PJ Half Marathon 2006 by Jamie Pang

Due to a slight flu, I went into this race without any preparations. Unless you're a seasoned runner, this approach is not advisable! Firstly you have to contend with the tough undulating route where there is little or no shade between the 13K to 16K mark. Then there is the distance itself. The beginning long distance runner therefore would do better to familiarise and get comfortable with the 10K distance first.   In any case, this year's race had a small surprise. After the cheerleading display, there was a dragon dance routine and the dragon literally led the pack in the flag off.

Breathing through my nose was a bother so it was a bit irritating to breathe through my mouth and yet running so slowly. On the outset my goal was just to finish, so my expectations was suitably lowered. My easy pace took me to Terminal 3 before I started to struggle a bit. There were no shortage of road traffic which was a surprise considering the ongoing World Cup should have resulted in most still in bed. I had a good time playing spot-the-friend as this event is quite popular among the bunch of us.

I would typically kick hard entering the final 1.5K of a race but as I was just taking it easy I was contented just to maintain pace towards the finish. Afterall the 3 runners just in front of me were from a different category. Suddenly out of the blue a runner bolted from the outer lane past the lot of us across the finish line. At 200th placing, this runner would be the last recipient of the finisher medal. I came in 201st position at 2hrs 5mins. That meant I covered the distance in a 5:57 pace, which isn't too bad considering my unfit and untrained condition. I was only mildly dismayed to have come so close to medalling (without knowing it!). Mildly because my expectations were set right from the start. Else I'd be banging my head on the wall!

Perhaps next year I will be fit and trained enough to have a proper crack at the medal.

(that's me, front row, 3rd from the right)