Race Day - Subang 10km

The day started at 5.45am for us when the 1st alarm rang (We have two). I was really too excited to sleep properly the whole night and was ready to get up. However I decided to give my body all the rest it needs so I lie back down on the bed. Unconsciously and without much effort, Psalm 23 came up in my mind and I recited it.

What a way to start the morning!

Just after about 5:50am, I got up. Sat on my throne (wash hands first ok!) and then fixed myself 1 glass of apple juice 1 glass of milo. For energy, I ate up 1 mini sneakers bar and 1 mini mars bars. Leftovers from the KK trip. 'Yes, dear' was playing on the TV.

At 6:25am Jit and Kavi arrived and we made our way to Ronnie's house where we all meet.

We reached Ronnie's at about 6:50am. After a short introduction, everyone - Jit & Kavi, Ronald & his friend Kenneth, Viviana, Rosalyn, Ronnie, Liping and I made our way to MPSJ. The excitement is building up as we can see Jit talking, running and jumping. His excuse - needs the warm up :) The veteran runners - Ronald and Kenneth was cool. Ronnie Khoo is also cool. At this point, the three ladies: Kavi, Rosalyn and Vivianna decided that they're going to do the 5km distant.

Prompty at 730am a gun was fired, signalling the start of the run. Wife and I decided that we're going to take it easy at the beginning and stayed right at the back. We can see a large pool of people surging forward. What a sight! We started slow and then wife stopped to tie shoelaces... and we must be really taking it easy when I see that the police bike trailing us! hahaha.....

The morning air was cold. Since we do most of our training in the evening, we could still feel that our muslces were tense. The slow start helped warm us up and we got on to a good pace 5mins into the race. It's a good feeling to start slow, catch up and over take people. As I look around during the run, I was just happy to to know that all those training paid off!

I think our pace was about 7mins++/km. We put many people behind us but still there was so many many many many people in front of us. There's just this long trail of human traffic. At the same time, there were many many runners overtaking us.

Throughout the race, the scenery was okay. USJ does look quite nice in the morning. I also found out that running on asphalt also gives more cushion than running on concrete in Kiara park. There was this part though, the factories were burning stuff and the air smelt foul!

At about the 6km mark we caught up with Jit, who hasn't been well for the last 2 weeks. Poor chap. He was still positive as ever. Somehow I had more fuel today so I ran ahead then.

Soon I found myself pacing this young couple. College kids -girl in blueshorts and blue top, guy in black shorts and yellow top. Whoever you are thank you! While I was panting, they were talking! While my legs were hurting I think they were 'dating'! Somehow they don't look like they were pushing..

Although I was unfamiliar with the route, the signs were clear. In fact I just followed the crowd. Kinda like a herd la.

The last km was the toughest really. I thought the last kilometre was coming up when I saw MPSJ looming ahead. Oh glorious MPSJ! So I started running faster and faster.... Arrgh to find out that I have to run past MPSJ all the way to the end and then make a U-turn back. Ooi play cheat! Hahaha.

Nevertheless, I pushed on. The last 300m run was super painful but it was well worth it when I finished my first 10km run in 71mins. Jit came in at 73mins and then wife at 75mins. I was so proud of her when she crossed the finished line. Kenneth is the champion among us coming in at 61mins with Ronnie close behind him. All in all, we felt really good completing the run.

Liping and I are happy with our time as we aimed to come in at about 80mins+. After cooling down, streching and some free drinks. We finanlly get to ajourn to the main event of the day - breakfast.

Awesome. I really had fun today. I0years ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd enjoy running at all!

the 10km run

Long long time ago, in a land not far away from here (in Singapore), a boy used to be (one of the) last in school runs. He avoids running at all cost and the dark side has told him that he cannot do it....

This weekend, he is going to face that challenge again. Yes, I will be facing my old fears. But this time with a bit of difference, as a friend aptly put it:

What drives you? Jesus' fuel
Jesus' fuel... give you extra kilometers


Okay I hope that works. Plus I have also been practicing. As you can see from the chart below. Of course I label all of them 'easy' la....what else would they be called?



(Actually, there's long, trail, short, easy, chicken rice and nintendo. I have no idea what's the difference so I just put all of them easy)

Another point to note is that my wife has suddenly improved and have been running so fast I can't catch up with her. I was quite dissapointed with myself last week for not improving. I sulked and sulked and there was this tension between us. Thankfully it's much better now. I come to realiase that it's 'me' I have to challenge. Comparison just makes one feel bad about oneself all the time. As for 'me', 'me' has been improving, slowly but improving.

On a brighter note, it's a good feeling chasing skirts again... as soon as I can persuade her to wear those short skirt tennis players wear for runs or those shorts. Ahhh.. such spiritual reasons I have written in my blog.

Uncle

As we were stretching down today, I started a conversation with one of the regulars in kiara park. He's a nice chap and really down to earth. Being a 'guru' he naturally encourage us to keep going which was very welcome.

We look at him, he look like he is in his early 30s. Shapely muscular legs, washboard abs, defined arms and bursting with energy. My jaw dropped when he said he was 41! The floor sounded a thud when my jaw finally dropped when he says he can finish a regular 10k run in about 30mins. It's 'normal' runner standard la....

wah seh, 30mins man.

Somemore his body quite the tekong okay. Uncle got washboard abs ok! So okay la. I'm running :)

Haze!

Arrrgghhh.... @#$%$^%^%&%^ stupid haze is back.

Every year this time Indonesia exports haze to our country.
Every year about this time I get sore throat, sniffy nose... as with the millions of msians due to the haze.

Eh? Isn't this what economist called 'externalities? They produce something that's harmful not to themselves but to others - shouldn't there be a charge on this?

arrrggh. It's like that irritating auntie that comes visit you every year and won't go away!

I wish I can switch on a giant fan and blow it back at them.

I am God's Beloved

I have always known that God loves me since I became a Christian some years ago. Yeah, I tell myself that he loves me a lot. How much is a lot? Well, God gave me His only son mah.

Somehow it's more head knowledge than heart felt conviction. I mean what does it really mean when we say that God gave us His son?

"He gave us His son lo...." Then?

I believe that if we truly believe that if He gave us His son, our lives would be radically transformed. Or if I put it bluntly, I think that many of our lifestyles reflect that we don't really believe it. Sorry I don't mean to point finger at anyone, if there's one person who I know isn't displaying that enough - it's me. :) In fact, I felt like I've just accepted Christ yesterday, everyday these days.

The truth don't set us free... believing in the truth does.

Imagine if you need to sacrifice your son/daughter. That's tough. Your only son/daughter - that's pushing it. Your only son/daughter that you so loved - that's SOOO hard. Yet God didn't spare him did He?

Imagine that, He didn't even spare His only beloved Son for us to redeem us so that we may be imputed with righteousness and along with that.. ALL the promises of God.

On top of that He deposits the spirit in us as THE gurantee that He'll be back for us. The spirit! That same spirit in the olden days will kill the 'not so holy person entering the holy of holies. Does that make us more holy? ...Now that we can contain THAT spirit?

So when some people feel that they can't ask God for say the job promotion s/he's been wanting because s/he don't feel that it's right. Now think about it, if God can give you His son, the Holy Spirit, the promises - would He withold something as 'small' as the 'promotion'? We don't believe that He really loves us that much do we? Yet we believe that He gave us His son.

Somehow it seems God's work, His grace seems to end at at salvation. But that is not so my friends! God is love and Grace is a teacher!

To God, who is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.