stories of a foreign land

Hello!

Welcome!

Well, as of this morning I have signed up for the Sundown Marathon. A couple of months ago I mentioned I was considering signing up for the marathon, but was unsure about the commitment because of the immense heat and humidity here. Well today was the last day of applications and here we are.

The training has been going okay (as well as can be expected considering the heat and short training timeframe). A week or so ago I discovered a secret marathon-training weapon. RUNNING DURING ONE OF SINGAPORES FAMOUS THUNDERSTORMS. It is amazing. You don’t get hot, you get very wet, but hey at least there is no salty sweat dripping into your eyes. It is so liberating (it is like that scene from Garden State, where they are standing in the pouring rain screaming into the infinite abyss), there is no one else outside, it is just you and the elements. The pounding rain drowns out the sound of you gasping for air and your abnormally beating heart.  The only thought in your mind is who is going to administer CPR if I get struck by lightning. On a side note: Singapore is one of the worst places to have an out of hospital cardiac arrest. No one knows CPR! Check out this amazing stat. In Seattle the out of hospital cardiac arrest survival rate is about 30%, in Singapore it is only 2%. However Singapore has just set the world record for CPR training the most people in a single mass event (7,000 people). I may be able to keep eating Double Downs after all.

My only concern now is what to wear on race day. I got a new Nike sponsorship deal (received a 30% off voucher in the mail addressed to the previous tenant (before you get all high and mighty, he has moved back to America and could not use the voucher)) The Nike kit is the most practical as it incorporates a cool (temperature, not style) dry fit singlet. It is like running in a tissue paper singlet that does not disintegrate when it gets wet.

Then we come to my Mickey Mouse marathon kit. Possibly the least practical, but in my opinion the most stylish. The problem is the cotton t-shirt that will get wet and heavy (may also chafe my nips). In this outfit I set my Auckland Marathon PB (first and only marathon so far) it is also the same outfit I have worn for 3 Auckland Half Marathons. So it has a certain sentimental value.

Finally, the Adidas kit is a happy medium, retro yet practical. But it does involve my 2009 Auckland Marathon finishers t-shirt. I don’t think I can be one of those guys that wears an event t-shirt to an event.

Such a hard decision. Style vs practicality.

The Sundown Marathon is a few weeks and starts at 10pm. All I have to worry about is staying awake that is so past my bed time.

fin