Legs and Paddles 2007

Sunday was a day to remember. My first unfinished race! Let me tell you what happened.

Legs and Paddles was an event organized by a bunch of college kids from the NUS Canoing Club and the NTU Sports Club. Categories included a 10k run followed by a 6k paddle, a 5k run followed by a 3k paddle and a 10k run which was called the Brooks Life Run. I elected in doing the 10k, seeing as I don't have any upper body strength. On the 26th I took the bus down to One Fullerton to pick up the event t-shirt and tag number. I got to the booth set up in front of a Starbucks and got a t-shirt for Dad and myself. I then asked for the tag number, but they said it wasn't ready yet and I would have to pick it up race day. College kids!

I got to the starting point at One Fullerton at 9 a.m., one hour before the start of my wave. Dad and I got our tag numbers and our goodie bags. Look in picture for contents of bag. We put the bags back in the car and were back just in time for the mass warm up led by a few women from California Fitness. After the warm-up I was already sweating bullets. I was sweating just waiting in the shade for the race to start. We were scheduled to start at 10am, but even at 10.10, we hadn't even started yet.

Finally at 10.15 the other waves started and we finally started at 10.20. Coming around One Fullerton I was already struggling, no thanks to the extreme heat and humidity. As we proceeded across Esplanade Bridge, I had to run up on the gangway to escape the crowd. When we rounded the bend at the Esplanade I could already feel a cramp starting to form. I eventually ran through the cramp but when we got to Brewerkz, which was the u-turn point, I was in a lot of pain. A combination of the sun and a sore area in my thighs. I told Dad that I was just gonna do the 5k and he said he was going to do the whole thing. I got through the finish line, but just barely. The clock and the finish line wasn't even on, so I had no way of even knowing my time. Luckily, I had my Nike+Ipod and it said I finished the 5k's in 27 minutes at an average pace of 7.50 per mile. Not bad considering the conditions.

I sat at Starbucks for a while, watching the kayakers in Marina Bay and waited for Dad to finish. Dad came in 25 minutes later in obvious distress. But, after some water and shade he was fine. Dad asked one of the organizer's what the temperature was and he said it was 38 degrees. That is hot!

Even though it was a good race, I was a bit disappointed in not being able to finish. I'm glad I did it though. It was good training for the upcoming MR25 5k.