the past few days have been rather exciting, and i've been running and rushing from places to places. spent my last week studying for sats, doing some last minute shopping for prom. saturday, went for sats in the morning, maths and chem were relatively ok, don't feel very optimistic about writing though, alright, i know i can't write and just when i thought i'll be done with writing essays, i have lots more application essays to write, seems like i can't escape from writing. sigh. went to collect my dress after that then went jiaqing's house to stone. literally stoned, sat around talked, played drums, ate, that's about all that we did, but isn't that what relaxation is all about? went home rather early to pack my stuff for prom and sleep.
woke up at 4am the next morning, continued to load myself with carbo (and fats) before heading towards esplanade for the challenge of the lifetime. it was much more orderly than the army half marathon, didn't have to queue for baggage deposit and there were sufficient toilets, and they were very punctual. at 6am sharp, the Singapore Marathon started. we made our way to the starting line, and excitedly started the run of a lifetime, our very first marathon.
the first few km were quite enjoyable, especially when it's still dark and cool. after we ran about 3km or so, we saw the first runner on the opposite side, who has already completed about 12km. superpowerful, and he was followed by a small group of kenyan runners. wow, it was really exciting to watch and clap for them, and it feels good running the same race as these elite marathon runners "competing" with them. and so we ran for 10km, 20km. the first 10km was a rather relaxing pace, conserving energy for the rest of the race. after about 20km, i was quite numb already, the sun was out and my legs just kept moving and moving. it was after 30km or so when fatigue really hit us. our speed was reduced to about 10 minutes per km, and the km markings seemed to be getting further and further apart. but we moved on, for we set out with an end in mind, my legs were tired, my knees were dying and my feet were getting heavy, but i knew i had to finish it. the posters along the way were very motivational, the cheerleaders and music kept us going and i'm very touched by ordinary people who just stood or sat along the way, giving us encouragement. and so we inched our way to the finishing line. i told myself no matter how slow i ran, no matter how tired i am, as long as my legs are still functional, i will run on, for every step i make, i'm closer to the finishing line, i'm closer to my goal of completing a marathon.
slowly but surely, we made it. we've ran 42.195km. shine, i'm so proud of you, and i'm so happy. towards the last few hundred metres, i nearly could not control myself, for i knew the end was so near, we've ran more than 5 hours, more than any distance that we've ever done and we are about to achieve what we set out to achieve. yes, we've done the near impossible. i don't know what made me sign up for the marathon, but i vaguely remember about 2 years ago, i was still struggling with 2.4 and even distances like 5km were great achievements. yes, i totally agree with the posters, it's mind over matter, as long as your legs are moving, your heart is beating fine, there is only your mind that stops you from going on. it was exhausting, it was madness, but it wasn't impossible. it was a day to remember, 5th december 2004, the day i ran and completed my first marathon, and it will definitely not be the last.
after the run of our lifetime, i rushed home immediately, bathed, ate and packed my luggage for prom and stayover. everything was so rush after that, hair, makeup, back to hotel and finally to suntec for prom, yes suntec of all places, and we were about an hour late. took lots of photos, the programme wasn't exactly exciting and the food wasn't that great, but it's the atmosphere that mattered. afterall, it's the last prom and it's probably the last time i'm going to see all my classmates, those that i've spent 2 years of my jc ife with. alright, back to reality, everything is really coming to a close. it may be only 2 years, but in this short period of time, i've discovered more of the meaning of life, of friendship, relationship, hatred. i think i'm very fortunate to have classmates whom i can just stone and talk through the night, teammates who get high and talk about everything under the sun. i dare say the 2 years spent in rjc is the best time of my school life and i love rjc, for everything it had given me. although i like taking photos, one whole night of phototaking is rather tiring, especially when you have to wear a perpetual smile and get blinded by the flashes. prom is an expensive event, from tickets, dress, shoes, accessories to hair and makeup, so much money was spent on a one night event, but it's definitely worth it.
got back to hotel at around midnight, and to save my legs before they totally collapse on me, i've decided not to go clubbing, had less than 3 hours of sleep, because i'm so used to waking up early and couldn't go back to sleep again after i woke up. so i sat around, played cards and talked with the nocturnal people. went for buffet breakfast which extended to lunch. i feel guilty and sinful, so much eating these few days, hopefully i've burnt enough during the run to make up for all the fats that i've eaten.
and so, it's all over now. or rather, it's going to be the start of another stage in life. i'll start looking for a job tomorrow and i will start on my university and scholarship applications. no, it's not an end, it's a new beginning.