Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Padang Merbok - KLIA Mad Mad Dash

King Kong Shoe? Posted by Picasa I almost did not make it for this Mizuno Wave Run. My heart sank when I was told that our company trip/ conference was on the same date as Mizuno a few weeks back. I have already registered for Mizuno donkey years ago. Heads up. I was not going to let my Mizuno medal slip away, so I called up the organizing committee to put me to a later flight (11:00 am instead of 9:00 am) I was hoping to complete the run and then go for the conference. 11:00am flight. I calculated. Run starts at 7:30am. If I complete in 1 1/2 hour, I should reach Padang Merbok by 9:00am.Give 1 hour travel time from Masjid Jamek LRT to Sentral KL to KLIA via Express Rail Link(ERL), I should reach KLIA by 10:00am, an hour before the flight, provided everything is just in time. Mission Impossible or Mission Plausible? The Mizuno run registration a big boo boo. There was a long queue to the start point to submit the registration card in exchange of a rubber band. By the time I reached the start point, the run already being set off. I started to run with a steady slow pace. I know what was waiting for me -the double hills that go up and down like a dragon's back. Vicious. I must conserve my energy. I collected another rubber band at the start point right after I turned into the Double Hills. I usually walked up the hilly area. But this time, I jogged up it and then "flew" down the hills brakeless. It was my fastest Double Hills Run ever. I got a plane to catch! I reached Padang Merbok, I was ready to give the dash of my life to the finishing line. But, I had to pull all brakes as Padang Merbok had turned to a muddy paddy field due to rain the day before. No choice. The only way was through. I hippity-hopped across the field to the finishing line and redeemed my medal. Took a couple of pictures of me and the big Mizuno wave shoe (it was a inflatable actually) before I made a mad dash from Padang Merbok to the Masjid Jamek LRT Station. I noticed that many other passengers were looking at me. Not often you get to see a man with a travel bag, "skimpily" dressed, dripping with sweat and wearing a pair or mud-soaked shoes in the LRT on a Sunday morning, or even on any other days. Mad dash time again from the LRT station to the ERL counter. I managed to get the ERL ticket 10 minutes before the departure time at 9:20am. Phew!!!! The ERL departed on time. I checked out my goody bag - a Clark Hatch voucher, some drinks, a pack of fried bihun, snack and a sachet of Deep Heating Rub. I gobbled up the fried bihun in the train. I reached KLIA at exactly 10:00am. Went to the toilet to wipe my body with a wet towel and had a change of clothes. A shower at KLIA Transit Hotel cost RM20! No way that I was going to spend that kind of money for a shower. I would shower when I reach my hotel in Langkawi. Sniffed myself. Good. No smelly armpits thanks to 24 hour protection by Rexona. Met my the rest of my colleague at the departure hall, proudly show off my last running medal of 2005. Mission accomplished.

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