MacRitchie and Killer Hills

Have to clear last year's leave so took the day off.

Decided to pop in to MR again. The last time I ran the full loop there was in June last year. My, how time flies. MR has always been a jinx place for me and I approached today run with a little apprehension since I was running alone. What if something sway happen to me again and nobody around to help? Neh.. I wasn't going to let a small little thing like that stop me so .

Reached there around 7.40am. The new car park has been up and running for some time and can park in the shade. Good - no more hot car after run. I was also glad to see the construction of the new plaza in full progress. Hopefully, it will include a toilet with shower facilities.

Went up via the Little Sister way or what is known as the Northern Trail. The ground was a bit wet. Did it rained last night? I remembered my first time running there so many years ago with Uncle Sebas. I was huffing and puffing as I tried to negotiate the rocky trails with it many up and down while he was sprinting away. 4 years later, I am still huffing and puffing my way up the rocky trails. Sighed.. something never change.

Anyway, it was not supposed to be a chiong run - just a remembrance run and I took my time soaking in the peaceful surrounding. There was few walkers (mostly aunties and uncles) and runners (mostly Caucasians) and most time I had the trail all to myself. I enjoyed the solitude run, feeling the cool morning mist around me, with the occasional peek of the sunlight through the trees; listening to the canopy of sound from the cicadas and birds. That is something you won't hear if you run in a group as all you will be doing is concentrating on catching up with the runner in front or not fall too far back.

Out on to Venus Drive, saw a security guard standing guard at the start of what I called 'Killer Hills' and I felt sad that the route is now closed to us runners. This was one of my fave route. I loved to run from Upp Pierce to MR and back challenging myself on the slope. This I rate as my most difficult route even more shiong than Mt Faber! The first time I ran there was also with Uncle Sebas and I had to walk the hill a few times. I don't run there that often nowadays as it is too tough but I do enjoy a good challenge every now and then. Hopefully SICC, PUB can come to some sort of compromise for us runners?

My suggestion for what it is worth is:

• Relocate the hole just before the dam so that the golfers tee off after the dam and not before it so that runners are not in the fly zone of the golf balls
  
• No running on top of the dam. Build a broadwalk on the outer part of the dam at Upp Pierce just above the water level and below the top of the dam for runners to run on. Fit it with a sloping roof just in case any kayu golfer's shot goes astray.
  
• Construct or just demarcate a path at the end of the dam to Venus Drive skirting the green for runners to run on.
• Finally, along the road itself, clear the vegetation on the side of the road (say about 1 m wide) and let the runners run on it.

That way runners don't get hit by cars and golf balls; golfers can tee off without waiting for runners to clear the dam. Of course, SICC or PUB will have to come up with some money for this but surely a little CSR will go a long way.... hopefuly somebody there is reading this.

Back on to MR, the ground after the wooden walkway was very soggy especially just before the golf course. Damn there goes my shoes as it sucks in the mud. Out of the golf course, the ground gave way to wet clayy surfaces and in order to avoid slipping I cautiously picked my way through even walking through the entire section of the slope just before the fitness corner. Even then with every twist and turn of the foot, my heart jumped waiting for that awful crack sound that will signify my ankle giving way. It came once when I landed on a rather big uneven rock and I yell (heh heh nobody around to be paiseh about) but fortunately in the end emerged from the whole experience without a scratch.

So have I overcome my MR jinx?