Gardens By the Bay - Pocari Sweat Run 5km Run

Here it is, the event that we all have been training for: Pocari Sweat Run 5km! Initially, we signed up for the run because we wanted to set an objective a few months down the road. Training to run 5km from totally unfit is quite a challenge to us at that point in time. The whole experience is best summed up by the quote from Big Bone Guy:

"I never could imagine that I could run 5km! Until today!"

So 5 of us signed up for the Pocari Sweat and is determined to work out at least once a week to be fit enough not to disgrace ourselves during this public event. Alas, a week before the run, I was off to Manado and Gold Coast for holidays and did not get to run much. BBG went on a working trip in Berlin and flew back only the day before the run. Alcoholic and Fang Tai were overseas too. Lazy girl was just... too lazy to run. We were by no means in the best of condition to challenge the run and were moaning and groaning the day before

Gardens At the Bay. Location for the Pocari Sweat Run

Early morning 5:55am, day of the run:

BBG," Those awake, help me call Alcoholic, he not responding to my calls."

Fang Tai,"Oh Dear."

BBG," He is up!"

Alcoholic, "Yeah but like no bus yet??"

 Lazy Girl,"I'm just out of house too. I was hoping for rain today..."

........

We all reached Bayfront MRT by 7am and we followed a crowd of healthy joggers in blue singlet, to the starting point. After depositing our bags at the bag deposit counter, we hang around and waited for the initial crowd to take off from the starting line. After waiting for 5 mins and did all the stretching we could, we took off from the starting point, and prompting ran into a wall of walkers 300 meters down the lane.

Runners gathered in the early morning

The Walking Joggers... Blocking our Way!

Alcoholic," KNS, Why are people walking and blocking the way? My pace is slowed to 8min/km!!"

PES E,"Mine is 14min/km!! Its worse!!!"

With little choice, we walked and tried to squeeze pass a bunch of giggling girls and managed to get some pace when we reached Marina Bay Sand waterfront. We hit the first u-turn at Marina Bay Financial center and began the long run towards Marina barrage.

The U-Turn point at MBFC

We ran past the flower dome and the sloping pillars and curving pavement created an interesting running experience as the morning sun cast shadows onto the building. 

Past the flower dome, the whole landscape became like a construction site. Seems like there are still portions of the Garden by the Bay that is still under construction! Initially, when I signed up for the race, I was thinking that we could be running into the zone where we need to pay an admission fee, so I was thinking, why not? Pay one running fee and get freebies, a healthy workout and a free visit into Singapore's latest tourist trap? I was quite disappointed when they announced the route, which is planned along the "FREE" zone of the Gardens by the Bay. 

The play of light at the pillars of the flower dome

Once we hit Marina barrage, a new nightmare starts. We were supposed to run up the circular slopes of the barrage building!! It is not the amount of effort that is needed to run up the long curvy slope that bothers me, but rather, the mass of walking crowd materialized again, blocking the way of the serious runners who are not a bit bothered by the slope. Squeezing past a bunch of sweating, tired and unresponsive joggers is not a pleasant experience!

Up the barrage building we go...

Down the Barrage building we go...

From there onwards, its a nice down slope and a homerun towards the finishing line. This time round, we have a better view of the supertrees overlaid with the MBS as background. I can see the potential of the landscape and photo opportunities that will make camera snapping tourist salivate with pleasure.

It's still a construction yard out there!!

Runners are getting tired...

I thought my timing was pretty decent, given the amount of photos I was taking while running and navigating through the Walking Dead at 36 mins for a 5km run. We were all given a big yellow banana, the finisher medal and free flow of Pocari Sweat. Alcoholic and BBG literally stood there and drank a few litres of Pocari Sweat! Okie I exaggerated but I saw them keep grabbing a new cup of Pocari sweat and downing them one after another.

The finishing line! Go go go!

A quick V short of myself at the finish line.

After standing around and doing some group photoshoot, we took a short walk to Marina Sq Mcdonalds for Breakfast. Apparently, there were 2 other paid competitions that day. A Shape run along Nicole Highway and another 15km run at Macritchie reservoir. There are quite a number of joggers in blue and purple and green hanging around Mcdonalds that morning.

Supertrees, MBS and the cloudy skies! Poetic?

Artistically arranged mobile toilets!

 After the run, I saw the advertisement for Stanchart Half Marathon. Why not try for a 10km run? I messaged the guys

PES E ,"Stanchart half marathon open for registration!"

Lazy Girl ,"Quota Reached for this year..."

PES E,"Simi Quota???"

Lazy Girl, "My quota for running competition - 1 a year."

........