Monday... Blues

My blogging habit is back to the irregular intervals again. Nope, not because I am already working but it's just that I didn't have the mood to do up any post. I'm lagging behind time for my Jeju Island final 2 days draft as well and have no intention to compose it now too hahahaha.

SIM Xtreme Trail V

This was my first adventure race this year, and also my virgin participation for this race. I had joined xPhysique, ATC for a few years which were all under NTU Sports Club or ODAC. This year, my usual teammates, Thomas & Jiayao intended to try out for SIM Xtreme Trail again. They joined it last year but was together with another female runner and this year, I actually had the privilege to participate with them.

Trainings

If it wasn't for the postponement of the race, I could not have made it. The race was supposed to be the first Saturday of 2014 but due to some unforeseen circumstances, they postponed it to the 15th of Feb and that was how, they decided to join it! On the very day we registered for the race, it was actually just 3 weeks before the actual day. Clearly enough, we didn't have much time to train for it since one of the week was allocated for CNY.

When there are more than 2 in a team or in a group (for casual meet-ups), it always seems to be harder to accommodate the available date and time for everyone. We only get to train 3 times in total before the race since both of my teammates were busy with school and I was the only one as free as a bird (excluding all the interviews I needed to attend).

NTU SRC had been our training ground for this race. We would meet in the evening, after Jiayao was done with his school to train together. For the first training, power run was not exempted at all, it's like a norm whenever you have to train with Jiayao hahahaha. The power run x static workouts for our Taiwan climbing trip made all of us handicapped. Just for the first training, we already felt like dying and couldn't even walk at all. Apart from that, this time round, power run wasn't as hardcore since I managed to get Weiloon & Yutai to join us for the training.

Thanks to Yutai, he said he could only do 4 sets (he is one fit guy but probably also 'cos he had canoe polo training afterwards) and told Jiayao I would have died if were to complete 6 sets of power runs x static workouts, especially I don't really train so intensively now. In the end, Jiayao was lenient enough to reduce it to only 3 sets and I must say, it was really stressful (and always will be) whenever I train with the guys. Ultimately, I will become the weakest link and feel like such a big burden to them...

We did power runs as usual, trying our best to clock the fastest timing, otherwise, the rest who are doing the static workouts would need to keep on doing it until the runner is back. PEER PRESSURE; so if you run slow, they have to do longer. Now you understand how I felt the other time? Timing was taken after each run and guess what? To my surprise (& also Jiayao's), I actually ran faster than the time we trained for our Taiwan trekking trip.

Not sure how, but I seem to be BULKIER than before (nothing's new, all girls will always think they are fat) but managed to clock in faster timing. I was quite hyped up for the training, and with so many NTU students on the track, the only thing on my mind is,"I need to run faster so I won't throw my face in NTU" hahahahaha and also the peer pressure training which maybe, subconsciously, made me run a tad faster than usual.

3 x power run, alongside with lunges, push-up, bicycle crunches, superman to complete. While the runner is on the track, the remaining 4 will be doing each of the workouts, taking turns. Basically, there are 5 stations to go, from power run to push-up, lunges, bicycle crunches, superman. After 3 sets, we were done with the track... & that was not the end of the training...

Yutai left us for his canoe polo training, Weiloon continued our training with us until all his climbing friends arrive for their own training. We carried on running around NTU compound after our power run sets, and NEVER IN MY LIFE, I RAN UP SO MANY HILLS IN A SCHOOL. I almost died running, just the first 500m, my calf cramped and I had to stop and stretch my muscles before I could continue. Thank goodness, it was fine after stretching it and I managed to complete the whole run.

Without fail, Jiayao always will try to make us sprint up the damn hills/upslopes. He would say something like we are reaching soon... Then, a motherfather steep slope will appear and the next moment is,"now, we will sprint all the way up, no stopping!" OMG KILL ME PLEASE. I stopped HAHAHA I really couldn't handle such steep slope for the first training man...

Finally, first day training ended. Power runs x static workouts + LDR, an awesome start to our first training cos it left me with all the muscles ache. The feeling of satisfaction and it simply means that we've tried hard enough. ALSO, IT FEELS SO DAMN GOOD to train with my fellow SPA mates. It's been awhile to get together with trainings ever since we graduated from SP.

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The post above is a super backdated post which I did not publish it, not sure what was the reason back then but... Yeah...

For the actual race day, Thomas & I were punctual for the meet-up at the pickup point by Jiayao, but this Jiayao overslept, only waking up after I made a call to Felicia, who then phoned his sister to wake him up.

The sister & husband sent us to ECP from Yewtee, and the husband was literally tailgating every single car in front of us, overtaking cars whenever possible. I could really drown and die while worrying for my life... Nonetheless, we arrived the destination in one piece and we had to rush to get changed, and immediately registering for our team and detail.

The Race.
Once and for all, IMHO, I felt that the race could be planned better... Anyway, with the insanely hot weather; the hotness is out of the world, you would feel like dying for every step you take. Then there will always be this saying ringing constantly in your mind,"PAIN IS TEMPORARY, GLORY IS FOREVER." LOL but seriously, my quads were bulging, teammates were asking how did my biceps end up on my legs...

ANYHOOO,
After few days of investigation and follow-ups with the race results, we were informed that we got 3rd for our category... We lost the glory on stage, and part of the prizes... MEH and they were not willing to up our cash prize to cover the lost of prize items (which the previous team had taken it).

SPECIAL THANKS,
To my both ultra fit teammates, Jiayao & Thomas to have constantly encouraged me through the race, and Jiayao for coming up with training plans, pacing me through the runs, making me almost died for all the trainings but what doesn't kill me makes me stronger!

//ULTRA BACKDATED POST//