There are many disadvantages to being a marathon runner in tropical Singapore. Every single run no matter how easy is a sweatfest, heart rate spikes uncontrollably during intervals and tempo runs are borderline impossible. But a lifetime of learning to suffer in the heat prepared me for the very moment this photo was captured by
@jh_jpeg at around the 36km mark of the London Marathon.
The afternoon sun was beating down onto the Embankment without a cloud in the sky. The morning mist had been dissolved into humidity. Heat radiated off the road tarmac and concrete building onto the London marathoners, staggering on their last legs. And I was in 3 layers, my pace slowing abruptly from a rather consistent 3:45/km to over 4:00/km, with my head feeling like I was going to get a heat stroke anytime.
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” -
@harukimurakami.author
Boy I repeated that quote to myself again and again for the last 30min of the marathon, shuffling one foot in front of the other, just trying to pass the next guy. And then next. And the next… chipping away at the distance, kilometre by kilometre, and when even that became too much to fathom, minute by minute. I chose to suffer - a lot.
After what seemed like eternity, the finish line was in sight and I tried to sprint but only succeeded in looking pretty ridiculous on live
@bbcsport
2:39:57. Guinness World Record by 56 seconds, and first human in the world under 2hr 40min in a three piece suit and tie. 🕴️🥵
From tiny tropical Singapore to the world. 🇸🇬🌍
#LikeABoss
