Own Time Own Target

Spent a very different Sunday on 3-Sept-06.

E's company needed a rep to attend the 5km walk-a-jog for the Children's Cancer Foundation fundraiser at MacRitchie Reservoir, his company had already donated money by purchasing some tulip pins (more expensive than the handmade silk tulip). Unfortunately the volunteers were not forthcoming, but i suspect it's because the HR told them it was a 50km walk-a-jog. E, jumped at the opportunity, volunteer the WHOLE family.

E & I had no prob tackling the event, and what more for a charitable cause. But hauling the 2 kids with us was a challenge to say the least.

We started logistics planning and packing the night before, preparing food, drinks, stroller (1 instead of 2, cos the track may not be stroller friendly), breakfast etc

Woke up at 545am to feed and change the kids, ordered and wolved down McDonald's breakfast. Barely made the schedule of leaving the house by 640am, and managed to parked at Mount Avernia Hospital at 7am. Took a loo break there too.

Got to registration at 715am and changed into the CCF Event T-shirt.

Khoo Cheng Mun was the MC for the event and it was a poignant moment when she talked about her own experience as a breast cancer survival, and how the children with cancer gets it so much tougher than adults who have cancer. I said a quick prayer for my kids to grow up strong and healthy.

at 8am the 44 walkers who had started the walk to cover 70km 24 hours earlier in the 24hours-Walk With Me event reported back and they were cheered amidst the songs "Chariotts of Fire" and "Eye of the Tiger". Corny choices to say the least...

Speech, warm up and Flag off and leading the 5km walk-a-jog by Prof Ho Peng Kee at 820am.

I pushed Kiddie E in the stroler and E carried Baby J for the 1st 1.5km, until we met the start of the trail. It was getting rockier, so I let E pushed the stroller while I carried Baby J. It was tough going at first due to the bottlenecks from groups of pp walking 3-4 abreast, and indiscriminate parking in the early part of the walk. But we soon started building a good rythm.

We came across monkeys during parts of the trail, and we took the opportunity to talk about stones, tree roots, leaves of different shapes and sizes, living trees, dead tree trunks, flowers, fungus to the kiddies.

Baby J wanted to walk at the 2km point, and she lasted slightly more than 200m in the uphill climb. We persuaded Kiddie J to get off the stroller and walk, so that the poor babe can take a rest. Kiddie J had no hesitations hopping off the stroller after a group of walkers laughed heartily that the bigger sis was being pushed while the young one (with a pacifier in mouth) was walking.

Kiddie E lasted maybe 400m, and demanded to be carried. As we were in rough terrain, where the stroller sometimes could not be pushed at all and had to be carried, I carried Kiddie E while E took care of the stroller with the sleeping babe who had passed out from exhaustion.

It was only when we reached Lornie Road that we exchanged kiddies, by then my arms were aching from carrying the wriggly and giiglilng 13kg girl for close to 1.5km, and my ankles were wobbly from tackling the hills. Pushing the stroller packed with supplies and a 9kg babe was no piece of cake, but much easier than carrying the elder.

The walk was mostly pleasant, with the canopy of the forest protecting us from the sun, but it was slightly marred by runners who were probably doing a time trial with MR25 who shouted at the walkers to KEEP LEFT, without a "please" Not only it was not the easiest thing to do when you have lots of pp, kids in strollers, kids walking, old pp walking, VERY OLD pp walker with support from younger pp, but the reservoir is a public place and nobody had the right to demand the right of way unless the route was closed for an event for them.

We completed the walk at 950am, 1 and half hour after we started, and half an hour longer than we had expected. The first question that ran through our mind was that distance was probably closer to 6km then 5km. ;p

There was entertainment and free drinks (mineral water, juice in cans, 100 plus etc) and free food (biscuit, bananas & apples), even a milo truck offering free milo ping (iced milo). The sponsors were not stingy in this area.

We stayed awhile to refuel while watching the entertainment, and the presentation of a S$400k cheque to the CCF, a larger than expected amount from the modest $250k target the foundation had set. It seems that while the effects from the NKF fall out is still being felt all round, most people just cant say no to children who are suffering, and thank goodness for that too...

Chanced into Meteor when we were leaving and we chat a little, both kiddies charmed her by giving her flying kisses as we left. :)

When we got home, ate an early lunch and showered, all of us crashed. Kiddie E for 4 hours from 12noon, E & i for 3 hours, and Baby J the least since she caught a nap during the walk already.

I have a feeling that i wont be making the running session i had in mind for the evening...

Labels: to Sweat