Banjamin Quek had good reason to feel apprehensive about his ability to even complete the 10km race at The Straits Times Run on Sunday.
It was his first race since a botched marathon debut on the Gold Coast in July, when he dropped out after 16km owing to a viral infection caught during a three-month training stint in Kenya.
On returning to Singapore, the full-time tutor decided to make work a priority, taking up more teaching assignments while juggling his training schedule.
Still, he clocked 36min 24sec to finish second in the ST Run, sandwiched between two Frenchmen, Jerome Besnaud (35:51) and Vincent Casanova (36:52).
"I came into the ST Run 10km with no expectations to win, but expected myself to give my all," he said. "I am pleasantly surprised that I am still in shape for a podium finish."
Quek, whose Kenya stint cost about $8,000, told ST that his illness derailed the progress he had made while he was there, and having to drop out of the Gold Coast Marathon was a "big blow".
"I was quite disheartened after coming back to Singapore," he said.
"I did have fears of not being able to complete the race (during the ST Run) but I told myself the main goal is to complete it and push myself as much as I can.
"I can't control whether I do well or not, but the emotions and mindset going into the race are things I could deal with, so I had to psych myself up to be strong."
He did this by reminding himself of all the training he had done, and the improvement made in Kenya.
The 27-year-old recalled how he had trouble keeping pace with his group of 40 to 50 runners, and that he was always the last runner initially at the training camp in Iten.
He added: "I had never done long runs of up to 40km and I did it in Kenya and the terrain was pretty challenging.
"At the beginning, I was just trying to keep up with the last (female runner) and trying not to lose my way in the forest.
"But two months in, I could keep up with most of the female runners and was even able to overtake some of them, and that in itself is progress."
The ST Run podium finish has boosted his confidence for his next event, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon next month.
"I know I have what it takes to compete and I know where I stand now.
"The main (lesson) is to be positive because it's not going to be easy ... but you still have to be positive and do whatever you can," added Quek, who graduated from the National University of Singapore with a degree in mechanical engineering last year.
"Whether you can finish on the podium or not is just a bonus. At the end of the day, it's about whether you've done whatever you can."
