TLog: swim and mileage update

As 2008 draws to a close, it is only fitting that my last post is an update on my nemesis - freestyle swim.

Did 22 laps today (1.1 km), and felt that some progress had been made in the past month. Able to breathe every three strokes, paddle continuously for 4 laps and took 23 to 24 strokes per 25m. Still has a problem of sinking if I am not careful, but I can now feel if I am not in the correct position. The gym workouts help with the last flip motion with the arms and hands.

Will have to work on increasing my distance and continuous swim.

In terms of mileage, I covered slightly more than last year's - 2400 km. Over 900 km on the bike and 19 km in the pool.

Cut off times for IM China and Malaysia

Here's some information for future (like 2 to 3 years out!) reference:

Swim: 2 hour 20 minutes
Bike: 10 hours 30 minutes
Finish: 17 hours after the actual start of the race.

IMC also has a 70.3 event with the following cut off times:
Swim: 1 hour 10 minutes (10:10am); Bike: 6 hours (3pm); 8 hours (5pm)

Singapore Aviva 70.3 has a longer overall time limit, but tighter bike time limit:
Swim – 1.9kms - Cut off is 1:10 after your wave start in the swim.
Bike – 90.1kms - Cut off is 5:30 after your original wave start.
Run - 21.1kms - Cut off at the finish is 8:30 after your original wave start.

Also, Singapore practices the wave start instead of mass start (IMC).

Shoe Tally update

My last shoe tally was Sept. So here's the latest update for the year.

Saucony PGT4 gold: 600 km
Saucony PGT4 orange: 590 km
North Face Boa: 578 km
ASICS Nimbus 9: 573 km
Saucony PGT5: 484 km
NFB Arnuva: 168 km
PIF: 32 km

NFB Arunuva is for trail running, and I still couldn't get used to the PIF. Except for the Saucony PGT5, which still has about 150 km more to go, the rest will be honorably retired. Hhhmmm. Need another pair for Tokyo. Eyeing the Nimbus 10.

TLog: Christmas special

Actually it wasn't really anything special, except for Christmas and a new thing I tried today: pedaling with one leg.

Coach had me do four sets of super spinning, followed by this new drill - pedal with one leg for one minute, then two legs for another minute, then the other leg, then two legs.

Sounds easy? I thought so until I tried it. Had to do this on the stationary bike at the gym since I don't have clipless pedals. Luckily this was at the gym, else I would have fallen off many times.Very jerky initially. Almost injured my right knee at first try. Had to think circles to make it work. And one minute turned out to be longer than I'd imagined. Could feel the legs getting tired after 45 sec.

So this is what it means to push and pull. Managed to keep cadence up at 80 rpm even with one leg. Can't imagine biking any distance with just one leg!!

Let's see what else: Yes. Went for a ride along EC yesterday (Christmas day). 30 km. Didn't realize it had been more than 2 months since I was went biking outdoors. Felt great.

Tue was a 15 km easy run along EC, with my good friend PG.

Two weights sessions this week. and a 800 m swim yesterday afternoon. Started continuous arm motion. Have to focus on keeping the legs up.

PS: Need to get the Garmin cadence set.
PPS: First time I learnt about the history of Bethlehem, thanks to Ps Aaron.

Ryan Hall - Running for a Cause

David Goggins and Badwater 135 ultra 2007

Determined to raise money for the children of soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan, he started taking part in ultramarathons. He went on to run Badwater twice, finishing third in 2006. He also completed the Hawaii Ironman in 2008 with little swim and bike experience. What an inpsiration David Goggins is!
His website: I am nobody special.
Read more...

TLog: swim, bike, gym

The period of Christmas cheer isn't all that cheerful this year, thanks to the subprime crisis and volatile stock markets. But that didn't stop us ordinary folks to do the best we can - at least for the little ones.

Managed a 800m swim yesterday while the kids were having fun with their cousins. Practicing continous paddling now, and still trying to keep the rear up.

Did a super-spin session on the stationery bike. Only five sets, but sufficient to bring HR up to 140+. Then it was weigh training. Progressed to four reps of 15, except for air cycling and Roman chair.

Last week, I felt surprisingly good after the bike and weight work out. Let's see how it goes this week.

BFG Rave Runs: Maastricht

Maastricht, The Netherlands

Located south-eastern part of the Netherlands, near the Belgian and German borders. Maastricht has nearly 120,000 inhabitants. Its name is derived from Latin Trajectum ad Mosam or Mosae Trajectum, meaning "Mosa-crossing", and refers to the bridge over the Meuse river built by the Romans during the reign of Augustus Caesar.

The last time I was here was Aug 28, 2006, almost 28 months ago. But nothing much had changed. The railway station, tourist information and Beaumont hotel looked exactly the same.

The morning was downcast and rainy, but the skies cleared after breakfast, and I headed out. I took almost the exact route as I did in 2006 - down toward the Meuse River, turning left at the St Servaasbrug (Saint Servatius) bridge (c. 1280). Past the government building Provinciehuis Limburg along the river, southbound. When the trail stopped, I u-turned and headed back. Went over the river on the de Hoge Brug before heading back to the hotel. Distance: 6.5 km.

Cobblestones and medieval buildings. Quaint. Many similarities with Regensberg, Germany.


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Glorious winter morning! A timely treat to compensate for the drudgery of traveling. Temp: 6 deg C









Only the third run this month, all three in different countries - Thailand, Singapore and Netherlands. Way too much traveling this year. 13 trips in total, translating to about 60 days away from home. Will have to cut down in 2009.

run4COSI SCSM update

Congratulations to Long, Hongyee, Teck Hui, Rachel, Stephanie, Faith and PK for completing their races last Sunday at the SCSM!

Regardless of timing, the key thing is that you guys completed what you started out to accomplish, and you did it for the COSI kids! Well done!

Plans for 2009

At this time of the year, it is only natural to think of new year resolutions and goals for 2009. Having time off to ponder over the journey in 2008, I must say that it has been a very fruitful one.

Completed four marathons (Sundown, Phuket, Bangkok and Singapore)
Completed Singapore Bay Run 21 km
Completed first duathlon (run-bike-run)
Completed Saucony (5 km) and Real Run (15 km)

Not that many races, but more than enough for one year!

The other significant event is the commencement of training for a triathlon since September. So naturally, I have set my sights on completing an Olympic distance triathlon next year.

Feb 22: Tribob sprint aquathlon
Mar 1: Newton Active 10k run (accompanying MBH)
Mar 22: Tokyo marathon
Apr 19: Tribob sprint triathlon
May 23/4: Bintan triathlon (OD)
May 30/31: Sundown marathon - decided to scale down to a 10 km run on coach's advice
Jul 12: OSIM triathlon (OD) fall back plan
Aug - Nov: no plans as yet, but most likely to participate in Singapore Bay Run and Real Run again.
Dec: MR25 ultramarathon

Likely to miss SCSM 2009 due to work/vacation commitment.

TLog: gym and bike

After a course of antibiotics, I felt much better today. Went to the gym for weight/strength training and one hour on the stationery bike. 90 to 100 rpm for one hour. Covered 20+ km.

Felt refreshed and invigorated after the session. It has been some time since I "enjoy" the endorphins after a good easy exercise. :)

TLog: downtime

The only post marathon training this week was a 700m swim on Wed. Thu I succumbed to a cold that I have been fighting for about a week (since last Friday). So on antibiotics for sore throat and anti decongestants.

My sensitive throat has always been a problem, and when it became sore last week, I immediately took lots of vitamin C. It worked sufficiently well for me to run in SCSM. Can only conjecture that the cold affected my fitness.

Looking forward to resuming training next week!

ARE MARATHONS DANGEROUS?

Came across this interesting special report by Amby Burfoot on "ARE MARATHONS DANGEROUS?"

Quotable quote:

"Running might not add years to your life, but it definitely adds life to your years." Jim Fixx

Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2008

Dec 7, 2008

With a total of 50,000 participants, and 15,000 for the full marathon, this year's SCSM is the largest to-date. The huge crowd meant taking 9 minutes just to cross the start point - as usual, I queued up at the rear, but there were many others behind me. Weather turned out as forecasted - overcast and no rain.

The plan was to start slower than Bangkok - about 8 and then increasing by about 10s per km and steady out at 7:10 - and to complete the last 10 km strong. Right from the first two km, I knew this was going to be one of those days. Probably due to the crowd. Even though I tried to slow my pace, HR was too high for my liking. Never got into a rythme. It was a mess.

Came across my good friend with his camera, cheerful as ever! Passed a number of SGRunners - Fatboy, Saint, etc. Passed NURunner at 22 km and chatted shortly with him. Unfortunately, he had the cramps around 20 km. Offered him some words of encouragement - "take baby steps", "There'll always be another race." Little did I realize that I would be heeding my own advice some 6 km later. Yup. The dreaded "C" word. Again.

Ave HR had gone up above 160 by 16 km (not good), and pace slowed considerably. At the half way mark, I had taken 2 hours 41 min.

This time, I had an emergency plan (which I didn't two weeks earlier). The plan was to walk my way out of cramps. So I slowed down, walked more, stretched and took baby steps. This worked well for a few more km, up till 36 km. Unfortunately, the cramps started to get worse, spreading to the calfs. And it was a long walk back to City Hall.

From the last km, the little pride I had left prompted me to start hobbling along. Lucky for me, as PG was waiting for me as we emerged from the underpass at the Padang, having waited 3 hours for me!

Managed to jog all the way to the finish, somewhat surprised that I came in before 6 hours (chip time).


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It was somewhat surprising that only 56% of the entire field finished ahead of me (58% of all males). The median time must have gone up considerably. It was also interesting to note that many participants are young - most of whom are half my age. Little comfort, but hey, I was reminded of my mantra: "Not fast, not sleek, merely dedicated!"

Although this was a PW (5:55) for me, I am really happy for a number of friends who posted PB - Tekko, poison1, Alck - and friends who successfully completed their first marathons (DA, CC) and half (Fast2slow, PG and D). Well done!



Post race evaluations suggested that I was negatively affected by (a) stress caused by the extended vacation in Thailand (and consequent dip in fitness), (b) minor sore throat one day before the race - prevented from a full blown cold with lots of vitamin C, (c) inadequate long runs and (d) diverted focus on bike and swim. All these excuses are merely excuses.

What struck me was the sheer unpredictability of it all. Just as Paul exhorts us to be like the soldier, athlete and farmer, it dawns on me that a commonality is that the outcome does not depend merely on effort. A soldier, however well trained, may not be able to achieve his mission or victory (history is littered with great examples). A farmer may use the best seeds, irrigation, methods, and yet not have a good harvest. An athlete may train his/her best, hit all the key training, avoid injury, and yet not perform to expectations (he does however, increase the probability of achieving a PB). 

It is the nonlinearity that makes running so exhilarating! We can hit unexpected highs and unforeseen lows. It is all part and parcel of running. 

While I am on a philosophical note, I am reminded that what matters is to fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith (2 Tim 4:7). Joan Benoit Samuelson - one of my favorite marathoners - puts it aptly: "Running is a lifetime pursuit. If you set goals and have a passion and believe in yourself, anything is possible."

So I am signing up for Sundown!

Honor Roll: Nimbus 9

BFG Rave Runs: Phuket

Dec 1, 2008

It was somewhat of a relief after two long days of riding in a van for 7 hours each day. We took it slow and allowed for breaks for lunch and coffee on the long trek from BKK to Phuket. It was also a relief to be able to don my trusty pair of PGT5 and took a slow MP run along a familiar route. This was the start of the Phuket marathon route. Just managed 5 km to the village before turning back.

It was comforting to inhale familiar smells along the village streets - from vendors selling breakfast to the arid urine dog urine! Also familiar was a spot where a number of urgent runners took to, about 4 km into the race.

Managed about 6:30 to 7:15 pace. System checked out fine, except a little tightness in the right leg. The inner right knee felt a little sore, a carryover from the tempo run 2.5 weeks ago. It was a good thing this problem didn't act up during the SCBM.

This is the week leading up to the Phuket Triathlon, scheduled for Dec 7. Interesting distances. 1.8k swim, 55k bike and 12k run. The swim leg is out into the sea and back, before continuing across the lagoon. The bike route appear to overlap substantially with the marathon route. The run leg is over two laps in the Laguna grounds. Last year's event saw many winners from Australia and Europe. During this morning's run, I saw a few triathletes on their bikes. Coming a good six days before the race just to familiarize!



Rounded off by going down Canal Village into the wedding chapel. This is the night view:


Along the route, I noticed a new kindergarten, set back from the road for parking and children playground. Really nice. Testament to the claim that Phuket has good international schools. Also many signboards advertising villas and land for sale. Bet it would be harder to attract buyers for the next few months given the problems with BKK. But then again, someone at the Bahrain conference two weeks earlier claimed that prices in Phuket do not come down.


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Dec 2, 2008
Second morning in Phuket saw MBH and I out for a short jog/walk. It turned out to be longer than we'd planned - about 5 km - due to my curiosity to explore. Ouch!

Easy pace to Canal Village, Wedding Chapel and then to Laguna Residences and Homes, where luxury villas await occupants. Most have been sold, but we didn't see many people. Maintenance is immaculate, though.

Nice views of the Phuket Laguna gold course.

TLog: SCBM post marathon recovery

While I still make "novice" mistakes in the 42 km event, I think I am getting the hang of the art of recovery (since this is the enjoyable part).

Recovery starts immediately after crossing the finishing line. I walked around to the drink stations to rehydrate before doing a good stretch. Then a long walk (1 km) to catch a cab back to the hotel. After breakfast (carbo reload?) we went out for a walk with the kids (instead of dropping to sleep). Only in the afternoon did I caught up on sleep (after all, this was a night run).

Next day, went for a massage - 90 minutes deep tissue sports massage. Calves were tighter than I'd imagine, but the thighs were surprisingly ok. Took a dip in the pool, easy swimming. Legs felt 80% normal.

Went for yet another massage the following day (this is Thailand!). Legs felt 90% or better. Did more swimming.

Did not run for seven days (in both Hua Hin and Bangkok) and also due to the closure of the BKK airports. We had to book another flight out of Phuket on Dec 3. Took a van from BKK to Phuket, stopping over at Chumphon (a nice Novotel resort!). Looking forward to a run or two in Phuket.

PS: The closure of the international Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and domestic Don Mueang airport a few day later left more than 100,000 stranded. Initially, we were under the impression that the closure was for only a day, which prompted us to go back to BKK to wait. But when the situation did not appear to improve, we went against our friend's advice and made booked the next available flight out of Phuket. With more explosions and higher tension in BKK, we only hope that the family get out of Thailand safely.

Largest SCSM todate

This year's installment of SCSM will see 15,000 participants for the full marathon, compared to 12,000 last year. These are the figures:

Number of runners by category:

42km: 15,251
21km: 11,806
10km: 20,084
Wheelchair: 9
Kids Dash: 2,044
Total: 49,194

Some international marathons see larger crowd:

Boston: 25,000
Tokyo: 30,000
London: 35,000
New York: 39,000
Chicago: 45,000

Standard Chartered Bangkok Marathon: new respect for the distance

Nov 23, 2008; 0200 hours

The idea of participating in the Bangkok marathon was planted by my friend at the Sundown marathon expo in May. As the family has not been to Bangkok, I thought it a good idea to combine a family vacation with a marathon. Needless to say, the political situation leading up to this weekend was trying, and as things turned out, we were left stranded in BKK until now. (Another story for another time.)

I was in two minds about this race. On the one hand, as it was a night run, starting at 2 am, I thought it was a good idea to put in a good show. On the other hand, there is the Singapore marathon lined up two weeks later that I wanted to participate. However, the cool night air (22.5 deg C) prompted me to give it a go for a sub-5.


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My plan was to make 7:30 pace for the first 5 km and then 7:00 pace up till 32 km. The run went according to plan. Reached the 15 km checkpoint at 1:47 and 34 km mark at 4:07. HR was wonderfully cooperative - within 145 to 155 for the first 15 km.

The problem was that I felt deflated during the 33rd and 34th km - pace slowed to 8:10 and 8:30 respectively. HR had gone up to 150 - 162 from 21 km onwards, and I started to feel that I was going out too hard. Left thigh started cramping towards the 30th km mark. Deja vu. It was like SCSM Dec 2007 all over again.

By the 35th km, I knew I was not able to make sub-5 and what was utmost in my mind was to avoid injury. Hence the disappointing time of 5:33.

What went wrong this time? Two immediate suspects. First, I was over-ambitious, going out too fast. A report I read some time ago mentioned that a mere difference of 15 sec in pace could spell trouble toward the end. I found this out only too well (and too often!). Second, I was unable to find the restrooms that were supposed to be stationed along the route until 32 km. The section from 2km to 32km was along a highway. So obviously no bushes to go behind (some runners went behind cars, but I couldn't bring myself to do that!). And I was looking out for porta toilets. However, trailer toilets were used instead. The urgency could have affected my pace and tempo.

The third reason only dawned upon me two days later. That I relied more on the water points rather than my own water supply. IOW, I switched to water rather than electrolyte drinks, and all my long runs have been on electrolytes! Such a simple mistake that I should have spotted. Lesson learnt.

But the main reason is that I was gunning for a sub-5 target. That will have to wait.

Did I enjoy the race? Emphatically yes. In many ways. It was really fascinating to see the elite runners up close and personal in action. They caught up, in spite of a 90 minutes difference in start time, at the 26th km mark. Their time (as displayed by the accompanying truck) was 1:19!

Interesting to witness the wheelchair racers. The top three were tightly grouped. Seemed to me that the second and third wheelchair racers were drafting off the leader.

It was kinda fun running through the elevated highway. The weather was really good, with a nice breeze.

The organization (except for the toilets) was top notch. The crew set up in really quick time as the area near the Grand Palace was overflowing with crowds paying respect to the King's sister. When I arrived at about 1 am, the tower crane was just lifting the clock into place. All the distance markers were accurately marked out (with acceptable error by my Garmin!). The only exception was the erroneous marker at 41.5km, which read 40.5 km instead.

After the finish line, we were given our medals and two burgers, courtesy of MacDonald's (one of the sponsors). And there were plenty of free food and drinks. When I was leaving, the fun 5 km folks were just coming in. The theme was Go Green, and awards were given for the best dressed teams. So the teams came in all manner of colorful outfits. Wonder if they could run well in those outfits.

What I really appreciated was the special massage treatment. SCSM volunteers would squeezed out massage cream for us. Here, the volunteers actually applied the cream for us and gave a quick calf and hamstring massage while they were at it. It was really wonderful! I am truly appreciative.

There were two young Japanese ladies who had an entire film crew running around and ahead of them, with cameras and video cams. One overtook me towards the end, accompanied by a cameraman. Wonder if he ran all the way?

Then there was this elderly man or woman (I couldn't tell). Short in stature, under 5 feet. Wiry guy whom I overtook at about 5 km, but in turn overtook me later on!

Not to forget the two Singaporeans (from a party of 10!) I met at 7th km. The gentleman was wearing a bright red Sundown finisher tee. The lady finished ahead of me, congratulations! Nice to meet you both.

And it was good to meet Ripley and Litch at the start point. Ripley left me far behind once the starting gun went off.

On another note, the field is about 2,000 marathoners (based on the final results), so relatively small compared to SCSM and Sundown. Most started at 2 am. More than 50 runners from SIN.



End point:

PS: Now I need to get back to Singapore in time for SCSM!

Honor Roll: Saucany PGT5

Congratulations to Harn Wei for ranking second in the 2008 Ultra Triathlon World Cup series

Harn Wei did Singapore proud by coming in second overall in the 2008 Ultra Triathlon World Cup series! Congratulations!

A very remarkable accomplishment indeed.

As Harn Wei noted his journal, the DNF in the final deca cost him a shot at world number one ranking. There could be unfinished business to take care of in the next few years. And we continue to cheer him on!

BFG Rave Runs: Bahrain

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Nov 17, 2008
Second time in Bahrain in as many years. The last time I visited, Craig Daniel was the new James Bond in Casino Royale. Earlier this month, the new JB movie Quantum of Solace was also released. What a correlation! Entirely spurious of course. But what is somewhat fascinating is that I have visited the Middle East at least 6 times since 2000, and witnessed the development over time.

Two years ago, there were lots of construction along Al Fatih Highway. Now these buildings are offices and hotels, spanking new. The Bahrain Financial Center is now completed and stands proudly over this island of golden smiles. At 706 sq km, Bahrain is slightly smaller than Singapore.

Today is all about systems check. Started out at 5 pm (equivalent to 7 pm Sin) and managed just a short 5 km at slow pace. HR<135. The cool weather contributed to the good steady pace at 7:30 (would be wonderful HR pace for BKK!). Started at Pars International hotel at Juffair - a commercial area built on reclaimed land. Passed the Al Fateh Grand Mosque (prayers in session) - opposite Gudalbiya Palace, up to Dolphin park and u-turn at Funland Centre.

That was the vicinity where I stayed in 2006. The last time, I ran south, past the Gudalbiya Palace to Mahooz Ave junction, as well as another run up to the Financial Center. Not sure if I have time this trip. But would make for a nice run that way.

All systems checked out. No pain. That's good. :)

TLog: Battle stations

With just 10 days to D-Day, and the uncooperative weather, we had to reschedule the final field exercise a couple of times. It was all systems go on that the evening (to simulate D-Day conditions), after the men had two full days of rest. The exercise comprises three manoeuvres, each with increasing level of difficulty.

The first manoeuvre had seven checkpoints and the men did well, surpassing the anticipated times: 5:45 (6:00), 6:10, 5:57, 5:53, 6:07, 6:07 (6:10). Form appeared very good, probably the two days of rest helped. The second manoeuvre went pretty smoothly as well - 6:01, 5:58, 6:01, 6:11 (6:06) - until the fourth checkpoint. One of the men started experiencing pain in the knee. Started with tightness, but developed into pain by the fourth checkpoint. I decided that it was more prudent to fail the exercise than to lose the battle. So called a change in exercise objective - called off the third manoeuvre and did a slow march instead. At completion (20 k), it was emergency first aid for the knee.

The prognosis wasn't too good, as the knee was stiff and painful for 24 hours. But fortunately, the pain went away by Sunday. So going to put the men through an easy pace this week (in the middle east!) for final systems check.

Marathon day strategies

Came across an informative piece on race day strategies by DreamRunner. Click here.

Kua and Deca Ironman @ Monterrey, Mexico

Singapore's Kua Harn Wei is back for his second Deca Ironman in Monterrey, Mexico. Unlike the earlier deca two years ago, this year's format follows the conventional format, where participants have to complete the entire 38-km swim first, followed by the entire 1800-km bike, before topping it off with the 422-km run. The previous format was a 10 in 10, i.e. one ironman each day for ten consecutive days.

For mere mortals like me, I can only wonder in amazement how anyone can accomplish such an endurance feat!

Here's wishing him all the very best, with or without support crew!

Read updates at Trizen Journal.

TLog: The heavens opened

Dark clouds loomed as I started this last long run (25k) before the Bangkok marathon. At Changi village, the ground was wet, from the rain that I missed but reaped the advantage of. Cooler temp translated to easier running. But at 13km (after turning into Pasir Ris from Loyang Ave), the sky opened and it was cats and dogs. Shoes got wet and heavy in a hurry.

Last time I ran in heavy downpour like this was last year at the east coast. Good time to test whether I get blisters with the Wright socks (I didn't). It was refreshing and somewhat to my surprise, I actually enjoyed running in the rain. Avoiding puddles became somewhat academic after a while, but I still didn't like getting ambushed and having to splash through puddles.

Met another solitary runner at PCN leading to SunPlaza. Since we were the only two crazies running in the rain, we started chatting. Sam headed back to PR MRT and I continued into Tampines. Nice chatting with you, Sam.

I recalled reading what some writers described as ordinary people watching "shadowy figures running in the cold (rain)" and wondering what in the world are these people doing! And today, I was one of them. The experience was uplifting as I gave thanks for family, blessings and health.

Along the Tampines MRT track, the rain subsided. At the junction of Tampines, I was a little undecided, but continued to Safra and Bedok Reservoir as I was short. The rain intensified again. Heading up the overhead bridge spanning PIE, there was lightning and thunder. Chicken little decided to backtrack and take cover for a few minutes. When the light and sound show was over, I continued and picked up the pace for the last km.

One of my most memorable and enjoyable runs. :)


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HR was less of a mess this time around:

TLog: Intervals

Interval training is not a new concept to me, but simply something that I have never done. Idea is to get the fast twitch muscles working and interval training is a well accepted way to improve speed. So rounding off this tough week is - well, interval training.

Supposed to do 6x800m intervals at 3:00 (4:30 min/km pace) or below. However (!), due to family commitments, I had to bring it forward. Having done a 1km swim in the morning didn't exactly put me in great condition. So it is not surprising that I could only manage 4X400m intervals. The paces are: 1:31, 1.41, 1.41 and 1.48. Only the first lap came close to the target of 1:30. :(

I could not sustain the fast pace over the entire 400m, even when I started out more conservatively. Tough work that needs getting used to. But gotta start somewhere.

On the swim, I tried something from the TI drills. This is the switch drill. Start with arms extended on the side, face down. Zipper upper hand and enter quietly in front. Catch up, then rotate with body and head together to the other side. At the same time, ensure extension of arm. Take 2 to 3 yoga breaths, then face down again. Repeat.

Found this drill to be easier as I got more air and spend less time between breaths. Checked that the upper hand is in the air each time to ensure that body is horizontal, since the flat position is now omitted. Also practiced the second drill, now into the third week.

TLog: 21k back-to-back with 10k recovery

Third installment - a 21 km tempo run with three segments.

Warm day. Headed out to East Coast. A little tired in the middle of second segment. Took a water break then. Not sure if I could complete the third segment. But after a short rest, I managed to hit the targets. The last km was tough, but hung in there and sprinted for the last 200m. Gave it all I'd got. Surprisingly, the pace for the last km was 6.01!

3rd km: 6:01 -- target: 6:00
First segment: 6:10, 6:09, 6:11, 6:12, 6:12 -- total: 30:54 (target: 31:00)
Second segment: 6;11, 6:08, 6:10, 6:11, 6:12 -- total: 30:52 (target: 30:50)
Third segment: 6:09, 6:03, 6:03, 6:05, 6:01 -- total: 30:21 (target: 30:30)

Glad I made it.

PGT5 (wear showing!)

Tokyo marathon 22 March 2009

Received this email from the Tokyo Marathon Entry Desk today:

Dear XXX [ID - 0838]
Congratulations! You have been selected to run the Tokyo Marathon 2009.

According to Tokyo Marathon website, there were 226,378 applicants for a mere 30,000 slots. But from what one past participant told us, it seems that it is "easier" for foreign participants to get the lottery. So far, quincymmx and Akck were also selected. Lucky us! Hope PG will get this as well.

This would be the largest marathon for me. SCSM 2007 had about 11,000 marathoners. Will see how many at this year's SCSM. Should be an interesting experience.

Without wasting any time, I have made payment to confirm the registration and redeemed my hard earned miles. Tokyo-bound!!

There's a neat video of the race course. Except for a decline over 4 to 5 km at the start at Shinjuku, the course appears very flat and wide. First U-turn (15km) at Shinagawa. Second U-turn at Asakusa (28 km); streets narrow to 1 lane here. A few bridges at Harumi area. Two significant inclines, at least. Finish point is at Tokyo Big Sight (also expo venue). Map

TLog: Two intensive weeks

This is the first of two intensive weeks of training leading up to the Bangkok marathon. No bike sessions - replaced by runs. Three consecutive days. First day is a 21k long run on rolling terrain, followed by a 10k recovery, and then a 21k tempo run in three segments.

Rain and thunder spoiled my plan right from the start, so I had a mandatory rest day on Tuesday. Wednesday was the first 21k long run. HR cap went up to 150 (from 140), but coz I ran a new route along Loyang Way and Selarang (for the rolling terrain), the actual HR was a mess.



Hot and sunny morning, but no excuse. Hopefully, next week's long run will be better.

Today's 10k recovery run was uneventful except for savoring the sights and sounds of BR... uncles and aunties chatting away on the park bench, half dozen kids donned in yellow from a neighboring child care/preschool and wondering if I'd meet FeetofFury who achieved a 3:15 in Korea last weekend!

Notes from last swim session on Monday: still sinking on the rights. Realized that I went too steep "downhill" when switching. So eased off and focus on balance when flat. Paid more attention to the arm movement, and to feel air when completing the stroke. Also to kick quietly and not bother about speed. Managed 20 laps.

TLog: Recovery week

Adjusting the training schedule to fit traveling to the other side of the world and back is a bit of a challenge. But managed to complete all the sessions (barely!). Good thing this is recovery week.

So what's interesting? Nothing much except for the swim drills. While practicing swim drills in the indoor pool (first time for me!) in Chicago, I was surprised it took me just four strokes to cover 20 yards (18.83 m). This is the drill starting with flat, then side (one stroke), then flat again and then the other side (another stroke). Back in Singapore this week, I took about 6 strokes to cover 25 m. Initially, I took 7 strokes, but reduced that to 6 by the end of 6 laps.

That's good. Stroke elimination, just like in golf. I can relate to that.

I also noted the surge forward as I rotate to the side. This must be what Terry Laughlin refers to as power from the hip. Nice. Just like driving from the hip ala Tiger Woods. Again, I can relate to that.

Another pointer, again from Terry Laughlin's book on Total Immersion (thanks, M!), was yoga breathing. Inhale slowly, and then let your breath fall out. Relax for a moment, then inhale again. It worked well during my recovery at the wall. Tried it during today's easy 10 k run as well. Inhaled over three strides and exhaled over three as well (usual rhythm is 2-3). Worked to a satisfactory degree as well.

Before I forget, I also understand better what is meant by swimming by feel. Still work to be done, no doubt. More work needed also on the vanilla side.

Last but not least, I am pleased with today's pace of 7:30 to 7:45 even at HR<140. Even if only for 2 to 3 km. Now to achieve this pace for longer distances....

PS: swim notes -- tendency to forget about balance and allow legs and hip to sink. Got to consciously make sure hip is up during the flat position. When stroking, focus on extending the arm. That, together with the rotation, allows faster motion.

Night marathons

RW magazine Dec 2008 issue: A question was asked of Miles about night marathons. And guess what? The Sundown marathon in Singapore was mentioned.

Bravo!

Ironman Japan 2008

On the long flight back from Chicago on ANA, having watched all the movies (English, Japanese and Mandarin), I chanced upon a documentary video on the Ironman Japan 2008. Held in Nagasaki, the bike and run courses cover the entire island with sleepy villages, winding roads, hilly terrain and enthusiastic supporters.

Being my first viewing of an ironman event, it was interesting to see how the swimming started with a flurry of arms and legs, and how the elites went through their transitions. There were many human interest stories, primarily from the Japanese participants. But since the video is in Japanese, I couldn't really appreciate these stories. What I did appreciate was a 40+ year old cook who made a determined bid, but DNF. The cutoff time is 15 hours, and the last participant who came in seconds before the cutoff was literally in tears.

The crowning moment, of course, was at the finishing line. Many came through with their families, children, supporters and friends. It was touching.

For the record, the winner was Luke MacKenzie (AUS; 26) with a time of 8:29:11 and the fastest female contestant was Naomi Imaizumi (JPN, 25). There were five participants from SIN!

BFG Rave Runs: Chicago Grim Reaper

There was a halloween party at the Union League Club last night, and I bumped into the grim reaper in the elevator (hence the title). There were also a Joker (ala Batman), ghouls, witches, etc. Well, America is big into halloween.

Second run in the windy city with a temp of 51 deg F. As I started out, it was overcast, windy and cold! Had to resist the temptation to head back up to the gym and treadmill. Good thing I persevered, for the weather cleared up within 15 minutes, the sun came out and it turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon. More runners about this afternoon. Wind was more moderate.

This time, I headed south to the planetarium - to reminisce the good ole days - before heading back up to Lincoln Park. Kept HR to under 140 bpm. Not surprisingly, my pace was much faster - averaging 6:15 to 6:45. This is about 2 minutes faster than the norm. Did a tempo run at 10th and 11th km, pushing up HR to 170. No speed target, but managed 5:19 and 5:08.

On the way back, I still kept HR to under 140. But pace was about 7:08 to 7:40. Not surprisingly, given the wind factor (14 mph). It was getting dark as I approached 20 km, so decided to head back to the hotel.

Gave directions for the Lakeshore Drive underpass to a couple (hope I was right) and the time to a fellow lady runner, and $2 to an African American elderly lady for train fare (God bless you too!). I guess I looked like the friendly sort of guy.

View from Shedd aquarium : fall colors evident View of Adler planaterium
Chicago skyline from planaterium: congratulations to the couple!
Lincoln Park



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My Life on the Run by Bart Yasso

New book (2008) by the man who invented the Yasso 800, dubbed the "Major of Running" and the chief running officer at Runner's World. The book chronicles Bart's conversion from drugs, alcohol and aimlessness to running. He recounts how he progressed from running to beat his older brother to the Boston marathon, Badwater ultra (146 miles), Bare Buns and racing in various continents.

Bart is frank about how he felt neglected by his father (who eventually became his firm supporter) in his growing years. He found redemption through running. He also has a high tolerance for pain, which helps explain how he excels in endurance events (never give up!).

The book contains many interesting events, adventures and misadventures as well as several heart touching stories. In Clean Streaks, Bart relates how he trained a team of 6 convicts from a rehabilitation center to run a 22 mile relay race in Pennsylvania. Running as a team was an alien concept to the ex-addicts. At the completion of the race, the team was ecstatic. "For once, they were receiving recognition for doing something positive and not being punished for screwing up, and they relished the acceptance of other runners."

Bart also described how he came up with the Yasso 800 training system when he reviewed his running logs when he trained to break 2:50 to qualify for Boston. He formulated his system in the mid 80s, but it was only in October 1994 that Runner's World published an article and dubbed the method the Yasso 800 (courtesy of Amby Burfoot). Bart is quick to note that the Yasso 800s aren't perfect - adjustments need to be made for a hot day or hilly course, and it has to be 10 800s in one workout five to six weeks before the race.

But a deserving credit to an icon in the running world!

BFG Rave Runs: Chicago

No, not the Chicago marathon (I wished!). Visiting CME and DePaul U, and took the chance to do a 15-km tempo run along the famous Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan.


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Started a little late, at 8 am, to avoid the cold. But cold it was. Officially 42 degree F (5 deg C), but with the wind chill, it was colder. Had my windbreaker and cap on. Fortunately, it was sunny, with some cloud cover.

Headed towards Lakeshore Drive bike track. Known as Lakeshore trail. Went north through the bridge and by the Navy pier. Further north on Oak St beach to the southern tip of Lincoln Park. About 7 km. HB was excellent (other than the erratic jump for the first 2 km), less than 140 for the last 2 to 3 km. And yet pace was good, about 6:15.

View of Navy Pier on the right

View of Oak St beach

Chicago skyline (John Hancock Center with twin antenna masts)


Turnaround point

Only when I turned around did I realize why. All the time, I had the wind on my back. After the U-turn, I ran into the wind. And what a difference. It was hard going. Had to push it just to maintain the 6:20 pace. HR above 145 - 150. No wonder the cyclists appear to be struggling against the wind. This was the first time I experienced head wind while running! Found out later that the wind speed as 14 mph (22 kmph)! Now I understand why some runners "complain" about running against the wind.

More Chicago skyline from Jackson Blvd

Legs felt stiff, initially the right thigh and later both thighs. I should have a longer warmup and stretch. Hands were really cold, and nose started running after 6 km. Not a fun run. But this is getting out of the comfort zone!

TriBob Sprint series 2009

Received the participation cert for the TriBob sprint duathlon in Mayl this year. At the back was information for 2009:

Sprint aquathlon@Sentosa  Feb 22

Sprint duathlon@Mandai Mar 15

Sprint triathlon@Changi Apr 19

Registration opens Nov 1. Will have to miss the sprint duathlon, but the sprint aquathlon and triathlon look tempting... ok, back to swim drills.

1% improvements

Don Fink wrote about his experience one year, coming in 8th place in his age group, and while not quite disappointed, he was hoping for a top three placing. His results came in and looking at the timing of the third place competitor, he realized that his timing difference of 1 min 40 sec is only 1% slower. "Can I get 1% faster?" Of course.

He started having many ideas and ways to become 1% faster. And he started having successes. The point is this: forget about the peak and focus completely on the very next step in the climb.

The 1% improvement concept is not limited to athletics. Can I perform 1% better at my job? Can I be a 1% better husband? Can I be a 1% better person?

Certainly. If so, start listing down the ways and take action.

The "I just want to finish under 17 hours" strategy

More from Don Fink, this time from the chapter on Race and Pre-Race Strategies. Naturally, I was interested in the "I just want to finish under 17 hours" strategy.

It starts off with "This section is not for everybody. It is written for the athlete who perhaps only have time for the 'Just Finish' training program. For this athlete victory is defined as completing the Ironman before the cutoff time of 17 hours." That's me then (except the athlete bit).

Just finish swim strategy: Swim section is crucial (tell me about it!). 140 minutes to swim 3,800 m, that's about 3 min 40 sec for each 100 meters (38 of them)! Practice this pace in training. Open water swimming is slower than pool swimming, so allow for some cushion. One way is to swim at a slightly faster pace and then take short breaks at predetermined times. For example, take one minute rest after every 150-min of swimming. Wet suits help. But what if we don't use wet suits?

Just finish bike strategy: Cutoff is usually 10.5 hours after the start. Allow 2:20 for the swim and 10 min for comfortable transition, that leaves 8 hours for the bike segment. Average pace of 14 miles per hour (22.4 km/h). Consider faster pace and rest breaks for fueling, toilet break, etc.

Just finish run strategy: Worst case is 6.5 hours to cover the marathon. Average pace of 15 min per mile (9:22 min per km). Not quite walkable. Consider walk 5 min, jog 10 min and alternate. 20 min/mile (12:30 min/km) on walk and 12 min/mile (7:30 min/km) on jog... you are an Ironman! :)

New Balance Real Run 2008

Well, second year running, I mean participating. Supposed to do a time trial, but my FR305 did not cooperate (found out later that the battery was flat!). So I felt lost throughout this run. Had been overly reliant on my "running computers" to tell me the current pace, lap pace, HR, etc. Today, I had nothing to fall back on. Except my phone to tell me the time at the 8 km mark.

As it turned out, I came in at 1:38 gun time. That put the net time at 1:34:05. About the same as last year.

Most participants agreed that this year's run was more challenging - with the 4 km of trail / sand at the start. I also stopped at every water point, and slowed a little at the 14th km hot stretch. So generally satisfied with the outcome. Sorry no HR profile to show coach. Need another time trial.

Happy birthday wishes to PK!



A big THANK YOU to MBF for the video, support and encouragement!

TLog: new swim drills

I was really pleased to learn a new set of swim drills earlier this week. The drill is to swim flat for five kicks, rotate to one side (five kicks), flat again (five kicks) and rotate to the other side (five kicks). Sounded easy, but I had to work hard to get it.

Started with 2 laps of each drill learnt earlier, and 9 laps of the new drill (total of 15 laps).

This is what I discovered:

I started zigzagging initially. So I had to focus on keeping my line (follow the black stripe!). Found that it helps to keep face down when rotating, then turn head to the side, before turning up to breathe.

Bobbing motion is still present. The flat position allowed me to regain balance and the horizontal position tends to get perturbed while rotating to my right (my vanilla weak side). Also, my turn to breathe while on the rights needed more work... head tended to come up and hips and legs got lowered.

Quite interesting (surprising) to realize that I reached the end of the pool faster when I simply focused on smooth motion. Guess the body rotation is working.

Other key points from today's training:
Need to slow down and focus on compact and slow kicks. No need for speed or power. Easy does it.

Need to work out the stiffness in the right shoulder. Had to stretch hard to keep alignment on the right.

Fink on Swim Techniques

Extracted from Chapter 10 of Be Iron Fit by Don Fink

Body position: think sleek, slipper torpedo.
Press upper torso into the water to allow hips and legs to rise to the surface.
Body rotation - (1) adds leverage to each stroke, (2) makes breathing more efficient and (3) decreases body profile, hence reduce drag.
Flaws to avoid: (1) low hips (2) swimming flat. Chest lean drill to improve body position

Stroke mechanics:
Entry above head and in front of shoulder. Avoid overreaching (hands crossing over centerline of body, creating fishtail effect), limited glide (beginning stroke immediately... pause at the end of extension before catch).

Catch: shoulder rolls forward as elbow bends, but remains high in the water. Wrap hand and forearm around a barrel in the water. Avoid dropping elbows and lack of shoulder roll.

Pull: pull back in S-like shape. Avoid lack of follow-through.

Release/Recovery: do a soft recovery, arms gently returning through the air.

Kick: Smaller, more efficient kick recommended. Kick to help rotate body and maintain proper position, but dohould do little to propel forward. Avoid big kick (too large, too wide) and too many kicks per stroke.

Turbulence: Side-to-side turbulence through hands crossing over in front of head, and kicking too big.
Up-and-down turbulence lifting head to breathe.

Bintan Triathlon

Registration opened recently for the 2009 Bintan Triathlon on May 23 and 24. PK encouraged me to consider participating, so I checked it out.

Wasn't able to find any information on the cut off times for each leg of the OD race. Start time is 2 pm on May 23 (Sat). So I emailed to the organizers (TriBob). Received a very prompt reply:

Dear S.E,

Thank you for contacting us. With regards to your question below, please see the following answer…

Participants are not allowed to start their first or second lap of the run course after 6pm (4hrs into the race). They will be directed straight to the finish line, receive a finisher medal and have their times recorded. The official results will state that the participant did not complete the run.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

KIM-JOO SCHOCH

Sales and Marketing Manager

That's great news! I hope to be done by four hours. Bad news is that the Nirwana Gardens hotel is already fully booked. Sure need a larger capacity hotel.

Yet another update from helpful Kim: Apparently the hotel arrangements have yet to be finalized. So booking for Nirwana Gardens will be available! Two pieces of good news today!

TLog: Blame it on the heat!

24 km long run, second attempt at making good the 3 km tempo run at the end. I was determined to make it this time.

Started out at 7 am with overcast skies, rain in the forecast. But the weather forecast was dead wrong, and the morning got hotter and hotter. First leg was uneventful, managed to keep 140 bpm cap at good pace (8+ min/km), and first tempo run was better than expected. Took a long recovery walk after that. About 250m for HR to come back down to 140, but it took a much longer time to come down to 135! I suppose this was the first sign of trouble. But I didn't think twice about it then.



Second leg was a struggle in the heat. Had to slow down to 10+ min/km to maintain 140 bpm. The last 24 km run in the evening was a cool affair, and I didn't have trouble maintaining at 8+ min/km pace. I knew it was going to be tough.

Sure enough, at 21st km, HR went up very high very fast. Hit 174/5 with the first km. Pace: 6:08, way off. The last run, HR was moderately high (about 160+). Not good.

Staring at the exposed, sunny and hot track (leading from NSRCC), I decided to fight another day. As it turned out, the temp reached 35 deg C (when I checked at 11 am, so at 10 am, it should be about 34 deg C)! No wonder I found it so tough! What can I say. I was disappointed. Simply not my day, and will attempt this another time.

Motion based had this wonderful feature that provides the distribution of distance by HR! So here's the breakdown:



Roughly eyeballing the distribution, the distance travelled under 140 bpm is about 40 to 50%, with the rest slightly over 140.

Here's a comparison of the Oct 7 and Oct 15 24 km run:

First leg: 7:04 to 8:22 pace versus 7:13 to 8:30 pace. About the same
First tempo: 5:45 (164 bpm) and 5:39 (168 bpm) versus 5:48 (171) and 5:43 (176). A little slower and higher HR
Second leg: 7:55 to 8:40 versus 10:14 to 10:49 pace. What a huge difference in pace!
Second tempo: 5:51 (167), 5:55 (170) and 7:19 (170) versus 6:08 (174!)

Clearly the weather/temp had a big part to play. In terms of hydration and fueling, there's no difference as I used powerbar electrolyte drinks (two bottles) and two gels in each run.

So what did I learn? That I don't do too well under hot temp (above 33 deg). I can run / jog slowly in high temp, but not at fast pace (especially after 3 hours). This is something to work on. :)

Be Iron Fit (2004): Don Fink

Picked up this book "Be Iron Fit" from the library a week ago. Don Fink was a former Wall Street managing director who left his job after 20 years to pursue his passion for Ironman. This book was written for busy people and the central theme is time-efficient training secrets.

The key principles:

1. Train time, not miles
2. Indoor training for time efficiency
3. Lunch time training
4. Master swim sessions
5. Early bird workouts

Principle of Gradual Adaptation: the 10% rule
We all know about the 10% rule for miles. Fink translates that to time and intensity. By intensity, what is important is the percentage of high intensity to low intensity training. The 10% rule does not apply directly to frequency of training, only indirectly through duration of training.

Adjustments for missed workouts:
This section is interesting to note.
1 day missed: Continue as scheduled. No doubling up.
2 - 3 days missed: Do only half of scheduled training on first day back. Resume on second day back.
4 - 6 days missed: Do only one-third of scheduled training on first 2 days back, and two-thirds of next two days back. Resume on fifth day back.
7 or more days missed: consider redesigning program and/or timing of your goals.

Effective Heart Rate Training
An excellent chapter on how not to train using "How I feel" and "My Pace". The method of choice: HR zones. What Fink advocates is to train in the aerobic zones (for Ironman goals) (90%) and in the anaerobic zones (10%). Avoid the no-man's land zone 3.

Zone 4: 90 - 95% max HR (166 to 175 bpm*)
Zone 3: 86 - 89% (159 - 165 bpm)
Zone 2: 75 - 85% (139 - 158 bpm)
Zone 1: 65 - 74% (120 - 138 bpm)

*bpm range based on max HR of 185

The HR ranges for cycling is scaled down 5% because of different mechanics. So minus 5% from above ranges.

Zone 4: 158 to 166 bpm
Zone 3: 151 - 157 bpm
Zone 2: 132 - 150 bpm
Zone 1: 114 - 131 bpm

Since my max HR is 188 bpm, that means my long runs had been in zones 1 and 2 (<140 bpm), and the tempo intervals were in zone 4. Biking generally around 120 bpm, so that is also in zone 1. All aerobic training for the Base Training Phase. Next would be the Build and Peak phases, followed by the Recovery phase.

TLog: 15 km tempo, bike, swim and gym workout

Oct 8: Had to do this on the stationary bike due to rain. 20 km easy spin HR~110

Oct 9: Morning swim (as forecast was for rain in the afternoon/evening). 6 laps front, 4 laps left and 4 laps right side. Discovered that my chocolate side is my left. (I like chocolate). Swimming on the left side was easier. Could even do the sweet spot drill as recommended in the TI video. However, I couldn't do the same on the right side (vanilla side). In fact, I suspect I have a slight negative buoyancy, especially on the right. Kept going below the water surface, and had to consciously keep close to surface. Hhhmmm... wonder what I could do to rectify this fault?

Evening gym workout. Getting better at air cycling. Other exercises were ok. Found a substitute for the leg adductor and abductor exercises using the cable machine, thanks to the gym instructors!

Oct 10: 15 km tempo run. Same as two weeks ago. No problem except coming back. Struggled with the slopes at 13 and 14 km. The same stretch going out towards Changi Village was good as I gathered good speed going down. But the return leg was the "killer" and my pace suffered. Managed about 7:00 instead of 6:30 on that upslope stretch. A prolonged cooldown about 3 km. Weather was sunny and hot. But bearable.

Here's the HR for record:



Tempo run on Sept 28 for comparison:



Km/Oct 10/Sept 28
1/8.03/7.26
2/7.52/7.30
3/6.00/5.58
4/6.31/6.36
5/7.08/6.36
6/6.24/6.28
7/6,22/6.37
8/6.45/6.40
9/8.14/7.08
10/6.28/6.26
11/6.35/6.06
12/6.25/7.02
13/6.57/6.22
14/7.02/6.34
15/9.11/6.22
16/11.20/10.40

TLog: 24 km long run - objective unaccomplished

Cool evening, supposed to rain late afternoon, but the sky held up in the eastern part of the island. Switched run from Thu to today as I wanted to cycle tomorrow and keep Sun free. This is an evening run, as opposed to my normal morning runs.

The good news: (1) managed to keep HR below 140 for first 9 km as well as the second 9 km... hard cap in both cases (ok, perhaps 1 or 2 above 140, but this is the best by far in terms of HR).

(2) First tempo run at 5:45 and 5:39 for 10 and 11 km resp. Better than the 11:35 target. Second long run was good. Hard cap at 140 HR maintained... had to walk 500 m after first tempo run to bring HR down sufficiently to maintain the cap. It worked.

(3) Found some rthyme from the strides, even when going slow. Concentrated on the lean and kick back. Kick back wasn't high as pace was slow, but if I focused on the kick back motion and arm swing, I can improve my pace even without higher HR. This is a good outcome, I think. Was able to go below 8 min/km for km 4 to 9 even while keeping HR < 140. And also for 14, 15 and 17 km.

Now the bad news. Second tempo run fell short of target. 5:51 and 5:55 for 21 and 22 km. Had to break for road crossing after 300m on 23 km (I was actually quite relieved to have to wait for the traffic!). What's more the Garmin had a problem ... system autodown or sthg. So that broke my tempo .. anyway, the truth was that I was running out of steam then. Miserable 7:19 for 23 km. Way off the target of 17:30 (5:46 pace) for the three km! :(

Felt tired after this run, unlike previous long runs. Found this to be a hard run in spite of better slow pace run.

The North Face 100

This is the route for the Singapore NF100 race on Oct 4, 2008.
8 hours cut off. Hydration packs required. Many DNF.



Great pix and description from teelee!

run4COSI and Run for a Cause

In his No Need for Speed column for the RW magazine (Nov issue) titled "Faith, Hope and Charities: running for something other than yourself is the greatest gift of our sport", John Bingham (one of my favorite authors) wrote about running for a cause. Some may scoff at such runners and dismiss such gimmicks, but there are increasingly more and more people who run for causes close to their hearts.

Jennifer Lopez is a good recent example - she completed a triathlon to raise funds for a children hospital. Dean Karnazes ran for many cancer-stricken children. The Run for Hope race is to commemorate Terry Fox, who inspired generations of runners in his bid to raise money for the fight against cancer.



run4COSI is also about running for a cause, but there are faces we can identify with. The children whom you played and talked with. You laughed, ate and prayed together. You grew up with these kids, and understood their fears and concerns. These are the beneficiaries you love and care for.

The ending of John Bingham's article resonated deeply:

So many of us have changed our own lives through running that it makes sense we would want to change the lives of others the same way. We can take the drive, ambition, and dedication we used to transform ourselves from couch potatoes to athletes and channel that into making a difference for someone else. When that happens, we'll truly understand the words of the renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

More resources for our run4COSI team in training:

THE RUNNER'S WORLD 8-WEEK BEGINNING RUNNER'S TRAINING PROGRAM
by Amby Burfoot

Many good tips are provided such as nutrition before the run, arm position, dealing with hot weather, potential running injuries and good use of cross training.

One great quote: "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."
--William Faulkner

Time limits for endurance races

Recently, I was joking that the first thing I check for in a race is the max time limit. Some marathons have time limits, such as 7 hours for Bangkok (no time limit for SCSM!) In particular, on the subject of multi-sports events, I was concerned about the time limit for the swim leg in a triathlon. So checked out the websites:

OSIM triathlon 1.5 km swim: 50 minutes (1m 40sec per 50m lap)
70.3 Aviva Ironman 1.9 km swim: 70 minutes (1m 50sec per 50m lap)

Interestingly, the limits for the bike and run legs are based on the original start time:

Bike – 90.1kms - Cut off is 5:30 after your original wave start. (4:20 assuming max swim time - 19 km/h speed)

Run - 21.1kms - Cut off at the finish is 8:30 after your original wave start. (3 hours assuming max swim and bike times - 8:30 pace)

Total Immersion swimming by Terry Laughlin

Drills are at 45 min mark.

TLog: week ending Oct 4

Sept 28: Tempo run over 15 km: 2km warm up -> stretch -> run 1km at 6:00min -> run 5km at 6:50min-per-km pace -> slow jog 500m -> run 5km at 6:30min-per-km pace -> 1km cool down

Sept 29: 25 km bike of easy spin. No structure. This is recovery week! Average HR of 118, just shy of target of 120.

Sept 30: swim omitted due to upper chest respiratory infection

Oct 1: easy 5 km instead of 10 km. Made up somewhat by short 2 km easy run on Oct 3.

Oct 2: easy swim, 12 laps

Oct 4: easy 10 km, ave HR: 138. Target 140

run4COSI

Some weeks ago, the idea of running to raise funds for COSI education project was mooted. We aim to implement this project some time next year. Thus I was pleasantly surprised to learn that many members of PMC COSI team have signed up for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon this Dec, for various distances from 10km to the full 42km. That's really wonderful news.

TH and F spoke to me about how to train for the race. Enthusiasm is good and will carry us through, but there are pitfalls such as over extending oneself and risking injury. I have always maintained that the key to running is to complete the race injury free in order to have a good race experience. So here's a structured and disciplined training program that you may find useful.

Key principles:

1. Regularize your exercise / training program. For starters, set aside time for three sessions per week. There will only be one session for the long run, and the other two sessions can be 20 to 30 minutes each. The long session will be one hour, extending up to two hours for those training for the half marathon, and about one hour for those training for the 10 km run.

2. 10% rule: Gradually increase your mileage or intensity, by no more than 10% per week. The proven approach is gradual adaption to stress. So for instance, if your long run is currently 5 km, increase your long run distance to 5.5 to 6 km next week, and no more. If your pace is 6 min/km, don't push it up to 5 min/km this week. Note: either increase distance or intensity (pace or speed), not both at the same time. For first timers, aim for distance instead of speed.

3. Run your own race. Since the objective is to complete the race, it does not matter how fast you run. Do NOT yield to temptation. Do NOT compare with other runners and with each other. You run your own race, at your own time.

4. Walk breaks. This approach has been advocated by Jeff Galloway and Amy Burfoot (Executive Director, Runner's World Magazine). The run-walk system works this: run for say 5 minutes, and then walk for 1 minute. The ratio varies from 1:1 (1 min run, 1 min walk) for beginners to 9:1 (9 min run, 1 min walk) for seasoned marathoners.

5. Recovery makes us stronger runners. Always build in a recovery week. Recommendation is to have a recovery week after every three weeks of build up. The distance covered in the recovery week is about 50 to 60% of current distance.

Recommended program:

There will be three training sessions per week. Sat is designated as the long run day. But feel free to swap the sessions around to fit into your schedule. The other two sessions are described by time as well as distance.

[Choose time or distance based on your own comfort level. IOW, don't try to run 3 km within 20 minutes. If you can only run/jog 20 minutes and not cover 3 km, don't worry. Stick to the 20 minutes!]

If you have more time, include another session for either a walk/jog or swim or bike or gym. This is just a rough program for the 10 km race:

Week ending / Tue / Thu / Sat
Oct 12 / 20 min (3km) / 20 min (3km) / 5 km
Oct 19 / 20 min (3km) / 20 min (3km) / 6 km
Oct 26 / 30 min (4km) / 30 min (4km) / 7 km
Nov 1 / 20 min (3km) / rest / 5 km
Nov 8 / 30 min (4km) / 30 min (4km) / 7.5 km
Nov 15 / 35 min (4.5km) / 30 min (4km) / 8 km
Nov 23 / 35 min (4.5km) 30 min (4km) / 8.5 km
Nov 30 / 20 min (3km) / 20 min (3km) / 6 km
Dec 7 / 20 min (3km) / rest / 10 km RACE
Dec 14 / 10 min walk / rest / 10-15 min jog

You'd notice that the two weeks before the race are scaled down. This is known as the taper period, where we maintain the same intensity, but cut down on the distances.

The corresponding long run distances for half marathon training are as follows:
Oct 12 - 8 km
Oct 19 - 10 km
Oct 26 -12 km
Nov 1 - 8.5 km
Nov 8 - 14 km
Nov 15 - 16 km
Nov 23 - 18 km
Nov 30 - 10 km
Dec 7 - 21 km RACE

The other two training sessions each week remain unchanged, but can add 10 minutes more if you feel you can cope. Recovery week after the race remains the same. The recovery week essentially reminds us to take it easy after the race, and to ease back into shape through walks and jogs.

See related post on COSI angel project.

Rave Runs wallpaper from RW

One feature I like about RW magazine is the Rave Runs pix. Now they are available as wallpapers for downloading.

Free Rave Runs Wallpaper for download here...

What does Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Palin have in common?

Read from RW Nov issue that Jennifer Lopez is now a triathlete! And 6 months after giving birth to her twins.



This was at Malibu, CA and she raised more than $125,000 for Children's Hospital in Los Angeles! She finished the race in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 38 seconds.

Read more...

Did you also know that Sarah Palin ran a 3:59:36 marathon? This was in the Humpy's Classic Marathon in Anchorage back in August 2005, about a year before she became the first female governor in Alaska history. That time was good for 63rd overall, and 15th among the women.

Palin is a mother of five kids and her parents were marathoners. She says exercise is still very much a "family thing," and that "Conventional running is my sanity."

Read more...

PS: President George W. Bush ran 3:44:52 in the 1993 Houston Marathon and Vice President Al Gore completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 4:58:25.