A funny thing happened when I was out for my weekend run yesterday, let me explain. It ALWAYS starts like this, I plan to do a 8km or a 10 km around my housing estate. I had planned to start at around 6 pm and run the loops at the forest near our house - filled with lovely flame of the forest trees and a family of wild cockatoos, followed by the route to Mount Rosie, Malcolm Road, Whitley Road, back to Bukit Timah Road. That is 1 loop and 5 km (I measured). I planned to run 2 loops or10km as part of my marathon preparations for the end of year Standard Chartered Marathon.
I started rather slowly wanting to 'take it easy' at about 7min / km pace and up it later on. As I finished the firstloop in the forest, I heard some footsteps and turned back. It was another runner, a Caucasian chap about 30+ and quitefit looking. He was running about the same pace as me. "Run your own race" I mentally told myself as I ran according to my pace.
The footsteps got louder and soon we were side by side. We did not say a thing or greet each other as is sometimes the case, we runners are very friendly most of the time. I on one side of the road and he on the other. Soon he was starting to up his pace a little. "What, you wanna race issit ?" I mentally told him. " Not on MY HOME GROUND you won't !". So I increased my pace somewhat to about 6min 30 secs per km.
We both came to the foot of Mt Rosie, I could see he was struggling. I opened up and 'attacked' the hill. With each step I caught him by a few feet. Three quarters up the hill I caught up with him and could hear his panting. I ran like a man possesed and sprinted down the hill past the community centre and ran below 6 minutes per km all the way on Duneran Road and back to my house. I turned to look back triumphantly at the 'small victory' I had achieved and saw him about 100 metres behind.
I was out of breath when I reached my house. I cooled down and had a swig of Gatorade.
Oh and I stopped, thats was it I was puffed out running a fast 5km all focussed on beating an angmoh and messed up my plan to run the 10km distance.
So much for planned my Long Slow Run for 10km. Me the Ah Beng without wheels just spoiling to race anybody.
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