WalkRunCycle 2011

This morning I took part in a popular charity event here in Brunei - the HSBC WalkRunCycle 2011. Around 2000 people had signed up to do either the 45k bike route or the 8k walk/run/bike route.
My friend Maria and I decided a few weeks back to do this run, but we haven't trained for it. In fact, I have hardly been running at all since last summer while in Sweden, apart from the HIIT (=High Intensity Interval Training) I do on the treadmill at the gym at the moment. But I figured, 8k would be doable.

I must admit I had a few second thoughts at 05.20 this morning when the alarm went off and it was POURING down with rain outside... *Sigh*.
But, I got ready and off I went into town:



We were in really good time... had to wait around for quite a bit before we set off. It didn't help either that the organizers decided to "wait for the rain to subside", as it only got heavier by the minute!
It was a bit annoying, since whoever didn't want to run in the rain probably hadn't even bothered to turn up; and the rest of us who were eager, were really rearing to go! The bikers set off 45 minutes late, and us runners 20 minutes late.

I didn't bring the camera for the race itself, only for afterwards. But here is a photo from just before we took off, that I got sent to me from Maria:



And... here we are after the race, down in the parking garage just before we got changed, nicely "glowing"!



Ok, I've only done two big organized races (the Hong Kong 10k and the Singapore Sundown 10k, both last year), and after finishing those you got bananas, fruit juices and other healthy foods. Here, you got this:



Fried chicken, white bread rolls and biscuits...
Mmm, just what you feel like after a run! (Not...)

We then had to wait, again, for the 45k bikers to get back before they would get on with the big Lucky Draw. In the meantime we checked out a few of the games they offered:



Some of the runners/walkers, waiting:



Finally they came! It had taken them nearly 2h40 to go around. (Well, it wasn't a race, they call it a "fun run", so they keep the whole group together and at quite a slow pace.)





So, then it was a big Lucky Draw with some really good prizes: iPad2s, iPhone4s, treadmills, half and full year gym memberships, nice road bikes and more. Unfortunately we didn't win anything, bummer.

In hindsight we should have taken part in the costume competition, considering it was a cool morning. Not many at all were dressed up so the competition wasn't very stiff... I liked the 'Angry Bird', ha ha!



Here we are - well done to us!



Next run we will be doing is the 10k Standard Chartered Bank Charity Run, in July. Right Maria?...