I have always wanted to
climb Mount Kinabalu to signify my personal accomplishment in surviving the PCL
surgery. Now 5 years later, the dream
still hasn’t been realised, early osteoarthritis has begun to set in, both
knees have deteriorated that now I’m surviving on gel/fluid insertion into
these knees every 15-18 months, and I’m obviously getting older. I’m actually in constant pain, but it is a
condition I’m already accustomed to by now.
I had a chance to put my
PCL knee to test recently, a consolation to my inability to make my way to the
peak of Mount Kinabalu I suppose. It came in the form of a “Gung-Ho Run” held
at my work place. It comprised rowing
for about 500m, running for 10km and finally climbing 303 steps to the top of
an 11-storey building. I was anxious to
see if the knee would hold. So far I’ve
only run up to 5km, and have never attempted to exceed that (the regular
jogging track around the base where I work makes it convenient for me to limit
myself to just 5km).
Early riser
The day started very early for
the Gung-Ho Run. Already at my workplace
for breakfast at 0530, Subuh prayer and followed by a warming up session. Off to the boat house by 0700 and after a
quick motivational talk by me (hmmmmm.......trying to motivate 90+ staff
officers and trainees, including psyching myself up wasn’t as easy as I
thought), we were ready to kick start with the first activity ~ rowing.
About to start
12 crew in each boat, and
off we went.......... The heavily strapped pinky (link) didn’t bother me
much....alhamdulillah. Energy level was
high, spirit was high.....but steering technique was totally
off....hahahaha.......we were zigzagging to get to the marker buoy and were
lucky not to finish last.........
The first boat to arrive....not mine
Now all pumped up for the
gruelling 10km run...... After putting on my jogging shoes, and a quick warm up
on my own to make sure I was ready, I lined up quickly with the rest at the
starting point. A blast of the horn and
we were on our way. The morning was beautiful,
and the sun was shining brightly to lift up our spirit. Alhamdulillah the knee
felt okay initially, but I knew I just had to maintain my snail pace and not be
tempted or intimidated to keep up with the faster runners. The agony of pushing through the pain barrier
was the biggest challenge. My aim was to
complete the run without stopping at all.
Glad I have my wife and kids who drove along and waited at strategic
places to cheer me on. My pride and joy
who have always been there for me.........I’m such a lucky guy.
The starting of the run
Still feeling good early on
Morale booster from the kids
At the first check point I
was doing relatively okay.....by my standard that isJ Still
running, and maintaining my position just about the middle of the group. However, after the one hour point, the knee
started to bother me but I was determined to keep running. My pace got much slower, a few runners behind
me began to catch up and I was really struggling to keep moving. A PCL survivor’s quest had to
continue........so I just kept on going......”layan jer” as we say it here....
No pain, no gain
The last 500m uphill....with my twins cheering me on
Fliud replenishment before taking a crack at the 303 steps up the building
The route and my time
But wait......the Gung-Ho
Run was not quite over yet. I still have
another 303 steps up the 11-storey building to be conquered. The pain to complete the climb was obvious......every
lift of the leg up each step was a challenge, every level reached made my chest
tighter and my breathing faster.......the claustrophobic confine of the stairs
did not help one bit as I was deprived of the much needed oxygen.............
Then, finally I could hear the clapping and cheering signifying I was only
about 20 more steps from completing my dash up the final stretch. As I reached the peak......my time was read
out to me: 1 hour 29 min and 35 sec.
Actually, I can barely remember now how I rang the bell to signify the
end of my run. But rang the bell I did,
and this PCL Survivor has finally completed the Gung-Ho Run!! My family was again there to celebrate this
significant milestone with me. At this
point, the spectacular view from atop the building was second to the
sensational feeling I had.
Alhamdulillah, I have finally reached the end of this.......running all
the way, conquering not only the distance but also the constant pain I felt
throughout the run. Gung-Ho Run 2013 is
now a history!!!!
The killer steps.....almost there
Your time ~ 1hr 29min 35sec
Are you okay sir?.....the expression says it all
The triumphant ringing of the bell!!!! Yes, it's finally over
Looking back I’m glad I did
it. It encapsulates my own personal
success in coping with the PCL surgery and the slow battle for recovery. My life has changed forever as a result of
the PCL injury. This little feat of
completing the Gung-Ho Run reaffirmed the belief that the change may not be so
bad........in fact I believe being a PCL Survivor has given me a better outlook
on life. As usual, God’s plan is always
betterJ As I
recuperate from this experience.......ice packs on both knees, a long shower, a
short nap and a dip in the base swimming pool; I can’t help to feel really
blessed and fortunate. Alhamdulillah
atas semua kurnia Mu Ya Allah, I’m really thankful. Life is great!!!!!
They are my pillars of strength....always
Nursing the hurting PCL knee
Iced-cold towel.......such a relief
The certificate
Medal for one of the Gung-Ho winners
2 comments:
Congratulations. .my guess is Mt Kinabalu..is not out of sight just yet :-) . . Let's give it another 5 yrs... After that, ok, we will be really old :-) stay healthy. . manage the knees..god willing..we might just get there. .i am aiming for the new penang bridge half marathon..next yr..11 mths of preparation. See if the ACL n MCL hold well..great run bro..
InshaaAllah Abang, these are the things we do to feel alive:) Good luck with your prep for Penang Bridge run. And I will let you know if the Kinabalu climb becomes a reality:)
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