Portsdown Run on 22 Sep`06 (Fri)

Didn't have enough of NUS hills on Wednesday and in need of a pre-Demoralizing Run b4 Sunday, tktan n I went for another run on Friday. In anticipation of a longer route, tktan brought along his camelbak n mini toblerone chocolate. I juz bought my new shoes, Mizuno Wave Elixir, and trying out for this run. We set off on our usual route to Kent Ridge Park via Pasir Panjang & South Bouna Vista Rd. Exploring a new route, we cut through Normanton Park and crossed the Portsdown Flyover. Then we followed the windy Portsdown Rd(dim lighting on one-lane traffic -- do be careful and dun run alone) to North Bouna Vista rd. Took a toilet break at Bouna Vista MRT before proceeding to Ulu Pandan Canal and Sunset Way Canal -- growing to like this trail as can set to "auto-cruise" mode :) Took a snack break at the end of Sunset Way Canal(ard 14km) as tktan needed his toblerone -- he said the choco juz went straight to his stomach, dispersed and energised! I had been snacking whole afternoon and my chwee kueh was still not digested yet...

On the way back, instead of taking Clementi Rd, we ran towards West Coast Rd via Clementi Ave 2, passing Ginza Plaza and West Coast food centre. As we approached Clementi Woods Park, I suggested to tktan that we could run through the park(with slopes) to reach NUS -- luckily he said we try that another day(PHEW!). We dashed up the final slope to KRGH -- distance 20km @ 1hr59min... nice 6min/km... Thanks to tktan for running @ my pace and the mobile water station! After a cool down walk and shower, we headed over to the fengsheng/cheese prata shop(food centre oledi closed by then, ard 10pm) and stumbled into a Taiwanese porridge n noodles place... tktan ordered a za chai mian while I ordered rou ju main -- turned out mine was the same as tktan's, minus the za chai ;)


P.S. Verdict of Mizuno Wave Elixir -- very lightweight but lack the support and cushion for long runs. My knees felt a bit wobbly during the 20km run -- guess I have to use this for shorter runs :(

Route : KRGH -> Pasir Panjang Rd -> South Bouna Vista Rd -> Kent Ridge Park -> Normanton Park -> Portsdown Flyover -> Portsdown Rd -> North Bouna Vista -> Bouna Vista MRT -> Ulu Pandan Canal -> Sunset Way Canal -> Clementi Rd -> Clementi Ave 2 -> West Coast Rd -> Clementi Rd -> KRGH

Distance : 20km
Time : 1hr 59min (including traffic light stops and snack/toilet breaks)
Avg Pace : 6min/km