Welcome to der Family : der Pacemakers # 75 (Alexis Phang)

Hi, to make it easier, call me AP. This invitation from PM1 certainly came to me as a surprise which also led to several contemplations, given that I am currently on my “running sabbatical leave.”

I would like to thank the well-known yet unknown - Gypsum Board, for recommending me into der Pia family and of course the concurrences of other PMs too. For those who have known me well would know that it is not an easy task for me to churn a Running Report, given that I often find it hard to put a STOP to my writings. Fortunately, I am a banker and not an author by profession, or I would have otherwise put many to sleep.

Briefly, I was never an outdoor person until I started trekking in 2005. Apologies for not sharing my trekking experiences coupled with other sports as I really want to keep this report short and sweet.

I started running unintentionally in 2005 by taking part in a 3.5km charity run (registered on my behalf by a close friend), followed by a 10km run (as a replacement runner) and then the New Balance 15km Run (which was a birthday token). Those days, I took a good 8 minutes to complete 1km. As shameful as such record may show, I am still proud to own this badge as I am about to share my further progress with you.

In 2006, I continued to take part in various short distance races of not more than 15km. I have no idea what training was required but even if I did; my job commitment did not warrant me to do so. Just when I was keen to start training regularly, I fell badly at the gym and got my left knee severely bruised cum inflamed. A subsequent lay off for 3-6months worried me as I was afraid that my running interest would just die off.


I then forcefully signed up for my first 21km race in 2007, more as an approach to discipline myself to start training again and this was not easy at all, given that my gym mates were slowly drifting away from their routine. I needed a bigger goal in order to keep myself motivated and consequently I set a personal goal of completing a marathon before I turn 30 (thinking that it was going to be my last). Realizing that I was a slow runner, I did not train with any group back then and I did my LSDs on a treadmill at the gym! I believe the people at the “Blue Logo Gym” would probably think that I either had no Astro at home or I had nowhere else to go to. I still find it hard to believe that my treadmill regime (coupled with some guidance from books) actually prepared me for my first marathon in March 2008 - KL International Marathon. And guess what…..as a first timer, I completed the marathon without a timing chip! All I had was a photo at the finishing line to attest my completion.

Fast forwarding my short running history, I unexpectedly did my first ultramarathon in May 2010 (Singapore Sundown Ultramarathon - 84km), which again I thought it was going to be my last. In the very same year, I did my first trail ultramarathon (The North Face 100km Duo Challenge, Singapore).

Summarizing my running attainments, I have completed at least 25 marathons (including ultramarathons) between 2008 - 2011. Although some of you have seen me training at Bukit Aman, actually that only came into picture at the end of 2010. I only gained confidence running in colder weather after completing my first overseas marathon at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon (Singapore is excluded from my “overseas” definition).

I still consider myself an inexperienced runner given the low count of races and the “Pia-logy” is certainly new to me. Speed work was never my forte as I only made an attempt to work on it after completing the 2011 Singapore Sundown Ultramarathon - 100km.

For the rest of 2012, I can’t wait to hit the road again at the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, Taiping International Marathon and Osaka Marathon.

brought 2u by
http://www.facebook.com/alexis.phang @ PM75