Speedwork @ Labrador Park

The weather was rather dry today.. not a single drop of rain as compared to the past few days... surprisingly, a small group of runners turned up today.. hahaha... maybe all have sixth sense that Chairman would do speedwork... it had been almost been 2 months since the last speedwork @ Labrador.. my ache had spreaded up to my back.. and I felt abit strain at the lower part of my back bone...

At around 6:50pm, we started out in a warm up pace to Labrador with Kumaran and Ong leading as usual... Near the Telok Blangah junction, I saw Kumaran and Ong waiting at the traffic with SH, Wong, Paul, Anthony, Jimmy Sim, and Yuen running towards them... I managed to catch up in time to cross the traffic... my watch clocked 24mins08secs when i reached the toilet of Labrador park.. I took a quick grasp of water and joined the rest at the start point.. cm briefed us on the speedwork.. 5 sets of the 800m loop with a 'rabbit'.. no one was supposed to overtake the rabbit until 3/4 of the run... wow really tough for the 'rabbit'.. my ache had spreaded up to my back.. and I could felt the strain at the lower part of my back bone.... I told myself.. just do whatever I could.. and see how long I could last.. time to train my endurance level..

For the 1st set, Hock soon was assigned as the 'rabbit'... once cm shouted "GO".. all of us sped off... I just ran as fast as my leg could carried me and breathed hard.. Jimmy overtook me before the round bend.. the sea breeze was quite strong as I ran along the straight stretch to the ending.. felt that I had to use extra energy to run against the wind.. I finished my 1st set in 4:09.. coughing and panting hard to recover my breathe.. before I got enough rest.. cm told us to get ready for the 2nd set with hs as the rabbit again.. haha really pitied him cos he had not joined us for the past few runs... came back, kana arrowed as rabbit.. I did it in 4:12 .. tot I was faster, as I used more energy to run this round...

Cm asked Wong to be the 'rabbit' for the 3rd set.. hahaha but Wong rejected the offer and kept saying "Mai mai mai" (don't want in hokkien)... Ong was asked to be the 3rd 'rabbit'.. once "GO" I could see Ong sped off and led off a distance before we even reached the toilet... Kumaran was shouted by Cm "too slow! too slow!"... hahaha though I felt shack already.. I couldn't help but to laugh out as Kumaran increased his stride and said "wah lau"... Teen overtook me after the toilet and turned left to a shorter route before the playground.... I felt slower this round and finished it in 4:22...

For the 4th and 5th set, we got a new 'rabbit'.. our enthusiatic runner, Anthony :) he joked that all will be following his imaginary rabbit tail... hahaha lighten our moods to forget about the triedness of the 1st 3 laps... Teen overtook me halfway through the straight stretch at the 4th set.. I tried to catch up but I had no strength to go any faster.. I did it in 4:26 and 4:31 for the 5th.... hmm slower and slower.. but I knew I had gave all out for all the laps.. I couldn't have done it any better... this was the 1st time I had ever done so many sets... felt very satisfied with myself..

1st Set - 4:09; 2nd Set - 4:12; 3rd Set - 4:22; 4th Set - 4:26; 5th Set - 4:31

As I had expected, there will be a 6th set.. cos Kumaran had not been the 'rabbit' yet.. this time cm ran and Ong was the timekeeper.. Jimmy and I gave the last set a miss and watched how Kumaran led the group all the way... After a short rest, we headed back to the club.... Ong ran with me and we took 20mins33secs... quite a fast pace for me in 4km.. Glad I did all the sets and went abit further for my endurance training.. :)

Distance covered: 12km __ Timing: 1hr 6mins