BHP Orange Run 2009

I woke up with very heavy eyes this morning, but my legs were ready to run. After the run at the park last Thursday, and the heavy carbo-loading in MakTuk's place over the weekend, I have to run.

Went out just after Subuh prayers, and picked Freya at Dang Wangi LRT at 6.20 a.m., and we arrived at The Curve half an hour later. Quick visit to the toilet, we went to the start line. Not seeing many people around, we started counting 'illegal' runners like us, running without any numbers. Apparently, there were lots... cool.

This, will be my first illegal race, and first (illegal too) road race for Freya, and her longest so far. She has been training furiously for the past month and building mileage and speed (ok, she's 22 years old, I am so way out of her [running] league).

The men's open and men's veteran went on 15 minutes before the ladies, and I left Freya in the back pack. The run was good, I managed my climbs well, not so good running downhill as my groin was hurting a bit, my left knee has been solidly good for a good month now. We ran through my project in Mutiara Damansara Superhomes, towards Challies Damansara (nice houses, where I stopped to walk and look), Tropicana, and came towards Bandar Utama. We passed the One Utama, and headed back towards Mutiara Damansara. 

I have had my share of 15 secs walk intermediates to catch my breath, but mostly kept a steady pace. Finished the 11km race in 1:05:58. Last April in PD 11km, I finished 1:09:00. 

So you see, after a long Ramadhan rest, and nursing the wounded knee, I am where I was, building speed. That's OK, if that is true, then my time will start to improve again (last year's Siemens Run 10km was at 53min +).

This shall therefore be interesting, coupled with this marathon training, and hopefully, RPMs by July 09.

O by the way, Freya finished 5th placing in Women's Open (wow) with 0:53:plus... Hadn't she be a foreigner, and in fact, register herself, she would have won some money and a medal... 

All in all, it has been a good run. I owe 10km to my training schedule for Saturday, and some part of Sunday's mileage claim. This coming week, I shall redeem them all.