Sprained Sinews & Fell Trees

On Wednesday evening, after the rain, the weather was simply too cool not to head out and make for a night run. So I got into my GCS Comp once more and dressed for the wet and cold, ran the short 6KM route from home, through the Westlake Braddell Secondary School campus, past Mount Alvernia Hospital to MacRitchie Reservoir. Once there, I was not sure which way my instinct would lead me and my heart laid towards the long trail, entering at Little Sisters of the Poor. But it was falling into twilight, which at the equator was to last minutes before darkness set in. So, I let my instinct rule by safety and found myself running towards the fitness park entrance, which ordinarily I would consider my exit. I followed some runners in, and that was by itself comforting. The fitness area was flooded as usual, and unusable. Just past the 1.5KM mark, there was a fallen tree which had blocked the trail, but not so severely we could not skirt it. I ran past it and though suddenly to myself that just a few days ago, in the rain, that heavy felled tree could have easily fallen on me, or any other runner. It struck me just how much we take nature's own dangers for granted, simply because statistically, there were fewer of us out there to make the numbers. For all our urban tree planning, kerbs and commercial activities, we hustle and bustle mostly away from these falling branches and landslides... so much so that the more likely dangers are falling tiles and slipping on walkways. But in other parts of the world, these mudslides, burst river banks and falling branches are just as real. And I was immediately grateful to be able now to live and share in the forgotten experience and dangers. Yesterday afternoon, at 3 pm, I found myself vacillating between running or swimming, and the rain seemed just as vexed. Then I decided that I could make the run. But the pain in my right knee joint did not subside despite my treatment of it with moderate rest, diet and some massage. I knew that it would be a hairline fracture within the marrow and only worry about any small clot travelling upwards to the brain. I won't need any aneurysm or mild stroke from a sports injury right now. At the same time, I did not want to consume any anti-coagulant such as aspirin or ginko extract. But to keep my blood pressure down, I allow myself some starfruit and starfruit juice. The run was more a jog and I felt fully at ease. At the Golf Trail I took a breather, not that I needed it, but I felt cautious, as well as particularly aware of the calm and vivid colours that besiege nature after the rains. When I reached the fitness park at 7KM mark, I decided to run up my upper body with some chin-ups (done with ease) and rest. I wanted to soak in the whole scene and fresh air. I then started on the job back. I felt rather hypoglycemic by now, for I had skipped lunch to run, then faced with the uncertainty of whether it would happen or not. By the time I reached the last leg of the trail, and faced the felled tree, I was overtaken by this slender and athletic caucasian runner, wearing a www.triathlonfamily.com adidas tee shirt, asics running shoes, arm-strapped Sony-Ericsson player and Polar heart-rate monitor. He seems to have all speed with him, but I could follow his pace for a while and towards the last 600M decided to sprint - just as Dexter Jr used to do to me! - and make for the exit. It was great to be in the open again, with the flat calm of the lake mirroring the pearly sky above. Couples and families are all heading out and this late afternoon seemed more like a weekend. Then a voice calls out, "Hey Beiron, well done that last part, heh!" I look surprised to my right, smile spontaneously and greet my fellow runner. We adjourn to the cafe at the hilltop of the reservoir and chat: he's begun the triathlon experience just nine months ago, and runs splendidly to my mind. And he's also started on perfecting his front crawl strokes (probably with coaching through TriBob, I think at the Farrer Pool at Kampong Java Road), eager to make for his Langkawi race soon to come. Then he's off running back to his Novena apartment for a 4 pm appointment. I wonder if we'll get to meet and exchange notes again. It was great to run into another enthusiast and someone who empathises the whole experience of getting started in a sport such as this. At Westlake Secondary School where I am working on my chin-ups, a blue cab drives up and the driver waves at me. He's looking for the school office. I could not help much, but a young bloke in a black polo tee with the word "Security" stamped on its back appears and he tells the driver that the school is now defunct. Sadly, I also learnt that the LTA planned to build a new link road through the campus and that would ruin the current beauty of the place. We share our thoughts about the sheer natural beauty of the place in the mornings... and I also mourn the probable loss of my fitness workout area in the school campus. We chat for a long while before it begins to rain again. He's name is Sebastian and he works three jobs, with this security assignment being the one before he hits Clarke Quay to bartend. A former Army regular with the Special Ops, we talk about all sorts of things. I guess we will both meet up another day and say more. But it is time to head back and stay warm and dry... and get some dinner.