Life ruled by numbers?

Pain? Just a perception?

D4447 - That is the number of my running bib in the recently concluded pre marathon run of 30km. Somebody who is highly superstitious or particularly particular about numbers and if you are a Malaysian Chinese, you would have your version of interpretation. From the experience of mixing and growing up with superstition, my take on this number is like this. Generally the number 4 (sei, si) is shunned as it sounds similar to death in most Chinese dialects. 8 (pat, fatt) is desirable for its symmetrical appearance and its sound akin to prosperity. 7 is okay too as it signifies something complete like how 7 days complete a week.
Detractors will also argue that one justify their claim by looking only at what they want to see.
Well, the way I see it, the racing number denotes how my Back to Basics 30km run went.
Deterrence started with a bruised knee sustained two weeks before the race. Dried concrete on the training tarmac sent me sliding on my knees, bruised but not stirred! Then there were the aches and pains, knees, sole, here, there and everywhere.
But the minor glitches were just, minor.
After feasting on carbohydrate the day before the event, I thought that things would be okay when morning come as I lay my weary head down. But I was so wrong! Just past the stroke of midnight, an hour and and a half into slumberland, tour of duty blared its loud horn. Two hours flew by as I sorted out my worldly duties, the reason I was sent to Earth. And I was left with only 2 hours to shut my eyes before it would be to get ready for the run! A working colleague had to douse fire with kerosene by saying that I should abandon my running plan for health reasons. Oh, those naysayers!
Against all odds I persevered...
The run was a low key affair but widely supported by die hard running junkies. The terrain was an undulating unforgiving see-saw of a path with peaks and troughs. The initially planned 10km loop had to be re-routed to 7km (wonder why is it 7?, is it a sign? the last digit of bib!) after part of route was flooded due to the downpour the day before.
Anyway, from 0530h, the runners went round the loop in circles before the break of down all the way to enjoy the various hues of sky and skyline as the rays of sun hit the countryside of the lush green terrain of Serdang.
All the effort bore fruit anyway. Managed to finished 4 loops of the course with an additional 2km to round it up to 30km in 3h36m, feeling complete and satisfied that the psychological barrier of sleep deprivation was successfully combated and be in course to meet the FM challenge, come 29.9.2013!
All the sey loh, sey loh threats; but still managed to complete! 4447!

http://runkeeper.com/edit/activity?tripId=238390016