First marathon

I was at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2006 last Sunday with my colleagues. We took part in the 10km race. My boss, the fit one, did the half-marathon.

I started the race a little flustered. Some of my colleagues were late; some forgot to bring the all-important bib; finally, we lost one another in the midst of thousands of others. Before I knew it, the race began. I guess I started mine without any warm-up.

I met different people during my run: boyfriend-girlfriend team, friendship team, father-daughter team. I saw several campaigners too. The most memorable one being the lady who harnessed a tyre and a box of recyclables on her waist while she ran. She was campaigning for the environment.

The marathon itself was great. But I cannot help to think that it can be better. For example:
the participants can observe some running etiquette: walkers stay to one side and the runners on the other;
the drinking stations can be less wasteful in their use of paper cups;
let there be more cheerleaders around! I found myself smiling whenever I see someone cheering us on.

The best part of the race for me was near the finishing point. That's when I start to hear the cheers, the DJ's booming voice and Bond's "Victory" pumping away. Adrenaline took over and my legs never felt so light. Stride by stride I sprinted, with the banner that says "Impossible is Nothing" as my added fuel, I finished my race.

My legs ached for the next few days but the marathon was certainly inspiring. It was a reminder that I can achieve the seemingly impossible once again. I will definitely participate in another one next year :^)