My 1st year anniversary running on 9th August

Today marks my 1st year anniversary running. Last year 9th August 2006, I started 2.4km around my house. Today I celebrated National Day with a 24km run this morning with my running buddy Halftimer.

We met at ECP carpark B1 and started out from there heading towards Fort Road and Moutbatten Road into Nicoll Highway.

The route map :

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/singapore/53-singapore/693444625

We ran past Bug(one of the SGrunners super fast runners)along the Nicoll Higway. He was running toward the Mountbatten Road toward Stadium.

Heavy rain pour came down hard on us along the Marina Promenade (5km). Visibility was bad and we have to take shelter on one of the shelter with lonely fisherman just started out his fishing. Very cold and we were all drenched wet. After the rain got little, we continued the run in the rain toward Esplanade for toilet break. Met a group of runners inside Esplanade as they were waiting for some friend to start their run.

After toilet break, we continued the run towards Lau Pat Sau (old Market)...Cross street, South Bridge Road. Oh by the way, Raffles Ave was open to us to run. Saw the army and volunteers were there early to get preparation for the NDP.

Along South Bridge Road, we turned into Maxwell Road. Saw the Maxwell Food Market. We couldn't resist the temptation of food and decided to check it out. Guess what ? We bought soya bean drink and beancurd to sit down to drink/eat. My first time into Mawell market (Can't believe myself).

Ayioo...after the drink and beancurd, we walked along Maxwell road toward the Robinson traffic junction and then started the run into Marina South.

We headed toward the Marina South Jetty. Toilet break inside the Jetty and took some picture withthe handphone.

Then we continued back and along the way, decided to try the ECP(Expressway). We were running along the Expressway road shoulder and up the section the the Sheares Bridge heading toward Rochor Road. We climbed into the side walkway. We took time to admire the morning sceanary of the NDP floating platform, Singapore Fly Wheel.

As Half-Timer was sharing about the book he has read on Ultramarathon, there was a quote something like "Run if you still can, Walk if you have to, and crawl if you must"... Well we did all the three this morning and especially the craw portion up at the Sheares Bridge. We crawled on all four. A tall tree branch bended to much that it is impossible to way through the walkway at the bridge. So we got down on our four and crawl.

When we were down into the road and the police already parked there vehicle to block the road for closure. We run on the opposite side and then stopped to request the police can we walk through the section to get into Marina Promenade as we came running from there early this monring. They kindly let us through and we are back heading toward Fort Road via Nicoll Highway and Mountabatten Road. Met the same group of runners (who were at Esplanade earlier) and they were heading back to Esplanade from ECP at Mountabatten Road.

Back at ECP Carpark B1, we meet LittleTigger(another SGRunners). He has completed his 90km cycle training for the coming Aiva Singapore Ironman 70.3. We told him that we also participating in the event too but as volunteers.

This morning was a fun run and we covered 24km. It was a cool morning with a nice blessing from Heaven. It was a nice way of God's gesture to say "Singapore I love you. Let me shower you with blessing of water from above. You need that. Water is needed by all people and it bring unity to the people. You will never have lack of it".

Today is a milestone of reflections for many Singaporen celebrating the independence of Singapore day since 1965 with recollection of our Founders and leader and people in nation building. I am glad I also took the opportunity to have a relection of my running milestone.

We have fun doing a slow and fun run with a combination of run/walk/crawl strategy. Ha..Ha...