Terry Fox Run 2012 and Aiden's First Run

Remember our first run last year, the Terry Fox Run 2011?

I need to write a separate post on all the runs we've managed to participate for the year. But this one is especially memorable because we ran to celebrate our one year of competitive running together! Yes, one year! Despite Hubby's heart surgery last year, our longest route so far is 12.5km. I think that's the furthest we would probably want to go (although our Cahaya SPK running gang is slowly graduating to the half marathon routes) due to the fact that we do not want to overstress Hubby's heart - doctor's orders. But I have to admit, conquering the half marathon sure sounds tempting!

"Terry Fox Run 2012. Last year I ran for my mum who passed away from lung cancer. This year we're running to celebrate our first year of competitive running after Hubby's successful bypass surgery."

The morning of 11th November 2012, we slept through our alarm clocks and only woke up at 8am! The run was scheduled to start at 9am, and if it was just Hubby and I we would have made it on time. But this time around, the maid was on leave and Aiden was joining us for his very first run. I quickly showered Aiden and then handed him over to Hubby while I got ready. Then while Hubby showered, I quickly fed Aiden a piece of toast with jam, reheated his hot meal of fried rice, and got his milk and diaper bag ready. Left the house at 835am and tried to persuade Aiden to have a few mouthfuls of his fried rice. Unfortunately by the time we got close to Padang Merbok, the policemen had cordoned off the road! Spent precious minutes trying to find an alternative way to the area and by the time we found parking, bundled Aiden into his stroller and walked to the start line, they had flagged off! Thankfully we managed to catch up with the tail end of the line.

Due to the fact that this was a charity run instead of a competitive run, there were a lot of people walking instead of running. And since the run had a family route, the tail end of the line comprised of mostly families with small kids in strollers (like us!), children on bicycles, and groups having a leisure walk! For Hubby and I, even though we had Aiden with us, we wanted to run! Honestly, I was quite ticked off that people still don't understand the concept of keeping the right side of the route free for (fast) runners.

We ended up walking for about 500meters, and by then my feet were getting restless. Aiden was still in his stroller because I didn't trust him running in the crowd. Finally, we got to a wider side of the route and finally we were running! Hubby ran while pushing the stroller and I followed behind. The stroller wheels were quite noisy on the road tarmac and it helped because people noticed us and started giving way. Then when we got to the Tugu Negara area (which would lead to the wider main roads), we let Aiden out of his stroller and all three of us started running to the family route finish line.

I was quite amazed with Aiden's speed. He ran non stop for at least 1.5km (the remaining 1.5km was on stroller) and I was running a healthy speed of say 7.5 to 8 just to keep up with him. I saw a lot of photographers capturing his run, and hopefully someone got a decent picture of us because I didn't have the time to take any pictures at all during the run!

Running the family route for the first time! This was at the end of the route, heading to the finish line.

We did it!

All sweaty and happy.

After the run we started looking for the rest of the Shell contingent. Since we arrived late, we didn't know where the group had decided to meet. Thankfully this year everyone donned a Shell cap so eventually we found the rest of them.


Hubby wearing a Team Shell t-shirt.

 

Shell caps for everyone!

Then it was time for the team cheer, and everyone in the Shell contingent (including Aiden) joined in the fun! (And when we got back home, we found that a picture of us cheering made into a running blog that we love to read, Runwitme!)

Shell cheer. Photo taken from Runwitme.

Then it was time to go home. Aiden was getting cranky, obviously tired from all the running.

Walking to the car.

Aiden's first run!

Aiden stifling a yawn.

The advanced route we took last year. Last picture before we left. Aiden was already in his stroller, ready to sleep!

After the small amount of calories we managed to burn from the run, we went for breakfast at our favourite nasi lemak shop - Village Park in Damansara Uptown. Aiden actually ate a whole plate of rice - the run must have made him super hungry!

Congratulations Aiden, on running your very first run. Here's to many more runs with Mummy and Daddy in the future!