Just came back from my very first marathon event!
Today's blogpost is a sequel to – this entry.
Just a lil selca of the panting, energy-drained & sweat-laden me at the finish line! 
My first ever 10KM run went superbly well considering the fact that I was running with two injuries – a bike accident last week & a sprained ankle yesterday 
It hurt so bad to the point that I was contemplating whether or not I ought to pull out from the race.
But when I woke up this morning fully energized from a good night's sleep, I knew there was no backing out from this Penang Bridge run.
Ready to run the 10KM… with an ankle support LOL
After all, I have been looking forward to the Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) 2012 for several months now! Am I really going to chicken out from this? 
No way Jose, I'm still that tough cookie you used to know. And I'm all out for the race!
A power breakfast before my first marathon event : A banana and oats with soy and papaya! 
If you were wondering what happened to my PJ Half Marathon, there was a miscommunication in my participation; found out that I wasn't registered 🙁
So, I'm not gonna let anything get in the way of my will to finish that 10KM again… Not in a million years!
Thus began my foray into the world of marathon running..
Oh no! Human gridlock beside Eastin Hotel as we flagged off!
It was difficult to maneuver my way to the front, where the path was much clearer.
To get there, I had to weave in and out amongst the sea of people in bright yellow
Whilst running, I must admit that I was, instead of focusing on my run, observing a lot of things around me like a curious kitten in the woods 
There were Boy Scouts and Girl Guides on duty manning the water stations, traffic police making sure we don't stray from our routes and Red Crescent Society members on stand-by with ice-packs and deep heating rubs.
The police shutting off main roads and highways for us!
Among the other things I saw were couples holding hands while running (umm.. what?), loving fathers piggy-backing their tired young sons, kids running in groups, fit Indian men sprinting, a Malay man running in his Baju Melayu, a white-haired Chinese septuagenarian running, several Caucasians and smelt people reeking of the most dreadful body odour, the type that would make you accuse them of smuggling expired cheese in their armpits.
For heaven's sake, please acknowledge the existence of deodorant.. I implore you!
Getting closer and closer to Penang Bridge!
Approaching the middle span of the Penang Bridge encouraged me to push myself further. (Before you reprimand me, I'm fully aware that I shouldn't run with a sprained ankle, much less exert pressure on my injury!)
I particularly fancied the motivational signboards that were sparsely placed along the race track. It gave me the encouragement to keep running, just as my pace began to slow down.
Included in this enry, are three out of the many aforementioned signboards. Here's one:
Hear hear!
Running on the 4th longest bridge in Asia, couldn't ever have felt more fulfilling 
It just gives you that high you'll never get from anything else 
The accidental sunrise
The above photo is named as such because catching the sunrise this morning wasn't even part of the plan!
You know how I love waking up early to watch the sunrise or hike up a hill to wait for the sunset? This habit (or should I say, effort?) of mine is especially intensified whenever I go out of the country LOL. 
And today, the giant ball of resplendence – in such a perfect circle, no less! – had risen right before my very eyes. Being me, I whipped out my iPhone and started taking photos.
Clocked in 5KM in 35 minutes!
I carried a tiny waterbottle with me but disposed of it after hitting the 5KM mark as they were giving away mineral waterbottles
Oh and, rumour has it that this year's run will be its last.
Next year's will be carried out on the 2nd Penang Bridge – estimated to be completed by mid 2013 – instead.
At this point, I was even more fuelled keep going & ran as fast as my legs could carry me
I finally clocked in 10KM at 1 hour and 10 minutes!
"Made it… at last", I muttered under my breath and gave the beads of sweat trickling down my forehead a final wipe down.
Yup, I felt like a million dollars the moment I crossed that finish line… You bet!
LOL at the Charlie Sheen motivational signboard!
I guess I'll give myself a pat on the back for today's efforts
Running with an injury isn't exactly the most pleasant feeling to have, as the burning, painful sensation was throbbing throughout my entire run. How unlucky! 🙁
Oh, really now? How apt for my condition 
Disregarding the pain, my experience as a first timer proved itself to be a very exhilarating one.
I managed to catch sight of very interesting occurrences along the race track; things that I would not have seen had I not partaken in this marathon event.
Received a certificate of participation!
As I always average at 35 minutes for my 5KM run (part of my usual workout routine), today's 10KM fun run helped me set my benchmark for future races apart from gauging a personal record of my own pace and speed.
Today's unofficial record of 1hour and 10minutes included taking photos and tweeting (LOL!) apart from the ideal running, jogging and brisk walking intervals.
Fellow runners taking a rest after completing the 10KM
I don't know how the full-marathoners do it, to be honest.
Finishing the 42KM, which takes approximately 7 hours, is downright impressive!
7 hours is the duration I take to sleep but the estimated time-frame they take to finish a full marathon.
At least I managed to finish my very first 10KM at my own pace, within the qualifiying time!
I know I'm a newbie in marathon running, but I'll get to the 42KM one day.
After all, we've all got to start somewhere
Hi! Welcome to TheJessicat.com - an urban lifestyle blog established since 2005, written from the perspective of a Malaysian blogger. Discover the latest and all that the city has to offer! Do bear with her occasional rants & musings though. Happy reading! ❤
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