Hello loyal reader well this was supposed to be the last race of the year, but if you know the Floridian runner, you know that any opportunity to compete will not be passed up (I should really take the rest of the year off though). Penang Bridge was the very first race I signed up for in Penang. I signed up for it before we had moved to Penang back in 2010. That was for the 2011 race (duh), Then the day that will live in infamy happened, (accident) and I missed it. So this would be my first Penang bridge run, and the 1/2 marathon was on tap. I was terribly sore, and worried about the distance really wreaking my hip flexors and quads worse than they were. The race began at 3:00AM, and although that sounds like torture, it was not that bad, i had friends who had a hotel room close to the venue, so I had a place to crash. Now, generally the smaller races in Penang take place with little or no traffic control. This race was on a closed course which is wonderful. However, I did not run well and the sub two hour 1/2 marathon, here in Penang, continues to elude me...that sucks. The startting corral was tough, very crowded and the fact that in began on the feeder road in front of the Queensbay mall...so getting out of the pack was not easy...That always drives me crazy and messes with my pacing every time. The reason is that once i get free i find myself wanting to "make up the time"...
So as it has gone in other 1/2's here. I did the first 10k really well...the second 10k...not so much...It was hot, now its always hot here, so that should come as no surprise, however even some of my local friends said it was hot. I expected some sea breeze on the bridge to help a bit, there was NONE...The route back was brutal for me and although I tried the walk a 1/2 mile run a mile...i was not able to...I crossed the finish line in the 2:20's....which is not very good, but seems to be my target pace based on my last 3 half marathons here (3 in Penang, counting this one, and one in Singapore). This was special because last year for this race I was still on crutches, and THIS was the LAST Penang Bridge run on this span of the bridge, in the coming years it will be on the new span they are building. Proud of the friends i have and their accomplishments...I did miss out on the post race pictures which stinks, but i needed to get home and get some sleep, I'm old....
There was a more significant negative that happened with the close of this race, and that was my Garmin FR305 finally died...I LOVED this watch and it will be missed! So the year will close with two more races in Penang, the Takasima (spelling?) run 10k, and the Round Island Relay...The two races at home, while we are back... So a few more posts before I wrap up the year. Thanks loyal reader for hanging in there! Run Happy!
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