I’d even forgotten that I’ve registered for this run because it’s been many months ago when the registration was done! 😂 Till I was disappointed that I could not run for what I thought was supposed to be my last race of the year, Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon which I registered for the half marathon category, but my foot failed me after Osaka Marathon and I have to give up the run as it’s ouch ouch ouch with every step I took and of course it’s impossible to run 😂 I believe that if I want to carry on running for many years to come, then I should not abuse my legs when it’s already telling me no.
I was very motivated to recover in time for the Johor countdown run so I stopped running for about 2 weeks after Osaka Marathon, resting my legs by not running (the truth was my foot was too pain to even walk lah! 😂) And about a week ago I went to Changi General Hospital for the Sports Medicine specialist to take a look at my foot and the doctor said it’s Metatarsal and I was sent for an X-ray. But there’s no fracture, ultrasound shows some bruising and I was referred to the podiatrist to further manage my foot. I’m waiting for the appointment which is in two weeks time. Grateful to Dr Ng to get a fast appointment for me so that I can be seen before my Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon 😊
A few months back when I registered for this run, Willis told me he have to work on the race day but I still very hero go ahead and register for the run alone and tell myself treat it as a alone trip then humji as it means I have to go Malaysia, Rey signed up for the run but could not make it. Thinking that I have to do the hectic traveling alone crossing the causeway and traveling with all the transport when I’m not very familiar with traveling around in Johor is like a nightmare 😱 Telling myself there’s GPS now, so it should be alright!
So it was my first time taking train into Johor, or maybe if my parents did brought me in by train when I was still a baby? I would travel usually travel into Malaysia by car or by bus. As afraid that there will jam at the causeway so Willis booked for me a train ticket into Johor. Though he have to work, but he sent me to the Woodlands train checkpoint, and picked me up there when I returned, it’s about 12.30am when I reached Singapore ❤️ 
On race day, it was raining almost the whole morning and I don’t feel like going for this run anymore somemore so lonely go alone. It just feels like a day to laze around at home. Checked weather forecast and it shows that it will rain the entire day 😑 But since I don’t have any long distance run for a long time after my Osaka Marathon last month I think I should go for it to treat as a training run for SCHKM and drag myself out of the house. If race kena cancelled because of the rain then also bo bian.
After queueing for quite a while at the Woodlands Train Checkpoint we were let in to clear immigration. After clearing the Singapore’s immigration within a couple of steps I arrived into Malaysia’s immigration 😯 And chop chop within 15 minutes I’m on the train and within a 5 minutes ride, I’ve arrived at JB Sentral. 
As it’s just 2pm, too early to head to race venue so I went into City Square Mall to walk walk. Bought Gong Cha, went Popular and bought 4 books from Sophie Kinsella and Cecilia Ahern it’s pretty cheap converting the rate to SGD it’s about $10 per book. Then I bought a Sim Card which cost RM39 from Digi, it’s still cheaper than what StarHub data roaming rate offered. After changing the Sim Card I used Google Maps to find out on how to travel to Educity Sports Complex to collect the race pack, which also is the race venue. To my horror, Google Maps did not show any public transport route! 😨 I checked the rate for Grab and it’s RM37, quite cheap though but I just don’t want to spend that RM37, had decided only to Grab back after the run though. So I went to the bus terminal in JB Sentral to take a bus that heads to Legoland and to decide whether I will then walk there or take a Grab there from Legoland instead, it’s about 4km away from Legoland. 
So my bus journey is occupying myself by re-reading a book which I’ve brought along and I’m very excited as the drama is available to watch in a few weeks time and I’ve been looking forward to it since months back! 😍
It’s a RM4.50 and about 30 minutes bus ride to Legoland and from there I took a Grab to the race village which is RM11. I reached race site super early before 5pm and flag off’s only at 7.45pm 😂 Collected my race pack with no queue, then explore around. 
Many activities by the sponsors and there’s also stalls selling food and also items necessary for runners around the race village but I just find a nice place to sit down and wait for time to tickle away then change into my running shoes and deposited my bag. Baggage deposit is fast and no queue even though it’s around 7pm when many runners had already arrived at the race village. Think many runners drive there or have supporters to look after their belongings. There’s fireworks at midnight in the Stadium to welcome 2018, too bad I have to rush back Singapore as I didn’t make any plans to stay over.
I went to the start pen about 20 minutes before flag off and were quite in the front. It’s cloudy but there’s no rain. The emcee is so funny ah, informing us there’s a cut off time of 4 hours. And he hopes that no one will run till 2018, that would means running an entire year 😆 It’s nice to see many Singapore runners and they said I’m brave to travel alone for race 🤭 But I’m keeping Willis informed of my location and the the car plates no. of the Grab drivers eh 😆
The balloons for the pacers were so big and chio but about an hour into the run, I saw the balloons of all of the pacers of one of the timing group flying very low already 😂 Flag off was punctual. When I ran past the timing strips, the volunteer was recording down my bib number and reporting my bib number into the walky talky and I was like LOL, it’s never my chance for getting podium 😂 And after 12km I slowed down because my right foot feels weird, this time it’s the right ankle different part, something new? 😨 I just pray silently to po bi that no more new injury or strain as it’s a marathon 3 weeks away. And then from a few drops of rain becomes drizzling and it just gets heavier 😑 It’s hardcore to run in the rain, if it’s raining I don’t run usually I don’t like, my eyes cannot open, eyes pain eh 😆 But it’s a running event so just keep running lo. I was wondering will the run be cancelled? The rain not small eh, my clothes all wet, my shoes and socks all wet, my hands all wrinkled. I tried to put my focus on landing of my foot, as according to the ultrasound the doctor says it might be the pounding that is unbalanced that caused the strain and pain. Most of the route is running on the highway, which means many upslopes 😭 But there’s not much cars as it’s quite a new area. Its raining and I have to run upslopes and I was like thinking what a way to end my 2017 😭 At the final few km, a kind female runner ran passed me and asked if I need any spray, then I thought am I really looking so jialat like I need something to ease my legs? 😨 I feel like walking but the run’s slogan remind me to keep going. Run with no regret so I try to minimize the walking. And finally I endured to the finishing line and I was given this “21km finisher” tag. I didn’t think much as I thought maybe it’s a tag to collect the finisher entitlements further up front till when I pass it to the volunteer and she told me to keep it. Ok, so it’s a souvenir. Till I met some familiar runners from Singapore then they told me it’s potential winner tag. Sure bo? It’s printed “21km finisher” and not “potential winner” eh 😅 So after checking with a volunteer it’s confirmed that I’m one of the top 15 Women’s half marathon finisher! 😍 But only the top 10 got prizes and I was wondering should I stay or leave as it’s late already and I need to head back to Singapore. After changing into a fresh set of clothes and pack my stuff, I decided to stay and try my luck.
So I was the first name to be announced for my category and gotten the 10th position 😍 It’s sort of my first podium in races if I didn’t count the fun run that I participated by my work company or the trophy I gotten when I wasbin secondary school for getting 13th position at the school’s annual cross country at MacRitchie Reservoir 😆 What a nice way to end 2017! I was still cursing during the upslopes and grumbling about the rain at first 😂 
After collected my prize I quickly rush off and called for Grab to JB Sentral. It’s RM25 much cheaper than the RM37 when I want to travel there from JB Sentral. But I couldn’t get one, 20 minutes have passed and I thought hoseh liao, tio stranded liao? I went to approach a volunteer and he told me I could hop on the shuttle bus to bring me to another place where there’s higher possibility to get a Grab as this is a quite desserted area. The shuttle bus brought me to a Starbucks but I have no idea where am I but just try my luck again on Grab. Just shortly and within minutes I’ve gotten a Grab the rate was also RM25 and finally I returned to JB Sentral at 2018 around 00:15am. Luckily there’s still bus operating and there’s no queue at the immigration. My passport become “kiam chye” already 😂 As I’ve forgotten to zip my pouch and I carry it with me because it’s an important document which cannot be risk depositing with my baggage at the race site, it’s all wet now 
