World Harmony Run

Just back, showered and warming down from the amazing 30km run which started at MacRitchie Reservoir at 7.40am, with Ms Eunice Olsen flagging off the run, till the Merlion in downtown city area.

It took us through an amazing number of different religious places. Kong Meng San temple and Salvation Army HQ in Bishan, Ceylon Sports Club at Balestier Road, Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple and Civil Service Club along Serangoon Road, Central Sikh Temple along Boon Keng Road, Masjid Darul Aman Mosque at Eunos, Joo Chiat Community Club, Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple at Ceylon Road, Nicoll Highway, Merdeka Bridge, Esplanade Drive and finally Merlion Park.

A long distance indeed.

In fact, I had some thigh problems already en route to the Masjid Darul Aman Mosque, as I could feel my right thigh muscle pulling up on me, and the left calf muscle aching a little. Both eased off after some time, but one of the runners, Philip, told me to take some cold pack and cold spray to ease the situation there. (Philip's taking a private course in Sports Medicine, which means he knows quite a bit on our running techniques, methods of recovery, and signs of pain. Interesting. )

Moreover, during one of the rest stops, we din realise we sat under hanging clothes till we looked up when water dripped down. Haha.

It was definitely a hot run in the late morning part, when we covered the rest of the 16km journey from Eunos to Joo Chiat and the ending point. As it went, I could feel my legs getting numb. It gave way, in the end, at the rest point at the National Stadium. Luckily, I had some help from another fellow runner, Mr Akira (who's Japanese and a former figure skating champ, and is a mean runner at his age) helped me stretch the muscle using a 'special' technique. I felt better after that, and rared to go. Nonetheless, I could feel that my body was fatigued and not the same as before.

Still, I managed to grit on and finish the run with my fellow runners, all 18 of them. It was a great run, and this is also the first time I've pushed beyond my limit of 21km, last set in AHM 2004.

This run also allowed me to know more fellow runners, all of whom are older than me. Uncles who have the stamina and determination to push on, and seemed to finish the 30km with relative ease, certainly told wonders of the training they had done during their prime. The working people were similarly fighting fit, and most of them did at least 20km. I had a great time hanging out with these guys.

Now...It's time to rest...and fill thy stomach

Current Mood: Hungry and Sleepy