It was the start of pace building for Ops Kingfisher, with a 15-18km tempo run through the rough and 'rolling-hills' terrain of MacRitchie Reservoir (MR). The Kingfisher trainees, Running Guides and Pacers came prepared for a challenging run....with a good base of track and hills training over the past few weeks, it was to be a test of sorts to see if the base was solid.
The various pace groups of 1:45h, 2:00h., 2;15h, 2:30h and Happy 2:45h were flagged off without much fanfare. The initial paces were a tad fast, but soon moderated due to the rough and hilly terrain interspersed with various running groups sharing the trails. Many of the Kingfishers 
were taking this as a first time trial for themselves, and were focused on their running form as well as paces. They were also careful not to burn too much fuel and accumulate too much wastes in the 4km trail portion.It felt good to transfer from rocky trail to tarmac road...allowing us to maintain a steady pace all the way into the Pierce Reservoir area. Because of the impending AHM, many friends and familiar faces were out training at the MR area. Because of the race-pace plus 15-30sec guideline, the pace was sufficiently hard and there were moments when lactic buildup and fuel-burn were higher. Fortunately, many of us came prepared with a good breakfast and carried isotonic hydration along.
At the mid-point, the front group realized we had covered 10km+, making the course a 20km+ distance. We were 'consuming' slopes throughout the stretch where we met the army of officer cadets conducting mission, many of them surprised to see a number of runners goining up and down the rolling slopes. The mid-pack runners arrived to the Gate Of Pierce Reservoir and turned back for 16km. All were looking pretty taxed by the challenging slopes, but yet were able to maintain form and substance...well done Kingfishers.
By the 13km-15km mark, many of the trainees were drained off their glycogen stores, and some lucky ones with spare tanks had to call upon their reserves. The upslope from the Sentry Post burnt lots of fuel, causing many to start taking walk-breaks to conserve remaining fuel for the final 4km through hilly trails. The final 5km was what separated the Kingfishers from normal birds, as their PowerFLIGHT training sessions were called upon to lend them the strength and endurance to carry through the remaining slopes on 
near-empty fuel tanks.It was one of the toughest runs the Kingfishers had experienced to date, and when they reached the finish, all were spent and just wanted to take a rest on the wooden flooring in the shed. The iced-cold Gatorade slowly restored their senses and brought them back from the brink of exhaustion. The first group did a total of 20.5km, the mid-pack a distance of 16km and the Happy Group conquered 12km-15km. There was a specific ladies group that went on to complete 22km, and by the time they completed, they felt they could 'eat a cow' for breakfast.
Throughout the run, I felt my legs and cardio working overtime, and at various points, the lactic buildup was fast and furious. We were most impressed with the Kingfisher trainees' determination and endurance to complete this challenging course. This experience can only strengthen further their mental and physical strength, preparing all for a smoother road towards The Army Half Marathon. With the most challenging completed, we will be taking some time out to recover and rest our tired bodies, for the second half of the Kingfisher journey. It will be a prelims test of the full 21km next, and we can all anticipate a flatter and easier terrain than what we had experienced today.
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