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Friday, April 21, 2006

Long and Winding Road Home

Decided to run home from work today to make up for last night non-running.

Started from Hong Leong Building facing Shenton Way to Marina Promenade. It is windy and the sky looks ominously dark. Hope it won't rain. Surprisingly, there are few people running. Ran slowly trying to avoid straining the knee and the left shin which don't feel very good. Estimated going at 7min pace. Reached Nicoll Highway and decided against going up since the sky in the east look bad. Decided to check out the Kallang Park Connector. Continued until Kallang Riverside and ran along the river side until the end. No more road to run. Sigh, should have run into the park instead of the side of the river. Exit - shit - it is Crawford Road. No choice, ran along the road to Kallang Rd until the other side of the river and crossed the road to the other side.

Holy mackerel - where is the Park connector? There doesn't seem to be any path from here. The stupid National Park map shows there is a park connector linking the park to the Kallang Park Connector which leads to Siglap Park Connector! Bo piah, now stuck - double shit - it is starting to rain - got to run along Sims Ave now. Never imagined I will run here twice in a month! The damn road is full of traffic. There are plenty of China ladies around and many DOM. The exhaust fumes from the vehicles is terrible. Then the sweet stench of durian came drifting to my nose. Ah... at least if it rains, can stop for dinner and durian while waiting for the Mrs to come and pick me up. Continued to plod along. Can't really run fast with so many obstacles. Passed Rochor Beancurd - how long has it been? Ho Kee pau and finally Sims Ave East and Kembangan MRT. Stopped for a toilet break.

3 MRT stops to home. May be just 20 minutes more? In the end decided against running in the traffic again and turned into Siglap Park connector. It is a short route. Hit PIE - arrgg!!! why must they build such high and long overhead bridge? Now in a park - never been here before. The board said only 1.3km long to Bedok North. Reached Bedok North Rd soon enough - another overhead bridge and it's Bedok Town Park but where is the directional signboard? The place look damn dark and the floor is all wet. Must have rain heavily earlier. Asked some boys sitting at the void deck how to get to Bedok Reservoir. They looked at me like I siow. Finally 1 boy said go by the main road - I may get lost in the park.

Triple shit - Looks like it back to hitting the road and fighting traffic again. Luckily the air is cool and traffic is quite light. Finally, Bedok Park Connector. Now to go straight or turn into it? Got enough of the traffic. The connector wins. Back to the connector and up another gigantic bridge across the PIE and down to Upp Changi Rd and home sweet home.

Total time taken: 2hr:17m:52s including 1 toilet break, 2 water break and numerous traffic stop. Distance: app 18km. Surprisingly, this winding traffic laden route is much shorter than if I had run via ECP and Upp East Coast Rd. But I don't think I try again unless very sure the Kallang Park connector can connect to Siglap Park connector.

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