advertisement

  • Fitness Bootcamp With Polar
    Being a strong runner is not enough to ace the Urbanathlon. This workshop with Polar will help build up your strength, agility and flexibility to get through the race unscathed. Three sessions available. Registration closes Jan 3.  

  • Beginner's Guide
    Been thinking of starting a running routine? Stop thinking about it and just run already! Here's what you need to get going.

More
Keep The Faith
Trust takes time to be earned, established and nurtured but it can disappear with one wrong decision. Our guest columnist, Faye Mui, explains why it matters so much to women and why it isn't that hard to develop.

Her Say: Your V-Day Survival Guide
Valentine's Day doesn't have to be a drag if you follow this cheat sheet on doing everything right come Feb 14 without trying too hard (or spending a fortune).

Serve To Be Served
Cooperation and collaboration are factors of a successful relationship. Our guest columnist, Faye Mui, explains why a little help for their ladies can only be a good move for the men.


   

Follow us on Twitter

Men's Health Blog
   
Gavin Gets Garang: Day 45
Gavin Tan
Monday, 1st February 2010 @ 15:38:45 PM

Did I survive the Urbanathlon? YES...I bloody well did!

"I killed it! It was easy! Other runners were eating my dust! Iron Men have got nothing on me!"

That's what I'd like to be able to say but the truth is, finishing the Urbanathlon was a real struggle. Don't get me wrong — I fully expected it to be an uphill journey paved with obstacles (and it literally was) and I did not fully underestimate the difficulty I'd face — but I have to confess that even that estimation was quite below the mark. In other words, I expected the race to be really tough, but it still turned out to be a lot tougher than I had expected, if that makes any sense.

Sure, I had been training for all of three weeks prior to the race (watch my interview with Razor TV below), but even I knew that this was hardly enough preparation for someone who couldn't even pass his IPPT 2.4km run last year. That said, I'm really glad I attended all three Urbanathlon Bootcamp with Polar training sessions. Without them, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have developed enough mental fortitude to complete the full 12.5km of the race. After all, I'm embarrassed to admit, I slowed to a walking pace on more than a few occasions during the race. Those lapses in willpower usually happened right after a tough obstacle, like the Corporate Ladder (99 steps up Fort Canning Hill). I was also forced to limp slowly for several minutes upon scaling the Wall Street obstacle (1.5m low wall) as the impact from landing caused my injured right foot (read about this recent existing injury) to erupt in pain.

  Getting ready to go (and shitting my pants)  

 

The Monkey Business obstacle (6-metre monkey bars) literally proved the turning point for me. The wait for my turn to test my grip strength proved to be invaluable rest time, and the obstacle also signalled the halfway point of the route. From here, I knew every step I took would be one that was closer to the finish line. It was the morale boost I sorely needed after seeing most of my colleagues in the Men's Health team pull away beyond sight.

       Ain't no Monkey Business going on here.

 

Six kilometres and four obstacles later — including swimming through water (Leap of Faith) and mud (Down & Dirty) — I finally crossed the finish line without stopping again (I think) in a time of 1:45:06. I know most people would assume that I felt a sense of accomplishment sear through me at this point, but the truth is, relief was the more overwhelming emotion. Relief that it was over and that there was no longer a need to force myself to run on. Greater still was the relief I felt that I did not come unstuck at the first major goal I had set for myself in my journey back to fitness.
                                   Yes, I've been a very dirty boy...
 

 

                         Last push towards...
                   ...the finish line!     Team MH triumphant (from left): Me, Ashruddin Sani, Melvin Hoe, Mirza Malik, Joe Tan

For more pictures of the Urbanathlon, visit our Facebook page!

Yes, I've completed the Urbanathlon like I said I would. Next up is clearing my IPPT test. And after that, a certain Mount Kinabalu summit needs conquering. It's been a great start, but this journey is far from over.

 

Watch my post-Urbanathlon interview on Razor TV below:

(Wait, that's not me...that's just my doppleganger clone Kevin. You can get your very own slave clone today at www.iwantaslaveclone.com for the very limited offer price of just $199.99! Order yours today and they'll even throw in a gimp in the likeness of that presenter. Free ball gag and flagellator to use on the gimp for the 1st 50 callers!)

 

Read previous entry

Read about Day 00, or what Gavin Gets Garang is all about.

Gavin Gets Garang: Day 01

Gavin Gets Garang: Day 03

Gavin Gets Garang: Day 12

Gavin Gets Garang: Day 26

Gavin Gets Garang: Day 32

Gavin Gets Garang: Day 39


 

READER COMMENTS
(Comments may take up to 15minutes to appear)
Congrats for completing the race! Race you next year! :p

Thanks Shawn. Hopefully I'll be a lot fitter and faster next year when you take part!

Leave a Comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
1 + 15 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Copyright © 2010 SPH Magazines Pte Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 196900476M. All rights reserved.
Privacy Statement | Conditions of Access | Career | Sitemap