Brendan Lee - 3hrs 02min for SSCM 2010 : Marathon Experience (Part 1 of 5)

The Aftermath Of Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2010

Picture 1 -   A Scenic View Of The Esplanade

The runners who raced very close to each other and ended 9th and 10 position with similar kind of time were Brendan Lee and Lim Thow Wee. Both did 3hr 02min, which was their personal best time. I believe that the time was creditable as they had to run one long hill at the 37th km mark, without which, to my experience, they may have got their sub 3 hours, I guess. I also feel that most of the runners, including the winner Mok Ying Ren, would have done at least one to two minutes faster if there was no need to ascend the steep hill. Anyway, most of the route were flat, which I find it as an excellent course. Having said that, let us ask both of them on the route of the marathon, timing that they were aiming for and their satisfaction they derived from running this marathon. 

For the first time, I am posing the same questions to the two of them and wonder what answers they will be providing. I believe some answers will be different. After their answers, on another issue, I will be asking the opinion of Ashley Liew and Dr Benny Goh of their race experience.

In this issue, I will ask Brendan, 22, a Singapore Management University Student and the day after tomorrow I will be interviewing Lim Thow Wee, 30.

Picture 2 - Brendan Lee and Lim Thow Wee, fighting for ninth and tenth placing.

An Interview With Brendan Lee - Ninth poistion in SSCM 2010

Did you achieve the target you were aiming for?

I did not achieve the 2hr 55min which I was aiming at. However, with the inclusion of the 37th km mark hill, I feel that 3hr 02min is a good time. The next time, I feel that I will get my target, hopefully in the near future.

How do you find the route? Can you explain in detail?

The route was really challenging this year which I feel contributed to slow timings. The course consisted of too many 90 degree or more turns which is not conducive for runners. I found that I had to slow down and accelerate many times which is rather tiring.

In addition, there were kilometer markers that were not placed properly so It was hard to monitor the pacing accurately.

Another issue was the area around the Marina Bay Golf Course which was closed to public before the race. Nobody knew what the terrain was going to be like before the race, and it turned out to be very sandy and full of road bumps and tight turns. At some point, runners had to run through a small gate that was only big enough for one runner.

Picture 3 - Winding up the race towards the end of the race.

Last but not least, the run up Sheares Bridge was a killer for most of the runners. The stretch along the expressway was hot and there was a strong headwind as there was no trees for shelter which made the uphill even harder than it was. Also, I think many runners found the descent too steep as I caught up with at least 3 runners during the descent as people had cramps on the way down.

What was your strategy during the run?

My strategy before the race was to follow Dr Benny Goh for as long as possible during the race as he was aiming to do 2hr 50mins. I intended to run the first half slightly faster as the weather was a lot cooler at the start of the race.

However, during the 15km mark, my left leg was twitching and giving me problems so I was forced to slow down. At the 21km U-turn I realised that another training partner, Thow Wee, was close behind and decided to slow down and run with him as he was in a small group. As he was aiming for 2hr 55min as well, I decided to follow him.

We were on track for sub 3hrs until the 35 km mark, at that point, the route started to include more turns and the temperature was rising and I knew that my goal timing was out of reach. From then on, I just followed the pace of the group until the last 2km when I decided to go all out.

Are you satisfied with the timing of your race?All in all, I would say that I am quite satisfied with the timing as the route was hard and I got some minor injuries during the training phase this season that interrupted my training.

What is your next plan/target in the future?

For the early half of next year, I plan on training for some triathlons. I believe that cross training in the early part of the year is a good way to maintain fitness as the hard running during the 12 weeks of marathon training takes a toll on the body.

In the later half, I will build up towards the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon again. I hope to start training earlier so that I can build up the mileage more gradually and this should help in having an injury free season. Hopefully I can achieve a better timing next year!



Picture 4 - Ashley Liew (left), standing with training partner Brendan Lee, with prize money, reward for coming in 9th position.