Hong Kong Marathon 2014 - PB with injury

Just about a year ago I was told SCHKM has much better temperature and route to do a PB when I was battling single digit temperature in Tokyo marathon. So, I make HK marathon my plan for 2014.

Arriving in HK with cold weather gave me the feeling of Tokyo marathon again, suddenly all the freezing shivering moments in Tokyo haunted my mind, half the battle lost dy coz psychologically already surrender to the weather. Long story cut short, came Sunday morning, woke up 4:30am on race day, made my usual enercal+milo mix drink, wrapped myself in long sleeve long pant 2XU compression plus a light jacket from uniqlo, add on a buff to prevent cold air that may cause running nose and kept light gloves in the pocket. Went down from hotel at 5am and met up with the gang (K1, Jimmy, Wayne) to do baggage deposit then hide at one corner from occasional cold wind.

After some stretches I realized the temperature was bearable compared to 1-2 days ago and definitely can tell I don't need the gloves, possibly can go without d jacket too. the temperature was surprisingly bearable and after dropping baggage and taken some walking, I was confident that I could take out the thin jacket and go ahead with the 2 layers clothes: 2XU long compression top and LYNR 2nd skin shirt. So I went back up to hotel room and leave my jacket behind. Since the Half marathon just flagged off at 5:30am, I decided to take that risk to keep the jacket and gloves in the hotel room, and informed my roommate that she may choose to run without the legging, lol!

Came down and immediately felt the coldness but bearable, occasional wind blow didn't make me shiver, but I have some reservation about the weather as we are running pass and return at bridges, the temperate can go very low when wind is strong, but what the heck, I already aim for a comfortable timing, it can't get any worse than Tokyo where I can't feel my toes for 5KM!

I won't say the temperature is still good, it was still pretty cold than expected but standing in the crowd with less wind, it was bearable. The question I asked myself was: what PB timing should I aim for? From Singapore marathon last year I was pretty sure I can do 3:55 at minimum, considering cold weather that was bearable, a 3:45 should be reasonable, my biggest worry was on the back injury from car accident just 1 month ago, which was d reason I have to forgo most of d training, any effort to push harder will cause pain somewhere below my right shoulder blade and spread over to the center between both left and right shoulder blades, that's 1st adversity. Having clocked 1/4 of targeted mileage with no LSD, my 2nd worry was on the legs may not be able to sustain long distance run without cramp or numb.

After some chit chat, selfie group photo, discovered my Garmin Fenix lost the signal when I went back to hotel room and followed by drama at the starting line, the Full marathon challenge group finally flagged off at around 6:15am. I didn't have a strict target pace to go, just thought as long as I keep K1 in sight until he disappeared will decide from there. 1st few km was not too bad, Garmin Fenix picked up the satellite signal after about 1km, and I know it will adjust the timing to distance by itself. After taking a quick pee at around KM6/7, I thought may be I can try to pick up the pace since there was no pain. Yes there was no pain, but may be due to lack of active training since CNY, I was like stepping on fuel but the car was moving at speed limiter, something wasn't right but I didn't want to attempt to floor the pedal to increase the pace further, just maintain the pace will do, which was around 5min/km+-.

Suddenly K1 caught up with me at KM9 before entering 1st tunnel (his peeing pit stop slower than me I guess), and at 10KM we were doing around 51mins, already off pace for 3:30 target, together we ran into the tunnel and felt the 1st wave of chill coming out from it at around 11/12KM. I started to feel my pace can't increase any further like any race, K1 seem to have warmed up enough to increase his pace. After seeing Michael Wong already at return route at the bridge (KM16+-) while we were at KM14, K1 slowly pulling away from me and disappeared in the sea of runners, ya that's about time to pick up pace to be on track for 3:30 target. My back started to feel some signals of aching right below the right shoulder blade, the 1st worry came true, I check my watch, I accidentally push beyond 5mins pace and force hard on the body, needed to keep the pace slower again. U-turning at KM15, K1 was about 150m ahead of me and here I started to get busy because this was when I get to kill time and shift focus from running to checking out how were the rest of the Malaysian runners doing.

Saw CK Chong just a few hundred meters behind, he should be able to catch up with me if my pace need to drop, then saw Zhen Qi Loy about 8mins behind. After crossing KM17 before the sharp turning to the left, I saw Tea Chua, his category flagged off at 6:40am, seeing him at the opposite means he was doing quite a good pace, possibly a 50mins 10KM.

After turning left and crossing KM18 mark, I saw Michael Wong again on return route, he had passed the half way mark, meaning to say he was doing a 1:30+- half marathon, which was very good pace. At this point, I did a rough calculation, I probably would have PB my FM half way point at around 1:45, not bad given my worsening condition. Soon enough, I made a U-turn after KM20 and K1 was just a few hundred meters ahead of me, can tell that he would be pulling away from me further and faster coz I was already slowing down, my target time for 21KM adjusted to be at 1:47, still PB for a FM half way mark, :)

Crossing the 21KM at 1:46, I was happy with this timing dy, although this is on track for a 3:35 finishing, but I can tell the back ache will start disturbing me soon. Hitting another tunnel around 24KM, I took sometime to rest and had a drink at the water station, a shadow came from behind and joined me for my tunnel run, it was K1, he suffered cramp after halfway mark and rested awhile. 

Tiredness started to kick in just before leaving the tunnel and my backache hit me, I decided to take a walk from here and only resume running exiting the tunnel around KM25/26, cruise for another few KM, at the bridge someone overtook me, he was wearing Permaisuri green vest, going at very steady pace, looks like he will be able to do at least a 3:35 FM with this condition, after 3-4KM, he disappeared from my sight. There came another tunnel around KM33, took another walk in the tunnel to rest my back, seemed to be the longest walk ever, probably about 6-7mins including some stretching to relax the muscles to prevent cramp (since already walking, might as well do all d stretching I needed, lol!).

Exiting the final tunnel, I remember there should be another small hill before entering the city for final stretch, saw K1 walking again around KM36/37, but I didn't feel tired anymore (rest too much perhaps), continue to maintain my pace around 5:30min/KM and head towards the city. Looking at the clock, it was already a PB no matter how I run, so I decided to cruise the way towards finishing, probably clocking a 3:45 hr PB, but some voice came to me at final KM, it was CK Chong, he caught up to me and shouted some sub 3:45 finishing time, I was not keen about any timing he mentioned, I just don't like to finish with someone who is making noise, so I decided to give a dash for the final KM and cross the finishing line at 3:43.

Tired ? definitely. Very tired? not quite, except the backache.

Scared of feeling cold soon, I was off to collect my baggage and quickly change into warmer jacket, LOL!
It didn't take long for K1 to cross finishing line and join me at the finishers' zone. Then the Sub 3 achiever Lionel too arrived, he started about an hour behind us!!! 

What did I learn from my run in HK this time? I know I can do a sub 3:45 FM, possibly a 3:35 if without back injury. lol! This is probably a FM that I didn't suffer alot, looks like if I don't push hard, 5:30/km pace can last quite long, that makes pacing for 4:00 FM possible...