First Marathon Experience 🏅
Ran my first half marathon and first full marathon in 2025!! Not much to brag about because I still don't feel like I'm a good runner, but I was definitely a disciplined one 🫡
My only goal was to just finish the marathon. At the point where I signed up, I had exactly 30 weeks to train but realistically, my training only picked up at week 15 when I realised I had to get my shit together. However, I was still running for at least once a week from Week 1 to Week 15 so I'll give myself some credit for trying 🫠
I usually wouldn't pay for subscription services but I decided to give Runna a chance. After trying for one month, I decided that the 2 months of paid subscription was worth it if it could help me work towards my marathon goal. I started consistently running 3 times a week and I would even say I enjoyed the marathon training more than the marathon itself 💯
Everything was going well until the last week before the marathon. On my last taper run, I ran at Coney Island. It wasn't a very long run but somehow trail running + running with new shoes resulted in ankle pain that wouldn't go away (not a sprain but highly suspect that it was tendon overuse). Moral of story, don't do dumb shit close to race day.
I was devastated but I couldn't let go of all the effort I had put in. Tried my best to recover the ankle through icing, kefentech and daily calf massages. After much mental turmoil, the pain did subside to a 2/10 on race day (mainly stiffness but not pain). Hence, I pushed through with my Bauerfeind ankle guard.
1-20km: Felt very boring but was cruising through the first half. Was in the wrong pen where everyone was running faster than I should be, so I had to really control my pace. Didn't stop for the first 20km because I thought if I stopped to walk, my ankle pain might kick in 😬
20-30km: Decided to push for a HM PR so i sped up till 21.1km. Bad decision because after my watch hit 21.1km, I gassed out and started walking. Left knee started hurting so I swapped my knee guard to my left knee at the 25km mark. Right after, my right knee (the weaker knee) started cramping. First time experiencing spasms from running 😭 Started walking and sipping more isontonic. Swapped the knee guard back to the left knee and slapped on my only emergency kefentech when the knee pain got so bad that I couldn't jog at all.
30-40km: Was expecting to hit a wall at 30km, but I already hit it at 25km 😆 The run honestly got easier mentally. The knee pain was more bearable and I could see the end with less than 10km. At this point, I knew I could run-walk my way to a sub 6 hours marathon. It was very tempting to keep walking once I stopped but I had to push myself to at least keep running intermittently.
40-42.195km: Surprisingly, I still had gas to speed up for the last 2km. However, the distance on my watch was more than the actual race distance due to GPS interference from high buildings. After it hit 42.2km on my watch, i mentally clocked out and started walking. The finish line felt sooo far away (it was actually +1km from my watch distance) but yay i did it!! With 7 mins to spare.
Extra grateful for good weather - it was windy and felt like aircon temperature for most of the route. The event felt very well-planned compared to 2XU - in terms of route planning, crowd management and aid stations.
Overall this was a great experience for me. I love how everyone is running their own race and everyone is a winner 🏅 I never thought I would fall in love with running but here I am, completing yet another side quest 🌿
Next up ➡️ Collecting PBs
5K in 30 min
10K in 1 hour
21.1K in 2.5 hours
#marathon #scsm #running
Running your first marathon is a transformative experience, and looking back, I wish I had known a few things that might have made the journey smoother. For starters, managing pre-race anxiety and balancing training intensity is key. I learned that consistency beats speed when you're just starting out—even running once a week from the get-go helped me build endurance, though real progress came when I committed to training thrice weekly after week 15. The importance of not experimenting with new shoes or trail running too close to race day was hammered home for me when ankle pain struck just before the marathon. From personal experience, it's critical to stick with tried-and-tested gear as race day approaches to avoid injury. When pain did appear, I prioritized icing, massage, and knee and ankle support—things every first-time marathoner should have ready. Mentally, the race taught me patience. The first 20 kilometers felt deceptively easy, but pushing too hard to set a personal record mid-run caused a knee injury and cramps that slowed me down. I had to learn pacing on the fly and embrace a run-walk strategy to cross the finish line strong. That lesson of listening to your body can’t be overstated. Good weather and smooth event organization hugely impacted my race-day experience. Cool temperatures and well-placed aid stations kept me going. I also realized how powerful the camaraderie among runners is—everyone running their own race, cheering each other on. Looking forward, my goal is to improve my personal bests in shorter distances. The marathon sparked a passion I never expected, and I can’t wait to tackle new challenges. For anyone on a similar journey, remember: every step, including the tough ones, counts toward your victory.