2014 Penang Bridge International Dodge Walkers and Selfie-takers Game

Written on the 16th of November after the run. Initially wrote this as part of the November's Run Log, but ended up way too long for a simple run log entry so I made this a separate blog entry instead.

16 November 2014, Sunday.

The day. 2014 Penang Bridge International Marathon.

Or more appropriately, Penang Bridge International Dodge Walkers and Selfie-takers Game.

Underestimated the jam and the distance I needed to walk to the starting point, so 10KM Men's Open has started by the time I reached the starting point.

But thanks to the ridiculous number of participants, I caught up to the tail end of the walking mass to slowly inch passed the starting line. You would have thought people would start running after the line but everyone seemed content to just walk, probably because there wasn't any space to run no thanks to those walkers at the front who were in the clear.

Similar to traffic jam really, the slow refused to go into the slow lane and stubbornly hogging the fast lane, resulting in massive jam miles back. Selfish people are everywhere.

For the first kilometre or so, I wasn't able to run at all, only after the ramp curve onto the bridge that I could start to run. Well, start the dodging game, that is.

Common sense would dictate that those who are slow stick to the inner lane while the fast runners stick to the outer lane, following our traffic system. But alas, common sense is not common.

After much silent cursing of the outer lane walkers and selfie-takers that I noticed there were equally frustrated runners running on the motor lane. So I jumped the divider and finally got to run properly.

Unfortunately I had to slow to a walk again at the 5km mark to turn back and again at the finishing line. It's a frustrating experience really. I want to run all the way, dammit! Not there to play dodge game. And darn those selfie-takers, couldn't you join the Fun Run instead?

Anyway, despite my reduced training frequency, I was pretty confident I could run nonstop the whole 10km. If it was all flat, that is. =P

I didn't have any strength training this year since I only ran the Straits Quay route, I had to walk on the return uphill span of the bridge before I could run again. If I ever joined the bridge run again, I have to remember to include some strength trainings.

The thing is, I just don't know if I want to go through this frustration again.

Anyway, in my haste to start (since I was late), I didn't properly check that I had my Nike+ running until about 1km into the run, so I do not have the exact distance and time information. I will have to rely on the official record.

On that note, I had to hold my pee all the way since I had no time to release before the run, and every toilets on the way had a queue that I refused to waste time on. >_<

Not a nice experience, meh! =(

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