Running with horses: PJ Half Marathon

Monday, October 31, 2011

PJ Half Marathon

Sunday. PJ Half Marathon. My goal is to go under sub-90 mins for 21km. It's a personal milestone that I have not crossed before. After the injuries that i sustained in the beginning of the year, spending time in awfully slow recovery, and gradually picking up my training in late July again, I know this goal is attainable if i can do my best. Even though I did not taper for this run (I ran two loops of Klang Gate the day before), I felt my legs were in good condition to finish 21km in a good time.


Warming up before the run. The start!

The first 8km was smooth and I was doing a sub-4min/km pace. There were a few runners within visible distance in front of me but I did not have any urge to overtake them. I guess I was conserving mentally for the second half and I also felt I should not push myself too hard in this run for fear of burn-out before TMBT the following week. Besides, one thing I dread about running is the mental torture that comes when you are trying to outrun the person in front and vice versa. The ensuing tug of war between the two of you would easily drain you of your physical and mental energy. This is not a sprint for goodness' sake. Just run easy and push at a right time.

I felt I slowed down in the next 8km. Somehow I just did not have the motivation to push hard, so I continued running well under my aerobic threshold. No panting. No gasping for air. No stiffening of calves or quads. Just easy cruising. I saw Yip passing at the opposite side way before I reached the U-turn. Wow he was running fast!

In the final 5km, I knew that I was approaching the end, so I started to pick up my speed. I promised Mao i'd return before 8am (the run started at 6.30am sharp). In the final 2km, I saw a Kenyan lady in front of me. I overtook her and continued all the way to the finish line. 2km to go with just 8 minutes left. In the last 100m, there was another 21km runner in front and I sprinted hard to overtake him as well. Finished in a time of 1:29:45. 18th place.

Personal target reached, promise fulfilled. It was a good run indeed!

Lord, thank You for allowing me to run again, and to finish in a good time. I don't suppose this personal milestone is of any significance in the world's eyes. But in my heart, I know full well it's You who enabled me to run again and for that, I give you thanks. Help me to run even harder after You!