adiNation Training Run – 9 June 2010

It started pouring just after 3 pm and never let up except for a brief spell around 4:15 pm. Lai and Kei Ming started their LSDs around 4:15 pm and Kenny joined them about 45 minutes later. The rest of us – Ronnie, Fauzan, Vijay and I – started around 6:40 pm and hoped to join the LSD-ers when they pass the children’s playground on their Carcosa route. This would have been a new route for me (and a bigger one at 6 km) but it turned out that Lai stopped at 6 pm after 2 laps as he was nursing a flu and Kei Ming and Kenny just wanted to complete the 2.3km route due to fatigue (ok, maybe only Kei Ming!). In the end, it was the usual four laps and as with tradition, Fauzan speeded off. I ran with Kei Ming and Vijay in the first lap but Kei Ming dropped back just after 1.5 km. I was glad to have Vijay pace me because it meant I could push myself – and I did! We finished 9.2 km in 50:48 minutes or about 5:35 min/km pace which is my fastest pace since the accident. During the last two laps, we even hit 5:17 – 5:24 min/km. Absolutely amazing!

I am not sure if yesterday’s better-than-expected timing was due to:
a) the Phiten necklace I got from Fauzan prior to the run
b) the cool weather and slight drizzle
c) tremendous help and patience from Vijay
d) all of the above!

Kei Ming is panicking as he has been picked to be a pacer for the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon…last week! That about gives him a month to get ready and he is not known to do or enjoy long distances or LSDs! He will be with Kelvin Ng and another bloke in the 5-hour group; Ronnie and Lai are in the 4-hour group; Stanley is in the 4:30-hour group. Hence the numerous LSDs we’ve been hearing about. I thought Kenny would have joined those guys on the official list but he has already promised Elaine for a 3:45-hour finish. Fauzan is keen to put up his name for a 1:40-hour half mary in Ronnie’s blog which I think is an excellent idea. The jokes floating around after yesterday’s run centered on how Kei Ming can avoid falling on his face during the run:
a) wear another running vest under the official vest and remove the latter when dropping out of the race
b) partner with Fauzan – Kei Ming does the first half of the race and Fauzan the second. This would of course mean that the 5-hour group will finish in a sub-4
c) run a 2:20 hour for the first half of the race and he should finish in 5 hours; the joke was he was doing 2:19 yesterday evening – and this was under a nice cool weather! Yes, he is panicking alright!