Shape & Men's Health Night Run - 30th July 2011

I realized it's been already another year considering I'm doing this race again...exactly one week after PD tri.....exactly like the year before.....

Anyway, out of habit...I found myself registered for this race again.

However no one else thought it was of any point to be running this race because of the usual issues......too pricey a registration fee, too far away (Putrajaya as always), limited finisher's medal, worthless goodie bag....et cetera, et cetera.

(I could go on.....but honestly I feel it is rather pointless to list the perceived faults one by one)

Well....considering that I've already did my 10km run earlier that Saturday....I'd consider the race as a fun run....take loads of photos....and just have fun!!!!

I figured that if I run it easy enough, I could still wake up the next morning for a slow 20km with the usual suspects.

Got there....and bumped into the usuals as well......

Honestly, after a while...you'll keep seeing the same runners popping up at the same races that you've signed for.

There's no escaping that fact.

(kinda like...if you can't beat 'em, join 'em sorta mentality....)

* Carol who is suppose to be still rehabbing her injured ankle.....and Yimmy all dolled up in pink.....which by the way was the colour of the moment, if you didn't already know.

* With KA-in-skirt.....and after having lost quite a substantial amount of weight that made me so green with envy that I was kinda resembling spinach, announced that his size 2 running skirt was a tad too loose for him now!!!!

Oh the envy......

* Karen with her 'Run for Orang Asli' charity. She was selling the 'Run for Orang Asli' bib for Rm15. All proceeds goes to her Orang Asli Fund.....

(I'm sensing another Orang Asli trail run brewing in the near future.....)

* ......and since I missed out on the last trail run with the indigenous, the least I could do was support her cause by purchasing the bib.

* Yusran and Nik.......sometimes I feel chatting with Nik fuels both our crazy antics. Currently she's talking me into going for Miri Triathlon.....not that I needed much convincing......

Oh well....let's just say THAT plan in the works at the moment.

* Gotta love the MJ girls....Marlin and Shanaz

* I absolutely LOVED the outfits!!! Nana and I!

* Uncle Oliver made an appearance.

* Carol and Lydia at the start of the run.

The run started at 8.20pm.

Very odd timing if you ask me.

We got ourselves at the back of the crowd.

Carol coming back from injury......Lawrence, who came back from Vancouver sporting a new injury....(and NO souvenirs!!)

Running related injuries were the talk of the night.

We ran slow...which gave me lots of opportunities to snap random pictures.

* Yours truly and Lydia. Gosh seeing her made me miss Ipoh so so much!!!!

I miss the pork pizza.....I miss my favourite Japanese restaurant with the BESTEST Agedashi Tofu.....I miss my favourite vegetarian sushi....I miss the green tea ice cream.....

Oh...of course I miss the people as well!!!!

* Finally...water at the second water station!!!!

There were a total of 3 water stations throughout the 12.5km route.

The first water station was right after PICC. However it was absolute chaos that I've decided to forego hydration.

The weather was more forgiving.....humid, regardless.....but not as bad as the years before.

We continued running.

Lawrence saw a half filled water bottle on the side of the road.

We looked at each other.....then decided we weren't that desperate for fluid....and continued running.

At the second water station, volunteers just handed out the whole entire 500ml of water still in the bottle.

I guess it made their job easier......and I get to carry with me my own hydration.

....and we lost Lydia after that second less chaotic hydration station.

I felt that Lawrence was picking up the pace.

Of course, Lawrence and Carol were always super fast and I was absolutely honoured (!!!!) to be running at their pace despite them being injured!!!!!

Came to the third water station with about 3-4km left until the finish line.

This time around, the volunteers were more 'organized' and REFUSED to hand over the bottle to me. They insisted that I was only allowed a cup of water.

I pouted, drank the water...then continued running...only to have Lawrence suddenly turned up next to me carrying a whole water bottle in his hand.

I'm starting to think that the volunteers (mostly adolescent girls) were being very sexist....

That or they really like the bald-runner-look.......

The last 3km.....Lawrence kicked up in ante.

Carol decided not to follow....but I wanted to see how fast I could go for the last few kilometers.

Lawrence was going fast. We were overtaking a lot of people.

But I couldn't keep up.

He was within sight still.....

Brain told legs to hurry up and keep pace.

Legs protested saying that they had already run earlier that morning.

Brain told legs to stop being such a sissy.

Legs gave brain the one finger salute.

They never were much in agreements most of the time anyway......

Anyway, once the finishing line was in sight, decided to just sprint it all the way.

Finished in 1:22 (the gossip pace we held for the first 6-7km definitely contributed to the timing) and didn't get a finisher's medal.

But I was thrilled.

Not because of the timing.....

But because I've finally found back my running mojo that mysteriously disappeared after the ultra!!!!

Oh gosh, I miss you loads.......running mojo of mine.

* Caught up with Sarah (Shanaz's sister and my ex-colleague back in GH Ipoh). It's been a long time, dear!!!

Anyway.....my camera decided to die on me as soon as I crossed the finish line.

Wasted my entire afternoon making sure the battery was being charged properly.

(I should stop relying on hand me down cameras.....but I'm SO cheap to get my own!!!!)

Btw...the goodie bag sucked......and Lawrence had his car broken into.

Not just him...but several other cars parked in the vicinity behind the Palace of Justice.

(Yup...the irony is so obvious I'm not even sure if its funny anymore)

No wonder he's keen to leave the country....sigh

Next week.....Hatyai Nature Run.

...and I overslept for my 20km run this morning. Sigh.....

Later!!!!!