Saved by the 1sen Coin

 P.O.R.4 was a blast. 25k was on the plate, and judging from a clean sweep all previous P.O.R.s were in keeping record, this one was on the chopping block and close scrutiny. The idea to keep the mileage high is not in tandem with the concept of tapering, the likes of Hal Higdon and all sorts.

Judging from the success it was for Nik many times over to secure his PBs in FMs, I thought this would be good to keep high mileages in the last minute, despite maintaining mileage checks from 12 weeks back. Besides, 2 times Dream Trails? Delicious!

There were 12 of us, and I slacked coming in last. Ian, Nik, Shuk, Diket, Yim, Syed, Shanaz, Ziff, Zack, Deo, Daniel and myself are a large crowd. We warmed up, stretched, and hit the trails. It was an easy morning, but not without extremely busy afternoons. Some of us had not met for awhile, and hence the old jokes. The previous evening rains offered moody morning, and jumpy leeches. Seemed they were out for open houses too.

eh... belum finishing line lagi, baru 1k

pelancong dari Dubai (kat sana mana ada hutan cenggini)

 pacat serbu betis gebu Zaki (not in the pic)

 love the shot!

The trails were less punishing this time, and Rover Track was busy. We arrived at the Sungai Buloh Trail void of the ranger. Due to the big group, I abandoned the itch to lambong the gang for an unprecedented additional mileages. And tackling Steroid Hill as always challenged my heart rate to the max. I put up with the gruelling climb for the magnificent rolls later, no less. We regrouped at the bottom of the hill, before a Diket's timecheck sent us scampering back to the carpark.

We finished our loop 1 (15.6km). The trouble starts to scream off the stove the mooment we pulled out our food. God oh the food. I wished all the calories would have gone to Diket instead of me :D.

The birthday err... oldboy cut the cake without blowing the candles, and we splurge to the abundance of cool melons, chocolates etc. I overdosed on 100+ and melons, Lindt chocolates and more 100+. The slosh louder then a Camelbak in my tummy called for a discount on the impending 10k.

I would not know exactly if others were in the same page, but I could not move the hills with melons in 1.5l of fizz. But Daniels looked frustrated, especially when he did not eat or drink a lot. Thanks to the rebana on the side of the coin, I hastily called it off. It was also 10.30 a.m., remarkably slow for a 15k. In the name of tapering, we continued eating and went our way.

 aku nak yang ada bunga tu, Ian..

 memang the most makan-makan thus far

 

I spent the remaining of the day jogging alongside Iris doing her bike, swimming with her, doing sand art papers. We called off all open houses for Saturday as family time is such a commodity these days. Sad to say, I felt the debt of the 10k blocking my throat real badly. I should have just brushed off the crumbs but I didn't.

Sunday came, and I had another easy LSD. Wifey reminded me of Iris' swim evaluation that day at 9, so I hit Bukit Aman early. Sundays never dissapoint, and I got few different excorts along the darkest stretches of the road, until it was bright enough. Yeah... this year's Raya had its fair share of horror movies on the telly :D.

The menu was simple, turnaround at 7:30 a.m., wherever, and arrive back at Bukit Aman by 8:30 a.m.Plus the small break at Petronas, I returned at 8:17, grabbed my Milo, and drove off. Iris made her class, and I was rewarded by some good Soto and chicken rice back in Bukit Tunku open house later.

Come afternoon, I was itching for more action, and came very close to texting Yimster to ask he'd like to run FRIM trails, but I spent the afternoon icing my knees. There have been some growing pains on both knees and right achilles.

It is the final week to TNF. I have never ran beyond a marathon distance in my life, let alone them in trails. To say that it is not intimidating is an understatement. I am freaking out. What if my knees doesn't hold up? What if my Terra breaks apart? What if I run out of asam-boi? What ifs, and what ifs?

50 freaking long kilometres!

But I am just a weekend warrior, and accept the fact that I will not be privileged to full day trainings, 24-7. Have fun I will try, yes.

  

And this is the week I hate the most before any races. Carbo-loading week. After watching my weights for a while, I do not gel well in eating-more-and-running-less department. What I'll try to do is swim more this final week, and stretch. The feeling of over-bloatedness, and the sudden expand in the trousers, it's like death by spaghettis ahhah!

Easy week, easy week, easy week...