DAY 3 - PERTH
“Everything you are given is material for the next move. Everything." This is what I started my day with. I was in good spirits after a relatively restful flight. I commenced my morning routine then race preparations before everyone was up so I had a calm time. After I did that, I just sat back and relaxed until we landed.
The Perth Marathon is a night race around the Nedlands Rugby Club. It was a four-loop run with a five kilometre out and back route. The weather was nice and cool. I was prepared to have a quiet run. I didn’t mind at all. I needed a bit of solitude. I was expecting stretches of alone time throughout.
The first lap was good. I had a good feel of the place. I had a steady pace that I mostly kept throughout the way. The starting point was at the Rugby Club then out towards the view of the city center. We were running next to the river. Quite similar to my route from home towards Marina Bay Sands via Marina Barrage. So I said I will treat it as one of my 10k training runs. There was a cold tailwind on the way back so I decided I needed to change my clothes so I would not feel cold. Seems like my tummy gets queasy too when my back gets wet and cold. I need to avoid this from happening otherwise I just would keep going back to the toilet at the aid stations.
For the second lap, I decided to call Gabby since I figured he can keep me company while running in the dark. We were also now on the same timezone. He kept me company while running. I also got to talk to the kids. That felt good. We just chatted and he could hear my breathing throughout our conversation. The minutes just flew by during the first half. Then I started to feel heavy and more tired the next half. Maybe because I was feeling cold and did not have enough food to eat. I need to pay extra attention to my nutrition. I have to eat more and try to eat better.
For the third lap I listened to my Bukas Palad playlist. I wanted to make it a praying lap. The music kept me company throughout the serene evening. I felt myself getting more exhausted though. I really think it was because of the lack of food. I was hoping there would be real food when I got back to the starting line aid station and not just a bunch of snacks. My prayers were answered. I had pizza at the end of the third lap. Perhaps I was also extra tired knowing that it was now past 1 am.
For the fourth lap, I wanted to turn it into just like any other training day, listening to podcasts and having a relaxed run. So I listed to Strangers on a Bench, a podcast about the host having ordinary conversations with a random stranger. I wanted to make this extraordinary endeavor into “just a regular run” to make it easier on me. There were just a few of us on the course now and it was now more quiet. So I relished the time at the halfway point aid station where I got to chat with the elderly volunteers in lighted tutus. I also treated myself to Coke and chips.
Then it was the last stretch home. At first I was listening to David Whyte talk about midlife. Good thing that my earphones died midway through. I then started to just focus on my breathing so I can release the tension and start my recovery. Crossing the finish line, I felt so happy and relieved. I was surprised of my enthusiasm and energy as I jumped up in joy.
Then I stretched a bit before scrambling to get showered and packed. I remembered to take in my recovery supplements before continuing with my preps. I also tried to eat food. I wolfed down two hot pizzas. Then it was time to go. The bad thing with finishing later in the race is that I have barely enough time to freshen up and eat before heading to the airport. But that’s just how it is. I will make do.
Suddenly I felt my energy dip drastically. I just felt so spent. I seemed to be in a daze. I started feeling a bit of frustration. Then I thought that maybe my breathing techniques to relax and kick in my recovery earlier started to take effect. I chose to believe this. At the airport, my energy picked up a bit. The familiarity of going through the airport process, the duty free and the waiting area seemed calming. I was also looking forward to the 11-hour flight to Dubai. Never imagined I would anticipate eagerly a long flight for the chance to rest.
Tomorrow I will work better on my nutrition. I will try to get as much rest on the flight. I will also try to address my Achilles Heel problem . I hope the swelling and pain eases up. So I have another shot at the marathon tomorrow. I’ve got this. I shall continue to plod on and follow the fun.