Ever since I signed up for the year-end Singapore half marathon, I have been training with my AI coach. At my current stage of training, my outdoor run distance ranges from 5 km to 12 km. Hence, the 10 km UOB Heartbeat Run was very doable.
I was particularly excited about this run, held last weekend. First, my bank was the organiser. Second, I was one of the volunteers involved in the fundraising effort that raised S$1.4 million for charity. Third, unlike last year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, this Heartbeat Run was only open to staff and their families.
And the flag-off was during daytime. Not some wee hour like last year’s SC Marathon, or the 4:30 am start for this year’s BYD Marathon. It was much easier logistically to get there. And much friendlier to my biological clock.
A Family Day at Marina Bay
The run started at Promontory @ Marina Bay. The entire area was set up with a stage, food trucks, and game stations. Everyone was wearing the UOB shirt! A very family-oriented event, for a very family-oriented bank.
It was a warm day. Even at 5 pm, the sun was still strong. Despite all the prep work done with my AI coach, I let the race atmosphere take over my emotions. I defied the plan and paced myself too fast, too soon!
After 3 km, I was already feeling the fatigue from the heat. My heart rate was okay. My muscles and joints were okay. But the heat was getting into my head.
I finished my 500 ml of electrolyte water within the first 5 km of the run! Fortunately, there were plenty of hydration stations along the way. I gulped down the ice-cold water and poured the rest over my head.
Holding the Pace
I carried on and finished the run at a pace of 6:39/km, finishing in about 1 hour 6 minutes. I was slightly disappointed with the pace. But the heat and the race atmosphere had affected how I ran.
I was happy to have maintained my cadence throughout the 10 km, though. That was one of my goals.
After crossing the finish line, I had two bananas. And at least one litre of ice-cold water.
Soon, my partner crossed the finish line too. She too found the afternoon sun overwhelming.
Burgers, Games, and Claw Machines
It took us about one hour to complete the 10 km run. Roughly the same amount of time we spent queuing for our partly sponsored burgers!
We played some games, and my partner won more coupons at the claw machine. She is good at that.
There was a band performance and lucky draws. It was late evening by the time the event ended.
We had fun. And I collected more data points for the AI coaching.
First Run with the Shokz OpenDots 2
It was also the first time I tried out my new Shokz OpenDots 2. The clip-on earbuds stayed securely on my ears throughout the run.
I also love the open-ear design, which lets me stay aware of my surroundings while jogging. The sound quality is decent too, compared with the older Shokz models.
A lovely pair of secondary earbuds for outdoor sports.