Running sucks!

Running sucks! No matters how experience you are and how often you run, you find yourself gasping for air as the air get sucks out of you with every step you pound on the pavement. Your side hurt (stitches they call it although I don't see any stitches there), you develop cramp in your thigh, foot and for some in the stomach. For those who run longer distance, your toes turn black and drop off, you start to get pain which never goes anway and your knees seized up everytime you walk up and down the stairs. All in a rotten deal but yet why are there so many people running all over the places?

Just take a walk in any parks on a weekend morning or evening and you find tons and tons of people - the young, the very old, the skinny, the fattest guy who waddles more than run, the showoff who runs barebodied in the skimpiest of short or sport bras, the very fit training for the next competition and the nutcase wearing full body suit with hood. Nowadays, even during lunch time in Shenton, you can see people sacrificing their lunch hours to run.

So many people can't be wrong. And so I slog on, one step at a time.

Yesterday morning, I was at Sentosa practising for the coming New Balance Real Run, which is a 10 km trail run. This time, I was pacing a friend, somebody 10 years younger than me. As I run alongside with him, I reflected on my running journey. I had come a long way since than.

I started running regularly in March 2004 after deciding that I need to beat the middle age blues. As I ran, there came a time when I felt that all this running was going nowhere. So I began to set targets - and km by km, I set out to conquer them. Since then, I have completed the Sheares Bridge Half Marathan, the SC Singapore marathon and this year my target will be to better the timing. Now I no longer consider myself a beginner - a run for me is usually about 8 - 10 km with a longer run on a weekend. I am now able to run faster and longer distance. And most important of all I feel younger at least in mind although not in appearance.

Maybe running doesn't sucks after all!