the pencil runs

I saw a snake. Within the first ten minutes of the ten km trail run at MacRitchie, I saw the bronze coloured snake slither from the middle of the path into the bushes. My foot was 10cm from the tail of the snake when I saw it. I yelped and jumped. It made me somewhat jumpy during the rest of the run too. Later, I jumped again when a twig hit my foot, and another time when I thought I saw something shiny slither away from the side of my eye (probably an insect). Eeuw. But the adrenaline rush was useful. :)

I was running the trail route alone for the first time too. After the snake, the only other thing that really scared me was this young-ish guy walking and listening to music. I supposed he scared me because he didn't fit into any category. Usually the guys who are alone on the trail will be running and the middle-aged men with the familes will be walking. Rarely will you see a lone fit-looking male walking on the trail. When I stopped for a drink, the scary guy ran and overtook me for a short while before I overtook him again in the last bit of tree-root ridden trail by the golf course. It was a bit scary overtaking him and having him behind me.

Women running alone have so many things to worry about. I ran with my handphone and a bottle of water. I didn't use the hp at all during the run but was happy to lug it along just in case I get bitten by a snake, or someone gives me trouble, or I run out of energy... Of course there is no reception right at the heart of the trail, but hopefully nothing untoward will happen on that stretch. I keep thinking about the poor girl who was left on the MacRitchie trail with nothing on but her tennis shoes.

The next mobile phone I purchase with come with emergency tear gas. (I wish!)

Route: 10k MacRitchie. Time: 61mins 40secs. Mileage this week: 29.5km

Posted on Monday, August 01, 2005 at 11:02 AM. :)