Keep On Running

Thanks to one of my new climbing friends my first Singapore 10k came forward a couple of weeks with a spare entry into a local event. It was an evening run, a first for me, starting at 18:30. They tried to do an enthusiastic group 'warm up' which made me laugh as I was sweating just standing still, really no warm up was required. The day had peaked at around 35 Degrees and 85-90% humidity so it was a pretty tough run. The setting was stunning though, Jurong Lake Park is now on our list of places to go and see in Singapore and to run round its edges was really very lovely.

Despite the hard work I was buzzing and smiling at the end and feeling more confident having seen that everyone else was finding it difficult too, a great night and a great big chunky finishers medal to remember it by!

This morning my millage build up continued and it was only a matter of time before I got caught part way through my weekly long run in a thunder storm. At first I was quite happy, the rain was keeping me at a relatively pleasant temperature. However, as the storm rolled overhead and the lightening flashes were visible even through it was daylight, followed instantly by ear shattered claps of thunder I began to wonder how safe I was. Added to this the little stream that had started to form on the trail was now filling the entire path and around ankle deep.

So an interesting conundrum started.......seek shelter in the next little wooden huts I passed that are built for such things, for an unknown period of time in the middle of the woods waiting for it to stop. Or continue to try and run in the 'river' that used to be the path. In the end by the time I reached the next shelter I only had to wait around 10 minutes before the thunder rolled off in the opposite direction and I returned to the river path to splash my way back to base.

The reservoir is a beautiful place after a storm though, mist rises up off the water like some eerie horror movie. I think I was just starting to dry off when the rain started again. Bit of a lesson learnt, next time I am caught out I'll be straight in the first shelter I see till the worst passes, that's what the shelters are for after all!