Shape Run 2006

My legs feel overused today. Pounding 5 times my weight on them for 5km and then shopping with my cousin to get his shoes, coupled with a headache, is no walk in the park. But still, i feel good. But i also feel disappointed.

There is a sense of superiority somehow when i know that i've done myself some justice in the morning, knowing that all of it was worth my time and my effort. I cannot say that i'm completely as pleased as punch with myself, but i'll say that being a part of a sporting event gives me a bit of a high which makes up just a teeny bit for my disappointment.

Didn't meet my personal goal though of hitting 35 minutes and below, and i missed out on being in the top 100 by around 6 minutes (which well... in actual fact is considered a long time in such events). Oh well. Yet, as i look back upon my fitness level a few months ago and as i compare that with what i'm capable of doing today, i can honestly say that i've come a long way. I'm not and have never been a good long distance runner in fact, which makes it all the more sweeter. In actuality, i hate running long distances (anything more than 1km).

And so i finally understand the meaning of "bring your training into your competition and bring your competition into your training". This is something that i've learnt from archery. For the former, you'll need that steady mentality that you've built up through your training during the competition. There'll always be people better or less than you, but you'll need to keep your head, to stick to the plan, to what you've trained yourself at. You cannot be overwhelmed by what you see, hear and feel. When you find that you are able to partition yourself from the external surroundings, you'll ease into the run better. For the latter, you need to be serious about your trainings, never slacking or cutting corners. You should bring your attitude of excellence into your trainings as well so that you're always at your best.

Now that the run is over, i'm gonna be looking for other interesting activities to pick up. Maybe kickboxing or dancing... something else other than running.

I'm rreaaalllleeee tired now. Sleepy. No one is going to ask me to do anything anymore tonight. I'm bushed.

***

Running gear with number tags and timing chip attached: check
Socks and shoes: check
Heart rate monitor and strap: check
Extra tee: check
Brolly: check
Towel: check
Handphone: check

Wallet: Cash (duh), IC (with every reason) and er... Organ Donation Card. You know..., just in case i run all the way home to God. Oh, check.