A runner in the making

It is 31 days away from the Penang Bridge International Marathon. This would be my fourth year running on the bridge since 2006, the year I started working in Penang.

This year's PBIM is organized by Penang State Tourism Development, Cultural, Art and Heritage. It is their second time organizing the event (since the change of state gov). So far, I'm seeing some improvements on the organizer's part:

• We have a certified half-marathon distance, not like last few years where we ran 22km and 25km.
• Half-marathoners get running jersey too, not some cheapo T-shirt
• Timing chip will be used to measure run time more systematically
• This year, we'll be running on the expanded bridge (3 lanes + 3 lanes)
• Finisher medal looks much better than last year. Last year's medal is awfully ugly. My complain this year, the back of the medal it was only written 'Finisher'. Should have write "Half-marathon Finisher" or "42km Finisher"
  

As I continue to participate in this annual event, I find more and more friends shying away from it. These friends no longer interested in healthy activity, they would prefer to catch as much sleep as possible on weekend when they actually do not need to wake up early to work. Friends who I know were very active during school time or Uni time, are now more interested in sleeping and eating. Haiz...this is so wrong.

I love that the starting point of the Marathon is at Queensbay Mall. Then I can just wake up and walk there. No need to think about road closure, parking problem and illegal parking fee collector.

I think I'm much more ready to conquer the 21km this year. Been running so much lately. I feel like it's the only thing I've been doing for the past few months. Ok, i might have exaggerated, of course I was on my (unsatisfying) full time job, and swimming once in a while and doing some other personal things, but still, running is the thing in my mind most of the time.

Let's see where this preparation gets me in the coming PBIM2009.

I shall call myself a RUNNER when I complete my first full marathon, which I plan to do so some time next year.

So what am I now? A jogger? :P