Last Sun (2nd Dec '07), my dear Devona went for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007.
It's been 6 years since she last ran in a competitive race. (She used to run very well.)
It's the first time she joined a competitive event at national level.
She is carrying an old injury on her right knee cap. (She needs to wear a knee guard.)
She only started training 2 months ago, together with me, for this event.
The longest distance we ever clocked is 7km.
She has never run half marathon (21km) before.
She has not even run 10km before!
But, she signed up for the full marathon (42km) in this event!
And she made it! She completed the full marathon!
It's an incredible achievement!

Why 42km? Because she wants to get the finisher tee, which is exclusive only for 42km runner!
To her, it is also an achievement in life.

The night before, both Devona & me couldn't sleep.
I'm not sure if is the effect from the Killney's Coffee or we were both nervous of the run.
I was worried for her because she didn't has the required rest for the run.
I also couldn't run with her because I didn't sign up for the run as I was on recall manning.
Knowing her character, she will never give up half way in the run unless she collapses!
That made me even more worried and the hot weather didn't help!
I was supposed to go home and sleep after I sent her to Padang, come back later to the finishing point to wait for her.
But then, how can I sleep when I know that she is running and I'm not sure if she is doing fine?

I went to the finishing point earlier then I planned for, to wait for her.
Time passed by while I waited anxiously for her.
The hot sun had no effect on me because the heat from the sun is no where compared to the anxiety in me. (I actually got a very bad sun burn at the end of it! I'm still in bad shape now!)
After I saw my brother Jacky came in about 7 hours and pointing to me that my dear Devona was still in the run but further back, I decided to run in the opposite direction of the run, to look for her.
An ex Pioneer colleague, Jackson, whom I met there told me that I can actually go the opposite direction of the run to look for the runner. (He mentioned that he didn't dare to approach me initially because my face has became so rounded that he wasn't sure if it was me. S***!)
As I ran in the opposite direction of the run, I found her under the bridge from Esplanade, limping her way towards the last few hundred metres.
When she saw me, tears started to fill her eyes and mine too!
I was glad to see her but I was hurt to her suffering alone.
How I wished I had ran with her.
As she reached the last 250 metres, she made a dash to the finishing points and completed her run in 7 hours and 20+ min.
My dear Devona has made it!

She mentioned that she actually started walking from the 13km mark.
She ran too fast for the first 13km following her friend, Yvonne.
They completed the first 13km in under 1 hour time leh!
She stopped to eat banana at the 13km mark, after that she slowed down.
Actually all the way till the 21km mark, she can still take it.
Is the last 21km or the last 10km to be exact, her leg had really reached the limit.
What pushes her all the way to complete the race is her strong will power and the never-say-die attitude. And one of the main reason is me! She didn't want me to wait too long for her! And also because of me, she didn't dare to push herself too much because she didn't want to collapse in the run.

My dear Devona, I'm really proud of you!
This is the best anniversary gift I've ever received! (Is our 2 years & 1 month anniversary.)
I'm also glad that my unit didn't activate the manning. I'm able to be at the finishing line when you finish the run.
I will love you forever :)
Next year will be my turn, ok?
Believe me, I can do it too..in the name of love :)

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