Nepal... Am I ready?

Today is rest day for me. I went for a run in the morning yesterday. I actually set my alarm clock to wake up at 7am, having slept at 11.30pm the night before. I did wake at 7am, but shut my alarm clock up, went back to sleep and was shocked to find out that it was already 9am when I woke again! GOSH! I wanted to go an early run! ARGH! I had slept for 9.5 hours! Gosh! I had breakfast and then waited for about an hour for the food to digest bfore going for a 35min run. I had to force myself to go climb stairs...

The run was a bit hard at the beginning. My right thigh and butt was still aching a bit from the biathlon on Sunday. And as I had swam only in the evening on Monday, my body was tired I guess. However, after about 25mins into the run, my body was responding well. Breathing was good as usual, and my pace could be picked up, and I ran strong. However, I had to shorten the run for I needed to go climb the stairs! In order tot rain for Nepal! If I do not start, when am I ever going to start? Geez...

I could still continue to run after the 35mins. Well, heck. I reaached the bottom of the stairs at the 1st floor. I started walking up the stairs slowly. It wasn't as hard as I imagine it to be! Most probably cuz I was warmed up. :) I set myself a goal of climbing up AND down 5 times. Why down also? Cuz going downhill/slope can be a killer on your knees and your calf muscles if they are not well-accustomed to. I need to train to 'come down' too!

After 4 sets of stair climing, I felt good and decided to increase the sets to 8 sets. I checked my watch and estimate that I take slighly less than 4mins to climb up to 14floors and 2mins to climb down. Actually, 14 floors seem to be too low. I did not feel extreme fatigue in my legs when I get up to the top floor and could actually still continue. Mmm...Maybe I should climb a 25 or 30 storey building next time. :p

Well, I completed the 8 sets that I set myself to do. Good! I felt great after that, without the severe lactic acid built up that I expected. It was not like this 3 years ago when I climbed stairs to train for my trip to Gunung Panti in Malaysia. I guess I am much stronger physically nowadays after having completed what I set out to do what only seemed like dreams years ago.

I rubbed on muscle rubs last night after reaching home from work. Mmm... My legs do feel the stretch this morning after I woke up. The muscles aches. Have not have such aches for a long time. They are still very bearable, considering I have experienced worse pains in the past after Judo training. :p Those that does not allow u to stand up or walk properly after standing up. And they last for a few days... Today's aches are 'chicken feet'. I reckon I can still go running, or maybe jogging with them present... :)

I have been trying to meet up with more friends, to no avail though. Due to my my work schedule. Working on weekends most of the time. Geez. Also trying to join the sgrunners for more of their runs. They are really a nice bunch of people. Well, there's a run on Good Friday. Finally a holiday which I need not work on! Cuz I was supposed to fly off on that day initially, but now change to 15th, so I hope I will be able to join them that morning for the run at MR!

Countdown to Nepal: 16 more days! :) I have been trying to spend more time on reading up about the country and getting my frame of mind set for the trip. It's indeed a trip of a lifetime, I'm sure and I want to fully enjoy it. Take whatever comes my way. At the age of 22, I can finally visit Nepal. A dream country since young. I have never forgotten the names, sceneries and mountains of Nepal that have fascinated me at childhood. Tenzing Norgay, Sir Edmund Hilary, K2, ABC, Everest, 8848m, altitude-mountain sickness, sherpas, the kids, the village hill tribes...


We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.
~Hilaire Belloc

So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.
~Gaston Bachelard