Pounding the Asphalt before Dawn

Ran a half-marathon (that's 21.5km) for the first time in my life. T'was a great run!

(ok, I confess, I walked almost the entire 3 hours of the one Army Half Marathon but that was only a defiant show of active lackadaisicalness)

Now the lower half of my body is weak and sore (but no abrasions in embarassing places). All in all, I'm happy and at peace :)

It's the 2nd time I'm taking part in the Singapore Marathon. This year's turnout is terrifically high, with about 20,000 participants. So didn't stay to cheer and clap for the winning marathoners.

Once a rather physically prosperous acquaintance remarked to me, you're so skinny, why do you need to run?

I simply smiled and said, I love to run.

Yes, I love the rush of wind in my face, the exhilaration of pushing my body to its limits - cramps, stitches and all. And the sudden, liberating spurts in tapping a wellspring of energy from within.

An ever-springing joy, a challenge both physical and mental, a revelation of body, heart and mind... Running is all that to me.

And I've to admit, the feeling of overtaking slower runners is quite an ego-booster :)

Until the chauvinist in me chokes helplessly in disbelief in the dust kicked up in the wake of an overtaking female.

I love to run. And I hope you do too.