Pardon me for the lengthy post because I’m literally very free, spending hours in the car and a hour plus in the plane ? All parts of the posts are type in advance only the [Race day] and [Singaporean] portion ? Ok, fine. I’m actually very free even if I’m not in the car or on plane ? But if got the extra time and nothing to do, this article is free to read anyway. LOL ?
[Race Day]
Air Asia boleh, I got flight delay. While I was waiting for my flight, I spotted Singapore’s MediaCorp artist Shaun Chen!?
My flight should be 9.05pm and I can reach Singapore by 10.25pm but my flight departs at 10.25pm ? By the time I reached Singapore and clear immigration, it’s already 11.50pm and I took Grab to the race venue and immediately chiong to the deposit my bag, luckily got no queue. Its 12.40pm and I’m at wave 2.
(Photo Credits: Ming Ham (W2W Photography)
I’m in super good mood while waiting for flag off, music is good but the blue lights is irritating that I can’t really see and emcee is entertaining. The entire route have ample hydration points and especially love the super cold hundred plus! ? Luckily at least the drinks never disappoint me！My pace was good, I’m running faster than usual and ahead of the 2hr 15mins pacers but at 12km I got a very bad stomachache. Luckily I can still tahan till the toilet at Marina Barrage. Must be the Air Itam famous Penang Laksa I had in the afternoon ? Or was it the beer I had while I was caught up in the flight delay? ? 
The diarrhoea is horrible. For the rest of the distance, it’s run walk run walk. The route ok, running pass familiar places but the on and off stomachache quite irritating ? I know I should try to avoid spicy food before runs but it’s the authentic Air Itam Penang Laksa how can I say no to it? ? 
I guess I loss the 2hr15mins pacers while I was in the toilet. because I never saw them. There were parts where some of the routes is muddy, such as a point where we round back to F1 pit building once before we finished the run, it would be good if there were volunteers there to tell us to watch our steps as the place is quite dark and it’s quite slippery. During the last part of the run is a crazy slope. But I love the slope actually, with all the running of slopes recently I thought I can overcome it with all but thanks but no thanks my stomachaches ? Serve me right! But for the laksa? I will say it’s worth it! ? During the last km I just let my legs bring me forward as it’s a shiok downslopes and Teo hundred metres before the finishing line I sprint with all I have! And I heard the volunteers shouted “That’s the way!” ? I think I actually may be saving some energy for the upcoming 2XU next weekend? I am also running the half marathon ?
Finishing in a net time of 2hrs30mins according to the results uploaded but it’s not the final result which is very efficient uploaded the next day. According to my Garmin, I ran 2hrs 32mins still not bad as not somewhere near my personal worst timing which is more that 3hours at SCMS2016 ? After finishing my 21km, I collected my medal, banana and 100plus and looked for Sabrina and YiHeng, so happy that they stayed around and waited for me ? 
After a while I went to the 38km point and waited for Willis because I wanted to run the last 4km with him as I know that the last few km are the really challenging part and I want to be there with him. But it was cold, I’m all wet and drenched with my sweat. My shoes and socks are all wet with sweat, I can feel both my foot wrinkled. My legs were tired already after the 21km. I should have brought and extra pair of shoes and socks and a fresh set of clothes to change into, it will be comfortable. Walked slowly from F1 pit building till I saw the 38km signboard and I thought it’s so near the finishing line and walked further up to wait for Willis. While waiting for him, cheered for some running friends, though I don’t have any eye sight problem but I think I still can’t recognise some running friends ? I peeled off my timing chip while because I thought that the timing will be affected if I cross the finishing line twice. Then I realised the 38km distance board is placed at the in a misleading place. I waited at the 41km instead. Seriously the 38km distance board is placed at the opposite of the road which is actually just a few hundred metres before the finishing line ?
Due to the misleading signboard, ends up I only ran the last km with Willis ? But shouldn’t blame the signboard, they already give so much errors during REPC I should have know it! Opps ? I should have check the route properly before hand lah. Tsk! Only myself to blame ? While I was offered a medal again as I went through the finishing line once more, I did not take anymore of the entitlements, no matter what, because we just have to do the right things ? I’m so prideful of Willis, he ran his first ever 42km, and he finished it in 4hours 56minutes! ? Wow! The sweetest part is that he said he runs fast because he knows that I’m there waiting for him ❤️ I 
[2 weeks before Sundown]
By right I will not be running Sundown. By right I will still be in Penang holidaying after the Qing Ming but due to an important thing on 26th March, whereby I only received a letter about 2 weeks before Sundown and get to know that it is compulsory for me to be in Singapore for it. So, I bought air tickets to fly back on Saturday night. Just in time after some “tomb sweeping” and some yummy Penang food, touch down back at 10.20pm in Singapore just hours before flag off, I will need to rush to the race venue. Thank you JustRunLah! for the race slot! Just nice when I know I need to be in Singapore, and that I will be able to run Sundown I was given a race slot! from JustRunLah!, “Santa Claus” does not comes only in Christmas ?
It’s quite a last minute decision to run, I think it is wiser to run the half marathon instead of the full marathon though I had wanted to do the 42km as Willis, my boyfriend is doing his first ever 42km. I thought I can run with him as his number one supporter. But it will be super rushing as flag off is at 11.59pm and I will be rushing like Cinderella to F1 Pit Building from Changi Airport. Not to mentioned that it’s a freaking 42km and the usual Qing Ming routine I need to wake up at 4am and its a day of visiting 8 tombs at a few different places, I really cannot ? Quite a pity that I am not showing full support to Willis by running the full distance, that not being physically there by his side the full distance but my heart and mind is always with him ? The plan is that after running my 21km, I will wait for him at the 38km mark after ECP in the full marathon route to wait for him, and run the last 4km with him.
[Race Pack Collection]
I’m sure many people have things to say about the race pack collection. Sompa this is my worst and most miserable race pack collection ever and I’m sure it is too for many other runners ? Just see how they voice their frustrations in the official Facebook page. I can seriously munch on popcorns and potato chips while I read the comments, some comments are hilarious and entertaining to the highest level of sarcasm which I think I can burn a lot of calories just by laughing ?
Went to the collection in the first day of REPC after work with Willis and it’s really disastrous ? Hopefully those who are collecting their race pack on the second day onwards had a smooth collection. Is not I kiasu must die die go collect the race pack on the first day of REPC but Wednesday onwards I will not be in Singapore as I will be heading in Malaysia for Qing Ming already. First of all the race venue is so out of the way at F1 pit building, venue cost is obviously much cheaper than at Expo or Suntec, must be organisers want to save cost? ? Much worst is that there it is outdoor and no shelter and everyone is complaining. My friend went to collect at 5pm and tio burnt by Sun, I went there at about 6pm and tio drenched by Rain till sibeh jialat even though Willis got umbrella and let me stand under his umbrella ? See lah! Cut cost also not like that right ? Pardon me my craziness, its because of the almost 15 hours at least in the car this entire trip ?
(Spending time making my photo cute because I’m really bored in the car ?) So happy to spot my photo being featured on the event board! ?
This is one of the largest running event in Singapore. Last year REPC still alright but this year is really jialat for the REPC, hopefully that race day everything is alright. Tsktsktsk! Sure many people will start boycotting but I’m not yet to say that I will boycott Sundown because I like to go to running events
(Picture Credits: Sundown Facebook Page) It seems like they got no plan B and not well prepared at all. Want to implement something new also have to test before and make sure it works. 
The apology not sincere enough, if they had bravely admit and say “Sorry, we “Gei Kiang”, next time won’t make such mess again” will pacify people more ? The numbers of participants registered can already agak estimate the amount of runners running, it’s thousands of runners and not just two or three small cats, want to implement something new is good because want to make improvement but must make sure it works lah ? Somemore people pay so much lwee for the race slots leh!
Thank you Sabrina for helping me to queue at the self check in but ends up I have problem with the checking in and end up being directed to queue AGAIN at the information counter when it started drizzling. Public relations fail, never fast track us since is their system error that dosen’t allow us to register for queue. That’s when we heard that no more of self check-ins and to start queueing at the counters with the usual normal collection system ? Just nice, rain stopped and everyone dashed to the counters while Willis went to check out and I continued queueing at the information counter but when the queue is not moving at all I went to check out the counters too when I heard that counters 1 to 8 are for those who’ve already checked in, counter 9 and 10 for those that have not checked in and I queued at counter 10, with a super long queue when Willis is at counter 5 and it’s his turn soon. We have not checked in and I tell him to remain in his queue to checked whether he can still collect the racepack for us as we have not check in yet while I queue at counter 10. When it suddenly starts pouring heavily and everyone chiong into the shelter and there is no queue anymore ? 
Many people came after work, and is hungry. Hungry people are angry people, at least I think I am angry when I’m hungry ? But everything is so much more tolerable when boyfriend is with me though it’s like a “war zone” there. Luckily I’m still on the “awesome” and “dating” mood because like what people say “honeymoon period”, everywhere is rainbows and butterflies to me ? Poor volunteers, many people are giving them a difficult time by complaining to them and demanding their race packs but it’s not their fault! It’s super chaotic and the participants just pass whatever they can even their phones (they just pass their thousand dollars phone like giving out sweets pleading the volunteers to take their phone), identity card (which is so no privacy and confidentiality) and registration confirmation slip to the volunteers. Luckily a kind lady in the front of me helped me to pass my confirmation slips to the volunteers if not I don’t know need to wait till how long to get my race pack collected as I was at the back. Thank you! ? The going to faint part is they pack the race packs on the spot. OMG! And print the race bibs on the spot. Another OMG! ? 
Like this I can predict and confirm will have many errors such as given wrong bib and etc or worst is no bib given at all, I’m so interested to know if such things happened or not ? The “dating” and REPC mood is dampened definitely not by the rain, we didn’t even want to explore and check out what is available around the “expo” and left immediately after we collected our race pack. Though I wanted to take photo with Jasmine Goh my running idol at the RUNsg magazine’s container booth but she’s not around the first day of REPC to take pictures and give autogrphs (Its ok, I already have many pictures with my running idol at various runs, cannot greedy ?) Still lucky to consider that we waited about one and a half hours as I heard that those who came later waited more than 2 hours or were even asked to come back the next day to collect their race packs. There’s seriously many things we can do with 2 hours, some would have already finished a half marathon with this timing already, or like Mark Zuckerberg, can earn millions of dollars in 2 hours. Luckily they got sort of do some “service recovery” at the last one day before race, announcing that all runners will get free race photos ? Luckily they got so many major sponsors like Osim, WWF and Shengshiong to provide them support.
Though there is other alternative ways to collect the race pack, such as collecting from dispensing machine in the shopping mall, maybe I shall try that next time as I only know of it after the collection of the race pack. But also heard that there is limited stocks and some runners are not able to collect from the dispensing machine. Jialat hor? Maybe can provide live updates online on the stocks at the various dispensing machines so that it will not be a wasted trip down. In the end they even ceased the operations of the dispensing machines ?
Overall runners are nice people (at least the runners that I know who really loves running are all nice people) only a few nasty people who loves to make others life a little difficult and miserable. And many of them are just volunteers. Most of us will grumble a little, say something like “I will boycott Sundown from now on”, but ends up you will still see us in the races ? At least for just REPC I will not boycott a race but for some, once reputation so rotten, not many are willing to give it another shot. Let’s see if there’s any chaos or not for race day ?
[Penang]
Hours before the race, I do some sight seeing alone in Penang after Qing Ming with family. As long as I have data plan and Google maps. I feel safe. Everything seems cheap because the conversion rate from Singapore to Ringgit makes money so good to spend over there. Visited the Kek Lok Si Temple after eating the famous Penang Laka nearby took Grab to George Town which is only Rm10 about 8km away to see the street arts and visited the clan jetties ? After that, took Grab to the airport ?
I will try to go back every year for the tomb sweeping if I can. Since I can remember, every year my dad will drive to Penang with all the incense papers, fruits and stuffs needed for praying but now dad is getting older and it’s tiring to drive such a long distance so my sister’s boyfriend drives instead. Now with all the highway, Penang is only about 6 hours drives from Singapore. LOL! ? No, it’s not only 6 hours drive, it’s not easy to drive 6 hours. Because I don’t drive so I just eat and sleep in the car like a shiok only, but the tiring one is my sister’s boyfriend who is the driver for the entire trip ? Over the years we include some holidaying along the way together with Qing Ming. Since I could remember my dad always drives in the midnight, but now he choose to go in the day as it’s much safer on the road. We dropped by in Ipoh for lunch to eat their famous Chicken Rice with bean sprouts and eat Soya bean curd and continued to Penang. We stayed in an apartment for the night which cost just SGD90 with 3 rooms. We decided to walk to find dinner but as I felt sinful with eating so much food, so in the same route I ran while my family walk
Ate at their hawker and once and for all, I think in one meal we ordered all the “must eat” Penang food such as Penang laksa, prawn mee, char kway teow, rojak, satay, chendol and ice kachang. Some food is quite disappointing not as nice as some eaten elsewhere before but I’m not a very picky eater so it’s still fine.
While I was sitting in the last row of the MPV, I can seriously feel my tummy bouncing up and down and vibrating so much that I keep staring at my tummy. And I was thinking that maybe if the bouncing of the fats works like the Osim waist belt which I have at home. I have two, which is now collecting dust and maybe even growing spider web ? I wonder is it both in working condition as I’ve never used them for too long. I think I really eat too much that I worry I might even have difficulties squeezing into my compression tights for Sundown ?
Blood is thicker than water. I love to listen to stories of my grandparents and my parents stories when they are still young and how they met. My parents love story is a love story better than Twillight ? Being the youngest in the family, it seems like everything happened before I was born or I was too young to remember anything ?
Qing ming is a period which I don’t understand why I will get very emotional, though my parents are still around and though I have never met before my father’s parents as they were already not around when my father is still a little boy and my mother’s parents passed away when I am still young. But this is a period I was always reminded that my parents are aging day by day, I love them a lot but showing love don’t wait till Qing Ming. I’m not good at expressing my love for them and I can only give them companionship, which I hope is enough to them. I’ve learnt to that spending time with your family is the most priceless things and hopefully one day many years later, there will be no regrets.
Other than Chinese New Year, weddings, passing of relatives and Qing Ming is the only period I see my relatives. I can sense the respect and love they have for my father in small ways always. Take this trip for example, by right after qing ming I will be going on a small holiday to one of the island in Malaysia with my relatives and family which my father told my siblings and I that my aunt want to go and we said ok, anything. But turns up according to my cousin, he said that my father said before he didn’t go before and my dad seems interested so my aunt said to go that place, so sweet right?
[Singaporean]
Main thing is I received a letter stating it is “compulsory” for me to be in Singapore for the “shake hand” ceremony to get my pink identity card and citizenship certificate. Which so coincidently falls on this Qing Ming period and Sundown marathon.
I love Malaysia too but sadly I have to part with it because I thought about my future and can only think that I can better survive in Singapore. I first breath of air is in a hospital in Singapore but I was a Malaysian. But I can say I’m more Singaporean than many Singaporeans, I sang 11 years of Marikita and said 11 years of pledge in my primary school and secondary school years. I went to many places in Singapore which many Singaporeans dosen’t even go to or know of. I lived here my entire life unless I go overseas for holidays. I know more of Singapore than of Malaysia. Though all these does not means “national identity” ? Is paying tax considered? I got heard before people demanding priority in healthcare and other government sectors saying “I’m Singaporean” and “I got pay tax one hor?” LOL! ?
I can’t think of much things I do as a Malaysian. Last year I ran SCKLM as a Malaysian, a few years back I voted before which sadly to say I didn’t really know much about the political issues in Malaysia. And many said that many Malaysian women are beautiful ? The proudest moment I have as a Malaysian is when I went to Pulau Redang years ago, its really beautiful! But many corals are destroyed now, I even thought I can survived with just minimal food and swim there everyday with the sea turtle and beautiful corals if I were leave everything behind and do that till I die. I was a Malaysian but I can’t speak Malay if Nasi Lemak, Mee Siam and Goreng Pisang is considered as literacy in Melayu ? and was even reprimanded by a counter staff when I was 12 years old making my IC because I don’t know how to fill up the form which is in Melayu. It had actually quite a big impact on me because I was never treated so fiercely and poorly before.
But over all, no matter what citizenship am I, I considered myself just an Earthling, temporary spending some time on Earth ? One day I may be on of of the undiscovered planet many light years away when I pass on when science does not gives us immortality potion. Ahhh, these explains my white hair, been thinking too much ? There is such thing as “free trade”, wonder one day whether will there be something like “free world” when we can go anywhere we want on Earth if there is peace. Boomz! ?
