Abandon The Forests!

Just read from local papers, that from 85% of Indonesia covered by forestry in the 1950s, this percentage is now reduced to 47%. Prediction is a total wipeout in 35 years. That will be during my lifetime, or at least my children's lifetime.


I am not a big fan of looking at the forest from afar, after spending my fittest years in the army, running up and down hills, bashing through thorny branches, I have lost affection for the green - just the colour. Which is the same reason I didnt enjoy Milford Sound in New Zealand, while it is a huge tourism spot.


However, that doesnt mean I dont appreciate the nature, the scent the forests bring out. The serene, peace and quiet broken only by the the birds' chirps. The breeze that enters an open canopy and rustles the leaves. The crackling of the dew damp logs and trunks heated by the morning sun. Buzzing of insects, cicadas that signaled the start of a brand new day. It is not everyday that we get to enjoy such natural sounds.


The senseless logging by both the legal and illegal companies will rob us of the natural beauty. And possibly permanently. Besides accelerating the green house effect, we are losing a huge chunk of what God had given us in the natural form. Reforestation may be able to bring back these millennium old foresteries, but will it bring back the lost flora and fauna that started out with them originally?


And yet, we are more concerned with growth of economies, advancement of technologies. If we do not put a stop to destruction, no great economy nor technology may be able to jump start nature again. Bearing in mind, that the sun is a huge hydrogen ball, highly unstable, it is also the giver of life on earth. Read about how recently it had shown more activity compared to the past years. Has it occurred to anyone, what if the sun, being like any other stars out there, one day, stops burning? What next then?

***

Coach has ordered to do an easy bike session today, instead of the planned 100km bike and 6km run and rest well for the upcoming sessions for the rest of the week. This was a result of the bad session from last night at the track. Programme was 200m run, 100m recovery, 300m run, 200m recovery. This was 1 set. We did 8 sets of that.


Sadly, I was trailing Uncle Lim, the 60 year old. By a huge margin - 3 to 4s for the 200m, as huge as 7 to 8s for the 300m. My legs just felt jelly and lungs were breathing heavily. Maybe it was the weekend's heavy sessions, or maybe it was just my weak mind. Likely a combination of both. But was a devastating session, nonetheless.


Monday night was also a hard hitting session, trying to follow Jerry and Julian during the main programme of 200m, 300m, 300m, 200m sets with filppers. But still felt good at the end of it. I suppose the Monday swims dont tire me out as easily as last time. In fact, my lone pool sessions are a much more tiring hit in comparisom, despite it being a lower intensity.


I am so tempted to continue with the 100km ride and 6km run. But I am afraid that it would be a wasted session because I may not be able to do the prescribed sets. I know it is not going to be an easy session today. Perhaps a rest will do me good.