I completed my first marathon!

I completed the Penang Bridge Marathon! It might be hard to believe but this was the first marathon I had ever participate in. I ran 5k, 10k, half-marathon, and even an ultra, just strangely never a marathon before. However it was not an easy 42.195k, mainly due to my mental hurdle. Going into the race day, my confidence was at all time low, to say the least.

Failing to complete the Penang Eco run for the second time in a row, severe altitude sickness while hiking towards EBC that resulted in a heli-evac to the hospital, I was seriously doubting my capability and the limit of my body. "Am I becoming weak?" I questioned myself frequently. Although the COT was set at 7 hours, which I had previously considered generous, my goal was simply to finish. 

The last time I joined Penang Bridge Marathon was 11 years ago. I was still in high school that time! "How time flies..." I sighed as if I was already an old man. I arrived at the starting point 15mins before gun off, just the way I liked: arrive in time and get into business straight away. The race started off good.

Slowly and steadily, I covered the first 20km with relative ease. After that I was kinda half running and half walking, and taking my time at every water station to drink and eat. The good thing about the marathon was the pacers. Until this point I knew I was way in front of 5hours30-pacers while 5hour-pacers were within striking distance. The hope of finishing within 5 hours was not too far off. So far so good but not for long. Some angry clouds were brewing. Occasional wind brought a few raindrops brushing my skin. A thunder storm was approaching.

After I reached the turning point at the Seberang Perai end of the bridge, the storm hit all of us at full force. It was not just raining cats and dogs, it rained sideways! The wind was not in my favor either, blowing directly against me while I was heading towards the direction of Penang island. It actually hurt when the rain hit my face. I could barely open my eyes. Forget about running. Walking through the storm was difficult enough in itself. Slower than ever, the 5hours30 pacers ran pass me...

Shit!

I couldn't totally slow down either. While the rain hurt, what worried me the most was the lighting. What was left between me and the finish line was all on the bridge and it was super exposed. It could strike any one the runners, anytime. At this point, the 5 hour target was far long gone in my head. I was just trying my best to run, hoping to get off the bridge as soon as possible. 

After the mid point of the bridge with 7k to go, luckily the lighting and wind slowed down but the rain was still pouring. Surprisingly, I still managed to squeeze out some strength, pick up some speed, and actually took over the 5hours30 pacers. "Let's see if I could chase the 5hours pacers."

Spirit high again! I felt like I flied through the last 5k, taking over tonnes of people along the way. The feeling was soooooo gooooood... This was definitely the highlight of my entire run. I even tried to sprint through the final kilometer. 5hours and 19mins. My finish time. 

Finishing the marathon, what I felt was not accomplished but happily relieved. With it, I regained my confidence in long distance foot race again. The feel good run through the last 5k made me feel like I could actually do better. This feeling of hitting the sweet spot has become the new cornerstone of my passion in running.