Yeahhhzzz, it feels good to be first! XD But it wasn't really a straightforward win for me like my sister who lead all the way since the stairs, there was a slight confusion that happened to the first two leaders, Hafizani and Vaenthan during cross-country that ultimately got them 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Okay, from the beginning, I was jogging with Akhil side by side since the start. Yugan was a few meters in front jogging next to some malay dude while Andrew was trailing behind us. Vaenthan, of course was leading the pack as early as Limau Purut, probably one of the first to run up the stairs.
Shortly after Akhil and I climbed the stairs, I noticed my untied shoelaces(probably stepped on it without noticing) and accidentally cursed out loud near Cik Kuah o.O. However I didn't want to stop to tie my shoelaces, afraid of losing valuable time and messing up my rhythm considering I was already about 400 metres behind Vaenthan.
On the flat ground, right before the hill, when we were running beside the busy highway, Akhil started to drop back and I was already side by side with Yugan, Andrew still trailing close behind us. I could see Vaenthan far in front, already starting to climb the foot of the hill and I got quite worried.
Climbing the hill, woah. It was damn tiring, there were a few people who noticed my free laces and kindly pointed it out, I repeatedly replied that I know about it. Halfway up the hill, it was getting steeper than ever, I started to realize Akhil had dropped back and he was no more in sight. Passed quite a lot of people and then a fourth guy pointed out my free laces, I was already feeling quite tired and all I ever did to acknowledge him was a few nods without looking back.
When I think back at this, it could have seemed to him to be an arrogant feedback from me. I'm kinda feeling bad about it... Anyway, I was already just trying to finish the race with a decent 15, because the hill had really demoralized me and I wasn't really seeing any of the front leaders. Nearing the top of the hill, Yugan had dropped back and Andrew started to run beside me up until the short downward decline where I started to increase my pace a little but insignificantly.
Shortly after the decline, Andrew was at the back of me, still keeping up and that's when I saw Hafizani and Vaenthan at the flat bend curving to the right with another left lower path leading somewhere else. Vaenthan and Hafizani had slowed down and came to a complete stop at that split road. Vaenthan and Hafizani started to half-shoutingly ask the marshals behind me, they were both shouting because the checkpoint guys was quite blur, not saying anything and he wasn't too keen on helping us because he's in Laksamana. =.=
As I approach closer to them, Vaenthan got pissed and decided to take a chance and started heading the wrong way, towards the lower pathway to the left while Hafizani was raising his voice, clearly getting a bit hot-tempered because the people at the checkpoints were still blur. Hafizani was saying,"LARI MANA??! ATAS KE BAWAH?!!" "Mana ada atas?? Pergi straight jer!" replied the checkpoint guy. When Vaenthan was a few steps into the wrong path, I shouted, pointing out that the bend towards the right was the right direction, and he began to jog back to the right track.
Hafizani and Vaenthan believed me and started to run in front of me. Right now, I'm third, andrew's fourth and Vaenthan is first followed closely by Hafizani. They were quiet for a few seconds until we arrive the top of the long downhill road near the ex-prime minister's residence (or right before the checkpoint where Pui Yee was)(or right before the busy road). At the top, Hafizani and Vaenthan started to have doubts again, they peered down the hill and they could see nobody, probably because Pui Yee and all were sitting at the side, on the curb and could not really be seen because there were a few trees.
I on the other hand, spotted the checkpoint but was reluctant to tell them. I thought to myself, "Why should I help them the second time? I have already told them that this was the right way". At the very moment they slowed down and started to look back at the Laksamana checkpoint guy, I took advantage and started an all-out sprint down the hill while having some sense of fear that I might somehow trip over my free shoelace. They started to chase after me after realizing that I was running for it. This all happened in just a few seconds.
I probably started running down the hill with a 4 second head start before they did. That was when I first started to think that maybe I might stand a chance to be first. Pui Yee and the other checkpoint people, (i can't really remember, Kok yan and a teacher was there too I think) started to cheer loudly so it gave me an idea that I was leading. I wasn't really sure about it until I reached the park where the teachers near the road were shoutiing that I was leading and that I have to continue. I was being pressed by Hafizani who was just a few seconds behind me and we all sprinted and gave it all we've got to reach the finish line.
Finally, I managed to stay in front until the school tarmac. I felt so dizzy and weird when I came to a halt at the counter where I took my number. Right after that, I had run another short distance to the last counter where the teacher wrote my name. There, I felt thrilled and happy that I had came first. Hafizani arrived shortly followed by Vaenthan and then my brother then Yugan.
We 5 started to talk about what happened, Vaenthan and Hafizani both were expressing how angry they felt at the checkpoint guy for delaying them.. and later my sister arrived 1st. I felt equally happy for her but I found out she kinda had an anti-climatic ending for her last cross-country. Akhil eventually came in 29th, Shipren came in 49th, Parvin came in 163rd and Weng came in 164th..
So yeah, cross-country was fun!
