the lake

i used to run at the Subang Lake. It was the very place where i honed my stamina, built my strength and made a place for myself in the running arena...ok well, maybe not much of a place but i did land myself a spot in the P2K team...back in the days where i was the baby of the triathlon family, before it got dominated by 9-10 year olds from Singapore.

and since the disease, i never went back there. i dont know if it was the embarrassment i got from becoming so slow, that i was afraid to show my face around the lake kakis, or it's just the fear that arises everytime i got there, remembering the days where i'd drag myself up that miserable excuse of an uphill slope and eventually slowed down to a walk. either way, that place have always and (i thought) will always be a jinx.

but yesterday, after taking more than a week long hiatus from running, i decided to gather my courage and go for a run at the lake. still cautious, i intentionally left my stopwatch behind, so that i wouldn't be tempted to time myself. as i was about to leave home, my dad came back. looking for a bit of moral support, i invited him along and off we zoomed to my most feared venue after Dr Loo's Clinic.

surprise, surprise, i managed 4 rounds with minimal discomfort. no doubt the hiatus made me pant a bit, but it was good i-think-i-could-actually-go-on panting, not oh-my-god-my-lungs-are-exploding panting.

so i got my lake back. it's no longer jinxed. it's funny how such childish believes could cripple me for so long that i'd actually fear a place. it's funny how such childish believes actually last that long.