2XU COMPRESSION RUN 2014 - FELT SO GOOD RUNNING WITH MY BUDDY!

Singapore Aku Datang Lagik!

Helo ladies n gentlemen, fellow respected runners... How's your day so far? I would love to reminisce my 10th Full Marathon in glorious Lion City, Singapore. It was also my first FM event of 2014. A painful one definitely.

For the record, it was my 2nd year running for 2XU Compression Run. Last year they only offered a HM distance but this year they've upgraded it to a FM. You can read all about my last year 2XU HM experience  HERE.  Because of the cheaper loyalty price, I immediately registered for it. Didn't hesitate to enroll for this game. Plus, I've never run a FM in Singapore before. That's what made me felt so excited back then. So, basically I lost my Singapore FM Virginity on 2nd March 2014. (No wonder lah it was tres painful one... hahahaa!) =P

This year, I've decided to go there a bit earlier on Friday. Me and my friend along with Faiez took the morning flight and went to check in at Sleepy Kiwi backpacker hostel first before we went to Universal Studio Sentosa (USS) in Sentosa Island. It was my 1st time visiting USS. The weather was awesomely hot and humid as usual. We took lots of pics in USS and went back back to the hostel to rest and had our dinner at the nearby Glam Cafe. Yummeh!

Merenung jauh ke sayup pandang... Far far away...

Feeling2 Warrior The Mummy.... Hohoho!

On Saturday, after the breakfast, all three of us decided to go to collect our racekits at SG Expo. The collection process was so smooth even though the queue was quite long too. Bumped into some Malaysian runners like k.Romz, Shamroslee and Divah Gme there. It was so much fun meeting them and gossiping too... (>_<)

Glad to have my lucky numbers 7 & 3 on my running bib! Fuhhh... 

Briyani Kambing Zamzam Ala Kazam... Terembekkk paduu! 

Once everything is done, we took a MRT and went to Arab Street for a scrumptious lamb briyani rice at Zamzam Resto. After that we went to the iconic Merlion and Marina Bay Sands for a photoshoot session. Penat woo jadi model tak berbayar, jumping around like a kangaroo... hohoho! Yang penting konfiden tuh perlu tinggi... hohoh =P

Faiez & I... Posing sakan hahaaa!

Jumping Jelly Bean!

Dah puas bergambar sakan... Moh kita gi tempat lain lak ehh...

As the day was getting dark, we decided to hangout at the Gardens By The Bay, where there will be a light + music performance at around 7pm. The beautiful colourful show was spectacular!  We stayed for the second repeated show. We were joined by Mr. Azim that had just arrived in the evening. We had our Texas Chicken picnic dinner in the garden too. After the show we went back to our hostel and tried to have an early rest.

During the day time...

As the night falls... Totally blew me away... The musical light show was Incredible!

I woke up around 3.15 am, felt so snoozy and sluggish. Kaki pun lenguh2 lagi rasanya... padan muka kuat sangat jalan lagik... Got up and prepared all my running gear. We started walking towards the starting line at 3.40am, and by the time we arrived, the FM had been flagged off. We were 10 minutes late actually huhu...

Immediately I started running without any warming up or stretchings. It was quite humid morning. I was sweating bucket loads and somehow I could feel my right inner thigh started to chaffe so badly. I could not run properly even it was only at KM5. I tried to contain the pain and move on.

The first 10km looked familiar to me. The same Nicol Highway, Kallang River, running through the covered jogging path. No more running through a dark gloomy park like last year.

We were running towards a golf course circa 15km and entered ECP. It was still dark and the park was properly lit. Water stations were aplenty with lots of drinking water and Pocari Sweat at every 3km.

The 2XU FM Route... Tersangatlah best nyer....

The ECP was known for its dreaded neverending route. As I approached 21km, I saw Faiez just came out from the washroom and he wanted to pace me all the way. It was so kind of him to offer himself. He just woke up from his nap and ready to rumble again. We were gossiping while running this mental stretch. It works just fine to ease the boredom. However it felt like an eternity for us to reach the U-turn. As the day was getting brighter and I could see the wonderful scenery along the coastline. Some people were having BBQs at the seaside while others were seen jogging running and cycling along the ECP.

Once we reached the exit or ECP, it was already 32km. The sun was up high in the sky. It was warm but still manageable. My quads and armstring were already felt tight and could cramp anytime. Luckily we ran past a Tiger Balm tent and I quickly applied some muscle rub. Felt a bit relieved. However my left toe started to blister as well (ouch!). Faiez n I kept a steady pace and running slowly towards the Marina Barrage and we ran passed the dome too. Thank goodness, there was no more mental loop in front of Marina Bay Sands this year for FM (hate that mini loop!). We tried to run a bit faster during the final 3.195 km. It was already past 6 hours time by then and I crossed the Finishing Line at 6:17:39 (pace 8:56). 

Almost there, almost Home!

By the time I reached the FL, the place was deserted with rubbish was everywhere on the field. I took my finisher medal and finisher tee and immediately took pictures with Azim, Faiez and Gme. Gme as usual brought along his Jalur Gemilang whenever he ran outside M'sia.

Team Harimau Malaya Aummmm! Taufik, Gme, Yours Truly, Azim & Faiez

FANTASTIC FOUR TEAM Minus One... Wished Rashid Was Here With Us... =P

After the post marathon photo ops, we went back to our hostel and had our late bfast. I felt so tired and the chafing was very painful. I felt like I wanna scream in agony while taking the tormenting shower. To make it worse, walking with a chaffing thigh was not a walk in the park for me.  After that, we had a lovely lunch at Glam Cafe.

Over all it was a great event. No more bottleneck congestion. The weather was nice. It was a 100% flat route, ideal for a PB, given that you r well prepared and enough training. The volunteers were friendly. There were banana n energy gel station along the way. Nice heavy finisher medal n simple finisher tee design too.

Finisher Medal And T-shirt (Pic courtesy of GME)

Love running in SG. Not because of the flat route, but the makanthon was the most unforgettable. Will be back here for more! I really need to step up a little bit and not get carried away with my so-called Ultra tortoise pace... ;P

Au revoir SG! See ya again soon... =)

My GARMIN data is HERE... Ngeee... =)

2XU COMPRESSION RUN HM 2013 - SUCH A "FINE" CITY TO RUN! ;D

My running pose during my 2nd Runcation in SG.... Sigh! 

Hi there, welcome back to my humble shabby blog... I would like to share with you guys out there, my beloved running junkies aka enthusiasts out there on my not-so-recent Half Marathon run in Singapore. Just so you know, it was my 1st time experience running outside Malaysia, my 2nd so-called "Runcation" and my 10th Half Marathon to date. Thanks to 2XU Compression Run Half Marathon 2013 which was held recently on 31st March 2013.

Cool light blue Finisher Tee... Very tempting indeed! =D

I was tempted to sign in this HM run mostly because of the famous 2XU brand name and all the "delicacies" provided, namely the cool running vest, superb finisher tee and last but not least the unique out of the world finisher medal... Besides it was my 2nd time to Singapore after my 1st traumatized road trip before. Don`t ask, don`t tell... LOL!

We stayed here during our stay in SG... Super comfy and awesome friendly running makcik!  =D

Me and my partner in crime, Rashid took a flight to SG on Friday, 29th March... Way early in the morning as it was the cheapest flight during the AirAsia promo. Arrived at Changi International Airport around 10am and made our way to our backpacker hostel in Bussorah Street. We decided to stay at The Sleepy Kiwi because it was just a stone`s throw away from the magnificent historical Sultan Mosque. Plus, there were many Cafes and restaurants near Arab Street serving scrumptious halal Singaporean food.

Welcome to Singapore!!! Martylarrr pose2 jakun bagai rusa masuk Kota Singa... 

Splendid stunning Sultan Mosque in the background... Felt like I was at the Sultan`s Palace in Aladdin... =D

Once we have checked in and had out lunch, we went to pick up our friend`s racekit for the NTUC 350 Run. The REPC was held at Orchard Central. We had some difficulties trying to locate the venue as I have never been to Orchard Road before. It is the most famous road amongst shopaholics as there were so many super massive shopping malls along the stretch. Gosh, I was blown away and my feet were killing me too LOL! Furthermore it was flooded with a very huge crowd on that day since it was Easter holiday. @_@

Just doing a favor for my running friend aka disciple katanya, Taufik... Nice goodie gym bag.. Jelezz cheq! 

Let`s just fast forward a little bit. Azim and Faiez, the other dynamic duo checked in at the same hostel as us on Saturday, 30th March. Four of us went to collect our racekit at the Lion Building. Then we've decided to explore Little India and our lunch there. I had this mouth watering Tandoori chicken briyani  while the other were having banana leaf rice. Simply sinfully yummeh! We went to Marina Bay Sand that night and were entertained by a live music from an orchestra. I was already tired and need to hit the sack asap so we went straight to our hostel and called it a day already. All of us agreed to be ready to go by 4.30am.

Me and the famous Zam Zam Singapore Murtabak... It`s huge and yummilicious... Must try one ok!

Had scrumptious lunch in Little India, super yummeh Tandoori Chicken Briyani.... =P

Collected my racekit with gusto, nice running bib number... `82 babies sgt

Now the drama began. Me and Rashid woke up pretty early that morning, around 3.00 - 3.30am. One of our roomate was annoyed by Rashid`s alarm and shouted him to turn it off. Yeah, we runners were the insane bunch, woke up at wee hours. LOL! Around 4.15am, I thought Azim and Faiez were already awake and preparing themselves. Well, think again! They were still fast asleep... OMG! I woke Azim up and he hurriedly went to the shower. I smelled disaster in the making. We might be late for the flag off as we had to walk/run for 20minutes to reach the venue, F1 Pit.

Dalam kalut ribut tuh sempat lagik amik gambar... Muka2 baru bangun tdoq sangat...  Hehee

Must give a strong cheerful face no matter how long will it take me to finish this run... =D

Lucky for us as we bumped into this Singaporean uncle, who was going to the venue as well. Once we reached the starting line, we were released as the 3rd WAVE at 5.50am... Dang! Late flag off means I`ll be finishing it quite late n toasted again LOL... I was trying to give my best when my feet weren't very co-operative after 3KM. Must be still sore and tired after the long walk around SG... Sigh! Suddenly around 6KM, I felt the urge to do no.2 business, although I`ve already done it before in the morning. OMG, I could see all the porta-loos weren't available with a very long queue. As I was running in a park near Kallang, where badly lit and very crowded too, I could see there was a public toilet. Thank goodness! After done with my business, I tried to keep up with the targetted pace. However I felt restless. Every km felt like so far away and forever to reach. T..T

I ran for a good cause, to spread the words from MISSION FOR MISSING CHILDREN... =)

To add salt to the wound, we had to slow down and walked through 2 bottlenecks along the route, due to the construction works. The pavement was in a bad condition too. Very dangerous for the runners, especially in the dark. We were running along Geylang River towards Tanjong Rhu when the jogging pavement was very small to accomodate the large crowd. Some were even walking leisurely on the right side. Haish! I had to zig zag through and even ran on the grass  and tree roots beside the pavement. Azim catching up with me here and we were like racing each other... Hahaa...

Just look at that HM route... Pretty daunting indeed... I would never choose to run in this route ever...  =( 

I was running along Kallang River and heading towards Marina Barrage (KM17) and was able to see the magnificent Marina Bay Sands from the other side of the river. It was picture perfect moment. Then we have to run towards Marina Bay Sands through Gardens by the Bay. The loop was insanely long and mental too @..@ (Almost want to do walk break here, because it`s shady and I was mentally exhausted too.. hahaa!). I managed to cross the finishing line in 2hr52min... Thank goodness, still under 3hour... I was toasted by the sun along the way although it was only 8-9am. It was already freaking scorching hot!

Almost at the finishing line, with Marina Bay Sands as the background...

To summarize my race report, here is the pros and cons.

Pros
(1) The running vest, finisher tee and finisher medal are awesomely nice and worth the fees. Catchy indeed!

(2) Love the tagline, "Unleash the you you never knew!"

(3) Racekit collection was easy peasy, done pretty fast and convenient too

(4) Plenty of Water Stations along the route, almost every 2km, providing lots of Pocari Sweat and drinking water, bananas and energy gel. I really love the

(5) Traffic control was ok with many crew manning the junction and streets

Cons
(1) The route in the park was pitch black. I could barely see the pavement and it was very dangerous. There was no source of light or blinkers at least.

(2) Two congestion moments when all the runners had to go through the bottleneck section due to the construction works near the route. When we have to walk slowly, our pace will decrease significantly and time will be wasted too.. hehe..

(3) Some parts of the pavement were in a bad condition. Runners might trip and stumble. The jogging pavement along Geylang and Kallang River was too narrow to accommodate the large number of runners.

(4) Running in this part of Singapore is damn boring. Not many stunning landmark and tourist attraction spots to see, unlike Sundown Marathon`s route. Should have study the route 1st before decide for my future running event.

After the race, it`s a must for us runners to take photo like crazy, flaunting the finisher medal and finisher tee, nonetheless. Hahaha... Because it was worth running here for. Then, we just walked ourselves home and stopped by for a self rewarding recovery drink at the Starbucks. Awesome!

Me with my finisher medal.. Luv the Singapore Flyer at the back

Me and my running accomplice, Rashid... Congratz for your Sub 2hour PB  (1.57 to be exact) 

Funtastic Four Runnin Friends, Me (The Thing), Azim (Mr. Fantastic), Faiez (Invisible Woman) & Rashid (Human Torch) LMAO... 

My finisher medal must pose at the Finishing Arch... Priceless... Hahaha!!!

Its time for celebration and self rewarding at The Starbucks Cafe... =D

After that, it`s time for us to explore the must visit tourist attraction spots in Singapore. We went to the Merlion Park and walk along the Esplanade. The weather was overcast and friendly enough for us. The view was spectacular... ;D

It`s goofying time bebeh... Boys will always be boys... LOL!

Funtastic Four Camwhoring moment at the Merlion Park... Yeah!

Savouring the mesmerizing Marina Bay Sands view from Merlion Park... =D

Feeling2 GLAMorous at Istana Kampong Gelam... LOL...

Sempat lagik pose2 di depan Universal Studio Singapore tapi xsempat masuk, Sob2... T..T

Till then, I`ll definitely be coming here again for TUC, MR25 or Sundown Ultra perhaps? Looking forward to do Ultra here in SG... Should be awesome... Cheers y`all...