If you don’t already know, we have many races going on every single year, on this small red dot we call home. The most famous race of all has to be the StanChart Marathon. In case you are wondering, no, I do not aim to run a marathon, or even a half marathon. I do enjoy the occasional 5km or 10km run, but not the body aches after. :D I just might have to lie in bed for 2 days after a marathon.
Sometimes I wonder why we run these races. Remember that marathon cheat who got an ambulance ride to the finishing line so he could get his finisher tee and medal, plus clock an amazing race time that puzzled national runners initially? Also, the 21km race at RUN 350 yesterday was cancelled due to a morning shower, and runners were not only upset, but many also demanded tees and medals, and some even asked if they could get a refund (Do these people not read race rules and regulations?!) And why flaunt a finisher tee when you obviously did not complete the race?
I do think that the objectives of organizing RUN 350 might be lost on some people. So… in case you didn’t know this…
“RUN 350 is Southeast Asia’s premier eco-run in support of the global 350 movement. This movement aims to raise awareness to the need to lower atmospheric CO2 levels to 350 parts per million, which scientists believe is the level required for Earth’s sustainability.”
As I ran, I spotted banners stating the amount of carbon dioxide that would have been produced if I had driven that same distance instead, e.g. at the 4km mark, it was 400g of carbon dioxide.
I also spotted medal recycling boxes at the ‘race village’, and could even trade in my banana peel for a pen!
[Yes, if you are eagle-eyed enough, you'll know I run with my IC in my armband, together with my phone. So in case of emergencies, paramedics can easily tell my blood type, and have access to my particulars.]
Overall, it was a tough run. I remember my 10km Shape Run last year was less punishing – just 1 slope. This time, I counted at least four “up slopes”. I really hate running up slopes as it takes a lot of willpower to resist the urge to stop and walk! But I noticed that even the slowest jogging speed up a slope is faster than those who stopped and tried to walk quickly. I kept going and did not stop except at the designated water points.
At the end of my race, I clocked 58:10, though something happened later on to cast doubt on whether all of us actually ran a full 10km or not. Read on.
In the evening, the fiance and I also took the train to Suntec Convention Centre to attend the Star Awards ceremony instead of driving there. I truly appreciate RUN 350′s mission, especially when we were running along a road, right beside a steady stream of cars, and I was thinking that these horrible cars and their carbon dioxide emissions should not be right beside me as I was huffing and puffing my way to the finishing line! :P
Did we run 10km or not?
Last night, I visited RUN 350′s facebook page and noticed one message left by one of the runners.
Did we run only 9.5km? I then checked my Runkeeper app records. I had started the Runkeeper timing before I reached the starting line, as I was in the middle of a huge group of runners, and wanted to get my phone into my armband before I started running. And I ‘stopped the clock’, so to speak, after I had crossed the finishing line, grabbed a drink, and walked to a less crowded spot.
And lo and behold, the total distance is only 9.62km. Uh-oh. What went wrong here?
I was initially very happy that my race timing yesterday was supposedly even better than last year’s. Unfortunately, this might not be the case after all. Hmmm.
Anyhow… we did have fun running our first 10km race together.
Here are some pictures of the cute Kids Dash from RUN 350′s facebook page:
And here’s us:
After a ‘paper chase’, do we move on to a ‘medal chase’?
I don’t know why you run, but I run because I feel good after. Runner’s high can be described in one word – Shiok.
