Heavy thunderstorms erupted in the wee hours of 4am, starting from the North and sweeping down in a South-easterly direction. By 5am, The Sunbird's Nest was abuzz with trainees asking if the run will be postponed. As with all FatBird runs and training, we will always go down to location to make an assessment of the conditions before deciding - 9.5 times out of 10, we have never had to cancel/postpone any long runs...and this morning was no exception...in fact, the skies cleared by 6:30am and turned into what was one of the best climate in recent times for Operation Sunbird.
As the various pace groups checked in and received their Endurolytes, kind courtesy of Hammer Nutrition, our nutrition sponsor for Ops Sunbird 2011, pre-flight briefings were conducted by the respective captains and co-leaders of the pace groups, before being lined up for takeoff. As the Sunbirds roared down the ECP runway in their usual enthusiasm, we could feel the light winds against our faces, and broad smiles broke out as we 'ate' the initial km at target marathon/half-marathon pace. In fact, some groups began practising the FatBird Optimal Pace strategy, running a tad faster in the first half of the distance. The trusty flight photographers were on hand to capture the takeoffs as well as the flight paths along ECP, always indicating from far for us to spread our wings as we went close for that 'flying' shot :)
With 8 weeks of training runs under their belts, the first part of the long run posed no problems at all, as evident in the tight formation the birds were flying in, sometimes close enough to the group pilots that might 'clip a wing or two' if the guard is let down. It was a nice sight to watch as the groups pass one another, cheering, smiling and waving, the Pacers looking bright in their uniforms and the trainees looking smart in their Sunbird/FatBird attire. As we ran onto NSRCC, we were greeted by the Hammer refuel point, Sam and his team, dispensing HEED to pump up our energy and hydration levels. At that 11km mark, all were evidently looking strong.
The HM groups turned back at NSRCC for the strong finish, whilst the FM Sunbirds increased altitude and swooped into Changi Coastal for that straight. The respective groups held strong and steady paces, and when the pace threatened to drop, in went an Endurolyte and the firepower came back. The formations took turns to lead, sometimes even with a couple of the Sunbirds running slightly ahead. By the 25km mark, we were happy to see the the Hammer resupply point again.
A final top-up and off we went for the finish. With 5km left to go, the flock drifted slightly as some of the birds were dropping to more manageable paces in bids to finish strongly. Good strategy applied as we finally completed the 33.6km distance within target pace (the optimal pace strategy, allowing for some drift at the end, provided us with a good buffer).
After the smooth landing, some of the birds were so drained that they took longer than normal to recover sufficiently - although the weather was cool, the humidity levels remained high to pose challenges for such long runs. The Sunbirds did very well to conquer the challenges, both physically and mentally...many tired, but happy faces were seen to be chatting about their experiences and what nice weather it was.
We ended well within regulation time, allowing for us to visit the Wheelathon360 Roadshow, of which Team FatBird will be participating in and supporting the meaningful cause. A number of Sunbirds found the time to try out the handcyle and wheelchairs for good fun. Some bought tee-shirts to support the cause, with others helping to distribute flyers and talk to interested parties about the event.
We urge all FatBird runners and friends to go down to F1 Pit next Saturday 4pm to support and cheer for Team FatBird's participation in Wheelathon360, and also do whatever you can to contribute to the cause for these physically-challenged athletes. There will be a post-event dinner that all can join in, and yes, maybe carbo-load for the Sunbird's longest LSD the following day...and do we have yet another exciting run for all Sunbirds.
Flight OSB11 - Follow Our Pace, Win Your Race!
No comments:
Post a Comment