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| At the finish wall |
I know that is a bit of an understatement. But I am lost for words. The well preserved shophouses. The long stretches of cobble-stoned streets. The vibrantly designed rickshaws. The east-meets-west vibe. The very budget-friendly hostels. And the food! Go to Penang for the best food Malaysia has to offer.
My 3-day detour to this place is a bit short and I know I am coming back. I have to. I didn't do much sightseeing as I spent a couple of days preparing for the race or resting after it.
And no, this is not a travel blog.
I heard about this race last year through a blog of a friend. Apparently, Asia was the 6th continent where he ran a marathon. I didn't realize I'll be doing it too.
I was hungry for a race. Any race just to prove I am still a runner. I googled, found some and I signed for three races at one time: PJ Half-marathon, CICM Run and the latest, Penang Bridge International Marathon. And finishing the last one proved to be the sweetest.
Race-day
We left the guesthouse at 10 pm Saturday night. Yeah, we were that early to catch a 10-minute free shuttle bus ride from Georgetown to Queensbay mall. As I already figured it out that transpo will be an issue, we made sure we got a seat in one of those buses. But my, I was just so sleepy. We waited for more than 3 hours as we got to the QB mall as the race was going to start at 2 am. I contacted a fellow Filipino runner, Ed prior to going to Penang who was also doing the full marathon. We booked in the same guesthouse and he became sort of my travel buddy for the day also. Coincidentally, we met another Rey who works for a running magazine back home. Soon, we met more runners coming from Cebu and Zamboanga.
After hours of getting to know each other and exchanging stories, we positioned ourselves in the start area. The place was teeming with enthusiastic runners who are there to display their passion for the sport as well as to commune with their fellow runners. After much anticipation, the full marathon runners were given the go-signal and as my favorite expression goes, we scrambled like mice in a maze.
On the way to the bridge
It was dark. But the route was well-lit except for some very few parts. As in any race, the first parts are usually more crowded than in the latter parts. A lot of runners have been speeding off at this early part. I kept my speed between 6-6:30 min/km. There was really no chance to speed off as I was sleepy and groggy. And the absence of sun makes me think more of my bed.
I brought my handheld water bottle with me. As the water stations were approximately 4 kilometers away from each other, I want to avoid the risk of being dehydrated. And lo and behold, I think it was the second station which ran out of water that early in the game. I knew the 'logistics' for hydration was faulty so I made sure I have enough stock to carry on.
Past the bridge and what they say about faking a smile and finally!
I was tired. I was feeling it. Past the bridge, we made a detour to the highway going to Tesco. Things got tougher here as I could feel my energy running thinner and thinner with every step. Relief was available at every hydration stop where aside from refilling our water bottles, we also get some ice massage on our legs.
I couldn't hide my exhaustion and my face was clearly showing it. Rather than keeping a virsage of despair, I forced to smile all through out the last leg of the race going back to Queensbay Mall. It wasn't easy and I am not sure if I am inspiring other runners to cheer up a bit. Well, some did I guess either by giving me a thumb up or smiling back. But good Lord, it wasn't easy.
As Queensbay mall becomes larger, I could only wish I don't pass out. After bravely hanging in there for a short while, the finish banner is at sight. Treading on and on and on and slyly smiling at the cameras, I finally crossed the finish line.
I finally conquered Penang! Finished at 5:00:48.92. I know it's the worst marathon record I have but with how my physical activity level has gone down the past few months, I couldn't ask for more.
Race-day
We left the guesthouse at 10 pm Saturday night. Yeah, we were that early to catch a 10-minute free shuttle bus ride from Georgetown to Queensbay mall. As I already figured it out that transpo will be an issue, we made sure we got a seat in one of those buses. But my, I was just so sleepy. We waited for more than 3 hours as we got to the QB mall as the race was going to start at 2 am. I contacted a fellow Filipino runner, Ed prior to going to Penang who was also doing the full marathon. We booked in the same guesthouse and he became sort of my travel buddy for the day also. Coincidentally, we met another Rey who works for a running magazine back home. Soon, we met more runners coming from Cebu and Zamboanga.
After hours of getting to know each other and exchanging stories, we positioned ourselves in the start area. The place was teeming with enthusiastic runners who are there to display their passion for the sport as well as to commune with their fellow runners. After much anticipation, the full marathon runners were given the go-signal and as my favorite expression goes, we scrambled like mice in a maze.
On the way to the bridge
It was dark. But the route was well-lit except for some very few parts. As in any race, the first parts are usually more crowded than in the latter parts. A lot of runners have been speeding off at this early part. I kept my speed between 6-6:30 min/km. There was really no chance to speed off as I was sleepy and groggy. And the absence of sun makes me think more of my bed.
I brought my handheld water bottle with me. As the water stations were approximately 4 kilometers away from each other, I want to avoid the risk of being dehydrated. And lo and behold, I think it was the second station which ran out of water that early in the game. I knew the 'logistics' for hydration was faulty so I made sure I have enough stock to carry on.
Past the bridge and what they say about faking a smile and finally!
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| faking a smile |
I couldn't hide my exhaustion and my face was clearly showing it. Rather than keeping a virsage of despair, I forced to smile all through out the last leg of the race going back to Queensbay Mall. It wasn't easy and I am not sure if I am inspiring other runners to cheer up a bit. Well, some did I guess either by giving me a thumb up or smiling back. But good Lord, it wasn't easy.
As Queensbay mall becomes larger, I could only wish I don't pass out. After bravely hanging in there for a short while, the finish banner is at sight. Treading on and on and on and slyly smiling at the cameras, I finally crossed the finish line.
I finally conquered Penang! Finished at 5:00:48.92. I know it's the worst marathon record I have but with how my physical activity level has gone down the past few months, I couldn't ask for more.
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