Friday, September 19, 2014
I'm back from my YOLO trip in Lombok+Bali. It was awesomely full of action and adventure, with a 3D2N climb at Mt Rinjani; followed by a 42.195km full marathon in Bali; and then a 1.5-hour white water rafting in Bali.
I'm just going to talk about the Full Marathon experience here, and shall leave the other adventures in another later entry.
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The Race Pack Collection
It was surprisingly a very pleasant experience. The race expo was held in a ballroom at a posh resort villa in Nusa Dua, with very orderly arrangements. I left my confirmation slip in the rented car outside the venue, but they immediately printed one for me. The queue wasn't too long and there wasn't much waiting time; and the volunteer that attended to me at the collection booth was very courteous and clear.
The race expo wasn't too big, but the atmosphere far exceeds any race expo held in Singapore. Firstly I was very attracted to the strong colour-theme of the marathon: Yellow. (Maybank was title sponsor). It made the entire venue very bright, youthful and vibrant. What also caught my attention was the presence of a live DJ that was creating the live background tempos. There were also plenty of big boards that showcased the routes and also of the race, allowing for many photo-taking moments.
The free transportation to and fro the Start/Finish line
I like how there were so many buses that were chartered to ferry people from their hotel areas to and fro the Start/Finish line FOR FREE. Yes. Free.
No matter if you booked a hotel room in Kuta / Sanur / Nusa Dua / Ubud, there were shuttle services that were specially chartered to cater to runners and their supporters. For the same distance, a typical one-way taxi ride (e.g. Kuta to the Start Line at the Bali Safari & Marine Park) would have cost more than US$30-40. We booked ourselves a room in Ubud, which was less than 1-hour away, but I was thankful for the shuttle service. It was really thoughtful.
The run experience
The run experience was perfect from Start to End, simply because the number of participants was right. At just 600 over marathoners, the roads were optimum for all runners, unlike crazily crowded Singapore race routes. There were no bottlenecks, nor anywhere that I had to slow down my pace because of lousy route plannings.
As the sun rose above the kampongs and their padi fields, the villagers were out in front of their homes, squatting/standing along the road to cheer us on. Some even had makeshift clappers and empty bottles to beat up a tempo. Lovely, genuine kids were also standing in lines, with their little hands outstretched, hoping to get a hi-5 back from runners. I probably hi-fived a hundred of them, many of whom expressed happiness when I did so. With chickens clucking and dogs running alongside, the kampongs were all proudly welcoming every runner. It was heartening that many villagers also opened their home toilets for runners to use.
Not forgetting, the traditional dances and performances that were showcased at certain parts of the route. I should have taken more photos of these cultural displays. So uniquely Balinese.
Oh yes, I also learnt new Indonesian words during the run. "Semangat" and "Ayo" were frequently heard from the kids and fellow runners. They meant "Jiayou" and "Come on!".
My optimal performance
It was my best personal timing. The previous PB timing was also set in an overseas marathon - Prague International Marathon. This shows that Singapore Marathons are not optimal. Probably for the first time, I did not encounter any cramps, nor did I had to stop for long walks. I kept largely to a 6:30-min/km pace until the very end. I consumed 3 energy gels and stopped at most Pocari Sweat hydration stations.
I had expected sore leg muscles (from the volcano climb) to hinder my run, but it was all nothing. After just the first few steps at the Start line, the pain was totally gone and the feeling was great from there on.
And the timing? 4:48:08.
If given the chance, I'd really love to come back for future Bali Marathons.
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Previous records:
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007 : 5:06:14
adidas Sundown Marathon 2008 : 5:07:58
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2009 : 5:01:04
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 : 5:13:35
Volkswagen Prague International Marathon 2012 : 4:53:22
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2012 : 4:59:49
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2013 : 5:17:47
Maybank Bali Marathon 2014 : 4:48:08
人生是黑白的.
12:02 AM <3
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