Running Late!

 

21 October 2025

It was already close to 10am when I started to run.... How could it be possible when I woke up at 6.45am?

It was another tiring day - I have been feeling so tired these days.

I believe I dilly-dallied too much in the morning, and got stuck in the loo for too long to detox.

But the weather was so perfect! How could I have this opportunity passed, when tomorrow never knows?

So still, I put on my gears, sunblock applied, and outta the door...

I decided to go really easy on myself, already on an easy long run day 😝

I decided to just run more loops in the park and not venture further out of my area -- with the possibility that it might rain, and, I was really tired... I would see how far I could run. Furthermore, I had an afternoon class to teach at 2PM.

18-20 KM was my target.

It was a good run - the 1st 5-6 KM.

Met Uncle who would go for walking practice from his wheelchair, with the aid of his helper. I hadn't seen him in a while... he looked older.

I was testing a new pair of running shorts that came with a tuck-in pocket on the back, that could fit a phone. So I did not bring the usual flipbelt band and brought minimal items with me.

The park was quiet, I was the only person, after having met Uncle. As I got up the hilly part, I saw a few more uncles on bikes chatting. Ran to the waterfront park with Malaysia across the Strait. Beautiful view at the jetty and I couldn't help but take a selfie with the buildings across the Causeway as backdrop. 

RTS Bridge almost completed.

Our Neighbour's High-risers

My toes began to sting in the new Clifton 9. I wondered if the insoles were too thin, or that this model isn't really for me. I remembered I should have felt fine with the Challenger ATR after 1-2 wears.

I continued with the discomfort and ran on, back to the park and back home. No spotting of the wild today, just scenery 😁

Finally reached the neighbourhood jogging track cum fitness park some blocks across home. I looked at the watch - it was already too late for me to catch a proper lunch before rushing back for class.

My fitness tracker tracked 20 KM, however my Runkeeper only 17+ KM -- As usual, the GPS would show less mileage when I ran most distance under forest canopy.

I was glad however that I made it - despite the late start, and the not-so-ready body and circumstances.

As the saying goes:

"Better late than never".

And true indeed it was.

A Day Full of Wrongs

Another "Wrong" day when the run didn't go as expected.

Another very warm and humid day that got me a little phobic running out ... 😂

And so I decided to run where there could be covers. I planned to run to Sembawang area again, and to make a turn along the river, try my luck to visit the otters, which I did in a magnificent encounter. Then I would head down to the Lower Seletar Reservoir. My aim was 18-20km.

Thought it is really going solo...

Nope... its mates were below...

Eat, Play, ..... Sleep, repeat?

Big Catch!

However, it was a day full of wrongs...

It is advised not to break into a new pair of shoes on a long run, and I did just that.

Plus, paired it off with a new running bra top and, made a wrong turn at the traffic junction that made me breathe in dust along the construction site of a highway, when I was nearing the end of the journey.

However, it was usually the wrongs that made us learn and do more rights the next time.

While I had to run longer to reach my end destination, I passed through where I never had, or perhaps would, if I'd done all the rights. 

I experienced more patches of greens, saw the magnitude of the highway being constructed, and experienced a different angle of the Sungei Seletar. 

View from the Top which I had never seen nor taken a picture of

My new shoes gave me blisters and further shaded my problematic toenail. I'd known beforehand I shouldn't wear them over long distance running, but I didn't have time to test them othewise - the soles on my old pair were really rather flattened to hold me well for distance. But now I know the difference in toe box space between the Clifton and the Challenger ATR, and found my preference.

I didn't give much thought to my running bra top - I just wanted to feel cooler and less stuck-on from my tee. But I now realised, cooler could also mean less cover - especially when the sunlight is harsh. I could get bra tops that offer more protection on the back, rather than the criss-cross design that the new one came in.

The wrongs are still wrongs. But they don't have to remain forever so.

I gained new perspectives, angles and insights.

I could move on, or run on, with more wisdom and better choices the next time.

Letting Go(al)...

Last week I had another "Bad Run".

I had just recovered from cold and starting the 1st long run after that.

My last long run was 20km. And my target next was to reach 25km.

But I knew I couldn't possibly achieve this goal in that current body condition. More so, after having missed one long run the week before due to being sick.

So I humbly projected at least 15km but really hoping to reach 18km.

Against my favour, it was a very scorchingly hot day with the sun rays beating down relentlessly on the runner, running in the open.

I decided to run a somewhat familiar route with some twists, and plotting an exploratory spot on this route.

Met a solo otter, and a large heron with monitor lizards for company. Next I ran along the train tracks to finally reach the spot of discovery - Yishun Neighbourhood Park - on the top of a hill. I'd probably went up the slope more than a decade back but I didn't explore its top then. I had merely went up the steps and down the other side, as back then I'd run in the evenings and I was afraid of too much darkness on the run back.

Otter swimming solo

Supposedly Grey Heron, with Monitor Lizard swimming by.

So on that day, I was determined to explore more despite the harsh weather.

As I ran up the hill I was pleasantly surprised by an old school pavillion surrounded by two round tables with chinese chessboard templates on them. A nice little garden was found midway.  A few park-goers were there to Tai Chi and do some stretching exercises.

The Pavillion

A winding road led up to the little "peak" with a toilet and water cooler, and a community garden further up.  Glancing down, one could see the surrounding neighbourhood. Though it wasn't that high and the view that fantastic, it was still a nice respite from the brick and mortar below.

I was grateful for the water cooler that I much needed to drink from. I jogged round the top before slowly going down. Took some photos before eventually heading down the steps back again to pound the pavement along the road.

I reckoned it was too late to run to my targeted destination - Lower Seletar Reservoir - neither did I think I have enough power to do so... 😛

I decided to run to wherever I could for a better place to cool down and rest before having lunch.

Construction obstructed a lot of pathways and made me change directions. I turned to where I would not usually run to - an old bus interchange near the malls. As much as possible, I tried to dodge the glaring sun to get into shade wherever and whenever I could. I finally realised I was heading towards an entrance of a park --- The Yishun Pond!

Yishun Pond

I was glad. Though I ever came here once, I did not fully explore it. I ran about 2 more rounds totalling about 15km on my watch tracker, and 14km on the GPS on Runkeeper.

Cooled down and headed to the adjacent hospital's foodcourt for an earlier lunch to refuel. I needed to get back home to teach an online class that day.

Though the original target of 18km wass missed, I was happy I found another target --- another spot I that could run to and explore more in-depth, amongst the other check-in points on my next running journey.