Where My Running Journey Began: Sundays at Botanic Gardens and Taman Serasi
Where My Running Journey Began: Sundays at Botanic Gardens and Taman Serasi
A reflective return to Singapore Botanic Gardens where childhood Sunday jogs, family ritual, teh tarik, roti John, and today’s kopi kosong come together in a story about memory, discipline, ageing, and carrying forward a culture of movement.
Some places remain with us not only because they are beautiful, but because they quietly helped shape who we became. For me, Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of those places.
Since the age of seven, Sunday mornings there had already become part of my life. I would jog with my uncle and my dad, and afterwards we would head to the old Taman Serasi Hawker Centre just outside the Gardens for teh tarik and, at times, roti John. At that age, I did not think about discipline, endurance, or active ageing. I only knew that this was part of our rhythm, part of our routine, and part of a memory that felt simple and good.
Looking back now, I realise those mornings may have given me more than fond childhood memories. They may well have helped build the foundation for my long-distance running, and for the 800m and 1500m events that I later came to dominate during sports day. What felt ordinary then was quietly preparing me for something greater.
Where movement first became memory
There is something powerful about early exposure to movement. Not harsh training. Not pressure. Just consistent activity, repeated over time, rooted in family and familiarity. In many ways, that is how lasting habits are formed. Before we even call it exercise, it becomes a way of life.
Today, things have changed. The teh tarik of those younger days has changed to kopi kosong. But in many ways, I am still carrying forward the same culture, a culture of movement, routine, discipline, and quiet reflection. What began as Sunday jogs with my uncle and dad has remained with me through the years, even as age, habits, and perspective have changed.
Slowing down enough to notice
Returning to Botanic Gardens now feels different. The beauty is still there. The calm paths, the towering trees, the quiet greenery, the reflective waters, and the sense of stillness in the middle of a fast-moving city. Yet what has changed most is my perspective.
As we grow older, we often begin to notice what we once walked past too quickly. The Gardens reward those who slow down enough to notice the smaller details, where even a simple plant display or a sign about stingless bees can become part of the learning journey.
Most of us know bees by their sting, yet here in Singapore Botanic Gardens I was reminded that nature is often more nuanced than we think. Stingless bees, small and easily missed, became another quiet detail rewarding those willing to slow down and observe.
Ageing, discipline, and the importance of maintenance
In youth, movement often feels natural. The body responds quickly, recovers quickly, and carries us with a certain ease. As we age, that changes. When I jog now, I know it is no longer what it was in my twenties.
That realisation is not discouraging. It is clarifying. It reminds me that if we stop training, the body will naturally slow down with age. That is why maintaining movement matters. It is no longer only about performance. It is about discipline, function, and lifestyle. To maintain is not to settle for less. To maintain is to respect the body and to keep showing up.
That is also why I believe movement must remain part of life, just as strength training should remain part of life. Jogging, walking, and strength work each have their place. One supports endurance and cardiovascular health. The other helps preserve muscle, stability, and function. Both become increasingly important as we grow older.
During this visit, I noticed an elderly woman seated quietly, simply enjoying the fresh green surroundings. It was a simple sight, but a meaningful one. It reminded me that places like these are not only for exercise or sightseeing. They are also spaces where one can slow down, breathe, reflect, and age with grace.
Foundations, continuity, and carrying the culture forward
Perhaps that is why places like Botanic Gardens matter so much. They are not only green spaces. They are spaces where memories are formed, values are passed on, and foundations are quietly built. A child may simply see a morning outing. Only later does he realise he was learning consistency, endurance, and the importance of movement without even knowing it.
Today, I return with older eyes. I see not just a beautiful place, but a part of my own beginning. A place where family, discipline, and movement came together long before I understood their full meaning. A place that reminds me that health is not built only through ambition, but through repetition, routine, and a willingness to keep moving across the years.
The body may no longer move like it did in youth. But that is precisely why discipline matters. Sometimes, the strongest foundations in life begin with something simple, a Sunday jog with family, teh tarik and roti John at Taman Serasi in younger days, and kopi kosong, roti prata with eggs in the present, all part of a culture I continue to carry forward.
Some places stay with us not only because they are beautiful, but because they quietly helped shape who we became. For me, Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of those places. What began as childhood Sunday jogs with my uncle and dad, followed by teh tarik and roti John at Taman Serasi, has become something deeper over time a culture of movement, routine, reflection, and discipline that I still carry forward today.
The drink may have changed from teh tarik to kopi kosong. The body may no longer move with the ease of youth. But the rhythm remains. And sometimes, that is what matters most.
Photo story gallery
Swipe through the full visual journey across the Gardens.
