
Modern technology does not always come to the rescue of man all the time. This I discovered when I had overslept because the 'pm' dial was pressed instead of 4.15am alarm which was supposed to be set. When my fellow running buddies turned up at my doorstep, I arose from my beauty sleep. Missing my routine early morning routines like a hot shower and answering nature's call, I had to get ready in a jiffy after a brief freshening up.
The aura of the National Stadium cleared up all the sleep in our faces. Packed like sardines, the half marathoners started. I had to wait at least 3 minutes before crossing the starting timing mat and to wrestle another 4 km before breaking loose from the hoggers.
Raj was nervous with his debut half after finally being bitten by the running bug and foolishly signing up for the half challenge after managing to dodge it a couple of times before with excuse of work and lucrative remunerations!
The challenge took us from Stadium Bukit Jalil to ASTRO, North-South Highway, KESAS, IMU, Seri Petaling and the killer stretch of undulating slow inclining hills and troughs around Taman Gembira and the stretch parallel to the MEX highway. The route back past IMU and Bukit Jalil park was irritatingly slowed down the jaywalkers of the 10km'ers and charity runners but we prevailed. The final stretch of run was in the tracks of the National Stadium. A chance we, in our mortal lives, will never get to run on. The mere ambience of the brightly lit stadium complete with the the colorful tarmac track just juiced up whatever little ATP and glycogen that is stashed up hidden in our muscle spindles! With this renewed rejuvenation the trio of us completed our early morning challenge, not with our best of times due to the grueling nature of the course but still having energy to perhaps run another 10 km more!
We see interesting antics of people and view of places (and pretty young thing too) during these runs. I thought I had seen it all when I saw runners running barefoot or with Skeletor-like minimalist shoes until I saw a guy overtaking me in his Japanese slippers!
Overtaking you wearing a Japanese slippers....
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