XC is really humbling

I have been running roads and pavements for way too long, to the point I appreciate running flats more than anything. Even the Glycerine 8 (which is a fantastic shoe) has not made me change my mind. Today, I did the "boys" route at Macritchie.

Macritchie is a well known XC route, with a few different tracks. The boys route is the one that all school kids run on their annual XC tournament. I don't run this often and never in the mornings. It was surprisingly crowded today but once you went into the track main, the crowds thinned out.

For a person who has done a half decent amount of mileage over the last year, and supposedly race ready for tomorrow's 16k, the run was tough. All the old memories of school days run at Macritchie came back. The gravel was slightly better but still not affording any grip to surge, and up the hills, the hills seemed gentler but no less inclined. Nothing beats the tree canopy which remains enveloping and makes every breadth laboured. All in, it was just survival to get out of the track.

I forgot to wear my watch but there was no need because the run was simply humbling. And the evolution of my running continues. I try to do hills everytime we all go back to KL and I'll now try to mix in some XC along the way. I also thought of my running style today (if ever there was such a thing). It is far removed from the lone ultra and I do best when there are others around. It's the companionship and someone to run against..and have an isotonic with thereafter.