Having heard about the existence of the MR25 Progressive Run series, I made it a point not to miss the opportunity to take part in some of the shorter distances of the series (10km and 15km thus far).
Taking place on 1st March 2015, there was little more I could ask for. Here was a timed event that was free of charge while providing hydration and nutrition.
Waking up around 5.15am that morning, I began my usual routine - washing up, breakfast etc. As Macritchie was just a stone's throw away, it meant that I could leave home at 6.30am.
After a seamless registration and the collection of the timing device, we were flagged off around 7.05am. By then, the route was mildly illuminated - any more than 5 minutes earlier and we would have pretty much been running in darkness.
This time round, I made a deliberate attempt to start near the front, having experienced the mild frustration of being blocked due to the narrow initial stretch of the route in the previous edition (10km) of this series. The plan for this run was to ease into a moderate effort for first trail portion (till 3+ km), maintain the effort as I manoeuvred the sheer slopes of Island Club Road (till 8km), relax as I navigated the rocky trail (or more like a trial?) after the Ranger station (till 9+km), before aiming to speed up after the Golf Course. Overall, it was to be taken as an 8/10 effort (10 being an all-out race) as I didn't want extensive residual fatigue from this run. I was hoping to run a 1:10.
I hit the start of the first trail (0.6km) in 2:36. The first trail was uneventful and I left the forest (3.6km) in around 16:40. I knew the sensation of burning legs was to come thereafter, having significant hills to climb along Island Club Road. At this point, I caught up with some runners who had previously overtaken me. Hearing their gasps as I passed, I knew that I needed to be cautious about my effort as well. For now however, breathing was controlled though on the hills, the acidosis could be felt in my legs.
After the series of hills, I was directed into the grassy portions near the reservoir. A fellow runner, seemingly experienced with this series of events, kindly directed me along the correct trail as the runners ahead were not always within sight. This was my first time running this portion of the route and it provided a refreshing sight of the reservoir. Towards the later stages however, some portions were a little damp and narrow. The narrow route would prove to be a hassle slightly later.
The U-turn point around 6km was hit in about 28~. En route, I had the opportunity to glance at the faces of every single runner ahead of me... and many behind me as I made the U-turn myself. At this time, a vast number of runners were running in the opposite direction of me. This proved challenging as I had to negotiate and share the route with them. On a few occasions, I was forced to a standstill as the route (particularly right beside the reservoir) seemed too narrow for two runners to pass at a time.
I returned on Island Club Road and re-negotiated the hills, along the way overtaking a Caucasian. Breathing was noticeably more difficult, but I took comfort in knowing that along the rocky trail (it had a mild descent), I could recover mildly, as I always did during my jogs. I followed my plan of relaxing during this portion (running any faster would exponentially increase the risk of an ankle sprain), recovering mildly. I hit the 9km mark in about 42~.
Thereafter came the golf course and next came the climb into the final series of the trail. The fatigue set in as I ascended. Thereafter, the familiar stretch was covered strongly and I passed 11.7km in about 55:40 and knew I'd certainly run sub 1:10. Unfortunately, despite my plan to attempt to speed up significantly, I probably barely managed to hold on to tempo pace. It was an uneventful stretch and I exited the trails (14.2km) in about 1:05~.
From then on, I tried to speed up while remaining relaxed. After hitting the Reservoir Road, I sped up, aided by the descent. Though tired, I was in absolute control and expected a 1:08+ finish. It was only till about a hundred metres away that I realised that had I started kicking earlier, a sub 1:08 was possible. I crossed in 1:08:04.
Taking place on 1st March 2015, there was little more I could ask for. Here was a timed event that was free of charge while providing hydration and nutrition.
Waking up around 5.15am that morning, I began my usual routine - washing up, breakfast etc. As Macritchie was just a stone's throw away, it meant that I could leave home at 6.30am.
After a seamless registration and the collection of the timing device, we were flagged off around 7.05am. By then, the route was mildly illuminated - any more than 5 minutes earlier and we would have pretty much been running in darkness.
This time round, I made a deliberate attempt to start near the front, having experienced the mild frustration of being blocked due to the narrow initial stretch of the route in the previous edition (10km) of this series. The plan for this run was to ease into a moderate effort for first trail portion (till 3+ km), maintain the effort as I manoeuvred the sheer slopes of Island Club Road (till 8km), relax as I navigated the rocky trail (or more like a trial?) after the Ranger station (till 9+km), before aiming to speed up after the Golf Course. Overall, it was to be taken as an 8/10 effort (10 being an all-out race) as I didn't want extensive residual fatigue from this run. I was hoping to run a 1:10.
I hit the start of the first trail (0.6km) in 2:36. The first trail was uneventful and I left the forest (3.6km) in around 16:40. I knew the sensation of burning legs was to come thereafter, having significant hills to climb along Island Club Road. At this point, I caught up with some runners who had previously overtaken me. Hearing their gasps as I passed, I knew that I needed to be cautious about my effort as well. For now however, breathing was controlled though on the hills, the acidosis could be felt in my legs.
After the series of hills, I was directed into the grassy portions near the reservoir. A fellow runner, seemingly experienced with this series of events, kindly directed me along the correct trail as the runners ahead were not always within sight. This was my first time running this portion of the route and it provided a refreshing sight of the reservoir. Towards the later stages however, some portions were a little damp and narrow. The narrow route would prove to be a hassle slightly later.
The U-turn point around 6km was hit in about 28~. En route, I had the opportunity to glance at the faces of every single runner ahead of me... and many behind me as I made the U-turn myself. At this time, a vast number of runners were running in the opposite direction of me. This proved challenging as I had to negotiate and share the route with them. On a few occasions, I was forced to a standstill as the route (particularly right beside the reservoir) seemed too narrow for two runners to pass at a time.
I returned on Island Club Road and re-negotiated the hills, along the way overtaking a Caucasian. Breathing was noticeably more difficult, but I took comfort in knowing that along the rocky trail (it had a mild descent), I could recover mildly, as I always did during my jogs. I followed my plan of relaxing during this portion (running any faster would exponentially increase the risk of an ankle sprain), recovering mildly. I hit the 9km mark in about 42~.
Thereafter came the golf course and next came the climb into the final series of the trail. The fatigue set in as I ascended. Thereafter, the familiar stretch was covered strongly and I passed 11.7km in about 55:40 and knew I'd certainly run sub 1:10. Unfortunately, despite my plan to attempt to speed up significantly, I probably barely managed to hold on to tempo pace. It was an uneventful stretch and I exited the trails (14.2km) in about 1:05~.
From then on, I tried to speed up while remaining relaxed. After hitting the Reservoir Road, I sped up, aided by the descent. Though tired, I was in absolute control and expected a 1:08+ finish. It was only till about a hundred metres away that I realised that had I started kicking earlier, a sub 1:08 was possible. I crossed in 1:08:04.
This was definitely a satisfying run, having seen much improvement from the MR25 Progressive Run 2015 (10km) earlier in January. Many thanks to MR25 for the facilitation of this event :)
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| The additional 5km (thereabout, compared to the PR 10km) took under 21 minutes to cover. |
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| A series of photos taken before the first trail. Credit to Chan Chai Hui. |
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