The Journey to Leadville (Los Angeles to Denver to Leadville)

Got up at about 5am (after a few hrs of sleep) on Thur 18 Aug and packed whatever that remained lying around into my luggage bag before chilling out on the sofa and sneaking in some time to watch the news of TV.  When the time came (6am), i lugged my luggage down the steps and proceeded to the ever bright lobby of Los Angeles Adventurer All Suite Hotel to check out of my room, 272 and to request for the shuttle to LAX.  The shuttle was currently out on duty & would be back in about 10mins so I took the opportunity to slip my laptop out and check out what's happening on Facebook.  When the shuttle appeared, i scrambled to shut it down & slipped it back into my backpack before hopping onto the shuttle for the short 10min ride to LAX airport.

Checked in at the kiosk easily enough & went to join the baggage drop queue, which moved quite fast.  Scanned my boarding pass, and out popped out the baggage tag, which was attached to my check-in luggage by the staff.  And i was ready to join the looooonnnngggg  queue of to-be-x-rayed-people.  They had to divert some of us to another floor, where another screening facility was set up.  Had to remove our shoes, laptops and jackets before walking through a scanner where i had to stand stationary and lift my hands overhead, like being searched as a suspect.  The machine 'screened' me & i had to be 'molested' by a staff as the machine highlighted i had some suspicious item in my left thigh (it was because of the zipper i guess).   Well, nothing was alarmed.. retrieved my stuff and scooted along the departure lounge, searching for some reasonable food to intake.  Pounced on 2 x Sausage McMuffin With Egg and happily munched on it whilst browsing through my newly-purchased Sep 2011 Runner's World magazine.

Vacated my seat not long after finishing up both McMuffins, allowing others the chance to have a seat to eat their purchased McD food.  I then proceeded to my boarding gate for my Southwest Flight.  Oh, and they have boarding queue no., according to A, B, C, which i think is based on who checks in 1st.. this number is printed on our boarding pass at the kiosk.  So it was very orderly, with Signs & Posts indicating where we were supposed to stand before boarding call was made.  Soon, we were allowed to storm the plane and get our butts onto whichever seat we liked.  Free seating for all.  Complimentary non-alcoholic drinks & snacks were available and served by friendly stewards/stewardess on board.  I managed to secure a window seat, at the 2nd last row of the plane, with promises of Grand Canyon views, which i wouldn't miss for anything in the world.

Soon after the flight departed LAX, i stayed glued to the window.  And i whipped out my Panasonic all-weather camera to snap the beautiful landscape below. World Wonders!! Such awesome landscaping the world has.  Held me spellbound for most of the 2hr flight.  Captured by my eyes and my camera.

Touched down at Denver International Airport (DEN) at about 11.45am.  Had to take a train ride from Gate C all the way to the main terminal to retrieve my baggage on one of the belts.  And the luggage collection belt is next to the entry to the car parks/driveways.  So convenient.

Made prior arrangement for someone to pick me up from Denver Airport to bring me to Leadville Hostel, where i'd be staying for 5 nights.  And there he was, holding up a cardboard with "Leadville Hostel" in red text.  "Crazy" Howard is he.  And he immediately brought me to a deli to buy 1 bottle of water.  He insisted I started hydrating myself with immediate effect.  Very critical, due to dehydration effects in the high altitude of Leadville at 10,200 ft.  I listened obediently and bottoms up!

Waited for another person to pick up at the airport.  Which took quite a bit of time as he (Luis Guerrero, who would later become my friend on Facebook) didn't appear at his respective luggage collection belt.  Howard had to go around, ask the staff if he came on the flight, etc..  and i was sitting at one of the lounge seats until i dozed off.  Was stirred up from my slumber after god-knows-how-long by Howard... Luis was finally found.

And off we went, our journey from Denver Airport to Leadville, a city 2 miles high and about 110miles away from Denver airport.  It was amazingly hot in the car and had to move my hands occasionally to protect from the burning sun. Sunglasses were a necessity. And soon we were heading into the mountainous region.

Staring in awe at the beauty of the mountains, with lakes at the fore... simply astounding.

And Luis, had already done 6 times of Leadville 100 mile race.  Truly amazing feat.  Only to be surpassed by someone whom i was introduced to later....

Howard introduced me to the small town of Leadville as we entered it.  A very historic town, brought alive by the Leadville events, otherwise would have faded into the past, with post-mining history backing it.

And soon after a 2hr drive,we arrived at the steps of Leadville Hostel.  And finally met the owner, "Wild" Bill.  A very hospitable host he is, showing us around the place and bringing us to our room, no. 6, located at the basement.

In the room, he told me, the person who would be sleeping under my top bunk bed, is Bill, finisher of 27 Leadville 100 Mile runs!!  He only missed out the 1st one.  AWESOMENESS!!!  2 extremities in the room existed, with me at one end, a newbie.  Wow!  4 other room mates were also very experienced ultra runners and I am in good hands :)

Stuffed my luggage into my locker & set out orientating myself around the hostel.. Toilet-checked. Water-checked.  Loaded myself with water again before heading out to the race pack collection along Harrison Avenue, the main street in Leadville.

The Journey to Leadville (Singapore to Los Angeles)

Tue 16 Aug 10.30pm
Yeehua sent me to airport, lugging 1 full luggage + 1 30L Backpack.  Was full of my race gear/attire & cold wear (temperature in Leadville is between 1 degree celcius to 21 degree celcius).. wow.. haven't experienced such low temperature in a long while.

Checked in & hanged around the terminal for about 1hr before entering the departure lounge.  My China Eastern flight MU 544 taxied into the runway from 12.45am, heading towards Pudong airport in Shanghai.

Arrived in Shanghai at about 6.05am.  After passing through immigration, i searched for food, chancing upon a sandwich & a drink for only RMB9.30, which would be my breakfast.  Then i sat down & surfed the net and did some work at the same time.. my transit time is about 7hrs before my flight at 1pm to Los Angeles.  So had loads of time.  When my stomach started growling, i had to quieten it by stuffing it with double sandwiches & 2 bottles of water.  It was then at peace.   And it was almost time for my China Eastern flight MU 583 to LA.

It was full load... and my flight only departed 1hr after the scheduled time, at about 2pm.  But i wasn't bothered by it, or rather, i wasn't even aware it was delayed as i was in dreamland...yes, i was very tired and sleepy due to not sleeping in the morning at the airport.  Hence, on the flight to LA, i was asleep for about 2-3hrs, only to be woken up when food/drinks were being served.  The food was nothing spectacular. just only to fill our stomach. but no complains as i was given an aisle seat at the emergency exit, which meant i had extremely loads of leg room.  hehee..

Managed to develop a Marathon Training Long Run Schedule whilst awake on the flight.  Made good use of the time on the plane to churn it out.  Just need some more fine-tuning before releasing it and letting people know about it and hopefully join in as they prepare for the marathon on 4 Dec 2011.

After a flight time of 11.5hrs, we finally touched down in Los Angeles Tom Bradley International Terminal at 10.40am on 17 Aug 2011.  I then called the Los Angeles Adventurer All Suite Hotel for the pick up service, which arrived promptly in less than 10minutes. 

The room was basic, and it came with a separate bedroom & loung/living area.  Very spacious for 2 people.  They even have a free glass of champagne in the evenings.  Free Wifi was only available at the swimming pool area & at the Lobby, which was quite crowded, with some even in swimsuit as the weather was comfortably cool.

Had a late lunch at a HongKong Express food cafe about 5 mins walk away.  I asked for rice with 3 dishes.. and i was amazed at the portion they gave.. the box couldn't close at the lid!!!  At a cost of USD 5.99 + tax, it was a steal!  It could last 2 meals for me, or 4 for my wife.  but i managed to gobble it all down as i was famished and need loads of food for energy.

As i'm typing this out, my eyes are closing down on me... signalling the need to get some shuteye soon... and it's only 5.45pm here on a Wed... oh well, nature calls.  Will update on my next leg to Denver/Leadville if i can get access to Internet.

till then, i'll be dreaming of Leadville 100 Mile race this Sat 4am...

Jog For Hope 17 July 2011

Only found out about this event on the Monday of the week itself... Sounds like a nice cosy event, so decided to join since I would be heading to KL over the weekend.  Downloaded the form, filled it up, paid via internet, then submitted via email.  A confirmation email arrived on Friday, so we were good to go! Then Jason Loh told me he'll be taking part too!  haha, will be good to 'see him' zooming ahead!

Got up at 5am on Sunday, looking forward to the fun run. Left home at about 6am and drove to Sri Hartamas, taking us only about 15mins.  Parked at Hartamas Shopping Centre at a cost of only RM1 and walked 1min to Taylor's College Sri Hartamas, which would be the event site.

There were lots of participants/volunteers present, but i guess the main bulk weren't here yet.  We received our bibs & t-shirts very quickly by just quoting our receipt numbers.  After keeping some of the non-essential stuff in the car, we returned to the college again to deposit our bag.  Fortunate to bump into a few familiar faces, e.g. Jason Loh, Khoo Yit Kiat, William Chin, Jessica Tang, Barry Lee.  But most were young students :)  We were amongst the older generation.

Since we had lots of time before the flag off at 8am, Yeehua & i went for a short jog as warm up along the hilly Sri Hartamas road.

About 15mins before flag off, we went to the start line to wait.  There weren't any cones nor was the road blocked, so vehicles could still drive past. Fortunately that road wasn't that busy with traffic, so it was acceptable, but participants had to be careful.

The race was flagged off at about 8.03am.  I was standing a few rows behind, and a  lot of students were in front of me.  So it took some time to overtake them, taking care not to be 'pushy'.  Only after about 400m then was it less crowded and i could run 'free'.

Had ran this route before, so was quite familiar.  And being familiar means knowing how challenging it is.  Peppered with slopes, it was quite a tough one, yet fun.  Quite a number of water stations, but didn't stop at any.  Saw Jason Loh's friend ahead of me about 100m.  And spotted Barry Lee ahead too... wow, i've never been able to see Barry just ahead of me.  On the upslopes, i observed i would close the gap with Barry, but on the downslopes, he would increase the gap.. then just outside Taylor's College, my gap was closing on him and we were heading for our final 4km. He would keep turning back to look & see who is behind him :)  Soon after the final U-Turn, i was gaining ground.. and occassionally, i called out to Barry to ask him to keep going.  As we headed up the final upslope (quite a long one), i finally caught up with him.  Ran with him a short while before i decided to switch on my Power mode and surged ahead towards the Finish Line.  Fortunate to cross the Finish Line just before Barry.  I enquired about my position at the finish line counter, and the young lady told me i was 2nd!  Wow!  I can't believe it!  Jason Loh must have finished 1st!  And he did it in 34mins plus..and me?  38min 3 secs!  My Garmin showed 9.2km, not 10km, so not a 10km PB for me.  But well, the most important is i enjoyed it & it was great to see Barry in action.  The experience is much more important.

Went to collect my goodie bag, which was filled with quite a number of useful stuff, such as Shampoo, Bodywash, Chewing Gum, drinks, etc.  Rarely seen such useful goodies, though i don't really bother what's in goodie bags.

Yeehua came in about 50mins & she won 5th placing!  Congrats to her!  Now both of us have to wait for prize presentation.  Meanwhile, we took photos & chatted with our friends.  Then observed the speeches, lucky draw, prize presentation to 6km, speech again, and finally presentation to the 10km open category, Females first, then Males.  Congrats to Jessica Tang for coming in Champion for Ladies (45min plus) & Jason Loh for Males (34min plus), Barry Lee 3rd, Khoo Yit Kiat 5th.  Each of us had a chance to go on stage to receive our Medal & special Certificate (only for top 5).  So now we have the limited edition medal & certificate, inscribed with our position/category.  Additionally, the top 3 would receive a RM100 voucher for use at Bodytone, a 45min PowerPlate session with a Personal Trainer, a Quantum Bracelet, a Bodytone measuring tape & a Bodytone carrier bag.

From Left: Jason Loh, me, Barry Lee

Finally it was over at about 11am.  We then happily left Taylor's College and we look forward to next year's.

For more pictures at the event, CLICK HERE
Jog For Hope Website

Ignite Your Running Workshop 10 Sep 2011

Unleash Your Running Prowess with  Running Guild's Ignite Your Running Workshop. 

Join us as we bring sports-science based knowledge to you & the community. 

Early bird rates till 14 Aug 2011 

Date: 10 Sep 2011, Saturday

Time: 9am till 6pm (3 Talks & 1 Practical - you may select which talk(s)/practical you wish to attend)

Venue:

Passion Room, Chinese Success Media

Blk 231 Bain Street #04-41 Bras Basah Complex Singapore 180231

Singapore, Singapore

Website:

Event on Running Guild Website

Event on Facebook

Programme:

9am: Registration
9.30am - 11.30am: Session 1 (Talk)
11.30am - 12.30pm: Lunch (at own expense)
12.45pm - 2.45pm: Session 2 (Talk)
3pm - 5pm: Session 3 (Talk)
5.15pm - 6pm: Session 4 (Practical)


Session Outline:

Session 1

(a) Shoe Selection 101

(b) Foundation - Training Fundamentals of Running

Session 2
(a) Mix & Match - Varying Intensity To Enhance Performance

(b) Optimal Race Nutrition For A Strong Finish

Session 3
(a) The 3 Phases To A Successful Marathon Preparation

(b) Peaking For The Final Surge

Session 4
The Right Foot Out With Ben
Get physical as running coach Ben brings you through various drills/exercises which will help improve your balance, coordination, strength & power, crucial for igniting your running prowess.


Registration Period:
Early Bird Rate (save 10% from now till 14 Aug 2011 2359hrs)
Normal Rate (15 Aug 2011 0000hrs till 4 Sep 2011 2359hrs)

Registration Cost (Early Bird Rate till 14 Aug 2011 / Normal Rate):
Any Single Talk Session: $18 / $20
Any Two Talk Sessions (save 5%): $34 / $38
All Three Talk Sessions (save 10%): $49 / $54
Only the Practical: $14 / $15
All 3 Talks + 1 Practical (save 20%): $54 / $60

Registration will close upon reaching maximum capacity

More details & registration via this link:http://www.runningguild.co​m/index.php/workshop-semin​ar/

Hope to see you there!

Jurong Lake Run 2011, 10 July 2011

Pic Taken by Ronald Heng at the Finish Line


Teamed up with the SAFRA Jurong Running Club to take part in this 10km event, taking place for the 1st time in Jurong Lake vicinity.

Didn't know the earliest MRT would be quite late, so we took a cab to the baggage area in Taman Jurong area, near the Start Point.  Bumped into Jason Loh from KL, who came here specially to do this event (and he did 1hr 25min for his half marathon at the recent StanChart KL Marathon on 26 June 2011).





Here's Jason Loh, up & coming star in the running scene! He completed this event in 5th placing in the Junior category, with a timing of 38:43








Overlooked the need to show my bib before i can deposit my bag.. haha.. so had to walk back towards the entrance to Chinese Garden to get my bib from Trevor Lee 1st... by then we didn't feel like going back to the Baggage Deposit area, so we just left it with Eng Hwa at the SAFRA Jurong Running Club booth (membership does has its privileges!).  Had  a quick trip to the toilet before jogging to the start line.

It was 15 mins to the start and yet it was already packed at the Start Line. Oh well, glad we were in the opposite direction, so we just slotted ourselves in at the 4th or 5th row, but at the side. and hanged in there for about 10mins or so.  Whilst the Emcee entertained us, we waited for the VIPs to flag us off.  Lo & behold, i saw Yam Ah Mee hopping up to the stage to flag us off..always so bubbly :) nice to see him after so many years but i don't think he remembers me back in PSD :)

Once the air horns were blasted, the front pack immediately surged ahead.. i had no choice but to follow, or risk being pushed.. and indeed not far ahead, i saw a young boy on the floor, who must have fallen.. he seemed alright..a strong young boy.

Just kept at a comfortable, not too hard pace as i knew i wouldn't sustain for long.. managed to keep to about 4:00 to 4:15min/km pace.  As this was a new route i was running, just wanted to take in the sights but yet not running at too easy a pace.  Starting at the front sure was a good idea as it reduces congestion.  Ran behind Sumiko Tan & another lady (very familiar at local races) for a distance before she stepped down her gear.. and i gradually moved ahead... and Sallehan zoomed ahead!! hahaha amazing, like a cheetah leaving me biting dust.  Kept him in sight even as he moved ahead, picking up the pace.. but i slowly gained on him.. and as i caught up, i shouted at him to keep going!  Which he did.  And even after he paused for a drink stop and i didn't, he still managed to overtake me yet again, attesting to his never give up attitude!  And i kept up with him all the way and he crossed the Finish Line just a few seconds ahead of me.  Well done Bro!  Keep Strong!  My finish time was about 42:07 and the distance showed 10.3km on my watch.

Km Laps
1km - 3:55
2km - 4:01
3km - 4:01
4km - 4:01
5km - 4:08
6km - 4:10
7km - 4:09
8km - 4:16
9km - 4:17
10km - 4:10

Here's Sallehan.  Well done bro!












After the finish, i requested for 2 cans of 100Plus and walked around, in the search for my friends.  Met Michele Tan who came in not long after, then others such as Freddy Yeoh, Melvin How, Jieshi, Stella,.. Walked towards the Finish Line, saw Sumiko and walked with her a bit.  Well done to her despite an ultra just 2 weeks back & being unwell the past days.  Then i saw my wife chatting with Chantelle & Siok Leng.

Glad to have met many friends here, and even those who took part in the Banana Relay, such as Andrew Parker, Samuel Ang, etc.  Spotted a lot of photographers along the course too!  Many thanks for being out in the hot weather to support us!

Went to the SAFRA Jurong Running Club booth, where we had food for us, mee/beehoon, fruits and drinks and we had a ball of a time chatting with friends, and making new ones.  The Club then had a birthday celebration for those born in Jun & Jul.  And i was appointed by Hui Ping to cut one of the cakes for distribution to the rest of the members. Hanged around a while, and a fellow friend from Facebook spotted me (we've never met before), Franz C.  Had a nice chat with him and he mentioned about going for Tokyo Marathon next year..hmm, tempting :)

Finally, our booth wrapped up at about 10.30am.  We then went for lunch at Clementi before heading home for 2nd half.. housework!!!  hahaa

See you next year at Jurong Lake Run!

Glad to have come here for this amazing experience.

Banana Relay 18 June 2011 (4th Edition)

Organised the 4th Edition of the Banana Relay on 18 June 2011, a fun relay aimed at promoting the spirit of friendship, teamwork & bonding, regardless of speed, height & gender.

At total of 25 teams, comprised of 3 team members each, formed via a lucky draw format, took to the paths of Kallang Riverside Park & Marina Promenade, raising their banana-wielding hands as they passed a banana (or two) over to their newly-met team mates to tackle the next lap.  6 laps x 3km per lap for each team, a total of 18km.

Supporting these 75 participants is a contingent of 37 volunteers (half the strength of participants), all sought from far & beyond, even from Woodlands vicinity.. hahaha.  without these volunteers, it wouldn't have been possible.

As always, our 'professional' emcee, Mah Win Hong (fondly known as Sotong) was on hand to give the participants a 'hard time' before the run started, due to some unforseen/unexpected presence of army vehicles.

Promising a time of fun for our participants, they took time to mingle & chat with their newly met team mates and get in some healthy lifestyle at the same time.  The organisers had a fantastic time, as we were in it to help promote fun in running & build friendship among the participants.

Many friends turned up to support, Tigger, Francis, Aili, Tan Kim Lai, Franxis Yong.. and i even had Lee Wei Siang, who is from Malaysia attending a 3 day training programme in Singapore, signing up just the day before!  Amazing!

The weather was quite nasty earlier in the morning but we were so glad it stopped at about 7.30am and thankfully the weather kept cool & overcast.  Once the route was clear, we flagged off the 1st member of the teams.

Did 1 lap to check out on the participants whilst they ran.. and i also took the opportunity to stand at the U-Turn point to chat with our volunteers there.

Watermelons, 100Plus, Water and a Food Reception were provided to all participants... And not surprisingly, the food was finished rather quickly... next time i will grab some before it's all gone!

We had an Awards Ceremony, where every participant were invited to receive their Finisher Towel, take a team photo with the Banana Relay Banner and at the same time announcing their names to everyone else.

See you in the 5th Edition for more Fun!!!

Check out:
Banana Relay Website
Banana Relay on Facebook

Many Thanks to Photos by our Official Photographer, Lum Guang Ye, :
http://www.mediafire.com/?0xk2l9d484j86

Links to other Photos:

Tan Kim Lai Part 1

Tan Kim Lai Part 2

Lim Ai Li Part 1

Lim Ai Li Part 2

Many thanks to Franxis Yong for taking this nice pic at the Banana Relay 2011
More pics taken by Franxis Yong can be found HERE

No Frills Series 10km & 15km, 13 Aug 2011 - by Running Guild

The Motivation Behind The No Frills Series by Running Guild
Dear friends, often we hear of comments mentioning that races are increasing their registration fees every year and there are few events that retain the same price over the years..  I always wished we could return to the good old days where races were just a few bucks and they were kept simple, pure and people ran for the sake of the experience, the joy, and the exhilaration of racing with fellow friends/competitors and/or just want to have fun outdoors and meeting new friends, some even become lifelong partners.   If you share the same sentiments as some of us do, we would like to invite you to join us at our inaugural No Frills Series at a very minimal cost of only $13, which covers all the essential aspects of an event, including your safety, which is of paramount importance to us. 

We hope to see you there and

Let us bring back the Good Old Days  of Running!!

Gear Up for a Fun Racing Experience

Join as a Team or as an Individual

Have FUN!! in the midst of Racing

Foster Friendship & Bonding with your team

Categories:
A) One Shot, One Kill 10km (Individual or Team)
B) One Shot, One Kill 15km (Individual or Team)
C) Yes, I am Crazy - Do both 10km & 15km (Individual Only)

Start Time:
- 10km at 4.00pm
- 15km at 5.30pm

Registration Cost:

$13 for either 10km or 15km

$24 if you sign up for both distances

Closing Date of Registration: 24 July 2011

Click HERE to Register

What's In Store:
- Limited Edition Dri-Fit Event T-Shirt (optional at only $13 each)
- Lucky draw for all participants
- Distance Markers at every kilometre
- Drinks (Isotonic & Mineral Water)
- Medical/Ambulance
- Timing
- E-Certificate with your timing
- Prizes (for the top 10 Individuals & top 3 Teams - combined fastest 3 timings of each team)
- Post-race food/refreshment
- Complimentary Baggage Deposit/Retrieval

Teams:
- Teams must have a minimum number of 3 members.
- There is no limit on the number of members.
- Teams are not allowed to compete in the Individual categories.

Check it out HERE

Jelapang Padi Super Marathon - Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia, 2 Oct 2011 Sunday

Wanna experience a 55km or 10km run in Alor Setar Kedah?  I was there 4 years ago for their 50km & i had a great experience with very friendly supporters & organisers.


My previous experience can be found HERE


  I am definitely going back again for this event.  Come, Join me to rock Alor Setar :) 


Will be staying at T Hotel: http://www.thotel.com.my/tandop.asp

Unfortunately, I'll not be accepting anymore registrations.  Please contact the organiser directly if you wish to register.  Thank you.  Hope to see you there.

Payment Options

Please send an email to benswee@hotmail.com once you've made payment so we can verify. Do retain your bank in slip/transfer slip/screen shot in case we need it to verify.

Current Status of Registrants

• Ben Swee (paid & registered)
• Lim Ai Li (paid & registered)
• Lee Yee Hua (paid & registered)
• Wong Chui Bee (paid & registered )
• Sam Chong (paid & registered)
• CHOI CHIK CHOY (paid & registered)
• Agnes Yew
• Wong Mee Yoong (paid & registered)
• CHA CHEE WEI (paid - to submit registration on 30 July or 21 Aug)
• Rich Chai (paid & registered)
• Roy Yeow Jit Ming (paid & registered)
• Chew Thong Hin (paid & registered)
• Cham Lian Keow (paid & registered)
• Cheong Wai Mun (paid & registered)
• Ng Chong Hing (paid - to submit registration on 30 July or 21 Aug)
• Ng Chee Beng (paid & registered)
• Lee Chun How (paid & registered)
• Andrew Loh Lean Hock (paid & registered)
• MOHD FAIZAL JAMIL
• Mohd.Saad bin Harun (paid - to submit registration on 30 July or 21 Aug)

If you do not see your name in the above list after 2 days of registraion, please send an email to benswee@hotmail.com 

115th Boston Marathon, 18 April 2011 (Part 4 - Race Day)

The 36th Marathon in my life, at the 115th Boston Marathon, my 2nd Boston in a row....

Rolled out of bed at about 4.30am after a 4hr peaceful sleep.... took a shower & munched on my breakfast whilst relaxing... Yeehua was still asleep & i didn't want to wake her from her dream (or nightmare). 

Ensured my camera was in my race bag.. that was the most important item as my goal in the race was to take as many pictures as i could & share the experience with my friends..

Wore quite a number of layers - Long Sleeve ASICS compression top, Short ASICS tights, Short Sleeve T-Shirt, Long Sleeve Shirt, Thick Jacket, Long ASICS running pants, Trackpants, Gloves... yes.. you can imagine how cold it was.  well after my 1st Boston Marathon experience last year, i knew i had to keep myself very warm whilst waiting for the start flag off at 10am.. but participants would be at the holding area from 7am onwards.

Left Hotel 140 at about 6am and walked to the bus pick up point, located along Tremont Street, just a 10min walk away (Last year, i took the T (subway) as I stayed much further away). Many participants were already queuing up for the buses. and there were many lanes to queue as each wave contains about 24 buses and the waves came continuously in precise coordination.  So we didn't have to wait long to board the buses.  I can't imagine how many buses & drivers were activated, but since it's a public holiday, schools would be closed and the whole city supports this superb world class event.  Imagine 27,000 participants and 1 bus fits about 40.. If you do the maths, it was amazing!  Everyone were queueing up orderly and there wasn't any shuffle, pushing, arguing.. and although it was my 2nd time here, it still is a fantastic atmosphere to witness every participant and even their supporters coming along to the bus pick up area to give them their blessings.

To be continued...

115th Boston Marathon, 18 April 2011 (Part 3 - Race Pack Collection 17 April 2011)

After a 4.5 hour journey on the Lucky Star Bus from New York, our bus finally pulled into Boston's South Station.  And with our luggages in tow & a haversack on my back, we had to cross rivers & mountains to get to the subway station (ok, i was just kidding about the river & mountain, but you get the idea)... we had to take the escalator, walk a lengthy pathway before we could reach the South Station subway.  Grabbed 2 pieces of the Charlie Card from the subway staff before topping up each card with $10.  Then took the subway to Downtown Crossing Station before changing to the Orange Line, bringing us to the Back Bay Station.  We exited towards Clarendon Street and walked along it, hoping we were walking the right way.. Luck was with us as we found the hotel rather quickly.  Unfortunately, our room wasn't ready yet even though it was 4pm.  We left our luggages there and after getting directions to Hynes Convention Centre, we hurried out of the hotel & walked about 20mins towards the Centre, taking pictures of the Finish Line in the process and it was great that the roads at the Finish Area were closed.

After being "interupted" along the way, we reached the race pack collection venue at 4.30pm, 1.5hrs before it officially closes... what a close shave and memorable adventure to get to here.  A good experience no doubt, which makes it even more memorable.

Priority #1 - Collect Race Bib.  Showed the lady my Number Pick Up Card and my IC. It was quickly retrieved.. possibly due to very few bibs still remaining in their stack.  Proceeded to collect my 'S'-sized long sleeve Event T-Shirt, which i must say, was of top quality and i really love the design and the oustanding yellow with blue lettering/logos.

Priority #2 - Race Expo shopping.  As it was quite near the close of the Expo,  not many good stuff were still available, especially at the Adidas booth.  Managed to scramble for a short sleeve & long sleeve t-shirts with the event logos.  Unfortunately the jacket was out of stock, which was a pity as i thought it looked nice.  Learning point - Go Early if you want the good stuff.  Went to view the many other booths and took quite a number of photos of those.  Various brands were present & i also grabbed some items at the ASICS booth.  Quite a number of booths had also begun closing even before we arrived there... well, at least it helped us save our pockets :)  I always loved attending the Boston race expo as it was a fantastic chance to view many sports items available & it was a real mental/financial challenge not to be tempted by the many products available at such reasonable prices.. imagine a pair of shoes can cost about USD 75 or USD 90 and some models are not even available in Singapore yet... After spending only 1 hour or so, an announcement was made to signify the close of the expo & we reluctantly made our way out of the Hynes Convention Centre...

We then walked around the city, in the search of a place to have dinner... finally found ourselves in a Japanese restaurant just opposite the Prudential Shopping Mall..  it was a lovely place and food was good too!  Satisfied with our fulfilling meal, we headed back towards Hotel 140, stopping by at the CVS Pharmacy to grab some drinks & breakfast food.

Once back at the hotel, unpacked our stuff, went through my race pack items & got ready my race day attire.  I had brought along a singlet & long sleeve compression top so i would have options as my decision would be made based on the expected weather on race day.  Decided to go with the ASICS Long Sleeve top.. helps prevent sun damage too as the race would only start at 10am.

Finally went to bed at about 12am... and looked forward to my 2nd Boston Marathon on 18 April 2011.

115th Boston Marathon, 18 April 2011 (Part 2 - Amazing Race: En route to Boston 17 April 2011)

Was awake since 4am on 17 April 2011, the day i was to make our way from New York to Boston. Alarm was set for 5.15am, but with my mind quite active, i got up earlier & had a refreshing shower. Packed our stuff & grabbed a bagel with cream cheese, downed 3 cups of orange juice and hopped into the shuttle van to JFK airport.

Our repeated attempts to check-in at the JetBlue kiosk were unsuccessful, until Yeehua exclaimed in a shocking tone that our flight was cancelled, and the notification via email came only at 6.12am that morning (our flight was scheduled to depart at 9.20am)... We had to join the never-ending queue, in the hope of taking the next flight available, and ensuring i was able to make it by 6pm to collect my race pack at the Race Expo.

As we waited in the queue, we mulled over how we can avoid such a situation in the future and started surfing the internet via our handphones on alternative transport arrangements.  After some frantic searching on the internet, we came to a decision: if there wasn't any available seat on the next flight to Boston, we'd make oiur way to New York city and take the hourly bus service to Boston for the cost of $15 per person.

True enough, there was a waiting list for the 1226pm flight & only 1 seat was available at the 2pm and 6pm flight. Deciding to opt for a full refund, we quickly made our way to the AirTrain and got ourselves onto the subway heading towards Bowery station, which took 45mins to get to.  Upon exiting the station, we walked along Chrystie Road with our luggages in tow, in search of Lucky Star bus company.  After a 5-10min walk requiring us to lift our luggages (fortunately it was still light as we'd just begun our trip) over potholes/uneven ground, we managed to secure 2 tickets to Boston for USD 30 (much cheaper than the JetBlue flight), leaving at 11am.  With a sigh of relief (we didn't really panic though, as there was just sufficient time to get to the race expo after a 4-5hr bus journey), i went to grab 4 fresh sandwiches at USD 2 each & 3 bottles of water for our bus adventure.  An adventure in itself, searching for a suitable bus company, and lucky enough to have free wi-fi on board Lucky Star buses.  And here i am still on the bus at 2.30pm, making full use of the on-board free wi-fi to blog about our 'Amazing Race' from New York JFK Airport to Boston.  I don't think i will forget this 'good' experience easily...  Looking forward to the next leg of the Amazing Race... from Hotel 140 to race pack collection by 6pm at 900 Boylston Street, Hynes Convention Center.

To be continued..

115th Boston Marathon, 18 April 2011 (Part1 - En route to Boston)

Starting this new blog with a report on one of the top 5 world marathon majors... the Boston Marathon, 115th edition, taking place on 18 April 2011, in Boston.

This will be my 2nd appearance in the 2nd consecutive year... the exhilarating experience in 2010 warranted a 2nd appearance in 2011.

So here I am, having just arrived in New York on 16 Apr at 3.45pm (3.45am Sunday Singapore time), after being 'imprisoned' in the China Eastern flight for a total of 19 hours, not including a 6 hour stopover in Shanghai Pudong airport. Will be staying for a night in Howard Johnson Inn JFK Airport before leaving for Boston the next morning via Jet Blue.

It's a very cold day in New York, 8 degrees celcius.. and rainy weather to welcome us into the US. It's time to get warm & comfy.. and probably venture out to New York City for a short night trip, and relive the previous trip to New York, way back in February 2005. To be continued...