Bring Me A Higher Love

What? KL TM Forest Towerthon

Where? Where else but KL Tower (Duh!)

When? February 19, 2006 (Sunday)

How many steps up? 2058

How tall is the tower? 421 meters (4th Tallest Telecom Tower Worldwide)

The longest shaft in KL.

Welcome to the Tower

That was my second time climbing up KL Tower. My first time climbing up this tall erection was in year 2000. (Insert black and white flashback here). It was not a nice experience then as I was the few guilty ones who decorated the stair with a new coat of "paint" (re: my breakfast). Mistake no.1 - No stairs training. Mistake no.2 - run with a full stomach. All my partially digested breakfast of a bun and orange juice went back out. Mistake no.3. Sprinting uphill. At that time, I turbo-ed up the hill leading up to the tower. We had to tackle a 800m winding road from the foothill up before entering the tower.

By the time I reached the TH02 level (two floor up), I was almost half dead. My head spun like a carouse and I vomitted. I couldn't breathe as the stair well was very stuffy and icky (from other people vomit). My legs went wobbly like agar-agar.I rested for like 1/2 hour at the refreshment area, practically lying down. With a little strength that I had, I managed to scrape myself up from the floor and continued to tackle those nasty stairs again. I made it to the top close to 1 hours. One of my colleagues DNFed.

An Uphill Task

Learning from that puke fest, I was better prepared for this Towerthon. I ate a light breakfast - a bar of Nesvita cereal bar and some mineral water well ahead of the start. My aerobic had improved since from the kickboxing class. And this time, I didn't pretent that I was a African runner and turboed up the slope. I took my own sweet time to slow jog up. Many runner sprinted pass me. I didn't bother because I didn't want to go through the ordeal I had six years ago.

Automatic, supersonic, hypnotic, funky fresh Work my body, so melodic This beat flows right through my chest Everybody, Ma and Papi came to party Grab somebody, work your body, work your body Let me see you 1, 2 step

Rock it, don't stop it Everybody get on the floor Wake the party up We about to get it on Let me see ya 1, 2 step I love it when ya 1, 2 step Everybody 1, 2 step We about to get it on - Ciara (1,2 Step from CD Goodies)

Crash! Boom! Bang!

Step by step I moved up the stairs steadily. Took picture of every level indicator. Suggestion for the organiser - to put encouraging words to motivate participants.

I only made on refreshment stop at TH02. Drank half bottle of the supplied mineral water and cool down by the fan before I started my journey up again. I felt great. No pressure. No queasy feeling. No suffocation. I passed many "sprinters" who crashed and burned at the stairway. (Insert evil smirk here).

Step by step Bit by bit Stone by stone Brick by brick Step by step Day by day Mile by mile Go your own way And this old road is rough and ruin So many dangers along the way So many burdens might fall upon me So many troubles I have to face But I won't let my spirit fail me But I won't let my spirit go Until I get to my destination - Whitney Houston (Step by Step from The OST of The Preacher's Wife)

1 more to go...

I was elated when I reached the top. My knee wobbled but I felt great. Top of the world! Noisy runners had turned the Megaview Observation deck into a wet market. I went around the deck and took pictures of the scenic KL views. Everything seemed so small from up there. Tiny humans like ants. Tiny cars like matchboxes. All the problems floated away into the clouds. problem fade away? Hahah! I must be hallucinating due to lack oxygen! Anyway, I love the views from top.

Views from the Top (Part 1)

Menara Maybank and surrounding Pudu area

Views from the Top (Part 2)

KLCC Twin Towers (my favourite shot)

Ants? No, those were participants running up from the foothill to KL Tower

Lil' Melody with a very big heart

I lingered at the sponsors booths at the water fountain area after collecting my goodies bag. There were several mascots wondering around. I managed to shoot this big heart (from Fitness First). Heheh!

Care for some Tower Water?

Amy took a few bottles of this unique mineral water bottle that shaped like the KL Tower at the Start Point. Makes good souvenir.

Goodies Bag and then some

My loot 1) A bag of rice (Jati Super Special Tempatan) 2) Sloan analgesic x 3 tubes 3) KL Tower memo pad and pencils 4) Allianz Pen 5) Proactive Energy Booster Tablets 6) McDonald free meal vouchers 7) Sunway Lagoon RM8 off voucher 8) Menara Alor Setar RM1 off voucher 9) National Sport Council face towel 10) Johnson’s Baby SoftWash x 2 sachets 11) Liquid Neutrogena 12) Blue Hyppo cardboard cut-out 13) Celcom X-pax tattoo 14) Sunday Mail newspaper 15) Lots of useless brochures and car window stickers

The Shiny Plastic Thingy

The KL Towerthon 2006 medal is one of its kinds. It is shiny. It is BIG (Insert Gasp here!). It floats should you throw it into the Klang river. (Insert double gasps here!). Yes. The medal is more plastic than a Barbie doll could be. It is like those cheap tacky plastic medals that you received from your primary or secondary school sport meets.

Anyway, a plastic medal is better than no medal at all. What important is that I have enjoyed myself. Would I do it again? Yes! Yes! Yes! It is not everyday that you get to walk up the 4th tallest telecommunication tower in the world. (Insert a smile of satisfaction here).