When they said life is a cycle...it's a true, and there is a law to it - the law of cause and effect.
For the last 6 months I have been paying the price for my days of running dangerously. Now when I think of it, there were those times...
when I fell while racing near the plantation in Bukit Tunggal (Kampung Gajah) with blood dripping to the finishing line...I continue running.
when I hurt my knees at Lake Gardens many years back...I continue running.
when I slipped and injured my back at my office lobby...I continue running.
last year, I fell badly on the uneven pavement along Padang Merbuk...I rested for a week and continue running, and participated in many more races including two full marathons and two ultras (if you consider Maran Walk & 12 hour Walk).
I felt like a hero. A silly one.
The value of patience
Quite often, I thought the way to treat an injury is not to rest it too much, and so I always hope that whatever ails me will be something that I can work through. It doesn't work because I know I can not go against nature. Well, those 6 months had taught me the value of patience.
But then, long distance runners are patient people. We ran for hours to reach our destination - our goal. We trained for months for that one race. We know how to pace ourselves for the long haul. But many times, when our legs are sore and our bodies are begging for rest, we tend to go against it. For a runner, paying the price for not being able to run is even more painful than running a 84km!
Having learnt some lessons, I believe everyone deserve a second chance, including me.
Finding joy in walking and volunteering
It's been exactly 6 months since I gave my legs a break. Those 6 months were long but I managed to group up with "the walking kakis"...Jenny Lim, Jenny Lee, Lynn, Tip and ocassionally Siew Cheng for our Sunday walk.
Other times when there are running events and races, I joined in as a volunteer and tried to gain different experiences in various field of work eg. time keeper, marshal etc. Although I didn't participate in any local races this year, being a volunteer gave me an opportunity to stay connected with friends in the running community and be a part of the event or race itself.
I discovered that I can enjoy myself just as much.
New shoes to mark New beginning
Yesterday my legs decided that it's time for them to start running again. As a celebration of their comeback, John bought them a new pair of running shoes. I've chosen the Mizuno Wave Hawk.
Gathered at Bukit Aman carpark at 6am with running buddies. Wah Chai and Gary had hangovers from their dinner the night before and resorted to walking instead. So I was left to run with Peter Teoh, Tai, Kim, Uncle Yee and Ah Fai. I ran cautiously with them until the bridge before crossing to the government offices. They proceeded to Hartamas while I ran the reverse route back to Lake Gardens.
My first 10km attempt for the year. It was good enough for me. I believe my legs found comfort in their new pair of Mizuno too.
