My Running Life: Race Report: Macau Galaxy Entertainment International Marathon 2012

Date: 02/12/2012 5:00 AM

Type: Run (Race)

Distance: 42.195 km

Time: 3 hr 18 min 34 secs (Net Time)
3 hr 18 min 48 secs (Official Time)

Average pace: 4:42 min/km

Shoes: Brooks Launch

Macau Marathon was my 2nd marathon since last year Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM). During this one year I've suffered from injury and was away from any racing event. I went back into training started August that finally lead to this event. Using the same schedule that I trained for SCSM with a more accurate pacing and intensity, I was seriously hoping to do this race at a better pace, around 4:20-4:30/km pace, if the condition permitted.

30 November - Arrived at Macau Airport at around 4:30 pm. Checked in to hotel and quickly grabbed a dinner at Galaxy situated opposite and ready for sleep.

1 Dec - Recovery run 6 km at around 630 a.m. Weather was colder than in Malaysia but was that I expected and can tolerate of. It was a calm and nice morning. The whole day was making sure to eating well, and had a short walk to nearby street to find food. 6 pm meet up with Cari Runners (Fabio, Kang, Aron, Michael and Kok Yi) who shares the rooms and got into sleep.

2 Dec - Race Day

1:50 am - Woke up. Toilet and breakfast (6 slices bread and isotonic drink).

4:00 am - Walked to race venue which situated around 700 m away (had 3/4 piece of Power Bar).

4:15 am - Warmed up.

4:35 am - Went into Stadium and got to starting point.

5:00 am - Race start

Flag-off

It was a cold and windy morning. Some was shivering while walking to the stadium. They are people who were already in the rain cover.

Around 5 minutes before the race start, it began to drizzle. It didn't stop, the rain got heavier as the time approaching 5 a.m.

As I was worrying for the rain, I couldn't get my GPS position locked on my Nike+ running apps. The worst scenario. If I couldn't get it locked when the race start, I'll be running without knowing the pace.

No one promises everything will be alright.

At 5 o'clock, I followed the crowd stepped on timing mat, and began the race with running apps that GPS position was not yet locked. (And I finally convinced that I need to get a running watch.)

Extra-mileage race

Just as the crowd turn left to exit the stadium, I heard conversation in Cantonese beside me went like this,

"Ah, why this year turn left?"

"May be they have changed the route course this year."

I thought it must be Macau runners that already familiar with the event. Since I am first timer and hundreds of people were making the same turn in front of me, I have no doubt to do the same.

Few hundred meters later, approaching the junction beside Mc Donald, the crowd suddenly slow down and noise could be heard. Apparently there was a steel divider at the middle of the road. I by-passed the divider and I heard behind the someone has knocked down the divider.

At that moment, I didn't know that it was the start of the wrong direction of the race and finally lead to over distance. Without GPS, I got the news of over distance at the breakfast table after the run from Michael and Kok Yi. And finally all the weird scenario that I encountered was explained. There are already lot of news reported on this. Most of the news reported that elite and invited runners ran 2-3km longer, and ordinary participant for full and half marathon ran about 1 km longer. (Full and Half marathon started at the same time.)

A detailed map view of the wrong direction can be found in blog by Power42195, http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5dc04c180106e0d9.html which explained the extra distance that taken by most participant. In the map, runners should turn right at point A (which I heard the Cantonese conversation), and the location of steel divider located was at point B. The extra distance taken was around the stadium, from point A to E.

While I couldn't find any map view for elite runners but it is said they ran toward Taipa.

Which is why I encountered a few unexplained situation during the race:

1) Before the first u-turn I saw a group of elite runners ran out of the pack. I thought the u-turn was near ahead but the u-turn came long after that. I thought, well, they are elite, must be fast.

2) After a while on the race, there were some elite runners ran past from the back.

3) At about halfway a chinese runner (Macau/ HK not sure) ran from behind and told his friend (whom I pacing with), "ran the wrong road" and sprinted away. I thought it was him who ran the wrong direction, but apparently I am also one of it.

Battle with the rain, wind and the cold

I had no memory of the few KM after the start. It could be I was calculating how to deal with the cold and the pace without proper timing. I was without watch and therefore can't utilize the distance marker. I followed the crowd, at a pace that I feel fast but not too fast. Probably the difficult part later in the race had cleared all my memory at the first part.

After the first u-turn I saw Fabio and waved to him. He said "加油". Later on Hee called me and we exchanged a few conversation. After that I saw Michael in front but I didn't call him, as I was in total different attire compared to before the race wonder he could recognize me.

At this point Nike+ running apps still able to read out the time and pace at every km, but with totally wrong distance. When I saw distance marker at around 1 or 2 km, I found myself at a very slow pace (I didn't know it had over distance). I thought the cold has caused me to slow down. At this point onward I gave up on the pacing, and ran according to body condition.

I started to take Power Bar Gel at 5th km water station. The initial plan was to take it started 10th km and every 5 km until 35th km, but I later decide to take all that I have, which is every 5 km up to 40th km. While timing and quantity to take the Gel differ from person to person, some people don't take at all. For me I wished to keep the glycogen level sufficient and possibly delay the depletion of it. It is the same as how many water / liquid one would like to consume during the race and when to start to consume it.

At 5th km my fingers were feeling numb and tight to take out the power gel from my spibelt. Stitches attacked after I took in the Gel. This happen during last year Singapore marathon and during my training run while practice to take Gel. For this I've done some reading on stitches and this is what I followed and it successfully reduce the stitches in a short while:

1) Inhale and exhale using abdomen, avoid shallow breathing

2) Use finger to massage the stitches side

3) Change the landing leg as compared to inhalation and exhalation

Heartbreak Bridge

It seems that there is always a heartbreak point in a marathon course. For Macau, it will be the Sai Van Bridge that connect Macau and Taipa. Few KM after the first water station we started to climb this bridge. There were two elevation to cross this bridge. During the first ascent there were wind blowing toward us, mix with the rain. I ran behind a pack at the first elevation, then took the lead at the second elevation, thinking of I should also share the burden. And after the elevation, I slow down at the descent, and the pack ran past me one by one. Respect to their powerful leg that able to sustain the down impact. Realizing i'll have to cross this bridge 3 more times, I know it'll not be good.

At 10th km I barely feel my fingers and to move them to tear the package of Gel was so difficult. My knee joint also lost the flexibility that I couldn't even speed up the turn over. The breathing was fine, I was not tired, but the leg just didn't move. I was also worried I'll be easily hurt under this condition.

After the bridge was a stroll at Macau city, across busy street and buildings and ran tru Star World Hotel which belong to the Sponsor. There's not much difficulty except the weather. There were part of the course after Star World and before the Sai Van bridge that ran along Lake of Sai Van, where the view caught my memory. It was like a sudden opening after all the buildings. Scenery of lake, sky and far away the killer bridge. I enjoyed this section of course most during the second passing, which was somewhere after 30 km. At this time the rain had stopped, the sky had lighten up, the fast runner had ran past me, and I was on my own. It's over 30 km and I was seeing 35. I ran at a fast comfortable pace and the feeling put a smile on me. That was a high moment. Just before I hit the bridge for the one last time.

After Star World and back to the bridge the route lead back to stadium area and there's a junction that separated half marathon and marathon runners. And there started the second loop of the course. By this time the rain had basically subsided but it had already given enough torture. The knee joint was not OK cause by the cold and wind.

At the time I hit the bridge for the last time to return to finish line, my pace gradually slow down a lot. I knew my knee were not able to push the slop. Slowly went up, I past a runner that tired and decided to walk. At the down slop, I couldn't speed up the leg turn over but helplessly breaking and jerking using the shoes. I knew it's not going to do any good if I force this over.

40th km was the last water station, and I barely can accelerate the speed. This 2.195 km was so difficult, that I knew it was near but the leg just cant speed up. The main job is to take this body back to finish line. Holding the pace, I maintain a constant pace and started to see the familiar view, the stadium, entered the stadium and found my way to the finishing line.

3:18:xx I knew. And I barely can lift my left knee. I browsed around and I saw the wheel-chair volunteer eyeing on me so keen that he wanted to come to me.

After the finishing line

Besides finishing medal and vest, it was a surprised to be given a big Galaxy Marathon towel. It was so big and heavy and I quickly cover myself to cut the cold out. There were also bananas, chocolate and isotonic drinks.

Someone called me and asked if I was from Malaysia, apparently it was Pui Yee and friends. She brought a flag with her and we took a photo.

Michael's GPS logged the distance at 43.71 km. If this was accurate then the pace was 4:33/km which is near to my target. The run has given a lot of experience, weather and elevation wise which showed the flaw of my preparation.

Looking forward for the next run.