This is the second time I am pacing for Great Eastern Women 10km. The first time was my first stint in 2023 with Dorine and Gina from the Running Department. Running Department seems to be the club now which handles most of the pacing jobs in Singapore with Singapore marathon as the major project year. Singapore at the moment now only has one marathon and that happens in Dec yearly, the Singapore marathon. Great Eastern Women run has up to only 21km, but yet it is the most celebrated women run in Singapore and the region.
Signing For it
This year I have already done the Income Eco Run for 10 km pacing. Originally, I did not think of doing anymore pacing jobs but the opportunity came with and email from Running Department asking for Pacer selection. After checking my calendar, I realise that the training timing fits at least fulfilling the main saturday trainings. This year the meet and greet was quite special, all the ladies met at the Peninsula plaza for a small dinner chat with refreshments. Somehow I felt the group was smaller than 2023.
This time I was the group leader because seems like no other candidates. I have Si Ying and Amy joining me for the 60 Min 10km group. The ladies are young and both were their first time pacing, I was a bit worried that I might not do the group leader job well. We never really met each other until one of the ten km run at Decathlon stadium side, it was not a training run but we decided to just meet up.
The Training
The first Wednesday training was met with bad wet weather and it had to be cancelled but we did the rest of the trainings with me missing the week of the Bukit Kledang ultra challenge. Amy missed quite a bit of the training and the week where I was in Kledang, she vomitted at the 12km training run on sat. I was really worried whether she might be taken off the pacer team but I thought that it was just a 10km job they might not be that strict. Si Ying seemed like a stronger and more seasoned runner as she has been doing longer distances. The both were also training for the Singapore marathon which is on second week of December.
Our training were good although Wednesdays we did not really run together and went for different timings. Amy had a good friend, James who was also very supportive and came over to join us always. We decided on the theme CATS, I actually sourced for most of the logistics while Si ying helped to order the tattoos. The garb was simple, just socks, a frill flock and the tattoos. We did not want to over do.
Race Day
Actually many things happened on the race day, I was the first to not respond to the wake up call and forgot to respond in the group chat for the leaders. Our team manager, Jaslyn got quite mad when she came to the stadium. The lucky thing was that all of us were present.
Rest if the preparations were as usual and we really had many many photographs being taken by the Running Department own photo crew and also other photographers. It was like the celebrity feel coming back all over. After fixing up the balloons, we made our way to the start line. We actually do not have much time left was hanging for around 30 min at the start line and we went off. The 10 km pacer had up to 80 min. It was a cosy group, the day was cooling so pretty nice for run, but half way through around the 6km mark, Si Ying started to feel a bit uncomfortable, and she started to slow down. I told her to take breadth and regain her conscious first before coming back. She said her heart rate was going too high and was really nauseous. Amy and me went off first as we need to keep within the 60 min. Along the way Amy started to feel a bit naseous also and we kind of slowed down a little at the 9km mark. I thought we still have some time left and did not want to push too hard. Just before entering the stadium, Jaslyn was waiting outside to help us to burst the balloons. In the end we finish 1 min later, it was not really that well done but given some of the ups and downs, I felt it was good enough.
After Show
As usual because we are the fastest group, we get to take all the photos and wander around the event space with loads of freebies. This is probably the best part about the GE pacership. Was quite sad I was not able to get Si Ying to complete the first pacer job. But in any case health come first. Loads to learn for this race, I still have a lot to fulfil as a group leader. Maybe I lost my passion to lead like in the Army days.
