Back in KL

I took the bus from Tana Rata to Ipoh and then took the electric train from there to Kuala Lumpur.  I de-trained at Kuala Lumpur station which is the stop before KL Sentral at the old train station.  The KL stop is close to the Matahari Lodge where I am staying; which, in turn is close to my dentist, Central Market and Chinatown.

I had been under the weather for three days with some kind of bug with flu like symptoms.  I thought maybe I had been a recipient of a spillover virus or bacterium. Or perhaps it was a psychosomatic reaction to the book Spillover by  David Quammen which discusses many infections from the past such as SARS, AIDS virus, Q Fever and so on.  In particular the story of each event details the search for primary hosts and the path that the pathogen took on its way to humans.

Good Run Y'all - soaked from the heat and humidity

Check out those new LunarGlide4's Post Race

David on the left and Azri on the right
I have his medal and official shirt
(on a timer on the trunk of the car)

I was chatting with Azri in the Matahari Lodge when the subject turned to running. Azri 42 years old, had started running a couple of years ago when his doctor told him he could change his life style or go on meds for the rest of his life. He took up running quite seriously and was quite impressed that I, at my age was running marathons and halfs  and at my times. I became his inspiration as I became the oldest runner of his acquaintance.  He told me of an upcoming 12 km run and invited me to join him. It was too late to register, but he was confident I could run wihtout being registered. So he picked me up at 6:00AM Sunday and off we went to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club where, at the Equestrian park where the race was to begin.

By the time we arrived parking along the thoroughfares already extended far from the entrance and along both sides of the collector lane. Azri decided to go past the entrance and circle back on the other side of the boulevard. In the meantime a bus was trying to come onto the collector lane but couldn't make the turn because runner's vehicles were parked on both sides and one car was blocking the bus path. We were behind the bus. So a group of guys lifted the offending car out of the way and we finally got moving again.

We walked back to the start point and it was evident from the throngs of runners I could remain anonymous. Azri had given me his T shirt so I would 'blend in' and he wore his timing bib on another shirt. Since there were several thousands no one was going to spot me and pull me from the run. I called the run the HHH Run. - Hot, Humid and Hilly. About three km from the end at the last water stop I could feel my brain boiling from increased core temp. I had already taken my shirt off (the only one on the course to do so, I am sure) and took a couple of cups of water and poured over my head. Fortuneately the last three km were on a down slope so I cruised into the finish at 1:08. Azri had come in at 1:07. I was happy at my time especially with the environmental conditions and since I have not been doing much running as I was not intending on another event this year after Moncton.

Afterwards Azri picked up his package and medal – I had to pass on that as I was not a registrant. You can see in the photo my borrowed official shirt and the finisher`s medal. I told Azri that when I did a run with my daughter that we had a ritual of going to Starbucks afterwards. So that`s what we did. We went to one in the office complex where Azri used to have his office. He owns two companies – One manufactures children`s playground equipment and the other manufactures aquaculture tanks.

On the return we passed by the King`s Palace, State Mosque and Sharia Court but no tourist pics! So you have to imagine or go to the web.  And then returned to the Lodge. Azri and his wife who, co-manages Matahari Lodge, are both Muslims – I think quite liberal ones.

Now Monday morning I am on the Express Sinaran Utara in first class (Train) headed to Butterworth from where I will cross to Georgetown (UESCO Heritage) on Penang Island. Maybe I will get a place there to hunker down over the Xmas – New Year period.