The Grouse Grind Mountain Run Walk/Crawl
I stood at the bottom of the mountain and didn't think it'd be such a big deal. Even though it was like a huge green wall that stretched up as far as I could see, I never imagined it to be so steep. I only learnt that after they flagged us off and I jogged over to the base of the mountain. Grouse Mountain is (200X Peng Kang Hill/Macritchie/Bukit Timah Hill combined, and 2X Crazy). To make it easier to understand, this are a picture to illustrate. Enjoy!
The Grouse Grind MountainRun Walk/Crawl was afoot!
The Walk/Crawl was precisely that; a walk/crawl. I walked because I couldn't run. I couldn't run because it was too steep, and because there were too many people blocking the route. I overtook some people, not many, but those were rare instances. I walked because the person in front of me walked, and I crawled in two senses; I moved slowly, and I had to touch the ground with my 4 extremities because the terrain was exceptionally steep in some places and I have a slight psychomotor coordination problem.
When I got up to the top after about an hour of climbing steps, I was treated to the most beautiful view I have ever seen in my life. It was a clearing, and there was a chalet, and from there, I could see Stanley Park, many other mountains, (maybe downtown Vancouver) and all the trees I climbed past.
The Grouse Grind Mountain Walk/Crawl was a great experience; I'd definitely do it again, I'd go through all that pain once more to feel the same way I felt at the finish line this time. It was much better than completing 21km, or even getting up Peng Kang Hill in record time. It felt more than that; it felt like pride.
I was proud that I didn't stop no matter how much I was tempted to. Proud that I actually completed the race. I was proud that I, like 600+ other competitors (this year), knew this was going to be painful, and actually went ahead and did it because we wanted to. When I leave Vancouver, when I finally am forced to, this event will stay in my memories as something I knew I might not have the possibility of finishing, but which I did.
The Grouse Grind Mountain
The Walk/Crawl was precisely that; a walk/crawl. I walked because I couldn't run. I couldn't run because it was too steep, and because there were too many people blocking the route. I overtook some people, not many, but those were rare instances. I walked because the person in front of me walked, and I crawled in two senses; I moved slowly, and I had to touch the ground with my 4 extremities because the terrain was exceptionally steep in some places and I have a slight psychomotor coordination problem.
When I got up to the top after about an hour of climbing steps, I was treated to the most beautiful view I have ever seen in my life. It was a clearing, and there was a chalet, and from there, I could see Stanley Park, many other mountains, (maybe downtown Vancouver) and all the trees I climbed past.
The Grouse Grind Mountain Walk/Crawl was a great experience; I'd definitely do it again, I'd go through all that pain once more to feel the same way I felt at the finish line this time. It was much better than completing 21km, or even getting up Peng Kang Hill in record time. It felt more than that; it felt like pride.
I was proud that I didn't stop no matter how much I was tempted to. Proud that I actually completed the race. I was proud that I, like 600+ other competitors (this year), knew this was going to be painful, and actually went ahead and did it because we wanted to. When I leave Vancouver, when I finally am forced to, this event will stay in my memories as something I knew I might not have the possibility of finishing, but which I did.
posted by david at 5:48 PM
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