The marathon is finally over and I'm aching all over. Muscle ache, back ache.... No I didn't run in the marathon. I'm only a drinks station volunteer. I can imagine myself paralyse in bed if I were to even run for the shortest segment, 10km.
The marathon starts at 6am but we had to report at the Padang at 2.30am!! But since there is no transport after 12mn, our group met at 11.30pm on Sat night. And to think I had got up at 7.30am on Sat for tuition and then to my grandma's bdae. After collecting our breaksfast, t-shirt etc, we proceed to our station (under Shears Bridge) to set up. There were alot of ice mountain..... a few hundred bottles I think. We poured them into the 250ml cups and lined them up for the runners. There were a separate tables for the Elites. Eww... why so different treatment for them. They have their own special drinks that they prepare themselves...some were yellow, some were pink.. some juz normal mineral water I think. The 300 elites are those who travel around the world to compete in such marathons. There were quite a few Kenya representatives and guess what... they made a clean sweep of the open category male and female titles. They were fast... finished the full 42km marathon in slightly more than 2hours. My station is the 2nd last water point for them, at the 40km mark and the Kenya runners that we saw were very focused. The expression on their face shows nothing but determination.. nothing to acknowledge our presence though we were clapping for them.. -_-" Like we are so redundant. But if like them your career is running in marathons I guess you will be the same as well. I heard the winner will get USD 25,000 or is it more?
The normal runners who took part were nicer. Quite a few even slow down specifically to just thank us for preparing the water! That really make our day especially if you have not slept for the past 36 hours and is pouring countless cups fo water for the endless stream of runners and also dashing out to pick up the cups that they throw all over the place as they run so that other runners behind will not kick/trip on them. The dashing out and endless squats I had to do resulted in my muscle ache given that I've not exercised for a long time unless you count climbing the stairs in school.
There was even a couple who dressed up as spiderman and catwoman to run. I think this is abit mad la. 42km in such stuffy outfit... And there was this lady who drag along a car tyre and a syrofoam box to raise awareness of the environment I think. So heavy!
I can hardly bend my back after 8 hours of standing. And to make things worse I had to use the dirtiest toilet ever. Initially the mobile toilet was not open before the race start and I had to practically ask the official to get the ppl to open else I'll die la. My station leader still ask me to go behind the bushes... like duhz! When its finally open I realize it cannot be flushed coz there not enough water supply or something like that (I don't know how mobile toilet works). Then after a few hours I was so thirsty that I drank a can of 100plus...I didn't think that I'll need the toilet but apparenly I need to go toilet urgently after that la!!! And since that is the only toilet there and the next one is 2km away....I had to die die use the toilet there. I took a bottle of water, held my breathe, tried to wash the toilet seat alittle and then close my eyes and force myself into the toilet. I had to half squat coz who dares to sit on the toilet bowl that is so DIRTY and to make things worse someone shitted in it and since there is no water to flush..it remains there! *groans* My leader still say wait for me to clean the toilet before he use...I was like.. "what! You don't even need to touch the toilet bowl la! ............... you go behind the bush la.. dotz dotz"
After the last group of runner finally pass us around 2pm, we chose to walk the remaining 2km back to Padang since we don't know how long it will take to get the bus to fetch us. I was so tired that I fell asleep and nearly drop off the chair while waiting for these group of runners. Then I fell asleep while standing in the mrt too. I did not sleep for 36 hours..what do you expect. I wasn't even this hardworking during exams period. After bathing I immeidately plonk onto bed and fell fast asleep until my sis woke me up at 10pm for dinner and then I went back to sleep all the way till this morning.
Initially there is suppose to be paintball session today and I was still wondering how I'm suppose to run around with my mucle aching like mad but it was cancelled at the last minute. So in a way I'm lucky...otherwise I'll really be unable to move after that.
Bonkers @ 12/04/2006 11:28:00 AM
