Saucony Pacemakers New Year Run 2010

Celebrating New Year Day and my wife's birthday in Pacemakers New Year Run 2010.
(Thanks Tey for the photo.)

Climbing the staircase. (Thanks Eugene Chan for the photo)

My first road race of the year, and it was on the first day of 2010. What made it even special, it was also my wife's birthday and she ran with me in the Saucony Pacemakers New Year Run 2010 at the Lake Garden.

I was still recovering from sickness. I got a terrible flu since Christmas and it developed into a nagging cough. I cough until I feel my lungs about to fly out and breathing also becomes difficult. At the peak of it, I coughed while I was sleeping, thus making my sleep effectively no sleep. When I tried to train or run while still recovering, breathing was not as smooth as I wanted it to be. So my weekly mileage for the period leading to the race was pathetic.

We arrived early at about 6:35am. We collected our timing chip (Championchip) and did some light warm up. The race started a bit late as the organiser was still not ready as some volunteers were missing in action. My wife and I waited near the starting line and I met Kwang Leng and Chuah Seih Seng, both fellow runners.

When the race did start, I thought I ran too fast at the beginning and I was huffing and puffing before the end of lap one. I noticed my heart rate was also quite high. First Kwang Leng overtook me and then Chuah. I couldn't pace with them then. As it was a 4-lap (total about 12km) race around the lake with >100+ steps of staircase to climb on each lap, I decided to pace slower in the second and third lap. Indeed, the staircase was a nightmare for me and most (if not all) runners. Your heart rate can skyrocket at the top of the climb, effectively making you very chuan (short of breath).

On the final lap, I decided to pick up the pace a little bit. That was after I was lapped by the eventual champion just before the end of my third lap. In the end of the final lap, I sprinted as fast that I could and overtook a few runners before the finish line. I finished in 12th position in my age category (35-40) in the time of 1:10:16, not a good result I think. I probably need to train harder on my speed training.

Then I met my wife at the finish line. She finished 7th in her category, earlier than me because the lady runners ran a 3-lap race for a total distance of 9km only.

My wife and I then grabbed some light breakfast. I chatted with Chuah and Kwang Leng and went back soon with my wife. It was a good start to another running season. Hopefully, I can improve from here. Until the next run, do train hard and stay healthy.