It's great to be back!!! After missing this event for the past two years due to WIC race in Incheon 07 and Charity Bike and Blade 06; I was beaming from cheek to cheek the moment I hit the gorgeous runway.

To have the whole runway closed for the morning just for cyclists and skaters to do their distances, to have all sorts of entertainment, to push our selves to the max, and most of all, to be chionging down the great runway with my team mates…. Oh man, it's goooood to be alive!!!! I don't know about you, but I really appreciate the organizers for giving us this great opportunity annually. Kudos!

Vain Viruses gathered for plenty of photo-taking and cheering. As we moved towards the starting line, we noticed that the ground is wet. Aiya…. Another round of bearings cleaning after the skate…. But, it's all worth it!

Cyclists in their gorgeous colours - outfit, helmets, and especially their fancy bikes.
Skaters in their cool equipments - skins, helmets and beautiful skates. It's a feast of colours amidst a sea of human bodies.

At the word go, everyone dashed forward and begin to push their max. It reminded me of the WIC races where thousands of skaters dashed off for the marathon race. We quickly formed a long peleton and began to skate hard and fast against the wet tarmac. As we target for 30km to 45km, we paced ourselves to keep at about 28 - 40kmph. At one time, we were flying down the long stretch with about 20 skaters in a row. It was a wonderful sight to behold.

As we turned into the service road, our skates started to slip underneath us.
"No grip, No grip…." Shouted the skaters.

With about 10 skaters left in the tow, we continued to push hard, but had to contend with a quick walk at most, as the wheels were slipping uncontrollably under us. It was taxing to roll at 12-15kmph for the next 3km.

Once out of the service road, the roads were drier and we were able to up the speed again. By now, there were only 4 of us left. We continued to push hard as we crossed the first 15km mark. My guys were still going strong as Daryl and Terence took turns to take the lead with me taking short leads. Our Korean friend, Moon enjoyed himself at the back mostly :

We passed many cyclists and skaters as we persisted into the second lap. It was exhilarating speeding down the long runway before the service road again. We sped strongly down the airstrip as this is the workout we get on this gorgeous runway annually. The service road is slightly drier by now, after so many wheels rolled past it for the past 30+ minutes. We managed to roll hard towards the next 10km.

Finally, the second pack led by Kim and Ethel emerged behind us and we were able to pack together towards the end of the 30km. With 2km towards the finishing line, I decided to make a break and maxed down the downhill. With my dash, the rest of the Viruses started their own attack - Kim, Terence, Ethel, Daryl, Moon were all dashing madly towards the finishing line. By now, there were many cyclists as they were also finishing their 30km. It was awesome dashing between cyclists at top speed, keeping a safe distance and yet trying to out sprint them. My heart was pounding hard from the solid workout and the excitement. I just love the challenge.

We were glowing from the adrenalin as Daryl went for his final 3rd round. Go Daryl GO!!!

We cooled down at the main area while enjoying a good suntan, the entertainment and the stalls with all varieties of goodies. After collecting the certificates, we saw that our Virus 003 is again featured on the certificate - way to go ole friend! We chilled out with the cold effervescent drinks as we waited for the rest to return.

It was truly a morning of great calisthenics and fun. Thank you to the organizers for another year of good clean workout for all. Of course would have been more exciting had it been a race. Kudos!

Thank God for the great weather and for watching over the cyclists and skaters. Until next one… Cheers!