Our Team name is Hunk and Babes ? Coming up with a cheeky team name is not easy ? With the 4 of us, July, June, You Kai and me in a team completing the distance of a full marathon (42.195km) in a form of relay ? The run will start at 4pm. Why? Why at 4pm? At a time when the Sun will be roasting us for sure? July and I were the first 2 runners and we were wondering how roasted we will become ? Our 3rd and 4th runner do not need to be around so early. But we have to wait for the last runner to finish the run to collect the medals for the team ? Although we were saying the first two runners gotta run under the Sun and get burnt, but the the last two runner is very pitiful too, have to run with a sash soaked with all the other runners sweat ?

For the month of July and August is packed with a race almost every weekend ? Which is really a lot of REPC to deal with actually ? July and I went to collect our race pack on the day of compressport run after.

The both of us decided that we can walk to Velocity from Nicoll Highway MRT station to collect the Mizuno’s race pack. We realised that the time difference is not much between taking public transport there and walking there.

It is also not that far away and we started off our journey to the west (my phone’s GPS tells me head west the moment I start the GPS ?) after breakfast with our friends at a nearby hawker centre not far away from compressport run race venue. It’s a little more than 3km walk after a 10km run but we are not complaining at all and is enjoying the walking and chatting ?

On the race day, July and me meet earlier at Tanjong Pagar to have a light lunch first before we meet the rest at 3pm at Downtown station and walk to the race venue together. The Sun is really scary. We were gonna to be so toasted, cooked and baked by the Sun. Deposited our bag and explored a little around the race village and take pictures. And of course must take picture with the giant Mizuno shoe ?

Shortly, the first runners have to be flag off soon and Justina and I went to the side to see off our first runners and go to the transition area. We were watching the TV in the tentage on the live update, this super fast guy is running at 3mins something pace! Wow! It makes me think of a saying in Chinese “刀手三分速” which means running with hands in chopping posture at 3 mins pace if I never translate it wrongly ? Maybe I will run like this if I’m ever chased by a lion or Sadako ?

It is great that there is live updates and we could also track our team mates or any other runners as long as we know their name, team name or bib numbers using our phone. Justina and I were the second runner of our team, shortly after the flag off of our first runner, we proceed to the transition pen shortly. Met many other running friends who were also the 2nd runner of their team. And of course must take wefies ?

We were there welcoming the fastest runners to return. I felt like I was attending ‘Star Awards’. The runners coming back to the transition pen is like running on a red carpet as Justina tells me about how superb some of these runners are. Many of the runners who returned from the run is very very very drained. I believe is the scorching hot sun and these hardcore runners is pushing their limits too. Especially some are competitive runners where timing is important and run fast to deliver is the sash to the next runner is a very important mission. Once they pass the sash to the second runner, their legs are allowed to give way and they can faint immediately ? Although I respect their determination and the drive of running fast but I would never want to run to the extent my body can not take it and hurt myself. The feeling of running sick is horrible.

Before hand, I let You Kai the third runner of the team know that I’m not a fast runner because I worried that he may wait too long long or wonder had I got lost or missing in action. Told him I will take an estimated time of 1 hour 10 mins to complete because that’s the timing I used for Compressport 10km run. But I took 1 hour 14 mins, distance is about 10.4km which the timing to me is not that bad. I won’t complain much about the Sun because of the visor I wore is giving me the illusion that it is not that hot actually ?

My speed are quite constant I think except I walked all the up slopes ? I don’t really know my pace because my running app on my phone is not accurate that’s why I finally decided after so long to invest in a Garmin after which I’m happy to be receiving it in a few days time! ? So there was this one girl, around my age who I started to noticed after 1km or 2km point Because I think since the beginning of the run we go off together. I was always looking at her back view from as near as 2m away or up to 50m away ? It’s like a sort of motivation to keep on running, tell myself I could not lost sight of her because it will means I’m slowing down. Somehow she motivates me and discourage me at the same time. LOL ? Because her speed is not constant, she chiong and then she walks. So like countless of times I over take her the she overtakes me again. But during the time when she walks I feels like walking too ? It is only at the last km, I finally manage to overtake her.

I manage to spot her in the race village after some time and I went to her and congratulate her. Tell her that I was following her to motivates me and she said she is also actually following me too! ? It feels awesome right, runners motivates each other ?

It’s nice and a relief when I reach the end point and saw You Kai there, ready and eager to start his run. There was a first runner just now after returning and the second runner is not waiting there ? He was there so for so long like 5 minutes till I start my run his second runner is still missing, hope that their run had carried on smoothly.

After the run, July and I went around to see what we can buy using the coupons we have earlier bought during the race pack collection. I feel that the food and drink is too expensive but I like the matcha ice cream, simply like ice cream especially after a run in a hot day.

When you are enjoying yourself, time pass by very fast. I don’t feel the wait for the 3rd and last runner to finish their run. It’s like after some food and photo taking and June, our last runner is back in a blink of an eye! ? The medal is just simply gorgeous!

Ten Team Costa members participated in the Bintan Triathlon event, covering the Olympic, Sprint, Sprint Relay and Swim categories.

We began the weekend on Friday morning by congregating in the condo lobby. Luggage, kids, helpers and non-cyclists departed for Tanah Merah ferry terminal by taxi whilst the rest cycled via East Coast Park in order to transfer their bikes to Bintan.

With bikes and luggage checked in, we looked forward to our destination Bintan Lagoon Resort, a familiar location to most of us who have holidayed there before. It was an easy 90 min journey followed by a reasonably quick immigration clearance, especially now that Visa on Arrival payment was no longer necessary.

Once checked into our rooms, master-planner Chris organised all our bikes with the hotel to be tagged and shuttled to the race venue the next morning.

The event organiser, Metasport, arranged for regular shuttle buses to be available between resorts to transfer their triathletes to and from the event which was held at Nirwana Gardens.

Using the shuttle service we travelled to the event to collect our race pack which consisted of a bib, timing chip, singlet, tee, cap and towel. We watched the mandatory pre-race video briefing. It described the course, do’s and dont’s, in case of emergency and race precautions to be taken.

From here we wandered down to the event location to get a feel for the course and watch Michiel swim his 1km race.

The swim course was set inside a sheltered bay in clear and balmy waters. The bike course routed from north-west to north-east of the island, whilst the run tracked along the shoreline, up several hills and through a forested area.

Following is a recap on each participants’s race experience:

1km Swim – Friday

Michiel hails from the Netherlands. A swimmer all his life, the add-on 1km swim in the bay was an opportunity to participate in a race without completing a full triathlon.

Getting his swim out of the way on Friday, Michiel spent the rest of his weekend supporting his wife, Cindy and the rest of the Team Costa crew.

The swim route was kind of like an arc, heading out from the right of the bay. Following the buoys the route headed across to the left of the bay, followed by a sharp turn to lead the swimmer to the centre of the bay for a straight swim back to shore.

Whilst the water was calm and balmy, according to Michiel the buoys acting as markers were too far apart, making it difficult to see the route’s direction that was further emphasized by the setting sun in his line of vision. Michiel worked around this by focusing on a landmark across the bay and using it as his point of direction.

Sprint Distance – Saturday

Michelle, Cindy, David and Veronika participated in this category which was made up of 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run, whilst John (cyclist), Zuzana (runner) and myself (swimmer) were the Sprint Relay Team.

Saturday morning started with a bright and sunny day. Catching the shuttle bus to the venue we collected the bikes from the depot, set ourselves up in the transition area, got the body marking and with some time left took a dip in the clear and balmy water.

Conversely, Singapore was dealing with rough weather thereby delaying the ferry from departing the terminal. Filled with daytrippers participating in the event, I could imagine their anxiety level reaching new heights, worried that they’ll be late for their race. The organizers were great and delayed the Sprint flag-off by half hour.

The men’s wave was the first to start. Joining his fellow competitors, David flagged-off at 9.30am followed by the women’s wave and relay teams about ten minutes later.

As the swimmer in my team, I held it together and swam side by side with Veronika and Michelle with Cindy only slightly behind. This lasted about 250m at which point I realised that yoga 4-5 times a week is really paying off for Veronika as she broke away and pulled ahead. Shortly after Michelle did the same (another yogi) and left me in the dust. Perhaps I should have trained for this instead of just 4 swims two weeks before the race.

Piling out one after the other we moved into the transition area for the bike segment. John was ready and waiting for my timing chip to be strapped onto his ankle. That’s essentially how to pass on the baton.

With my racing part over, I was pleased I survived the swim with minimal training and could now turn into the paparazzi, watching and supporting my friends.

Veronika and John exited transition together, followed by Michelle and Cindy. From here they cycled across 8-10 hills with elevations of up to 33m. Cycling speeds ranged immensely. For instance, Michelle a strong cyclist averaged 29km/h with maximum speed as high as 54km/h, whilst John and David averaged 22km/h with a maximum speed of 44km/h.

It was a tough cycling route given how flat Singapore is with no hills on the East Coast where we reside to regularly train on. John’s description of his ride was “click, click, click” uphill gear change followed by “click, click, click” downhill gear change repeat, repeat, repeat.

Anyway, it wasn’t long before Michelle slid into transition having clocked up 20km in an impressive 42:08min, followed by an unassuming Cindy, who I think is a closet cyclist at 46:18min. Her downhill riding was described as “woohoooo, give me more speed”. The rest of them finished their cycling in the 50+ minutes range.

Having survived two-thirds of the triathlon, John passed on the baton to Zuzana for the final leg. Michelle and Cindy were long gone and we hoped to see everyone finish the cycle before racing to the finish line to see them all complete the final leg of the race.

Cool as a cucumber Michelle floats in like a butterfly in 30min, placing 9/30 in her category and 2nd in cycling. Cindy followed suit placing 12/29 in her category and 3rd in cycling. When David came around the final bend he found an extra bounce in his stride and breezed around other competitors to the end. Shortly after Veronika finished as well.

When John and I saw Zuzana on her final stretch, we flanked her like bodyguards and ran together the remaining 100m across the finish line. It was a sensational feeling to be completing the relay event together, realizing how much more pressure was on each one of us to deliver on our part and not let down the other team members.

With the Sprint category finished there was an interlude in the racing scene until the afternoon when the Olympic Distance started at 1pm. It was Stan and Chris’ turn.

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Olympic Distance – Saturday

Pre-occupied with supporting their wives throughout the Sprint Distance race, both Stan and Chris had probably started their own race a bit off their game. Running out of time to gobble up some lunch, both of them entered their race a little undernourished for the distances they had to complete which included 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run.

Whilst we missed their swim (too busy gobbling up our lunch and cold beer), we made it back in time to see them exit transition with their bikes about 8min apart. Finding a spot on the side of the road we settled in and waited for both of them to whizz by. Given the downhill location and potential speed it was fortunate we knew what they were wearing in order to see them far enough in the distance to start cheering and photographing. As they flew past us for a further 5km turn around, we were able to see them on the uphill as well as prior to their turn-off into the transition area.

From here we had a short walk for another position to see them on their run. Not particularly pleasant route as the first section of the run is already on an uphill. Not even enough time for their muscles to switch gear from cycling to running. Chris is a pretty solid runner who typically covers 14km from work to home at an average 4.6 pace. It’s definitely an environmentally friendly form of transportation and free of charge. Stan on the other hand is a solid cyclist whose weekend typically starts with a round the island bike ride that covers approximately 120km. He gets home for his coffee before I even blink an eyelid.

As we see them off on their run, we vie for different locations in their route to keep catching them to cheer and photograph of course. Having to complete two loops on their route, we moved around chasing them like the paparazzi.

The greatest cheers of course came as they crossed the finish line with Chris placing 19th at 2:46hrs, and Stan placing 40th at 2:55hrs.

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As we returned back to our resort and a short rest, we celebrated the night away with dinner and drinks on the beach. I don’t think we had left the island before discussions around Bintan Ironman in August started surfacing.

The camaraderie and team support during the race made for a terrific weekend away. Somehow we keep getting drawn into events we are completely unprepared for, yet our boundaries are constantly challenged and shifted.

Three years ago was my first foray into fitness and racing completing my first 5km event. Since then, along with my fellow Team Costans, we have competed in marathons, half-marathons, numerous triathlons and cycling both locally and internationally. Each time a race is complete, the stakes seem to go up never quite satisfied with the status quo.

With the Bintan Ironman looming only weeks away, the future of Team Costa will be in its diversity, challenges and sheer camaraderie and good fun.

Cheers

Gotta love those unsightly mornings when the alarm goes off at 5.45am, which is a good 3 hours before our typical mornings even start. Each time we race we wake up with the same question on our lips “why oh why are we doing this”. Then we remember, it’s the experience, the location, the camaraderie and a great way to participate in local events and hang around with the locals.

As an expat it’s easy to disappear into my bubble with all my condo expat friends but I love this country and participating in local events is one small way of integrating a little further into the local culture.

Moving onto the race itself, I’m a big fan of Jurong Lake Park. The first time we visited was in 2014 when we participated in the 2.5km Jurong Lake running race with our then 5 years old daughter. Being an afternoon race we enjoyed the post-race activities, the setting sun the beautiful landscapes, pagodas and bridges.

Located in the western part of Singapore, the Park was originally a freshwater swamp forest which was eventually cleared in the 1950s for agriculture. It was then turned into an industrial site followed by high-density estates until 1975 when the park was developed. Earlier this year the park commenced closure for renovations leaving only the nearby Chinese and Japanese Gardens open to visitors. This race was timely to have one more visit in such delightful surroundings. The park is anticipated to reopen in 2018.

Participating in the 10km category with my hubby, John and friend, Remek (my partners in pain for this series), we looped the lake twice as part of the running route.

Heading west the route sidled the 7 storey tall pagoda known as Ru Yun T’a and proceeded its circular direction around the lake past several areas that were already boarded-up indicating tat renovations are already underway.

The glaring rising sun was somewhat uncomfortable and the heat more unbearable than usual. Perhaps a sign that my fitness was lagging. That’s what happens when life gets in the way and training takes a step back.

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Whilst there were portions of roadside running, there were several ideal photographic opportunities. I particularly liked the view of the Pagoda Twins and Bain Hong Qiao Bridge (the White Rainbow) with the lake in the foreground and framed by greenery.

Not having been able to train for 10km distance all my 5km training sessions were evident in the race as I managed to cover that distance comfortably and then struggled through the rest of it. However, whilst not particularly fast I still managed to do better by 9 minutes when compared to the first Performance Series race in Punggol.

Finishing the race came as a relief, although the bottle neck at the timing mat was unfortunate due to muddy strips between the end and the finisher medal collection area. The organisers did their best under the circumstances to provide cardboard planks to walk on. I happily saved my new runners.

With our category finished we now turned our attention to Michelle (Remek’s daughter) who ran on her own in the 5km category.

In overall the race was well done but perhaps one contention I had was the lack of water at all the hydration points. Lucozade may be a major sponsor but when I’m thirsty and sweating profusely in a 10km run I am looking for water to hydrate not sugar loaded drinks. This was the same issue at the Punggol Waterway race back in May. It seems that I may need to carry my own water at the next one although I would prefer not to carry the extra weight.

With two out of 5 races completed, I look forward to the Gardens by the Bay race in August. It’s on familiar ground and much closer to home. I may get to sleep in an extra 15 minutes. Here’s hoping.

Cheers

It’s been a while since I’ve run on familiar territory. It was almost like homecoming when John and I exited the cab at 6am at the Nicoll Hwy MRT to join our fellow competitors for a 10km race.

In the three years that we’ve been racing, this is the first time we started a race so early in the morning. It was a pleasant change to know that most of the race will be complete before the sun has even started rising.

With a 6.30am flag-off that was so punctual we didn’t even realize the gun has gone off. Perhaps a result of the early hour and caffeine deficiency. Luckily we were in the second wave giving us enough time to shake off any leftover grogginess and wind our bodies and minds up for the forthcoming race.

We started east on Nicoll Hwy, turned right towards the Stadium, across the Tanjong Rhu Bridge and just as we reached behind the Tanjong Rhu condo was the first water station. Since I carried my own water this time, I chose not to stop and kept going. John was well ahead already. His lightweight frame and long legs certainly give him an advantage.

From here we ran beneath Benjamin Sheares Bridge, through Gardens by the Bay East, across the Marina Barrage and alongside the Marina Bay at which point I had my first stop to walk. I made it through to 5.6km. Not surprising that my body was not able to go beyond that since most of this year has been a rollercoaster ride with my training.

I certainly was not prepared for 10km but unfortunately when I choose to register for races during the early bird period, I can never foresee what will come to pass in the upcoming months and the havoc it might wreak on my training sessions. So when any event comes around, my attitude is just simply do whatever it takes to get to the end, regardless of time or distance. One day things might turn around.

For now I accepted that I’d be jogging/walking the remainder of this race. As a prolific photographer though I was easily distracted by the rising sun behind the Singapore Flyer and whilst I have taken hundreds of photos of the ArtScience Museum, Helix Bridge, City skyline and Marina Bay Sands it just never seems to be enough. So whilst I was walking and resting my weary legs, I took one more photo. Ok maybe, a few more. How can you not. This is such a spectacular and modern city.

As I rounded the flyer and F1 Pit, I knew it was a home run. With a couple of kilometers left and sufficient walk and rest, I picked myself up and committed to finishing with a slow steady jog and no more walking. Very happy to see the finish line and John waiting at the end, I collected my finisher medal, guzzled a 100Plus and sat down satisfied with the morning’s event.

The bus was conveniently located opposite the race village and made our way home for a hearty breakfast and couple of coffees.

Cheers

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This was a race of significance. To my wife, it was going to be her first 10km run. To me, this was the place I got my very first race medal. Just looking this place brings back memories of grit, endurance and how far my fitness journey has brought me. This also happens to be the earliest run we have ever taken part at 6.30am in the morning. So many firsts.

Whenever you have races that early, logistics is always an issue. With the exception of those staying near the city centre with direct mrt access, the rest of us would either have to drive or take a taxi down. In terms of carbon footprint, there’s a paradox. I drove because I needed to go to a place to run. Would it be possible for LTA to coordinate MRT timings when it comes to race events like these? Or maybe the organisers can decide on a slightly later timing like 6.45am? But if the start time was delayed, what’s going to happen with the road closures? I don’t have all the answers but I do know we will be driving down to park at The Concourse. Why? We found this on the internet from a popular website.

The Concourse

SAT
$2.14 for 1st hr, $1.07 for next subsequent 30min from 7am to 12pm, $1.07/entry from 12pm to 7am the following day

SUN / PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
$1.07/entry from 7am to 7am the following day

Unfortunately, what greeted us at the entrance of The Concourse was a huge disappointment. There was no way to go inside the carpark. Thankfully, we didn’t go down the sloping entrance to where the gantry was. I really pitied the poor chap who was right up front, he had to reverse all the way back upslope and watch for cars behind him. Moral of the story? Don’t believe everything on the internet. It might be correct yesterday but not today.

When the organisers said that the event is going to take place at Nicoll highway, I didn’t expect the run to be on the actual Nicoll highway itself. That’s another first for us. We managed to reach the start point at exactly 6.30am despite the parking hiccup.

Since we were right at the rear, I couldn’t exactly hear what the MC was talking about. But we were definitely the last batch to go. I always love running in the city. Everywhere you turned the scenery was just beautiful. Yet again, this presents another paradox. I mean I am supposed to be running my fastest in a race right? But yet at the same time, I would also like to appreciate the scenery. So do you go fast or take it slow? For me it was a series of stop, appreciate, take photo and run fast. Something like shuttle run but on a longer distance.

This has got to be one of the most scenic race routes I have ever taken. Everywhere you go, you are always beside a waterway. I’m beginning to understand why nobody really runs around the National Stadium despite the nice track they have.

Somewhere along the 2km route, I left my wife behind. Yes, as a Spartan, I am not supposed to leave any man behind. But she’s not exactly a man right? Otherwise, how did I manage to take the nice photos below?

It was somewhere towards Marina Barrage that I spotted Spiderman. I also managed to take a photo of him! I wonder how much The Daily Bugle will pay for this photo?

Although this Spiderman wasn’t able to leap from building to building, he was really fast. I wondered why he came from the rear. Problems with parking the car? Or problems with Mary Jane again?

After the Marina Barrage, it was a right turn back into the heart of the city. This time going past Gardens by the bay(South). The last time I went past this Garden by the bay(East) to Gardens by the bay(South) route was during the Osim Sundown. I must say the scenery looks so much nicer during the day.

After going through a couple of races, I realised that the runners for this particular 10km are of a different breed. Most of these runners were really fast or at a similar pace as myself. I rarely saw anyone walking. In fact, quite a number of them had all that fancy smancy running gear as well. This is a group that takes running very seriously. In fact, I met one of them while waiting for my wife at a hut about 500 meters near the end point. Of course, I had to wait for her. Leave no man, er… nobody behind remember? Mostly importantly, I intend to sleep on the bed tonight, not the couch.

Similarly as me, this slightly older gentleman was waiting for someone. In his case, it was his daughter. Since we had plenty of time, he shared with me that he runs almost everyday. Even at the age of 62 years old, he was able to maintain an overall pace of 5 minutes per km. Marathons are no big deal. Looking at him reminded me of my sergeant during my army days. When my sergeant shouted “My Grandfather(mostly Grandmother) can run faster than you!”, he could be right. I had nothing but respect for this senior citizen. #respect #whatareyoudoingat62? #mygrandfatherrunsfasterthanu

Since I had waited for my wife, we finished the race about 8am. Not a bad timing for her first 10km. As for me, my cool running app was able to do a pause and resume. But at a pace of 7 minutes per km, it tells me that there is a huge room for improvement. Will I be able to reach 5 minutes per km in my lifetime? We’ll see. Otherwise, this was a very enjoyable race. Nice cooling weather, very little congestion, beautiful scenery and very good race pack entitlements. The only mood dampener was the shocking $12 parking fee at Park Royal Hotel. No wonder there were empty lots….

This blog post and other adventures can also be found at http://iamspartan6318.blogspot.com

Yesterday was the inaugural run organised by Compressport – its main aim being to bring Singapore’s running community together.  I was excited to be part of this run, which started at Nicoll Highway, one of my favourite race routes.

I decided to sign up for the 10km category, while my husband opted for the 5km run. Participants in the 10km category received Compressport compression calf sleeves, which I was eager to try out.

Race pack collection was at City Square Mall and there were no queues when I went on the Saturday afternoon.  As well as the Compressport calf sleeves, the pack contained the race event singlet and some vouchers from the sponsors.  I must admit, I’ve had better swag in a race pack, but the calf sleeves won me over.

The 10km event flagged off on time at 6.30am.  This is my favourite time to race as it’s generally cooler and you get to see the sun rise as you run.  My husband and I got to the race village a little after 6am.  I headed straight to the pen to warm up and be part of the first wave of runners.  The route took us down Nicoll Highway, past the Singapore Sports Hub, Gardens by the Bay, Marina Barrage and the Olympic Youth Park.

I thoroughly enjoyed the run as it’s a scenic route and some of it is familiar to me from previous races.  The route was generally flat but there were a few sharp bends and slopes along the way.  When the gun went off at start time, I made a conscious effort to hold back and not get swept along with the super-speedy runners, and in my case, be fit to collapse after 3km.  I tried to maintain a steady pace throughout, only starting to speed up when I hit 7km. There were 3 hydration points along the route, which I feel was ample for the run.

Delighted to see the finish line coming into view, I staggered over it just under 57 minutes (unofficial time) and although not a PB for me on this occasion, I was pleased with how I paced myself during the race.  After I’d caught my breath and collected my medal (yay!) and an ice-cold can of 100 Plus, I headed over to the start line where the 5km was about to be flagged off, to cheer on my husband.  While I waited for him, I had a wander around the race village chatting with some of the runners and chilled out at the stage area.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and well-organised race and I’d definitely sign up for next year’s event!

I signed up for the 10 Km race category with Compressport Run 2016 at the early stage. This is Compressport’s inaugural road run in Singapore.  Of course, Compressport is not new to most runners, I would think, and they organized the Compressport Rail Corridor Run (corridor run medal inset in featured photo) back in February which I also participated in.

I am fairly impressed by them and thought it is a more practical race pack that they did this round, though some may still complained of it being minimalist, compared to others. But in reality, you get much more value as you get a pair of calf sleeves which cost more than the early bird entry fees.

I was also early for the race pack collection and so I did get to choose the calf sleeves from at least 4 colors.  I took my favorite color blue.  I heard some friends who were there later didn’t get as many colors to choose, but to be fair, this limitation was stated clearly.  But since I had gotten a red pair of socks before, I was fine with different colors these days.  I could gift them to my sons or my brothers.  The red singlet was strikingly bright and vibrant in my opinion.

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The course was not unique to me though it was still a scenic route.  As my friend put it, if you start running more than 20 races per year, you may have come across most routes available in the city state of Singapore.  Though I was early, I ended up in wave 2 and was flagged off about 5 minutes after wave 1.  Completed the course in 1:09:53, not my best timing.  I guessed I might be suffering from some fatigue somehow.  Had been having a sore throat mid week.   I went right back after collection of the medal and the isotonic drinks and was able to join my family for breakfast even, near my home.  Still have not completely recovered from Plantar Fasciitis as the pain got worse the following day.  I had been following some stretching exercises recommended on youtube.

I’ll leave you with a final thought about running.  I find running or running found me two years ago.  Since then, I’ve run regularly, and signed up for races.  Like life, you can choose to run different races, be it just running races, halfs or marathons, obstacles courses, vertical marathons, aquathons and cycling as what I had done within two years.  But what’s more important is to enjoy the whole process – decision to sign up, train, prepare and race, recover, learn and repeat.  Sometimes you get your PB, sometimes you don’t.  Rare talents get their podium places but we all know that only it’s a handful or at most 10-30 persons who may be vying for podium finishes.   (In this specific race, 10 participants each in open and veteran categories could win prizes.)

But only if you enjoy the process, then you will enjoy running, you will learn to live well, and not merely survive.  On to the next race : The OCC Blueseventy Urban Aquathlon !

(Note : for those who are keen to catch their photos in the race, you could look at https://www.facebook.com/runningshots.sg/ where they have nice photos of races.  At time of release, I saw they have the 5 km race at their website.  More will probably be available over time by other photographers as well.  I’ve decided to skip the race photos for this round.)

Today, the 10th July 2016 is the first ever Compressport Run in Singapore. One of the main aims of the Compressport Run is for the running community to gather and run together and at the same time promote their brand as one of the world’s most popular compression wear. The starting point of the run is at Nicoll Highway. I joined the 10 KM category.

REASON FOR SIGNING UP

What attracted me to sign up for this run event was that the 10KM Run participants were entitled to one of Comperessport latest products, the Compressport Compression Calf Sleeves R2V2 which was worth S$79.00 and comes inbuilt with the latest Knee Support Technology. I thought it was a real steal and without hesitation, I decided to fill up and complete my registration!!

RACE PACK COLLECTION

Race pack collection was held at City Square Mall, Fountain Square from the 1st to 3rd July 2016. I went on a Sunday to collect around 16:30hrs. There wasn’t a queue at all and the collection process was really smooth and quick.

Though the collection was efficient, I was really disappointed when I went to collect my Compressport Compression Calf Sleeves R2V2. I only had 2 colours to choose from which was Black or White for my selected sizing. I chose the White colour.

[Top Pic: Some shots taken at the REPC]

What I thought could have been done better was to give participants an option to choose during registration what colour they would have preferred regardless their race category. This would give us a stronger reason to sign up because we know we would be getting something we want and at the same time, there won’t be any let down when race pack collection comes. It would be much easier for the organiser so that they can cater to everyone needs.

The race pack was a standard Compressport Tote bag, with some sponsors vouchers, Compressport Compression Calf Sleeves R2V2 (10KM) and the race event tee. I would have loved to see some samples or drinks inside but there weren’t any.

RACE DAY & ROUTE

The flag-off for the 10km was 06:30 hrs. Starting a run event earlier is a good idea as it’s much cooler running at that timing but there wasn’t any public transport available so my friend and I decided to take a cab down to the race site. We would have preferred for the organiser to have planned for shuttle buses so we didn’t need to spend an exorbitant taxi fax to the race site. A lot of the other runners were also requesting for shuttle services but there wasn’t that option given.

We arrived at the race site around 05:40 hrs and headed straight for the bag deposit area. Bag deposit service was smooth but a little slow and took up a bit of time. We then headed across the dark field towards the toilets which were near the stage. Thankfully the field was not muddy!! If not I think I would be squealing and trying so hard not to get my shoe dirty! More lighting around that area would have been a welcome because it was so dark. Queues at the toilets were long and we had to wait an estimate of 10 mins before it was our turn. After all the queuing and waiting, we made it to the START pen but not early enough to be in the first wave.

[Top Pic: A pre-race shot before heading to the START pen. Check out our tired faces. Imagine we had to wake up at 04:30 hrs in order to reach there on time.]

[Top Pic: My view of the START Line from where I was standing in the START pen]

The 2nd wave which as flagged off 5 mins after the 1st wave had gone. The route was a really scenic one!! One of my favourites so far among all the races I’ve participated in this year. The race took us from Nicoll Highway –> Singapore Sports Hub –> Tanjong Rhu –> Gardens By The Bay (East) –> Marina Barrage –>Gardens By The Bay (South) –> Over the bridge beside the Double Helix Bridge –> Olympic Youth Park –> F1 Pit Building –> Nicoll Highway (End). Never a dull moment!

[Route Map from Compressport Website]

Though the route was generally flat, there were small slopes that required quite a bit of effort. I felt the strain after the 6km mark and decided to slow down a bit and take some photos of the awesome sunrise that was happening in the distance.

[Top Pic: Me at the 6km mark just slowing down for a short break before continuing on.
Bottom Pic: The gorgeous sunrise along the route. ]

There were altogether 3 water points which were placed at various parts of the routes, mainly the 2, 5 & 7km marks. Though sufficient hydration points were planned but not all of them had isotonic drinks. Only the last one had 100 plus. Maybe the organisers could plan to supply isotonic drinks at all hydration points as this would really benefit the participants.

[Top Pic: Finally completed my workout!]

I completed my run with an unofficial time of 1 hr 13 mins. It was a good run and I’m glad that I got my weekend workout in! Overall the Compressport Run is a good run event but there’s definitely room for improvement which I’ve highlighted in this write-up! Till my next write-up, let’s all stay #LeanStrongAgeDefiant!

[Top & Bottom Pics: Post race wefies with friends]

— All photos by me unless specified —