SO LONG, 2020

That said, 2020 finally come to an end. Though the elephant in the room (read: COVID-19) is still around like it will never going to leave us anytime soon, but let's not overlook and still be thankful on the good things that also happened this year. I often hear people say that "2020 is cancelled" because of the pandemic. However, i don't think we should think about it that way at all. We should somehow feel grateful than ever because we are part of this pandemic in 2020 and we are still breathing healthily until today. Alhamdulillah. 

To recap, 2020 taught us that we humans are fragile by ourselves. Our strength lies by being part of the community. The virus simply does not choose from one to another. Which showed us how we are all so equal to each other. Like, even if only one person or one small group fail to adhere to the SOP, in turn, it can and might result in an exponential surge of new COVID-19 cases which affect everybody in the region and the country. Crazy how this pandemic really 'forced' us to finally listen, to care, to respect and to tolerate others and everything. Needless to mention, the new norms that already the norms in our everyday basis. The online meetings, work from home, 1 meter apart from each other, wearing face mask all the time, and etc, you list it. And yeah, 2020 was really not just about ourselves. 2020 was about and for all of us. We can all claim that. 

As for myself in person, 2020 is definitely my special year because it's the year i got married to my main man. Other than that, it's the year we got us a new car, Bezza and my first year of running half marathon. Of course there are more little things that were achieved and lost this year. But yeah, Alhamdulillah for everything. I read somewhere, no matter how we ended the year, whether we're running into a bright season or limping across the finish line or crawling our way out of a tough calendar, we are enough and we did it. 

May 2021 be the year we achieve more goals for life and for the hereafter. And may 2021 be a year fully loaded with happiness and success for all us and our families. Here's to a wonderful 2021! InsyaAllah. Bismillah.

HALF MARATHON FINISHER #KLSCM2020

 

I ran my first half marathon! Yayy! What a way to end my 2020! (Though 2020 still have like 17 days to go hehe). My initial goal for 2020 was to participate in run (10km) for at least once in a month. And yeah, because of corona virus, the goal was literally just gone with the wind. Lol. But since i signed up for the gym months before i got married, so i did joined the virtual run, did it on the treadmill and earned myself like 2, 3 medals. 

Thanks to Armira for asking me join the Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon 2020 Virtual Run (KLSCM 2020). Tbh, i already saw some of my colleagues, DOSM friends and runners posting here and there about their practices for KLSCM 2020. But you know, you just couldn't care less especially when nobody was asking you to participate haha. And suddenly Mira texted me and asking me to register the run with her and told me that our mutual friend, Puyi already signed up for HM. She also told me that she will do HM as well. 

So i was thinking, since i always told my husband that i feel like i didn't achieve anything new this year (except from getting married), and i also been doing 10km few times already and all okay with it, so why not this time i try to finish 21.1km? I can also do it in my own pace since there's no cut off time as well. So, i persuaded my sister to do it with me and yeah, we signed up for HM. Needless to mention, my sister hated me for it lol. She is actually not really into long distance running especially when she is now already has her own bike that she prefers to cycle more. But whatever though haha. 

We started our practice two weeks before the date. Not everyday but slowly starting from 2km per day, up until 10km. Thanks to Kak Nisa for accompanying me while doing the 10km practice one day before the real deal. Honestly, previously when i was first doing 10km, i never practiced at all. I just signed up for 10km and did it on the day of the event. But that was only 10km. This time it's 21.1km. My mind can be saying that i can do it like crazy, like now or never whatever. But my body might be responding otherwise. So i had to train my body for it so that it will not be shocked like, "the hell gurl? Are you trying to kill us?" hahaha. 

I knew it will take at least 4 hours for me to finish this HM. Honestly, i am not that kind of person who can run fast and non stop for such a long distance. Most of the time i will just brisk walking / walk as fast as i can without stopping. And i am well aware that my pace is nothing to be proud of. But i was and am not even trying to lower my pace at all at this moment. Because i wanted my pace to be steady and correlate with my stamina. I swear i'm no fit as fiddle haha. Plus the main goal was just to double the distance. 

So i started my half marathon at around 8pm. My sister was joining me doing the HM but she was riding her bike. It was raining lightly. I was praying hard for God to let me finish the HM that night and please don't let it rain cats and dogs that we had to stop the activity. Alhamdulillah the weather was good enough for a night run. The first 10km was a-okay. But after the first 10km, i accidentally stepped in a puddle of water that my shoes were all soaked. My feet was also melecet out of the blue maybe because of the size of my socks. But i can still keep on doing it, keeping my goal straight until i reached at 17km. Haha. I swear that was my cut off point. At that time, my positive mindset was all over the places, my feet started to tell me to stop and i also felt like the running apps were not functioning well. Hahaha. I mean, you were already super tired, of course nothing is no longer right or okay for you. 

Somehow the KLSCM 2020 app was a bit off. It was literally like 1.5km behind compared to Strava. Strava recorded that i already done with 21.1km but KLSCM app said that i was not done yet and still have about 1.5km to go. Hm. Deep breath. Lol. Alhamdulillah i finished my first ever HM at around 12.20am. It was all worth it and i am so proud of myself. Phew. To avoid severe sore muscles or to be sick on the next day onwards, that night, i promptly ate two bananas, pop a panadol (because it was raining), drank glasses of water and applied Yoko Yoko on my feet to relieve muscular aches. Alhamdulillah everything was well and okay even on the next day. 

Here's to more positive achievements and good memories. May we always have the will to do and experience new things in the future. InsyaAllah.