Great Eastern Women's Run 2014

The race pack collection was held 2 weeks before the race day. 

Karen and I went on the first day of racepack collection to collect our racepack and thankfully we met our big boss on our way out. He sent us to town area and we reached there around 6pm. But by then, the queue was already forming up. 

Very very long queue! 

By the time we gotten our race pack, it was already 7pm. Can't imagine if we took public transport, we would have reached later and gotten our race pack even later. We were totally famished by then.

Before we dashed off for our own programs on a Friday night, we met Ying Tian who was on duty that day. She's the official pacer for 21km! 

With the ever so fit Ying Tian. Looking forward to visit her house when it's done by this month! 

Since there was no queue for the photobooth, we quickly took some photos at the instant photobooth before we leave. 做个纪念！ 

Didn't know there's 4 shots in the print out, we had a hard time thinking of poses lol!

My bib and race singlet. Love the singlet to max.

My 2nd year joining the Great Eastern Women's Run and nope I don't have the courage to join the half marathon yet, especially after Sundown 2014. 

I might just try for another half marathon next year but hopefully I have the time to train for it. *cross fingers* if not it will be a painful experience again! Really is 自讨苦吃! 

Last year's GEWR meant a lot to me because it was my first ever 10km in my life. First time in my life I ever run so far. 

#achievementunlocked because I have problems running 2.4km after I graduate from secondary school. Logically speaking after 16 years old. Back then I used to run 13 minutes for 2.4km but gone were those stamina. 

This year GEWR, I was aiming to reach the starting point early but there was no cab at my new kampung! So plan failed. I reached just minutes before the flag off time. I have to rush off to a wedding lunch after that hence I hoped to finish ASAP but listening to my body is still the priority.

Mandatory shot taken by Derp before I get into the start pen.

Beautiful sunrise which greeted the runners.

Minutes before crossing the start line. 

I managed to squeeze into the 2nd wave off crowd which flag off around 7 minutes later. Sad that I didn't reach early because I was planning to run with the pacers. I can only count on my runkeeper to keep myself in check to make sure I keep a constant pace. 

The pacers were in my line of sight after I run 1km or so. They soon become my motivation to catch up with so that I can run along side with them. Afterall, they started 7 minutes earlier than me, it's not easy to catch up. 

Though it was raining for the first few km, I'm glad it was a cooling run before the sun came out. Last year, it rained throughout the marathon.

I was running at 6.36km/hour for the first 5km. There were 4 water points in total and I skipped the first, take a few sips at second point, skipped the third and drank a few sips at the fourth. 

Kuddos to the sufficient water point but I came to realize my body could not take in too much isotonic drinks during marathon so best is I don't drink too much. What's more I felt that I should have gone to the washroom before the race, All the mobile toilets along the race route have long queues! I can only 忍 and get it over and done with. 

The route were exactly the same as last year. So I more or less expect what's going to happen. After all the slopes and looping around, I start to get tired and ran at 7km/hour. I'm glad I managed to maintain this speed all the way till the end. 

Soon enough I saw the 9km signage, I finally met the 1 hour 20 minutes pacer and over took them. They were carrying the orange balloons and somehow it makes me easier to find my own running photos on social media from photographers who where taking photos. 

It's always best to use the balloons to identify yourself in the few hundreds pictures taken during the marathon! Never easy to slowly scan through them and find yourself. So that's another good point of following the pacers.

I was smiling when I know I broke my own personal best when I was into my last km. Despite how tired/breathless I am,  I pushed myself through and yay to a new personal best of 1 hour 11 mins! 

This was my first marathon after a good 3 months break (my last run was Shape Run). 

Smiling happily with my new achievement and 1 more medal to my collection.

Thank you Derp for waiting for me and constantly encouraging me! I've done you proud with my new PB :)

With Karen who completed her 21km. We spot each other before we contact each other. 

The offical timing :)

I started to train 3 months back by clocking 8km per week, then I increased to 10km and then to 12km. It was when my feet start to hurt, I went back to clocking 10km. I'm glad to recover before GEWR and on the week of GEWR, I clocked around 4.5km and off I go! 

I hope to continue clocking this amount of mileage (no matter how busy I am) and slowly increase before my next half marathon (if there is). It's not easy for me to squeeze time out to run more than 10km a week, I wonder how some people do it! 

But oh well, when there's a well there's a way and usually it meant give up your precious sleep on weekend to clock that mileage.

Great Eastern Women Run is the only local race that offers free marathon photos! I'm really thankful for that because I really love the pictures they took for me :) First time I look good during running because in the past, my face is either stone/sian/blackmood and they were all captured on the camera -_-".

Looks like I last minute twist to the camera lol. 

Super like this one that I set it as my display pic! I adjust the lighting a bit and ta dah this photo is perfect :) 

This picture also not bad!  Because I look serious and I clearly remember it was at the last few hundred metres dash to the ending point. There were many cameras pointing at you and I just look in their direction.

GEWR have since been added to my complusory run every year so cya next year! I do hope I will be running the 21km next year because the blue Adidas finisher tee is something which I aim to get since ages ago :) 

You can find your own official photos of GEWR2014 at Marathon-Photos. Key in your bib number and the system will return those pictures that have your bib number. Once again, thank you for the free photos! 

Below are photos from Running Shots.

I look very shag here lol. And that's what I meant  by the orange balloons(carried by the pacers) being a good 'bookmark' for me to find my own photos throughout the whole album.

\

I was probably looking out for the finishing point. 

I went back and compare my marathon photos with last year's race.

I seriously think I look better now. Gone were my baby fats although there's still some which just seems to be harder to get rid off. I swear my weight didn't drop a lot since last year's race, probably 2kg or lesser. 

With constant exercise, one definitely look toner and leaner :) 3 more weeks to the last race of the year. Praying to break my own record and achieve another PB! It's the last race of the year, I will enjoy it to the fullest and time for my legs to take a break after that.

Good luck and all the best to everyone running SCMS 2014!