To be perfectly honest, I no longer know why I did this. It doesn't have the geographical convenience and the glory of the Reebook Spartan Race, nor does it have the ring and the scenery of Viper King of the Mountain Challenge. And at 20k, it is out to kill.
But then again, at 20km, it was a great introduction to running. At 20km, it dwarfs all other races and challenges in Singapore. I used to flinch at the thought of 5km but after this race, 5k is like LOL TRY HARDER.
Moving on, pre-race!
Goodbye fair skin.
Hello chocolate.
9am - 0km
I was nursing a bleeding uterus since the night before. The night before was mine, it just started and so it was just spotting. By morning, it was an all-out blood bath but it was too late for my ego to back out of the race lol, so I ran handicapped.
I tried to avoid all the water obstacles but by the 2nd obstacle at 2km, I was soaked by a mud crawl. There on, I decided to just fuck it and go. All the while lugging around a thick, heavy and oh-my-fucking-godly gross sanitary-ware.
9.30am - 2km
If I didn't think I was extraordinary before, I bloody well think so now.
The obstacles here are not tough. The first memorable one was this sideways netting thing that we were supposed to crab-climb across. I mused aloud climbing atop the rungs and crossing from above. They kept worrying I couldn't do it and kept telling me not to.
But at the last minute, someone said CLIMB UP UP UP NICOLE and obviously my ego cannot grasp what stand down means and up I went! And the group started cheering and the crowd joined in and my God, my legs were trembling the whole time.
So bloody supportive. I could get hooked on this.
Peiyao was carrying me because she was worried I couldn't reach the floor with my tiny height awww SO SWEET.
11am - 6km
She become my pacekeeper for a good 6km. I think I covered the most ground, most efficiently, with her. We run at very similiar eventual speeds. She brisk walks and can sprint for short distances. I walk slothily but can jog for a much longer distance. So we end up keeping each other in check.
I never knew the importance of a pacekeeper till her. I was thinking holy shit I'll be fucked if I lose her and I really did LOL. At the 8km mark, I invested all my strength into one of the obstacles and then fell much behind.
That obstacle was one that made both me and her damn gian to try again till we get it. It is a simple rope climb. No knots, no gimmicks. Just climb the rope. She couldn't mount it. I made it halfway to mad cheers from the crowd (girls don't make it this far) but I fell and so did their cheers :(
I tried a second time and this time, I only got up t 1/3 of the rope before the rope's abrasion gnawed at my feet and then I fell again. And decided enough was enough. Continued the run feeling all dissatisfied inside.
Got all cleaned up only for more mud to come.
Hahah top class mud bath.
12.30pm - 8km
Towards the 10km mark, we realized they closed the 10km mark area. We were instead directed to take a shortcut to the 12km mark. 2km were shaved off our route because they were closing up the run due to bad incoming weather. I was secretly relieved.
1.30pm - 12km
At the 12km mark, there was a temporary oasis. Two lawn sprinklers were on at full blast and everyone was standing around getting clean. My team started to fall behind to clean and bathe but I didn't see the logic in it, since we were gonna get dirty anyway.
I asked to finish the race alone.
And I did.
2pm - 14km
The speed is nothing commendable, but you have to understand I'm not an athlete. I hadn't been training for this. I spent the past five months working 9 - 6 with off days in between to do limited exercise. I hated running. And now I am thrown 18km.
The whole time I was alone, I kept getting cheered on. Fellow runners commended me doing it alone. They smiled encouragingly. But I was quite tuned out by now. It was 3pm, the sun was beating down hard and the asphalt was more unforgiving than ever.
And so I thought of Gabriel.
I thought about how right now, he's on his way into Johor. I thought about how tonight, I will be happily nestling in his arms while he strokes all the injured parts of me and kisses my bruises away. I thought about his love.
The finish line loomed in sight.
2.30pm - 18km
I did it.
In fact, I did it so much ahead of schedule, that I had time to shower and get dressed hahah, which explains why I'm all comfy in new clothes while they are still in their muds.
They took about an hour more than I did, but they finished it together. I was an hour early, and I did it alone. If you ask me which one I would've preferred, it would be the former. But Gabriel was on his way in and I needed my phone to tell him where I was and so I ran.
I did it. All 18km. No shortcut, no cheats.
All 18 glorious km.
I earned you baby.
You are mine now.
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