Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 42.195km Preview

Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 42.195km Preview

On this day in December 2010, I shall put on record some of my pre-marathon race thoughts in this Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 42.195km preview on a Seen This Scene That post.

Above: Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 42.195km Preview Picture 1 - Race T-shirt and BIB.


Writing this is an exercise to prepare myself for my inaugural full marathon run on 5 December 2010.

A bit of background is in order.

I have never attempted to run 42.195km in training and certainly not in a full marathon in Singapore or anywhere else on this planet.

My marathon training for the 42 km Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) race began with preliminary work in 2009 when I first toyed with the idea of participating in a full marathon after finishing a 10 km run.

Regular (and serious) marathon training kicked off about five months ago but disruptions due to mild training injuries and non marathon-related interferences affected my schedule of interval trainings, tempo runs, hill work, long slow runs and other necessary preparation.

My last competitive half-marathon (21km) run was at the 21-km SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon on 12 Sep 2010. Since then, long runs of distances up to 38 km have become a regular fortnightly routine.

What do I expect to achieve at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010?

My main idea is to enjoy my very first full 42.195km marathon run. Hopefully from start to finish and every minute in between.

Certainly the start point of this year's full marathon promises a star-studded line up with scenes of seasonal-themed street decorations and festive lights.

A run through Orchard Road and Chinatown also offers refreshing background sceneries for full marathon runners.

The Marina Bay waterfront will add more visual features to take away the stress of a full marathon run. Away from the city, the run across Marina Barrage is expected to be another scenic highlight.

Above: Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 42.195km Preview Picture 2: Marathon Race Route.

I expect to meet a record number of full marathon participants. Competitive runners bring inspiration and encouragement. With runners surging along the full marathon route, I hope that it will raise a wave of positive energy to carry me into the final stretch and beyond.

My pre-race preview of the full marathon running route reveals that for the most part, it is generally a flat one. At about the 37km mark though, when I run up the steep Benjamin Sheares Bridge, I think that would be most challenging segment. It is the steepest incline of the entire race route and by that late phase of my run when glycogen stores are near empty and joints start to feel the heat, I think my muscles, tendons and ligaments will put in the loudest protests.

How about a marathon completion time?

For this race, a marathon completion time is irrelevant. Whatever happens, I shall be contented when I cross the finish line. The time it takes to complete the full marathon will be set in stone as my personal best full marathon record.

With a half-marathon under my belt, I could easily crunch an online marathon timing conversion calculator to come out with a timing. But with actual practice on training runs, I have found to my chagrin that a realistic completion time for the full marathon is going to be longer than the predicted one by a wide margin.

Moreover with suboptimal preparation and recent recovery from injury, it would be unwise of me to pin a time for my target so publicly. In case the pressure on my mind, heart and lungs deflate my ego.

I have extracted from friends and online sources some pitfalls to consider. During racing, emergencies, injuries and accidents are just around the corner for unwary marathon runners. "Hitting the wall", abdominal colic, plantar fasciitis, ITB syndrome, blisters, dehydration and strains / sprains are just a few of many things that could trip runners up in the race.

I hope that with proper medical screening, adequate marathon run training, sensible nutritional support, realistic race pace and a safety-first mindset, I would have reduced risks to the minimum.

As the days count down to the full marathon race, I enter my taper phase with confidence that my mental and physical preparations for the 2010 Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 42.195km race will give joy when I cross the finish line.

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Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Certification

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Certification

In this fast-paced country where skills and knowledge upgrading are recognized with some sort of certification, it is little wonder that even a simple run in the competitive 10-KM event of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is recognized with its own certification. There is also a finisher medal that you get immediately upon completing your 10-km Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Run which I have written earlier.

I sat for my Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 'certification' examination run on 6 December 2009 and this piece of certification came in the mail around the end of January 2010 as a formal endorsement of my Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 10-KM run results.

Here are snapshots of my Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon certification (with the vital ID & timing bits cropped out).

Snapshot of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Certification part 1:

Snapshot of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Certification part 2:

Did you receive your laminated copy of Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon certification, with your timing and name correctly written?

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10 KM Singapore Marathon 2009 Run

10 KM Singapore Marathon 2009 Run

I think it gets easier to run a 10 km race on one's second attempt. This was my conclusion after completing my 10-kilometre run at the Singapore Marathon 2009 on 6 December 2009.

Perhaps it has to do the with the extra training and runs since the first effort at the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run 2009. Perhaps it had to do with experience of knowing how to pace oneself better at such a run. Perhaps it was due to the kind weather - cool and cloudy without rain or strong sunshine.

Or perhaps there were fewer distractions or things to see at my maiden run in the Singapore Marathon 10-km run to slow me down. Compared to the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run, I noticed less entertainment available along the 10-km Singapore Marathon running route, and thus less photo-taking opportunities.

There were several people including cheerleaders spread out along the route to raise morale of runners. But no bands or performance groups to spice things up as I raced from start to finish with the occasional stops to rehydrate at the various water points.

Whatever the reasons to account for my perception, my Singapore Marathon 10-km run was an enjoyable effort with a unique atmosphere.

10 KM Singapore Marathon 2009 Run Photograph 1: The finishing line is always something great to look forward to, regardless of running 10 km, 21 km half marathon or the full marathon.

10 KM Singapore Marathon 2009 Run Photograph 2: The medal that 10-km runners get to collect upon completion of the 10-km Singapore Marathon 2009 run.

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Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009

Fresh from my euphoria of completing the 10km Singapore Bay Run / Army Half Marathon 2009, I have cast my eyes on the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009.

Looking at the running distances available in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009, the shortest distance to participate in is a marathon distance 750 metres. This is for my kids if they intend to join in the fun. However, as of today, I note that all 2000 places in the 750 metre Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 have been fully taken up.

The next shortest Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 run is the 10-km run, followed by the 21-km route and finally the full marathon. As it will be my first attempt in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009, I think I will go slow and start with the shorter races.

I can't resist comparing the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 (SCSM) with the Singapore Bay Run (SBR). There are obvious differences.
 
The race registration fee for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 SCSM 10-km run ($50) is a whopping five times more expensive than my SAFRA Singapore Bay Run SBR ($22). Can I expect the running experience in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 SCSM to be more than twice better?      

The 10-km race route of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 SCSM will take runners on a different route around Marina Bay, compared to the SBR. The scenery on the new running route will be an exciting change for me.
 
The starting time for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 is slightly later at 7.45am which will allow me to sleep a little longer on race day than at the SBR.

There is a charity effort known as the 'Run for a Cause' programme in the Standard Chartered Marathon 2009. It aims to raise funds for the beneficiaries of the three adopted charities supported by Community Chest, the Official Charity Partner of the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009.

Notwithstanding these differences, if I do run in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 it will be a totally new racing experience. I am sure there are many more differences than what I have mentioned. The only way to find out is to join in and experience it for myself.

26 August 2009 is the last day to qualify for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 promotional rates. Have you signed up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009?
 
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