the pencil runs

Every time I think I have hit rock bottom in the fitness level, I discover new depths of physical lathargy. The other day, while doing rounds in my neighbourhood, I jogged about 4km only and had to stop 3 times to catch my breath! Three times! Not once, not twice, but three!!! I finished at the awe-inspiring sub-seven km/h pace. You know, after you've stopped once, you might as well stop three times. The heart feels better for it.

I love my table of distances and times. S doesn't like it cos I think she thinks it is too boring, but I like the numbers, especially when I want to re-live the over-20k weeks (like today when I'm feeling like all I can ever do is a sub-seven km/h pace). I like watching the numbers rise and fall over the weeks. The rise and fall of the numbers is inversely proportional to the fat around my belly, and also inversely proportional to the amount of overtime I'm doing at work. Gotta love it.

The run at CCK was great though. After a rousing game of badminton with A (forearm, shoulder and butt ached the next day), I jogged 11 rounds on lane 3 of the track. It was a beautiful, crisp smelling night. There were kids playing street soccer in the court off the track; it was dark; the track was spongey; sweet tinge of red rubber in the air; two aunties sitting on the sit-up bar talking; and running, hanging in the moment, without a watch.

Well, I've finally updated my running log after weeks of sitting around, eating twisties & chocolate chip cookies, watching tv, and consolidating fat.

When we started out on our jog yesterday, the air was cool and crisp, like fresh bedsheets. It was good to have S's familiar company. The cool crisp weather quickly changed though - before long it was pouring bucketfuls of water. Truckloads and whole reservoirs of water - it's strange that I didn't even consider that it would rain before we started, even though it has been raining just about every evening. By the time we got back, we were both drenched to the skin.

S and I always attract rain. The rain yesterday cannot compare to the time when we went jogging at Bishan and got caught in the monsoon. That time, there were an entire river flowing down the jogging path! We waited for the rain to get lighter in one of the shelters but it never did. Made a mad dash for it to the bus stop, then had to take very cold bus back, with two shoefuls of water. We even frightened some poor girl at the bus stop cos we looked so wet. She put her hand to her mouth and said, "Aiyoh." Haha!

ps. we have a new pedometer! :)