PACE THE RACE

I ran my first full marathon in May 2011 and have not stopped since (although I have reduced the frequency drastically). Each has its own trial and tribulation, and it was such a great feeling to be able to overcome them and crossed the finishing line. within the targetted time. The charitable me then thought "hey, it would be even better if I could help others to complete their full marathon." And with that my journey as a full marathon pacer began.

It started in June 2012 when I volunteered to be the pacer for the most prestigious race in Malaysia, the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon. 

I did not know what I was expected to do apart from running while carrying a big balloon. In the morning of the race, I met other 5:30 pacers and felt a surge of relief when I found out that I would be pacing with those who have done this a few times before. We started the run together but as the gap widened among the runners, KK and I led the 5:30 runners and Kelvin and Chooi Wan acted as sweepers at the back. We talked and laughed all the way and crossed the finishing line together at 5:29. It was one of the best things I did in my running life.

The great experience at SCKLM spurred the thought to pace again, so, I volunteered to pace at Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM) in 2012. But this time I decided to go for a bit of a challenge and signed up as a 5:00 hour pacer.

Challenge was exactly what I got at PBIM. It was a tough route with a few long climbs and the fact that the run started at some god forsaken hour didn't help either. 

I was tired even before we hit the 30km mark but I would hate to fail the runners who had put their hopes in me. So, I ran and pushed and finally, 4 hours and 55 minutes later, we made it to the finishing line! That was a real hard work and even though I only managed to bring only 3 guys to the end, it was indeed very satisfying. 

Note to self: I think I will stick to being a 5:30 pacer! 

Obviously I didn't take note of the Note to Self above as I again volunteered to become a 5:00 hour pacer at SCKLM in 2013.

However due to the injury sustained during a cycling incident a few weeks before the race, I contacted the organiser and they agreed for me to pace for 5:30. This time, I ran with Ilyana as the other pacer and a few friends who were running their first FM. I love this pace as it allowed me to relax and focused on the runners. Again, there was a lot of chit chatting and stretching along the way and most who followed us from the start made it to the finishing line well within time. Another great day's work for me. 

And now let's see what 2014 holds for me....