It was a dark and stormy morning.
Well, it was dark before this picture was taken.
The handphone by the bedside announced the arrival of 5:30 am with a series of irritating beeps. The dreary sleeper roused herself from a short, disturbed sleep.
Mettle and grit put to the test.
Will she shake off the inertia of dawn to drag her sluggish self through the rituals of waking? Brave the pouring rain to present herself upon the scene of her punishment?
Yup.
Through rain and snow, hail and sleet, she forged ahead.
Not forgetting to camwhore while she did.
Taking full advantage of the flattering red sheen cast off from reflected vehicle brake lights.
And then, she was there. Together with fellow kooks.
The storm had lightened into a steady drizzle but the rain didn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. The mood was uncertain, despite false bravado showing on certain faces.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Ok, I’m tired of writing in third-person narrative so I’m reverting to my usual first-person.
Yesterday was Run For Hope 2007.
When we arrived at Sentosa at 7 am, it was still raining lightly. We had to walk in the rain for 15 minutes to get to the starting point of the run.
But before that, I had to relinquish my stuff, including my camera, to the Goonfather (caretaker of barang), who refused to walk with us, preferring to sit in the shade at Coffee Bean with his PSP to wait out the race.
So, I couldn’t take any photos of the actual event, starting from our wet trudge to the starting point to wait for the race to start, and culminating in our weary stumble through the finish line.
By the time I met up with the Goonfather and retrieved my camera, we had all cooled down and I was no longer in the throes of exhaustion. So, no sweaty pictures this time! Haha.
The run was fun. I was at first afraid that I would feel intimidated and drained by the presence of thousands of other runners. Instead, I felt happy and energised.
I felt like I was doing something meaningful because, after all, the event was to raise funds for cancer research.
I completed my 4km in 20 minutes. It’s far from astounding; a goodly bunch of crazy buggers finished 8km in like 30 minutes. But I’m happy.
Running alongside thousands of runners all running for the same cause made me feel alive.
The rain had stopped by the time the run started and the air was pleasantly cool.
When we finished the run, there were bananas, water, isotonic drinks and energy snacks waiting for us.
I didn’t eat anything until ice cream was offered much later.
I’m persona non healtha.
I went to the event with a few Cowboy Bar peeps, but I bumped into Chong in the middle of the run. So we hung out after the race and took some photos.
Chong is a funny subject to photograph but I found a cuter subject.
It’s a cairn terrier.
It’s carrying a pink haversack! OMG!!!
Check out the doggy haversack!!!
Anything that carries a tiny pink haversack is too cute for words!
It was quite a nice day to be hanging out at the beach, even though the sand was wet from the early morning rain. But I’m not really a beachly sort of person, so we left Sentosa at about 10:30 am.
Now, right after a healthy run is a good time to abuse your body with fatty junk.
(For those not equipped with sarcasm radars and might protest to the above statement for its potential to inflict moral damage upon the world’s innocent, please bear in mind that it is advisable to wash your hands after you use the toilet.)
Good ol’ traditional pre-packed nasi lemak.
As traditional, no-frills pre-packed nasi lemak goes, this one is really quite good. Chilli is yummy, rice is fragrant even if cold from being pre-packed, fish is tasty.
You can find it on the corner of Baghdad Street and Bussorah Street.
But now I regret having eaten that. Not because of fat issues, but because a sore throat has stolen upon me overnight. After surviving on potato chips and coco pops all of last week, maybe the nasi lemak tipped the heaty scales into overdrive.
Shucks.
Or maybe it was getting rained on yesterday. I can feel a flu blossoming.
Still, I felt really really good, like really happy and energetic, for a whole six hours after yesterday’s run. Of course, the adrenaline finally pumped itself out and I was a zombie for the rest of the day. But it was a good six hours well-worth waking up at a crazy hour and braving the storm.
The Great Eastern Women 10K is in a month’s time.
I’m not sure if 10km will give me the same adrenaline rush as the 4km did; I might die trying to complete the course since my regular training route goes only as far as 6km and even that stretches my abilities.
And now that I’ve got this flu coming, I won’t be able to train for maybe a week. How to run 10km like that?
4km in 20 minutes is very impressive.
I dunno if I can still clock that kind of timing. Back to gym!
i had bak kut teh after tat. haa….
nice to know that amidst your very packed schedule, you make time for you and your friends..something I should learn from…life has been too busy for me tho..sigh~
the terrier is cute !
hurhurhur…din know u all went running…
was doing nite biking… =(
“Good ol’ traditional pre-packed nasi lemak” — Hmmm… I wonder how that tastes… Is that fish sorta dried? Hmmm….
Woah you run quite fast hor!
And haha the dog is pretty cute.
And drink more water if you feel sick lor.
That’s what I would do :D
Miss Loi understands it can be a little weird to write in the third-person. But she is interested to know Qiaoyun’s view on READING other blogs written in the third-person.
I object to you describing a dog is cuter than Chongbaby!!
Wow! Monster, I’m so proud of you!
btw i didnt meet QY at the middle of the run as she claims, it was more like i was labouring down a short hump and she totally blew past me going at 100kmh
The Sheylara exercise plan:
Step 1: buy cute clothes and expensive shoes
Step 2: Get up at an awful time and in awful weather
Step 3: Run until you wish you were dead
Step 4: Eat loads of junk food to make yourself feel better
My Plan:
Skip steps 1 and 2
:oP
Sorry… I meant: Skip Steps 2 and 3, NOT 1 and 2…
JayWalk: Hmm? I thought you’ve been going to that gym near your house? :P Anyway 4km in 20 minutes impressive meh? Professional runners can do it in almost half the time. lol.
darkelfin: That sounds a bit more healthy than my lunch. :P
Jason Ho: It’s a matter of prioritising. I enjoy hanging out with my friends, so I try to make time for them at the expense of other things. Haha. Not that it’s a good or bad thing. It’s all about doing what makes you happy in life, isn’t it?
misha: I knew you would find it cute! :)
cowgoesmoo: Come join us for the Stan Chart run!
modchip: Hmmm. How to describe the taste? :P I think it’s kinda a mix of sweet and salty. The rice is coconut flavoured. The fish is fried, although it kinda soggy by the time you eat it since it’s pre-packed, but it’s still nice. :P For me, the main thing about nasi lemak is the chilli! Yummy.
yh: Huh? Another person say I fast? Lol. Cannot lah, Wait till you see my 10k results, then say again. Haha. Oh, I drank so much water the whole of yesterday and last night, that I had to wake up 4 times in the middle of the night to go toilet. O_o But my throat is so much better now! :P
Miss Loi: Hehee. Well, I think third-person is great if the writer is good. I love Miss Loi’s third-person style! :P
Mother: Eh, go set up your own shrine to worship Chongbaby. Hahaha.
Monster: Aww.. thank you monster!!
Chong: I did NOT blow past you at 100kmh. LOL. Crazy bugger.
Jesta: I wasn’t aware that you were into cute clothes and expensive shoes. :P Even junk food, for the matter. Every time I meet you, you’re eating boring sandwiches. Lol. Well, not that sandwiches are boring, but eating them ALL THE TIME is boring. :P
erm.. Just curious, What car are you driving?
My sarcasm radar’s working fine thank you :-p That nasi lemak looks good. Did you ever try the one at Seletar market? Unfortunately its gone now. Used to go there with campmates during my reservist. Damn shiok & cheap too! BTW 4km in 20 mins is not bad lah. Some guys take more than 20 mins to finish their 2.4 ok?
QY> eh…2nd dec…cannot lah…
got exams… =(
i’ll like to though… =**(
I’ll have you know that I don’t ALWAYS eat sandwiches. I have been spotted eating toast with Marmite too!
Wah 4km in 20 minutes! That’s a 12 minute 2.4km run!
Think I’m too fat – I can’t run that fast. =_=
JokeDiary: Mazda RX8. It’s The Goonfather’s car, but he lets me drive it. :P
Derrick: Seletar market? No. Close already tell me for what! Now I hear already cannot eat! :P
cowgoesmoo: Eh, so sad. How come your whole life like taking exams only. lol. All the best!
Jesta: Eew toast with Marmite. Do you even have taste buds?? :P
CrashWire: Er… is it? But I don’t think I can run 2.4 in 12 mins leh. That’s damn fast lah! Must like sprint all the way, right?
BTW, who is Goonfather’s ?? sorry for the ignorant.
Timing is not too bad.for a non professional. :)
I can see my workplace in your last photo. :p
Ha ha ha can’t resist THAT’s a veryyy cute terrier..
Hey didn’t know you went for the run (til now I guess), was there too but due to the crowd did not see u in the mist of the sea of ppl… :) but a few of my secondary school mates spotted moi… nice to see them still healthly and all….
was a good run….
And all the best for the next run ;)
4km in 20 minutes ? Wow, you must have grow a chicken leg that run very fast ! I can only reach that in my active NS time, and that’s the only time I proud of myself. But now with extra spare tire baggage, I doubt I able to complete 2 km in 20 mins.
JokeDiary: The Goonfather is my goon significant other. :P
arachno: Ah… thanks. :)
uglyfatchick: Wow. Where’s your workplace?
skoolchild: Cool! Good to know you were at the run, too! :) So what’s the next one you’re taking part?
bigmac: Eh… I’m beginning to think that I saw my timing wrongly, the way you guys claim that it’s fast. I don’t think I ran that fast to be remarkable leh. Maybe I made a mistake. :P
Thanks :) hmm… next one will be the standchart run sign up for the 21 km one (abit regret after I register) Haiz… no time to train and all because my brudder wanted to try so I also join (been running with him for pass runs so “bo bian” tho I owis come last (way way way……..) LOL… ;)
hope you are feelin better and start train for the next run…. :)
skoolchild: Wow, you’re running the half marathon? Coooool. I only dare to sign up for the 10K. Hehe. Anyway, it’s good also being influenced to take part in such things. It does make you try to exercise more. Even if you have no time, you try to make time for it because you don’t want to end up walking your entire marathon, right? :P
Thanks, I feel better already. Starting my training on Monday, that’s like less than a month to train for 10km lor… sure die. :(
Yes you are definitely right and it will be somewhat embarrassing to walk alot of the way (maybe a bit here and here LOL). Also, thanks for the encouragement Ha ha ha…. Hey if I am fast enough or have enough breath may even catch sight of you and your kakis on that day (thou highly unlikely) :P
Glad to heard that so I guess goonfather will be helping you train :)
Aiyah wen die lah “just faint maybe” hee hee Anyway hearing or rather reading the comments on you on the “run for hope” run I bet you will be okay for the next race :) “u have my sarpok spiritually” :D
skoolchild: If you’re running the half marathon, I doubt we’d bump into each other since you’ll be starting way earlier than the 10K people. :P
The Goonfather help me train? Yeah, the most he can do is shout “jia you!” at me while sitting at his computer playing his games or whatever. Haha.
LOL… Partly true but anyway there will be a sea of participtents that day. I also doubt I will see you let alone some of my other mates who mentioned they have signed for the run…LOL
Ha ha ha.. hey at least he “jia you” you, some dun even bother… Upz for goonfather :D
skoolchild: Hey, don’t encourage the Goonfather like that!! lol.
Oops….. sorry will do that when goonfather have his own blog Ha ha ha……….. :P