Beaten, but still victorious...

I did not achieve what I first set out to do i.e. "conquer Singapore in <5 hrs" nor did I achieve what I estimated as my finish time would be (2 weeks before the race) i.e. 5:30 and I did not get to beat my performance of last year i.e. 6:04. So, I guess I was beaten, fair and square. But - I finished the race in 6:18, battling on after about 30km. The first 30km took me 3:25 and the last 12km took me 2:53!!! After hitting the wall at 38km, and a massive cramp attack at 39km, I was pretty much written off to be a "transport by ambulance" case. Lying on the pavement for a long time and talking my legs into taking me to the finish line, managed to get up and do it - a triumphant smile on my face as I crossed the finish. ...

I am really happy I finished, it was a fight, and I did not want to see a "DNF" against my name. That kept me going and I think this means more to me than a <5 hr finish. Victory, after all.

More on this and other related stories later.