Powerman 2009

走る、バイク、走ると言う事だ．．一言と言えば、‘熱い’ってな。完走時間は昨年より遅かったが、まあ、悪く無いと思った。トレールレースが終わったばかりで、足の筋肉はまだ彼方此方疲れて出来る限りを遣っただけさ。

Run, bike, run, is what it is all about.. If there's one word to describe it, it will be 'Hot'. I finished later than I had done last year but I think I did fine. It is right after trail racing with soreness here and there on my legs muscles, so I just went as fast as my body thinks it can handle it.

レースが始まるばかりで太陽の光がちゃんと感じたので、最初から、僕はペースを落とした。レースの途中、少しだけでも喉が渇いたら、水を飲んだ。それに、毎三十分、アイソトニックの飲み物を一杯ぐらい飲んちゃったのさ。バイクが始まる前に、バナナを食って見たかったが何か一寸変わったとそれをパッスした。で、僕は飲むだけで食べる事は全くし無かった。

I felt the heat from the sun as soon as the race started. So, I slowed down my pace at the beginning of the race. During the race, even if I felt a slight thirst, I drank. I also drank a cup of isotonic drinks every 30 minutes. I did try to take in one banana before I started biking but I felt weird so I passed that out. In short, I was only drinking but not eating at all.

このレース最大の敵は本当に自分だったのな。特に最終の十キロは何度でも遅く走りたかったが僕は頑固で助かったさ。それに、同じカテゴリーの参加者が見付かったしまったので、見過ごす訳には行か無いだろう。で、慎重にペースを少し上がって三人でも超えた。

My biggest enemy in this race is myself. Especially during the last 10 km run, I kept on having the urge to slow down and I did not, due to my own stubborness. Moreover, I saw a total of three participants in my category in-front of me, so I cannot just let that go, right? And, I passed them with careful speed increased.

完走したら、分かった事は只完走の時間。リンーから、おめでとうって、三番目なのよと教えたら、信じ無くてボードを見に行った．．最後の２０－２９のカテゴリーな．．

After I reached the finishing line, I know only of my own finishing time. When Lynn congratulates me later on being third, I checked out the board with disbelief.. My last year of being 20-29..

そうだ、今日は休憩なのだ。疲れると分かったからな。でも、なんか気持ちが変なの。欲しい物はたったその一つだけだが、本当に手に入る事は難しいな．．

Oh yeah, I am actually on-leave today because it is going to be a tiring day. Somehow, I feel a bit weird today. I only wanted one thing and honestly, it is so darn hard to get..

Genting Trailblazer 2009

又この時期だったな。僕にとっては一番楽しいレースなの。二年前、このイベントで詩敏と初めて出会った場所だった。出会う前に元社長から、色々と聞いて、僕と何か似ているって、出会えるって全く嬉しかった。
（まあ、これは別の話だな．．）

It was around this time again. To me, the most enjoyable race of the year. It was two years ago, in this same event, that I actually met Shihming for the first time. I heard so much about her before I met her in-person from my ex-boss that when I was introduced to her finally, I was very happy. He said that we are somehow quite alike in some ways.
(But, well, this will be another story..)

彼女にとっては大事なレースと分かっている。そして、一番速いと言う事実でも有る。無論、僕にとっても深い意味の有るレースってさ。初めてのコンビでも有る。と言う訳で、勝てるかどうかは、僕の役目に成った。確かに、練習の所為で僕は少しい速く成ったが、足り無かった見たいだな。ゴルフ場で勿論、後ろに成ったが、とレールに着いて、彼女を追い着く為、走るしか考えてい無かった。数人のマーシャル達は前のだ、急げって伝えた。歩く事は有ったがそれは長く無かった、追い着ける人達はもう後ろに．．道の後半は僕独りだけ走っていて、ただ我武者羅に負い掛けていた。とレールを抜けて追い着けたい三人の姿を見え無いと言う事はもうチャンスが無いとはっきり分かった。がっかりしたが、僕は諦められ無かった。詩敏は未だ前に僕を待っていて、のんびりする場合で無いだろう。それに、誰かが僕の後ろに突然現れる事も可能だがな。障害物に辿り着いたら、聞こえたのは急げだけ。そうしたいが僕はもう限界．．障害物を抜ける事は問題無く旨く遣ったと思ったが全くとレールの走るは遅かったな。

I know this is an important event to her. It is also a fact that she is very good in this. Of course this event holds deep meaning to me as well and it is also my first time teaming up with her. So, it means, the chances of winning lies on me. I was indeed faster thanx to the training that I had done so far but it seems that I was still not good enough. After passing through golf course, reaching trail, being at the back, I was only thinking of chasing after them. I passed a few marshal who encouraged me to go faster because she was in-front. I walked at a few points but not for long, I had overtook those I can earlier so the latter part of the trail, I was basically running alone, recklessly with only one objective, to chase after her.. When I came out from trail and I did not see either one of the three person I need to catch-up with, I knew that I had no chance in catching up with them anymore. As disappointed as I was, I knew I cannot afford to slow down. Who knows, someone could just sprang out behind me suddenly, and, of course, she should be waiting for me in-front already. When I reached obstacle course, all I could hear was, 'Faster'. I wanted to but I was already at the fastest speed that I could muster.. I passed the obstacles smoothly without any problems and in fact I think I did them pretty well but honestly, my trail running was still slow.

全く、もう二日を過ごしたなのに、筋肉は未だ彼方此方痛いな．．確かに望みどおり一所懸命遣ったが、正直、不満足だった。賞杯が優勝チームしか与えられ無いって分かった後はもっとがっかりした。確かに主催者にも良く無い所は有るが、沢山に、深く考えば僕の責任でも有るさ。優勝さえ出来れば問題無いだろう？今度のとレールレースは今まで参加したイベントの中で一番楽しかった．．詩敏とコンビで、相棒達の付き合いで、泥臭くて、寒くて．．主催者の事は外れだけどな。一つの残念が有ると言えば、それは彼女の笑顔だろうな。どっかで消えちゃうかも。まあ、取り戻せば良いだろう．．

Two days had passed and my muscles are still aching all over. I did indeed run my best, with everything I had, but I was not satisfied. After knowing that trophies were only for champions, I was even more disappointed. Although organizers had their errors in a lot of ways but thinking on the other side, I had mine as well. It would not be a problem if we finished first, right? However, this trailblazer event was the best I ever had.. Partnering Shihming, camaradie of my buddies, dirtied with mud, the cold temperature.. minus the organizers though.. The only disappointment that I had, would be a smile. It must have gone missing somewhere, but well, I will just need to get it back..

Mizuno Wave Run 2009 (via Lunar Glide+)

今日は僕の生理日ので、何か疲れて、走り難いと感じてな。詩敏も同じで僕と一緒に走るって約束した。信じ無い訳では無いのだ。只、本当に減速の事が下手な人だけだ。サムエルまで教えたよ。で、サムエルは、じゃ、あんたは小夜の後ろに走れば良いって言った。サムエルは僕の可愛い小さな相棒なのだ。ゲーム以外、何時も僕と一緒に詩敏を休めるのよ、強行にな。

詩敏のペースは僕より速い。僕の前に走ったが、何時も後ろを回って僕の姿を確認した。遠く離れば、足を止めて僕を待っている。それを何度でも繰り返していた。決勝点の前にも僕を待って、手を握って、一緒にダッシュした。確かに僕と一緒に走って居て、ちゃんと約束を果たしたが僕は一寸嫌な感じがしたな。賞杯が好きな人なのよ。そして、このレースは奇麗な賞杯が有るってな。人生には勝ちより大切な物が有るのだって見せたさ。

このレースは別の良い気持ちがしたな、本当に。十一キロぐらいのヒールが多い道に完走した時間は五十六分ぐらいで、第六目、悪く無いだろう？

It is my menstruating day today so I was tired and was quite hard to race. Shihming had promised that she will run with me because it is her menstruating day as well. It is not that I do not trust her but she is a person that is quite bad at slowing down. She told Samuel also about the plan. Samuel suggested that she run behind me. Samuel is my cute little buddy who besides gaming, has always helped me in forcing her to rest.

Her pace is faster than mine so she was running ahead of me. However, she constantly turned back to make sure that I was close behind. If I was too far behind, she would stop and wait for me and she did that countless time. At the finishing line, she stopped to wait for me, hold my hand and dash to the line together. She did run with me and carry out her promise very well but I feel bad because she likes trophy and they give nice trophy in this race. She showed me that there are more important things in this world than winning.

This race give me a different good feeling. Finishing a hilly route of about 11 km in around 56 minutes, placing 6th was not a bad achievement anyway, right?