A "Fool" Print

I was sharing a cab with Peter, Ricci and Michael to meet up with the rest of the Safra members at Golden Mile Complex. We boarded our Super VIP Coach and heading towards KL.

There was a news reported yesterday that there was a shortage of water supply at KL due to a water pipe had burst. Apparently, our hotel was affected. We waited at the hotel’s lobby for over an hour while the staff was arranging to resume the water supply. Finally, we decided to leave our things at the caring of the staffs and headed for lunch at nearby food court. I was puzzled as in where the food stalls gotten their water. After making queries with them, I discovered they had used the fire hose to collect the water.

Once back to the hotel, we were allocated with our room keys. At 4pm, I went with Yuen, Michael and his wife, Ong and Jamie to shop around at the nearby shopping centers. I had gotten myself another ring.

At 6pm, all of us gathered at the hotel lobby and headed for dinner. They were 50 of us including those from Sgrunners. The meal was fulfilling, and I especially liked the Hokkien Mee. It was really cheap, which costed RM186 in total. However, the main highlight was the desserts. After we spitted, we had an ice dessert filled wit lot of fruits on it. I ordered a Yam favor and it looked more like an ice-cream. Then after, we had a coffee before PS and Albert joined us.

I reached back hotel at 10pm, made a few preparations here and there for tomorrow’s run before falling to my every own king size bed. Zzzzzzz :p

My head was still pounding due to yesterday’s late night sleep. Oops!! I had remembered the timing wrongly for Tania’s farewell lunch. I arrived at Mache, Vivocity an hour late.

There were not many of us (Carol and her child, Alan Elaine, Mayoko and William). Rosalind arrived later than I did. We chitchatted with each other. The topic was still very much surrounding our job hunting experience and aspirations.

After the lunch, we shopped around for a while before parting from each other. Although I should be happy seeing Tania finding a good job and able to be back in Indonesia to reunite with her families. Nevertheless, I still wouldn’t help it to feel a bit of sadness after seeing each of my friends leaving Singapore one by one.

Good Luck to her and may she succeed in every of her endeavor. God Bless!!

This was the first time I have ever tried on a trail run, not to mention to run for a distance of 50.25km. The thought of running at least five loops around the Macritchie reservoir would discourage me from attempting the event. At the night before the race, I had only 2 hrs of sleep.

Against my agenda to wake up at 4.30am, I had overslept and nearly missed out the start time at 7am. At the starting point, I saw the familiar faces of MF runners and Xuanjing who often likes to take photos for any race events. This year, there were around 200 participants and the weather was kind to us for a marathon race unlike previous year. My plan for today run was to try to cover as fast as possible for the first 30km before my legs could fail me again.

During the first round, I greeted some of the MR runners, and caught up with PS and Michael. I had taken the wrong route to Tereniang trail and overtook them twice. At the exit point from the forest, I saw XuanJing and made some funny posture to be photographed. The first loop took 1.15 hrs which was much later than my usual pace. Never did I expect the terrain of the trail has such a significant impact to the timing.

Before finishing the second loop, my stomach started to grumble perhaps due to the acidic drinks (100plus). It was weird to run with noises coming out from your stomach. The second round took nearly the same time as the first. However, I could not feel the cushioning of Asics GT2110 during the second loop and changed to my New Balance shoes at the transit point.

The third round had turned into a floury experience. At 25km, I suffered a terrible cramp at my right calf and dropped onto the ground suddenly. I couldn’t raise up my right leg and lying there helplessly. Luckily, there were 2 runners offered their immediate assistance. The young chap helped me to pull my calf muscle while the lady applied her Yoko Yoko on my calf. Feeling relative recovered, I jogged slowly and walked whenever I felt the cramp was coming back. The Yoko Yoko worked in an amazing way. It was more effective than the deep heat I applied usually. However, I could feel the burning sensation on my right calf, and the color of the skin surfaced with red. It took me 1.30hrs to complete the third round and I saw PS was behind me at the transit point. I was puzzled by her performance since this wouldn’t be her usual timing.

My strategy was to listen to music for the last 2 laps. For the fourth round, I still felt the cramp kept coming back. I walked on the up slope and ran during the down slope to shorten the time coverage. It was a recovery run for me and it took me around 1.45 hrs to complete. The heel and outsole of my New Balance shoes, which served me loyally over all these years, had came off totally. I needed to change back to my Asics GT2110 again.

In my last lap, I had relied on my thigh muscles to move my legs instead. I was running with Ronnie for a relatively short distance and undecided if I should make one last dive to complete the entire experience. However, the lurk of my past experience at four years back where I nearly couldn’t walk after suffering from a cramp still haunting me. At the first water point, I inquired for any deep heat offered at the last water station of the loop, hoping that at least I could make it there and savage the situation if the problem occurs. But it was not available. Subsequently, I saw PS behind me at Raffles Range and decided to have a one last try. After a short distance of run, the cramp stroked again!! I kneel down on the ground for a moment attempting to recover from the sudden pain. My face must be showing with great pain as the volunteer from the race advised me not to run anymore. Nevertheless, I still continued and delivered more power to my thigh muscles. PS and me were not far from each other and we came across Trevor. Trevor informed me that Michael, Chin and Freddie was not far away. I left behind PS and Trevor and managed to catch up with them. We were walking and chatting along the way. When Freddie spotted PS was catching us soon, he warned us to begin our run. We were picking up our pace quickly. I couldn’t help it. The event was rather funny as if PS was some horrible monster trying to eat us up. :P Along the roadside of the route, I attempted to pace PS. I sensed that she couldn’t like the idea. I still continued and kept praying the cramp would not come before reaching the end-point.

Eventually, I finished the five loops at a total timing of 8hrs.When I reached the finishing line, my whole energy seems to have vanished into thin air immediately. I was feeling giddy in my head perhaps due to lacking of sleep. Vincent from MR was complaining about me for dirtying the finishing t-shirt. Well, this was liked him. Sometimes, he would be nice and while times he would be very grumpy. PS continued to go for her sixth loops. I was resting at the finishing point, waiting for my certificate and chatting with Freddie, Chin, Michael, Trevor, Ronnie etc. They encouraged me to go for one more tried. I did consider but remember doctor’s advices not to run for long distance for the time being. There would be another race next year. Before I left, I took a picture together with Trevor, Alber, Michael, Chin.

On my ride back with Michael, the weather began to rain heavily. I was worrying for Lai Chee and PS (Presumed she would attempt for the seventh round somehow due to her regret at Mt Faber Ultra-marathon) would be caught up in the rain. Again, it was seasonal rain and did not look like it could extend to Marichite. Later, I was totally thrilled to learn that PS had completed her seventh loops and broke her record. It was amazing and I admired her perseverance, as I wouldn’t be able to run for nearly twelve hours surrounding with the same scenery repeatedly. :)

In the end, it was a good closure for this year. Although I haven’t made any plan to stay or leave for next year yet, I wish I would have a new fresh start and opted for a better change to the things happening around me.

This was the first time I ever listening to music while running. Seriously, I am lacking of hill trainings. However, I could not yet able to turn up for the Safra run. Whenever I come back to this place, old memories flow back.

Never do I believe running is an individual thing. Even the greatest runners in the world have to work hand-in-hand with their coach to achieve amazing results. However, at this moment I chosen to run alone. As I was running along the Mt Faber loop, I was totally lost in the midst of my thought. I could not remember how many rounds have I ran but definitely be more than six. At the Mount Faber, there was the music, the hill and me only. Although I hate to admit it, but I know that as I run more often alone. The running experience is longer than simply an exercise for me anymore. It has transformed to be a place of my sanctuary. I am lost but never have I known I am so lost in thought that I have lost my house keys…….

What would you want to do on a windy and cloudy afternoon?

For me, I cycled o East Coast MacDonald, which took me about 1hr 38mins to complete the round trip journey. Made a stopover at Vivo city and surprised to find the mono-rail had commissioned.

This is perhaps the quietest Christmas Eve I ever been through. Hmmm.. What did I do in the past, apart from Christmas party, Discos, Countdown, Get-together Session and Singing Christmas Carol? Ha.

At 11pm, I took a walk along Orchard Road to feel the Christmas atmosphere before it fades away. As usual, the street was crowded with people. It had somehow turned into battlefield with youngsters spraying snow foam at each other. I had also become a victim in one of those duels. Nevertheless, the whole scenes had made the festival mood livelier. Also, there were some shops hadn’t closed. Among them was Taka Jewelry, else there were workers still working at the building opposite Centerpoint. By the time I reached Raffles City, it was 12pm. I heard the Church bell rang. Christians were gathering in the Church singing the Christmas Carol and in memorial of the arrival of Jesus Christ. The scenery seems so peaceful.

For me, I was feeling content being a bystander watching the crowds with one hand holding my “Kit-Kat” ice-cream cone….

I could not remember when was the last time I ever go for trail run at Macritchie. I was overslept this morning and arrived much later than my usual timing.

Despite the shower from yesterday, the beginning of the trail was relatively dry. After running for 5km, I was surprised to discover a toilet at the junction between Pierce trail and Sime track. That was totally something new to me!! (That shows how long I have not been to Macritchie Trail Run). J Since Sime Track was closed, I took the Pierce track and made a detour to Tree-Top, which located within 2 mins run on a steep slope. Although I knew the bridge is safe, but I naturally reduced and lightened my speed and footsteps when running on it. At the Petaling Trail, it made up of staircases and somehow transformed the whole running experience to staircase training. After bypassing the golf course, the trail was getting muddier and slippery. I nearly skip a few times. I hope before and on the day of Ultra-marathon, there would be no rain or else I have to seriously consider getting a pair of trail running shoes. About 500m away from the Macritchie toilet, I bypassed Jane and Yihui from the Singapore Women Everest team. When I was considering whether to make another loop, I saw Soh Huan and Eng Hwa. Soh Huan was asking me if I am joining the Safra Run. Ha.. :(

While waiting for the bus, I felt a pain at my left thigh. Perhaps I strained it during running or so. Back home, I used the Flexi-Hand Massager, which KC had rejected, to massage my left thigh. It sure felt good..