Yesterday I went to East Coast Park for a run with two of my friends. A really really long run. It was part of my training for the Sundown Marathon. Hoping to complete and try to do a good time. A friend of mine keeps goading me to beat his timing of 4.34. I would love to do that, but that is not my main priority I guess. Completing safe and sound always is.
We started at Car Park B1, the first car park at East Coast at about 9pm. And we just ran. and ran. and ran. Past Big Splash. Past Macdonald's. Past the Chalet. Past the Seafood eating place alongside the Cable Boarding Place. Up to then, pretty fresh. Still talking to my friends. Bantering. All's good. Past Bedok Jetty and slowly but surely the fatigue begins to set in. But still talking. Then we ran past I think it's Outward Bound Singapore and then some sailing place. That's the last car park along East Coast we ran past. But on we went, continuously pounding on the road. The next landmark would be the chalets of SAFRA Recreation Club I think. This is confirmed when we ran past the entrance of the club itself. Next, we ran past this ulu restaurant called Shore Restaurant. And finally, we reached our turning point. Our turning point is where the runway actually begins. If we ran a little longer, we will hit the spetacularly boring Coastal Road. Sighs. Considering from where we started, our turning point looks very far. Damn far. Too far! haha. Time now, 10.05pm. 1 hour and 5 min of suffering, and that's only halfway. Crap..
So turn back we did and this time round, my two lovely friends were still chatting happily away. Gosh they're fit. Me? Well I'm just hanging at the back, trying my damnest to look fresh and keep up with the pace. Gosh how tired I am. But Car Park B1 is still literally miles away. Sighs. So again, step by step we went. Past SAFRA Recreational Club and to the start of East Coast. We saw a couple of other runners running pretty quickly. Being the pretentiously nice person I am, I clapped and cheer them on. They reciprocated. How nice. I sort of got a little habit of cheering people on when I see fellow runners, especially during marathons when I am suffering as much as them. I believe the appropriate word is empathy. I believe it helps them and it helps myself as well. I feel motivated myself by motivating others. But that's probably just me. Oh well, soon we reached the last car park of East Coast and we stopped for our one and only water break. Time 10:20pm. Why am I doing this?
Alas, our short water break ended and on we went. This time round, my two supremely fit friends are beginning to widen their lead. Every once in a while, they'll turn back and check if I'm still alive. How nice. What great friends I have. Past Bedok Jetty and I tell myself that's like at least 5km left. How'd I know? Well the holding area of the triathlon is always near Bedok Jetty and you have to run towards Car Park B1 for about 5km before you made your turn back to Bedok Jetty. 5km more so I tell myself. Then we had the pleasant distraction of seeing the food centre, the cable boarding place and the Seafood place. Next up, the chalets. By this time, one of my friends decided to take off and off he went, slowly but surely widening the gap between my other friend and myself. Now we are all running alone by ourselves. But he should have done that. No point running so slow to accompany slow pokes like myself. Macdonald's soon came. Again, nice distraction. It takes my mind off the mental torture of why I put myself through this. Now, we are at Area C. Sighs. Area C seemed never never never ending. It never did seem to end. I saw a signpost that said Area C and I so wished that was the last one. But alas, I saw another and another and another. I don't really like Area C.
But soon, not soon enough though, I saw from afar the beautiful lights of our starting point - the toilet at Car Park B1. Trodding painfully to the end point I told myself to push on. Finally, I past the end point. Time now 11.15pm. 2 hours 15 minutes of pain. Gosh. My legs are so soft. But I couldn't stop walking just yet. The cramps are setting in. Crap. Oh this is so painful. Why do I keep putting myself in such pain.
Oh well, the run, although torturous, was pretty good. It turned out to be a little more painful than expected but enjoyable due to the company. I think all in all, we should have complete at least 21 km, at least that's why I let myself believe. I checked my route on this webbie, mapmyrun.com, it says only 10 miles. Unbelievable. I tell myself it's a US webbie and hence not accurate. Anything to lie to myself to make myself feel better. haha. So anyway, I would like to thank my friends for the run. Good run and thanks guys. Next week, after the exams, maybe we can do another. Gosh I can't wait.. not!
We started at Car Park B1, the first car park at East Coast at about 9pm. And we just ran. and ran. and ran. Past Big Splash. Past Macdonald's. Past the Chalet. Past the Seafood eating place alongside the Cable Boarding Place. Up to then, pretty fresh. Still talking to my friends. Bantering. All's good. Past Bedok Jetty and slowly but surely the fatigue begins to set in. But still talking. Then we ran past I think it's Outward Bound Singapore and then some sailing place. That's the last car park along East Coast we ran past. But on we went, continuously pounding on the road. The next landmark would be the chalets of SAFRA Recreation Club I think. This is confirmed when we ran past the entrance of the club itself. Next, we ran past this ulu restaurant called Shore Restaurant. And finally, we reached our turning point. Our turning point is where the runway actually begins. If we ran a little longer, we will hit the spetacularly boring Coastal Road. Sighs. Considering from where we started, our turning point looks very far. Damn far. Too far! haha. Time now, 10.05pm. 1 hour and 5 min of suffering, and that's only halfway. Crap..
So turn back we did and this time round, my two lovely friends were still chatting happily away. Gosh they're fit. Me? Well I'm just hanging at the back, trying my damnest to look fresh and keep up with the pace. Gosh how tired I am. But Car Park B1 is still literally miles away. Sighs. So again, step by step we went. Past SAFRA Recreational Club and to the start of East Coast. We saw a couple of other runners running pretty quickly. Being the pretentiously nice person I am, I clapped and cheer them on. They reciprocated. How nice. I sort of got a little habit of cheering people on when I see fellow runners, especially during marathons when I am suffering as much as them. I believe the appropriate word is empathy. I believe it helps them and it helps myself as well. I feel motivated myself by motivating others. But that's probably just me. Oh well, soon we reached the last car park of East Coast and we stopped for our one and only water break. Time 10:20pm. Why am I doing this?
Alas, our short water break ended and on we went. This time round, my two supremely fit friends are beginning to widen their lead. Every once in a while, they'll turn back and check if I'm still alive. How nice. What great friends I have. Past Bedok Jetty and I tell myself that's like at least 5km left. How'd I know? Well the holding area of the triathlon is always near Bedok Jetty and you have to run towards Car Park B1 for about 5km before you made your turn back to Bedok Jetty. 5km more so I tell myself. Then we had the pleasant distraction of seeing the food centre, the cable boarding place and the Seafood place. Next up, the chalets. By this time, one of my friends decided to take off and off he went, slowly but surely widening the gap between my other friend and myself. Now we are all running alone by ourselves. But he should have done that. No point running so slow to accompany slow pokes like myself. Macdonald's soon came. Again, nice distraction. It takes my mind off the mental torture of why I put myself through this. Now, we are at Area C. Sighs. Area C seemed never never never ending. It never did seem to end. I saw a signpost that said Area C and I so wished that was the last one. But alas, I saw another and another and another. I don't really like Area C.
But soon, not soon enough though, I saw from afar the beautiful lights of our starting point - the toilet at Car Park B1. Trodding painfully to the end point I told myself to push on. Finally, I past the end point. Time now 11.15pm. 2 hours 15 minutes of pain. Gosh. My legs are so soft. But I couldn't stop walking just yet. The cramps are setting in. Crap. Oh this is so painful. Why do I keep putting myself in such pain.
Oh well, the run, although torturous, was pretty good. It turned out to be a little more painful than expected but enjoyable due to the company. I think all in all, we should have complete at least 21 km, at least that's why I let myself believe. I checked my route on this webbie, mapmyrun.com, it says only 10 miles. Unbelievable. I tell myself it's a US webbie and hence not accurate. Anything to lie to myself to make myself feel better. haha. So anyway, I would like to thank my friends for the run. Good run and thanks guys. Next week, after the exams, maybe we can do another. Gosh I can't wait.. not!
No comments:
Post a Comment