Just as my fellow Indonesians were celebrating our Independence Day and having fun at the Embassy, I sweated my behind off on road, sand, and trail, trying to complete this so-called "The Ultimate X-Terrain Challenge" -- who on earth put that finish line so far away, huh?!

For the record, it took me one hour seven minutes and forty-two seconds to finish.

All things considered, I think the organizer did a good job in terms of crowd (and traffic) control -- hey, try directing thousands of people swarming over a small island, through a tiny bridge.

One complaint, nonetheless: the track could've been wider. At times, the challenge was not to overcome the different terrains; more to avoid bumping fellow runners, so narrow the passage was.

Next year, better, OK? Thank you, Organizer!