Did I run in Singapore?

Or did I get scared by the climate?

Thump, thump, thump. The sound of my trainers on the red rubber track. Inhale, exhale. Hot humid air is a solid sticky substance flowing into my lungs. I pass the opening in the roof. The sun immediately burns my face but I welcome it. I have just one more lap to go…

I thought my face was red after running 10K in the UK…

I wrote this post back in November when we first moved to Singapore but just didn't have the time to edit and post it. I really wanted to share it because training in a new country, new environment, new climate can be very challenging. Training in familiar environment can also be hard because of so many other pressing things on our mind. So, if something is now working out in your training at the moment, it's okay to go easy on yourself. Try again tomorrow. I will.

About three weeks ago my family and I boarded a one way flight to Singapore. We were very lucky to have an opportunity to stay with our friends before setting off across South East Asia. It ended up a real treat for us; splashing in the pool with the kids, working out, and experiencing new places and foods.

Back in the UK I've often had excuses: bad weather, stress at work, kids needing attention etc. When I got to Singapore I took the time to plan my workouts and even have mostly stuck to the plan. New place, new gym, new mindset; all was positive for me to get back into training.

How to gain time for exercise - find a playground first!

I really wanted to keep up my running but was quite intimidated by the heat and humidity of Singapore. Even though we have acclimatised quite quickly, my mind still remembers the first visit when I struggled to spend even 5 minutes in the tropical sun.

I have decided to ease myself into training by running on the treadmill without the A/C. The gym had a good view of the swimming pool so I could watch my kids practice jumping in while achieving my own goals.

Treadmill running is so much easier than actual running. I don't need to push off the ground nor decide how fast to move. Once the parameters are set, I just have to pick up my feet, and the machine will do the rest. The only problem with treadmill is being incredibly bored by the same view in front. I actually remember the treadmills in Glasgow University had really fancy screens that could load up your run in different locations around the world. Imagine running in New Zealand, Hawaii or even Nepal, now that kind of treadmill running I can handle.

To reduce boredom I began working my way through the uphill training programmes. That made the training more fun, and I was now looking forward to spending 30-40 minutes in the gym. Anytime someone else came into the gym, they'd see my red face and turn on the A/C. I always felt too shy to point out I actually liked the room warm to get used to running outside. They probably thought I was either insane or didn't know how to turn it on.

Fast forward three weeks, I felt comfortable walking around and carrying my kids in the heat. On one visit to a local community centre, Peter asked if I wanted to run my next 5k on their indoor track. And I realised I didn't have a reason to say no. So here I am, at the start line of a brightly coloured path that winds its way along the perimeter of the building. On the fifth floor it is above all shops and activity rooms allowing a great view down to ground floor. The track has enough turns to keep it interesting and is mostly sheltered from the sun meaning it is slightly cooler than the outside

Not my picture. Turns out I never took any photos of the track. Credit to Our Tampines Hub on Facebook (2020)

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I start off slow, feeling uncertain of how my body will react to the climate. As I round the corner into the sunny patch I realise that I am feeling fine. In fact, I am feeling better than on the treadmill because I am actually moving through space. I watch the other runners and the people milling around on the floors below. I feel the change in temperature and wind as I move through the semi open floor. And the best thing, I can feel my body being propelled forward by the strength of my legs. Every push of my feet carries me a little further forward towards my goal of 5k.

I am not feeling any adverse effects of the climate I feared even though the air is hot and humid. I feel the humidity with every breath as if the air is honey. It slowly flows in and out of my lungs but doesn't affect my speed. My face is red but I feel like I can keep running lap after lap.

That is until I decide to sprint the last 100m of my 5k. I often add a sprint at the end of my runs just to test how much I've still had left in the reserve. And this is where it hits me.

As soon as I speed up, I feel my chest tighten. My lungs shrink in size, and I can't seem to get enough air in. My head is pounding. My legs are heavy; every step suddenly a tremendous effort. Gone is the easy bounce.

It's only 100m, I can hang on, I tell myself as I watch the markings on the track slowly move past my trainers.

By the time I cross the finish line I am done. I've always been surprised by reading accounts of runners who felt physically sick during a race. I never thought that would be me. I never thought I could push myself that far. Turns out all I needed was to turn up the heat and the humidity. I walk the cool-down lap feeling I am either going to pass out or be sick.

We got completely soaked on the way back. Rainy season came early!

In the end, I didn't throw up. It takes about an hour for me to fully cool down since the showers and the swimming pool are closed. Eventually, like after every other run, I feel great about my achievement but I think I need to do more training outdoors. Maybe then I'll get used to the climate in South-East Asia?

Daria x

PS. If you are wondering why I am writing to you from the SE Asia, check out my previous post here or my YouTube Channel here.