Because of the heat and humidity here in Kuala Lumpur a usually do my running on the treadmill in the hotel gym. There is a fantastic track in the KLCC Park (the one under the twin towers) that I have been curious to try, but a constant temperature of 34°C with no wind has made me hesitate.
A few days ago I decided to defy the heat and go for an early run. At six in the morning it was still pitch black, but when I headed out at 6:30 the sky was getting lighter by the minute.
I had some trouble finding a way in to the park that didn’t go through a hotel or mall, but eventually found my way into the 1300 meter running track. It’s covered by some kind of orange mat that are nice to run on and keeps the casual strollers out of the way.
Despite the early hour it was still 30°C and very humid, but the run was fantastic anyway. The park is amazing with all the old large trees, the many sculptures and ponds and the bird song. All of it surrounded by skyscrapers in the middle of a city with 1.6 million people. In the mornings and evenings there are lots of people in the park – entire families running together, old Chinese men doing tai chi, young women jogging in long trousers and sleeves wearing a tudong, and a few western business men.
After three laps I was exhausted and headed back to my hotel where I managed to avoid leaving to much of a wet trail in the lobby. It was definitely something I want to do again – I’ll try to get out again once a week for at least one of my easy runs.
