I had a busy week, plus an uncooperative wet weather. Translation: zero workouts from Wed to Fri. Hopelessly cranky without the endorphins. I swore to myself that I would run this entire weekend.
This morning I drove with the guys to Tampines MTB trail to test out the 10km route. There was a MTB 100km ride happening there next weekend, and a couple of my friends were taking part. I was advised by seasoned riders that this was a relatively easy, flat and non-technical trail, and I should start with this if I wanted to pick up MTB. Ahh... let's see how that goes after I get myself a bike.
I left the guys to their riding and went for my run. It was already past 10am when I started and the morning heat was in full blast. I followed the Tampines park connector network (PCN) towards Pasir Ris PCN. There was an overhead pedestrian-cycling bridge to cross. This newly completed Eastern Coastal PCN, a 42km stretch of connectors, would form part of the Sundown Marathon route. The PCN led to Pasir Ris Park, along Pasir Ris Drive 3, Loyang Industrial estate and past Changi Air Base. There was no shade nor respite from the heat along Loyang, and I desperately sought to hide under whatever little shadow from street lamps or tree saplings. At one road crossing, I positioned myself into the shadow of the the traffic light pole while waiting for the lights to turn green. It was that desperate!
Along the way, several MTBrs came in the opposite direction. I wondered if they were riding in Ubin or some other hidden trails in the area. The Loyang PCN led past the Commando camp - so now I know where the camp was, I had never ventured along this route before. This PCN was very clearly marked and easy to follow. I went along Cranwell Road and came to Changi Beach Club. Hey, I knew this place! A couple of months ago, we brought a visiting friend there for dinner. That was at night and I could not recognize the roads. I recalled looking at the kelong outside the restaurant and wondered how people got onto the boardwalk. Aha, now I had found the entrance! I was pleased I explored the area. The 1.2km Changi Boardwalk was a lovely scenic wooden-planked path comprising 4 segments - Sunset Walk, Kelong, Cliff, and Sailing Point. I was surprised by the sea view, it was as close to running by the waters as we could get, short of doing a beach run. It was like discovering a well-kept secret, I had no idea such a place existed in Singapore. Running new routes uncovers nuggets of surprises, always. :) Two-wheel recee good, two-legged exploration better!
There were several morning anglers along the boardwalk, spending an idyllic Saturday morning chilling by their fishing rods. I stopped and took in the scenery, and even snapped a picture of the seaview on my phone. The new (at least to me) Ubin ferry terminal was reburfished with a clean toilet and ticketing hall. I took a break to refill my bottles. Whew, the sun was scorching as I continued my way back via Netheravon Road, past the Civil Service Club, the SAF chalets where we were invited recently for a BBQ, and looped back to Cranwell Road. The return run seemed faster, maybe because I already knew the route.
Alber called to say they had finished riding, but I was still a good 8km away. Oops. As I neared Pasir Ris Park, it started drizzling. The fizzy drizzle soon gave way to big clear droplets, and without warning, the skies poured. Like massive downpour where one could not keep the eyes opened, and my shades could do with wipers. Shoots. I was totally drenched and my shoes were squish-squooshing with every step. They felt a lot heavier when wet. It was the kind of rain that would clear in 15min, but in that short period of time, it was all or nothing. There was no hiding from the rain so I just had to continue plodding. I saw a giant fat monitor lizard trying to get off the wet grass, its clumsy movement similar to me!
True enough, the downpour ceased when I reached Tampines PCN, about 2km from my end point. Grrrr..... Finally, I reached the MTB trail, the guys had just returned. Whew, it was a tough run, not from the distance or terrain, but the immense heat. I took almost 3hr, inclusive of the breaks and traffic junctions. Baked, and drenched, and baked again. All in a day's run. Whew!
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