Bridge over troubled water* - Simon and Garfunkel

It has been 1 week since the run. The bloodstains have been washed off, the wounds are dried, the blisters have healed, the aches are gone. I even did 5 km today without any problem.

But i think i better blog about it now or i'll never do it. It is something which is worth recording down, to be remembered. It was my first 25 km run. It was my first run which went over 10 km!!!

Yes, i'm talking about the Half-Marathon which i took part during the Penang Bridge International Marathon.

The bridge - across... and back!

It was a little crazy. I drove all the way up to Penang the day before, not having a place to sleep. Not that it mattered as i have to be at the flag-off place before 2 am if i were to drive there. But let me just get right to the run itself.

Before the race - lack of sleep but excited!

It was like a football match - a game of 2 halves! We had to run from the starting point to the bridge, over the bridge to the mainland, turn around and backtrack to the starting point. I had a really good half and a really bad one. Unfortunately for me, the good half was the first half!

For the first half, i felt that i kept up a good pace, non-stop. And i felt really good. Other than the annoying runners who were walking on the right side of the lane (they prolly drive the same - hogging the fast lanes on the roads while chugging along at a snail's pace - typical M'sian drivers), it was enjoyable. We were running in the dark but under the stars and a bright moon. Once we got onto the bridge, the excitement of actually running on the bridge took over. It felt great - and the sea breeze cooled me down a lot! I was so confident of finishing the race within the time set.

When i reached the mainland, i stopped running. I decided to walk a bit, not to push myself too much as there was another 12.5 km to go! It was then that Murphy's Law kicked in. I dun really wanna go thru the gory (and bloody) details - it would appear that i'm trying to hard to justify my poor showing in the run! But yeah, all the things which i had been concerned about actually happened!

We had the sunrise behind us as we ran back to the island

It was so bad that it came to a point that my spirit broke. I just gave up. No i did not quit the run. I just gave up trying to finish it within the time set. While i ran all the way none stop for the 1st half, i practically walked almost all the way back for the 2nd half.

I was just glad in some ways that i would have ran thru the pain - but for something which made it impossible for me to run without... making a real mess. Ok. Enuf said.

So i walked back and completed it at a really bad time. I was like the S'porean team in the Amazing Race Asia 3 - i just ambled my way pass the finishing line while others who had also been walking made sure they ended the race in some style and pride.

It was a painful end to the race - literally as well as to my pride. And later, it hurt when a "fren" was making jokes about my pain. But it was still a wonderful experience!

The experience of being on the bridge - the only time in the year the bridge is closed to vehicles and the only time in the year where one can run/walk the length of the bridge legally! And take photos too! :-)

Love this pic!

There were a lot of interesting people along the way too! There was this old man with a amputated hand - i was wanting to run next to him and give him encouragement but decided not to as i would prolly finish it slower than him! There were these 2 guys who ran with Santa hats - very festive! One guy was farting as he ran!!!! There had to be the lovey dovey couple who ran holding hands!!! The clothing was interesting - one wore jeans!!!! Another was in cargo shorts with belt and all! Others were running with basketball high cut shoes! A few were running with backpacks! There were a couple of clowns - literally! I myself wanted to run with the Madagascar head band - but did not as i bought it for me niece. And there were many who decided to use a 'short-cut' when turning back at the mainland!

Oh, special thanks to the dude who shared his counterpain with me on the bridge.

I found out later that there was some drama at the end of the full marathon where the Kenyan who finished first was disqualified as he shoved a fellow Kenyan on the way to the finishing line. Both fell over the advertising boards.

So that was my race. The water under the bridge was calm. The troubled waters in my race were the things happening to me during the 2nd half of the race. But the bridge over that troubled waters was the determination to complete the race no matter what happens, no matter how long. I was glad i did. And i know that i can only improve on the time i set.

*The song which won the Grammy for the Record of the Year and the Song of the Year in 1971, it was also the song which many felt led to the break-up of the singing pair.