05
17	05:05.2	1	5:05
18	05:10.5	1	5:11
19	05:02.4	1	5:02
20	05:16.6	1	5:17	25:40:00	5:08
21	05:12.7	1	5:13
22	04:56.5	1	4:56
23	05:11.0	1	5:11
24	05:07.5	1	5:08
25	05:05.7	1	5:06	25:34:00	5:06
26	04:56.1	1	4:56
27	04:48.8	1	4:49
28	04:49.3	1	4:49
29	05:00.2	1	5:00
30	04:49.1	1	4:49	24:23:00	4:52
31	04:57.2	1	4:57
32	04:58.9	1	4:59
33	05:05.3	1	5:05
34	05:05.0	1	5:05
35	05:08.4	1	5:08	25:14:00	5:02
36	04:59.6	1	5:00
37	05:11.1	1	5:11
38	05:33.0	1	5:33
39	05:43.5	1	5:44
40	05:35.6	1	5:36	27:04:00	5:24
41	05:36.3	1	5:36
42	05:44.0	1	5:44
43	03:12.8	0.65	4:59	16:19	6:09
Summary	3:39:41	42.65	5:09