Animiles Run on 30 Sep`06 (Sat)

It had been ages since I last ran @ Animiles Run. Missed running in the early morning and decided to "support" SC5 (he promised bird’s nest/sharkfins to lurk more runners) – no biz lately due to the many organized LSD on Sundays. The menu for this week run was 1) 4.45am for 30km and 2) 5.15am for 22km. Gentle, who juz completed his ICT, planned to run 18km. He was so kind to offer me a lift and we would start the run together with SC5 at 5.15am. My alarm rang @ 4am and I waited for gentle’s wake-up sms @ 4.20am and meet at the bus-stop @ 4.45am. Beep beep, the sms read “just step out of my house” 4.41am!!! Jumped out my bed and sms-ed gentle to give me 5min more. Luckily, I had filled up my camelback the night before. Dashed out of the house – gentle, fennel & her fren were waiting @ the bus-stop already. Paiseh to make u guys wait!

We arrived @ LPR ard 5.10am. Fennel & I planned to do 24km and we started first as SC5 was still waiting for more runners. Air was nice & cool along windy Old Upper Thomson Rd. Fennel said she would be taking it slow (hmm, her slow is not slow hor) and asked me to go ahead. SC5 “sliently” overtook me and soon I was running alone. Time check @ 4km was 22min – nice 5:30min/km pace. Traffic was light and I was running mostly on road – the pavement was too dark and I would run slower. Nearly twisted my right ankle when I stepped into a pot hole – phew! After crossing the traffic light @ junction of Mandai Ave and Mandai Rd, I had to switch to running on pavement as there were more heavy vehicles along Mandai Rd. Nearing the zoo signboard, saw SC5(22km) on the way back, followed by Terence(27km), Bug & Cheow(30km). Time check @ 12km (at zoo signboard @ Mandai Lake Rd, u-turn for 24km) was 1hr 6min – still 5:30min/km pace. Planning to do a 2.5hr run -- hmm, still have time. Felt good enough to go on and decided to become a “cheetah” – yeah, I finally touched the gate of the zoo! Time check @ zoo gate (13.5km) was 1hr14min – 5:29min/km pace. By then, the sky brightened and it was great running pass the UPR. Oh, encountered a gross sight – saw a dog’s head from road kill on the pavement! Wah, that made me ran faster! Time check @ 23km(before the slopes @ Old Upper Thomson Rd) was 2hr 5min – 5:26min/km pace! Saw gentle and chuacat(first time @ Animiles Run) at this point – overtook them as I concentrated on landing on my forefoot up the slopes. Surpised to see Tekko drove passed -- oh, he was the support vehicle for his MHA and VRP gals. As usual, the windy road seemed never ending and I slowed down… Finally reached Cassurina and dashed for the final 1km -- finished @ 2hr31min. Terence, bug, cheow and fennel were already cool down from their run...

After stretching and clean up, we had breakfast @ the nearby food centre – chit chatting abt running stuff (what else?). Thanks to SC5 for organizing this run and gentle for the ride to/fro LPR!

P.S. Good to see that fennel has recovered from her injury and will soon be leaving her "burnt" marks on the trails! It was a great run in the early morning and glad to maintain an almost constant pace of 5.30min/km for the entire distance!

Route : LPR carpark -> Old Upper Thomson Rd -> Upper Thomson Rd -> Sembawang Rd -> Mandai Ave -> Mandai Rd -> Mandai Lake Rd (u-turn pt for 24km) -> zoo gate (u-turn pt for 27km)

Distance : 27km
Time : 2hr31min (my PB!)
Avg pace : 5:36min/km