Pattaya Half Marathon -- my 1st Sub 2!

It's 2.30am in the morning.. the sky is still dark.. Dear woke me up to get ready for today's Race: Pattaya Marathon.. Yes I was at Pattaya.. lazing in my hotel bed.. He was all ready for the race.. dear had been waiting for this day for sometime already.. me.. hmm hoped tt I will be able to achieve my PB.. gonna try my best.. ;)

When we reached the Mercure lobby, our fellow running mates were all there, enthu for the race hehe.. Teck Hou, our promising runner had already ran to the start pt.. we booked a big tuk tuk tt can accomodates 11 of us n set off at 3.30am.. haha.. on the way to start pt, 2 ladies (on a bike) were trying to seduce our Kenyan Kumaran!! hahaha...

Full marathon starts at 4.30am while half at 5am.. As we waited for the starting time, we warmed up near the beach area.. had some isotonic drinks and muscle rub supplied by the sponsors.. there were performances before the start of the race.. The wheel-chaired category start off 1st follows by the marathon which Dear, Freddy, Derrick, Kumaran, Jimmy Chow, Ricci n Teck Hou participated in.. Cm asked me to warm up further by running up n down the beach.. we only went in the reporting area 10mins b4 5am.. by tt tiem I was already sweating profusely.. hahaha.. Adam asked me wat happen.. haven run sweat so much.. kakkakaka..

Bang!! off we sped off from the crowd.. worrying tt I might be too fast, I followed behind cm.. after abt 2km, I saw the 1st water pt.. wow so fast got water to drink.. I skipped it n closely locked Cm's back view... I could sense tt my pace was gg faster.. but I am still able to take it.. so I cont'd on.. skipping the subsequent water pts.. until 9km, I saw Cm ahead waiting for me w a cup in his hand.. Thanks Cm for the support!! I sipped abit n ran on.. After a series of ups n down along the main route, I saw ppl U-turning ahead n running into the side route.. it's the 10km mark.. I dun dare to look at my watch.. worry tt I might be over concious of my timing.. so I just hang on n ran on with water support from Cm throughout the race.. =D

By the time I reached 13km pt, I felt my pace seemed to have slowed down.. n I was looking forward to the BEACH!! haha.. 1st we reached Jomtiem Beach.. tot it will be beach route all the way.. but i was wrong.. hahaha we turned in to the main land and make a couple of turning b4 we reached the steep down slope to Pattaya Beach! wow the slope was really very very steep n long.. but it helps me to recover my breathing.. then I found myself runnign along the Walking Street.. the end pt is near.. I must endure it.. Cm cheered me on tt I can make for for my sub-2.. i still dunno the time yet.. haha later then i realise tt he also worried I might not make it.. so bluff me can make it.. hahaha..

I mistaken the finishing pt.. haha dashed through the banner n was thinking how come no champion mats?? then i realise i still got 500m to go!! arh faint.. by then i really felt energy low.. pushed myself on.. finally I made it!!! My 1st sub-2.. phew** really not easy.. I got my medal n went ahead to rest at our warmup zone.. then I sensed something not riht.. my hands started to turn numb.. oh no.. it comes again.. due to poor language communication, the Medic can't figure out wat Cm n Alan were trying to tell the medic.. While I rested at the Medic center to recover, I also got good massage from the ladies at the tentage.. hahaha..

I managed to recover in time to see dear coming back.. he did his 1st sub-4!! When i chked our results, Both of us got the 11 positions in our category n broke our PBs record!! Wat an Amazing race!!

Distance: 21.195km __ Time: 1:59:26







Finishing Line