SINGAPORE: A day after her achievement of running 1,000km from Thailand to Singapore over 12 days, Natalie Dau looked remarkably relaxed.
Perhaps it is because she has had seven hours of sleep instead of her usual two. Or that she is finally enjoying the air-conditioning in a hotel room instead of baking in 39 degrees Celsius heat or dodging wild dogs.
Dau’s legs are swollen – she plans to see a doctor later in the day – but she looks at ease. After all, the 52-year-old has accomplished what she set out to do.
Her feat through Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore on foot has earned her the Singapore record for the “Fastest 1,000km Thailand-Singapore Ultramarathon”. Her entry to the Guinness World Record for the “Fastest Crossing of Peninsular Malaysia on Foot” is pending official certification.
Plus, she has raised about S$50,000 (US$37,000) for GRLS, a charity which works to elevate women and girls through sport and exercise, as well as help them develop leadership skills.
“A lot of people didn’t believe I could do it,” Dau told CNA on Thursday (Jun 6). “I’m not offended that they say that … (The accomplishment) is a crazy thing to wrap your head around.”
TWO MARATHONS A DAY
An avid ultramarathoner, Dau had been looking to do something a little “crazier”, something more of a “personal journey” rather than signing up for just another race.
To run 1,000km through the three countries, she would have to clock the equivalent of about two marathons a day.
“Talking to my husband about it, he’s like: ‘It’s a great opportunity to bring awareness to something that you’re passionate about and raise some money,'” said Dau, a Singapore permanent resident, adding that she shares similar ideals with the charity GRLS.
“My passion is being healthy and fit, my passion is trying to inspire young girls, so I thought that’s the perfect fit.”
While Dau typically runs between 100km and 150km a week, she did not ramp up her daily mileage in preparation. Instead, she focused on running in the mornings and evenings to get used to longer days, and practised eating during runs to see how her body would react.
Together with her team, Dau also had to deal with the logistics of such a major endeavour.
“Planning for the actual run was a nightmare, it was way harder and way worse than the training,” she recalled.