Back seat driver

I felt like a back seat driver today.

Over the course of the year, my runs have been all done at night. There is really not much to see because everything is dark and to be honest, many things I noticed are things that come to me from memory.  I would run past something and remember that a shop/fitness corner/barbeque pits used to be here and I'll look to see .. some times it is still there and what with constantly changing Singapore, some times it is not.

I completed my 2nd morning run today.  I almost never get to run in the early mornings in Singapore and I deliberately wanted to go out before the sun came out, just so I could enjoy the sun peeping over the horizon, and shining across the sea.. it turned out to be another fine morning.  As I ran, I kept my eyes opened, just like a back-seat driver who observers a lot more than the driver.  I noticed the underpass that we will take to get across to East Coast Park when Nisa, Jamie and I live together, needing a new coat of paint.  I noticed the path around the bird sanctuary area.  I found out what is the "F2" carpark - its the same one that I thought it was all along.  I had a good look at the Outward Bound School and the Sailing Centre and thought of all the fun that goes on in there.  The Sailing Centre is where our sailing champions come from, I could not help thinking there are champions in the making when the sailors arrive later in the day to train; right now, the only people around are the cleaning crew and they do a superb job because it is a big area to manage.

There is a different crowd in the morning.  When I started on the out-ward bound leg of my run, there were a few younger runners ahead of me, no doubt putting in the miles for the upcoming marathon.  On the homeward leg, it was a decidedly older crowd doing their morning walks and exercises.  There was a fair number of non-locals (ie ang-mohs), all kitted or togged out in the latest, no less dedicated.

Before I knew it, the 8k flew by and I completed my run for the day.  I am now wondering if the last 2 days had been a transition of sorts, that 7k to 8k runs are now the norm to get me ready for longer distances next year.  Let's do a few more before we mark it down as such.

My short runs used to be my long runs!