On Sunday I did the Klang Pacers NB 12K race, my second race in Klang this year, my 3rd race in 4 weeks as I gradually run into form. Why was the race a trip down memory lane ? See, I grew up in Klang, I spent 17 years growing up in Klang, my childhood & teenage years were spent in the royal town. Upon seeing the race route, I knew this race would be special. My wife & I left home earlier than usual, we had to travel almost 50km before getting to the starting point, Padang Sultan Sulaiman, formerly known as Stadium Kota Raja.
So much have changed in Klang, the roads have changed, the town has become more crowded than it was when I left it 15 years ago. But once I entered Jalan Tengku Kelana, or better known as Little India, the town became familiar again. Perhaps this is the part of Klang that changed very little. The stadium itself was very much similar to the place I once roamed with my bicycle. With a few improvements of course, but the basic structure is very much the same.
Once the gun went off, we went through Jalan Istana, then straight into Persiaran Tengku Ampuan Rahimah. Back in those days, I cycled to school, SM Methodist ACS, using that very road. Then we went into Taman Sri Andalas, where I once lived. My family still own the house there, where I spent 6 years of my childhood. In fact, I spent more time trying to reminisce those good old days, more so than focusing on the run itself. Maybe that was why I didn't really feel tired, although 12K is actually my farthest race distance for this year.
Back to the race, my pace was just slightly faster than Mizuno Wave Run, where I ran 1:08 for 11K. I was toying around, tried some accelerations, trying to put my interval training into practice. It worked, I must say.
Once I get back to the stadium 1 hr & 14 minutes later, my legs felt like I can still go on for another 5K. I guess I'll be able to run all day long, as long as it's in Klang.
